Howdy Do!

Long time no see, comrades. Lets get things up to date.

• Okay, I'm the world's worst blogger. But I'm back now. For how long, I don't know.

• I've fallen in love. Head over heels. She's wonderful- kind and warm, devoutly Catholic and she loves to sing. Did I mention her ineffable beauty? I fervently pray that we have a long and happy future together. If you can spare a few seconds, please say a prayer for us. Thanks.

• My weight loss. I'm down around 75-80 pounds since last January and down over a hundred from my all time high. I haven't been too strict since Thanksgiving and I don't foresee too much progress before Christmas, so a new push will begin with the new year.

• I'm thinking about making a career change. My current situation isn't that good but it's comfortable. The thing is, I know that I can't keep doing this for the rest of my life. I am capable of so much more. I just need to get off my (no so fat) ass and make it happen.

• After about fifteen years of wearing the same pair of glasses, I finally got a new pair. But I rarely use them since I now wear contact lenses. I love my contact lenses.

• Clothes- When I was at my fattest I viewed clothes mainly as a means of warmth and to prevent nudity. But since losing weight I've discovered that I have a sense of vanity. I am by no means a fashion plate, but I now care about the way I look.

• I've been working on my singing voice. I've always had a pretty good voice but I've become consistently good. Now when I record my voice, it sounds the way I think it should sound. Before it always sounded thin and tinny and too high.

• Prayer life- I've always been a man of faith. I've always believed in God even during periods when I would question my faith. My prayer life though, has sometimes been great but oftentimes non-existent. Recently, I've been praying regularly and sincerely. I pray in different ways- most times talking to God but sometimes listening. I believe the reason for my renewed prayer life has been the influence of the woman that I'm very much in love with. Thanks, K.

Fifty Down

Today I weighed in at 50 pounds less than I did on January 4th of this year. Fifty pounds in six months ain't too shabby. Not to mention the fact that I'm actually down 78 pounds off my all time high.

I'm really feeling much better and looking a little better. I'm still fat but at least I don't look like I belong in a carnival anymore. My legs are just as strong as they have ever been and I have never had as strong an upper body and torso as I have now.

I've been able to do more and more of the Crossfit "Workout of the Day." I still have to modify most of the workouts but I'm getting better. A good site to check out for modified routines is Brand X Martial Arts. I mostly do their "puppy" and "pack" modifications.

I haven't been overly strict with my food intakes. I just try to eat mostly healthy foods in sensible amounts. I eat more fruits and vegetables and whole grains and leaner cuts of meat. I still eat everything I used to just not as often nor in as great quantities.

I've also found that I care more about my appearance now. I actually want to dress well and look nice. That's never really happened before. I'm even considering getting contacts. (If you know me, you know that is a big deal) I might eventually even have a semblance of a social life. Well, there is that cute girl from church I'd like to ask out.

All in all, a very good six months. I hope the next six are even better.

One More Year

So my little jalopy has passed yet another annual inspection without needing repairs. I think I will celebrate. Today is also the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, a solemnity (the highest order of feasts) in the Catholic Church. All in all, life is pretty good. More on that later.

A different kind of Mother's Day

Tamba Hali, a Penn State footbal player recently drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs, wants to celebrate Mother's Day a little bit differently than most. From NFL.com:

Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Tamba Hali, the team's 2006 first-round selection, might have the best Mother's Day present of all in store.

A native of war-torn Liberia, Hali has not seen his mother Rachel Keita since he escaped the country's violence in 1994. For several years he has worked with Penn State head coach Joe Paterno and his son Scott, who is a lawyer, to get Rachel a green card so she could join him in America.

Until now, Liberian officials were concerned that Hali would not be able to provide for his mother, but his new NFL earning potential has eased their fears. He is currently applying for U.S. citizenship and hopes to sponsor his mother's trip overseas before training camp.

"She's going to go from living in a grass hut to living in a nice home," says Hali. "I can't wait to see her again and teach her all about the game of football."

We Get Letters...

Well, no we don't get letters but I do like Perry Como, so there you go. I'm just going to give you some updates on things that I have mentioned on the blog before in case you were wondering what happened.

Weight Loss- It's going well. I've lost 40 pounds so far. My blood pressure is now under control and my general state of health and fitness is very much improved. My weight loss slowed during the month of April but I'm adjusting a few thing to get going again. I'll let you know how that works out.

Digital Photography- I haven't had the time to do much shooting but I'll try to remedy that over the summer. Great camera, though. No complaints.

Ginny Mac- You know. The girl with the great set of... accordions. And the nice handwriting. I saw on her website awhile back that her new album is available. I haven't ordered it yet but I fully intend to.

The Orioles- Hey it's early. And they're my team. No bad words here.

The Mega Dog- RIP, Mega Dog. The Westward Ho closed last fall. Oh, the humanity!

Las Vegas- aka The City Without the Mega Dog. I'll be going again in July, this time for a reunion. I'm looking forward to seeing some folks I haven't seen in awhile but I'm not looking forward to 110°F in the shade.

Juggling- I can now juggle three clubs very well. Still working on tricks but I've got the three club cascade down. I just recently started juggling again after a long layoff.

Curious Headline

From Belfast: Dyke booing mystery solved.

Blogprintosphere

If anyone ever complains that blogs are mostly boring diaries written by boring people with boring lives and that you must read real newspapers to get real news, please refer them to this column.