Beans

I'm going to make my next batch of chili this morning after I get back from the doctor appointment.
I started buying the dried beans because they are cheaper and taste just as good.
I have one more step to add when using the dried beans, but I don't really mind because the beans no longer have any sugar in them, or other additives, and it's fairly easy. Plus, the bags have recipes on them and I can always use a new recipe.
If you have had gastric bypass surgery or lap band, and don't know how to cook.....LEARN HOW!
It is fun and relatively easy. It makes you think about what you eat, and re-enforces good habits. And, did I mention that it's fun?
So, here is how to prepare the beans. If you want, the instructions are on the bag:

• Get a large pot of water.
• Put the dried beans in the water
• Let it sit overnight
• In the morning, drain the water, refill the pot, and bring the whole thing to a boil.
• Let the beans go down to a simmer and let the water evaporate to where you want. If you are making soup, use more water. If you are making a stew or chili, let almost all the water evaporate.

Easy, with little intervention on your part. But, you do have to stay close in order to control the temperature and not start a fire or burn the beans.
Cooking is a hands on sport. Don't walk away unless you know what you are doing. If you forget, you might end up cooking the whole house!

Defragging

The brain is a very complex computer. It processes information that we use on a daily basis, and it has connections to a higher power that keeps itself separate from our everyday lives, but still influences us.
Like any computer that I know of, it has to be de-fragmented or it will stop working or even crash.
When it crashes, we go crazy.
I have always been afraid of losing touch with (so-called) reality, thus losing control of my freedom.
I have fought with myself many times to maintain that control.
Giving in to an overeating disorder that is perpetuated by society was one thing that slipped through the cracks of my control.
I don't have a problem with alcohol. I don't drink.
But with food, there's a real problem. Thus, I had gastric bypass surgery.
So far, it has worked.
WLS has given me the tool I needed to control a part of my life I had no control over.
Now, I can eat in controlled amounts and still lose weight. I have more energy, I feel better, and I have a real chance to get back to where I want to be.
I find that I am having trouble with other parts of my life now, that either weren't a problem before, or they were a problem and were just covered up by my food problem.
I have tried to find a counselor that i can talk with about it. I found one person I really liked, but they have been busy and I haven't been able to get an appointment.
I have tried calling centers in one day, and didn't get replies from any of them. I have a list and I should go down that list, but I keep putting it off.
My thinking is that if I can solve the weight loss problem, I can solve this problem.
I will keep on trying to contact a counselor either way, and hope that I don't lose control of my freedom.

Oh, and back to my defrag thingy:
Our minds need to defrag completely every night on a regular basis. That means a good 7 to 9 hours sleep every night. If we don't, we don't finish our defrag, can't get updated properly, and we slow down or shut down until we do get fixed.
This is a bit worse than throwing away an old hard drive, because we are connected to this hard drive, and can't get a replacement. At least, not yet.

Memory in all it's forms

I've been wanting to comment on this for awhile, but I keep forgetting to.
I am a person that has a tough time with remembering faces and names. I think it's because I am ADD. I received so much negative response to ME back when I was a kid, that I became gun shy, and very rarely make eye contact.
People think I am lying a lot, even though I'm not. This is because of the eye contact thing. I wanted so very much to be accepted for who I was, that I was willing to change my whole personality just to accomplish that goal.
I lost myself, and developed coping strategies that I use to this day, that aren't the best way, but, they are my way.
So, back to memory....
It all started when I went to another School district in 10th or 11th grade. I knew people from Both districts, but when I saw them, I couldn't remember which school they went to, or what their name was. It drove me crazy because I didn't want to be rude. It was horrible for me.
I ended up going to college in the same area, and had compounded the problem adding more people from other places that I knew, but couldn't remember.
Then, I went to visit friends in West Chester. And...lots of kids from my home area went there too. So, I met people again after years, and couldn't remember where I knew them or what their name was. I really hated myself for this for a long time.
I met my wife at West Chester. I knew her through friends of mine from Levittown, and West Chester. She knew people that I knew, even though we had never met. It's a wonder that we got together at all.
Now, I was lots sharper back then, 34 years ago. Imagine what I'm like now.
We have lived in both Lancaster and Levittown. West Chester, Downingtown, York, West York, and East Petersburg.
Along comes Facebook.
I re-met many friends from Levittown, both schools. I've hooked up with an old friend from Levittown. We even got together as a four piece band. Three of the members lived here in Central PA, and all four of use were from the same school...in Levittown. Confusing? Yup. I meet all these people and they are from over 100 miles away, and they all live here!
Now, in 1982, there was a major change in my life. I won't go into detail, however, I met with many different people from all over the world who were either living in York, Lancaster, or were passing through.
Since I've lived here in Central PA, I moved many times. I've again lost touch with many people, most of the people from 1982 faded into my memory. Those were good times, but I had to make some tough choices,and leave many behind.
Along comes Facebook, and I meet up with a bunch of them again. And...with my memory, and lack of eye contact, and facial recognition, I had lots of trouble remembering names that were foreign to my ears. I do have some that I remember, but it still bothers me to no end that I have this deficit in my brain. I hate it.
Everyone deserves to have their name remembered and honored, yet my brain is deficient in that respect.
I am sorry, but that's me.
Add to that my age, and I have been having a problem with other memory. My Father died from complications of Alzheimer's last year. He had lots of trouble with memory towards the end. I feel like I've got it too.
Now, my problem is with people I know right now. Even if I just saw them, I have to stop and think about their name. Sometimes, I can't remember my grand kids names, or my son or daughter. Sometimes, I will think for five or ten minutes before remembering their names.
Now, my weight loss has had many positive effects on me. But, it hasn't helped my memory. It has improved my night vision. Probably due to my blood sugar leveling out. I can see better without my glasses when I drive at night. I can leave them off during the day most of the time too.
So, memory is lacking, and I finally remembered to write about it. What was I saying?

