#SiscoVanilla

[siscovanillaisstepping]

What's up peeps. Got my first weigh-in of the new year and the scale did not disappoint!!! I'm starting my goal of 225 in 2025 at 232 lbs. Thats 2 pounds less of my last weigh-in of 234 in September. Since 2017 when I weighed in at 276, I've dropped 34 lbs. That last graph is a pretty sight. 😁 The scale and app I use is made by Feelfit.

As you can see by the data out, you can lose weight and keep it off over time if you just take your time and do it slowly. Lifestyle changes such as severely cutting back on drinking beer and booze and getting a physically intensive job as letter carrier with the USPS have certainly helped. The proof is in the pudding. Hopefully I can get to as close to my senior year of college weight of 225 by 12/31/2025.

Have a great day!!!

[historysisco]

While walking my routes for the USPS, I'm keeping my eye open for any historical buildings. The building in the foreground (300/333 East 33rd Street) and the background (333/343 East 30th Street) which are part of the Kips Bay Plaza complex were designed by famed architect I.M. Pei.

According to the website Kips Bay Towers at 300 East 33rd Street: Review and Ratings on cityrealty.com:

"Pei, then an architect with the Webb & Knapp development company headed by William Zeckendorf, collaborated with the architectural firm S. J. Kessler & Sons on the development.

The south tower was completed in 1960 and the north tower in 1966.

Their strict geometry is typical of much of his work: good, solid, clean-cut modernity with no frills. His firm's greatest fame lies in its later work such as the great East Wing of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the new glass pyramid entrance to the Louvre Museum in Paris and the Bank of China tower in Hong Kong.

These two long buildings are parallel to, but offset from, one another and are placed horizontally, east-to-west, on the large, landscaped site. An earlier plan for the site, developed by the architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill had called for six buildings, but Pei wanted fewer to create more open space."

I didn't realize the history behind the complex until a tenant who has been living there since the building opened gave me a heads up.

#IMPei #ArchitecturalHistory #NewYorkHistory #NYHistory #NYCHistory #BuildingsOfNYC #History #Historia #Histoire #Geschichte #HistorySisco #HistorySiscoDeliversTheMail #SiscoVanilla #SiscoVanillaDeliversTheMail

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmiL9sHuC5S/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[siscovanillaatthemovies]

SiscoVanilla Presents Iron Man (2008) Part III. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) barrels up to the bar looking for some liquid bread in the form of Scotch. It is here that Tony meets Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division better known and easier said as S.H.I.E.L.D. 

Tony is his usual dismissive self until he feats his eye on Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow.)

Tony swoops in, takes her out for a dance and then things get a little heated between them. This causes Pepper to ask for a cold beverage.

Tony goes right to the bar to order two drinks, one for him and one for Pepper.

Too bad shit hits the fan with Stark Industries weapons being used by warlords in the Middle East, causing neither Tony or Pepper to get those vodka martinis.

Well that’s it for Iron Man (2008). Please check back soon for other movies where I my eye has caught some booze references.

[siscosfavoritecomics]

Not really a superhero movie (though there are some superheroic moments during this flick) but decided to post it anyways. Since it seems that the world is going to shit along with my 401K/IRA, I've decided to watch a movie that shows me that there are worse things on a cruise ship than the COVID-19 virus: The Poseidon Adventure. It can always get worse folks. This movie proves it. At least the star studded cast makes the topsy turvy world on the Poseidon look better. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ #PoseidonAdventure #DisasterMovies #DisasterPorn #1970s #70sMovies #70sCinema #Movies #SiscoVanillaAtTheMovies #SiscoVanilla https://www.instagram.com/p/B9idyRMBxm8/?igshid=9cd6gpnjhj21

[baseballsisco]

On to Game 2!!!! #NewYorkYankees #NYYankees #NYY #Baseball #Beisbol #BaseballSisco #SiscoVanilla #SiscoVanillaIsStepping #SiscoVanillaHitsTheBricks (at Yankee Stadium) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0E8tjbARb8/?igshid=5ry9hf5biqdv

[siscovanillaisstepping]

Good morning!!! It takes time for the seed to grow and bear fruit. So will your goals and ambitions. So don’t stress if it takes longer than expected.

[siscovanillaisstepping]

Yesterday marked a return to some rare stepping. It was a pleasant afternoon and I finished work relatively early so I decided to do one of my walkabout strolls around NYC. Sometimes one needs to be a tourist in one's hometown.

Starting at 57th and Lex, I walked north eventually crossing the Third Avenue Bridge into the Bronx and the ever-changing Mott Haven neighborhood. I finished at just under 30K. I resisted the urge to go back out and get the remaining 1.5K steps to go over 30K. I decided it was best to leave that ever rarer goal for another day.

Overall I walked 6.5 miles. It felt good and I feel strong today.

Have a great Monday everyone.

#Fitbit #FitbitVersa2 #UrbanStepping #Walking #WalkingisGood #WalkItOff #WalkingIsBetterThanTherapy #Fitness #Exercise #GetToStepping #AintNoHalfStepping #HereComesTheHotStepper #LeadByExample #Motivation #Success #Failure #Resilience #SiscoVanilla #SiscoVanillaIsStepping #SiscoVanillaHitsTheBricks #SiscoVanillaDeliversTheMail #HistorySisco

[historysisco]

Today's Urban Exploration post focuses on The Hell's Gate Bridge (originally named the New York Connecting Railroad Bridge or the East River Arch Bridge,) which is an icon of the Astoria landscape.

