Friends

Friends

  So I just spent an incredible two days with a woman.

So the journey that brought me to that statement probably started sixty some years ago.  When I was a little kid in Iowa, we got an allowance just like most kids.  I spent that twenty-five cents on a Mad Magazine and thus the journey was started.  That twenty-five cents disappeared like water down the drain but it was worth it.  I always laugh at the back page of Mad Magazine...but I digress.  The point is I was and always have been a reader.  I still went outside and played with my friends but also got yelled at to turn my bedside light out and go to sleep at night.  And that Mad Magazine was the gateway drug to my love of comic books.  Fast forward to the 70's, ah the 70's.  I've told the story before in another place about discovering comic book stores but that brings me to my first friend who would help influence my life.  The store owner was a cool 70's type guy.  Also addicted to cocaine but like I said a 70's guy.  He was a smart guy though and kicked the addiction.  That friendship would carry me thru the rest of the century.  He suggested me for a job in the 80's that lead back to helping him run his empire of comic book stores and that lead to a friendship that helped take me down another path.  The journey continued into the 90's.  What a decade!  It was my aha decade.  In the 90's I ran one of the comic book stores in this empire and so met another friend who would alter my life once again.  I discovered D&D thru that friend and I continued to read.  Over the last few decades I'd started dabbling with writing, never anything I'd show anyone but I could dream, right?  So as Y2K approached I made another decision that would change my life.  My latest friend, who now had a wife(who I also considered a friend), and a young son (who would again become a friend), had moved to another city, Bellingham. I decided that I needed a change of life. Seattle was becoming too much of a big city and don't get me started on the traffic. So I moved. With that move the next steps of the journey began. Part of that move included a new job.  I spent the 2000's working at the new job, reading and occasionally writing stuff that would never see the light of day.  I met more friends as friends introduced me to their friends and so the circle got bigger. Thanx to this I quit one job and started a new job.  Again thru a recommendation from one of these friends that had become part of my life.  We all had similar interests but also each had an interest that the others might not have learned about if we'd never met.  

  By this time I'd started worrying about my weight.  I've always been a heavy or as it was fashionable to say back in the 60's, big boned guy.  I'd ballooned up to 304lbs, yes very specific number.  At 5'8" that was totally unacceptable and rather dangerous if I planned on fulfilling my dream of living forever.  So working with a nutritionist in the mid 2000's I'd gotten down to 250lbs.  Still not great but way better than the 300 number.  Of course once I stopped going to the nutritionist I gained most of it back.  Did I go to the gym, you ask?  Damn right, but with no direction or accountability it made no difference. At this point it was 2010 and I was still reading whenever I could.  The writing was also happening, but hidden away like a Playboy magazine hidden under the bed, only coming out at night when the urge surfaced.  A lot going on for me at that point in the journey but it was getting ready to take me on a new friend path.  As I said I'd gained back a portion of the weight I'd lost, back up to 280lbs.  Rather disappointing if you ask me. Don't worry I'd realized that now was the time to ask for help.  So I did, amazingly enough.  My gym offered personal training with certified trainers.  I'd thought about trying it out and now was the time to get off the couch.  So my next step on the journey turned out to be my biggest, in hindsight.  And one of the most influential.  