Overdone

I overdid it yesterday, and paid for it today.
I used my trusty square blade/short handled shovel to edge the sidewalk. This is something I've been wanting to do for years. The grass has grown over the edge of the sidewalk until you can't tell where it is.
So, I started out slow and steady, and then got into it. The grass was just the right consistency, and dry enough to cut really easily, or so I thought.
It took me about an hour to go down the sidewalk and back up the other side. Then, I got my trusty recyclable bag and filled it. I took the extra sod type pieces, and spread them out over a spot that was left behind by a tree stump that was ground. Hopefully, that sod will grow into the bare spot.
I carried the bag to the porch. By this time, I had worked up a sweat and was hungry, so I went inside to get some killer chili.
I sat down to watch TV while eating, and I couldn't get the spoon to my mouth without my hand shaking badly. I had to concentrate to feed myself. My muscles weren't used to real work.
So, then, I went downstairs and put the second coat of paint on two of the walls I did the other day, and started the first coat on the next wall.
When I finished, I went upstairs and took a shower, then I layed down and slept like a rock for two hours.
During the rest of the day, I drank lots of liquid to rehydrate, and took it easy.
Anyway, I went to bed at 9pm, and slept until 3am. I got up and worked on the computer, and had plans on calling my friend at 6am. I layed down for a minute at 6, and woke up around 9am. missing the call.
I took it easy the rest of today. I went to BJs to do some shopping and walked all of the aisles just for the exercise. Then, I came home, ate, and took another long nap.
I am sore now, and heading to bed. Tomorrow, I have to go to the regular market for stuff, and finish the walls in the basement. I have two to go, and they require that I move lots of stuff to get to them. But now, I have room.
Re reading this, I can see how tired I really am. I hope I get more energy soon. I can't imagine a boss allowing me to take naps....

Good things in my life

• I am much happier than I have been in a long long time.
• I am healthy.
• For the first time in my life, I am "Normal" whatever that is.
• I am finishing things that I started 5 years ago.
• I can play my guitar again, although I haven't picked it up too much recently. My fingers were so fat, that I felt like I was playing with gloves on. They wouldn't go where I wanted them to go. And, they hurt all the time. They don't hurt as much now, and they move again, although a few of them are bent with age.
• I can actually concentrate on what someone is saying, rather than worry about when I was going to eat next.
• I can ignore junk food, and alcohol, and soda, and sugar drinks. I can't ignore chocolate.
• I get second glances from females now. Never did before, even when I was single.
• I can complete more than one big task a day without falling over, or not being able to move the next day.

Sour Grapes!

Sometimes, I have to gripe.
Well, I have to gripe a lot because I am burned out and need a change.
I don't need a physical change. I took care of that. I am living and healthy now, at least for my age. I still have lots of aches and pains resulting from years of neglect and abuse of my body. That's my fault, I know.
Now, I am getting abused by the President of the United States, and the Congress of the United States.
It is finally trickling down to my level.
I have been moving forward physically with the comfort of knowing that I had the summer off to clean the house and fix things that I couldn't fix when I was fat. I knew I could take comfort in that fact that I was working for a good solid company, and a great employer who took care of his people.
That was until the government got their hands in things.
They just announced that they were changing my pay rate, and the way I get paid. That means, I will end up taking a huge pay cut to do the same work.
I can't afford to do that. After all, I have taxes to pay.
They gave me the choice of changing to a full size school bus, from a van that I drive now. Both vehicles have advantages and disadvantages.
I like to drive the special needs van. I was glad to get away from the school bus.
The advantages of driving a van:

• The van allows you to deal with fewer children. Although, some of those children have serious problems and it takes lots of patience. Some are just angels too. It is so much better for me to deal with a kid one on one instead of being observed by 70+ other kids who think I am the enemy.
• The van goes home with me. That way, I can save my gas, and wear and tear on my car. It also allows me to be called at a minutes notice to help out somewhere. I try to be available for everything, but don't always succeed.
• I get to drive all over the county. I pick up kids at one end of the county, and then weave my way through the rest until I get them to their destination, far, far, away. I like the long drives. Very little stop and go traffic, and little or no city driving. It does get a bit scary in the bad weather, however.
  
• I have contact with parents, teachers, and administration. This allows for much better communication, and faster discipline.
  

The disadvantages:

• Because of the strange hours, I am not able to take any extra runs that come up. So, I can't make extra money. That is why we should get paid the old way. Sometimes, we drive an extra half hour, or more and we don't charge the company. Sometimes, we are lucky and get home a few minutes early. It all balances out in the end. Now, I will write down every extra minute. It will be a real pain to do.
• We don't have contact with the general population drivers. We are gone when they have meetings, so we don't get the little details about changes and such. That gets to be a pain, but we take the good with the bad.
• When a job is posted, we generally don't get to see it right away. Since. I only go to the garage once a week, if they post on Monday, I may not see it until Friday.

So, I was given the choice of taking a school bus, or staying where I was. At first I thought a school bus would be fine. But, I live about 20 miles from the garage and would have to travel back and forth twice a day. That's an extra 80 miles a day on my car that I don't need. The time involved traveling would vary depending on the time of day too. The roads get pretty clogged between here and there. With my van, I get to slide through the back roads quite nicely. But, my trip to and from the garage is mostly main roads.
I have spoken for years about how I would like to become a snow bird. That is someone who spends the summer here in central PA, and winters in Florida.
I have spoken to my wife about this many many times. But, she has her roots here in Lancaster County, and wouldn't move if her life depended on it.
I don't like being forced to make a change. I would rather plan and organize my changes.
It doesn't look life I will have a choice. I can either be very poor and miserable here this winter, or, I can take a chance and head South. It will be a big chance since I am a conservative, and Floridians are mostly liberal.
Oh well.........

The numbers are in!

