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.

Short and sweet

While discussing food choices, I found something new for me:
I started adding a teaspoon or two of Vanilla Protein powder to my yogurt in the morning. I also started eating my yogurt before I eat my oatmeal. This puts the protein first in my stomach. I used to eat the oatmeal first since it was hot.
The oatmeal doesn't really have that much protein in it, so this is better for me.

My breakfast lasts me until I get home for my next meal, and it gives me the fiber I need, since I don't take in wheat and gluten products.

• One packet of Quaker Oats Weight Control oatmeal, with one or two teaspoons of Benefiber for the added fiber.
  

• One container of Chobani yogurt, with one or two teaspoons of protein powder added.

• Add one banana.

That is a lot for me to take in. Many times, I don't eat it all. But I try to get as much as I can because of the fiber. I get so blocked up without it.

I also add Benefiber to my other meals where it will dissolve.
Believe me, it helps.

The vanilla powder is pretty much neutral as far as flavor is concerned. I am not a real fan of protein powder, but then again, I haven't found any decent flavored protein anything. I just put up with it because I have to. Mixed in with the yogurt it is just fine because Chobani is low in sugar (other than the fruit in the bottom) and pretty bland for the most part.

As far as other forms of protein, I have protein bars (detour bars with lower sugar), and they leave a lot to be desired as far as taste also. But, I like the consistency of them, and that satisfies my need to chew.

I still drink Dunkin Donuts decaf coffee every morning. (bad boy!) Sweet and Low, with skim milk. When the one girl is there, I get a small squirt of caramel or mocha. I can drink it plain too.
Since I am a creature of habit, I can alter my food choices, or keep them the same...it doesn't matter much. I do have certain things I won't give up, but so far, they haven't been overwhleming.

• I don't do sugar, and don't miss it.

• I don't drink alcohol. I haven't had a drink since 1982, and really miss it! LOL. Oh life without beer......almost not worth living!
• I do have dark chocolate in the form of a little square in the afternoon. Just one small square, instead of the whole box.

• I do cheat on my gluten-free diet on the weekends. One slice of pizza will not kill me. I even leave the crust on the plate. Give me a break.

I am so much more active now, and I feel great.
I am watching my health very carefully, and going through counseling to stay on track.
Life is good.

A bus driver's woes

I am a bus driver. I am tired of driving because it's getting hard to drive in traffic.
I don't see as well as I used to, even though my eyes have improved to the point where I can't wear my glasses while driving anymore.
I come up as 20/15 or better, so I still see better than most people.
But, I don't move my head as much, I don't have as much patience as I did, and traffic is worse than it used to be.
The way the vehicles are made today, are much different than they used to be. Not as much fun.
The kids are different too.
And me......

So, I am looking to do something else.
What do I have experience doing?

I can drive anything, but I don't want to anymore.

I can play guitar, bass, and sing.

I can sell stuff. I am a good salesman.

I think I might be able to write. But, so can millions of others.

So, while I am searching for a new career, I will continue to write my blog, and lose weight.

Saturday was a few days ago.

On Saturday, I woke my wife up earlier than her noontime sleep, to get her to go with me to Inner Harbor in Baltimore.

We met our daughter, along with both of our grand kids and went to the National Aquarium.

This trip was a request of my wife, with help from me and my daughter. It was kind of my daughter's idea, after I pushed my wife to go visit them at their home in Maryland. Am I confusing anyone?

So, I brought a long 2 bottles of O2, one carrier, and an extra bottle in case we ran out. The large bottles we have only last about 2 hours at the rate my wife uses them. She likes to use them while walking because her O2 levels go really low. When she is sitting, she is OK without it.

So, I carried the case with the Bottle while she walked along.
My grand daughter was very bubbly and happy to be there, and tagged along happily chasing the pigeons and sea gulls.

We went through the members entrance to the Aquarium since my daughter has a yearly membership. We walked right past the crowds waiting to get inside.

Once there, we went over and procured the use of a wheel chair for my wife. I was able to hang the bottle on the back, and away we went. Everywhere there was a line, someone would wave us over, and we butted up in line. I liked that.

After awhile, my daughter gave me her backpack which held all the stuff she needed for an infant and a 2.5 year old. It weighed in at about 10 pounds. I also had my Panasonic lumix to try to take pictures as I walked along. That was fun (not really). I wasn't used to pushing, carrying, and juggling all at the same time.

Needless to say, this is something I couldn't do two years ago for 5 minutes, let alone the 3 or 4 hours we spent there.
We used the elevator for many of our level changes, and that was interesting too because some of them came out at the end of that particular display. So, we had to walk through the crowds fighting traffic.

Getting to see the fish tanks turned out to be easier than I thought. People would back into us, say something like "oh, excuse me!" and then they moved out of the way. Nice!

My wife had Jackson on her lap most of the time. She talked to him and explained things to him, even though he is well under a year old and had no clue what he was doing there. He liked the pastel colors of the various tanks, and probably enjoyed the company too.

So, when we got to this moving ramp instead of a stairway, I decided to try it with the wheel chair. I managed to get the thing centered and then was amazed at how heavy it got as we started going up. I couldn't push it up in order to shorten the trip because there were always people in front of us. Man oh man did it get heavy! I'm glad none of the staff tried to stop me because finding the elevator and bucking traffic was harder than holding the wheelchair from falling backwards....but not by much. My grand daughter at one point came up behind me and put her hand on my butt to help me hold grandma from falling backwards. Goosed by a two year old! There were several of these ramps, and they varied in length and angle. I was able to hold the chair and not transmit my fear of impending failure to anyone in the family. Besides, it was a great workout!

Well, we wandered around with our entourage for a few hours until I realized that I hadn't had anything to eat or drink since my morning meal. I couldn't even find a water fountain. They have several places to eat, but every one of them was loaded with people and required waiting in line, which I despise. So, I finally had to give in when we got to the Jellyfish exhibit. The cafeteria was large and seemed to have plenty of seating. The lines weren't that long, so we entered one.

Now, I don't profess to understand women in any way shape or form. My wife and daughter couldn't decide what they wanted to eat. In this type of situation, I just grab what I can and go. But they had to decide. There was a line for hot food prepared by the staff, and there were already prepped salads and subs. We could grab them, pay, and then eat. What could be simpler?

