A Beautiful Sunday

The kids were up late last night playing Donkey Kong on the Wii, much to my delight, listening to them pound on three sets of Bongo drums which are the custom controller for this game, which with three kinds beating on them can create a hellish racket! I was up until around 1AM, and retired, awakening around 9AM.

Looking out the window I could see it's a wonderful sunny day today and the temps should hit 70's easily. Later the X is coming over and we shall make some nice grilled steak rubbed with a savory spice mixture, some corn on the cob, and a salad! Sauteed onions and mushrooms are a possibility as well as Sunday is the day I get to eat 2000 calories instead of 1600. Plus, she is paid for the food! Again I say Whoo hoo!

I did my blood sugar and went on the computer and ending up ordering a new toy I had been tracking on e-bay since Friday; not a Shelby Mustang which is my long term toy fantasy... but and HP Digital Entertainment PC (model Z556). New they were going for about 1.5K last year. A picture is below:



I got a factory refurbished one for $499, and added a two year warranty for $61 more. It's a good warranty too, if they can't fix it they send you a check for your full purchase price.

While scrolling down all the e-bay matches for Z556 I noticed they have $80 1GB memory modules for this thing too, I may just go that route as well, particularly as searching elsewhere, the lowest price I could find for the module was around $130.

Now I can finally remove my noisy full-tower PC (which has 5 cooling fans) from the entertainment system and put it back in my downstairs office. I can then put all the shelves back in the leftmost cabinet of entertainment center. Again with the Whoo Hoo! I had been pricing surplus small form factor systems and parts for the past 10 months in an effort to do this, and I could not build something comparable for less than what I just paid. I've also been visiting e-bay during this time period too.

Scott got up while I was riding the exercise bike (Danielle was already downstairs on the computer when I got up at 9; I had heard her get us which is what woke me) and I told him in a few he could drive mt down to the pharmacy to pick up my three prescriptions thus getting some drive time. He drove much better, though, believe it or not, once again he was getting uncomfortably close to the tree across the street while backing up out of my driveway.

Once we arrived at the pharmacy he realized he had forgotten his wallet, so, after we picked up my meds and some M&M's for him, I ended up driving back and stopped at Forest Hills Foods for a few staples and to cash in some bottles and cans.

The X soon arrived as I had the mushrooms and onions cooking and we chatted about her job (her partner is giving her a real hard time) and then we interspersed watching Supernatural with making dinner. We also chatted about Christopher's upcoming high school graduation.

Scott reminded me he wanted to buy a sword (yes, you read right, my 15 year old needs a sword...) and we talked that over with his Mom. Scott does a lot of flash and filming and wants to use the sword as a prop, so I sent the seller on e-bay a query as to the sharpness of this particular item.


This is the Sword that Scott wants!!

Filming or not, 15 year old children with friends and swords is just an accident waiting to happen!

The five of us settled down to dinner which was was awesome; the Delmonico steaks were rubbed with a blend called 'Montreal Style Steak' and were grilled to perfection, along with a nice mixed salad and corn on the cob.

Instead of making the onions the way I used to with a lot of fat and oil, I simmered them in lo sodium broth with some spices for 30 minutes they poured off almost all the liquid (did that with the mushrooms too) in another pot. Then, after dinner the leftover onions and mushrooms went in there. later this evening I will add a slice or two of Swiss cheese and have some french onion style soup!

Scott headed over to his mom's because a friend ended up going there early and then she and I watched the rest of Supernatural before she, Chris, and Danielle headed back a few minutes before 3. In an hour or so will be the next ride on the exercise bike, I think i will see if I can do a whole session instead of a half.

Weeds Be Gone, Green Be Gone, Bugs Be Gone, Bucks Be Gone!

I had the kids last night until around 7:30 (and fed them dinner too). For them I got MCD's (Scott rode with me) and for myself I made some 98% Fat Free Bologna roll ups. using the flat breads I was able to made three nice fat roll ups with bologna, a tbsp of Kraft Free Miracle Whip, sliced Tomatoes, and shredded lettuce. It was very good, I was actually full.

