Me and My Boy!

On Sunday I had a great time hanging out with my son. My daughter was invited to a birthday party so while she was hanging out with her friends I had 3 hours to spend with Alexander. I really enjoyed watching him get excited over the different activities at the Betty Brinn Children's museum. I realized that I don't do that enough with him. I think I am going to start that more.

Weight Loss Challege Update!

Alright I have calculated the information and I now have the winner for round 2 Weight Loss Challenge. Thank you for all those who participated. The results were not that pretty. We had a total of 5 people involved in the challenge and only 2 of them actually lost weight. I guess the rest wanted to donate to the winner.

The Winner is ...........Mike Childers.......come on down you have won the event. So those of us who are losers we will need fork over the money and I will be contacting you individually. And those of us who see Mike will get to hear all the gloating for his victory. You know we only have ourselves to blame for that one. I am up for round 3 if we have any takers. With which I will destroy you all. I was thinking a Thanksgiving to Easter challenge.

We have Finally Moved!

I have finally moved into and closed on a house in Wisconsin. I will work on how to get pictures posted. Maybe if Brain comes over on Saturday I can have him help me. I have noticed some interesting things through the moving process.

1. Pick-n-Save is basically the only Grocery store in the area.
2. I bought a house with a yard that takes me 2+ hours to mow.
3. Unpacking is not very fun.
4. I didn't know I had that ? is an expression that has run ramped around my house.
5. The other expression is Where have you seen that?
6. I still can't find 2 seat cushions
7. Waiting for services is similar to waiting for a flight
8. I am still trying to figure our why I didn't throw aways some things
9. I like having a personal computer
10. I don't think I will be moving again......maybe......

Patterns

Well it has now been about 2 Months since beginning the relocation from South Carolina to Wisconsin. I can say that I can't get into a pattern here. Mostly because I am separated from my family. I truly find it amazing as I reflect how my family grounds me. I miss dynamic that family life offers. I have a a good chance to reflect upon myself. Which is not very fun because my flaws get magnified (which there are so many). I know this is good for me in some ways, but I am hoping that will change soon. I need to establish a pattern that is better that the one I am in now.

Disk Golf - What fun

I was just sick and tired of sitting in my apartment watching TV. I found if very difficult and expensive to bring my golf clubs so I did the next best thing. I took a $25.oo gift certificate from a captain's choice golf outing that I helped my team win and purchased 3 golf disks. I have now gone out 2 times. Now if you would have said to me that you could get sore from throwing a golf disk I would have laughed at you ..... However I stand corrected as it feels like I pitched back to back baseball games. My arm is hanging so low it is dragging on the floor. But I wouldn't change a thing. Where else can you enjoy a nature setting, compete (against yourself and others) and play basically for free. Who wants to play!

She did it!

I am a proud Dad. My daughter can now ride her bike without training wheels. She was ready and determined. I could not help her at all. I could only watch. She was riding on her own after 2 outings. A good thing is that we didn't have any scraped knees as she was learning.

Weight Challege Update

Round 02 is underway and I can say I have already had some good success. I think mostly it is because I just ate way too much on Memorial Day and my body has now adjusted. I almost ate what I wrote. Oh yeah it was good. I had a starting weight of 225. I have a goal of 185 lbs for this round. So that would mean (Kyle needs to lose 45 lbs, Brain needs to lose 44 lbs, Mike needs to loose 38 lbs, and not sure what Jon needs to lose). Wish you well boys....I have a feeling I am going to be looking out my rear view mirror.

Technology

Boy I have recently realized how much I use technology. I am transitioning to a new job which has made access to a computer to do personal things almost impossible. I can say I really don't like that. I am dependent on my usage of a computer. Well hopefully next week I will get my laptop and things will be better.

Round 02 - Are you in?

Well it is just about that time that I said I would propose Round 02 weight loss challenge. Before I get into that I will recap round 01. Well there was me.....and me looking in my rear view mirror occasionally.

I am expecting some stiffer competition this round.

So here are the ground rules for round 02.

Who is eligible: Men Only (Family and Friends)

When can you enter: Any time up to labor day, but your chances will be better the sooner you participate.

Round 02 will begin on Memorial day and end on Labor day

So on Memorial Day after you have finished your 5th brat, 2 hamburgers, 3 pieces of corn on the cob and consume a 1/2 gallon of root beer, jump on the scale and weight yourself. If you are Brian then the scale may read 350 - 400 lbs.....J.K. We will be using the honor system when recording the weight. Although we have no reporting requirement, I would like to record the starting and ending weights. You can let everyone know your progress or you don't have to say a word. Although it would be nice for each of us to hold each other accountable. You all know I will never stop jawing and I expect the same from you.

How do you win the challenge?
We will be doing this on a % of weight loss defined as:
((Memorial Day weight - Labor Day weight) / Memorial day weight) X 100%

What is at stake?
Bragging rights are of course the first thing, a trophy and then losers will chip in and buy dinner for the winner and their spouse. I almost forgot about the fact that you will get to be humiliated by me after I win!

You don't have to do this but I recommend that you donate to your local food pantry equal to the weight you lose.

Remember this is more about changing a lifestyle then loosing weight. Please use caution when choosing a weight loss plan.

So who is in??????

W - Time

Getting closer to the date when I will be in Wisconsin. Selling a house is a ton of work. I have come to realize that I don't like painting. I already knew this, but these past two weeks have confirmed it indefinitely. I will in the future take a serious look at how much it would cost to hire it out. I have painted 5 areas, and in just one room I primed twice and put 2 finishing coats on it. I have once come across that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Painting is insane.

On a positive side I finally broke down and purchased a power washer. That of course did mean I washed the entire outside of the house. So much fun, but so little time to use it.