  So to summarize, I'd been pretending to write for a few decades, I'd kept most of the fast food restaurants in business in the 70's, 80's, and part of the 90's.  I'd joined multiple gyms over those decades and now I was ready to try to make amends. So I met the trainer, Lorinda, we talked about what I wanted from her.  I was adamant that I didn't want a drill sergeant and I wasn't interested in the latest craze at the time, Crossfit.  She agreed that that wasn't the best move for me.  So we agreed to meet that Sat to start this new journey.  So I am going to digress here for a moment and say I only saw this as a monetary relationship that was going to get me to the goal of living forever.  There was no expectation of anything beyond that.  Now it makes me laugh at my naivety in hindsight.  Yes Lorinda is the woman mentioned in the opening sentence.  So more digression and an explanation.  First she's a beautiful woman inside and out.  Yes I was very happy that this woman was willing to work with me and so as time went on I grew attached to her.  One day, as she was laughing at a stupid story I had just told, I realized she wasn't just a casual acquaintance but had become one of my friends that I counted on in my life. Then mind blown as she, with no prompting on my part, let me know she thought of me as one of her friends also.  About this time it came up that, yes she was a lesbian and was even getting ready to marry her sweetheart (another woman who would become a friend of mine).  Then she told me about her memoir she was writing about her life.  She even shared some of it and it made me cry for my friend.  In a casual conversation when she was making me groan and sweat on the weight machine I mentioned something writing related.  She looked at me and almost demanded I expand on my comment.  Sheepishly I admitted to the bits and pieces of writing I'd pretended to do over the years and with that the next step was taken.  She cajoled me into showing her some of the goofy stuff I'd written over the years.  How surprised was I when next we met she had high, well not really high but still praise for my attempts at something I'd always considered a pipe dream.  After all I hadn't gone to college and was barely able to tell a comma from a semi-colon.  I could spell with the aid of a dictionary and where did the noun and verbs really go?  

  So it's been seven years of sweat, laughter, and fears, and it brings us back to that opening line.  By the way, shame on you for assuming the meaning of that opening line.  Again this friend of mine, still makes me smile when I say that, convinced me to stretch and move considerably outside my comfort zone.  Those two incredible days I've mentioned?  I attended the Chuckanut Writer's conference during those two days and I would have never even considered doing that if it wasn't for my friendships with all of my friends that lead to my friendship with Lorinda.  And it gets better.  She then convinced me to actually read some of the story she'd pushed me to start writing, to a room full of strangers.  Again so far out of my comfort zone it's not even in this galaxy.  They laughed at all the funny parts and no one got up and walked out as I was reading. So there's that. 

I would never have written any of this if it wasn't for all the friends I've met and made over the years of my life.  So thank you all for being my friend and putting up with my weirdness.  That journey of friends lead me to this moment in my life and I wouldn't change one step of that path.  And that path lead me to Lorinda.  My friend.

One time at the Snack Machine

I decided that I want some chips.  Cheetos, I think. The machine had already ripped me off once today.  But, hunger wins out everytime over brains. So I put my money in and push the buttons.  The mechanism slowly spins and then stops millimeters from releasing my chips.  I stare at them hoping the intense glare I am directing towards them will cause them to hop into my hand.  But no, they sit there mocking me and my hunger.  

My brain then says, "Shake it".  I look around sheepishly and seize the top of the machine and rock it back and forth.  I'm a wimp.  I know someone will walk around the corner and catch me. It's perfectly legit (hunger says), but I realize that my explanation sounds lame.  Sure enough here comes someone.  They ask "Did you lose money too?".  When I nod in the affirmative, she says "Did you shake the machine?".  With some trepidation I say, "Yes, but feels weird doing it".  "Oh don't worry I did the same", she says, "But it helps to really shake it hard".  So the two of us grabbed the machine and started pushing first one way, then another.  It started to rock back and forth but the bag of chips refused to let go of it's grip and continued to stare defiantly at us. Oh well I guess someone was trying to tell me I didn't need those chips after all.

I put a note on the machine for it's refusal to award me with my chosen treasure. Later in the week there was an envelope with my name on it attached to the machine with recompense. I haven't been hungry enough to brave the Vending Machine since.

My First Senior Moment (No Really)

There I was on a Friday afternoon at the gym. Trying to remember some of the Lorinda Death Workouts. So after sweating a Black Sea of sweat (is that really possible?) I headed out to do some shopping. Nope not clothes, nope not groceries. And certainly not tractors, definitely not motorcycles with sidecars, and absolutely not books about Sea Turtles. But I was shopping.

Walking from one store to the next, I’m walking but not being aware. It’s a pleasant sunny Autumn afternoon and I’m a retired person. So enjoying a pleasant Autumn afternoon is what I’m supposed to be doing. Spoiler Alert! Here it comes!

