We are entering the home stretch on 2020, and, to prepare for Danny’s upcoming birthday, we have 3 shots of him from his performances with the Lincoln-Way Marching Band. The first two are from last October’s Bands of America performance at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The third is from Disneyland, when he performed as part of the trip out west for the Rose Parade.
Tag / Disneyland
The Decade In Exercise
The 2010s have drawn to a close and its time to take a look back at the previous decade. Today, we finish off the series with exercise, specifically my step performance between 2010 and 2019. I started tracking my daily step totals in July of 2011, thanks to a program at work that ““encourages you to track your steps and help you to focus on your fitness in a simple and accessible way.” The GlobalFit Destination: You program lasted until late January, 2015. At the point, I had enough invested that I wanted to continue, so, after looking at a couple of options, I purchased my first Fitbit as a replacement option. The rest of the decade used one of 4 Fitbits I’ve had (with the most recent coming this past Christmas), giving me about 8 1/2 years of data for the decade.
In just over 3 1/2 years on the GlobalFit program, I finished with 6,511,500 steps. This estimates out to about 35,197 steps per week, or 5028 steps per day. My best day came during a 2013 trip to Disney World, where excursions to both Epcot Center and the Magic Kingdom ended with 24,988 steps. I finished with 45 days over 10,000 steps, 4 days over 15,000 steps, and 2 days over 20,000 steps. Over the last year and a half, my highest weekly total was 60,216, thanks to a trip to southern California in 2014, and my lowest total was a mere 15,800, thanks to a long Christmas vacation that caused me to lose data before I could check back in at work.
For the nearly 5 years remaining in the decade, I put up 13,041,430 steps tracked with a Fitbit. That averages out to roughly 2.6 million steps per year, or 50,159 steps per week, or 7165 steps per day, over a 2000 step increase over the GlobalFit program. My best day came during a 2018 trip to New York, where the day’s excursions included trips to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, Central Park, the Guggenheim museum, and, finally, the Empire State Building. I finished with 216 days over 10,000 steps, 36 days over 15,000 steps, and 11 days over 20,000 steps. My highest weekly total was 105,924, thanks to a trip to Washington DC last summer, and my lowest total was a mere 18,510, which really only consisted of 3 days as I switched over from GlobalFit to Fitbit.
Overall, I logged 19,552,930 steps in the 8 1/2 years I was keeping track, with 261 days over 10,000 steps, 40 days over 15,000, and 13 days over 20,000. I completed 2 BTN 5Ks, 4 Sprint & Strides, 1 hike up a mountain, and numerous trips to foreign countries, amusement parks, and tourist destinations. My highest step total by locations were: Continue reading →
Marching Forth
Angelina takes center stage here as we enter March, with three shots of her from three different locals. We start with her on the It’s A Small World ride at Disneyland from the end of 2018. Next, she shares a couch with Michael on Christmas morning 2018. Finally, her and Danny pose under a tree in Washington DC last June.
The 10,000 Step Club – 2020 Edition
Last year, as I was finishing up my fourth year with the Fitbit, I took my last look at my 25 best step days since I first started tracking my steps way back in July of 2011. At the time, I had surpassed the 10,000 step plateau 217 times. In the past year, I have managed to add an additional 45 occurrences, my 3rd best year to date, for a total of 262. With my fifth year using the Fitbit coming to an end last week, I thought it would be appropriate to take a new look at my top 25 step days over the past 8 1/2 years, featuring only 3 new entries.
1: 4/14/2018 – 27,470 steps
My best single day total is from my April 2017 trip to New York to see Angelina. The day’s excursions included trips to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, Central Park, the Guggenheim museum, and the Empire State Building.
2: 7/21/2018 – 27,278 steps
My July 2017 trip to Virginia, to hike up Catawba Mountain to McAfee Knob with Jeff and Val, fell just short of the top spot.
