...You need to die...

Dinner was finished and I was sitting back in my chair relaxing. My eyes were closed and for a moment I was in "peace" when I felt a tap on my shoulder. TAP TAP - "Daddy, i need you to hold this." When i turned around it was Connor and he was handing me a light saber. So...not thinking about it I took the lightsaber from his hand. BAM - No sooner then I took it and he hit me in the head with his lightsaber! "Why did you do that!" I shouted. "Daddy, your a sith lord and you need to die." Oh...yeah....I forgot....thank you sir may I please have another.

A journey into cross training...

I thought I would write down some thoughts from the past 9 weeks of cross-fit training. It's my insight into a journey I started almost 9 weeks ago.

Week 1: Pain...all I can say is pain. Brian, my trainer, is patient and vibrant. When I took the intro class I wasn't sure if I would like it. It lacked all the cool equipment that the other gyms had. However, I was in for a rude awakening. By the end of the first week I could barely walk and felt as though I needed a walker to get be through most of the day. Brian wants me to try 4 days a week and work myself up to 5 days a week. I wake up at 4:30 am and am at the gym by 5:00.....ugh....

Week 2: Another week down. Ugh. Brian wants me to do a food log. I told him him I was ready to try 5 days a week. He was all for it. Continued soreness in my legs and quads. Oy...This Week worked out the abs to the point where my stomach muscles finally said "dude, what are you trying to do to me!"

Week 3: Turned in my food log and started my 5 day a week training. Brian gave me some friendly chastisement and some needed advise. He wanted soda out of my daily routine as it had no nutritional value at all. (Since this day I have had no drinks of soda of any sort) Additionally fast food was out of the picture...totally. So I have started making my lunches at work which include a whole wheat sandwich and a plate of steamed veggies. Additionally my snacks consist of some type of fruit usually a banana or apple. Continued soreness all over.

Week 4: Brian corrected some of my eating habits with some adjustments to added protein during my lunch hour. Additionally he wanted me to add some protein bars during my snack times - usually around 10:30 am and 2:30 in the afternoon. This is the first week I haven't felt as sore as I was in the beginning. I can actually walk upright!

Week 5: When i started with the gym they took a body comp which they would monitor every 4-6 weeks in order to determine where I'm losing inches and weight. I was extremely pleased :) I dropped 10 pounds. Additionally I dropped 3 inches around my chest, 1 inch on my neck, 1 inch on my waist, and 1 inch on my bicep. I'm pretty stoked! I continue to watch my eating and drink lots of water.

Week 6: This week was insane (in a good way!) By the end of some of the routines I couldn't even hold the starting weights anymore....Learning a lot about self-discipline and how much of my attitude is based on my expectations for myself. A lil sore this and my arms feel like noodles.

Week 7: So far im down 2 belt notches and my clothes are feeling so loose. I don't think anyone really notices the weight loss but thats cool...I'm doing this for me and my family. Plus my wife's constant flattery gives me additional motivation to keep going. Felt some pain in my sides as I was doing one of the exercises. Wasn't hurtful more like a cramp. Brian explained how muscles will cramp up when deprived of oxygen and he also tought me some stretches.

Week: 8 Another week down! It's almost sad that I enjoy my weekend but can't wait for Monday to roll around to start my work out all over again. This wasn't a bad week. The squats and the step exercises are becoming fairly routine and i haven't had any cramping when doing my crunches. I'm finally sleeping through the night and the fact that my wife is throwing lots of winks my way isn't bad either :)

My Lil Megan....

So there we are watching our family movie on a Friday night. Megan get's up from her seat and says "mommy, hold me". So as I was sitting next to my lovely bride I asked Megan if she wanted to sit on my lap. She looked at me with the utmost sincerity and said "daddy, i want to sit on mommy's lap, but you can touch my foot if you want."

My Fitness Journey....

Almost 8 weeks ago i started a journey to improve my health, lifestyle, and longevity. I wasn't sure how to approach it. It had been a long time since I was in a gym and I felt like a novice....and in fact I was. I called a local gym and tried one of the training sessions. I was a bit skeptical because it didn't look like your typical gym. The first couple of days were intense...I felt pain EVERYWHERE. To be honest I could barely walk! I basically shuffled everywhere as though there were braces attached to my legs. It's been a journey of self discovery and mental resistance. During the past 8 weeks I've learned a lot about myself and it's helped strengthen my focus. I've also been blessed with a wonderful trainer. He's got my interest in mind and his desire to partner with me is a great motivator. The journey is just beginning...and honestly...I'm excited!

Bill Avila

If only....

