Results

I'll have a full technical recap later, but here's the pics from my 24-day Challenge.

Before





After







This is with only about 75% adherenance to the program, too. More later - thanks!

horrors and delights

I discovered that I can now blog from the bathroom since this is a wireless netbook. This is cool because I can do something useful while I'm in here and also appalling, as now you guys will never know what I'm doing anymore. And yes - I am.

Tonight we went to Mooyah's, which was delicious, albeit more expensive than I would have liked. The upside is that now we know we can order much less food next time and still get plenty to eat. I would also like to shamelessly plug Fuzzy's Tacos as well, because it's also wildly delicious and not too expensive.

Anyway, when we were done eating we were going to head to the local hospital to visit a buddy of ours who's temporarily a guest there. When we went to leave, our battery was too low to start the car. Dangit. So we called somebody local - a family member & blood relative - to come and give us a jump. (We left the cables at home because before we left the house we had let the engine run for a good 30 minutes to charge up - unfortunately, it didn't take.)

Oh. My. GAWD. You'd have thought we'd have asked them for a kidney, or maybe a lung. No - you'd have thought that we demanded a kidney or a lung. To our way of thinking, it was a simple request for assistance from somebody close by. Total time it would have taken? 15 minutes, maybe 20.

First they said they didn't know where Main Street was. It's hard to find, I know.
Then they said they didn't have cables. (They do.)
Then they swore.
Then they said they'd have to find their shoes.
Then they said they'd head that way, ostensibly once they had the proper footgear.

We said thank you and hung up, a bit taken aback at their reaction. After about two minutes though, we decided to call them back and cancel the request for assistance. Seriously - if you're this unhappy about helping, we don't want your help. Instead, we opted for a nice, 45-minute stroll back to the house. It was delightful for a variety of reasons:

A) It was nice out
B) We've been walking more anyway, and it's good exercise
C) We kept our pride.

Here's what I mean by that:

When somebody asks you for help in whatever way, your reaction generally tells quite a bit about where they rank with you. If you are quick to offer assistance and make an effort to go the extra mile, the relationship is affirmed and generally strengthened. if you bitch, moan, carry on and make a production out of it by making sure the person who needs help knows how much they're inconveniencing you and how much you're being put out by them, it serves as a detriment to that relationship because you've essentially belittled them and/or made an effort to heap guilt upon them; either to A) make them feel badly or B) to put yourself into a position where you are either being victimized, martyred or to store this up for use later when YOU want to call in a favor.

Now - it's necessary for me to say that I can say these things because I've done all these things, so I know it when I see it. And Oh - can I spot Dramatics when I see 'em.

Now - all that to say this: Tonight, Toni and I drew a line in the sand, and that line is this - we only have room in our lives for functioning adults, and we no longer have a place in our lives for emotionally unhealthy people who do not want to get healthier. I'm serious - enough is enough.

Man - did it feel good to cast off that weight, too. See - my wife and I have made a fundamental change in our persona and philosophy, and that's this - we are champions. We want everybody else to be champions with us, too. We want everybody to be winners, and God wants you to be a winner, too. But man - if you're determined that you're a loser and that at your core you're OK with being a loser, than I don't think either of us (nor God) can help you until you change your mind, and we no longer have the time, energy, will, interest or desire to waste away our lives trying to get you out of your rut. When you want out of your rut - whatever your rut may be - call us, and we'll go to hell and back with you.

But man - we ain't gonna try to do it for you. So stay in your rut as long as you want, but we're going to keep walking, because God has something great in store up ahead for us, and we want that.

Now that's sad on a variety of levels, and we acknowledge that. But man - even God won't do the work for us. Take one step towards Him and He'll come running the other 99 towards you, but you have to take that one step.

And man - if that's good enough for God it's good enough for us, even if it means we have to walk back.

941 for Monday.

'cause I have time

I'm blogging from the couch while my wife and her sister watch a silent movie. They added music so it's more watchable (I guess) but I have to say - this is a beating. I'm so enthralled by this silent movie that I've chosen to blog instead of watch it, even though I have little (or nothing) to say. Another cinematic Phillistine is added to the herd, I suppose.

