ultimately it was a quiet vacation. i spent a lot of time relaxing at my aunt's house while my cousin was at work. however i did spend almost every day at the local l.a fitness.
i would have to say as far as travel gyms go, it wasn't too bad. it was more of a 'health club' than i would like but i made it work. it was generally quiet and for the most part other than the usual odd looks the locals left me alone.
we attempted to return to the keys for 'fantasy fest,' which is a week long festival that is highlighted by a parade down key west's main street.
fantasy fest is a tad hedonistic and as long as your covered in body paint, clothing for the most part remains optional. now while people tend to imagine tanned, firm bodies covered in paint the reality is entirely different. the bodies the should have remained covered were the ones most frequently on display. i suppose on one hand the fact that grandma was comfortable enough to wander around topless was admirable. however, it has been well over a year and i still can't get the image of her aged, saggy, leopard painted breasts out of my mind. or grandpa who was naked save the tiny neon green sack that hung from his waist. a sack that contained his grandpa junk.
last year we were down in the keys for the saturday but this year we weren't able to get there until sunday morning. turns out it is all said and done by then. so instead of live bands, dancing in the streets and costumed revelers it was just a quiet sunday in the keys.
as i had planned, i did take progress pictures while i was in south beach. since i've been back i have taken a really good look at them and to be honest i am not pleased by what i see. i had hoped that my legs would look balanced. i had hoped to have regained the size i lost after the injury. sadly they don't and i haven't.
what i can see is a bit more thickness in the middle of my back, which is a good thing. i can see a bit more mass in my delts, which is also a good thing. and finally i think there might even be a shade more pectoral mass as well. but i feel that the discrepancy between the two quads is still to great to be ignored. so right now i am thinking that i will still be on the injured reserve list during the 2013 competitive bodybuilding season.
today i sent a copy of the pics to a fellow bodybuilder for what i hope is a brutally honest opinion. people around me want me to compete and i don't think they understand that i'd rather not step on stage looking any less than my absolute best.