Wow. They are just numbers.
But, they had a real impact on my emotions this morning.
I was writing them down and had to pause with tears in my eyes for a minute.
Body Mass Index started out at 46.5
Now, it's 33.
Starting weight: 305
Now: 205
100 pounds!
I see my blogger friend has lost a lot more than me, and I am glad he has. He has been paying much more attention to his blog recently than me.
So, when I say my waist has gone from 56 down to 40, I know he is proud of his accomplishments too.
My one year anniversary is July 29.
What a year it has been.....

Recipe for bean stew

So, it worked! It is good. And loaded with fiber....and gas! UGH!
Oh well.
I'll write it down, but for now, here it is in a nutshell:

Buy a bag of 15 bean soup.
Follow the directions for the overnight soak.
Add what you want to the mix.
I added beef bullion, a pound of very lean ground beef, lots of spices.
I also added some great different types of hot peppers.
I added Carrots, mushrooms, onions, and rice.
My goal was to make something that was like the soup they mentioned, but with as little liquid as possible. So, after I finished cooking everything, I added the rice to soak it up, and I simmered it until the liquid was gone.
I browned the ground beef and the onions, mushrooms, and peppers (yellow sweet as well as hot) in a frying pan and mixed them together before I added them to the mix.
Man, is it ever good.

So today, I finished the lawn, cleaned out the rest of the basement, and back bedroom. Took all the trash to the curb. Finished the dishes, and vacuumed. I fixed the one window so I could open it without cutting a cable I have in it. And now, I'm going to take a nap.

Quick post

I have been living more and writing less.
I had my 11 tube blood test and am going to see the team on Friday to find out that I am mostly "normal" in the results. I never tire of hearing that.
I had a Pulse/Oxygen test for my CPAP over the weekend and that came back "Normal".
YIPPIE!
I am still around 207 and that is just where I want to be for this time period.
YIPPIE!
I am getting my indoor basement gym set up for the fall and cooler weather. I have one small piece to paint yet, and some more trash to bring up, but I am almost finished.
I found a new recipe for a multi-bean/beef stew that will be just as nutritious and delicious as my chili. This will allow me to trade off for more variety.
I have been asked to be on the committee to study the possibility of hosting a summer concert series in East Petersburg, with a real chance of finally getting a permanent stage.
YIPPIE!
So, today is the day to cut the lawn and my back is hurting from the Chiropractor, but I will still get out there after a break and do my work out. I haven't cut it since last week. Tomorrow, it rains, so it will grow again soon.
I will post the recipe for the bean stew as soon as I know if it's any good.

Milestones

I’ve reached a milestone or two the past few weeks.

They are just as emotional to me as everything else is as far as weight loss is concerned.

I played a wedding Saturday night. I left the house at 3pm and got back home around 11:30pm. I loaded and unloaded my equipment myself and managed to not drop dead.

I finished the back of the basement on Monday. Well, at least the paint part.

I replaced our washing machine with a new/used one. Cost me $75. It has a stainless steel drum, and is bigger and much quieter. I was able to bring it down to the basement and install it the same day as I finished with the paint, and not drop dead.

I need help moving the old one up the stairs because I am just not strong enough or dumb enough to try to do it myself.

I was going to try to cut the lawn too, but that proved to be too much. I did that yesterday (Tuesday).

I am no longer controlled by my appetite. This is major. I still get my low blood sugar problems, but I don’t become totally obsessed if I haven’t eaten for awhile.

Oh yes, I do get hungry, but now I fee l different about it.

My job changed. I have the summer off since I am a school bus driver, but the boss called to tell me that the pay schedule changed and I won’t be getting the same pay. They moved from a daily figure to an hourly one.

In my type of driving, one student calling off sick can make me lose an hour’s pay under the new rules.

So, now it’s up to me to decide whether I want to continue driving or find something else to do.

Lord Obama isn’t helping out by giving away money to undeserving welfare or wealthy contributors. He takes away decent working people’s jobs and then taxes them out of their homes.

So, in a nut shell, my job is in jeopardy, I may end up losing my home. After living in the same home since 1992, I can’t afford the taxes anymore.

But, I feel great!

Progress

The lawn has slowed down due to the hot/dry season arrival. So, once a week, or maybe every other week will be just fine.
That's good news for me because I want to have the energy to do other things. I still get wiped out by cutting the lawn. It is almost 10,000 steps according to my pedometer, so that's not too bad of a workout. Since I vary my cutting by going different ways every time, I get a varied workout. This doesn't replace other workouts, but it helps.
I found a place that rents Kayaks, and I think I may try my hand/butt at it next week.
I also need to find a shrink. This is now priority on my list of to do things. I found one very nice lady who has also gone through the weight loss surgery, but she is not accepting new patients right now.
I plan to paint the basement and finish it either tomorrow, or beginning next week.
My next project will be to bring up all the remaining junk from the basement, stack it on the porch, and get rid of it all. I would hope to take most of it to the curb, but some of it is too big and will have to be hauled away, either by me, or a guy I know.
Needless to say, I am more and more motivated to finish everything here by the end of next week.
Wish me luck, come over and help, or just stay tuned!

Blood test

I have my 5th blood test scheduled for Thursday.
I have been going every few months since the surgery.
One time, they took 16 tubes at one sitting out of me. That's a record. They have since kept it to about 11 or 12 depending on the technician and how much she or he thinks they need for all the tests.
I have to fast for 12 hours, and that's not hard anymore. I don't mind it a bit. I drink water, but not anything else so I won't dehydrate. I eat pretty good after the tests too.
They can actually find the veins easier now that the arm is thinner. But, the skin sometimes throws them off a bit because it is loose.
I have been following another blog that I have listed here, and was surprise to find that the medical coverage isn't as complete where he is, than it is here.
I have had a team every step of the way, and these folks have followed up with me on a regular basis, even with the influx of new patients all the time. I don't know how they do it, but they do.
I am really lucky to have found them. Blessed too.
I am looking for a shrink again to work out some non WLS problems. I'll post what I find.