Cats - fine.
Puppy - fine.
Wife - fine.
Kid - fine.
Sobriety - fine.
Health - fine (though I overdid it at Taco Bueno tonight. I'll pay tonmorrow.)

Weather - hot.
Advocare - progressing nicely.
Crack House - doing well.

Oh - Happy Birthday, Brandon! I think you are now at the age where stuff starts to break on your body without any warning, so be prepared. I couldn't be prouder of you, man.


Our daughter started 4th grade today. I guess I'm a little bummed because I couldn't be there, but she's fine, and you have to let them grow up sometimes. That's what I'm telling myself anyway. I still wish I could have been there, though. Maybe next year, huh?


Geez - this crappy movie is really long. The appeal is completely lost on me.

Ok - I got nothin', man. I had a bit more bit Toni told me not to write it, and I'm going to trust her judgement, as hers is generally better than mine on such things, and in the end it's nothing that ought to matter anyway - it's just something I thought of that meant something to me. I suppose sometimes it's just better to be quiet. I'm leaning that one, but probably not nearly fast enough.

OK, then. That's it.

935

We shaved a cat, bought a laser and ate rotisserie chicken from Wal-Mart

This week in review (so far):

Baked BBQ Lays: awesome
Whitewheat Bread: awesome
Steamed Broccoli: awesome
$6 Rotisserie Chicken from Wal-Mart - awesome

Bunny Cat: taken to vet, pronounced A) OK B) Old C) In need of grooming
Groomer Cost: $65
Cost of grooming yeowling, furious cat at home: Free
Cost of kevlar-lined needle resistant leather police gloves: Priceless

Laser pointer: $2.47. The cats love it - as does the dog. Totally worth it.


We went to Chuck-E-Cheese last night to celebrate reaching Advisor status for Advocare. Toni and I discovered that we can't drink sodas at dinner - it made Toni sick and I tossed & turned all night. Fortunately, Toni was wide-awake when our daughter got a nasty case of swimmer's ear at 4:00 AM and was able to rescue her immediately. Such a good mom......

Average weight loss (per day) on the Advocare 24-Day challenge: 1 lb
Average weight loss per day if I eat lots of carbs: 1/2 lb

By the way - does anybody else think that me actually counting carbs & calories & watching what I eat in the first place is HUGE? In 37 years I don't think I've ever really paid attention to my diet, man.

So far I'm down 13 lbs in 14 days. I'm looking forward to getting back in shape even more! I still have a week left, too! I'm going to drop at least seven more, and then I'm only eight pounds away from being under 200 lbs for the first time since 2004.

Scout (aka Scoutasaurus Rex) is doing great. Her accidents are down to zero, the cats have accepted her and Pumba even plays with her.

And now (finally) a few pics :-)






I *DID* get a new computer - it's a teeny Acer Netbook, and I really like it. I have to type much more carefully now because the keyboard is so small, and I'm still working on getting used to the little touchpad to point and click, but so far it's been a good experience. The best part? I will never, ever lose my work stuff again.

We also cleaned out our office last week, too. We threw out about five cubic yards of trash. Next in line - the garage. After it cools off, of course.

I replaced the thermostat in the house with a simple, non-programmable one. The electronic programmable one kept turning off the A/C at inconvenient times, like anytime. Now the house is nice and cool inside, and I don't have the aggravation of repeatedly trying to program something I don't have a manual for. Our Advocare mixer went pretty well afterward - having a cool house it a big bonus.

OK - that's it for now. I do have the "before" pics (pre 24-Day Challenge). I figure I'll post 'em with the "after" pics once I'm done. They'll have more impact that way. Bring sunglasses I'm not wearing a shirt.

Back to work & hanging out with the family before "Meet the Teacher" night in Keller.

930 days sober (for Thursday)

So it's Friday and several things have happened.