After the kids left I did some time on the PC, and watched some TV. I was a bit bummed because a vendor had offered me two tickets to the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra performing the music Pink Floyd with a back up Rock group, and I offered to take the X as she and I have been long time fans. She could not go because she had an appointment and did not want to let her partner handle it alone, and, because it was only a days notice I could not find anyone worthy of taking...and I could not just take one ticket so I had to pass. Sigh! That sucked!

I went to bed around midnight relishing the fact that I did NOT NOT NOT have to get up early this morning! I slept soundly and had some very strange dreams featuring the X's Mom and Dad, and the X's sister (which is weird because she does NOT have a sister) and they were very strange! I'll let you think about what that might mean.....

I awoke this AM around 6, said to heck with that and went back to sleep until around 9:30. I love when there is nothing pressing to get you out of bed. I did my blood sugar, had a nutrition shake, cleaned up the house a bit (much more to do) and headed out to Lowe's to get supplies for my work outside the house. I stopped at CompUSA on the way back, they only have another week or so to go before the store is gone for good, but, it was pointless. They still had the same discount level as last weekend.

I headed home, put on my clod hoppers and some crappy clothes (even crappier than my day to day crappy clothes if you can believe that!) and headed outside.

I've mentioned before the lady who used to own this house had gardens all over the place. Front of the house, both sides of the house, and in the back corner of the yards. I will not, cannot play kneel down and weed these suckers with my back, so like last year I got some weed-be-gone in a pump up gallon jug. This is then sprayed in the garden areas to kill the weeds and hopefully leave the flowers alive. It's supposed to last up to four months (last years formulation of the same brand said 3 months). We shall see how it looks come end of July! Weeds had already started growing, so hard to believe two weeks ago there was snow on the ground, so I treated all the areas, which includes both sides of the path I am going to describe below.

In the back garden there is a small C shaped little path of brick, and going from the left side of garage all the way to the dining room slider in back of the house, there is a path of pebbles (not the fruity kind) with larger circular stones placed in them. While it looks very nice, this freaking path, if left alone, becomes like a mutant rain forest area! With all the run off from the sloped roof keeping it so well watered, you get weeds literally 6 feet tall! Last year I treated it with the three month weed-be-gone, and by mid-July the rain forest was in bloom again (I swear I hear jungle drums back there some days!).

This year, instead of weed-be-gone, I got a new product I like to call all-life-be-gone which purports to kill any growing thing for up to 12 months! I got two gallons of that and it was just enough for all the paths. I anxiously await the results going forward.

As if this was not enough fun, in previously years I have been plagued with invasions of tiny ants each spring, so this year I got a gallon pump jug of bugs-be-gone. This has to be sprayed in a one foot barrier around the foundations and all doorways. it will be nice to see if the spider invasion by the front door I get each year is thwarted by this!

The one thing I forget is what I call this whole process, which is bucks-be-gone because all this cost me about $70.

That done, I headed inside, got cleaned up, had another shake, and decided to take a blog break before riding the exercise bike as the past three hours of activity had tired me bit. While I was typing I heard my garage door open, my son and Taylor and entered so Taylor could use my phone as they were in the area and Taylor had to get picked up somewhere else, and they left!

I took a half hour break (maybe more) to IM with my good friend over in the UK before finishing and posting this entry. Off to ride the bike and then enjoy a nice hot shower!

Diabetes Dreaming

I had the first class of Diabetes education and self management at the medical center yesterday. This was a three hour class. The first thing they do is hit you with a four page test about diabetes. I think this is to teach you how little you really know on the subject, and, they will repeat it on the last class to make sure you have learned how ignorant you were!

