It Starting to look like Full House

 

Yesterday, I picked the “kids” from the airport. WWE and her must-not-give-his-name boyfriend arrived in the morning and my baby daughter arrived in the evening.

The airport is about an hour drive from home so I spend a great deal of time on the road.

Last week was all about cleaning the cave and hunting for something to stuff all those new mouth. It is an expensive undertaking, please feel free to send me any scrap of food you might want to get rid of... there is no end to what those guess eat in a single serving.

They didn't spend too much time visiting the house, they just went underneath the tree to see if anything was there with there name on.

They should have been disappointed as, except for myself, no one has been good this year. But somewhere it is written that parent has to love their kids... unconditionally... so there is things with their name under the tree. To keep secrecy, I'll refrain to say anything else about the “things”.

They are going to be in Florida for 7 days, so if I survived you will only hear from me after they are gone.

Meanwhile, have a great Christmas!

 

Bad News Weekend

This weekend I had some bad news. So today it will be only about that.

One of my best friend, this summer, had blood in his urine. He got that checked out and they found out he had a tumor in his bladder.

Like me, he has a home in Florida. He delayed his departure for after his surgery.

At the end of October he got the tumor removed. The tumor was send to be analyze to see if it was cancerous or not.

The result was catastrophic, he has a very aggressive cancer. He was send to get biopsy. More bad news, they found out that he has affected nodes. Furthermore, the cancer has metastases (travel). He is a stage 4.

Saturday I skyped with him. He has started Chemo treatments. The doctors told him that his chance of survival are really slim and that if he respond well to the treatments, they will remove completely his bladder.

It's really heart braking to learn that he has put his home for sale in Florida, update his will and arrange his funeral.

He faces his challenges with his head high. I think that if there is one person that can beat this, that's him. He is relatively young (65) in great shape (he could beat the crap of me at pickleball).

He is the kind of person that if he is out walking and see someone working he would go back and get his tools to help out. From now on, he might be needing helps but he is a really proud person and it is difficult for him to accept a helping hand.

Health is not always about a number on a scale, sometime health is living within our capacity!

New and Inprove Breakfast

In February when I started my run for health, I was about 50 pounds fattier.

My breakfast was always a cup of each: Yogourt, fruits and cereal (cherrios not the sugar lace one but the one that has that delicious carton taste). It was keeping me satisfied all morning.

I found it is just not enough anymore, I feel like I run out of energy just too quickly. So for a while now I have modified my breakfast of champs and removed the cereal and instead eat a toast with PB. This seems to satisfied my demanding body.

It is strange to me being lighter I should need less food not more to do the same tasks. Maybe the answer is that I have more muscles and they required a lot more energy!

Now it's time for me to praise Anonymous (WWE) again as her prize for guessing right my question about my new ninja friend. “Bravo WWE!”

Report card for Dec 11th

Bread – 1 Slice + 1 hamburger buns

Water – 1 + bottle

Wine – None

Sugar – Maple sirup

Fried – Half of a small size

Unhealthy Snacks – Crakers and Cheeze

Walk – over 10 K Steps

Final Score: C

The Martian

I will not give any spoilers, you can read on.

Yesterday I went to the theater to see “The Martian”. It has been out for months and should be out in DVD pretty soon (maybe it's already even out now). The theater feature movies that are not recent but at four bucks, you can't go wrong.

The Martian was great, I read the book and love it and I was expecting the movie to be so so. But I was wrong, it is a movie that when it will be on Netflix, I would surely enjoy watching again.

This is not a science fiction movie with aliens, I would rather categorized it has a very possible fiction. The technology is real.

Now it's time for me to praise Anonymous again as her prize for guessing right my question about my new ninja friend. 

"Kuddos to WWE!"

Yesterday in praising her, I missed very important facts...

Anonymous was not a male but a female and what is even worse; I missed she was my very own daughter WWE. But it's all her fault... for one thing, she didn't signed her comment and she stealthy came to my post without leaving a print in my tool to see from where came the visit (Live traffic feed display on the right side).

Report card for Dec 10th

Bread – 1 Slice

Water – 1 + bottle

Wine – None

Sugar – None

Fried – None

Unhealthy Snacks – None

Walk – over 11 K Steps

Final Score: A

Answer

Yesterday I thought I was so cleaver. I didn't expect to have to give out my prize but the first and only guess was right!

The answer for yesterday's question is: Raphael. He is one mean Ninja that I adopted. So far he has been so useful:

He crushed ice and made delicious smoothies;

He made ice cream from frozen fruits (just healthy stuff);

And making dough for a chicken pie was as easy as feeding Raphael all the ingredients and pushing his dough's button;

From personal experience, beware of his blades when washing them, it is “cutting” technology!

So Anonymous found the answer, I can't tell much about him so I'll do my best to guess but it might (will) be mostly from my imagination.

I think he is a male. He doesn't waste time with a lot of words but when he talks he has the true on his side. He is like me an introvert. He owned a food processor, this is why he guessed it right away. Thanks Anonymous to have play :-)

To all the others (2 persons) reading my blog nah nah nah LOL 

 

 

There is only one true Ninja in this picture

Report card for Dec 9th

Bread – 2 Slices and 1 biscuit

Water – 1 + bottle

Wine – 2 glasses

Sugar – None

Fried – None

Unhealthy Snacks – Almond (just ate too many... next time DO NOT keep the jar open beside me!)

Walk – over 11 K Steps and 2 hours of Pickle ball

Final Score: B

Question

 

If no one guess, I'll give the answer tomorrow. If you guess right, I'll write your name and praise you in my posts for a whole week. ONLY the first one to guess right will be feature in my posts.

