RaginCajun's Daily Log

[SlimmerMe]

Living life to the fullest? Precisely why I had to start my log.

[RaginCajun]

i wouldn't say that i indulge in binge eating every weekend or just sit and eat crap. i am never home on the weekends, seems as if i always have something going on. i have a wedding shower to go to this saturday, then next weekend is another bachelor party, and then the following weekend is a wedding! i guess that i need to stop making friends!!! hahaha! i don't have many single friends left so this should stop soon. now, everyone is looking at me wondering when it is going to my turn! i told them that i have to find someone who will put up with all my nonsense! and, i may have found one, but not even thinking about marriage or anything like that yet!

slim, thanks for staying on top of me, i really appreciate it. i may need you to come down here and whoop me up so i can get my act together!

[SlimmerMe]

How about this idea:

Start a whole new thread manana.....June 1st with a detailed log.

You are very popular! Lots of friends and weddings......and champagne and.......

I just might have to come down there to TRAIN YOU! LOL!

[gbrice75]

Ragin, sorry I don't stop by more often... i'm not sure how much support I can offer seeing as I suffer from the same problem you do with the weekend binges. We need to help eachother through this! I was able to fight it back in Nov/Dec and eventually the cravings went away. I know I/we can do it again!

[RaginCajun]

yeah G, we definitely have to over come the demons on the weekend. its just that i like to drink (rarely over do it to where i am hungover) and everything down here that is a social event has great food and what not. its not like i sit on my ass and maul bags of potato chips and cookies on the weekends, i am usually active and don't stop the entire time!

i had a nice workout, did a 2 mile run (sucked cuz my left calf started actin funny) which took my 20 minutes. after that i stretched really good and then did 25 pushups, then 100 jumping jacks, and then 10 burpees. i was done after that and the total workout was around 45 minutes. i was drenched in sweat and sweated for another hour or two after showering. don't know why i was sweating that much but it felt great, beast like!

i am still working on this diet, half way thru it. i am adopting a modified version of the paleo diet for athletes and coming up with different meals to fit macronutrients is tough. i am trying to fit the macros in, while trying to figure out what is the best split for me, is it 40/40/20, 40/45/15, or 40/30/30? i may have to tinker with it some and see how my body reacts. as far as the training goes, i will be doing a few two-a-days a week so want to see how my body will feel without having the oats and other grains as my source of carbs/fuel. i have been reading on some other websites/forums of how athletes are incorporating this diet/lifestyle into their training. i am thinking that i want to shoot for 175 pounds by august 1st. i will get a weight tomorrow morning and start from that number. i think i weigh about 185-6, so about ten pounds in 8 weeks! i was close to my goal last time, wanted to be under 180 by may and got to 182. now, i will just have to work harder and longer!

[RaginCajun]

well, i was wrong about my weight, i am sitting at 182 still. i guess i thought i was more since i was eating so badly. my diet has been really good the past two days and i will continue to do so. i have not touched any dairy or grains since monday, and i have not felt the urge to do so. i am pretty eating something almost every hour or two, whether it is some dried cranberries, almonds, or other pieces of fruit/raw vegetables. all of my carb sources are mainly coming from fruit, with some coming from my carb mix (maltodextrin) during my workouts. i also use some gel packs (100 cals, mostly carbs and 10 cals BCAA) when i am enduring workouts of longer than an hour. i will see how this goes for about two weeks and see how my body takes to not having dairy and grains. i am not lactose intolerant nor do i suffer from gluten/celiac disease. just trying the "paleo" way and see how my body reacts to it. i am trying to plan for my saturday in which i know i will be consuming some beer/alcohol. i have a couples shower/crawfish boil so the food choices won't be too bad. so now, i have to work on obtaining my new goal of 175 before august. i had a good workout yesterday, really concentrated on my back, which is sore today. i plan on going ride some trails this evening but something else has come up so i may have to do that instead.

on another note, i seem to be having bad luck as always. i have had 3 flats in the past 2 months and now it looks like i will have to change my alternator. i can't go one week without something happening to me in some shape or form. the only good thing that has happened to me lately was meeting a great girl! hopefully some good luck will be coming my way soon, god only knows i am way over due!