-> shameless Advocare Plug

#1) I'm on day 7, and already I've dropped 8 pounds on the Advocare 24-Day Challenge. I'm not even to the fat-burning part yet, either - I still have three days on the cleanse, too. 8 pounds. That's like a full jug of milk or a kid's bowling ball, man. I'm telling you guys - this stuff works. I'm drinking a LOT of water, too, so it can't possibly be water weight. Energy? Still high. I even got up yesterday at 5:30 AM and at about 8:20 AM this morning too, which is HUGE for me. (I totally cheated yesterday, too. Breakfast was 3 scrambled eggs (OK) pancakes (not OK) hash browns (not OK) and a 12-oz chicken fried steak (not OK, but delicious). Even falling off the cleanse wagon I'm still dropping a pound a day. Awesome.

#2) I left the theater yesterday on very good terms. My first goal? Advocare 3-Star Gold, which is $40K a year. Will we do it? You bet! I have enough child support socked away for three months, and I fully intend to meet or beat that goal before I run out.

#3) The dog is doing well. I was going to post a pic but Toni's laptop gave out and the pics were on that one. Be it known to all: I hate Dell.

#4) I ordered a new computer a few days ago - I'll be using it for my personal stuff and the work computer as a stand-alone & isolated (no internet) workstation. I got an Acer Netbook for $250 from Walmart.com. Free delivery, too - how cool is that?

#5) Our little company (Code Name Crack House) is doing well, too. There's a very distinct possibility I might be running two successful businesses before too long. It's amazing how much more clearly you can think, how much more positive you are, and how much more productive you can be when you start freeing yourself of the bad stuff and begin to put the good stuff in, walk in the light and step out and begin to live the life that God has in store for you!

#6) We're taking Bunnycat to the vet on Monday. She's OIK, but it like like she's losing her fur in clumps. Our first guess is she got too hot, and we've since closed her window & vented the cold air back in her room. She has a toenail that needs work too, plus she's getting old and probably needs a checkup anyway. She's eating plenty and is still irascible as ever.

What else? We're having an Advocare Mixer at out place on Tuesday if any of you cats are interested. Brian can't come because he & his wife just had a baby and I guess now he's busy or something. Jeez, man - priorities.

Oh - I made myself some zombie killer business cards. I offer zombie eradication services (restoring the undead to their original condition) with 100% satisfaction or your money back. They are awesome.

Tonight I'm gonna grill some fish. Any tips are appreciated, as this is a new experience for me.

What else? Toni and I had a fight yesterday about the kiddo, or more appropriately, how I don't trust her to handle the kiddo - at least that's how she sees it. You know what I learned yesterday, though? Toni's better at handling our daughter than I am because Toni's a woman, and she gets the girl stuff in a way that I am unable to. Now, I'm not stepping away and letting Toni handle our kid while I just sit back and do nothing, but Toni's going to be taking the lead a lot more because she's proven that she can read the kid better than I can.

I think that's it for now, so I'm going to wrap this up. I have about 10-12 hours of work ahead of me that I need to get on, and the puppy needs to go. Toni taught her her to hi-five and Scout has adopted Pumba as her play toy. Generally, Pumba sits and Scout walks on him like a moon bounce. It's kind of funny.

Also, I desctibe the other two cat's attitudes in haiku form:

Timone
your play says you are
too small to be scary but
play it safe for now

Oscar
I am unsure so
keep your distance and don't bark
cause my claws still work

924 for Friday

Some Numbers and Some Facts

So I started the Advocare 24-Day Challenge a few days ago. So far, at the end of the 4th day, I already feel better. I've taken a lot of fiber, drank buckets of water, eaten a lot of salad, consumed quite a bit of Spark, and knocked down at least two steaks. Hey - you didn't think I was starving, did you? Not this white boy.

I have managed to stay away from sodas, dairy, anything fried, and all carbs (breads, pizza, etc). It's not nearly as hard as I thought this was going to be, man, and I don't really want to go back to eating the steady volumes of fast-food crap I was pounding down. I have cheated in the past three days, though. I have had the following:

-One (small) handful of movie theater popcorn
-Four bites of taco salad shell
-Two chips with queso dip

All in all, though - that's not too bad.

More energy? Check.
Healthier-looking? Check.
Better digestive system? Check.