The antics of children amaze me. More precisely the tantrums they throw are an amusement to my wife and I, albeit sometimes a deafening one. On this particular occasion an idea came to me. What if, during a crucial business meeting, I utilized some of the children antics to demonstrate my disapproval and dissatisfaction. For example:

The Foot Stomp - A method utilized by a couple of the female inhabitants in my home. Generally this tactic is used when trying to convey unhappiness. Generally the methods involve 2 - 3 stomps followed by a statue like posture with arms crossed.

The Speak and Slouch - Generally one of the Avila inhabitants will get into a fight with another sibling at the dinner table. After a chastisement the unhappy child will drop into their chair (also called a slouch) and their speech will become murmured or slurred. During this time the voice also becomes low with arms crossed.

The Stuck Turtle - I named this particular position as the respondent will throw themselves to the ground, land on their back, and kick their legs around as though they are turtles stuck on their back. Often times this is followed by loud amounts of crying and gnashing of teeth.

The Stone Statue - As can be expected from talking to a stone statue there is "no" response. Thus the accused child will sit expressionless. No matter the question or comment the child maintains one expression and does not break from it until the adult decides to move on to other more pressing matters.

If I forgot anything please let me know.


Bill Avila
The Hispanic Crusader

Dad...your not a fighter....

So there I was, another night of wrestling my son. As usual I put on a good show. Grunts, slams, elbows...it was like being at a professional wrestling match! But just like any other night the good guy (Connor) ends up winning the match against the bad guy (me). This one night Connor beat me using his hand as a whip and on this occasion using the force (yes, like in star wars) to choke me into submission. When we were done wrestling he walked up to me and said "dad, I'm worried." I asked him what he was worried about...he said, "well daddy, you teach people how to fight and well...i beat you every time we fight. Don't you think I should be teaching the class instead?" So if anyone is interested Connor will be doing a fight seminar this weekend on how to use Force Lighting as an attack on your opponent.

..Father's day and the men in my life.....

Some time ago I had the chance to read "Wild at Heart" and thus started the process of understanding who I was as a man and who God created me to be. I am a husband, I am a father. I am a son, I am man. I am a professional, I am a dreamer. In all these things I have discovered who I am and in which place God would have me serve. I thought it only appropriate to write about the men who helped me find my place and who shaped me into the man I am today.

Guillermo Avila Sr.

My father was born in Mexico. He was a soft spoken man who held an incredible work ethic. Since the first day I held memories i always remembered how he worked two jobs. His work ethic was unmatched. He always felt that working the amount of hours he did was his way of letting the family know he cared. He was not an affectionate man but yet I found the love he had for me in the words other would speak when he would talk of me. He was a man of few words yet his actions were often enough for me to understand what he didn't speak. When i was in middle school I remember a time when i was "jumped" by an older boy. He stole my money and bruised me physically and mentally. When I went home my father was there. He asked what happened and I told him, he said nothing more. He picked up his keys and walked out the door. He arrived an hour later and laid some money on the table. "This is yours" he said...and he walked away.

Lance Rubringer

Every boy needs to know that they have the ability to become a man. The "right of passage" is something lost in our culture. Something attributed to remote villages who have not understood the western way of thinking. Teenagers today find their own way. Their own methods of testing their manhood.
I was fortunate to have a mentor, a friend, and a man who gave of his time and family to lead me into that transition. If our discussions could be put on paper the books would take months to read. When I met Lance I was at church on a Wednesday night. Depressed and discouraged I asked God to send someone my way. As the choir dismissed Lance made his way out and saw me. "Looks like you need someone to talk to" he said. From that day on his mentorship started. I attribute the man I am today because of him..he would tell you he merely guided me along the way and God did all the work. I covet his email sent soon after my father died and we adopted my two nieces. It simply read "I am so proud of you." A great void was filled....He is a good man and his church is fortunate to have him as a pastor.

Jerry Ramos

To understand the man you have to understand the path he's walked. As a former Navy SEAL in Vietnam his stern voice and his presence is enough to intimidate most men. I always kept a "healthy" fear of him growing up. He words held meaning and his actions we always consistent to his convictions. In these past few years I've come to lean on him as I understand my role as a father to 6 children. Discouraged he'll hear my voice. Discouraged he'll encourage me. And discouraged he'll help me back up. I shall never..never...never...forget the phone call I received from him as I dealt with the financial burdens after my sister's funeral. "I'm proud of the man you've become." Those words are written in my mind.

From the boy who I was...to the man I am now. This is my story. But the story isn't finished. As Lance passed his gift to me I have continued to mentor young men. And so the process goes. Happy Father's Day to all of you...