I grabbed a chicken Cesar salad. I got my wife to grab another type of salad and my daughter to take a sub, but my grand daughter wanted a "hot dog", which required us to stay in line. My daughter managed to talk her into getting a cup of yogurt instead. Problem solved until my wife saw the "Starbucks" sign at the counter. I grabbed her a frappachino bottle from the pre prepped counter and we moved to the checkout. (I'm leaving here right after I finish this. We will go over to Dunkin Donuts where I will buy her a drink and doughnut of her choice).

So, we managed to get our food and actually eat. I ate the strips of chicken and gave some to Lilly (my grand daughter), along with many of the croutons. She looked so cute with a yogurt ring around her mouth while chomping on her chicken piece. No complaints from her, just good old fashioned protein.
I hadn't had anything to drink all day, but managed to find a water fountain and got a few sips later in the day.
I continued to carry the backpack and camera while pushing the chair for the rest of the trip. I had fun again going down the ramps inside the shark tank. They were stationary and wide enough for me to get a good grip and hold on while walking/pulling backwards.

The trip ended with us giving back the wheelchair and heading out to the parking garage. Lilly was exhausted and cranky. Jackson was asleep in his belly pack, and I was pleasantly sore.

We had to stop once so my wife could rest, but the trip was good.

One thing I have to mention were the prices. OUCH!
$6.95 for the salad. A few strips of chicken and some lettuce.
$4.25 for a bottle of Frappachino. UGH.
The parking for 4 hours cost $20.00. Holy cow. And they didn't even wash and wax the car!

My daughter got a 10% discount for paying for us to get into the aquarium, which was around $25.00 each. We didn't get to see the dolphin show or their 4D show. That's extra.

Oh well, it was worth it.

We got lost in Baltimore because I tried to go around some major congestion on 83 North. That was OK too because we got to see part of the city we never saw before.
I am a bit sore today, but not bad enough to worry about. I wouldn't have been able to do this two years ago.
Life is Good!

Slider food

At our weight loss group meeting the other night, I heard talk about how to get liquids into our system.
Something came up which surprised me because I was already doing it and didn't realize it.
After a meal, I usually have a slider food.
This is because I an dry and really would like to drink something with my meal, but because of restrictions, can't.
A slider food is a smooth food, such as a pudding, or jello type food.
I use 60 calorie sugar free jello pudding. I also buy the store brand to save money.
I also sometimes eat a sugar free Healthy Choice fudge bar. That has 100 calories.
This satisfies my liquid craving until I can take a drink an hour later.

Time to rake the leaves!

This is a post that I think didn't get published. I don't know why. This is from a few weeks ago. Anyway, here it is:

The leaves of brown came tumbling down, remember? That September in the rain.

An old standard song listed above. The only problem is my silver Maple isn't even starting to turn brown yet. It's still green. All the neighbor's trees are dropping leaves like crazy....on my yard!

So, I will use my new Honda Mower, and the leaf blower, and rake, to clean them up. Then, I will turn my back, and all the leaves will fall again, and it will look like I didn't do anything.

Life in the suburbs.

My wife is very sick, and we are not sure what is going to happen. We get the test results on Tuesday 10/27/9. My life will change drastically no matter what the results are.

My son never came back to finish what he started. He decided he has to move, and is going to move out of the area and change jobs. I wish him well, and wonder what I will do with my yard. I don't have the equipment or money to clean up the holes he left. There are roots and stumps there that I can't dig out. I think I will save and cover them up this spring with lots of mulch, and then put some small plants there. I did try to dig as much as I could, but didn't get too far with my shovel.

I did cut and trim all of the bushes around the house for the winter. We have butterfly bushes that I cut down to the ground. They will grow back stronger next year. The rose bushes are still blooming, so I will wait another week or so to chop them down.

Now, I have a huge pile of cut bushes behind the garage. I started to trim them down and lay them out into piles that I can haul away sometime soon. With the leaves, I think I will be busy for awhile.

Protein powder, and other improvements.

At our WL support group meeting last night, someone asked how we take our protein, and how do we get our daily allowance of liquid.
I am a creature of habit, so I pretty much stick to the same thing over and over. This allows me to concentrate on other things, and I don't mind at all.
I do, however, keep my eyes open for new ideas.
When I first started this diet plan, I tried different types of protein to see which ones I liked. I tried this liquid that was contained in a tube because on the label it told me it had more protein than most other types of protein. It tasted terrible.
Last night, I found out I was using it wrong. If I had taken the time to mix it with water to dilute it, I might have liked it better. Oh well.
I started using powder because I really like milk shakes and this was the closest thing I could find. The problem was, I couldn't digest it very well. It stuck in my throat, and made me feel bloated.
So, about two weeks ago, I ran out of milk, so I mixed up my protein with water instead. Wow, what a difference. The stuff tasted good. It went down and stayed down just fine. It wasn't as thick or rich as a milkshake, but I can live with it.
I mixed the chocolate protein powder with strawberry the other day, and I like that. I also add a packet or two of Sweet and low since I still like sweet stuff.
My chili has evolved too. Much of the time I don't get the fresh veggies to add to it. I add frozen veggies. I alternate between three different kinds of meat. Ground (angus very lean), beef cubes (a bit more fat), and Bison (very lean and tasty).
I am looking for new recipes now so I can expand my skills as a cook. The problem is, I like my chili too much!
I bought some rice and prepared it in a separate container. It's the kind of rice that you have to cook for like 45 minutes, and it is sticky. I love the flavor and texture, and I add it into my chili as a small enhancement. I am afraid to eat too much at a time because the stuff can expand and stretch my pouch. But, I do love the full feeling that rice gives me. I don't feel comfortably full too often, and rice gives me that feeling.
Many of the pre and new post people there last night weren't sure how to get their full allowance of liquid. I didn't get the chance to tell them that I get mine through much of my food. My tomatoes in the chili have lots of liquid, as does some of the other food I eat. They are not soupy, but just moist enough to go down easy. Barry was right about the liquid when he spoke of it in his blog.

