Aug
27
2010
The first 3 days were the toughest so far. Day 5 is here and so am I. Bringing it like I never brought it before.
By the time I completed day 3, my body was so sore that I was barely able to do yoga yesterday. Yoga just happens to be one of the longest workouts in P90X, but I was able to do at least 30 minutes of yesterday’s workout. The main thing is, I didn’t miss it completely.
I did manage to complete the entire workout for today and didn’t have much problem doing it, but struggled a little with the leg exercises. The “back” exercises were easier, so that meant I had to “up” my weight to get a good workout.
Sportline Heart Monitor
As for my eating habits, I think I’m doing good at staying away from soda and fast food. I still have 2 more days in this first week to make some adjustments in my meal plan by the start of week 2.
If I haven’t mentioned it in an earlier post, my goal is to complete the P90X workout program in 90 days. Starting now means that I should be done with the first 90 day challenge just before December.
I’m working on self-decipline and accountability and relying on these as the 2 main characteristics that drive me to keep up with this challenge.
I did 3 months of Marine Corps basic training. I know I can do this!!!
Aug
23
2010
Where has Manny Montes been all this time?
Actually, I’ve been doin’ a whole lot of nothing! JK! I’ve been busy with lots of small projects here and there. I been snappin’ pictures, ridin’ my bike, fillin’ in as a Co-Host from time to time on Podcast Stockton and more recently, kicking off the 2010 fall semester at San Joaquin Delta College.
I never thought I’d hear myself say this but, “I’m so excited that this fall semester is finally underway!” I finally was able to get the classes that I’ve been after since last year. My fault, but I didn’t realize that U.S. veterans do get priority registration for classes at both junior colleges.
So! What’s next for Manny Montes you might ask? Well, as we all know, 2010 is coming to an end really soon. I’m not really one for new year’s resolutions so I want to get this started now before the joys of the holiday season become an added struggle that I usually find myself falling victim to.
That’s right! Today I have already got things started with Day 1 Disc 1 of the P90X workout program. In the past I’ve only managed to complete 60 days of this program. I can’t explain what happened as to why I stopped the workout, but I do know this. It does work!
Anyhow, I’m back and it’s on! I started up a youtube channel, username - “reconstructingmanuel” , dedicated to my progress. Some time in the next couple of days, I’ll have a video posted.
Thanks for taking the time.
Manuel
Jul
8
2010
“He is definitely back on the wagon!”
I have to admit that I lost control for a couple of weeks. Both professionally and personally, I made a few unfavorable choices that were proven to be bad ones.
So I made a few bad decisions in my life… It’s not the first time or my last! As a student in life, I just happen to have opted for “wrong” lately, but I know that it isn’t the end of the world or the world around me. I think “some” lose sight of that though.
Just because we make “stupid” or “not-so-good” decisions in life doesn’t mean that we have to punish ourselves when things don’t go exactly the way we plan them. Everything that I’m writing here applies to me BIG TIME!
Although I have made some (for lack of a better phrase) “shitty” choices, I also managed to forge some really great friendships and business contacts along the way.
Semper Fi
I’m not sure actually how many folks know, but I have a little bit of an announcement to make in the next couple days to come. Possibly by this weeks’ end, I’ll be announcing something that is going to be a big movement in my life personally and financially. I’ll be working diligently for the next couple of days to have things ready to present to you by the weekend.
This weekend’s announcement will actually be a product of a few weeks worth of bad decision making and me, coming out of all this alive , bruised but not beaten!
SIDE TOPICS
* 90 days and counting… (workout progress)
* Home Business… (Changing lives, One dollar at a time…)
* Taking care of business… (Life on my own terms…)
I’m living life one day at a time knowing that the bills are in the mail…
Jun
16
2010
Recently, my gf was involved in a minor car accident in Stockton, CA. The accident took place around 6pm in the last week of May. She was waiting at the red lights when she was shocked by the impact of a man driving a toyota 4 runner.
After the impact, and her taking a moment to process what had just happen. She got out of the car and was confronted by the other driver. She went on to ask “What happened?” Then immediately began taking pictures of the 2 vehicles, including his license plate.
