DJ John Land

Now that Christmas has passed (it was a lovely Holiday, overall), it also marks the end of the regular NFL season.  Actually, the official end this year is December 28th.  The Giants and the Eagles will face each other at 1 pm at home (meaning, MetLife Stadium) and I will be glued to the 52" Samsung. The husband will probably be out walking (tragically, he isn't a Football fan...LOL). It's not that this game will really mean anything, except (I hope) that the Giants will mercilessly humiliate the Eagles.  Neither team will be in the playoffs this year.  Of course, it's very disappointing that the Giants ruled themselves out much earlier than Philadelphia did; they had a bad season (understatement).  The Eagles fell apart in the last weeks, with Dallas assured a shoe-in about a week ago, as they are now safely in first place and the wildcard spots will be taken by other teams in the conference. Hopefully, Dallas will be "one-and-done" and eliminated early....

Allow me to re-introduce myself: John Q. Procrastinator . My claim to fame : putting things off to the last minute . Credo : The best work is that which is done at the last minute. Anyway, Christmas Day is a week from now, and stepping back, I'm actually not that behind the 8-ball.  The Christmas cards were mailed out today, and much (but not all) of my shopping and cooking are done.  Because no one will really be over in Avon this year, I decided to take the year off from Holiday decorating.  Mom's family will be in NC.  Al is having his annual open house festivities at his place, and Christmas Day will be spent with Dad & Co. Most of my family are getting gift cards this year to various restaurants and department stores.  Of course, I could never, ever get away with this sort of thing with the husband, so I did a little better for him.  He got a main present (of course, I won't divulge that now) and a number of stocking-stuffers. I'd like to g...

We're in December now!  Seems like the older we get the faster time flies: July didn't seem that long ago! Thanksgiving was very nice; we spent it with Dad and Michele at their townhome in Branchburg.  Because I wasn't cooking this year, Al was very disappointed that I wasn't making my sausage stuffing.  But, of course I went ahead and made it as a surprise while the Thanksgiving Day parade was on (recipe below).  We enjoyed it when he got in. Black Friday did not find us among the throngs at the various "door-buster" sales.  Seriously, I cannot believe that human beings act like complete savages just to save a few bucks on material items at the big box stores.  My mother participates in this madness...she and my stepfather went to Walmart ( ugh ) to buy two flat-screen TVs...on Thanksgiving!  Sure, a deal is nice, but this part of the Holiday season has been a complete turnoff for me for at least a decade now. I used to enjoy ...

I'll admit it...I'm a techo-geek.  I ordered my iPhone 6+, 128 GB, Silver the night they went on sale. Actually, I tried to.  Apple's web site wasn't working through the web, but it turned out that a number of customers were able to order the new technological marvel through their current IOS devices.  At 3AM, the thought hadn't entered my mind to go that route, but by 4:30AM, I had the idea of ordering it through my carrier, Verizon Wireless. Because of the 90-minute delay, my shipping date was slated for the second week in October.  But, miracle of miracles, the shipment arrived the last Monday of September. I've had the phone for nearly two months.  In a nutshell, I love it.  It's pretty snappy.  The display is beautiful, and so far, I'm pleased with the quality of the photos I've been snapping with it.  The size of the large screen is nice, but I haven't found that it alleviated my "fat-fingering" of neighboring "keys...

It's been quite awhile since last writing here at DJ John Land.  We're a week away from Thanksgiving and it's funny how quickly time flew by since June 1st. The summer flew by quickly, but was fairly eventful.  Though we didn't travel, we managed to enjoy the time here at the shore.  We spent time walking, hanging out by the pool at the Empress, and celebrated a number of events with friends including graduation parties and sweet sixteens. I continued training at the gym in town and participated in two events during the summer: the Avon 5K and the Warrior Challenge.  The 5K was my very first, and I did pretty well, completing it in just over 28 minutes.  The Warrior Challenge in July was tougher this year, but our team did okay.  Outside of the Training Room, I still got a fair amount of running in and would do some arm and ab exercises on my off nights from the gym. The project at work came to a halt toward the end of July because of the need to refo...

We got to Great Adventure today.  This time the trip was about the rides. In a nutshell Ron and I experienced a number of rides in the park, while Al, who's not a ride person, was quite content people-watching and walking around.  Here's a synopsis: El Toro - finally rode this thing, and OMG, it lived up to its reputation! There's always been a soft spot for the Coney Island Cyclone, but this ride is a now a classic.  The wait time wasn't bad and the experience was exhilarating. Superman Ultimate Flight - It's different.  It's a strange sensation hanging there during the ride, and there's this one part after the first drop where you go through this diving loop (that was really strange). It's fun, but the wait seemed longer (they're not very efficient loading and unloading the trains). The Dark Knight - basically a wild mouse-type coaster in the dark.  This was our shortest wait time, about 15 minutes.  Though not that popular, it's st...