Independence weekend

There is so much information out there on the web about what really happened back in 1776, and I spent time reading it this weekend. Great stuff that we were never taught in school.
Lots of things we never learned in school. Diet, exercise, and nutrition all come to mind in the context of this blog. I won't elaborate. I'm tired of the same old stuff, rehashed time and again.
1000 calorie burgers, fries, and what not.
I am eating so much better now, but could be doing even more.
I am working on so many new things now, and want to do more.
I am overwhelmed by all the stuff happening in my life that I never even considered going to see fireworks this year.

• I am planning a wedding for next weekend. I have been thinking about it for weeks, and now am down to the wire and finally writing it all down.

• And so, I am awake earlier than I have been in awhile, because I am overwhelmed.

I will tackle all of this stuff this week, and I will move on.

• The painting of the back basement will be finished by the end of the week.

• I will have cut the lawn at least twice. The grass is slowing down now due to the reduction in the amount of rain, and the warmer temperatures.

• I have songs to buy and prepare for the wedding. I also have to test my equipment, and practice.

• I borrowed a bass guitar and amp from a good friend, and I need to play this week.
• We borrowed the carpet cleaner from my son, and I want to run that. They really aren't steam cleaners since they don't steam. More like piddling on the rug!
• I have to bundle up some more trash and bring it up before Friday.

Other than that, I have to schedule a blood test for my next appointment with the bariatric team at the end of the month, and call the dentist to cancel the crown work for now. I can't afford it. I still have a few grand in medical bills to pay off as well as $3,000 in taxes that our illustrious State leader (Boss Rendell) promised us we wouldn't have after we let in the casinos.
So, if I don't go broke, I will be lucky.
I am now down to 207, which is very close to where I should be for this segment in weight loss. By the end of summer, my new shorts won't fit me, and I can live with that!

Meeting follow up

Last night at the WLS support group meeting, we had a return visit from a counselor who has a way of putting thoughts into words better than most people, including me.
She was able to help me and others to organize their feelings and dispense with the negative stuff, so that the positive stuff became dominant.
So, as a result, i am going to try something I hadn't thought of before. I am going to try to organize a type of scrapbook using thoughts, pictures and feelings, so that I can come back to them when I need a refresher.
You see, it seems we tend to forget how hard this weight loss program was to do. We (meaning me) get lazy and may slip a bit from time to time.
The scrapbook helps us to see where we were and where we are.
Some of the pictures I have in this blog, and most of the words are reminders to me of those rougher times, but it's too long for me to go back and read. So, I am going to shorten things up a bit.
You'll see it right here when I'm finished.

Dumping!

I think I just found out another way to dump.
I went to visit my Daughter and grandson yesterday in Maryland.
I could have prepared my own food, but I wanted to try my hand at improvising.
So, when we went to eat, I went along with my Daughter's suggestion to go to Chick Fillet (spelling?). Oh yeah, that's Fil-A, I think.
I ordered a wrap with no dressing since they usually put nothing but sugar or corn syrup in it anyway. I also ordered a sugar free lemonade for later since the meal was cheaper than buying everything Ala cart.
They were nice and used a Styrofoam container for the lemonade, and I watered it down just in case it really did have sugar.
I ate half the wrap. I am still Celiac sensitive, but ate the whole wheat tortilla anyway. A little bit once in awhile is OK.
Well, this morning, I spent most of it in the bathroom. I think I lost more weight than in the previous two weeks! Our sewage bill might go up!
I feel much better now, but my morning was a wash out. I did manage to cut the lawn this afternoon, and I did some food shopping too.
I guess it took all night for the body to complain about what I put into it yesterday. Oh yeah, I had those greasy french fries too. I think that's what put me over the edge.
I weighed in tonight at 207, so I did lose some weight, but I don't think it was just from the dumping.
Live and learn.

more photos

Poor baby! The back is stretched in such an un natural position because of my belly! If this isn't incentive to lose weight, I don't know what is!

This is fairly new. I am just over 220 here, and dropping.

Last year, I was able to give the grandkids rides on my scooter. I sold it a few months ago. This is a fairly new shot, maybe a few months old? Maybe 235?

I remember being proud that I lost a total of 63 pounds using a combination of the Subway diet, followed by the Atkins diet plan. I started gaining weight right after this shot.

In all my glory, my favorite place back then.

Push the grandkid, go sit down for 5 minutes to recover. Always pick a playground with a bench nearby, and never ever sit on the ground if you want to stand up again!

My safe Michael Jackson pose. Don't drop the grandkid!

This is a little better. I am down to 212 here, and am able to actually hold the grandkid against my chest, not my belly. I had been standing for 5 minutes here without any problems. I stood for about 20 minutes after that. What a great feeling to be able to pass the kid back to his mom and know that I didn't have to change a diaper!

My first photo after my surgery that really showed the difference. Notice, again, I was standing!

Back to the picnic. I was walking downhill.

A great balancing tool, that fat belly!

Incredible journey!

These 4 pictures, are the ones that made me realize I needed help. I was 305 pounds, as is stated in my first blog entry way back when.
Every year, we had several picnics at my sister's house. I was always looking forward to it, but I was also always on some kind of diet, and couldn't eat what I wanted.
Well, my picture was taken and here they are.
This is the last time my Father's picture was taken at the picnic. He died last year after fighting Alzheimer's disease. I am sure he knew who we were and what was happening here, although I will never know for sure. He sure did perk up with the great grandkids in his arms.


This is Lilly, my daughter and son in law's kid. I was balancing her on my belly, not holding her in my arms. Pretty sad.

One of my friends suggested I get more pictures on my blog. So, this particular posting will have some pictures thrown in. They are not in any order, and I will be spreading them out throughout the blog as well as organizing them chronologically, but for now, here they are.
Oh, and there should be more. I have taken thousands of shots from behind the camera. I only have a few of me in front. I should have more later today.

Here is the straight dope.