That’s when I got the call. Fortunately, the accident happened within 3 blocks from our home. During the phone call, I can hear the man in the background, “Ah, come on! It’s just a little bump!” “There’s no real damage here.” He went on to tell her, “Oh, now you want to make a big deal over this little accident”. All of this was being said as I was on the line with her. He suggested just leaving the scene but he never left and both vehicle were moved to a nearby parking lot.
Does this look like a little bump?
After an hour of him fumbling around “trying” to locate his insurance paperwork, a sheriff finally arrived to the scene.
The strange part to this evening of events was, just as we called & before the sheriff arrived, he went to his car to put some Visine drops in his eyes. Now! One can speculate and go on the think that he’s doing this for a “medical” reason, but after this ordeal I think not! I believe he was using Visine to “get the RED out”. I guess we’ll never know…
Anyhow, once the sheriff arrived, I decided to tell the sheriff that I believe that this man is stumbling around and unable to manage to thumb through his paperwork without dropping or trying to show us the “EXACT SAME” paper several times. I’m not exaggerating when I say, he tried to show us his vehicle registration more than 10 times! WE WERE TRYING TO GET HIS INSURANCE INFORMATION!!!
The sheriff never addressed the man about this even after I mentioned his demeanor. Instead, he carried on conversation with him.
AH! HAAAAA!
It turns out that they knew each other!!! Not as in, “G’mornin’ Bill” “G’mornin’ Bob” but as in, “Hey Bill, how you been? blah blah blah” on a personal level and thios continued on and on and on. Then I finally asked the sheriff, “Do you know him?” The sheriff replied, “Yes, I know him.”
NO WONDER!!! No wonder he’s not questioning him about his sobriety or “lack of”.
I guess your excused if you have a cop in your back pocket, right? At least it looked that way to me that day. But who am I to ask this question?
I can bet you this. If it was me in his position, I’m for damn sure that I’d be walking a line, blowing in a breathalyzer machine that might have been followed by a free ride to the “Pokey”. (I’ve always wanted to use that word “pokey” in a sentence.. lol)
To Protect and Serve…???
There’s no doubt that’s what happened that evening! <~~Sarcasm
Jun
4
2010
If you haven’t heard about it already…. I finally made my podcasting debut. Yesterday evening I had the opportunity to meet with Matt Beckwith, the creator of a local podcast called, “Podcast Stockton“, about me filling in for Rod Villagomez.
Due to some conflicting schedules, Rod wasn’t able to make it and as a result of this scheduling mishap, Matt asked me if I’d fill in & I gladly accepted. I’ve been friends with Matt & Rod for some time now and been a long time listener of the show and just knowing that Matt & Rod even had interest of not just having me on the show, but to actually fill-in in the event of an absence, was so cool.
You can imagine that I was so nervous. Up until yesterday evening I had never been on a recorded podcast. I was nervous the entire time, but working with Matt was very easy. Definitely a learning experience & above all,… so much fun!
Of course he did put me in the hot seat a couple of times. From time to time, he’d throw in a surprise question that I’d be completely not expecting and then wait for me to answer. So, a couple of times I’d be sitting there and nothing… silence for a few moments. Ok Matt, you got me. haha!
Anyhow, my first podcasting experience was awesome and being able to be on a show that I listen to every week was incredible.
Hmmmm, to podcast or not to podcast??? I’ve thought about creating my own podcast too. What will it be about? I’m not sure yet, but either way I’m sure it will be fun making.
Click here to find out what I’m doing online.
Click here to follow me on twitter.
May
25
2010
Am I the only one or is anyone else noticing an abundance of “homeless-based businesses” sprouting up all over Stockton? If you stop and think about it, these people aren’t much different than most of us. Just to make things clear, when I say “us” I’m talking about the rest of the world that has problems but aren’t out on the streets asking the world for “some spare change”.
Are we our brother’s keeper?
Cutting Edge Entrepreneurialism???
How far is a person to go until it’s realized that we are only being taken advantage of?
Today, in Stockton, I witnessed a “raggedy” looking man sitting on the grass in front of a Denny’s restaurant, taking out a big bundle of money to count and separate the one’s, five’s and ten’s. He had the “look” of a homeless person all the way down to dirty fingernails & filthy teeth.