They went over all the bad things that can happen to you, symptomology, pharmacology and such, and started the nutrition module. They talked about the percentages of people in the class that would eventually end up on medication (virtually everyone) and those who would be using insulin, close to 70%. There were lots of interesting facts, such as when your blood sugar is high enough to classify you as a diabetic, you have lost 50% of the cells in your pancreas that produce insulin.

You also had to sign up for one of 7 different things you could do to help your condition. I chose the physical activity module. My progress will be tracked each class to see how well I have stuck to my goal. I chose this because I learned that exercise is very important in diabetes management. I have been riding my exercise bike every day for almost five weeks now, and am up to 21 minutes (3.5 miles). Last night I also added a half session an hour after dinner. I did 11 minutes and will do this every other night for more exercise and to help burn additional calories.

I learned too, that, if you have to have diabetes, this is an excellent area to have it as far as care goes. The Metro Health facilities are all accredited in diabetes treatment and management and all doctors are required to be up on all the latest treatments and options, and the management of their diabetic patients.

We also have to religiously record our blood sugar readings and food intake over the next week. They really stressed the blood sampling.....and that must have stuck in my mind, that, and my experiences last Saturday with son Scott's driving of my Mustang. I have been having more and more trouble getting to sleep lately, much on my mind about my health, work with the new company, and other things, but, finally after midnight I did, and I had a very strange dream...... (picture one of the fuzzy warping dream sequences effects you see on TV here........)

The three kids, the X, and I (which is no mean feat considering the Mustang barely seats four) were driving in the Mustang on our way to the mall. As I had mentioned I had told Scott after the 'kill a tree incident' that when I yelled STOP he should just slam on the brakes and stop the vehicle. So, as we drove more and more on our way to the mall, he kept shooting through stop streets and red lights ignoring my STOP commands. This was interspersed periodically by my daughter Danielle reminding me I had to test my blood sugar and handing me my lancing device that I use to draw blood.

The first time she did this it was the normal size that the device is in real life. Each time after that it was getting bigger and bigger, where, finally, as we were pulling into the mall to part is was the size of a baseball bat, and the actual needle part, which you can't even normally see, what the side of one of those huge nails you would use to hang gutters on the house!

My son screeched into the parking lot at the mall, the car actually crashed through the railing at the front of the car, and plunged us down to the next level where the Mustang landed on other cars. We all climbed out and I was yelling at my son, and he was crying, while the X was berating me for yelling since the Mustang, which to my perceptions was totally smashed and wrecked beyond repair, was barely scratched. Meanwhile my son continued to cry, calling me mean and accusing me of not loving him, and the rest of them kept staring at me greatly. At this point the dream shifted to Danielle and I looking for everyone else to have lunch, and I finally awoke.

Strange dream eh??

On closing, I would really like to thank my brother and his wife for all their support! I don't know how I would get through this without you both!

A Trip to Wendy's

Life.....on a diabetic weight loss diet....the final frontier......

I am on a 1600 calorie a day diet (though every fourth day I am allowed 2000). I am supposed to do no more than 2000 mg sodium though less is better and NO caffeine. I may have 60-65 grams of carbohydrates with each meal and 15 with each snack (3 snacks a day)

It has been quite the lifestyle change over the past month for me. Simple things like no soda at work because of the caffeine so I drink water all day are hard getting used to. I HATE water but I drink it, every hour on the hour.

Eating out is a chore, since the kids kind of demand that some nights or the schedule does. This evening for example is Quizo's night as Monday night they have three subs at a decent price. I will get the kids that for dinner and bring it back here. While they gorge (remember the veloicraptor scene in Jurassic Park?) I will make myself a couple of healthy wraps.

