Status at the Moment

Various thoughts on where I'm with my life



Words
Reading and writing are at a virtual standstill. I've been pondering which direction to go at this time and believe I've come up with the right path at this time. Always subject to change, of course, but I need to press onward regardless of the events going around me. I've read many an article/journal/blog entry of folks severely injured/ill, both physically and emotionally, and they continued to write. And one of my role-models is Helen Keller. If she can do it (i.e., read and write), I really have no excuse.


Weights
I have gained weight (see the end for the specific figure.) Normally I wouldn't be concerned except that this time my clothes have been affected. I had to buy new shirts due to my neck increasing. I had promised myself never to let that happen; if it did, my weight becomes a major priority in my life again. I have inherited too many conditions (e.g., heart attack, cancers, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.) to ignore it. Changes already implemented include increased cardio, planned weight-training sessions, and--hardest of all--a shift in my diet. The latter, though, is not as hard as it used to be. I successfully lost thirty pounds with this plan with minimum willpower. Well, except for desserts. Grrr. That's going to be difficult.

Oh, and my weight's currently 210 pounds. Shrug. I'm more worried that my neck has grown from 16 1/2 to 17 1/2.


Whatever

The HDTV and digital cable are distracting. Argh! Got...to...avoid...the...remote----

Families and friends are doing well. Going to see the former (specifically, the parental figures) shortly. What sad with seeing them or even my sibs is that we share very little common interests. Much of the conversation boils down to either latest medical procedure or how our friends are doing. Ah, well.

Quite different with friends. Two, G. and C., I see on a weekly basis. They read far more than I do; they also keep me informed on the latest movie and star-scandals. Just kidding! We could easily converse for hours.

Spending time with spouse, though, is the lion's share of my time. Weekends are exclusively our own. And we have fun: attend conventions; see movies; check out the bookstore; watch DVDs together; etc., all the things happy couples do together.

Ack! I just remembered. Our 11th "first meeting" anniversary is coming up! Oh, better go shopping. Hmmm. Roses...?

Random for the Day

My Word with Douglas E. Welch

An interesting site with no angst. Cool!

The "Father of Soul" moves on

Music Icon Ray Charles Dies in California at Age 73

Catchup

Wow. It's been a while since I've entered anything substantial. LOTS to share. Unfortunately, I've forgotten much of them. I'll enter what I remember and add on more in later entries.

Late May we attended an anime festival held locally. Interesting. Because the industry has been moving to CGI for some time, hand-drawn cells have become scarce. Many sellers were pitching their stock for sale; the business was too expensive to continue. We bought over 5k of cells. Sigh.

I joined my family down in San Diego also in late May. R. was on-call and couldn't attend. Mom's looking good: the latest heart prob scared her enough to really consider her weight. I think, also, the birth of my nephew (her grandchild) has also affected her. Wonder now if she's waiting for my second sister (the youngest) to have a child.

Moving on. I, my dad, his sister, and one of my sisters visited Sea World. Lots of people. I also got slightly burnt and tanned. We also celebrated my b-day (post party) as well.

I've been working out more these past few weeks. All cardio at the moment. I had been eating substantially since my b-day and checked the results weeks later: four new pounds. Ugh. While the number doesn't sound substantial, the impact on my clothes is: I had to buy new shirts since my neck had grown. I'm continuing the cardio and plan to resume weight-training shortly.

Diet goes hand-in-hand with exercise. I do the food shopping for the household and have made some changes in purchases. More greens, no dairy (replaced by soy), and substantially less snack stuff (e.g., candies, pastries, etc.) R. heartily approves though I cringe at the total prices. Eating healthy is expensive. But we know it'll be worth it in the long run.

Probably notice nothing on reading and writing. Nothing to report, unfortunately. Stopped reading all my books and haven't filled any writing media (i.e., this blog, notebooks, etc.) for weeks. I attribute much of it to the most substantial change in our househould: 50" HDTV and digital cable. The latter, especially, has been dangerous. We've finally found shows that we like. Rarity these days. (Free) Feature On Demand is especially dangerous. I agree with R: it's hard to watch movies on regular television after watching...hmmm...Titanic or Shrek...on an HDTV screen.

But the siren song to write--however distant--keeps persisting. I've been jotting notes here and there and have come up with an (old) solution. Results to be posted shortly.

Been working at my new job for the third week now. This week will be my first complete week since the prior two were shortened due to holidays or the city's work schedule (e.g., every other Friday off.) The workload has so far been...light...as I learn my duties. Opinions and more substantial news to be provided later.

Overall, life's goin' well at the moment.

Humor (sort of) True or False

Yes, I know the following is filler. Please be patient; I've got lots to share. I am a writer.



Can you guess which of the following are true and which are false?

1. Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.
2. Alfred Hitchcock didn't have a belly button.
3. A pack-a-day smoker will lose approximately 2 teeth every 10 years.
4. People do not get sick from cold weather; it's from being indoors a lot
more.
5. When you sneeze, all bodily functions stop, even your heart!
6. Only 7 per cent of the population are lefties.
7. Forty people are sent to the hospital for dog bites every minute.
8. Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until they are 2-6
years old.
9. The average person over 50 will have spent 5 years waiting in lines.
10. The toothbrush was invented in 1498.
11. The average housefly lives for one month.
12. 40,000 Americans are injured by toilets each year.
13. A coat hanger is 44 inches long when straightened.
14. The average computer user blinks 7 times a minute.
15. Your feet are bigger in the afternoon than any other time of day.
16. Most of us have eaten a spider in our sleep.
17. The REAL reason ostriches stick their head in the sand is to search for water.
18. The only two animals tha! t can see behind themselves without turning
their heads are the rabbit and the parrot.
19. John Travolta turned down the starring roles in "An Officer and a
Gentleman" and "Tootsie."
20. Michael Jackson owns the rights to the South Carolina State anthem.
21. In most television commercials advertising milk, a mixture of white paint and a little thinner is used in place of the milk.
22. Prince Charles and Prince William NEVER travel on the same airplane,
just in case there is a crash.
23. The first Harley Davidson motorcycle built in 1903 used a tomato can
for a carburetor.
24. Most hospitals make money by selling the umbilical cords cut from women who give birth. They are used in vein transplant surgery.
25. Humphrey Bogart was related to Princess Diana. They were 7th cousins.
26. If coloring weren't added to Coca-Cola, it would be green.




They are all true....Now go back and think about #16