Raking leaves and other exercise

If you look at the neighbor's yard, you can see what would happen if I left the leaves there instead of raking every day.
I moved from cutting the lawn to raking the leaves.
I have a leaf blower, and my new Honda mower has two blades to chop up the leaves, but I needed to burn off some frustration, so I picked up my new rake.
It's a metal ended fan type rake, with a spring bar across it. It has a wood handle, but it also has a bit of plastic, but that's OK.
It is very similar to the old style rakes. Just the right size, not too big, or small. Just right.
I have a few mature trees in the vicinity of my yard.
First, I cut the lawn lower than the rest of the year. This allows the wind to blow any leaves without them getting stuck in my yard.
Then, I rake leaves. I rake them every day. I do this for exercise since I can just as easily use the leaf blower, or lawn mower, or a combination.
I actually have two rakes, and use them like a big claw to pick up the leaves and put them into the paper bags the Borough supplies.
The workout is both for me, and the yard. The rake cleans out debris, and loosens the soil below. A leaf blower and lawn mower don't do that.
My mower can also collect the leaves. It does a nice job, but to me, it's easier to rake them, instead of emptying the bag every few minutes. The bag will work well when I want to finish the job, and just pick up what's left over.
This year, I raked all the leaves into a pile around the Silver Maple tree. Other years, I have raked them into the bushes around the house as a mulch. And, I have collected them in the bags and put them out to the curb for pick up.
One year, I was lucky enough to have a mulching machine, and I put all of them in there. It reduced the pile down to almost nothing.
Anyway, the exercise is nice. I rake down the one side using a left to right movement. I do a right to left movement coming back. I also exaggerate my movements in order to exercise and stretch more. I can work up a good sweat because there is a lot to do. It can take me as much as an hour to get them all. I only do the back yard because the front doesn't have any trees.
Well, my neighbors think I'm crazy for working so hard, but I don't want to exercise inside when I can do it outside. And, it keeps me out of trouble.

Full circle

So, I ramble some more today, just to fill the lines:

• With all the positive stuff going on in my life, I have so many things trying to bring me down. Oh my, what a test.
• A great speaker is coming back to our WL support group meeting. She has spoken two other times, and is the only counselor I know in the area that has also gone through the surgery herself. She understands the problems and has common sense solutions.
  
• The weight loss has come to a halt for now. My wife's medical conditions have contributed. My son and his problems are helping. And, I am allowing these things to have an effect. I'm not perfect.
• I need to find a full time, great paying job. I don't want to overwork and burn myself out. I don't have a clue what to do next. I am in between two piles of really good hay. I could take the traditional route and work for a "real" company, and a "real" job. I hate that thought. I'm not a traditional guy.
• My garage is full of my son's junk. I want him to move into his new place and get his stuff out of my house. I told him he could store it for a week and a half. That is way too long. Oh well, I did it myself.
• My cars both need work. They are Honda so they will chug along until I can catch up.
• My medical bills are starting to pile up. I realized that over the years, I must have paid at least a half million dollars (I had to write that out) to them over and above my insurance. I will spend at least that in the next 12 months. And, they still send me late notices, and pile more bills on me. They are a great hospital, but they have their issues.
• 205, 204,203, 204, 205. Come on now. Time to hit 199! Damn, this is hard!
  

What to do when things happen that you have no control over.

This one is important to me. It is very personal, so close your eyes while reading, and get a tissue.

This really is serious, but I handle serious things with a bit of humor in order to get through them. Nothing else to do but cry, and I will get to do that in private as time goes on.

Weight loss surgery has changed my life. It gave me a future instead of a premature ending.

I am not afraid of death. I was until I did some studying and praying, and found answers that I can accept.

I am afraid of wasting away to nothing, or going through great pain while getting there. That may not be rational, but that's me.

So, a few years ago, as I said in a previous post, I prayed harder than I ever did before. I asked for God to either kill me or make me better. A bit selfish, but that's the best I could do. It was a simple request.
God must have decided to let me live and made me better. I found Gastric Bypass, lost weight, and am learning how to live again.

Now, while I am so happy to be alive again, I got some sad news this past month.

My wife has breast cancer.

Normally, breast cancer is not a death sentence, but in her case, it will probably be.

She had Hodgkin's disease in 1974. She was treated with the new technology at the time, which was radiation therapy. It cured her. But, they didn't have the knowledge they have today, and they irradiated her upper body with too much radiation.
It burned her lungs, and it gave her breast cancer.
She has many other medical problems that are all part of her previous treatment.
The good thing, is that I got to meet her. I married her. I lived with her for 34 years. I had two great kids with her. I now have 5 grand kids with her.
Unless there is a miracle, she will not see our next wedding anniversary.
She is upbeat, and glad to be alive. She will continue to work as long as she can. She will be productive.

How will this affect my WLS?

It may slow me down, but I have learned how to do things differently now, and I will continue to practice what I've learned.

Oklahoma Caviar

Oklahoma Caviar
Serves: 6

1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon jalapeno, chopped fine
1 can low sodium black eyes peas, drained and rinsed
1 can white hominy, drained
1/2 cup light Italian dressing

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.
Refrigerate and serve.

Note: This is great as a side dish or served as an appetizer with fresh cut veggies.

Nutrition:70 calories, 1.5g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 290mg sodium, 2g fiber, 2g sugar, 3g protein, carbohydrate 14g

NAWLS

Check this out for another WLS site.

What's changed? Diet list...

I was thinking about doing this for awhile.
I wrote about it way back when, but figured I would do it again to compare notes.
My life has changed so much. How about what I eat?
I looked back into the past posts for a few minutes and found that I talked about food a lot.
I have one mistake that I want to tell you about. It turns out that I can't edit it out, or change it.
But, here it is:
Don't mix protein powder into any hot liquid, such as coffee, or hot cocoa. It doesn't work. I don't know why I did it, but trust me, you don't want to do it.

So:
Breakfast:
I still eat oatmeal. I use Quaker Oats, weight loss version because it has extra fiber, and I need fiber with my lack of wheat and gluten products.
I top the oatmeal with a banana every morning. I love bananas!

