Post Christmas Post

The workout I did today was a somewhat convoluted pull up workout I found on youtube.  It was difficult in some parts and easy in others.  The end was deceivingly difficult though.  Jumping reverse grip pull ups for 60 seconds.  Maybe it's because I'm not used to them but the those things just crush you by the end.  I think that's the idea.  A jumping pull up means you start out standing with your hands on the bar and jump up to having your chin over the bar.  This seems like all you are doing is hopping up and down but it absolutely crushes your arms.  I've been doing pulls up quite a bit lately.  I plan to benchmark my dead hang pulls on the first of every month starting on January 1.  I've been doing my pull up workouts with some ankle weights attached.  I'm hoping to break 10 pull ups this go round.  I'd be thrilled with 12. 

I'm not a big fan of Christmas.  I'm not how I got that way.  I know I wasn't always this way but I have been for quite a while.  I'm sure it centers around all the spending and pressure to spend more and more.  It feels like the country's economy would literally collapse if there was no Christmas.  I think I may not be far off from the truth on that.  I think Christmas is probably most enjoyable for really rich people and really poor people.  Maybe not though.  Rich people probably have a hard time buying presents for their loved ones because they probably buy everything they want right away anyway.  Poor people I bet have a better time because the pressure is off of them to go spending tons of money since though don't have any to spend.  So all they have is to spend time with each other.  That doesn't sound too bad.

I took the entire Christmas week off.  The highlight for me was taking Derek to hike up to the Hollywood sign.  It isn't a very long hike.  Maybe 1.5 miles, but it is an incline the entire way.  We went in the morning.  The crowds hadn't gotten there yet and the weather was perfect.  Unfortunately, I think Derek aggravated his knee injury.  I hope he gets better soon.