[SlimmerMe]

You luck has already turned around by meeting a great girl.........HAVE FUN~

[RaginCajun]

diet as of today:

700
3 egg whites 1 whole egg
2 tablespoons of onions, bell peppers, celery
1/4 cup blueberries
1/2 cup strawberries

900
banana
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2.5 oz tuna

1030
banana

100
6 oz chicken breast
1 cup raw broccoli
1 orange

330
2.5 oz tuna
1/4 cup blueberries
1/2 cup strawberries

500
20g BCAA + 60g maltodextrin during workout (13 mile mountain bike, 1.25 hours, tough as hell it was 100 degrees!!!)

720
PWO - 10oz boiled shrimp, about 7oz burger (80/20, i know i know but it makes a good burger and i needed some fats) and 1.5 cups of mixed fruit

920
Protein shake (30g) + 2 egg whites 1 whole egg (the yolk fell in, so i said F it)

i need to go get some raw almonds and walnuts. i think i needed more fats before i worked out. been doing some research into what systems our body is using for fuel at different times when training. during the first bunch of minutes, you burn mostly fats and little to no carbs. once you start getting your heart rate up, your body will start to burn more carbs than fats and eventually all carbs. i have to do read up some more but i think that your body will start breaking down amino acids after that, don't quote me, but i think so.

and yes slim, i may let this one close, haven't let one close to me in quite some time. she is really a good girl, and its crazy cuz i usually wind up with the wild/crazy ones!

[GirlyGymRat]

00rc00 - I always say car problems are worst then men problems...at least with men problems I can get in my car and drive away!!

Seems you found a prize... good things happen to good people!! I love that!!

[RaginCajun]

thanks GGR! the truck problem wasn't too major so i will be able to fix some of the problems myself. just minor things which was a huge relief! and yes, i may have found a jewel!


i am kind of in awe here. after riding yesterday i weighed myself, and i was 183.4 lbs. i took in a lot of water during the ride because it was so hot but i sweated my ass off! this morning when i got on the scale, 180.4 lbs. that means that i pissed out over 3 pounds of water in 7 hours. i know i will gain it back so not really worried about it. i was really starving when i woke this morning and that hasn't happened in quite a while. the sounds were loud and my stomach ached. probably going to take today off from the gym because i have something tonite where i will be on my feet for about 7-8 hours or more. i am still sore from my wednesday back workout and plan on getting in a good workout saturday morning so that i can plan for the beverages that i will be consuming at my bud's party (more wedding stuff) later on that evening.

[SlimmerMe]

Good idea posting the log. I think it will help keep you on track. And keep the good girl, not the crazy ones!

[GirlyGymRat]

thanks GGR! the truck problem wasn't too major so i will be able to fix some of the problems myself. just minor things which was a huge relief! and yes, i may have found a jewel!


i am kind of in awe here. after riding yesterday i weighed myself, and i was 183.4 lbs. i took in a lot of water during the ride because it was so hot but i sweated my ass off! this morning when i got on the scale, 180.4 lbs. that means that i pissed out over 3 pounds of water in 7 hours. i know i will gain it back so not really worried about it. i was really starving when i woke this morning and that hasn't happened in quite a while. the sounds were loud and my stomach ached. probably going to take today off from the gym because i have something tonite where i will be on my feet for about 7-8 hours or more. i am still sore from my wednesday back workout and plan on getting in a good workout saturday morning so that i can plan for the beverages that i will be consuming at my bud's party (more wedding stuff) later on that evening.

00rc00 - I notice the same overnite sensation when it is hot and humid after spinning but it just comes right back on the next day with proper hydration.

I am having to be mindful of each morsel I eat for these last 5 lbs. last nite I was grocery shopping at 9 pm and so dang hungry and so many things i wanted to eat. I am in the checkout line...slowest one picks me...and i was eyeing up the chocolate anything bars ( i have a sweet tooth) but instead got me a cold ice cold dr diet pepper and it just hit the spot. Waking up hungry this morning is a good feeling!!

Have a fun weekend!

[RaginCajun]

good ole monday morning! i had a fantabulous weekend! on saturday morning i went to the gym and had a great fullbody workout. my groin muscles and hammies are still sore. i think i was in the gym for about an hour and a half. as bad as i thought i was going to over do it on saturday, i really didn't. i only had about 5 beers and had one slice of cake. yesterday on the other hand, was a totally different story. i had a whole box of sweet tarts at the movies and then wound up meeting some friends later on at hooters to catch the mavs/heat game where i drank about 5 beers and ate fries! the wings weren't too bad, always get them naked! overall it wasn't horrible but i know i shouldn't have eaten the fries and the whole box of sweet tarts. i will be shooting for the 175 mark by august and will be killing the workouts this week. gym + cardio this evening!