Lunch:
1 cup of my killer chili. I still make it up, and every time it's different. I used Bison ground meat the last time. I used beef cubes this time. I am doing up a sausage mix next time. I take the sausage out of the skin and break it up into chunks. The beef cubes still get boiled to make them tender. Look up the recipe in previous blog entries.
I usually pop a bag of popcorn (100 calorie kind from Orville) and eat most of it after I'm finished with the chili. Sometimes, I leave it for later.

Evening meal:
If I don't go out for dinner, I will make up something with variety to break it up. Sometimes, I cheat and have a steamer tray with just a little pasta in it, but mostly chicken, or something else. I also add a bag of steamer veggies to that mix. I think it's called "immunity blend". I don't eat the whole bag. I add what I want and then give the rest to my wife when I cook her meal. I rarely eat what she eats, but I cook it.
When I go out, I will cheat with a slice of pizza (spaniko, feta cheese, fresh tomatoes, spinach) at my favorite place, Two Cousins! Last night, I had a dozen wings, with hot sauce, celery, and Blue Cheese. They understand I don't drink with my meals now, so it's nice to be there. Most of the time, I take half my meal home for the next day.

My snacks are varied, but mostly center around protein drinks, or a handful of peanuts with cashews, and a box of raisins. I also eat chocolate, but have cut down on that quite a bit. I do have a 60 calorie cup of sugar free chocolate pudding, or a healthy choice 100 calorie fudge bar after my meal if I have room. Those two things are great if I have something very hot (spicy).
My condiments are mostly hot sauce. I still love them. I have 4 different bottles of sauce. Tabasco is still at the top. A couple of drops on my chili are fine with me.

Liquids:

• Coffee - decaf. I am addicted to Dunkin Donuts or Wawa coffee.
• Crystal light is good too
• Protein drinks - I still use the same powder I used before. I usually add it to a shaker with decaf and milk, with a packet of sweet and low. I tried strawberry flavor and like it, but I use a chocolate variety for the most part.
• I am still not a water drinker. It has to have some flavoring to it. If I am out somewhere and need liquid, I will drink it, but am not happy about it.
  

I get frustrated when I am very hungry, and get full before I am psychologically full. This happens at the restaurant a lot. I want to inhale the stuff like I did when I was fat. Jeessshhhh! Then, I remember that I am able to do almost everything else, except eat myself to oblivion. That makes it OK.

I eat an apple with my peanuts sometimes. I love golden delicious apples because they are not as juicy as red delicious, so I don't have them dribble down my chin. I also like other fruit.

I add Benefiber to many of my meals at home in order to get enough fiber. The apples, bananas, and other fruits and veggies help too.
That's about it. This week, I'm going to make up a sausage with either refried beans, or rice. I know rice isn't the best for me, but I like it. It fills me up. I usually don't make a lot of it and add things to it to flavor it.
I'm always looking for new ideas. Send them to me, and I'll post them.

Don't it always seem to go,

That you don't know what you've got till it's gone?
Nope!
I don't miss one pound of weight that I've lost!

God don't make no junk!

Remember that poster of the little boy making that statement?

He says "I know I'm some body, because God don't make no junk!"

Let's expand this statement a bit and see if it fits anywhere else.....

• Oil is bad
• Food is bad. Eating too much or too little is bad.
  
• Walking on the grass is bad
• Smoking grass is really bad
• All drugs are bad
  
• Mass transit is bad
• Cars are bad
• Trucks are bad
• Trains are bad
• SUVs are bad
  
• Carbon Dioxide is bad
• The air is bad
• Dogs are bad
• Cats are bad (in this case, I agree! I hate my cat!)
• Coal is bad
• Wind generators are bad
• All animals are bad
• People need to be controlled because they are bad
• Sugar is bad
• Salt is bad
• Starch in your underwear is bad (I agree)
• Corn is bad
• Alcohol is bad
• Soda is bad
• Chlorine is bad
• Asbestos is bad
• Artificial sweeteners are bad
• Independence is bad
• Slavery is bad

So, what's good?
Well, if we listen to the little boy, God don't make no junk.
So, who made all this stuff bad?
We did!
If you start listening at what the powers that be tell you is bad, you will go crazy.
You need to open your eyes, and ears, and listen to your heart.
Turn off the TV.
Stop reading the newspaper.
Stop listening to the new miracle cure advertisement on the radio. It just ain't so.
The online computer can give you both sides of the story. It does throw lots of junk at you, but it also teaches you how to filter out the junk and see that...

God don't make no junk!

Man does.

When my wife was 19, she found a lump in her neck and got a sore throat. They diagnosed her with Hodgkin's disease (lymph node cancer, type IIa) which was and still is fairly curable. They gave her radiation treatment, and did exploratory surgery. They removed her spleen, and the bad lymph nodes, then sent her on her way.
At that time, a 5 year survival rate was the norm.
She is 56 now.
She now has another problem with another type of cancer. When she was 19, her chance of surviving Breast cancer was far less than it is now. They are now saying that she has a 95% chance of full recovery, even with all her previous problems.
They have learned from their work over the years, and improved where they could. I think they can go much further, and they do too, but all in all, my wife is here because of what they learned. Radiation therapy is bad? Chemotherapy is bad?
If they didn't do the surgery and therapy back then, she would never have had two great kids, 5 grand kids, and me. She would not have gotten her degree in marketing, or bought her own house. She would not have moved back into the home she grew up in. We would not be here today.

God don't make no junk.

If you listen to the morons tell you that they know of someone who had the Bariatric surgery, and gained all the weight back, then you will gain it back too.
If you try to find ways to cheat on your diet, or your exercise program, and never try to adapt to the new you, you will gain the weight back again.
God gave you a brain to think with, and...

God don't make no junk!

It's a good thing to educate yourself so you know why they tell you something. They continue to learn, and so should you. It's not a good thing if you are looking for an easy way to cheat yourself. You aren't cheating them. They won't get fat because of you. You will get fat because of you.
But, God gave you a brain to think with, and...

God don't make no junk!

If coal was so bad, why is there enough of it to fuel our electrical plants for the next 300 years? We just need to know how to use it, that's all. And, we will learn how to use it.
The same goes for oil. We already have improved our vehicle fuel mileage since I was a kid. We used our brains to learn how to do it better.