3: 6/6/2013 – 24,988 steps
2013’s trip to Disney World, which spent 5 years as my single day best, included excursions to both Epcot Center and the Magic Kingdom, and yes, falling 12 steps short of 25,000 still irks me.
4: 6/3/2019 – 24,665 steps
The first new entry comes thanks to last summer’s trip to Washington DC, and the day spent at the Smithsonian Zoo.
5: 8/8/2019 – 23,866 steps
The second new entry is from last summer’s work trip out to San Francisco and the day I walked to Pier 39 and then back to Oracle Park to see the Giants take on the Phillies. It would have been even higher but I was dead tired and took an Uber back to the hotel after the game.
6: 3/18/2018 – 23,780 steps
Dropping out of the top 5 after only 1 year is my first day in Las Vegas for the 2017 IBM Think conference. The day’s totals include gallivanting around town, including a trip up to Caesar’s Palace from the MGM Grand to see Absinthe.
7: 10/24/2018 – 23,362 steps
My October 2018 trip to Boston to see Angelina for our birthday gives us our next entry. While she was in class, I took tours of Fenway Park and Harvard, before meeting up with her for a late lunch and then heading to the airport for the trip home.
8: 3/22/2016 – 22,493 steps
My one-time second highest day took place during the ill-fated trip to Disney World in March of 2016. The day’s excursion started at Hollywood Studios before heading over to Epcot Center with Jeff and Val.
9: 7/27/2013 – 20,592 steps
Still my highest total at home in the state of Illinois, the next entry comes thanks to the 2013 BTN 5K and a, for lack of a better word, misunderstanding about where I should be picked up after the race.
10: 12/29/2018 – 20,374 steps
We wrap up the top 10 with 2018’s trip to California and the trip to Disneyland to see Danny perform with the Lincoln-Way Marching Band.
11: 8/5/2017 – 20,218 steps
The next entry came in August of 2017 on the first day of my trip to Boston with Danny and Michael. After landing in town, we traipsed to the Science Museum, a breakfast joint, our hotel, and, finally, Fenway Park.
12: 7/14/2017 – 20,208 steps
Down to #12 is my 2017 trip to Disney World, a one day journey with Angelina to celebrate her high school graduation. Continue reading →
2019: The Year In Movies
The return of my annual long December vacation, with very little to do otherwise, saw a big increase in movie watching for me, with my highest total since 2011. I managed to watch 89 movies last year, my eighth consecutive year under 100. Again, many things contributed to this, chiefly the insane amount of TV I’ve been watching, the greater effort made towards going out for walks, and the awful amount of time I spend either at work or getting to and from work.
Here’s a look back at the first 50 movies I did manage to watch last year and what recollection, if any, I have of them. The films are listed in the order I saw them.
Life Of The Party (2018)
Melissa McCarthy joins her daughter at college after her husband leaves her.
The Haunted Mansion (2003)
Eddie Murphy tackles a movie based on the Disneyland ride.
Downsizing (2017)
Matt Damon shrinks himself to 5 inches tall, gaining wealth but losing a wife.
Knight And Day (2010)
A young woman gets mixed up with a disgraced spy who is trying to clear his name.
Keep Watching (2017)
A gang of intruders takes a family hostage and forces them to play a game.
The Space Between Us (2017)
The first human born on Mars heads to Earth to find his long-distance crush, even if it will kill him.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)
A choose-your-own-adventure film about a young kid trying to make it in the video game industry.
Bird Box (2018)
A woman tries to save her two children in a world where seeing things leads to death.
Hereditary (2018)
A grieving family is haunted by tragic and disturbing occurrences.
Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)
Aliens take over the human race. Continue reading →
The Still Growing 10,000 Step Club
Last year, as I was finishing up my third year with the Fitbit, I took my last look at the top 25 step days I’ve had since I first started tracking my steps way back in July of 2011. At the time, I had surpassed the 10,000 step plateau 165 times. In the past year, I have managed to add an additional 52 occurrences, my best year to date, for a total of 218. With my fourth year using the Fitbit coming to an end last week, I thought it would be appropriate to take a new look at my top 25 step days over the past 7 1/2 years, featuring 10 new entries.