On the eating out side that does not involve fetching it back here for the kids, there are some places I can go. For example, the kids love Wendy's, and I can still go there and be within my guidelines with some slight menu changes:

Before my health issues my typical visit to Wendy's was:
Triple cheeseburger with everything and bacon added
Large fries
Frosty for dessert
1980 total calories
890 calories from fat
3000 mg sodium
181 grams of carbohydrates

Now, on the Diabetic & Weight loss diet I can have:
Single burger, no cheese
Ceaser side salad, no croutons
620 total calories
340 calories from fat
1340 mg sodium
44 grams of carbohydrates

OK, let's call it radical menu changes, but, I can still go there. Note though 9 out of 10 times I eat in and make healthy meals. For breakfast and lunch on work days I have nutrition shakes. I get low carb snacks from Netrition.Com. Click on the lo-carb section plus they have many items in other categories

Saturday - A long post filled with Fear, Food, and more!

This is a long post that I started a bit after I awoke, saved, and added to for the entire day. It is a tale of kids, food, shopping, and fear........and danger....yes...danger!

I awoke at 7:30, could not fall back to sleep, so I got up, watched some TV, and right before I was going to wake Scott up so we could head out I heard him get up. He did his usual flop on the couch cover himself with a blanket trick that he does upon arising, I left him be for about 10 minutes and we headed out. It is a beautiful day! Blue Sky, sunshine, not too humid, and temperatures are predicted to hit the low 70's today! Whoo Hoo!

We stopped at his Mom's to pick up his birth certificate and headed over to the Secretary of State Super Center. There's only one of these in this general area which was fortuitous for us as they are the only office open on Saturday. We got there about 10 minutes early and there were people backed up already almost to the mall entrance. I spied a few motorcycle riders in their requisite black leather trappings and boots, and told Scott to go over and annoy them. For some reason, he declined!

We talked a bit while we waited the ten minutes for the office to open. From entrance to exit it only took about 25 minutes to get his Level one license which lets him drive with his parents or a designated driver age 21 or older. He needs 30 hours behind the wheel now before he can go for his level 2, and until he is 18 his driving privileges can be cancelled by myself.

We started off for CompUSA, the local store is closing and they have big sales going on, but, I told Scott we had another errand to run, and I surprised him by pulling into McDonald's where I got him his usual order of hotcakes and a Cinnamon melt. I had a single breakfast burrito, a far cry from my former steak, egg, and cheese bagel, hash browns, and two breakfast burritos, This was within my caloric, carbohydrate, and sodium level, and, it tasted much better than the usual breakfast shake! Scott was almost done with his hotcakes and cinnamon thing in the time it took me to eat a single breakfast burrito, and that includes the buttering time for the hotcakes!

We headed back to CompUSA, it was disappointing, a ton of stuff is already gone and the prices were still not all that great, though he and I each picked up a Zune case for our Zunes at 40% off, plus I got a docking station at the same discount.

We headed out into the parking lot, I handed Scott the keys, and we headed back here. He was a little heavy on the brakes a couple of time, and a little unsure of himself, but, overall he did pretty good. I was tempted to throw myself from the car, kiss the ground, and scream, "Land! Land!!! We make it, oh thank the Gods!!!!" but I decided not to tease him.

In a bit the kids and I will head over to the mall, and I may resume this post later. Chris just got up, yelled at his brother, who dared zoom into the bathroom before him, and I let him know about the upcoming mall trip.

Well, it's about four hours later, we've been to the mall, I had a 6" subway sub that was within my carbs, calories, fat, sodium, etc. while Scott and Danielle had assorted chicken from the Japanese place, and Chris had Chili Cheese fries from A&W. I like the food court at the mall because there is something everyone will eat and you don't have to tip anyone.

Our repast completed we hit the bookstore to pick up a book (and some Archie comics of course) that the X had reserved for Danielle. Chris asked me to buy him a book which I did. The X and I had been talking earlier in the week about how, all of a sudden, he has developed a taste for reading....which has shocked us both! Down in my basement office I have four book cases crammed with books I have been collecting (mostly Science Fiction and Fantasy) since I was his age, and I had always envisioned my children would read them someday; up until now I had no hope of ever realizing this!

