melog-20110206.log.0

For all the cleaning up that I did, you wouldn't think I had stayed up all night playing Jade Empire. I played until I was ready to reach the Imperial City. I'm trying to build a character that reaches to at least level 24 in ability stats. I keep stalling out at level 23-- yet still nowhere close to my goal.

I played from late Saturday evening until mid-day today. I took a nap, and got up and exercised.

My game play was interupted around 01:00 Sunday morning by my daughter waking up and vomitimg on the carpet. Of course, I tended to her for a bit and cleaned up that mess too. (yuck!)

She seems fine now, but we're keeping an eye on her. She seems to get a fever off and on. We give her some medicne. She plays, but wont eat.

We'll see. Might be visiting the doctor tomorrow.

melog-20110206.log

Well, the start of week 6 is underway. I did a massive cleanup around the house. Things run more smoothly with order surrounding you.

My daughter seems to be getting sick again. We weren't as strict as we needed to be with he medicine, I fear. So, we may have to give her stronger amti-biotics as a result. She made giving her the medicine veey difficult.

I got my workout finished must as the super bowl was coming on. I'm no all that into it this year. But, I.m catching a few plays here amd there.

Gotta run to the store. My wife is starting to eat healthy with me, so I gotta pick up some items from the store.

I hope this week goes well for the both of us.

So far so good.

melog-20110204.log

I had a good week #5. I can see myself looking and feeling better every day. I had the great fortune of getting a samsung galaxy s. I might be able to keep up with my bloging a little better now.

melog-20110131.log

starting week number five. i've practically have a month behind me now. this has kept me very busy. i hardly have time to post any more.

nevertheless-- so far, so good. I still don't have my daily routine down just like I want it, but I'm hanging in there.

I've feeling a bit better every time I workout, and my wife admits that she sees a difference in the way I look. I haven't gone down any pants sizes or anything . . . but my close are starting to fall on me a bit better.

but, the reason for exercising and eating better isn't for reaching a specific goal in size or weight-- for the pursuit of healthy living is the goal, not a pants size or a particular body shape. those things will come on their own in time.

so then, losing weight is not the goal. healthy living is. and to practice healthy living-- it must be done every day. so then, there is no goal, but the routine itself.

much like saying, home is not the destination, rather, the journey itself is home.

i think my diligence has spurred my wife to action. she went to the gym this morning and prepared some healthy meals for herself. i'm proud of her and i'm glad to have a hand in inspiring hope in her.

now, slowly, I've gotta get my kids to do better-- in time. they are kids, after all.

speaking of kids-- my son sprained his wrist and my daughter got a really nasty sinus infection-- all at the same time on the same day. I had to visit two doctors (one of each child-- one being and injury and the other an infection). I spent hours at the pharmacy. I was pooped by the end of the day.

but, if i hadn't been trying to live healthier, i don't think i would have kept up as well as I did. So, here's to healthy living.

hopefully, i can keep this up. i know it's very easy to go back to old habits. so, that's sort of why i'm documenting this-- keeping myself honest, i suppose.

and any readers out there are welcome to help me with that, too.

melog-20110126.log

My day started off well enough. I woke up in time to get the kids off to school. They seemed to be dealing with a lot of congestion, sneezing, and runny noses. I gave them some over the counter meds and a breathing treatment from their nebulizer and sent them off to catch the bus.

I did my upper body workout. I can see myself improving. I know, I'm still out of shape, but I can tell I'm making improvements.

That made me feel really good; I thought I was enjoying the great beginning of what would a great day.

I had spent last night transferring a Linux install from a usb thumb drive to my lap top hard drive using a program called Terabyte Unlimited. Cool program.

By the way . . . if you value your computer at all to any degree at all, make sure you have an anti-virus program (that is up to date, and not expired) and have a backup plan.

I was really enjoying my success.

Then I tried to use my laptop to install a 64-bit version of Linux to my usb thumb drive to replace the version that I just installed to my laptop.

The install DVD started "examining" the disks for some reason.

It took forever, so, I cancelled it.

And, I also seemed to cancel all the data on my laptop, too.

Lucky for me, I could just apply the disk image again.

But, something came up at work that forced me to have to do put that off until later.

I ran across several other obsticals throughout the day, but I seemed to meet them all. The day was tough, but I was coming out ahead.

I'm getting ready to come home, and then I get a call from my wife that my son fell and hurt his wrist. And, my daughter has a fever.

Both of them will be seeing the doctor in the morning.

Knowing that I'll have to spend a good deal of time and money (along with watching the kids endure great discomfort) has seemed to take some of the wind out of my sail.

Oh well . . .

melog-20110123.log

Well, this is the beginning of week four. I've decided to move my rest day from Sunday to Saturday. So, that means that Saturday is the day I don't exercise, and I don't worry about counting calories or eating healthy.

I notice that the longer I eat healthy, the harder it is to over eat when I allow myself to eat with reckless abandon on my free day.

So far, so good. Forty-eight weeks to go for this year.

My wife noticed that our daughter was choosing to play rather than go use the bathroom. My wife cautioned her that is she didn't go use the rest room, her "boo boo" would get bigger.

With grave concern in her voice, my five year old daughter replied, "Is it going to explode?!"

Kids say (and ask) the darnedest things.

melog-20110121.log

I'm three weeks into the year now. More or less, I've eaten better and exercised more. As a result, I haven't had much time to post anything.

I haven't been perfect with everything, though. Sometimes, I miss a workout or make a poor choice with eating. But, most days, I've done well.

I've learned that, for example, if I get a chicken sandwich, rather than a double cheese burger, I can cut out several hundred calories. The same goes with holding the fries or making a substitution with another side.

But, I try to only eat fast foods on Saturdays. All other days, I'm making sandwiches, cooking at home, or eating Kashi granola bars, or drinking a whey protein shake.

I notice that I get full much sooner, now. When I do eat out on a Saturday-- I can only make one good trip to the bar at the Chinese buffet rather than three. If I do get a hamburger on the weekend, I can't finish all my fries-- especially if I went to Five Guys Burgers and Fries. They give you a massive amount of fries. I could usually eat them all. Now, I have to throw most of them away if I order them on my "cheat" day.

I have to go home soon and work out. I overslept and didn't get the chance to exercise before work.

I tell you what-- it's hectic. And the first two weeks had me really whipped out! But, today, I have to say, I feel pretty good. I don't feel as "tight" and I don't feel quite so sluggish. I feel a bit lighter on my feet and little things like getting up from the floor after working on a computer low to the ground, or just getting out of a low sitting chair is much easier.

I picked up my daughter and held her up in my arms for over 30 minutes and didn't really get fatigued.

Little things like that make a big difference.

Tomorrow, I think I'll take my mom out to this really awesome catfish place we love to eat at from time to time for her birthday. Then, I'll end the evening with some of that fine Belgium Chocolate cake I ran across a few weeks ago.

Then, I walk the "straight and narrow" again for the next six days-- watching my calories and eating as healthily as I can.

Then, I'll look up one day and be my ideal weight and in perfect health. That's when I'll go jogging one day and get smashed by a car!