[-KJ-]

Once you get back in the game your gtg dude... Kill it this week.

[GirlyGymRat]

good ole monday morning! i had a fantabulous weekend! on saturday morning i went to the gym and had a great fullbody workout. my groin muscles and hammies are still sore. i think i was in the gym for about an hour and a half. as bad as i thought i was going to over do it on saturday, i really didn't. i only had about 5 beers and had one slice of cake. yesterday on the other hand, was a totally different story. i had a whole box of sweet tarts at the movies and then wound up meeting some friends later on at hooters to catch the mavs/heat game where i drank about 5 beers and ate fries! the wings weren't too bad, always get them naked! overall it wasn't horrible but i know i shouldn't have eaten the fries and the whole box of sweet tarts. i will be shooting for the 175 mark by august and will be killing the workouts this week. gym + cardio this evening!

as i sit here eating caramel corn and chocolate so I ain't judging...but let me make sure I got this...10 beers, 1 slice cake, sweet tarts, wings, fries plus may be some other meals called breakfast and lunch, all in a 24 hour period, more or less?!?!? So I am wondering what HORRIBLE would look like!!

You been hitting it hard an apparently the dehydration set in and u needed the liquids...beer is like mostly water right?!?!!! ; )

[RaginCajun]

good stuff GGR! i can drink like a fish! the other meals were good on those days. meanwhile, i will try to get it thru my thick skull that i will never reach my goals eating cake! moving on. i had a great full body workout yesterday, did a 15 min warmup on the bike, did squats, chest, legs, back, and then biked again for 20. the workout overall was right under 1.5 hours. i still had some in the tank when i left but i was starving! this morning, i finally woke up early and hit the gym. i did a slow 12 min mile warmup jog on the treadmill, then hit the pool for a little swim. i think that i only did 500 yards which sucks, but the next triathlon i plan on doing is in october and is only a 400m swim. i need to work on my swimming technique and endurance. i am thinking about doing P90X (either cardio one or kenpo) this evening instead of running, depending on the weather. i think that by incorporating this into my weekly routine will help me get my stamina up as well as get stronger, and hopefully, leaner!

[GirlyGymRat]

I have p90 x. its a good program from all 9 days that I got thru. LOL. I would do better now. In better condition. Lighter. Stonger. These last 5 pounds are a bear. No room for error! Enjoy!!

[RaginCajun]

well, i didn't do the P90X, but i did do some interval training on the treadmill. i was alternating between 3.5 mph @ a 1 degree incline (2 min) and 5.5-8 mph @ 6 degree incline (2 min). i repeated those for 30 minutes total and was dripping wet with sweat. i enjoyed that type of workout and will probably do it again next week but maybe add 4 minutes to it. i was thinking that today would be a rest day, but i slept well and feel like i have to go do something. i have my gym bag with me that has my swim stuff in it so i may go hit some laps only if the weather will allow me to. if not, i may just go to the gym and get a good upper body and core workout. i need to go ride one of my bikes soon. it has been raining every evening so kind of hard to ride.

[RaginCajun]

it has been a few days since i last posted, so i will fill in the gaps quick. on the wednesday, i did an upper body workout, thursday- rested, friday - worked 13hrs, saturday- did a full body workout, and sunday was another rest day. i slept in again this morning and it was great, i guess my body really needed the rest. my workout schedule is getting tweaked again because i just realized that one of my friends is teaching a crossfit class on monday nights, so that will be my only workout of the week. i have to get back to the endurance training, haven't been hitting it hard enough since the race. i think that the remainder of my workout schedule will pretty much stay the same because it was working before, except one of my runs during the week will be an interval run and the other will be a longer slow one. my weight is 185.0 today so i need to loose 10 pounds in 7 weeks to reach my goal. i know that i will be down towards the end of the week, just have to work hard at it!