1: 4/14/2018 – 27,470 steps
My best single day total is our first new entry, coming this past April during a trip to New York to see Angelina. The day’s excursions included trips to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, Central Park, the Guggenheim museum, and the Empire State Building.
2: 7/21/2018 – 27,278 steps
Another new entry, from July’s trip to Virginia, fell just short of the top spot, thanks to a hike up Catawba Mountain to McAfee Knob with Jeff and Val.
3: 6/6/2013 – 24,988 steps
After 5 years as my single day best, 2013’s trip to Disney World falls down two spots. The day’s excursion to both Epcot Center and the Magic Kingdom ended up with a total of approximately 12.5 miles.
4: 3/18/2018 – 23,780 steps
The third new entry comes from last spring’s trip to Las Vegas for the IBM Think conference. The day’s totals include gallivanting around town, including a trip up to Caesar’s Palace from the MGM Grand to see Absinthe.
5: 10/24/2018 – 23,362 steps
We round out the top 5 with the fourth new entry, from last fall’s trip to Boston to see Angelina for our birthday. While she was in class, I took tours of Fenway Park and Harvard, before meeting up with her for a late lunch and then heading to the airport for the trip home.
6: 3/22/2016 – 22,493 steps
My former second highest day took place during the ill-fated trip to Disney World in March of 2016. The day’s excursion started at Hollywood Studios before heading over to Epcot Center with Jeff and Val.
7: 7/27/2013 – 20,592 steps
My now seventh highest total, and my highest at home in the state of Illinois, came thanks to the BTN 5K and a, for lack of a better word, misunderstanding about where I should be picked up after the race.
8: 12/29/2018 – 20,374 steps
The eighth highest entry, and fifth new entry, took place just over a month ago and the trip to Disneyland to see Danny perform with the Lincoln-Way Marching Band.
9: 8/5/2017 – 20,218 steps
The ninth highest entry came in August of 2017 on the first day of my trip to Boston with Danny and Michael. After landing in town, we traipsed to the Science Museum, a breakfast joint, our hotel, and, finally, Fenway Park.
10: 7/14/2017 – 20,208 steps
We wrap up the top 10 with another trip to Disney World, this time a one day journey with Angelina to celebrate her high school graduation. Continue reading →
2018: The Year In Travel
As I arrive home from California, I thought it would be nice to look back at the many trips I took last year. Things got started in March, when I headed out to Las Vegas for the IBM Think conference. Along the way, I took in a show, Absinthe, at Caesar’s Palace, a Barenaked Ladies concert at Mandalay Bay, and a show by The Chainsmokers at MGM Grand, where I was staying.
Following the conference, I took a detour to Phoenix for a long weekend, where I took in some Cactus League action at Camelback Ranch and Peoria Sports Complex, seeing the White Sox, Cubs, and Mariners (twice!). I also enjoyed a trip to the slot canyons and Horseshoe Bend in Page, followed by a quick trip to the Grand Canyon.
About a month later, I took a short weekend trip to New York. Danny, Michael, and I flew to New York on a Friday night, where we met up with Angelina and had dinner with the family she was nannying for. Saturday was a glorious spring day, spent sight seeing at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, Central Park, the Guggenheim museum, and the Empire State Building. Sunday was spent at the Lyric Theatre, watching both parts of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, before heading home early Monday morning.
My next trip came at the end of July, as Val and I headed down to Roanoke, Virginia, to celebrate Jeff’s 50th birthday. After a day of “work”, the highlight of the trip was Saturday’s hike up Catawba Mountain to McAfee Knob. Sunday was spent recovering, before heading home.