We headed over to the video game store (and I listened to the usual pleas from the boys to buy them video games....geeze where do they think money comes from anyway....) and on the way back I got Scott and Danielle something from Auntie Em's Pretzels (I was very happy to see they had Caffeine Free Diet Coke because I had nothing to drink with lunch) and we headed out to the car.

Chris was not pleased that he had to sit in the back, but, I wanted Scott to drive us home as he needs 30 hours of behind the wheel time before he can go for his level 2 license. After much grousing by Chris in the back seat (even though I was crammed in up front worse than him since I had moved my seat way up to try and give him more room) and Scott running a red light (his first, which I warned him about how to better judge this type of thing and not to do it again!) Stopping at the X's was the next milestone where Chris was picking up the first two books of a fantasy series he had read to loan me and Scott needed something....I forget what....

Sitting in the living room of my old house while awaiting the kids return from their gathering made me think of the X, and, my cell phone rang, it was the X calling. She scares me that way sometimes! We chatted of things, including some of what I have written above and I mentioned the fajitas, invited her for some this evening, which she doubted she could make, so, i offered to have them tomorrow night as well. I know she loves them and I could easily eat them many nights in a row!

With me behind the wheel we stopped at Forest Hills Foods where I picked up the makings for healthy chicken and beef fajitas plus a few other items and headed back to the house.

The kids vanished to play games while I spent half an hour weighing, cutting, pounding and seasoning the pound of flank steak I bought. This was rubbed with a combination of Barbecue Spice and Cajun Spice Red Monkey Rubs and then the chicken was rubbed with Mango Habenero rub and put in separate plastic bags in the fridge. A couple of hours before grilling time some fresh squeezed lime juice will be added to the meat for today, and I will saute fresh red pepper and onion. There is enough meat for three nights for me, but, since the X is joining me for dinner and a show tomorrow it will be two evening of dinner. Hopefully the grill will light easier tonight!

Danielle will be heading for her end of year Odyssey of the Mind party around 6PM so I will fire up the grill after I drop her off. For now, it's off to ride the exercise bike, and, will return after later to either publish this post, or add to it.

Once again hours have passed and I guess I shall be adding! I watched some TV with assorted kids, Scott had Taylor over, after the exercise bike I got cleaned up and they played on the Xbox 360. I put head phones on and listed to music on my Zune and read the first 30 pages of "The Rage - The year of the Rogue Dragons". This is the first in a series by Richard Lee Byers and I was hooked in the first couple of pages.

Around 5:15 I began sauteing of onions and red peppers for the fajitas for dinner. I'm sorry I may not list the exact spices used....but....they are a secret! I made enough to cover tomorrows dinner too and had them cooled, bagged, and in the fridge by 5:50 when Danielle and I left for her OM party. I dropped her off and upon arriving back home I lit the grill with no trouble, made and greatly enjoyed my sumptuous fajitas feast which was the best meal I have had in over four weeks, yet totally within my dietary guidelines. instead of the usual flour tortillas I used these, which I cut in half. This let me have four fajitas. Tomorrow's batch will be even better as Forest Hills Foods was out of limes and I picked some up later in the evening when we went to Meijers. After eating I watched a Scrubs and a Teen Titans with Scott, then Chris and I watched the rest of "Battle Peanuts" on Iron Chef America. He headed off to meet with friends around 8:30 and a bit before nine Scott and I headed out, Scott driving, to go pickup Danielle.

This was a perfect opportunity for Scott to have his first experience driving the Mustang in the dark. Of course, as he backed out of my driveway, stopped, and got to the part where a sane person would have put the car into drive, he decided to leave it in reverse, and backed up barely missing taking the rear end of the Mustang out with a large tree! We talked about paying attention, not smashing my car, and the need to be careful. We got to the OM party and I went into get Danielle after taking the keys out of the Mustang's ignition and asking Scott to spare the neighborhood trees.