[RaginCajun]

wow, i did not realize how hard crossfit routine/classes were until yesterday. first, we warmed up by doing a slow 50% 200 yard jog, then did a light stretch. once we finished stretching, we did 5 pullups and then he showed us how/what lifts we were to be doing in the workout. by the end of the warmup, i was sweating! he then posted the workout and it was killer! here is the workout: 4 rounds for time of 10 standing arnold presses (each arm), 10 kettle swings, 15 kettle deadlifts, 20 goblet squats, 10 turkish get-ups (5 each side), and after the 4 rounds, run 1/2 mile. i finished this in 30 min 22 secs. i was ringing wet from sweat and almost threw up. it was an intense workout and i can't wait to go do again next monday! my whole body is feeling the effects from the workout yesterday. i am sore, but tomorrow it should be worse. i needed to swim this morning but i think i rest was needed. i plan on doing some light running this evening to loosen up my legs from yesterday. really thinking about doing a small brick workout, where i just warmup up on the bike for about 15 minutes and then go run 2 miles. i am 183.8 lbs today. with these new monday workouts, i am wanting to see how my body responds to it. the rest of the week will be strictly cardio/endurance workouts, some will be two-a-days, and others will be only one. my next events that i want to do are not until october so i have some time to train and loose some poundage before then.

[SlimmerMe]

You do a lot~

[RaginCajun]

You do a lot~

yes mam! only have one life so i try to make the best of every minute!

[RaginCajun]

its humpday and i feel sluggish. went out and had a few (2) drinks last night and got in late. i am taking today as a rest day and will be getting after it tomorrow. my body is still sore from the awesome workout on monday and yesterday, i did a light 2.5 mile jog. it was hot as hell (99'F) and humid to boot. i think i sweated more in the inside class on monday than i did yesterday running in the heat. i still need to get into the pool and i am thinking tomorrow will be it. i need to work on my technique so that i am more energy efficient in the water. diet has been good since monday, no foul ups. weight is 183.4 lbs today, so i will have to stay stricter this weekend to make sure i don't go the other way. i have a wedding on saturday and father's day is on sunday so i have yet another busy weekend!

[GirlyGymRat]

[QUOTE=00ragincajun00;5668912]yes mam! only have one life so i try to make the best of every minute![/QUOTE]

Salute!!

[RaginCajun]

TGIF!!!! it has been a busy week over here and so glad friday is here. i still have a lot going on so this weekend will fly by like all the rest. yesterday i went mountain bike riding in nice sweltering heat, did 12+ miles (2 laps) and it took me 72 minutes. i could have pushed it more on each lap but i was just out there enjoying it. if it wasn't so hot, i would have done one more. i still need to work on the diet and it looks like i am eating a little too much fruit. i still might give it another week with the fruit, but only eat it in the morning and post workout to see if that helps some fat burning. i know that i will be drinking and what not this weekend, another wedding, but it will not be like the others. the wedding is at 1 so wont be hitting it too hard at the reception. and then there is father's day, which will be a feast! my dad's side of the family are all great cooks and they all have their own gardens and what not. can't wait to see what all we are having! i won't overdo it and will stay within reason.

[SlimmerMe]

HAVE FUN! Do not overheat yourself. LOL to a 1 in the afternoon wedding. Hilarious.

[RaginCajun]

its monday again, and once again i slept in. i wanted to get up and go hit a light swim, but didn't do it. i will be attending the crossfit class again this evening and my friend said he is going to kill us! i told him to bring it! my diet wasn't too bad over the weekend, only ate two big meals and picked after that. my weight today is 183.4 lbs, so need to drop 8 pounds in 5-6 weeks! i think i can do it with a little hard work and discipline. i will be getting back on the cardio wagon this week, my cleats for my road bike should be in this week as well as my pedals and shoes for my mountain bike. i just looked up some races that i want to do, i think on of them is in october (sprint triathlon) and the other is in november (10k run). i am going to start heart rate training for my run and bike workouts. i think this will help me from over training and keep me focused during my workouts. i will be researching some on it when i have breaks at work and will post some ideas up on here to see what yall think.