Suddenly, I’m flailing like Elaine dancing on Seinfeld. One step almost going over. Second step gaining, but very precariously heading into the danger zone. Third step brain has re-engaged and message to legs (“Get your #$%& together”), message received. Balance re-stored with no falling down of the ego. Quickly looking around with a “ I meant to do that” face I see that the sidewalk I was blithely walking on end in a 6” high curb. I start laughing as I realize I just pulled a “nose deep in cellphone” stunt, without a cellphone.

I survived though, so the rest of the afternoon should be good. Oh how wrong I could be. So finished shopping and was heading back to the car.

Start walking, being a bit more aware of the world around me. As I meander back I realize that I’m thinking about the fact that I’m a bit foggy on the exact locus of my CAR! Not to worry, it’s not a huge parking lot, just a very big parking lot. My brain says “Ok I am 100% positive we walked past this store, after we parked”. Now about the time my brain has said this precise thing for the last 4 stores, I start to think “Houston we have a problem”. So stopping to re-assess, I decide to strike out into the parking lot. Walking backwards and forwards, as my poor demented brain machine tries to work some weird illogical pattern. Hoping to Pacheinko it into finding said vehicle. HA! What Fun!! Not! I will never again laugh at jokes about old people.

I of course found my car.

I’d walked the parking lot muttering to myself and waving my clenched fists to the heavens. Cursing that pleasant autumn afternoon. Small children are being herded away from the path of the raving lunatic, birds start flying north instead of south due to the heaven cursing and as if by magic my car appears suddenly out of thin air. Ha if only, what a story that would make. And that’s Al’s first and probably not his last senior moment.

PS Now I just have to remember where I put my keys. “Refrigerator”-nope-check. “Microwave”-nope-check. ;-)

PaizoCon

So it's that time again for the RPG game con sponsored by Paizo the company that makes Pathfinder.  I haven't gone in a few years even though my group has gone every year.  I was following my other hobby, guns. This year though I decided that I needed to get back to my RPG roots.

It's going to be four days of gaming, food, booze, and gaming.  Always a good time.  I really enjoy hanging with my friends and killing orcs, and other bad creatures.  Also the social interaction is a bit out of my comfort zone at times but it's good for me.  

One of the games will be run by one of the creators of the Pathfinder system and it's based on the movie, Dale and Tucker vs Evil.  Now if you've never seen this movie, please go watch it, no really go right now and watch it!  We'll wait for you.............

Ok welcome back.  Great movie right?  The game should be just as great. 

So for four days I will be on another planet and in another dimension.  See you when I get back.

Checking in

Yep it's time for another foray into Al's retired life.

Not much to say this time around other than I'm waiting patiently for Sat to get here as it's once again time for the Speed Steel competition I like to shoot.  I did fairly well last month and then my other competition I came in 3rd, which on the surface doesn't sound that great but for me it's quite an accomplishment as I was only beaten by two of the premier shooters at this competition.  

I've got a week off from my trainer (thank goodness, ha just kidding L) but I still will get out of the house and away from the computer or should I say WoW.

The weather is lovely and reminds of one of the reasons I wanted to retire.  As any working person knows that there are times when you walk out the front door and have to go to work, and the birds are singing and the sun is shining and the grass is green, it's very difficult to not just say to hell with it and take the day off.  Well today, for me, was one of those days.  

Sorry for that but I used to feel your pain and now I don't.  Don't worry, you will all get there and you'll be happy you did.  It's the end goal or at least it was for me.

WoW and other stuff

So you may have guessed from the title that I've started playing WoW again.  Something fun to do instead of cleaning the condo or working out to keep my svelte form.  Ha just kidding....about the svelte thing.  :)

I have been over my comfortable weight since the holidays (yes Dec) and so as my annual physical is fast approaching I figure I should at least drop some weight before the doc tells me to.  Plus I'm not really into taking drugs so anything that keeps me off any high blood pressure meds is a good thing.  No matter what the right shoulder guy says about nachos (or totchos for that matter).

So healthier eating and not so much junk (not that I eat that much to begin with, junk that is).  I have started to put the meal in a small bowl so it really does look like I'm eating a gigantic serving, of course I made enough for seconds so.... And I've started to use chopsticks instead of a fork.  "They" say it's supposed to slow you down and make you feel that full feeling before you've eaten three bowls of ice cream.  Instead of just the one you planned on eating.