Connecting Astoria Queens and Randall's and Wards Islands, the bridge crosses over the Hell Gate waterway which is a small but very treacherous stretch of water. Named by the Dutch as Hellegat (hell channel), many a ship throughout the centuries has met their demise there. Rumor has it that Hell Gate is the home to sunken treasure that came from the 1780 shipwreck of the British ship��H.M.S. Hussar.

The bridge was designed by famed civil engineer Gustav Lindenthal and built by the American Bridge company for the Pennsylvania Railroad. Construction started in 1912, Hell's Gate Bridge was completed in 1916. It would be dedicated and opened on March 9, 1917.

The main arch is 305 feet above the river’s average high-level water mark. The bridge deck is 135 feet above the average high-level water mark, and the deck is 93 feet wide. Measuring at 1,017 feet in length, the Hell's Gate Bridge was the longest steel arch bridge in the world. It held that title until 1933 with the completion of the Bayonne Bridge that connects Bayonne, New Jersey and Staten Island, New York. One cool feature of the bridge's arches is that you can walk under them while walking the footpath on Randall's and Wards Islands.

In total three bridges make up the Hell Gate Bridge. The other two span over Randall's and Wards Island and the Bronx Kill (Dutch for Little Stream.) The bridge connects New York and New England rail traffic for Amtrak and the CSX freight line.

#HellsGateBridge #HellGate #Hellegat #TransportationHistory #EngineeringHistory #ArchitecturalHistory #NewYorkHistory #NYHistory #NYCHistory #AstoriaQueens #QueensHistory #UrbanHistory #UrbanExploration #TouristInNY #History #Historia #Histoire #Geschichte #HistorySisco #SiscoVanilla

[siscovanillaisstepping]

These are some great tips for maintaining mental health, especially during these stressful and hectic days. Many comments to this post refer to the addition of religion when it comes to "Meditating on the truth."

Meditation isn't directly tied to any particular faith or belief system but can be used in conjunction with a religion/belief system. If using your religious beliefs helps you find that inner peace, then so be it. If you don't believe in a religion and their teachings, then use whatever you need to meditate on and do so. Whatever works. Don't limit yourself.

[siscovanillaatthemovies]

Iron Man (2008). Wow, its been 12 years since the release of Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges and Terence Howard. The success of Iron Man laid the foundation for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) that is common place today. But in 2008, there was no guarantee that the MCU would become something known let alone the monstrous success that it has become.

Here is the synopsis for the movie from IMDB.com:

After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.  

Check out my next post for Tony Stark’s adventures with booze.

[siscosfavoritecomics]

Having a rough Tuesday like Logan here? Well don't you worry and pop your claws, your buddy pal SiscoVanilla is slinging drinks @finnscornernyc (Finn's Corner, 660 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn NY)...And we have a whole lotta beer for you to have. We have cold draughts, sleek cans and traditional bottle brews. Want something a little stronger? Well, just for you we also have stiff shots, hot and cold cocktails for your drinking pleasure. And rest assured, I'll keep them coming throughout the evening.

Come on in.

[baseballsisco]

With their defeat of the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 5 of the NLCS, the Los Angeles Dodgers are returning to the World Series. The Dodgers are the first NL team to play in back-to-back World Series since the 2008-2009 Philadelphia Phillies. This is the marquee World Series matchup that many (including MLB) was hoping for. East Coast vs. West Coast. Two historic Baseball franchises. A Fall classic matchup 102 years in the making. It should be interesting starting on Tuesday night. On a side note, I'll be bartending at Finns Corner (660 Washington Avenue, Corner of Bergen Street) for Game One with the Sound On!!! So if you're in Brooklyn, roll on through. #2018MLBPostseason #2018WorldSeries #BostonRedSox #Bosox #LosAngelesDodgers #LosDoyers #FallClassic #BaseballPlayoffs #BaseballHistory #HistoriaDelBeisbol #Baseball #Beisbol #BaseballSisco #FinnsCorner #SiscoVanilla (at Finn's Corner) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpMXCl4HS3p/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=64q4edcgyyrh

[siscovanillaisstepping]

Interesting rules to live by in this high octane and fast paced society we live in.

[siscovanillaisstepping]

Just going to leave this here for this Monday morning in the big city. Have a great day.

[siscovanillaisstepping]

Happy Saturday mi gente. Yesterday was back to the mail grind. By the time I got to the Bronx I was sitting at roughly 18K steps. It was a beautiful evening so I pushed through being tired and walked the mile home from the train to get past the 20K step mark.

Enjoy the day. I'll be out delivering all those checks that people are hoping will land in their mailboxes 📬 😁

#Fitbit #FitbitVersa2 #UrbanStepping #Walking #WalkingisGood #WalkItOff #WalkingIsBetterThanTherapy #Fitness #Exercise #GetToStepping #AintNoHalfStepping #HereComesTheHotStepper #LeadByExample #Motivation #Success #Failure #Resilience #SiscoVanilla #SiscoVanillaIsStepping #SiscoVanillaHitsTheBricks #SiscoVanillaDeliversTheMail

[siscovanillaisstepping]

Interesting quote by Ali ibn Abi Talib. Ali ibn Abi Talib was a cousin and companion of the Islamic prophet Mohammed during the mid 600's.

Its amazing that after close to 1400 years, there are more and more people that go against the grain when it comes to this quote, including some of the highest ranking people in our government.

There's nothing wrong about acknowledging that you were mistaken about something. Best to learn from our mistakes than to not learn by being stubborn and holding on to what we believed to be true.

Have a great Sunday!!!

“When proven wrong, the wise man will correct himself and the ignorant will keep arguing.”

— Ali ibn Abi Talib