[RaginCajun]

once again, crossfit is no joke! the warmup lasted about 15 minutes and the workout only lasted 15 minutes! in those 15 minutes, we did ring pushups, which i thought were going to be easy, and sumo deadlift high pull with kettle bell. we did a countdown of 21-19-16-11-9-6-3 of the ring pushups (21) and SDLHPKB's (21) and so on. i got to about 16 and could barely feel my chest and arms, it made me feel like a bitch! then, i got on the floor to finish the rest of the exercises and couldn't even do one regular pushup! i had to get a stool/bench to help me thru the workout, and then we ran a 400m for time. i almost lost my pre-workout meal, which i ate way too close to workout time (lesson learned). it was a great workout that only lasted a total of 45 minutes which includes warmup, workout, and cool down/stretch. i was whipped after that and my chest was still shaking whenever i went to bed. this change in workout is just what i needed! it is high intensity, which is what i was missing from my routine earlier. i just received my new pedals and shoes for my mountain bike, and my cleats for my road bike so i will be tearing it up again shortly! i am still studying up on this heart rate way of training so hopefully i will have a good schedule soon for the fall events.

[RaginCajun]

i have been contemplating using some clen to see it if can help me lose some fat as well as help me breathe better. anyone have any objections or thoughts on this issue? i have used it in the past, but i was a fool and didn't do it the proper way nor did i have the diet/discipline that i have now.

[GirlyGymRat]

once again, crossfit is no joke! the warmup lasted about 15 minutes and the workout only lasted 15 minutes! in those 15 minutes, we did ring pushups, which i thought were going to be easy, and sumo deadlift high pull with kettle bell. we did a countdown of 21-19-16-11-9-6-3 of the ring pushups (21) and SDLHPKB's (21) and so on. i got to about 16 and could barely feel my chest and arms, it made me feel like a bitch! then, i got on the floor to finish the rest of the exercises and couldn't even do one regular pushup! i had to get a stool/bench to help me thru the workout, and then we ran a 400m for time. i almost lost my pre-workout meal, which i ate way too close to workout time (lesson learned). it was a great workout that only lasted a total of 45 minutes which includes warmup, workout, and cool down/stretch. i was whipped after that and my chest was still shaking whenever i went to bed. this change in workout is just what i needed! it is high intensity, which is what i was missing from my routine earlier. i just received my new pedals and shoes for my mountain bike, and my cleats for my road bike so i will be tearing it up again shortly! i am still studying up on this heart rate way of training so hopefully i will have a good schedule soon for the fall events.

Dude. I can't imagine trying to keep up with you. I am doing 6 little workouts a week that pale in comparison and I am exhausted. You are a MACHINE!

[RaginCajun]

Dude. I can't imagine trying to keep up with you. I am doing 6 little workouts a week that pale in comparison and I am exhausted. You are a MACHINE!

thanks GGR! that's what i am trying to become, a well oiled MACHINE!


another humpday to tackle and i have started it off well. i did some fasted cardio this morning (only took in 10 g BCAA and some coconut water for hydration 20 cals) and it was the first time in a while. i think i am going to be adding it in a few days a week to see what happens. i did 30 minutes on the treadmill while keeping my heart rate under 121. my goal was to keep it between 110-121 bpm, which is in fat burning range (58-64% of max HR). i still want to try to swim two days a week but with this new monday evening workout, i am staying sore until thursday. i will play with it and see where i can fit it in. the reason i did and will start to do AM fasted cardio is because i think it will help me get to my goal in a more efficient manner. like i have mentioned in the previous posts, i am trying to train based on my heart rate. staying within my fat burning heart rate zone will be the goal on low intensity cardio, which will mainly come from AM fasted cardio. on road biking and other running days, i will try to keep my heart rate at around 132-151 bpm (70-80% of max HR) which will allow me not to overtrain. i may have to stop and walk to keep my HR within that zone, but i will adhere to this type of training to see how i will benefit from it in the long run. i am feeling stronger than i have in the past few weeks and can tell that my body is hardening some.

[SlimmerMe]

Oocajun is a MACHINE!!! That is for sure!

[RaginCajun]

well, i slept in this morning because i did not rest well last night. i got up to go the gym and had zero energy, really felt lethargic so i decided to sleep the extra hour and a half. it was well needed as i still feel tired as of now. i wanted to go get in some fasted cardio but it didn't happen. i will try to get a workout in this evening, have some stuff to do right after work so trying to find time to fit a session in. i can tell that i have been changing slightly from hitting weights this past month. my weight has basically stayed the same yet i can see more definition in my arms and legs. i am still carrying around the weight in my belly and chest so i know that i need to stay stricter when it comes to eating. i love to eat and that is one of my problems. this new girl i am seeing is amazed by how much i love food, she said she has never met anyone so happy to eat before. i laughed when she told me that. i am still working on a good weekly routine for training and hoping to post it soon. with my diet, i know that i am not eating enough fibrous veggies so i will try and fix this. on another note, i need it to stop raining so i can go ride! it hasn't rained in over 3 months down here and now it won't stop! its killing my bike training! i want to save up and get one of those nice bike trainers so that i won't have this excuse next time it rains!

