Fitness Bear

This cracks me up every time I see it ...

Updates ...

The health department approved our deck permit, since the septic tank is nowhere near the deck. Turns out it's probably under the driveway, which is not good either. And the septic tank is another story in itself. Turns out it was put in in 1953, without a permit. Go figure. It will be pumped and evaluated on Friday ...

Back to working nights tonight. Been filling in for vacations, working days, the past 10 days. Sucks. Oh well, you live, you learn, you move on ...

Finished painting the shed over the weekend, and it now matches the "new" house. And now people won't be asking us if we own the garage next door, which is the color of the "old" house. We'd love to own that land, but that's probably not going to happen ...

Haven't been to the gym in quite a while. Been kind of leery since I caught a staph infection there during the spring. But with softball and general summer sweating, I'm now a svelte 165 pounds, down from 190. It also helped that I didn't drink beer for about a month while on antibiotics...

The gym? What's that?

Just kidding. I'm still trying to get there at least a couple of times a week. But softball is really keeping me on my toes and out of the gym for the moment.

But if you remember, when I started this little jaunt on Jan. 16, I weighed 190 pounds. I'm more than happy to report that I'm down to 165, which is about where I should be. Maintaining that will be the key. But I think I've changed my eating habits so much and made myself more aware of my weight that it shouldn't be a problem.

You know how it is when you approach 47 years old? You don't? Well you will.

And speaking of 47, that's a key age in our family. My mom died of a heart attack at 47, so when each one of us five kids has reached that age I think in the back of our minds we've all wondered if we would reach 48.

Thank God four of us have, and now it's my turn. I'm not too worried though. A lot has changed since my mom died in 1979, and our lives and how we live them have changed a lot too.

I just wish she and my dad (who died in 1992 at 64) were around to see how well their kids have turned out.

But I think they know already...

Gym update

With my schedule returning to "normal" -- normal being back to nights, which I really hate -- I've been able to get back in the gym.

I'm not a big fan of working out with a lot of people around, so when I'm able to go -- usually at 10 or 11 a.m. -- it's perfect because there aren't a lot of people around and you are able to use the equipment as you please. I've officially lost 20 pounds, as I now weigh 169 after starting this process back in January at 189. Still a few more pounds and some toning to go.

The only problem is this skin condition I have, actinic keratosis, which seems to get irritated when I sweat. It's a pre-cancer skin condition caused by my years tanning as a lifeguard, starting when I was about 20 years old. I'm being treated by a dermotologist, but the clobetasol cream I'm using on my arms is having little effect.

And don't worry about that "pre-cancer" term. In severe, untreated cases it can turn into squamous cell carcinoma (about 1%). But I've had this for years, I've been seeing a doctor for years, and I'm determined to get this under control.

More updates to come ...

Gym update

Got a nice workout in today since I probably won't be able to work out again for a few days.

Josh comes in tomorrow morning, followed by Cheryl & Val in the afternoon. On Saturday, Ed and I plan to get our hair cut and show those three around D.C. a bit -- Josh has never been here before, and I think he's really looking forward to it. Sunday we leave for the cruise, so the first day I might be able to get back in the gym would be Monday on the boat. And that would be OK since we have a full day at sea to start the trip.

When I started this awful regimen Jan. 16, I weighed 189 pounds and was probably well on my way to 200 (which I've never weighed in my life, nor will I). I now weigh 173 and can see and feel the difference. In fact yesterday I went through my closet and started pulling down all the jeans/slacks that I haven't been able to wear for a few years.

So, yes, I hate working out. But I like what I'm seeing, so I'll push on.

And thank God for the iPod Ed bought me for Christmas last year. It's much easier to do what you need to do when you can tune everybody else out.

Working my fat ass off

Another day, another trip to the gym.

I went to the doctor in early January, and when he put me on the scales, that's all it took. I weighed 189, the most I've weighed in many years. I lost 20-25 pounds almost four years ago, but gained that back and then some.

But going to the gym every day and cutting down on what I eat have worked wonders. I'm now down to 177 -- eventually I want to get down to between 160-165.

It also helps that we have a cruise coming up in less than three weeks, and softball season will be following close behind -- and that will be the barometer that tells me if all my work has been for nothing.

More updates to come.

Trying to catch up

*OK, the local D.C. weather people are already scaring everybody to get to the grocery stores as quickly as possible to snatch up all the milk, bread and toilet paper available; schools I'm sure are already getting ready to close. A snowstorm that could bring "significant accumulations" to the area is forecast for Tuesday. Um, "significant accumulations" around here is 6 inches or more. Been to Oswego, N.Y., lately? I'll bet they could tell you a lot about "significant accumulations." About 7 feet worth. Talk about needing all the milk, bread and toilet paper you can find. I never understood why people around here freaked out at the grocery store. Now if I lived in upstate New York I could understand it. Check out this Associated Press photo from www.usatoday.com:

*Didn't get a chance to blog on Friday. Survivor: Fiji looks like it's going to be pretty good. Like my sister said, there are already a couple of people to dislike, but I'll give them more time. I watched it after work Thursday night, then before I had a chance to think about it, deleted it from the DVR. I knew immediately what a Dora move that was. Ed didn't get to see it because he was watching Ugly Betty. Can you say ooops?

*Been back in the gym every day this week. I wasn't going to go today, but after talking to Ed, I think I probably will head that way. We don't really have anything planned as of yet, so off I go.