God don't make no junk!

Our bodies are housing our souls. We can't abuse them without expecting to pay for it down the road.
Do you really know what's good for you and what isn't?
We can't do anything about the way our bodies were made. We all have problems we can't fix. We can fix do some of it. We have a brain to think with. We can learn and change, and...

God don't make no junk!

Get over it.

How lucky I am!

My surgery was done by one of the pioneers of laproscopic surgery. He was there when they first started doing it, and has perfected the craft nicely. I have a few slightly red marks on my belly, but if you aren't a surgeon, you would just think they were typical discoloration of natural skin tone.
My surgeon treats obesity as an illness. He stated that at the meeting we had this month. Because of this, he reacts differently than someone trying to make a living doing this. He will tell people when they don't need the surgery, or if they aren't ready. He has no problems with that, and as such, he has an excellent record of success.
He also knows that in order to lose weight properly, and keep it off for life, you need a team effort.
He went through an exhausting process to pick the right people to man his team.

Right now, he is looking for another surgeon who shares his vision. He won't just hire someone who has the talent to do the work. He wants someone with compassion and people skills.

His dietitian is now in charge of the monthly support group meetings, and is doing a bang up job of running things.

He added a second dietitian a few weeks ago, as well as a second physiologist. So now, he has two of each. They are both young and really motivated to help their patients.
I go to the gym when I can, but have been working on the yard and other things for the past 3 weeks. I will go back soon.

So, we have a dietitian that we see every 6 months, but can email her anytime and she responds quickly. She also sends us advice about new products just coming to the market.

We have an exercise physiologist to help us when we need it.
There are nurses available for non surgical questions about our situation.

And, we see Dr. Brader every 6 months for life.

There are upcoming events for the support group, such as going to Hershey Park for the Christmas lights, and planning another picnic. We also have clothing exchanges for formerly fat folks giving their clothing to soon to be thinner folks. We donate most of it to Goodwill. I took a car load over a few months ago. We plan to do the exchange times a year.

We have a resident counselor speak a few times a year to our support group. She is a post patient herself, so she knows what we are going through.

We will hear from another plastic surgeon soon as well.

We have a professional kitchen at the Center, and they plan on using it quite a bit to show people how to prepare food, and new recipe ideas.

So, I would say that I'm very lucky to have a team like this to help me along the way. Not everyone has this type of team approach. I had thought it was standard, but now I'm hearing from folks that don't have it. I hope they can benefit from the information here on my blog, or maybe they can connect to a support network through me.
I wish them luck.

Random thoughts

I bought an Ikea desk chair. It is red. It is made from something that resembles wood, but really isn't. It is hard. It swivels, rotates, and adjusts to height. It has wheels. I added a pad for the seat to make it more comfortable. It isn't comfortable at all. But, it looks neat!
I sit in this chair for hours while I work/goof off, at the computer.
I pay bills on the computer.
I have contact with many people on the computer.
I listen to music on the computer.
I watch and learn on the computer.
I sit on a hard chair in front of the computer.

I wonder why we can't lose weight at the computer?

So, what do I do next?
I am working on my yard.
My son came over two weekends in a row and he is supposed to come over today. So far, he isn't here, so I am sitting at my computer.
We have bushes to pull from in front of the house. There are left over stumps that need to be taken out. Last night, I dug around them and managed to pull a few out, but they were loose already and only needed a bit of help. The bigger ones are much deeper and need some type of mechanical assistance to come out of the ground.
I also raked out an area that we did last week. The roots made it very tough to do anything in rhythm. The rake would get stuck and come around sideways and the roots would grab on and not let go. So, I did a lot of bending and pulling by hand. My back feels it now.

I am going to play my guitar this weekend. I have to make a list of songs I did when I first started playing as a single or in a duo. I was 19 at the time and had been playing rock and roll, funk, and also worked in an 8 piece horn band (think Chicago, Blood, Sweat, and Tears). I had played weddings before that from about the age of 13 or so (I started at age 11), but really only started playing onstage by myself when I was 19.
I did lounge music, but it was aimed towards what is called smooth jazz today. Something a little more sophisticated than blues, and too syrupy to be rock.

• This masquerade
• The tracks of my tears
• Goin out of my head
• Summertime
• Blackbird and other Beatles songs (Rubber Soul)

Get the idea?
I also liked funny songs. I did some to break up things when people were paying attention to me and not just using me as background.

• It's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way
• Crying in your pretzels
• Saturday night in Toledo Ohio, is like being nowhere at all

There were songs written by Martin Mull that made me question my sanity, and I sometimes threw them in too.
I had lots of fun even if no one else did.
Now, I need to add newer songs that I can sing and not sound like I'm a 56 year old trying to be a kid again.
No rap or Hip hop for me!

My son just called to say he was delayed, so I think I'll take a short walk. The weather is almost livable, although it's a bit wet out there. I am wearing shorts today because my jeans are still too stiff. They haven't broken in yet.

Ups, and Downs

Life does it's best to throw chaos at us, and sometimes, it wins.
But, not this time.
The weight loss has stalled, but I am getting so much done, that it doesn't matter. I need a break anyway, because this is the longest I have ever gone with weight loss. Usually by this time, I am gaining it all back.
So far, I am staying the same.

• My shorts are now too big for me, but I can live with them for a little while longer.

• I still have tightie whities that are just under my armpits when I put them on, but I keep them clean and still wear them.
• I have two new pair of jeans that actually fit me, and I'm happy with them.
• I have a beautiful goose down coat that is way too big. I could probably use it as a parachute.
  
• I have no winter coats at all that fit, so I will have to break down and buy a new one. I need something so I can ride my Helix without it blowing up and floating me away.
• I have no dress shirts, just double knit that are too big, but I can live with them for awhile longer. I very rarely go out anyway.

I am working with a counselor who is amazing. In three sessions, things have become so much clearer.
You see, at this point in my life, I should be thinking about retirement, and slowing down.....or at least that's what I was raised to believe.
It's very tough for me to think about a major change or a dozen changes. I can't just up and do things, can I?
I guess it's my mind that's causing me the problems, and the counselor is helping me understand what I must do in a very clear manner.
I was probably not ready to listen to anyone about these things until now. I must be a late bloomer!