In an effort to get some camera time in, a stop at Great Adventure might prove to get some inspiration for photos.  The stop was impromptu, as Al wouldn't be home by the time I'd arrive (and Ron had gotten 2014 Six Flags Season Passes last fall).  I spent an hour, primarily taking photos in the "Western" section of the park.  It's been years since visiting the place, and now with us having season passes (and losing 100 lbs.), I cannot wait to finally ride on El Toro (I tried the test seat, and I fit fine...yay!) and Kingda Ka this season.  I'm probably going to pass on the drop ride that is the new attraction this year, since I've never been particularly a fan of Free Fall . This trip was strictly about photos, and the visit was about an hour or so all told. Al and I didn't do a lot on Saturday.  We had dinner at the Star View in Somerdale and watched the Property Brothers on HGTV. Sunday activities: ran Cooper River park (4 miles), light bre...

This entry should now catch us up with everything and then we can move forward. My besties and I got together a couple of weeks ago for our "Boys' Day Out" adventure.  We typically do these a couple of times each year, to reconnect, without partners, to catch up, be silly, and just enjoy a day out together.  The common practice is to head to AC, but we changed things up a bit and headed out to Bucks County, PA and do a photo outing. We stopped at Washington's Crossing (PA-side), and headed into New Hope for lunch (at Havana, on the main drag).  It's great spending a weekday afternoon there, sans the weekend crowds, to hang out, chat, and chow down without having any particular agenda for the afternoon.  We took the cameras out after lunch and took some snaps in New Hope, and then headed to the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ. If you haven't seen the Grounds, it's a recommended stop and a photographer's paradise.  The sculptures are very i...

Ahh yes, it's certainly been awhile since gracing the halls of DJ John Land.  Since the completion of the porch (last post, February, 2014), we in the Northeast experienced a rather cold (putting it mildly) winter.  Though long and stubborn, we got through it okay.  Now that we're into Spring, it's fair to say that we're getting one, and not going directly from winter to the heat of summer. To give us a break in the action, Al and I took a cruise in April on the Celebrity Reflection.  In a nutshell, it was a week of rest, relaxation, and sightseeing.  It sailed from Miami, and it stopped in San Juan, St. Thomas, and St. Martin.  We toured St. Thomas and St. Martin, and ventured on our own a bit in Old San Juan.  The weather was perfect the entire time: high 70s/low 80s, and sunny.  We met some really nice folks as our dining mates.  Both couples were from Canada.  The older couple from Toronto, the younger from Montreal; it was great...

What a productive weekend this has been!  Friday night saw us at the Black Tie Tailgate in Philadelphia.  When we attended the event for the first time last year, both of us really had a great time...from being dressed up, to the food and drinks, and enjoying the exhibits without waiting very long.  I had gotten us tickets for this year's event as a Christmas gift for Al, and our friend Bob joined us along with his date.  Bob had never done the Black Tie event before, but had always wanted to.  It was a great evening. We finally got the porch TV mounted on the wall in the porch...yay!  We've been wanting to get that done since we bought the fireplace and TV for the room in November.  We tried mounting the bracket ourselves, but we couldn't make the holes with the drill that we had (the porch is an extension to the building, and the sheet rock is mounted to what used to be the exterior wall).  Tim, the carpenter, was able to get it done on S...

The State was closed again today.  We were notified last night.  I'm not sure what the weather was in other parts of New Jersey, but around here the roads were generally clear and not very hazardous.  In fact, Avon Elementary was open today.  Be that as it may, it was simply a paid day off (yay!) Though we were off, I still got up fairly early and headed over to the gym and did the 7am class, which Uncle Mike led.  The workout was a little different from what was posted on their website, but nonetheless it was a good sweat-fest. Accomplished the following chores: Produce Market Wegman's Haircut Looks like we'll be open tomorrow, so it's back to the normal routine.  They're expecting nasty weather late-Saturday into Sunday (or possibly Monday).  Ugh.  If anything, the weather won't preclude us from heading to the Black Tie Car Show in Philly on Friday night.

If it wasn't bad enough that NJ is getting nothing a bad rap over the Super Bowl transportation fracas, we're now on the hook for the tab on the entire disaster: As Super Bowl exits NJ, taxpayers on hook for many expenses If you're from NJ, reading this will no doubt make your blood boil.  Personally, I hope we never, ever host another one of these, unless we get a large, positive cut of the action.

The weather gods must have been smiling for the Super Bowl attendees this past weekend.  The weekend's weather was mild (for February) and generally beautiful.  Today, it's snow, snow, snow.  It's snowing as I write.  Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to use a personal day and avoid the commute to and from Trenton.  While the State did have an early closing, and though it cost me one whole personal day, it saved me the aggravation (and potential hazard) of driving in the elements.  Besides, I was able to get to the gym for the 9am class (the gym later canceled the afternoon and evening classes). After the overindulging on the Super Bowl grub from yesterday, I woke up feeling lethargic but I knew I needed to haul my cookies (not real cookies, my ole self) over to the gym and somehow, get through the workout.  All in all not a bad showing on my part, but an after-workout nap was necessary.  Slept pretty well for two solid hours, and it was...