If you are a practised user of chopsticks, good for you.  I'm not bad but definitely it is slowing me down.  I also look at it as a hand exercise, so hey I'm good  all around.  I expect the shooting hand will appreciate that on competition days.

Well no going back now

So it's official I'm retired.  Got my first check from Social Security today. I guess I can stop thinking I'm on vacation and start doing the stuff I said I'd do when I retired.  

No more excuses when it comes to things like going to the gym on a regular basis, getting to the range during the week to practice, and in general doing things that I couldn't do because I had to get up and go to a job.  Of course the job thing may still be a thing but we'll see how well I can budget and not succumb to the evils of laziness and procrastination

I now have the time to go see movies anytime I want and of course just getting outside during the nice summer weather we will be getting here soon.

Playing more D&D is also a good possibility.  When working it's hard to justify staying up late during the work week so this is a also something I want to pursue. Plus PaizoCon is in the near future and I feel good about attending that.  I could have done that when working but since it is at the end of May, getting the time off would have been a hassle.  Now it isn't.  ;)  

No Pressure

So here we are again. Went to the gym today and walked on the treadmill for 42min.  I actually like walking on the treadmill as it's somewhat dreamlike in the sense of moving forward but not getting anywhere.

I'm also still figuring out this retired thing.  Today besides the gym trip I stopped at Les Schwab to get my studded tires replaced with normal weather tires.  So don't blame me if in the next few days it snows like crazy.  As I no longer have that responsibility to get somewhere I, in a way, hope so.  Sorry.

This weekend will be a shooting weekend.  It's my Sat competition and I look forward to doing some shooting.  I was mentioning to another of my shooting friends that I will have been shooting every weekend for the last 5 weeks and it looks like I'll be adding a few more weeks to that.

Missed it by...that much

So already broke my promise but am willing to give it another go.  Yes this is the second of many (?) 100 word posts.  Food for thought.

For breakfast I had a bowl of granola with almond milk.  Since the dentist pulled part of one of my teeth I've been cautious when chewing food on that side of my mouth.  Today I ended up getting a piece of granola stuck in the open space between my teeth and I had to actually pry it out with my finger instead of pushing it out with my tongue I would normally do.  Interesting.

I came home and made a fish stick sandwich and had some tater tots (my new fave food).

Tonite for dinner going to friends for Corned beef and cabbage. So a good day with fun food.

100 Words-1st post

So an experiment on my part to try and come here every day and write 100 words.  It may not be life changing  and if that seems too easy for me than I will up the word count.  

So it's Friday and the work week is ending.  Of course for me that doesn't matter as I no longer work.  At the same time it still has an effect on me.  Friends who do work are planning their weekend, trying to cram all the fun they can in those two days.  

So there you go 100 words of not much importance.

My Comicbook Life

Reviving the blog Anything I type is now happening. This post is inspired by the closing of the first comic book store I ever walked into.

First though some back ground. In 1965 I discovered the little corner store that had comicbooks. Previous to that I’d bought some Mad magazines and the occasional comicbook. Nothing serious though in the way of collecting and following a story line. Then I discovered this rack of comics and they did look inviting. So with my paper route money I bought a couple and after that I was hooked. I learned that they would continue every month and I just had to show up and pay my money. This lasted for a few month and by then I was spending a good $2-3 a month. Then puberty happened and comicbooks were a thing of the past. Flash forward to 1975. I was unemployed and living the good life when I walked into the local 7-11 and saw a spinner rack (standard comicbook display) with titles I remembered from my childhood. So I bought a couple and a beer and headed home. That started the process all over again, but it didn’t last this time either.

A couple of years later, having gone back to work and thus having quite a lot of disposable income and in general not spending it on drugs and alcohol I again found comics. 7-11 was my comicbook store and I haunted the spinner racks in a monthly search for the elusive next issue of my favorites. Here’s the problem with buying comics from a 7-11, they don’t always get the same titles every month. So you could be reading the Avengers and they are just getting to the really good part of the storyline and the next month’s issue isn’t anywhere to be found. So as I stumbled around looking for that elusive comicbook issue that I was missing it never occurred to me that there was a better way of doing this dance.