Wow, what an interesting new world! There are possibilities.

The problem I have now, is to figure out how to make the change without losing everything I have now, or almost everything.
There are two other major life changing things going on in my life.

1. The remortgaging of the house. This is already 75% of the way finished. We have the credit established. We can make the payments. It will clear up all our debt, allowing us to breath a little easier.But, this is a major change. We are taking on a 30 years mortgage when we should be retiring debt free. We did have the mortgage paid off about 10 years ago, but things happened.
2. The other major change is something I won't discuss here. It is not related to my health or Bariatrics. It may affect everything else, however.

Life happens.

So, as a result in my new-found adjustments to change, I will be selling some music equipment in order to buy new smaller equipment that better suits what I plan to do. It will also get me used to the idea that things are just that, things. I don't need to have them in order to live. This is a new idea for me as I said before.

• I just bought a new Honda Lawn Mower. It is self propelled, and will last me as long as I live here in this home. I have cleaned up the old Toro (a real gem), and have it up for sale on Craiglist. Buy it from me, so I can offset some of the cost of the new mower, please!

• I did research on what equipment I need to play and sing again. I have been considering just buying the stuff, and worrying about selling the other stuff later, but I don't think I need to do that. Here is what I have to sell:

This is a custom made Weber 6A20HP amplifier. It has about 35 watts RMS and
2/10" Alnico speakers. I helped to build it, but most of the work was finished by a friend who is an amp tech. He has built and helped design amplifiers for Weber for quite a few years. For those poor folks who have no idea what you are looking at, it's a guitar amplifier. You plug a guitar into it to make the guitar louder. There are also adjustments to change the sound of the guitar to make it more pleasing to the ear. Oh does it sound sweet!

I made it purple for personal reasons, instead of the typical Black with gray grill cloth. There are other modifications that will make some other guitarist very happy. I will be proud to pass this on, even though I would really like to keep it.

Life is good, and it goes on....

Busy week.

I had other plans, but they were interrupted by the things around me. It ain't my fault! LOL
We had our 1st annual "Drop your pants" weight loss support meeting Thursday evening. I went very well.
Dr Brader showed up and ran the show after we all made fool of ourselves.
I didn't take any pictures because I was too wrapped up in other things. I don't think anyone else did either.
For my Blogger friends:
The Bariatric clinic now has a Facebook presence. Get over there and become a fan please. And please spread the word. This is a great way for those of us who have been through the surgery can offer help to those that are waiting or looking into it.
So, today, I spent a very nice afternoon in a tent helping people sign up for a door prize after going through the Bariatric clinic. They had their open house.
They served food, had dance lessons, answered questions, taught people about healthy eating, and so much more.
I would estimate the crowd at about 400 overall. The folks poured in and kept coming all day.
I got to eat some peanuts, two small "kabobs", with two bottles of water in between. I am full.
I got a neat blue T shirt, and an "ask me how" button for my efforts. Well worth it.
Tomorrow is the support group steering committee meeting. My evenings are full this week.
I did get out yesterday and managed to investigate a new PA system for my soon to be part time job of playing my guitar and singing again.
It is a small system that only weight 35 pounds complete and packs into a wheeled bag for moving and storage. It still has plenty of power and sounds very good, at least in the store. I have read many more good reviews than bad ones. I will have to sell some of my present equipment in order to pay for it, but that's OK.
I am moving forward. That's what I want to do.

MIlestones and tears

I don't know what is going to happen tonight.
Will I laugh or cry?
You see, tonight is the "Drop your pants" weight loss support group meeting.
I will show up wearing my best suit from before my weight loss surgery, and drop it on the floor after modeling it. Of course, I hope to see many others who will do the same thing.
And also, I will be wearing my new clothes underneath, so it won't be that traumatic for the audience.
I haven't given this much thought until now. I am usually a ham and have no problems getting up in front of people, but I think this might be different.
I just tried the suit on and felt the stirring of emotions I haven't felt for a long time.
I never got to wear it when it was new. I never had the occasion. I bought it so I could play weddings as a DJ since I didn't like Tuxes. But, I never got to wear it.
So now, I have an expensive suit that is a clown outfit.
I am so glad it is a clown outfit and not the only dress suit that I can fit into.
I'll let you know what happens tonight.

Bad boy, bad boy, watcha gonna do?

I didn't go to the gym at all this week. A wave of fatigue swept over me and the dog ate it.
I got my exercise in other ways.
The grass was growing out of control, and I cut it 3 times. I also took a long walk, and got many little things done that I have been putting off.
It seems I have energy at certain times of the day, and I have to work at those times, or I won't get things finished.
I didn't take a nap until Thursday this week, but I went to bed at 8:30pm Wednesday evening. I just plain ran out of steam.
I have been in a panic mode and haven't been sleeping well. I believe that is part of my problem.
I spent a lot of time getting the paperwork together for the remortgaging of my home. That was very stressful for me. If it doesn't go through, we will lose the house and probably have to declare bankruptcy.
This will force me to do something I have been afraid to do for a long time.
So, weight loss has enabled me to do many more things than I could do before. It gave me a new chance at life. But, it didn't solve my personal problems.
I still feel good, however, and look forward to the next challenge.
I may even get back to the gym next week.

Before 8 o'clock

I got up at my usual time (4:30am) after roasting all night. The humidity came back with a vengeance, and I didn't open the windows more than a crack. I did have the ceiling fan running all night, so that helped.
Before I left the house for my bus route, I was able to bring a pot of kidney beans to a boil, then lowered the heat and let them simmer while I was gone.
Temperature in the house this morning was 78 because I am cooking the chili. The humidity is so bad that the back door is sticking. It swelled up a bit.
When I came home, I did all the prep work for the chili, including browning some ground Bison along with onions and other seasonings, browning sausage links removed from their casings, mixing the tomatoes, paste, and seasonings, finishing up the beans, mixing them all together in the crock pot, and eating my meal.
Now, I am going to turn on the AC and cool off. The fan just isn't doing it.
The grass could use a clipping today, but I think I will pass in favor of doing some other stuff that needs to be done.
I should go shopping too.
The mortgage application is finished, and waiting for the fee to be sent out.
And, most of this was done before 8 o'clock!