I spent most of September in Europe, starting with a week in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Aside from work, there was a trip to Castle Ward in to look at Game of Thrones filming locations, a hockey game featuring the Belfast Giants, a trip to the Ulster American Folk Park and a nip across the border to the wonderful town of Muff in Ireland, and a Black Cab tour of locations in Belfast related to the Troubles. Continue reading →
FB4: Week 48
A very schizophrenic week, with 3 days over 10,000 and the other 4 below 3800. Things got off to a good start on Sunday, where some unseasonably nice weather led to a neighborhood walk that put me over 10,700 steps. Monday’s Christmas Eve celebrations left me under 3500 steps, while Christmas Day was no better with just over 3000 steps. Boxing Day was the low point of the week, with less than 2300 steps. Things improved slightly on Thursday, thanks to a lunch date in the city with Val, which garnered me nearly 3800 steps. A flight to California on Friday, followed by a walk down Hollywood Blvd to check out the Hollywood Walk of Fame improved things dramatically, ending with over 17,200 steps. A trip to Disneyland on Saturday to see Danny perform put me over 20,300 steps.
Total steps: 60,881
Daily average: 8697.3
Pasadena, Where You At?
Later today, the family is headed west to California, where Danny and the rest of the Lincoln Way Marching Band will be participating in the 2019 Rose Parade on New Year’s Day. Amongst the activities planned, aside from the parade itself, is a return trip to Disneyland for the second straight year.
The Ever Growing 10,000 Step Club
Last year, as I was finishing up my second year with the Fitbit, I took my last look at the top 25 step days I’ve had since I first started tracking my steps way back in July of 2011. At the time, I had surpassed the 10,000 step plateau 116 times. In the past year, I have managed to add an additional 49 occurrences, raising the total to 165. With my third year using the Fitbit coming to an end last week, I thought it would be appropriate to take a new look at my top 25 step days over the past 6 1/2 years, featuring 7 new entries.
1: 6/6/2013 – 24,988 steps
My best single day total continues to be from my 2013 trip to Disney World. The day’s excursion to both Epcot Center and the Magic Kingdom ended up with a total of approximately 12.5 miles. And yes, it still bothers me that I didn’t get those 12 additional steps to reach 25,000.
2: 3/22/2016 – 22,493 steps
My second highest day shares much in common with my #1 day, taking place in Disney World in March of 2016. The day’s excursion started at Hollywood Studios before heading over to Epcot Center with Jeff and Val.
3: 7/27/2013 – 20,592 steps
My third highest total came nearly 2 months after my highest, thanks to the BTN 5K and a, for lack of a better word, misunderstanding about where I should be picked up after the race.
4: 8/5/2017 – 20,218 steps
The first new entry came last August on the first day of my trip to Boston with Danny and Michael. After landing in town, we traipsed to the Science Museum, a breakfast joint, our hotel, and, finally, Fenway Park.
5: 7/14/2017 – 20,208 steps
Our second new entry came last July, as Angelina and I took a day trip to Disney World to celebrate her high school graduation.
6: 9/19/2017 – 20,028 steps
The third straight new entry, which helped to double my total of 20,000 step days from the previous 5+ years, had a myriad of activities. First was the latest edition of the Sprint and Stride, followed by a trip to Best Buy with Val to buy a new TV, then off to her apartment to install the new TV, and, finally, Season Ticker Holder Family Night at Wrigley Field.
7: 11/11/2017 – 19,590 steps
Our fourth straight new entry came thanks to last fall’s trip to California to see Angelina skate. This day was spent in Anaheim at Disneyland.
8: 6/2/2016 – 18,725 steps
Day #8, which dropped 4 spots, comes from June 2016’s trip to Universal Studios. Our first full day at the park, we split the day between Universal and Islands of Adventure, taking in all of the different Harry Potter options.
9: 6/4/2016 – 18,617 steps
Our next entry is also from the June 2016 trip to Universal Studios. The day included another trip to Islands of Adventure, and would have ended up even higher but for an afternoon trip to the hotel pool.
10: 6/21/2017 – 18,290 steps Continue reading →