The Super Bowl in New Jersey (yes, New Jersey ) has come and gone without a hitch.  The NFL made their money, New York got its accolades, and hopefully, New Jersey got some as well.  MetLife Stadium looked great on TV, and we had the best seats in the house...in our living room watching on a 52" HDTV.  Comfortable seating, no lines to the bathroom, and the non-Paleo grub was plentiful, delicious, and didn't break the bank. The Grub: Shrimp Cocktail (Al) Homemade Meatballs and Gravy (Me) Chicken Parm (Joe & Rich) Philly Pretzel Factory Rivets and 3 dipping sauces (honey mustard, cheddar, and cinnamon) (Philly Pretzel Factory) Cheese, Crackers, and Spinach dip (Lianna & Brian) Pigs in Blanket (Vinnie) Brownies (Vinnie) Wings (Vinnie) Car-Bomb Cupcakes (Me) Homemade Peanut Butter and Chocolate (Joe & Rich) Of course, there are leftovers, much of which are going to the office. The Game: Oh. My. God.  What a lousy showing by Denver.  T...

This week turned out to be fairly short.  We had off for the MLK holiday on Monday, followed by what turned out to be a half-day on Tuesday.  Work closed down at noon on Tuesday, and was closed all day Wednesday.  Returned to the office on Thursday and worked at Riverview today.  Not a very eventful day, but it did seem to move quickly. Returned home and did the gym.  Today's workout was conditioning partner intervals.  We had a choice of what we wanted to do (I paired up with my Dream Team™ partner John The Gimp) and we chose the rower, alternating between each interval.  The distances we had to do were 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 meters, and then repeat the distances in descending order: 500, 400, 300, 200, and 100 meters.  Had a great workout. Spoke to Rich the other day about the food for the party next weekend.  He hinted about making Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes .  They look good but they contain liquor (and neither Al nor I drink). ...

We got the notification last night that the State would be closed today, so another day off...yay!  All told, a short week between MLK day and closures midday Tuesday and today.  The major arteries were cleared today, so it looks like tomorrow will see me back at work. The day wound up being quite productive. We lucked out again with the way the snow came in; the snow didn't accumulate around our property with the exception of the backyard, which meant very little shoveling.  The only shoveling that had to be done was to dig out the cars, which between the two of them took 25 minutes. Hit the gym for the 9am class.  Today's workout was a challenge conditioning circuit.  There were two, 10-minute circuits.  I got through the workout okay, though I need to roll my upper back out tomorrow.  It may be time to order one of those rollers from Perform Better. Hung out at home for a bit, showered, and watched Let's Make A Deal and The Price is Right ...

Work let us out early today due to the weather.  Had they not, I would have used half of an AL (administrative leave).  The trip back to Avon was a little long, not terribly so, and fortunately uneventful.  Cars are parked where they need to be for the plows, and I'm in for the rest of the day. There's stuff in the house to eat, the heat's blaring, and have the TV and the internet. Life is good. The gym is closed for the afternoon; the workout is online and I'll do what I can here. It remains to be seen what the actual snowfall amounts will be and whether or not we'll be open tomorrow.  I'm hoping to get outside with the camera and snag some photos once the snow stops; it could make for some nice shots. That's about it.  How many days till Spring?

Another snow storm on its way today.  Made it to work okay but plan on working a half-day and heading back home around 11:30.  Not sure if we'll be open tomorrow, but I guess I'll play that by ear. I wonder if I should hit the ShopRite en route back.  There's chicken stock in the fridge (along with celery, carrots, and onion) and it may be nice to pick up some chicken breasts for some soup.  It's a safe bet that the stores will be out of bread and milk, which isn't a problem for me since I follow Paleo. I'm hoping that the gym will be open for tonight's class, but if not, that base is easily covered at home. Maybe Polar Vortex III will arrive just in time for Super Bowl XLVIII...wouldn't that be interesting?

I've done the resolution thing to death, and can't say I've been terribly successful at it (usually, it's losing weight) whenever we get to the end of a calendar year.  Though 2011 saw very significant success at this goal, I didn't embark on getting myself into shape until my 46th birthday (in June). There's no need to get into the details of it again, but suffice to say that since that day, things continue to go well in that area. I'm not sure if these items can be considered resolutions , but there are a number of goals in a couple areas that I'd like to achieve by the end of the year. Wellness : Continue training, but focus a bit more on strength, while continuing on the conditioning end of it. There's been improvement in both areas, but there can be more.  As far as my diet is concerned, there has been success following Paleo.  At the start of 2013, my weight was 224 lbs; it's now around 202. The diet for 2014 will stay on that p...