I have a can of strawberry soda I'm gonna drink after Day 24 as my reward, too.

I have a before pic I'm going to post as soon as I can, which leads me to my next segment: Why I Hate Computers.

Num,ber of times I got a virus that crashed the system entirely: 2
Number of times I've had to reinstall the OS on this computer: 5
Number of times I've lost ALL of my work info: 2
Number of hours I've lost trying to get this back to 50% capacity: 15
Number of times I've gotten to download a good browser: 0
Bit resolution on screen: 8

(That means really, really crappy. Think "Super Mario Brothers" ala 1987.)

So far I have a barely-functioning computer that looks like it should be in a nursery school. It's pitiful, but I can't get it to improve. What I'm really close to doing is going to Wal-Mart and picking up a $250 Acer Notebook and just relegating this one to work-only. In fact, that's probably a really good idea. Can you imagine that I can now buy a computer that's better, faster, more reliable, has more features and is about 1/10 the size of the one I'm using for 1/8th the price of what I paid for a profoundly lesser computer in 1998?

Or, come to think of it, is the real surprise that I'm surprised at this? I can hear Brian and Steven laughing already.

I think my time at the theater may be ending. Here are the pros and cons:

Pros:
Steady, reliable paycheck enables my child support (ONLY) to stay current
Working with a great bunch of people I care very much about
Free movies
Daughter thinks it's really cool

Cons:
Condescending, micro-managing and borderline incompetent boss
Assurances of promotions not realized
Very low pay ($9.50 hr. My last raise? $0.14 an hour.)
Time lost from two other jobs with higher financial returns
Customers that tax my ability to be Christ-like
No forseeable path to financially viable promotion in under 7-10 years
Fundamental disagreements with core corporate ideals (devaluing the person, etc)
Stress resulting form having to abandon unfinished products
Loss of time with daughter

I'm wondering if I'm a a different stage in my life now; ready to step out and begin to experience a more successful life that God has in store for me. I'm no theologian, but I think that God might want me to make more than what I'm making. Our little company seems to be getting back on it's feet again, including regaining a very good client we lost some time ago. Advocare also allows us to generate substantial income as well, and blowing time at the theater doesn't help that.

Pros for Staying
Child support stays current
Get to spend time with friends
Free movies

Pros for leaving
Satisfaction of stepping out in faith that God will provide
Massive stress reduction (poor boss, etc)
More time at ScottCo & Advocare
Allows staffer to be promoted
Freedom from adhereing to corporate values I despise

What are you guys's thoughts?

AND.....

We got a puppy. She's a border-collie, blue-heeler and catahoula mix: a border cataheeler. She's six weeks old and pretty doggoned (ha) cute. Also - she has a cool name: Scout

The Good
Toni and our daughter adore her
She has short hair (no shedding)
She's a smallish breed (supposedly)
She herds the cats by bumping & trying to nip at their heels
She's fairly calm 99% of the time
She sleeps a lot
She isn't allowed on the couch (or any of the furniture)
She's being kennel-trained
She keeps the cats in line
She's whines when she wants to go outside
She's a good-traveling car dog
She doesn't bark, except when Pumba won't play
She eats popcorn & sunflower seeds from under the couch (Surprise!)

The Bad
She farts and it smells really bad

Number of minor accidents: 3
Number of cell phone chargers destroyed: 1
Number of new chew toys: 3

Anyway, I think that's it for tonight. I can blog again, so more daily updates as the 24-Day Challenge moves forward.

I'm glad you guys read this still :-)

921 for Tuesday

some things that happened today

Timone has begun collecting articles of trash from the office wastebasket and has begun depositing them in his water bowl. Today, there are two paper towels and a business card from the gun show in there. I gave him a q-tip as a barter. Also, I really need to take the trash out. I should probably change the water out, too.

Toni is looking at puppies online. every so often I hear an "awwwwwwwwwwwwww" followed by a giggle and a "come look at this one." I have seen many puppies. So far the worst one was a Chihuahua-pug mix, which appears as though it may have been forsaken by God. (Just kidding - that's a bit extreme. It was an ugly puppy, though. Seriously, man - ugly. U-G-L-Y. He ain't got no alibi. He's UGLY.)