As I was walking back with Danielle I overheard the three teen age boys in the driveway of the house she was in talking and caught the phrase 'I';; trade you my Mustang for your Camaro. I stopped, turned back to face them and simply said "Keep the Mustang"

We headed over to Meijer's where I needed some items. I had Scott park from from the door in a deserted (and treeless) part of the lot. I swear the car was balefully staring at me as we walked away form it, probably still upset about it's near brush with the tree! We shopped, and headed back out to the car. Not finished with scaring the crap out of me by a long shot, Scott barreled through a stop sign from the parking lot onto the main street cutting someone off to much horn honking and light flashing. Again we had conversation about paying attention, seeing stops signs, etc.

Arriving back home, I watched some TV (Lost, In a Fix, Good Eats)while Scott and Danielle went downstairs. It's a bit before midnight, and I envision heading off to bed soon. I shall probably dream of auto mishaps, Mustang eating trees, and police cars chasing us.......

Friday after work, later that same day..........

Last evening Scott's friend Ben accompanied him home from school, I was well prepared and had already ridden the exercise bike. Scott, Ben, Danielle, and I headed over to their Mom's house so they could get what they needed for the weekend. Danielle cleaned up Speedy's travel cage, Scott got his flash files and we came back here.

Christopher then loaded up the empty propane cylinder into the car and he and headed headed over to forest hills where I cashed in some cans, and got the makings for dinner and some other items, plus a new tank of propane. We came back here, I measured my blood sugar (getting better on sticking with myself, did all my readings yesterday on the first poke, unlike the other days where I sent through 4 test strips (at a buck a piece!) before I had enough blood for the meter!) and I got started on dinner. For the kids I made cheese burgers on my healthy potato bread (they do not realize it has higher fiber and lower calories!), and Scott had hot dogs on the same bread. I made extra flat burgers (out of leaner beef, though the ground sirloin the kids had was certainly a good cut!) and on mine which I had on these excellent flat bread tortillas, I had sliced tomato and lettuce. It was a fun time as it took me over 20 minutes before the grill would light. I finally got all three burners going, and have no idea what the problem was, I checked the tubes and such, tapped the regular valve a few times, and finally, one by one I got the burners going.

Ben was here until about 8 PM, Chris and I watched Stargate SG-1 and part of Stargate Atlantis before he headed out with friends, Scott and Danielle and I watched some TV together, they were in bed by 11PM, I was up until midnight, making sure we had all we needed for Saturday morning.

Been a fun week at work!

We had different folks from GE in this week, as those of you who read here know, they have bought the aerospace division from Smiths, and, then deal goes into effect May 4th.

It will be interesting; Smiths has always though of itself as a big company, usually on the buying side of smaller companies, for us this is a first, a company that dwarfs us in size will soon be in control. I think the GE corporate culture will be a shock to many. In my case, I think I am better off than most as this will be the fourth company my job has shifted to in my 27 year tenure with the company. In New Jersey we were Conrac Systems East, then they were bought by Lear Siegler, then Smiths bought that (and closed down the New Jersey sites causing us to move to Michigan), and now GE is buying us. So, I have more of an idea what to expect. We shall see what happens.......

How am I doing?

Many of you may have read this in e-mail but in case I missed any who just visit the blog I thought I would reproduce this. Also, thanks to this "Diet or Die!" diet I am on, I will be posting links and reviews of health low carb, high protein (and usually low fat) snacks and such I have ordered on-line and have enjoyed.

I have lost 14 pounds in 25 days, while that is very encouraging it is also very discouraging because I have to lose another 90 to be where I need to be. I blame myself....so...instead of groaning about it I will just get on with it! I am on what they call a Diabetic carb option diet, where each carb option = total carbs - fiber carbs. And, per the regular doctor I am on a 1600 calorie diet to help loose weight. though the dietician suggested yesterday that every fourth day or so I jump up to 2000 calories to keep my metabolism from bottoming out.

Anyway, here's the post.....

