Junk in between the ears.

The link I posted was a book I read years ago that got me to thinking, and I believe it led me to where I am now.

Here it is again!

It is called "Simplify your life". It is a small book with very short chapters.
Some of it should be called "live dirtier than before" because it suggests you do your cleaning a lot less than before. Do laundry less, cleaning your house less, etc. Yes, that saves time, but I should be able to clean my house when I want.
The concept is to make life easier and simpler, which I embrace. I spend so much time wasted doing "busy" work, that it drives me crazy. So, I will adapt the ideas in this book to make them my own. I will simplify my life.
One of the things mentioned is to live and work in a place where you enjoy life. I don't like Central Pennsylvania for one reason:
The weather.
I dislike the humidity, the cold without snow, the snow, ice, rain, and did I mention the humidity?
I hate the way my nose is stuffed up all the time.
I hate the way I feel when it gets cold and my joints ache, even though there is nothing wrong with me.
I hate cutting the lawn and having the moisture waft up and make me feel like I'm trying to wade through mud and heavy air.
I hate the way it smells.
So, I want to simplify my life by moving somewhere that I don't have those feelings.
I was in Nevada a few years ago, and I loved the fact that my sinus' cleared up. I liked the dryness and the warmth. I even liked the heat.

I have adopted many of the ideas in the book, but unfortunately, my wife hasn't, and probably won't. She equates things to value and wealth. I don't.

I have a few things I value more than almost anything. But, I have gotten rid of stuff I store in boxes just because I hate the idea of moving them once more into another closet or the basement of another home along the way. Why have something in a box when I will never look at it, or use it?

Most of the stuff in the boxes has no value of any kind.

I once dreamed of owning a museum size home that had shelves in every room that housed everything I stored in those boxes so everyone visiting could see. I would invite people over just to look at the stuff I had on the shelves.

In order for me to own a house like that, I would have to have a total net worth of over 100 million dollars, with a steady income to pay for the place.

It just ain't worth it! Why would anyone want to see boxes of half finished blankets? Or some plastic plates, bowls, and utensils?

I have a collection of record Albums from my early years. I used to play them every time I was in my room. I played all of them over and over. Lots of memories there. I would like to take the time to transfer them all over to digital because there are songs there that will be lost. But, will I die if that doesn't happen? Nope!

I found 5 Winross trucks. They were collector items in their day and I got them cheap. 3 of them are a paint scheme that isn't used anymore. The other two are anniversary editions. None of them are worth what I paid for them, and chances are if I listed them on eBay or Craigslist, they wouldn't sell anyway. In the meantime, they are sitting in their original boxes, with their original plastic bags.

My wife has her collection of books. She has text books back to the 1800's from her Great Aunt who was a teacher until she was 85. I would love to have bookcases for them to be displayed, but I don't. So, they will sit in the basement on a shelf collecting dust.

She also has her college books back to 1971. Anyone want to see the amazing differences between computers now and then? A computer text book from 1971 is quite amazing. So, it will sit on a shelf collecting dust right next to the geography books from the 1800's. Even the library doesn't want them.

I gave away an entire collection of National Geographic Magazines last year. We had them stored on shelves in the basement. No one wanted them. A senior lady who was home bound got them. She is making scrap books with them. Cutting the pictures out and pasting them onto her scrapbooks to tell a story. Her scrap books will probably be placed on a shelf in her basement and thrown out when she dies. Sad.

My science fiction book collection went to a young man when neither of my kids wanted them. I gave them to him because I had the memories of every page of every book in my head. I still do. I can even quote from them. But, I can't stand the thought of them cluttering up my basement and not being read and enjoyed. I wish the young man many good memories, and dreams from them. Heinlein lives on!

Now, along with the other stuff, I also took all of my clothing to Goodwill. This was part of my weight loss milestones, but it also proved to me that I can live without them. I have new clothing, but I used the simple concept in the book to replace them. I only bought what I need and they are all variations of the same styles, in different colors. This saves time and money. It also makes it easy to get dressed in the dark since my wife and I have different schedules.