Toni and I became Advocare Advisers today - YAY! While that probably doesn't mean a lot to you guys, it's a big deal to us and represents both a great step in our Advocare careers and our commitment to it. Also, it means more money coming our way, and more product in our bodies, both of which are most excellent. Next stop - Silver.

We're starting the Advocare 24-Day Challenge in a day or so. Daily pics as it goes on - expect great things. Also expect unimpressive swimsuit pics of me (and my belly) as the official "before" pics begin. Also, we're eating all the "bad" food we can now because A) we need to eat it all up before it goes bad B) it's my final "hurrah" eating crap and C) our diets will radically change once it starts. I am considering this my goodbye to my old, unhealthy self, and the transition to a new, more healthy life.

I took my Dad's advice and moved the books and magazines out of the bathroom and moved a Bible in. I've been taken to reading Samuel and Kings tonight, and it's been really good. Let's face it - if I'm going to read the Bible, I'm going to read it on the toilet. And odds are I'm going to be reading quite a bit of it, too, as I tend to post up in there. You gotta go with what works.

I was looking for a brown recoil pad and A) I can't find any and B) the olive green ones are twice as expensive and the black ones. I/we are unwilling to spend $20 for $9 part for the sake of cosmetics.

I think that's it, man. I'm going to go to bed pretty soon, because healthy people don't piss away all night sitting in front of the TV, and they get up early enough to be productive during the day.

915 for Wednesday.

The past the couple of days in review and also some dogs

Toni and I went to see K & C yesterday. We helped them move into their new place and K showed me what he does at work, which is kill nuisance animals for money. I have to admit - I can't believe he gets paid to do stuff I would pay to do. I got to help him, which means I rode around in a golf cart and shot at two nutria, a raccoon and a skunk. I don't think I hit a a thing, but it sure was fun cycling rounds through a Browning Auto-5. The semi-auto 12-gauges eat up a lot of recoil, even with the 3" magnum loads. Next time I'm going to bring my own stuff - I might actually hit something.

Today we got up early and ate breakfast at someplace called the Big Cup - it was pretty good. We had lunch at a BBQ/Cajun food place in Granbury; it was a little less impressive, and though it had really good pinto beans it was nothing to write home about. Also - the beans have given me terrible gas.

Toni and I have begun the process of looking for a dog. We've been discussing it at length as of late, and we have very strict criteria that we have agreed to. They are as follows:

A) Must be a small dog (less than 25 lbs)
B) Must be a female
C) Must be inexpensive
D) Must be local
C) Must be a puppy (so we can train it up properly and so it can learn to adjust to the cats and the kiddo at a very young age.)

And we're trying to be very respectful of the fact that it's not our house, either. (We're already planning on replacing the carpet before we leave anyway.) I must admit it's the first (and only) time in my adult life where I'm being given free reign to actually train a dog. It's just another way that Toni is awesome. I'm looking forward to it. Anyway, the breeds we are looking at are:

A) Papillion

Our friend Jennifer had one, and though it did kill all of her chickens and only has one eye it's an awesome dog.

Artist Rendition:

B) Blue Heeler

We had one as a kid and it was a great dog. Also, Mad Max had one.

C) Corgi

Because it's cute.

Now, today we saw an ad in a boutique that said "housebroken rescued papillion puppies". We called to check it out, and after a brief visit it turned out that

A) They were not papillions
B) They were not puppies
C) They were not housebroken

They were dead ringers for my ex's dog, though, and while her dog was a great dog, this wouldn't have been a good match for us. The whole experience was kind of disappointing, but we're not giving up.

What else? It's hotter than Hades outside - it was 106 in areas, and evidently it felt like 111. Yeowch.

Oh - exciting news: we start the Advocare 24-Day Challenge in a few days. I'll post pictures as we go. It's going to be GREAT!

OK - that's it for now. 914 for Tuesday.

Except for one more thing.

Yeah - I'm pissed about that.

You can put a mosque at Ground Zero when we can put a synagogue in Mecca.