Guess who:

- If I touch him correctly, has a pulse

- He is not too social but he can blend in once in a while

- People say that he is not a 50 watts but I thinks he is a lot more than that

- He is very skill with blades

- He is sensible but he can crush even the hardest one without a second thought

Any guess?

 

Report card for Dec 8th

Bread – 2 Slices and 2 biscuits

Water – 1 + bottle

Wine – None

Sugar – None

Fried – None

Unhealthy Snacks – Popcorn

Walk – over 12 K Steps

Final Score: B -

A Little Game

This is a game for Ivy but every one can play. How many difference can you spot between both shots?

 

Report card for Dec 7th

Bread – 1 Slice

Water – 1 bottle

Wine – None

Sugar – None

Fried – None

Unhealthy Snacks – None

Walk – over 10 K Steps

Final Score: A

Life is a Beach

To start with I like to apologize to the ones living in the North. From what I saw in the news, you folks had snow and it's cold. I would not trade places with you but I would love to get a little snow once in a while. LOL

Yesterday was a glorious day, sunny, warm and a nice breeze to cool off a little. So I went to the beaches at Tarpon spring.

First beach was at Fred Howard park. This is a really nice park and the beach is locate in a peninsula. The main purpose to go there was to walk from the park to the peninsula. This is about 2.5 miles back and forth where most of the walk is on the causeway. It can't be beaten as far as perfect walking path.

From Google

After this exercise. Some cool down was necessary. I went to Sunset beach (about 10 minutes drive). It's a free beach, could be one of the best kept secret in this area. It was too hot (again I apologize) to sit in the sun so I found a spot in the shade of a palm tree and read for several hours. Life can be so tough sometimes... but this was not one of those time! :-) 

From Google

Report card for Dec 6th

Bread – 2 Servings

Water – less than a bottle

Wine – 3 Glasses

Sugar – None

Fried – None

Unhealthy Snacks – None

Walk – over 10 K Steps

Final Score: C

Downsizing

September 20^th my weigh had hit rock bottom in this century and my scale was showing 162.2 lbs. This was a BMI of 25.4, a normal BMI is 24.9 or less so I was on my way to get there.

At the beginning of this week my weigh was at 175.2 lbs, in less than 10 weeks I did so poorly than I gained 13 lbs. This is a lesson to me to keep stepping up on the scale, it is MY best tool to stay focus and on target.

So my goal right now is to downsize my pants from a size 32 to size 30. This should happen when I hit 160 lbs.

Every Sunday I'll put on my report card my current weight and how much I lost or win. If it's a lost of . 5 pounds or more, I'll automatically going to give myself a A +, if I gain more than .1 pound (glup) I'll give myself a E. In between I'll just going to take into account my report's items.

Report card for Dec 5th

Bread – None

Water – 1 bottle

Wine – None

Sugar – None

Fried – None

Unhealthy Snacks – None

Walk – over 10 K Steps

Weight - 170 lbs (lost of 2.2 lbs)

Final Score: A +

A Quick One

 

Just about my report card today, have a great Saturday :-)

Report card for Dec 4th

Bread – None

Water – 2 + bottle

Wine – None

Sugar – None

Fried – None

Unhealthy Snacks – None

Walk – over 10 K Steps

Final Score: A +

Health Trail

I pledged several times that I want to get back to the health trail. Each time, I did... for a day or two.

Why is it so hard when in the spring it was so easy? I think that's because I was so successful my brain got the message: “it's easy Richard, anytime you want to, you can drop a few pounds.”

So I took a wrong turn, I started to eat shit like there was no tomorrow. Sugar, fried food, wine and all kind of unhealthy snacks, just bring it on, I kept getting it down into my system without regard for my health. If I stay on this trail, I might just go ahead and book an appointment with my doctor and get back pills for blood pressure and cholesterol.

Now it's December and the holiday are just around the corner bringing more food and drink orgy. I kept telling myself: “I'll wait after so that I can enjoy myself fully during that time” But I know this is just a way to excuse myself before putting my health priority number 24.

One thing that is very wrong with my previous paragraph: “so that I can enjoy myself ” I don't need drinks and food to enjoy myself! As a matter of fact, putting weight on and harming my health make me depress. So why do it to enjoy myself is beyond me, it's that inner language that radicalize so easily poor decision. I have to remind myself that good long term health is a lot more enjoyable than the short “joy” that bring poor choices. I am responsible for my health.

I have been back on the health trail for the past 3 days. Ah ah already down in the path, no one knew. I didn't want to post about it because I didn't want to put pressure on myself.

This time around I'll do one more thing, I'll do like what Natalie used to do, I'll do a daily report card where I'll display for the whole wide world viewing elements that I considered a problem for me to stay healthy.

Report card for Dec 3rd

Bread – 1 Tortilla

Water – 1 bottle

Wine – None

Sugar – None (isn't it sweet?)

Fried – half of a small size

Unhealthy Snacks – None

Walk – over 10 K

Final Score: A -

 

Fire in the Hole

 

Last week I went to Trader Joe's and bought a taco seasoning. At home, I always buy Old El Paso and I take the mild one. At TJ, I couldn't see if it was spicy or not so I took a chance.

Last night was taco night... I brown 1 lb of ground beef, and as directed on the package, poor half of the seasoning mix on the meat. Until then it was a routine exercise. But I found that it was smellier than what I was use to.

Just to be on the safe side, I test the meat, less than a half tea spoon! My tongue went numb, my nose started running, me eyes itch, I couldn't feel my lips. I don't eat spicy and that concoction was so hot.

Now the harm was done so I continue with the planned meal. I didn't take as much meat as I would have usually took but even with less meat I was burning up.

I put sour cream, a lot of sour cream on my taco in the hope to fight off my fire but nothing seems to help.

Once the meal was over, I drank some milk and that help a lot, however, I burped and the fire came back up from the hole!