I was getting out of my truck and could see that he was preparing to pitch me his speech. i tried to avoid walking by him by going behind the truck, but I was caught off guard. Another man popped out of nowhere and there I was, hearing his sob story. As he spoke to me, he seemed to speak with respect in his voice. His presentation was decent and he carried himself well. He made sure to offer kind compliments and showed a desire to one day be as “well-off” as me. I thought that was kinda funny since I know me. I know that I’m not as “well-off” as he might have considered me to be. I do realize that the power of a nice compliment can make a world of difference in some situations. Needless to say,… I gave the man a dollar. lol
Are they victims of society? I know that not everyone on the streets is there for reasons of their own fault. I also believe that the results of what and where we are in life is nobody else’s fault but our own. I do think that there are way too many people that don’t take responsibility for their own actions or lack of. Personally, I don’t blame anybody for the things I have or don’t have in my life.
For me, that saddest thing about all this is watching people fall into, (for lack of a better term) “shitty situations” and rely on society to pay for their laziness.
DOING MY PART…
In the past I’ve offered to pay for a couple of months of fees to get something going in an opportunity to make real money online. The outcome of that was really weak, but I’ve managed to get a couple of people signed up and on their way. I’ve paid their monthly fees as agreed. Now it’s up to those individuals to take this and go somewhere with it.
Zooooom
Economically, things do not appear to be getting any better. I’m willing to take on a few more people that want a 6 month, investment paid opportunity to work a home-based business that has lots of potential to make a real difference.
There you have it! Absolutely NO MONEY NEEDED!!!
In fact, I’m thinking about taking this a step further! I’m even considering taking on a “homeless or out-of-work” person that has the initiative to do what it takes to get to a computer at least a few days a week. I know there are options such as public libraries and some coffee shops that have pc’s available to their customers. Bottom line, I’m looking to find someone that has a real desire to make something happen and I’m prepared to pay for 6 months.
Click here if you would like to learn more about what Aquario is doing online.
Click here to follow Aquario on twitter.
May
23
2010
I been away, but now I’m back. I got a new plan and it’s going to sound a little strange, but it’s real. I’ll have details on tomorrow evening. Until then…..
Hang in there…
Apr
13
2010
Ok folks, so I fell of the wagon for a little…. As you may or may not already know, I took part in a “whole body cleanse”. It was probably the most refreshing thing I’ve done in some time now. It didn’t have me running to the toilet as much as I thought it would, Thank G.
After that week of cleaning, “Holy Week” was upon us, then Easter weekend. There was too much to celebrate about. I took a little trip to San Jose and spent time with my cousin. A much needed get-away, even if it was only a day or two.
So there you have it, over 2 weeks gone from my work out. Although I have been feeling pretty good with my 13 lbs lost and the fact that some of my jeans actually fit me alot better than before.
I have to keep it going on! I have to complete 90 days that I originally set out to do. So, here’s the plan….
As of Sunday April 18th, the 90 day challenge will be back on track. I’ll have to complete the remaining 5 weeks from where I left off in March.
In addition to the workout, I’m continuing with plans I had for my home business too. I have a few things set to go, I just haven’t “pulled the trigger” yet. This is why I’m taking the next couple of days before the workout is in full force again.
I would have thought a larger response than what I got from my last post. I mean, c’mon! Really! I gave away opportunities to make money online and “FLOP….”
I could see if I was asking for your money, but I offered to PAY!
ANYWAYS… go figure.
I’ve got a few things brewing for the month of may!
If you want to know what Aquario is doing online or,
if you’d like to follow Aquario on twitter.
Thanks for your time…
Mar
31
2010
Here we are just about to reach the end of the second month in my personal 90 challenge. I’ve had a lot going on over this past week too. I been making time to get out the the golf driving range, I’ve already started a 7-day whole body cleanse and unfortunately I’ve had to put in a few hours of working on my truck. So, that combined with all the other BS that I’m doing and there you have it,… a whole lot of stuff going on.
Well, to speak about the 7 day whole body cleanse. I went to GNC and got ahold of their 7 day whole body cleanse. You’re probably wondering why would I need a whole body cleanse, huh? Well, for years I know I haven’t always had the best of diets. Okay, I have always had a terrible diet! No doubt about it. My diet has always consisted of lots of burgers, pizza, fried chicken, Chinese food, Mexican food and just about every other food out there that is bad for human consumption. Not to mention a truckload of soda and throw in a few beers from time to time… haha!