In between, when I should be working on something else.

I am 3/4 of the way through the paperwork to refinance our home in order to save it, so I thought I would take a break and ramble a bit.
I like bullet points, so here goes:

• I am still sore from East Petersburg day, but I cut the lawn on Monday, and still did other things. Tuesday, I trimmed all the bushes around the house. My wife is going to be upset when I cut down the Forsythia bushes in another day or so. I would love to pull them out, but will settle for the major trimming, in hopes that I can afford to hire a landscaper next year to redo the whole area. I have a third of an acre and there are areas that are in terrible shape that I can't fix without help. I am going to research types of mulch to see if I can use stones instead of mulch where the sun doesn't hit.
• I have to clean up the rest of the basement, and back bedroom in the next week in order for the appraiser to come over and give the house a fair value.
• I am going to work on some songs for playing my guitar in the next week, come Hell or high water. I have been promising myself to do this for a few months now. I am a good player and decent singer. I should use my talents again.
• The lawn has needed to be cut every other day all summer with a short break in July when things slowed down a bit. They are back up to full speed now, so I get my workout every other day.
• My arms and face are now tanned from being out in the sun. I look good with clothes, and most people can't tell I had surgery. They just know that I'm thinner. I had lots of positive comments at East Pete day, and didn't use my nasty replies to anyone there.
• Oh well, time to get back to work.
  

The Longest day 2009

I know this is a reference to a terrible day is our nation's and world's history, but I am borrowing it for now.
It is not a negative reference. Rather, it is a triumph for me.
The fact that I survived is one milestone.
The fact that I am writing this so soon after the day is amazing.
I started out around 7 am. yesterday morning and finished up around midnight. I had to unwind, so I stayed up after I got home at 10:45pm or so.
East Petersburg Day turned out to be something special for me this year. It usually is, but this year proved that I can still push the envelope and survive.
I have a sunburn on my nose and neck, and am a little sore, but I survived.
Read my Facebook picture pages to see what it was like.
Today, I took a Helix ride to see a monster million pound pair of generators being moved to TMI
Our ride took about two hours total. My back was sore, but I did that too. I also went grocery shopping. But, I am bushed now, and heading to bed a little early.
I'm happy to be alive.
nuclear power plant. They were parked for the weekend and there were hundreds of people gawking at it.

Just Stuff

I found a new blog for me, but am not happy reading it. The writer is so negative and sour that it's amazing she can even be on the radio and sounds so good.
I won't mention her name. You can look for yourself.

Another situation:
East Petersburg Day is this Saturday.
I do the event every year. I enjoy it very much. Last year, I was able to wander around and take pictures. I didn't really do anything.
This year, I will be onstage and help with set up and take down. I will MC along with another guy who has done much of the grunt work.
The day is very long. This year, I will be there from beginning (7am or so), until around 10:30pm. That's a long day for young people. This old man is going to be very tired!
I promised to lend my sound system to Manheim Township Police Officer Littlehale for a "Teen Dance" starting at 9pm and going until 10:30 or so. This is the first time they are doing this type of thing, so I hope it will be a success. They were going to use a Boom Box, but I didn't think it would be big enough for the size of the room. So, I am going to set my (450 watts RMS) system up, and take it down, and hope they know how to use it. I may stick around to help if asked, and I hope their CD is good quality. My CD player has a bit of trouble sometimes with copied discs.

Next:
I am looking for help. I have the following needs:

• Counseling. I have an appointment scheduled for next week. This "shrink" is a Post Op that has about a year on me. She has experience with the things I have going on in my head related to the surgery and the changes from it. I am looking forward to speaking with her.
• Finances. I am looking for an accountant to help me decide what to do. I owe too much, and can't pay it back when the people I owe want it. This is almost bankruptcy. We can do 3 things. None of them make me happy. If anyone can offer advice, I would be grateful. I already have instituted some of Dave Ramsey's stuff, but I need more technical advice.
  
• Repairs to the home. There are things that need to be done, but I can't do them myself. Too technical and above my pay grade. Driveway is damaged and needs to be replaced. I can't afford it. I have the water lines installed, but I don't have the holes drilled to install an outside water line. I need two garden lines installed. I can't afford that either.
• Music/Job. I play guitar and sing. I would like to play again, but haven't been able to get off the ground. I need a friend to be by my side and help me stay focused. Ever need someone like that? My wife isn't able to help. I have my music equipment. I am ready.
• Job/Job. I probably need to get a real job to make more money. I am almost ready to work full time. I would like to drive a bigger vehicle (CDL Class B) since I have been driving bus for 34 years. I really hate driving, but wouldn't mind a regular route with good pay. A cement mixer, dump truck comes to mind. I can probably drive them now that I lost the weight. Believe it or not, I tried just before I had the surgery. I couldn't reach the pedals because my fat belly got in the way by rubbing against the steering wheel. My legs were too short. It's good to be able to reach the brakes when you need to. Take my word for it...

My weight has leveled out. I am down 101 pounds, and stuck for now. I am a bit upset because I only got to the gym once this week. I am going to try to get there every day next week. I am going to do aerobics 3 days, and weight training on the other two days. I am looking so much better. I still have a hanging belly, but my other parts are firming up a bit. I have a "farmer's" tan because I don't take my shirt off outside. So, my arms are dark, and the rest of me is Lilly White.
More later when I have time.

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!

Evolution of the support group meetings.

Last night, I did the "Ham".
I got up in front of everyone at the support group meeting and did a warm up act for the presentation while they were doing food prep.
The new office has a great room with state of the art audio/video equipment, including a number of HD TVs, a sound system with wireless mics, a large projector type screen, and a camera aimed at the professional kitchen.
They were supposed to have a grocery store come in and do a demo about fresh veggies and how to prep them, but they cancelled out at the last minute.

So, while they were scrambling with food prep, I did my thing.

The crowd was just as huge as usual. I keep thinking of how hard it is to get a support group together and here we have over 100 people on a regular basis. I should sell stuff there. I wouldn't have to work!