[gbrice75]

^ ^ IMO it's important to get that rest when you're body is tired and/or you aren't sleeping well. A missed workout here or there isn't nearly as detrimental (at least physically, can't say the same for mentally, lol) as lack of rest and recovery. It'll do your body good.

Had kind of a sh!tty night myself last night, but forged ahead this morning as I didn't want to miss day 4 of a new program, that's the only reason!

[SlimmerMe]

REST is PREMIUM. And I bet you need it more than you think~

[RaginCajun]

REST is PREMIUM. And I bet you need it more than you think~

yes you are right, but i am not a good sleeper. i toss and turn a lot at night, always have. i took ambien in the past and it helped, but i didn't want to be dependent on it so i gave it up. i tried melatonin before and it helped also, but my mind seems to race!!!

its friday again and i haven't trained like i wanted to this week! the rain had a lot to do with that, plus i had some other priorities to attend to, like my truck. i didn't train yesterday evening because i had to change all the spark plugs, wires, and fuel filter on my truck (shade tree mechanic here). that little tune up did the trick, for now. i still have some other little nick knack things to do it but she is purrin' like a kitten once again! it's finally gorgeous out so i plan to go ride some miles after work. i may bring my bike with me back to the home town to go ride, i have a surprise party for a friend back home. the party is sunday and will be at a beautiful plantation. my buddy's wife has no idea that this is going down! and yes, going bring the new girl to meet all the friends even though she has met some of them before. enough with that, i am down to 181.6 lbs today and feeling strong! i am definitely loosing some inches because i put a pair of jeans on that normally fit well on today, and they are a little big. i have a big arse so they stay up but i had to tighten the belt up so they fit. i am making progress, slowly but surely. my body tends to want to hang on to the fat, i have been a chubby fella all my life. it is genetics and bad eating habits when i was younger. this board has really helped me realize a lot of things that i was doing wrong and has helped me stay dedicated! thanks to all who have helped and i still have a ways to go and looking forward to the challenge!

[RaginCajun]

well i guess i can take that statement back that i didn't train like i wanted to. i fixed that problem! i rode 20 miles yesterday on my road bike and did another 30 miles today. i really pushed it hard today, on the second half on my ride i averaged over 17 mph for about 10 miles! i was pumped, didn't know that i had that speed in me. i am never on this board on the weekends but i figured i would post up my workouts. well, headed to new orleans to go meet up with 12 other couples for dinner and FUN!

[SlimmerMe]

I'll say this: you play hard and work hard! I can just see your lifestyle.....vividly~

Congrats on the new weight! You are doing it when you have to keep those jeans held up with a belt!

Enjoy.....I know you do!

[RaginCajun]

you pegged me slim! i have always been the 'work hard play hard' type! you only get out what you put in! my lifestyle used to be a whole lot wilder but i have calmed down some other the past few years. took me a while to 'grow up' per say. i mean i did a 30 mile bike on a saturday morning, in years past, i may not have been back from the night before. i wish i would have had this mentality back then, but we live and we learn!

its monday again and i am ready for my crossfit class this evening. i had two good workouts over the weekend and looking to tack on some more miles this week. it is about 3 months until the next triathlon so i will be working on getting a finite training schedule together sometime today. i weighed at 182 this morning so i am hoping to see 17? this week or next. i have not been over doing it on the weekends so that has helped with the stable weight. i did eat a couple pieces of fried fish yesterday but it wasn't a whole plate full, only a few pieces. i am hoping that it stays somewhat dry this week so i can go ride my mountain bike, just got some new pedals and shoes for it and looking to test them out!

[SlimmerMe]

I understand the "may not have been back from the night before!" LOL LOL LOL!!! That is exactly was I was envisioning!

I too have "been there done that" scenario more than once. Takes one to know one.....