Now, my wife has 7 drawers under our water bed.
She has a pile of clothing on the floor.
She has the whole bedroom closet. I moved my stuff into the studio closet.
She has a chest in the bedroom.
She has a 10 drawer dresser of which I managed to steal 3 drawers for myself.
She has at least 10 boxes in the basement with clothes.
She has two 5 foot high piles of coats on the floor of the basement.
She has the whole living room closet for coats she will never wear.
Shoes? Oh yeah. Lots of shoes.
You can never have too many socks. You can have one too many socks, however.
I'm sure I've forgotten stuff, but can you imagine how cluttered her mind must be to have all this stuff?
I can, because I have gotten rid of my stuff, and I am feeling much better now!

I can't seem to convince her how much better she would feel if she got rid of the stuff and just kept what she needed. Oh well.

I still have stuff to get rid of and I will do this over the next few weeks. I have plenty of time while I plan my next step.

In a nutshell, to simplify your life, is to examine every part of your life, and eliminate the garbage, and do the things that make you feel good about yourself.

• You lose weight, you get rid of the garbage. You learn how to eat in order to keep the weight off, you simplify your life. You give your life meaning again.
• You clean out your abode and you get rid of the baggage in between your ears so you can see what's important and what's not.
  
• You decide what to keep and what to get rid of, and you take control of your life again or maybe for the first time.
  

I have read at least 1500 books, that I've also owned. I kept them in the hopes of passing them down to my kids to read. They read some and decided not to bother with the rest. So, I got rid of the books, but kept the words and ideas in my head.
I will be moving soon, and will probably lose touch with this blog and my other internet contacts because I plan on making major changes.
These changes are visible to me now because I simplified my life. I didn't see them clearly before because of all the junk that was clouding my vision.
My work goes on. I wish my good feelings, my new level of energy, my positive outlook on the future on everyone whoever reads this.
Stay tuned for new and better things for you and me!

Stuff and one book!

My previous post mentioned people's different ways of coping with their baggage and the reality of changing one's habits when it comes to eating.
I was using different people as examples, but not anyone in particular, I was even talking about myself, but I won't tell you which statement apply to any one person, even me!
I am not like the writer who fashions his character after specific people in his life.
My goal was to make myself important, sounding like I knew what I was talking about in a profound, slightly controversial way. I really have no clue. I'm glad I have a spell check, although, that doesn't always help me.
Now to the book:

Here it is!

This book is one suggestion towards making you think, and maybe helping you to kill some of the demons that made you fat in the first place. It has nothing to do with food or eating. So, check it out and maybe it will help.
I read it back when it first came out, and it helped me. Now, my life is less cluttered, and my wife is the pack rat.

I am starting to work on another seminar idea based on something I learned from a fellow DJ a few years back. I bought his CD series and enjoyed it immensely. It has information in it that applies to life, not only the DJ business, so I am going to adapt it to present to the Weight Loss support group in Lancaster this fall. I will also post the transcript here if I ever write it down. It should be tough for an ADDer to do that. It has been in the past, but I keep surprising myself.

This Sunday, we are having a Support group picnic. We will have covered dishes for everyone to enjoy, games, contests, and a "live" DJ.
As opposed to a "dead" DJ.
The live one is me! I agreed to play music for the folks, so they can see me as something other than a big mouth with an attitude.
I keep hoping they will hire me to coordinate the different events and the support group meetings, but I haven't asked them yet, and I'm not sure I qualify because of my lack of formal education.
I might just present my case someday soon.
Or, I might just pack up and head for warmer weather for the winter.

Commenting on other's work.

I read several blogs, and scour Facebook from a combination of fascination, Voyeurism, seeking knowledge, loneliness, and boredom.
I know some things from experience, some things from reading and studying, and some things from faith. There are other things I know from instinct.
But, no matter how much I do know, I don't know everything. I also know that I don't know everything.
I don't know some things because I don't have the brains.
I don't know some things because I don't want to know.
There are things that I don't like, and things I do.
Damn, now I'm starting to sound like some writer who's name I can't spell.
Facts:

• No matter what pill you take, there are side effects. There is not one pill made that doesn't have side effects. Not one. Ever. You have to decide whether those side effects are worth it.
• All surgery have the same problems. They all have side effects. You have to decide if it is worth it for you. My surgery to me, is worth it. I am willing to make adjustments in order to live my life well.
• Not everyone is happy with my surgery. I am referring to my many friends, acquaintances, and family. Too bad. That's the way it goes. I know that there are people around me that aren't happy with my political views, or my religious views. Again, too bad.
• My ears will always have hair in them, and I hate it. I just wanted to see if anyone was still reading this.
• All fat people have psychological baggage. Some, more than others. I know this because almost everyone has psychological baggage.....almost everyone. I haven't ever met anyone who didn't.
• We all design our own coping mechanisms. I have a whole slew of them. Right now, I am fighting many of them, as well as my phobias, dislikes, hates, and incompetence. I manage to hide most of these, much of the time.