I am always looking for what God is trying to teach me. There is nothing like it when God starts to smack you around. I think I am being refined in patience and being a more humble servant through this . Well off to clean out the garage a little tonight or maybe I need to put more things into the attic storage.....anyway the list keeps growing, the the power of the energizer bunny. I know that the end is coming soon, when I will be sitting in my house somewhere in Wisconsin sipping sweet root beer pulled right from the tap. Ahhhhhhhhhhh good times....good times.

Graduation

Well my daughter is growing up. On Friday she walked across the stage and picked up her diploma......O.K. it was not high school but she did get her diploma from kindergarten. It seems like just yesterday when I was holding her in my arms and rocking her to sleep. Of course those days are gone and I am the only one napping during the day. I am looking forward to seeing what she will become in the future. It will be such a wonderful ride on the roller coaster of life. And as these first few years have gone by, I know one day soon I will be sitting in the audience and she will be getting that high school diploma.

We are Moving

Well it is official....We are moving back to Wisconsin. This of course is bitter sweet because I do like it down here. In a tribute to the south I am going to compile a list of things I liked about the south.

1. Sweet Tea (not the north kind of sweet tea)
2. Winter Sunny Days
3. No shoveling snow
4. Crepe Myrtles
5. Peaches that can be picked from a tree
6. Christmas Parades
7. Pace of Life
8. Chick-Fil-A
9. Friendly People
10. Did I mention Sweet Tea.....

And I will also list the things that I won't miss

1. Snakes
2. BIG BEEs
3. My Children picking up an accent
4. Super Hot Summers
5. The fact I could not find a good brand of bread
6. NASCAR Junk
7. Water restrictions
8. Far away from family

Sweet Root Beer

Now, I am not sure how many know this but I challenged my brother and father in-law to a little weight loss competition. We started on January 1st and ended April 1st. I won't comment on the magnitude of my victory......... but I will say I will be drinking some sweet Sprecher root beer. A big factor to losing the weight was because we had First Place class at my church. Glory to God that a study was provided that encouraged me to keep the motivation when others...well dropped out. So far I have lost 30 lbs since the beginning of the year. To my brother in law....Get R Done. Round II will be proposed when I get back the dairy and cheese land.

My Driving

I was driving to see my daughters dancing recital today and I was confronted with a person who was not driving very well. Why is it that every time I get in the car I am surrounded by those who really don't know how to drive. I am still looking into the theory that has something to do with the water in the South.....hmmmm.....I may be next. I of course had to let this person know they are not driving well. No expletives, but the actions and temperament we extremely hostel. After the said incident, for some reason I reflected on the fact that my son was in the car with me. Then started to think this is going to come back to me in some way. It only took about 6 hours later before I saw that hostility and anger towards me. Let say my son would give Bobby Knight a run for throwing chairs. Now I know all this is not because I had road rage in the car.......but I know it didn't help. This is a good reminder that eyes and ears are always watching.

She Got Me!

As I was folding laundry tonight in my room, I felt a sting at the center of my back and then a giggle. My daughter hit me from about 10 feet away squarely in the back with a foam ball. A nice arm at 5 that I would feel such a sting. I am so proud of her. In part because if her strong arm, but more importantly the game has changed. Usually I am the one who initiates the ball throwing in the house(normally trying the patients of my wonderful wife). Now, I am now going to have to be on the look out for balls that could be flying at any moment......And I love it.

The Yo Yo

I was walking past my daughter's room and I noticed a Yo Yo. A Duncan Yo Yo is the only way to go. Of course I could not resist the temptation to slip the loop of string onto my finger. After about 1/2 hour of fun and excitement making Yo Yo go up and down. I start to think of my life as the Yo Yo. I am the Yo Yo, God is the Hand and the string is my relationship/connection with God. As I flicked the Yo Yo I noticed it was spinning really fast. I started to think this is my hectic life. The life I perceive that I want. I also noticed the travel of the Yo Yo. The Yo Yo was either moving away or toward my hand and at different rates of speed. I started to reflect that I move toward God and also away from God and at different speeds. I then started to do the only trick I know with the Yo Yo which is walking the dog. You know the one where the string is out and the Yo Yo is spinning at the end of the line. This looks like my life when I am taking control. I also noticed that the only way for the Yo Yo to get back up was for my hand to pull up slightly. The Yo Yo came back to the hand where the spinning stopped. This is just like God pulling me and I finally slow down and listen. The last thought I pondered was just like playing with the Yo Yo - life should be fun. I will unfortunately move away from God, but he will try to pull me back. No matter what I should rejoice in all and have fun!!!

A "D" Golfer

Recently I was on a men's retreat and I was classified as a D golfer.......I think I have finally come to grips with this. I mean there is A, B, C and .......D. OK maybe I have not come to grips with this completely. Maybe the golfers are better in the Carolinas (that is my story and I am going to stick to it).

However, I know I will not move the needle and become a C golfer because
I don't have the money to spend on Golf
I don't want to spend the time
I can honestly say I didn't care if I hit a bad shot

What I do know.
I still can drive the ball straight down the fairway over 300+ yards.
Sparks coming off the driver is cool.
I had fun being the D golfer because no one was depending on my shot - I could always say what did you expect, I am the D golfer.
Captain’s choice was really fun.
You get a good chance to know someone when you are sharing a golf cart for 4 hours
I enjoyed being out and looking at small part of what God created.
Yellow pine pollen is bad.
I still like to drive a golf cart like a go-Cart
I am still drawn to splashing in puddles
Rocks are bad for golf clubs

I have moved into the 21st Century

George Jetson move over.....I have finally leaped into the 21st century. The main reason is because I wanted to comment on others sites….but I have done it. Sometimes it is not what caused the event but the end results. I am now dangerous because I have a keyboard and I know how to use it…….well most days.