I guess one could say that I’m not really one for cooking!
ANYWAYS…
Bottom line….. I know my body really needed to take on this 7-day whole body cleanse. I’m already on day 4 and I really can feel a difference. Truthfully, I thought I was going to be stuck to having to hang around a toilet at all times, but it hasn’t been anything like that. I guess the horror stories of starting a colon cleanse or whole body cleanse aren’t as gruesome as they say it is.
I didn’t really feel much during the first two days of the 7-day whole body cleanse, but somewhere right around day 3, that’s when it seemed that the supplements kinda started taking effect. No, I wasn’t stuck to having to be in close proximity of a toilet, but it has been interesting!
Now that I’m on day 4 I really do feel better than I did before and now as I’m approaching the start of my last month of the 90 challenge, I look back on day 1 and WOW, it sure has been a lot of work and sweat.
Mar
24
2010
Hey! Welcome back to another blog post by yours truly.
In today’s post I wanted to let you all know what I’m planning on for this next week. I know I haven’t been mentioning much about my home business, so this time I wanted to let you in on what I planned. I been putting a lot of thought into this idea for some time now. I just didn’t really know how I was going to go about it. Over the past couple of weeks, I been hammering out some of the details as to how this is going to go. So, without further delay…..
The name of this home-based business is Global Domains International. I’ve been an affiliate marketer with GDI for almost 2 yrs.
In all honesty, during the first 6-8 months of my involvement with GDI I didn’t do a thing. I was lost. I was a real newbie to everything about working on the internet and marketing as a way of making money online.
I followed some of the advice of a few different people and eventually stopped working on it for about a month. Not that their advice wasn’t working, I just felt that I didn’t want to market that way.
Shortly after that, I began my own attempts at marketing myself and my business online and in what seemed like an accident, I finally started to get signups in my autoresponder. I was really surprised that whatever it was that I was doing was actually working. Ah, the auto responder, but that’s another stream of income I’ll discuss in another blog post.
Finally, my email marketing campaign was in full swing. My home business was finally starting to take shape. I started seeing a little cash flow into my paypal account and the rest is history….
NOW, on to the reason I’m making this post. My reasons are simple so I’ll get straight to the point.
I’ve come to a point in my home business that I’d like to reach out and help someone get a start at making money online. I know that so many people feel that most home business are scams, pyramids and don’t really pay. Well, if your someone that has those thoughts,… the remainder of this post probably isn’t for you and I’m definitely not here to try and change your beliefs. I’m not asking for any money and I’m not asking for anyone to put up any initial investment or start-up fees. Trust me, I’ve been there. By the way, the monthly fee for Global Domains International is only $10 per month per domain registered. Here is what I am willing to do…
I am willing to put up 6 months of Global Domains International’s monthly fees ($60) for ONE person that qualifies first. Anyone else that choses to sign up and get started, I’ll pay 2 months of Global Domains International’s monthly fees. ($20)
Once the free trial week expires and the first billing cycles posts & I see that payment has been processed, I’ll payout $10 monthly via paypal or money order. There is no contract and you can cancel anytime if you feel that this business isn’t right for you.
So, now that I’ve taken the risk of losing any money out of the equation, what’s the hold up? 
Requirements
1) debit card or paypal account
2) and desire…
What you need to know and be aware of
1.) This is a real business. It’s going to take some work if you plan on making any money
2.) You can make real money here and how much you make really is up to you
3.) If you aren’t serious, please don’t waste your time or mine
WHAT TO DO…
If you do decide to take part in this opportunity……
Once you have signed up and your 7 day free trial has begun, send me an email to MANUELMONTES@SET4SUCCESS.WS to let me know that you are taking advantage of my “sign up reimbursement” program.
If you are not following me on twitter…. FOLLOW ME
If you are still not clear where to signup for this opportunity… GO HERE
*notes - 1) Any additional resources or web tools other than what Global Domains International provides that you may need to market or promote your business are not included. 2) Your follow-up email advising me that you are taking part in the “signup reimbursement program” is the only way I’ll know your taking advantage of this program. 3) This offer is good for a limited time and is exclusively offered only by manuellmontes.com and is in no way supported by Global Domains International, Inc. 4)