Now, some folks think they can get rich quick on the Internet. I personally believe they can, if they do what it takes to get there.
It's not for me.
Some folks read tons of books on a subject they are interested in, in order to prove that it won't work. They study every angle, and do their best to prove it wrong, and then aren't satisfied until they tear it apart. I've seen this and wonder if they would only be happy if they failed to continue to lose weight after Bariatric surgery.
Some folks are terrified of the pain and suffering involved in any surgery, not only Bariatric. The truth that I've found, is this surgery, when done with a team approach, and education, is the easiest part of the journey.
Some folks don't qualify for the surgery with their insurance company, and still manage to lose weight. I know one guy who has lost over 100 pounds so far, and is so motivated by the support group meetings, that he comes back every month. I am inspired by his decision to lose weight and keep it off. He used the surgery, and didn't even have it! Wow!
So, it all comes down to balance.

1. Knowing what you want.
2. Planning for it.
3. Learning everything you can about the subject, and deciding what is fact, and what isn't.
4. Doing it.....your way. No one else on earth is like you. You decide how to do it.

Another Milestone

This week, I passed another milestone.
My housework and yard work became housework and yard work.

That is, I can now do the lawn and other things in the same day without wearing myself out.

I have done a workout in the morning, followed by cutting the grass, and then went in to shower, followed by doing my other chores, all in the same day.

I am a househusband for those who didn't figure this out before. I do the house work and cooking, and everything else because I am home more often than my wife.

She brings home the main paycheck. We have done this for years, and although she wants me to change that, I am not able to for several reasons that I will tell a shrink and leave you to figure out on your own.

So, right now, I am at the point of finishing everything I started at the beginning of the summer.

• I have to paint the stairwell in the basement, and then move the exercise equipment to where I want it. I can now run all the way around the basement without tripping over boxes, old furniture, and trash. And, I can see because the walls are freshly painted. No more dark corners.
• I have a pile of furniture on the porch that was formerly in the house waiting to be picked up and taken to the dump. I already got rid of the old refrigerator, water heater, and washer as reported in an earlier post.
• My studio is set up after being painted. I am in the process of trying to sell some music equipment in order to downsize my collection. I need a smaller sound system so I don't have to carry the large one.
• The back bedroom is ready for my wife to paint and design as soon as we get out of debt.
• I am working on a debt elimination program which should be ready by next week. Thank you Dave Ramsey. Unless I win the lottery this weekend, he is my last hope before bankruptcy.

When this post is published, things will have changed again, and I hope to have moved forward again. I hope your Labor day holiday is a good one.

BTW, just FYI, and off topic:
Today, I covered 130 miles in my school bus to transport 7 kids to and from school.

Yippie

I am typing this without my glasses, so please excuse any typos.
Yesterday, I went to help my friend move some of his heavier furniture into storage. He is cleaning out his home with plans to sell it.
His stairway is a bit off balance and is hard for me to negotiate, and most of his stuff was upstairs. I got a workout, and worked up a sweat.
We had to maneuver around a few corners too in order to get the bookcases and other things down the stairs, but we managed.
It all took about an hour and a half to load the van. Then we took it to the storage area and dropped it off.
We took a second trip to finish things off.
Then, I came home and asked my wife if she wanted to take a ride on the Helix with me. For the second time in her life, she said yes.
So, we headed for Middle Creek and their visitor's center, which was closed. But, that didn't matter since we wanted to see the butterfly/hummingbird area out front.
The bees were there too, but they were too interested in pollinating the flowers to bother with us.
Got some great pictures, but not of the hummingbirds. They were too small and fast for us to catch. They look like big bees to me.
I did all that yesterday. Wow!