Then one nite at a party my roommate and I were throwing a woman I knew noticed the comics on the coffee table. She said her boyfriend had a comicbook store. My first thought was, ‘what the hell is a comicbook store?’. And then my next thought was, Where is this place and when is it open?

I quickly found this store in downtown Seattle and was frankly like a kid in a candy store. The owner was a very cool guy and we hit it off right away. The great thing about this store was it just didn't have the “normal” comics but others. Those were comics I’d never seen and would have never seen on the 7-11 spinner rack. So I discovered not only superheroes but also sci-fi, mystery, and other types of comics that you could only get in a comicbook store.

The discovery of this comicbook store started me on a path that would cumulate in my career choice for almost 20 years. And what an awesome 20 years it was.

I'm baaack

So it looks like I am back to blogging here.  I plan on returning to the original concept of this blog which was based on Seinfeld which makes this a blog about nothing.  :) 

As I get further done the Route 66 of retirement I'm starting to feel like I'm retired. Trying to build new habits and doing away with the old ones that no longer apply. Also working on creating a new approach to things that used to be dictated by a 9-5 workday.

So for now I'm trying to go to the gym or walk outdoors or once the weather gets better ride my bike.  I'm trying to get to the range more and actually practice my shooting, rather than going once or twice a month and expecting that I'll get better.  

This should be an occasional entry as I try to revive my other blogs also.  

Well there we go.  It's back and I'm looking forward to being inspired to again write stuff that most of you won't be that interested in but possibly you will.  :)

Time for a change and thanx for all the encouragement

So for quite a long time I've been writing about the trials and tribulations of staying healthy.  This involved eating right and getting exercise.  I've tried to be honest and record all the bumps and bruises as they've happened.

I've come to the conclusion that there needs to be a re-assessment of what I'm doing.  I've not lost any weight in over two years (230lbs) and I'm feeling the need to move that scale.

 This year (2014) has had it's set backs.  I had the hernia operation and then in the late fall ear infection that contributed to my diminished enthuisiasum for working out.  My eating stayed fairly normal but still caused the occasional problem with my weight.  I also think I had some lofty plans that may have sabotaged the basic idea of staying healthy.

What this means is I'm going to have to make some changes.  Not just in my eating or exercising but also the basic idea of what I hope to accomplish.

So for now this exchange of thoughts and ideas is going dark.  I plan on coming back strong and focused with the new year.  I won't be going back to every day posts but more consistently every week instead.  I also won't be posting specific foods (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) but more about what I did with those foods.  Again trying to make some changes in the attempt to attain the goals I set for myself four years ago when I started this journey.

If you're reading this now, take a break and come back in Jan '15.  I'll be here once again attempting to make sense of staying healthy and living longer.

Day 889-895

Here's another week of workouts and food.

So the week started with the gym.  I know, shock right?  I did back and biceps and it felt good.  I think I'm back to a routine, at least I hope so.  The rest of the week was walking, kettle bell, and then a full body workout that Lorinda wrote up for me last time we met.  I will say I got a bit sweaty doing the kettle bell and then the full body workout.  Again felt good.

Food was better as I did a chicken burrito every day for lunch.  Home made so none of that restaurant stuff except for one day when work bought lunch.  That day I only ate half of the giant burrito but then had chips and salsa, of course.  I saved the other half for lunch the next day. Breakfast was a frittata as usual and my regular 20oz of cold water.  Dinner was protein smoothies a couple of nights and then more chicken burrito from home made fix-in's.  As the week progressed the food choices got more radical, not in a good way.  It is what it is.

After all that I still weighed in at 234lbs.

So I'm getting back to working out and not making excuses.  My hearing is no longer an issue or at least it's not allowing me to ignore the need for exercise.

No place to go but up and I plan on keeping it that way.