The meeting went well after I got off the stage. The camera allowed everyone to see what they were doing and the food got passed around for folks to try. Stuff was good. Squash, and some other stuff were sprinkled with toppings and baked. The aroma was worth the price of admission (free?).

I helped out where I could and when we broke into groups I wandered around and talked with lots of people about my experiences so far.

We have a covered dish picnic coming up and hope to see another huge crowd!

In October, we will be dressing up in our fat clothes to show off what we lost. I told them I could give them all a thrill by not wearing anything under them, but they said no for some reason.

Oh well, life is good!

Forced to write, yeah, right!

I am not being forced to write. I like to write. What I am starting to not like is to sit still.
I never thought it would happen, but I really don't like to sit down anymore than I have to. If you haven't experienced this feeling, I hope you do sometime in your journey to lose weight.

I went to my workout today and met the new workout guru. He isn't as pretty as the lady workout guru, but I am not there to oogle the pretty female.

I started out on the treadmill to warm up. Someday, I'll be able to learn how to work the damn thing. I decided to try a hill climb program, so I entered all of my specs as requested, and stated that I didn't want to go above 3.5 mph jogging or a 6% grade. I have to walk fast or jog at 3.1, and have no problem climbing hills now. A 6% grade is steeper than an old locomotive can travel. Most of them won't go over anything more than a 4%. I know this because I walk rail trails here and they are set to no more than 4%.

So, the machine starts out at a very slow pace. I increase the speed to 2.5 which is a slow walk for me. I want to warm up, so I start out slow and work up to faster speeds. Anyway, I do this for about 5 minutes, and the machine beeps to tell me it's going to change. I glance down and the machine tells me it is going to increase my speed to 4.5 mph. I exclaim "holy s***" and plant my left foot on the side rail followed by the right foot.
I then go to shut the machine down and start over. In the meantime, the gurus hear my exclamation and come running to help. How many gyms do you know of that people will run over to help you? Not any that I've been to.
Anyway, I reset the machine and end up doing 30 minutes at speeds from 2.5 to 3.5 at the same grades as listed above. They have an automatic heart rate monitor on the handles, so I watched my rate go up to 147, and I kept it there for most of the workout. I varied things to make sure I kept everything where I wanted it.
After I finished that, I did weight machines. I am working to help the gurus rewrite the papers so I can record my results better. The way it's set up now is not very efficient. This makes it difficult to see improvement.
I next went onto the elliptical and ran that for 10 minutes, again keeping my heart rate up around the 147. Since I had already done a lot, keeping my heart rate up didn't take as much effort.
Oh yeah, after each machine, I walk around a bit. If you haven't felt the effects of re-gaining your footing, you should try the moving machines! I walk around until my legs work again. Until then, I walk very carefully...and funny!
Looking back to last month, I have made much progress. I couldn't do more than 5 minutes on the elliptical, and no more than 10 minutes on the treadmill at much slower speeds.
I feel good!

The day before work

I have been enjoying the freedom to work at my own pace at things I want/need to do this summer. It's a privilege not too many people have, except for teachers, school bus drivers, and the rich. There are others also. I just don't feel like thinking too much about them right now.

So, I have worked on my body and mind. My mind is worthless (not really) and my body is improving. I don't know how much I have lost in weight since the beginning of the summer, just what I have lost in total. 100 pounds.
I have been stuck at 205 most of the past month. I have started working out, and still do more aerobics than weight training. I plan to do both in excess soon.

So, tomorrow I start driving the school bus again. Actually, on Friday, I started by picking up a student who is lucky enough to go to a private school. It is a very progressive school with a college type curriculum. The student seems smart and is very friendly.

I started out the beginning of last week with one route, as I said in a previous post, and managed to get back to a small bus that I can take home with me.

I now have 3 schools that I will cover for my district. I still don't know how many kids I will transport, or where they all live. I ran the route yesterday (Saturday) to see the houses on my list so far. I found out one thing that I don't really like, but it will be OK I think. That is, I have to go past the private school in the afternoon and take all the other kids home, and then go back to that school to pick the student up. This means a lot more travel and more time. If I could get them all at once it would be fine. But, the school doesn't let out until much later than the other schools. Now on the positive side, the private school has longer breaks during the year than the other school, so there will be times when I won't have to go at all. And that school lets out a whole month earlier than the other schools.

In addition to 3 different schedules that I have to coordinate, I have to be aware of the weather. If the home school district has a delay due to weather, then I delay. If they have off, I have off. This may cause some friction with parents, but I don't have nay control over that. You see, the home school district is quite a distance from the area I will be going to and that means the weather conditions may be different.

So tomorrow, I will go to 2 of the 3 schools to and from with 2 students I think. The other school doesn't start until September 9th due to construction at the school. They will also go until at least the middle of June since they start so late.

The fun part will be checking the schedule every morning to make sure which kids I have and what schools. Then, I hope I don't screw it up. Oh, I forgot to mention one student will be here for two weeks, and then has two weeks off. If you can imagine juggling with an odd number of balls, you might get a handle on this.

Did I also mention that some students will only ride home with me? I will drop them off at someones house because I won't have time to take them all the way home.

But, I get to take the bus home with me, so that is good!

Next:
I am starting to get serious about getting out of debt so I contacted someone to help me do that. I may talk about it in depth another time.

Next:
I am reading more recipes and am going to try something with beef or chicken in a stew that doesn't use breading, beans, or potatoes as it's filler. I want to be able to crock pot it so I can store it. I bought more containers for that purpose. Our new freezer in the fridge has more storage so I will be able to mix and match stuff. One of the ideas is something Mexican in nature, such as a taco mixture with veggies.
One more thing is that I decided to look into alternate meat, such as Buffalo. I've heard that it is good and lower in fat than regular beef.
If you have any ideas, let me know.

I left the stairwell for last in my painting project, so sometime this week I will finish it. I also have a few more things to move from the back bedroom and the closet. I could use one of those organizers for the closets, but don't have the funds just yet, so I will leave that alone.

And, I am still in the planning stages for my guitar/voice project. I think I will work on that too.

Other than that, I need to lose 10 more pounds this month and 40 after that before I can say I'm finished with weight loss and move to maintenance.

That's it for now.