Yesterday I had a two and a half hour session over at the medical center where I first spent two hours with a dietician who specializes in diabetic patients learning about my diet and such, what I can eat, how many carbs and such, and much information. She is also the person who will be teaching the four week course which starts next week.

I then had a session learning how to use my ouch meter to test my blood sugar, which I need to do three times a day every few days or on days I am feeling extra woozy and weak and such. I got a One Touch Ultra Meter, since my insurance will pay for any meter they had, since this one was the fanciest and geekiest! I ordered the optional USB interface cable and software so the unit can transfer data to the computer, though stand alone if stores a few weeks readings.

She said measuring the sugar on my crappiest days is a real easy way to see if if those dizzy spells I am getting are is blood sugar related.

The diabetic diet would not be too bad if I was not also under orders by the regular doctor for low sodium, low fat, no caffeine, for my high blood pressure and heart rate problems. Oh well! Going forward will be interesting indeed, but, failure is NOT an option.

Ramblings of the Fat Man

Here's one of those rambling posts I do when I have not posted in awhile!

This past weekend I had the two boys as the X went with Danielle to the Odyssey of the Mind state finals in Traverse City, several hours north of here. To make a long story short her team came in fifth place, not good enough to go to world finals, but, placing fifth is no small accomplishment and we were very proud of her. She had the hardest part of their presentation basically narrating the entire thing while her teammates a line or two each.

Speaking of Danielle, sadly (yet to be expected), she is fast approaching the teen age state. Both the X and I have noticed she spends much less time with us and more time playing video games and on the computer, IM'ing, and listening to CD's. Where every day a couple of months ago she delighted in our daily ritual of going to the grocery store after my exercise bike ride, she barely wants to go anymore. Simple pleasures, like our daily race to the mailbox (she always won) are pretty much gone. While I am pleased my little girl is growing up, it is still saddening to see.

Christopher is still (though not hard of course!) looking for part time work and having no luck, probably because his mom and I have to keep after him to go and apply. It will be interesting to see how that attitude works out for him in college in July. He is so smart and so clever, yet, distressingly lazy, I do worry about him!

Scott has finished phase one of his driver education classes and now can go get his class 1 license which allows him to drive when an adult is in the front seat with him. I am proud of him and glad he is done for this stage as I was not enjoying having to take him back and forth every weekday to class since this is when I have the kids, plus, I missed him during the two hour class.

My Dad is doing worse, I called to talk to him about my health issues only to find his is further declining, he now does not know if he will be able to make it out here next month for Christopher's High School graduation.

Finally I believe the snow is over and slowly the weather is warming up; soon it will be time to get the three month weed treatment and attack the path by the side of the garage and the flowerbeds and such to try and limit the weeds. With my back I am SO not kneeling down to do weeding.

We had a few people in from GE yesterday, they are set to be our new owners as of May 4th, there is still much speculation as to what will happen to us IT folks, it will be interesting to see! There are even higher level managers coming in tomorrow and Friday that I will be meeting with. As Bugs Bunny once said "It's the suspense that gets you!"

I was very pleased to see the season premiers of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis Friday night. I also enjoyed the Stargate SG-1 Mythology special as well!

Speaking of TV, 1st run episodes from current shows I am still enjoying or just started watching...Thank God You're Here!, Scrubs, Two and a half men, Good Eats, Iron Chef America, Bloodties, Jericho, Lost, The Wedding Bells, Unwrapped, Made in America, The Secret Life of...., How I met your mother, anything on the food network with Rachele Ray, New Adventures of Old Christine, just to name a few......

The X is still having problems with her business partner; I feel so bad for her she works so hard and for so little return on her investment of time.

I guess that about covers it!

Snow way, Dude....or...bring on the April showers...Please!

It is snowing (and has been) for the past two hours at the rate of an inch an hour!

Below is the weather map for the area:




There wind is gusting at 35 miles per hour.... here's a shot from a webcam down by the lake

ALL I CAN SAY IS I HAVE HAD ENOUGH FREAKING SNOW!