(click the title to go to the website)
I always thought it was a desert cactus or flower native to that part of the country.
But, here is the real truth. Not as good as some of the possibilities, however.
My thanks to Barry Atric for his search. I didn't think it was out there.
Now, if only I could find out who was so vain in Carly Simon's song.

Tooth and first song

Oh, and I met a preacher who helped my son, and is still helping him.
I had lunch with him.
Most preachers know not to mess with me and my religion, and this one was very respectful.
We had a good time. I offered him my DJ services, or anything else he needed that I could do.

Now, I went to the dentist this afternoon to have a tooth pulled. I didn't really want to do that, but it got to the point where it needed to go.
They are good there, and the tooth was removed with little pain.
Now, I gotta tell you......and this is the truth.
My weight loss surgery was easier than having the tooth removed!
I am in pain now, and should be asleep, but I can't because I am in pain. I have a hole in my mouth, and my jaw is pounding.
I took pain meds, and even though they have reduced the pain, it's still there. I may not make much sense in a few minutes because the stuff is pretty strong.
They broke the tooth apart and kept talking the whole time about what they were doing. It wasn't pleasant at all, believe me. I won't describe any more about it.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

I played my guitar this afternoon, sans amp because I was lazy and wanted to play music, not equipment or toys.
My first thoughts of songs were pieces I've never done before.
Kenny Wayne Shephard has a bunch of great songs. I could listen to him all day, and I did!
Joe Walsh is another one. His tongue in cheek songs are fantastic. His playing is amazing.
So, after listening to them all afternoon, what song was the first to come from my brain to my fingers?

Hotel California

Yup, an Eagles song, and one of the greatest songs ever written. You know why it's so great? Because everyone thinks they know what it's about, but no one really does.
I don't think I've ever seen a Calitas, but I'd like to know what it smells like.
And, did the guy die and get stuck there, never to escape?
Is it Heaven or Hell? Or Purgatory? One thing for sure, it ain't a Holiday Inn!
The chord pattern has always been elusive to me. I heard an interview with one of the writers of the song, and he said that they had to use a strange key (B minor) because they couldn't sing it in any other.
So, I started to play a B minor chord, and I followed that up with....well you get the idea?
I had almost the whole song, and when I got to the bridge, I went blank.
Gee, this didn't happen when I was a kid learning songs.
Oh well. Now, I know the chords, I will work on it until I get it. I will play it over in my head, and then I will play along with the CD to double check myself.

Kenny Wayne, and Joe will just have to wait a bit longer.

Ahhhh, the pills are kicking in. I'm going to bed.....stay tuned.

Changing patterns

This is the back of the basement looking towards the laundry room. The wall is now white instead of gray.
This is the very back of the basement, mostly used for storage.
The boxes on the left belong to my son. He is supposed to get them out soon. If not, I will trash them. The boxes on the right are trash that has to be moved upstairs.

The time has come to alter what I do in order to shake up my body a bit.
So, this week, I'm gonna organize some songs to get them ready to play. Then, I'm gonna learn them. I have a repertoire of about 1000 songs, or maybe more. I've forgotten more than I remember for sure.
Playing guitar and singing is a workout when you are onstage unless you are a sit down jazz player. Rockers can dance and prance and act silly, all for exercise. That's what I plan to do.
My next step?
Well, the basement painting has progressed to the point where I will be doing the tough stuff. That is, I will be going into all the little nooks and crannies, and behind the furnace, etc. in order to make it look brighter. This will require a little more from me in that I will have to bend and stoop a lot more.
The back of the basement will be finished when I do this last bit. I will then have to do the living part of the basement. There is already yellow dry loc paint on the walls, so the painting should go a little easier. But, this is a much larger area. I have most of it cleared away, but this will give me the chance to bring up the last of the stuff to be trashed.
This is all stuff that I would not be able to do if I was still fat. Last year, I would have cut the grass in three sections. Maybe, I would do one each day, then take a day off. I never would have finished it in one shot as I do now. I also would not have sprayed for weeds, and my curbs show that neglect. The bushes are trimmed, except for the forsythia, and that will be done later this week. I also managed to chop up all the leftover trimmed stuff, and bagged it to have it hauled away.
So, I feel good right now.
I'm gonna go take a shower.

My poor scooter

My Honda Helix has stayed in the garage all week because it has been raining and I've been working on other things.
The world is spinning too fast. I need some ritalin!
I tried to trade some plumbing work for my John Deere last night to no avail. His wife was too practical as she should be. I could see in his eyes that he wanted the mower for the wrong reasons as I have had that look too many times.
I got my guitar back from the luthier and it plays wonderfully. Now, I need to play it more and live up to my abilities and talents. I would like to write all new stuff just for me, go into the studio and record it with limited help from other musicians, and then go market it, but.....
It ain't gonna happen. I don't have the energy, or drive to do that just yet.
I am sore and tired from all the work I've done in the past week, and a bit burned out.
I have to make the chili this morning, and empty out the car.
I have been re-arranging boxes and things every time I move stuff, so the area will be more open and compact. My DJ equipment will go into the back bedroom instead of it's usual places so that I can paint the next room upstairs when I am ready. It is almost empty now, and should be empty for the painting. I need to pull the carpet, and put tarps down, as well as blue tape the area. I am on a roll, and will be finished by the end of the summer.
My gig yesterday was cancelled due to the rain, so I didn't pass go or collect my money. That money was to go towards paying the bills instead of feeding it back into the business as I have done many times before. Hence, the equipment to be unloaded from the car. I parked it in the garage to keep it secure and out of sight, as well as not unloading it because of fatigue and rain. More good excuses.
I did nap twice yesterday, and I needed it. I was bushed. I bought two new pillows from Wal Mart for $3.00 each, and slept well last night.
So, after rambling on, I have to report that I took all of my old clothes to Goodwill, or did I mention that before?
It's time to make the chili. The neat thing is that I can start it and do other things in between. While it's cooking, I'll have time to take a nap or whatever.
Oh, today is Father's day. My Father died last year. Next weekend, we will go dedicate the grave stone.
I have two kids, and 4.5 grand kids (one is due very soon, making up the other .5). I got one card that was scribbled on by Lilly, and that made me very happy. I'm sure she will be writing very soon. She is so smart. I saw the other grand kids last week, and they are doing well too.
The world is spinning too fast. I wish I had more time and energy to spend with them, but I have to take what I can give and get.