Day 882-888

So not being able to hear is not fun.  Of course my hearing wasn't completely gone but it was bad enough that at work I was saying "what" a lot.  And asking people to repeat themselves quite often.  By Thurs I felt it actually was getting worse so off to the doctor I went.  He prescribed another round of antibiotics and ear drops.  The good news is that the antibiotics seemed to make a difference.  By the next afternoon my left ear ( the first to shut down) opened up and I could hear much better.  Still not 100% but at least I could turn my "good" ear towards a person and actually understand what they were saying.

Gained a couple of pounds but still at 234 so nothing drastic.

During the week food was fairly normal.  Breakfast was the usual frittata and 20oz of cold water during the week and on the weekend oatmeal with blue berries and bran cereal.  Lunch was ground turkey tacos (homemade) for the work week and Italian leftovers from going out the nite before.  The weekend again was different with turkey sandwich one day and steak sandwich the other.  Dinner was all over the place with one night just bran cereal with Greek yogurt to sushi and Italian and pizza.

Workouts: walking, stretching, and then training with Lorinda on Sat.  I was not feeling the workout jive and so skipped gym time.  I will have to get back to it once I feel better, that is once the hearing decides to work like it's supposed to.  Of course since it's started coming back I think it's a sign to get my ass back into the gym.  I will heed the call!

Day 875-881

So this week started out fine, still with the ear infection but not bad.  Then it fell apart.  Monday I went to work and Tues I woke up and couldn't hear.  Not just a little but a lot.  My alarm was going off for quite a while before I finally heard it and got out of bed.  It was like having my head in a giant cotton ball and being under water at the same time.  Going to the doctor was a necessity and I was sent home from work for the entire week.

I went for a walk twice and then on the weekend did training with Lorinda but we did a stretching routine.

I tried to eat better and was fairly successful.  Breakfast was the usual frittata during the week and I made a protein smoothie on Sat and Sun was a late brunch of deli chicken with added fried egg.

Lunch all week was very different but not crazy and dinner was mish-mash of various food ranging from Greek yogurt and bran cereal to chicken strips and sweet potato fries and a torta along with stir fried broccoli and cauliflower.  I did skip lite food day as it just wasn't in the cards when I wasn't feel 100%.

I did hang out with friends on Sunday and there was a BBQ.  I didn't go crazy and it was good to get out of the condo after spending the entire week with no one to talk to and not hearing anything.

So it wasn't the best week I've had but on Sat the weigh in was okay with a 230lb entry.  I didn't gain and didn't lose which considering the week was okay.

I still can't hear but am coping fairly well.  Work will be interesting if nothing else.

Day 868-874

This week was no fun.  I ended up getting sick and then not working out at all until Sat.  It was a case of ear infection and cold causing my voice to go away.  I was happy though to find I'd lost 8 of the 10 pounds I'd gained the week before.

Breakfast was my usual bran cereal and banana and the famous frittata and 20oz of cold water.  Lunch was weird as I only ate lunch twice at work due to going home sick in the latter part of the week.  There was a steak sandwich, a spinach salad with steak, an egg scramble with chicken, and one of my fave's, fish tacos with beans and rice. 
Dinner also was all over the place with pot sticker soup and chicken strips with onion rings, and  stir fry broccoli with Chinese finger foods.  I also had some Greek yogurt and bran cereal and a banana with some peanut butter. 
Lite food day was the usual frittata for breakfast, Greek yogurt for lunch and a protein smoothie for dinner.

On the weekend I was finally able to get back to working out and went to the gym.  I combined two of Lorinda's previous workouts into one giant workout.  After that I had a turkey, bacon, and avocado sub sandwich with potato salad and the last of my beans and rice from the day before.  Dinner was a spinach salad with a spinach stir fry in egg with pot stickers.  Sunday I went for an hour walk and came home to a club sandwich to which I added an egg and guacamole plus chips (single serving size bag).  I was craving a Blizzard so for dinner I had one along with a bacon cheeseburger and fries with a soda (my first in a couple of months).

So besides being sick it was a good week.  I lost eight pounds of weight I shouldn't have gained and I'm okay with that.  I wasn't feeling the workouts but when I got back in the gym it felt good and right.  Now I just need to get over the ear infection and life will be back to normal.  And normal is good.

Day 861-67

Here's the full week long plan of food and exercise.  I figure I can at least get this down for the week.