The "Diet or Die" diet

Friday I got a call from the Doctor and they confirmed via my blood and urine tests that I am diabetic. My cholesterol is also way way high and my blood pressure, even on two medications for the past couple of weeks is too high.

This AM I did my usual Monday morning ritual at work and checked my vitals. Heading into week three of what I now affectionately call the "Diet or Die!" diet, I am down 10 pounds since I started, whoo hoo, only 80 or so to go......

I just scheduled my Diabetic Education classes, they start April 24th.

Hope everyone had a nice Easter, I saw the kids (well, 2 of them, Christopher chose not to be up at 9AM for the Easter Egg hunt and basket opening rituals) at the X's house in the morning. She invited me back for dinner but as some non-family members were invited, and because I was so dizzy and woozy yesterday, I declined. Other than riding the exercise bike I pretty much sat around and rested, watching assorted TV, using the computer. For Easter dinner I had toasty ham, turkey, and Swiss cheese sandwiches in my GT express.

No one but myself to blame.....

I've always had a problem with my weight, but, since moving to Michigan and the divorce and such it has gotten totally out of hand. Not being a drinker or a drug user, I just used food for comfort....well, literally now this has come back to bite me on the ass.....good definition of irony!

I just got back from the doctor and got results from my tests, the good news no sign of cancer cells, traces of, or anything like that, my heart seems OK too though when I am feeling less dizzy they want to do a stress test just to be safe, blood pressure a bit better today, 150/100, lungs sound good.

As of today, two weeks into this 1600 calorie diet, I am down 7 pounds. I ride the exercise bike even though it feels like it is moving because of the dizziness....with the eyes closed though that can be most amusing!

Bad news - They believe I am diabetic, and they took assorted samples to order special tests for that to see how diabetic as my fasting blood sugar was way too high. They are calling me back Monday (hopefully the results will be back then) with an appointment for diabetes counseling. Also found out my cholesterol is through the roof, new meds for that, they are hoping dizziness gets better as my blood pressure and blood sugar come under control. I still feel like crap today, this woozy and dizzy feeling is getting old fast, driving in the dark to work in the morning is an ordeal.

I will talk to them Monday about the diabetes tests results and the sessions I need to attend, and I have another appointment next Friday (the 13th!)

Am I surprised by any of this? No. Let's face it, it's my own freaking fault. I am banging it in from work today and staying home. I just don't feel up to being around my coworkers.

Life goes on. Shortly I will have a nutrition shake and then a session on the exercise bike, as I continue down the long road to better health.

A bit before four I will go and pick up Scott and take him to his drivers training, it will be good to see one of the kids today!

Will this $%#~*&!!! day ever be over??

Lunch break: Trying to make it through my first whole day on site in about a week. I have either been working from home or working half day at work, half day at home. Doing so-so today, though when I bent over to get a drink of water from the fountain I got so dizzy I had to hold on with both hands....other than that, just a fun day altogether.

The weather is gray and windy and bleak and cold (suits my mood today!) and I have seen snow showers on and off. The ground is still a bit warm for it to stick, but, this cold weather is supposed to stretch on at least through Easter.

Tomorrow morning is another Doctor Visit and perhaps I will learn something from all the blood they took and assorted poking and prodding and such. As my Blood Pressure is still very high they added a beta blocked to the other medication they gave me 10 days ago, we shall see if that helps.

On the positive side, if I ride my recumbent exercise bike and close my eyes, it really feels like the bike is moving! Whoo hoo!

Same old same old

Still feeling really crappy; went back to Doctor Monday for exam by two new doctors, more tests, more blood, going back tomorrow morning to hopefully get some results. The dizziness and wooziness gets so bad some days. Over the weekend it was so bad Saturday I could not drive.

AND TODAY IT IS 34 WINDY AND SNOWING, YES, SNOWING!

Bah!