The heat is on!

Every once in awhile, I get overwhelmed by the pressures of everyday life.

I wake up at 2am, and my mind is racing and I can't think about anything but how things are falling apart, and how am I going to keep up with the bills, and is it too late to change my career, and......the cycle keeps going until I have to get up.

Then, things become a bit more clear and I realize that I don't have a career, other than bus driving, and I don't have any money, so I can't pay my bills. So, why worry about it?

But, this cycle happens on a regular basis, and I wonder why I can't get started to fix it.

And then, I remember that I am doing something to fix it. I just lost 95 pounds!

• I am no longer supporting the drug companies. I flushed all my pills.
• I have actually started to cut the grass every other day for exercise, and I get up the next morning and have energy to do other things.
• I am much more even tempered.
• I haven't run the AC in the house because I can stand the heat much better now. Saving money for me, I'm not worried about being "GREEN".
  
• I still say my prayers, and even though I'd like to win the lottery, I still feel at peace for the most part.

So, I have problems, both physical and mental that still need to be fixed.

We all do.

• My John Deere RX 63 is still in the garage unsold. I can't drop the price without losing money on it. Woe is me!
  

I'll be picking out the ones I can do something about, and plug away at the ones I can't.
The bill collectors have to get in line now. I don't have any choice. With the economy being a good excuse, as well as me being too old (I'll be 56 in September), I can add my surgery as another excuse not to get a "real" job.
I have the summer off. This summer, I am painting the basement. I would like to enjoy this task, but even with my new weight loss, I don't. I hate painting, and much as I try, I can't overcome that hatred! However, Cinder block gray isn't very appealing to whoever will buy this place when we lose it. White paint reflects light better and brightens up the basement.
I am also pursuing my broken teeth. I have two that need to be fixed. One, needs a crown. The other, needs to be replaced. I am not ready to live with a hole in my mouth, so I have to come up with money I don't have to pay for it. They won't let me make monthly payments, so I will be robbing Peter to pay Paul.
So, $3000.00 in non dental medical bills will have to wait.
Unemployment compensation is no fun, but after all these years of being out of school, I still get to enjoy the summer off, even if I do have panic attacks at 3am once in awhile!

NSFW, or something like that. Plus, Oh, my aching body!

I found out something new today.
My schedule has become more dependant on my body, than on my brain.
I can't go out the door without thinking about what my body will need.
And, if my body isn't ready, I ain't goin nowhere!
I need to use the bathroom for a bowel movement in the morning before I leave the house. If I don't, I will be terribly constipated and uncomfortable all day. I will then spend an unreasonable amount of time in the bathroom at a later time.
I'm sorry to talk about this, but it's true.
I have a problem with getting enough fiber because of my Celiac. I take Unifiber with every meal, but it doesn't provide me with everything I need.
The beans from my chili help, but they also produce gas. Everything I eat produces gas now. I am getting close to starting to use something to cut down, but that has been a problem in the past with me too.
I am also not getting enough liquid, which isn't helping in the quest for better bowel movements. I am drinking quite a bit, but still not getting enough.
This is something I can fix, and I will work on it, but my mind has to get into the proper set, and it hasn't yet. That's why I write this. It will help me, and hopefully you when you reach this point.

Next month, I celebrate my one year anniversary since my surgery.
I can't believe I am still alive, let alone, in the shape I am in. I can see my feet now, and I can stand for long periods of time. I can do things, and I feel great for the most part. I am sore because I work, not because I am fat.
Wow!

Yesterday, I procrastinated.
I got up at 4:45am, even though I didn't have to. I was supposed to start painting and had a friend coming over to help.
I was supposed to help my future daughter in law to go somewhere, but she cancelled. That was a relief, because I thought that this would hurt my plans to stay on track and do what I planned to do.
So, I:

• Ate breakfast
• Did the dishes
• Got into the car and went to Wal*Mart. I got paint supplies that were cheaper than at Home Depot. I also got some things that I couldn't get anywhere else.
• Brought everything home, and took them downstairs. Then, I brought up some more heavy stuff on the way back up from the basement. I also moved some more things around so we could start the painting, when the time came.
• Upstairs, I ran the vacuum, and ate my second meal while watching TV and resting a bit.
• I also put my ride on mower out in the front yard with a for sale sign on it. I noticed the lawn was getting long from all the water this past week.
  

My friend came over at this point and we went downstairs. I had to move a ton of clothing that was hanging on the hook so we could get to the chore of painting.
I put some music on, and away we went.
I managed to work for about two hours or so before I ran our of steam. I would have liked to go on all day, but I had already been up since 4:45, and it was getting on to noon. I went upstairs and mixed up a protein drink and sat down with lots of back cracking sounds.
I was able to go back downstairs and do a little more work before I knew it was time to give up for the day.
My friend helped me clean up and he headed out. I went upstairs and ate something, and then went and layed down after getting out of my painting duds.
I took an hour nap, then got up and rode the mower to finish off the lawn. I was going to try to use the push the mower instead, but realized I would not have been able to finish the job. The ride on mower does lots of bumping around, and I spent more time on it than if I had been pushing, because it goes slower and takes time to turn around and back up and all. It is only a 26 inch blade, where my push mower is a 21 inch, so not much more help there, except it's easier in the long run.
I came in after that and took a nice long hot shower, which felt great.
We went out to dinner after that and took a ride. I managed to stay awake long enough to see "Mental", which isn't half bad. Kind of like "House" in a funny farm. David Carridine was the guest star, and I enjoyed seeing him in such a different role. I don't think he said a word the whole show, yet managed to convey his character nicely.
So, last night, I did have to take some pain med, which I only do in extreme times. I slept like a rock, and woke up feeling almost human.
I sprayed the weeds this morning with my two gallon bottle and sprayer, and now am going to eat something before I take it easy today.
Tomorrow, I will do something not related to work, and Monday, will start in with the painting again. This time, I am on my own. My friend has a whole bunch of doctor's appointments this week, and won't be able to help.
Stay tuned!