Breakfast during the work week was a frittata and on lite food day I added a slice of toast with peanut butter.  I also had a bowl of bran cereal with chia seeds and a single slice of toast with an egg.  Did the Greek yogurt for snacks and had fish with a spinach salad for lunches, except for Friday when I went for a burger and fries.

Dinner was all over the place.  Had a spinach salad a couple of times and also went out for Mexican.  I did the protein smoothie on lite food day and one dinner was a small corn crust pizza with chicken strips.

The weekend was one big cheat weekend.  Didn't do it on purpose but it ended up being one on those times.

240lbs.  That's what I weighed on Sunday morning.  Now Sat morning I weighed 236lbs. Last Sat I weighed 230lbs.  Not happy but I didn't workout as much as normal ( work got in the way is my excuse) and it seems I was feeling quite hungry most days.  I ate out twice during the week (both of those were on Friday) and Sat once followed by spending the evening at friends for an impromptu game session.

I have felt hungry (more than usual) all week.  I'm wondering if the sleeping better has anything to do with it?  I was told that this would have an effect on my weight but was under the impression that it would help me reduce my weight not increase my weight.  I guess I'll have to wait and see.

My workouts this week were the walking, running, and kettle bell programs.  So I did get exercise.  I wasn't able to workout on Thurs or Friday or Sat though as work and fun caused an interruption of activities.  That still shouldn't have caused a ten pound weight gain though.

Day 859-60

So it's the weekend and I'm doing my usual with Lorinda at the gym.  We did a 2nd tape measure session.  The first one was back in Jan.  Before the ER visit and subsequent doctor visits, including the hernia repair.

My weight for that first record was 240lbs.  Today it was 230lbs.  So not bad but of course it should be better.  There was some reduction in the other numbers also.  We measured chest, abs, hips, and arm areas.

After the workout with L I went for a long bike ride. 

Sat food was an egg sandwich with quinoa for breakfast and a sandwich with a pasta salad for lunch.  I should have ran some errands in the afternoon as I had to battle boredom and hunger.  Dinner consisted of a piece of fish and stir fry veggies.  I snacked on almonds and a late nite snack of a bowl of bran cereal.

This the first day of the new program in my life using a C-Pap.  It's time to start breathing 24/7 not just when I feel like it.  I look forward to the benefits of sleeping.  Who would have thought sleeping could change your life for the better?

On Sunday I ran as usual.  I felt like I slept better but I also think it's hard to really tell.  After all I'm asleep.

It was a short game day by a couple of hours but still managed to get the feed bag on.

The run was normal but I'm trying to extend it a bit and it felt like I was running more than walking.  I think. 

Food today was a healthy breakfast of bran cereal with blue berries and chia seeds.  The usual 20oz of cold water.  After the run I had a small piece of steak along with some grapes and almonds.
I met friends before the game for an adult beverage and pot pie with steak and bacon.

The rest of the day was at the game and we didn't have a plan so it consisted of munchies.  Chips, pistachios, rice crispy treats, and other types of junk food.

So unfortunately a typical weekend.  I'm trying to focus more on eating better on the weekends and so far it's been an uphill battle.  Gotta keep plugging away though and not give up.

Here's a month of catching up Fastforward style

Okay I'm so far behind that it's been a month since my last entry and I'm just going to hit the fast forward button and get it over with as we move to present day.

Yes I have eaten stuff that was good for me and bad for me but tasted great.  I've been doing workouts that involved walking, kettle bells, running, and lifting weights.

My weight has stayed the same pretty much with no more than a pound or two fluctuation.  My running hasn't improved but hasn't declined.  The kettle bell class is still kicking my butt but I'm quite alright with that.

I've done a sleep study and found positive evidence that I have sleep apnea and need to start using a C-Pap device. The rumor is that by using this device I will see some weight issues disappear and possibly my hypertension may get better.  I've been informed that there are other possible issues that I have that may also be helped.  So sleeping with a face mask of air is in my future.

So I'm continuing to workout, try to eat better, and get a real night's sleep.

That's my life and I'm glad I'm living it.