Life gets busy between work and family obligations. Getting to the gym or just finding time to break a sweat can be overwhelming. We know that working in and around our community is important for our overall well-being, but somehow it ends up sliding to the bottom of the priority list. I’ve long had the belief that there are ways to combine these two activities if you’re willing to be the organizer, the catalyst, if you will. Today, I decided to run my sprints in my neighborhood. I identified a long, relatively flat street and began my warm-up. During… Developing calluses is a necessary part of the process for building strength as you perform heavy deadlifts, rows and pull-ups. During the early days of my pro baseball career, I went “no BGs” (that is, sans batting gloves). I liked the feel of the wood on my skin, the pine tar smell my hands retained, and the even more sensitive feel of striking a ball flush. Possibly coincidentally, this was my most successful time in the minors. The downside was I literally hit until I bled. I spent countless hours in the cage in April, smashing ball after ball… “Dad, are you going crazy?” That was the major question on my older son’s mind as he walked in on me, sitting at the table, mad scientist style, preparing my luscious and intoxicating peppermint vanilla soap. As the great Tupac Shakur said in Juice, “I am crazy. And you know what else? I don’t give a fuck.” Many of you already know that I devoted my Saturday to making my first real batch after faltering with simply mixing ingredients together. If you’d like to get totally caught up, read this, then this, then rejoin us. Now that you’re well aware… A few days ago, I told you about my first foray into soap making. It seemed simple enough – I could make my own soap, leave out all the chemical ingredients, and boom, I’d be Tom’s of Maine. I whipped up a bar of coconut oil soap with a bit of lemon juice. It lasted all of one day in the shower and then melted. For that 24 hour period though, damn, my skin was supple. Okay, time for some research. I scoured the internet, and no matter how natural the soap, they all had sodium hydroxide, even the… In an effort to cross the finish line of the caffeinating race with you, we started with a discussion of the French press. Now, I’m adding in one more small recommendation. Get a coffee bean grinder. We go to great lengths to produce a delightful cup of coffee for our daily fresh start. To maximize the flavor and crispness from your java, you must grind your own beans. I used to walk into my local coffee shop and soak up their exceptional selection of organic, fair trade coffee. I regularly conversed with the baristas about the flavor combinations, learning… There isn’t much I won’t do for my readers. I’ll be putting my body (and reputation!) on the line to experiment with showering without traditional soap. It turns out that that Johnson and Johnson, among other soap producing companies, have been selling us a form of perfume masquerading as detergent for our skin. As a general side note, I’m becoming my father. I admit that my spectacular ex-wife, Lisa, used to do the shopping for soap, shampoo, lotion, etc., for our home’s bathrooms. Since that responsibility dropped into my bathtub with a thunderous splash, I’ve been, well…meh…at remembering to… I use a French press whenever possible to enhance and inspire my personal caffeinating process. Coffee isn’t just about consumption; it should be an elegant experience. The first sip of bitter and sweet, just off the boil, should transport your racing mind to the countryside or the beach or the mountains. It’s worth adjusting your routine to make your mini morning vacation as fulfilling as possible. A French press utilizes pressure to force coffee to the base of glass cylinder after brewing, exposing and illuminating the layers of flavor. Quite simply, this is coffee in its purest form. Assuming…