Life is good.
I managed to transport 7-45 gallon bags of trash up the stairs and onto the porch in preparation for the sanitation engineers to haul it away. They are gonna be so happy that they agreed to take anything I could give them.
I cleaned up one area of the basement so far. It's the back corner that I took picture of for the last blog entry. I cleaned off the floor, and re boxed what I wasn't going to get rid of.
My wife is the pack rat queen on Central PA. She saved things from who knows how long ago. I am getting rid of it, because when and if we move, I will not be taking it with us. So, a little at a time, it is going out the door.
I found that the more weight I lose, and the more my mind wants to stay away from the mental stuff, and more towards the physical stuff. I am spending less time on the computer, and more time on my feet.
I am sore from the chiropractor this morning, and from moving boxes this afternoon, but I feel good.
I have lots of stuff downstairs that has to be broken down, and won't fit into boxes or bags, including a 40 gallon water heater that I replaced a few months ago.
I am ready to paint, and will go get the paint and gear sometime tomorrow, I think . I have to check the bank account. I am broke right now, but will find the money to do this somewhere. I wish I could get one of those bailouts. I paid my dues. It's time for the government to return some of it. I am tired of working to support the welfare people who should be working.
Oh well, I can move better than I have in years, and have the summer off. I'm gonna enjoy it.

The job at hand

So, I promised myself I would try to get this done by the end of the week.
I started out strong, and moved along very well this morning.
Then, I fizzled out. I ran out of steam.
But, I made a dent.
The porch shot has a few of the black 45 gallon trash bags that I brought upstairs. I have two others that I have to bring up yet.
In addition, I also brought up two speaker cabinets and one amp, and the laundry, along with a few cans for my next batch of chili.
So, tomorrow, I will continue my quest to clean out the basement in prep for painting.
I also have to cut the grass, but I think I'll wait until Wednesday for that. And, I have to clean out the school van so I can return it for the summer.
I have my work cut out.

This month's meeting, after rambling

I have been reading other's blogs, and not writing too much coherent stuff on mine.
I have been moving into a new area in my mindset, and that involves more activity and less idle time.
Next week, I finish driving my school bus.
Over the summer...

• I will finish cleaning out my basement. This includes numerous trips up the stairs with "stuff". Big, little, round, square, and odd shaped "stuff".
• I will re-box everything down there and store them on the shelves, rather than have them all over the floor.
• I will string up a clothes line of sorts so we can go back to hanging wet clothes instead of using the dryer. Lord Obama doesn't like us to be comfortable.
• I will buy a 5 gallon bucket of white paint and distribute it on all of the walls down there in order to brighten it up a bit. The last time it had a fresh coat of paint was probably the mid 80's.
• I also have one bedroom, the kitchen, and bathroom to paint, but I may not do that until the fall.
• I plan to walk the rail trail as much as I can, as well as ride my bike there too. I may try my hand (feet?) at jogging too.
• I want to kayak, and may be able to rent one to go to the river. I will try hard not to drown.
• I am going to Hershey Park. I really wanted to buy a season pass so I could go there once a week, But Lord Obama said "we need more of your money so we can pay off the rich bankers", so I won't be doing that.
• I am going to take at least one long ride on my Helix. I want to go back to my home town and just spend the day riding around. Levittown is a fun place to ride.
  

I do need a new computer. This one has numbers missing. It is slower than I'd like it to be, and it still has windows on it.
I would like to get another computer and use this one for experimenting with Ubuntu. I would also like to get a DJ music dedicated Apple laptop, but I will be broke long before that happens.
So, I get up early, and work late, and feel good.
I went to the meeting for the support group Thursday night and it was very informative.
They had a plastic surgeon explaining all the gory details to body contouring with the knife.
I have to admit that I don't like the bat wings forming under my arms, or the extra left over stretched out skin on my belly, but I have real reservations about getting it all cut off. I may change my mind, but right now, I am not going to consider it.
It seems they have made progress with the surgery, but they still leave scars.
I believe they will soon figure out how to do it without scars. After all, my gastric bypass didn't leave anything except for a few red spots, and they look just fine.
There is also the matter of cost. No insurance here, unless the extra skin is life threatening. I can't blame them for not paying.
A lot of the stuff they do can now be done outpatient. That's good.
I think I will live with my reminders, so I don't ever think about gaining weight ever again.
Next month's meeting will be held in the Doctor's new facility, which is supposed to have a real workout room, along with a large area for meetings. I look forward to it since it is only about 4 miles from my house and doesn't involve driving into the city. Did I tell you I hate cities?

Sugar, Salt, and other things that cause global warming!

First off, there ain't no such thing as man made global warming. Get over it!
Algore is in it for the money, power and fame. Nothing more, nothing less.
That being said, let's talk about stuff you add to your food, and other stuff to make you healthy.

