Weight, Wait!

So, just when did weight loss stop being an issue for me?
I don't really know, but it was just recently. I haven't been on the scale for a week or more, and it doesn't matter.
I plateaued and may even have gained a pound or so. But, I am balanced again.
I can do stuff again without worrying about collapsing.
Last night, as an example, I ran with the mower. I pushed it as fast as I could and covered the whole lawn in record time. I actually got a bit winded.
It felt good.
People still ask me how much I lost. They still comment on how good I look. I still make the same comments that "I feel great". It's a standard answer and allows me to move on quickly.

2 years ago, I was interested in finding a grave site that I liked. I wanted to make sure that everything that people found of mine after I died would not make me out to be some deviant monster or someone I wasn't. Yeah, I did my share of surfing porn on the web, but that wasn't the only thing I did.
I have done my share of research on everything from medicine, religion, biographies, home improvement, and just about every other subject you can imagine.
I was trying to figure out if it really made any difference at all what happened to my stuff after I died.
I thought I might have some stuff that had value as collectibles, but found out I had nothing but stuff. My collection of BK toys, or my Winross trucks are worth much less than I paid for them.
My record collection is only worth listening to and not making money from. I have a big band album collection that has never been played. After looking it up, I found it is not in demand, so I will keep it for no good reason.
Even my hand built custom made amplifier and guitar are only worth playing and not selling.
So, I considered selling it all for whatever I could get, and then taking off on the road to see the country before I died.
I felt lousy. I couldn't put my shoes on without great discomfort. My doctors were shaking their heads in disbelief, and throwing me 1200 calorie diets in hopes that I would lose weight.

Now, I find interest in life again.
I may still sell everything and go. But this time, I will be able to concentrate on the scenery outside me and not on my fat, sick body.
Here is an interesting link I found through a colleague. Maybe someone would want to help me design these for the US and help me to market them so I can pay some bills and stop driving bus?

Piano Stairs

A little something different

I have been buying an extra large cup of decaf coffee from Dunkin Donuts for as long as I can remember. I do this as a treat to myself.
2 sweet and lows
usually skim milk, but sometimes I forget and get cream.
Rarely do i have it black.
Most of the time, I have them add a mocha swirl. This is not part of the diet, but I do it anyway. It has sugar in it. I don't have nay reaction to it, so I attribute that to the size of the cup. I also tell them to take it easy on the mocha, but you know them!
I have to double check that they give me decaf also, because sometimes they forget.

So, I try not to mix the drink up too much while I drive. This way, the chocolate settles to the bottom and I don't get too much at one time.

I only drink about half of it while out on the road. (I drive my school bus for about 1.5 hours)

I bring the rest home, and park it in the fridge.

Here's the good part:

I add two scoops of protein powder to it, and then pour in water or more decaf coffee. The coffee is cold, not hot.

It makes drinking the protein much better for me.

Clothing, and other unmentionables

I get catalogs. I like getting them. I signed up for one years ago, and they just started arriving. Before the age of the Internet, I actually used to order things from them.
I bought this great Parka, every few years, from JC Penneys. It was good down to 10 below, and covered me up just fine. It was very warm, and comfortable. When it would wear out, I would just buy another one from the catalog.
I first found them in the store, and later, they moved them to the catalog. Now, I can't find them anymore. BTW, they cost $29.95 and never went up in price during the 15 years I wore them.

When we moved to Lancaster County, I got on some mailing lists, and started getting the LL Bean catalog, and later the Lands End, and other outdoors type catalogs. They are great in the bathroom!

I started buying goose down coats ($70) a few years ago. They were cheap like the parka, and so much warmer. Most of them came with hoods, but I never really used them.
My wife bought me a Mad Bomber Hat a few years ago to keep my head warm. This thing is huge. She thought since I was a double X everywhere else, that my head was also a XX. Wrong!
But, I love this hat. It is made from rabbit fur and rip stop nylon, and is so warm that I can only wear it on very cold days. I also would like to try it when I ride my Helix, but haven't yet. I imagine it will be great for that if I buckle it down.

So, the other day, I got a new catalog. It got me to thinking about things.
I just lost weight.
I got rid of all of my clothes. My sweaters were all too big, and most were worn out, so I tossed them.
I have two or three sweatshirts, two pair of jeans, lots of pocket Ts, socks and underwear. I have no dress shirts, and only one pair of dress pants. That's it.

So, what would happen if I started ordering new clothing from Cabela's catalog?

Well, I'd go broke. Absolutely, positively broke.

Socks are from $9.99 a pair, all the way up to $22.00! Well, I would need at least 7 pair, and probably different styles. Some for warmth, some for comfort inside. So, maybe 3 different styles, and 7 pair each. That's 21 pair of socks minimum.

Their jeans start at $30 a pair. I paid $17.00 at Wal Mart. So, I would need at least 4 pair of jeans. Add on 4 pair of dress pants.

Shirts? Oh my, what a choice. Add on sweaters, long underwear, hats, gloves, boots for the snow. Shoes for walking, hiking, climbing, and don't forget the moccasins. They look toasty! Right now, I use the booties I got when I was in the hospital. They only cost $20,000.00 and seven holes in my stomach!

One shirt from the catalog is $40! Buy 7 of them, add on some for a change in style and multiply by 7 again.

Don't forget the variety of coats for the different seasons and weather conditions.

When I first thought about this entry, I was going to go through the catalog and actually document everything so I could see the total cost. I decided that that was a waste of time. I can estimate just as well.

Now, of course, I wouldn't be able to buy a dress suit or two from Cabelas, so I would have to shop somewhere else for that. Add on dress shoes, socks again.

Then, I imagine I would need other things not mentioned here.

I have lived a very simple life as far as clothing. I think you might remember my post about living simply. I buy several different colors of the same basic clothing, and that saves time and money.

But, I really would like to have the money to go shopping full force at a place like Cabelas, or LL Beans. Maybe more than once.

Would $5000.00 do it? No, I don't think so.

Jos. A. Bank needs my money too!

Even if I can't afford it, I can still think about it. I'm going to lose more weight, and feel better. That isn't going to make me smarter or more money savvy. I've been quite dumb in the money area. I don't think that will change.
What will change is my attitude. I am happy.
Wal Mart will be my place of choice as long as the government takes the money I earn is such huge quantities.
So Be It.