Sugar:
Why is sugar fattening?
I can't give you the scientific explanation, but I can give you the general idea. Feel free to investigate for yourself.
Here it is: Your body simplifies everything you eat into sugar. Everything eventually breaks down into sugar in your body. What doesn't break down gets passed through or stored.
Protein is the hardest thing for the body to break down into sugar. The body takes longer to get rid of it. Your stomach stays fuller longer with protein in it.
There are other reasons too. Since the body doesn't use all of the protein, some is converted to fat, and the rest is passed through.
Fat is next. Fats take a long time to break down, but not as long as carbs listed below. Fat is what you store in your body for later. In the caveman days, we didn't eat very regularly, so our body learned to store energy in the form of fat, for when we had a long break between meals.
Carbohydrates are the next thing the body can process. Carbs take less time to be converted to sugar, so if your body is sedentary and you take in lots of carbs, your body will store them as fat faster than if you take in protein.
Sugar is a simple carb, whereas, pasta is more complex. So, sugar burns quickly, causing the body to be satisfied, and not be so inclined to burn the fat stores.
So, the goal in losing weight should be to burn off the fat stores (not all of them, of course), and still maintain muscle tone so we don't end up as a big blob of loose skin and no muscle.
Sugar is not bad, it just keeps us from burning off the fat stores.

If you can eliminate sugar from your diet, you will lose weight. Sugar makes bad things taste good. So, you need to find a sugar substitute that won't kill you, or add any calories to your diet.
Sweet and Low is my favorite because it causes cancer in rats. Get over it!
Aspartame is good too, but some people have problems with it. I don't know why, but someday, the scientists will figure it out and tell you about it.

So, these sweeteners taste funny if your taste buds are used to large amounts of sugar. I had that problem. So, how do you get rid of that taste?
You eliminate sugar completely from your diet for at least 2 weeks. You have to plan this because sugar is in processed foods, even when you don't think it's there. You have to read labels, or, eat fresh for at least two weeks.
If you can do this, pretty soon, you won't be able to tell that you are using an artificial sweetener. They don't taste funny anymore. Honest!

Now, there is one kind of sugar that is OK to eat, as long as you eat it at the end of your meal, after taking in proteins, and carbs. That is the kind of "binding" sugar found in fruit. Fresh fruit, not the fruit cocktail stuff you buy in cans.
Binding sugar binds to other things in your food, and does whatever, but doesn't mess with your blood sugar as much. Now, if you eat nothing but fruit, you will overdo it and defeat your purpose.

Why is salt bad?
It's not, in small amounts. The problem is, we add tons of salt through processed foods. Places where they don't use sugar, they use salt. Read the labels!
They use cheaper grade of meat, fish, pork, chicken, fruits, veggies, etc. They want the food to last for months or years in a box, until you are ready to eat them. Salt and sugar add flavor that isn't there normally. It is addictive.
Salt in large amounts causes us to retain water, and thus weigh more. It raises our blood pressure, making the heart to work harder.
We need salt to live, but only so much of it, not too much.
Adding salt? I don't add salt, but since I have lost weight, and stopped taking my other meds, I don't think about it. My food tastes better because I am cooking my own fresh food more. I am not adding salt or sugar to my chili. Don't need it.
There is sugar in some of the canned beans I use, but I pour out the liquid before I add it to my mix, so it's not too bad.

A simple diet that works.

• Eat proteins first at every meal.
• Eat Complex carbs next
• Eat fruit last
• Add fiber to your diet
  
• Eliminate simple sugar
• Don't add Salt

Last but not least, fiber!
Fiber is found in vegetables, cereal, wheat, oats, and many other places you wouldn't believe. The more fiber you can eat, the happier you will be. Of course, that is within limits.
Too much fiber gives you gas. Not enough, and you get constipated. Find the right balance, and you will be happy for life. Fiber makes you feel good.
I lost weight just by increasing my fiber intake.
As a Bariatric patient, and a celiac, it's really hard for me to get enough fiber. I crave fiber one cereal. I miss it so much. I used to add wheat germ to my foods to increase the fiber. It bulks up the stool, making it much easier to poop.
Now, I add fiber from various OTC supplements. It doesn't do the same thing, but it does help. Metamucil is good, except that it bulks up too quickly in the glass, making it tough for me to drink. I am only allowed to sip my drinks, so I can't get it into my stomach before it starts to work. I am going to try smaller amounts soon to see if I can tolerate it. I'll let you know.
I now use Unifiber, which doesn't have any taste and doesn't swell up. I can add it to anything I eat, hot or cold. I usually add it to my protein drink, as well as my oatmeal. I don't even know it's there, but I get my fiber allowance. But, since it doesn't bulk up, it doesn't do the same thing, and I get constipated a lot. No fun.
Fiber is the stuff that the body can't process, so it passes it through. While fiber is on it's journey, it absorbs liquid, and that liquid has impurities that the body is also trying to get rid of. So, the fiber helps the body to eliminate more waste and regulate the amount of liquid. The fiber tends to swell, stretching the intestine as it goes. This exercise helps the intestine to release anything that is stuck along the way. It keeps it clean.
Fiber has been proven to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. I have no idea why.
So, feel free to question my theories, or add to them, but I know one thing:

When you use these ideas, you lose weight!

Next meeting and ramblings until I fall asleep....

The next meeting for the Lancaster General Hospital Bariatric support group is scheduled for this coming Thursday, at the Hospital, as far as I know.
I know they were planning to move into their new office, but I don't know if they made it.
If anyone hears about it, let me know and I will post it.

Today, I went outside and started cutting branches off of bushes and trees in order to be able to cut the lawn and not be assaulted by them.
I also enlisted the help of my wife who was able to open and hold the large paper bags we have to use from the borough. That is a pain in the neck and other body parts. The bags degrade over time, and they aren't very sturdy or big enough to handle branches. So, I had to cut the branches into very short sections.
Time consuming and it hurt my hands.
But, I didn't get tired, and I managed to finish the whole yard as far as chopping is concerned. There are still a few piles to be bagged. My wife got tired and headed inside.
I also cleaned out my son's car to get it ready for sale. I posted it on Craigslist. The head gasket blew last week, and he made it to my driveway, so we put a for sale sign on it.
He bought another vehicle with my financial help. Sadly, that means I probably won't make the mortgage this next month, but I really don't care at this point.
The great thing is that I was able to cut the whole lawn yesterday, and still had energy today to do the branches. Wow!
Who knows what I will be able to do tomorrow.....