MRI Today -Pics

I am not skilled at reading an MRI of the elbow.  If anyone has any idea or experience identifying potential problems, let me know.


Arm is constantly sore.  I can lift or maintain very little to no weight with the arm.  Twisting or flexing the arm causes a great deal of pain.  Boo-hoo pain at times.

I'm very scared of this injury - I'm scared the MRI will show nothing remarkable.  If a doctor can see an obvious injury i have a better chance of getting the injury repaird.  If a doctor can view nothing - I'm stuck waiting on the arm to decide to feel better without any cause of the sometimes terrific pain.

Am on 4 5/500 Vicodins now.  Doing about nothing for the cutting-type pain I'm experiencing as I hold my arm funny to try and type this.   Below are 4 of the 200+ images.

set back

During yesterday's workout - doing cable crosses - I felt my right elbow spasm and severe tearing pain just above and below the elbow.

Long story short; suspected by my doctor to be a torn or rupture of my biceps.  MRI scheduled friday.  In the mean time I am wearing a splint and using ice and pain meds.

I am frustrated for the potential loss in progress in my upper body but this will be only a speed bump.  I will work to tone my core and legs; they need a lot of work and now I can focus on getting thinner and stronger in the middle.

The result of sitting in the doctor I missed a lot of calories.

As my typing is suspect, look for guest writers for me!

If you would like to use this place to inspire others,  reach me!

IF I have a ruptured  tendon, surgery seems inevitable.  Could be months before I can  hit the weights again.  More to follow.

Screw you Kenny Chesney

This video - specifically the song from this video plays on repeat via Media Player.  The lyrics haunt me. 

The course of my life steers me towards death without answers to the most important question perhaps faced by mankind and at least the most important question facing this kind man.

Where to I fit? 

That question stems from questions of purpose.  Meaning of life. 

Is my desire to seriously and with purpose connect to a woman a weakness or strength?  I suppose the desire for connections transcends my desires for intimacy and emotional foundation.  I feel the same, but different, towards friends.  Those in my life who know me most. 

My heart - if you will, because I realize this has nothing to do with my actual heart but everything to do with my mind; and the products of my environment both as a youth and now as an oldish guy - drifts seeking connection.  Seeking true and pure and wonderfully fulfilling intimacy.  

My drive for true and pure and wonderful intimacy leads me to crazy places.  My desire to matter; my desire to be special to somebody; specifically a woman, probably rises; i'm sure it rises from what I consider a failed child-mother relationship.  As the youngest of four, i strive for the spotlight. I grew with strong desires (needs?) of affirmation.  When my brothers were praised I sought praise.  When I was told I couldn't do something because I was too young, I felt not-good-enough.  My closest-in-age brother grew up with me, really.  He and I were childhood playmates more often than not.  I recall the disdain in my throat when He was allowed to do something or go somewhere or partake when that place, activity, or consumption was forbidden to me because and simply because of our physical ages.   I felt always his equal - if you were to ask me.  Outwardly - to my parents - of course that was not the case.    Perhaps I digress...

Today's Menu

Anywho - so, yes...I want validation as worthy,  validation as special - specifically to an intimate partner.  I walk around seeking to connect with most folks who show interest.  The slightest touch can move me to tears.   A solid, earnest body hug - just today from a person I've known but a few days - brought with it immense and powerful emotions in me.  I wanted to collapse into that hug and never, ever let go. I felt safe.  I felt home.  I felt accepted. 

But that person and that moment is gone.  I sit at my computer technically alone.  Family is around the house; but my heart sits here beating and pleading for somebody to come over.  somebody to care.  my heart climbs the walls inside my chest.  My heart screams "I cannot take this bed being any colder".   My heart slams violently against my ribs begging for connection with...anyone.

Tonight's rainbows over part of my yard and barn

With someone.  Nobody has my heart.  My heart is not claimed nor chosen.  I think if I hear, just one more time, how much of a "Great guy!" I am, I just might vomit through my nose.  If again I hear "You'd be any woman's DREAM guy! (but not mine, I don't choose you...but any OTHER woman...sure!)" I very well might implode into a mass of emotions and panic and fall deeply and solidly into an abyss. 

I can not NOT care.  I can not build walls.  I can not detach. 
I'd love to not need intimacy or connection.  Would I really though?  I tell myself every morning "today may be the very day I find happiness; the day I find my heart's home".   How many more days before I have a heart I can call my own - how many more years before I find a heart that calls MY heart 'home'?

Must. Find. It. Or...Zoloft.  :)

Oh..and I ate some stuff today, too.  Or whatever. 

Pretty good day - food pics

Pretty good Saturday, really.

I put-together a couple pretty neat dishes - First I call...uh...Peppers and Saffron and Rice. 

Brown rice
1/2 Tsp Saffron (hard to measure, just wing it)
Chopped cilantro (tablespoon or whatever...I didn't pay attention)
Zest of 3/4-ish of a medium-sized Lemon
Chopped fine 3" red chili pepper
Chopped fine 3" Jalapeno
Chopped Green pepper (about 1/4 cup or so, wasn't watching)
Chopped fine onion
Diced Yellow Squash - a solid cup's worth.  Probably more.

Get the rice cooked and pan-fry the other stuff.  As it gets close to done, add about 1/4 cup of diced or chopped 'maters.


Today's Menu

Mix it all up.  Salt/Pepper to taste.  It's pretty good.  I made my very hot  - left a very burning mouth after.  Oh! Yeah...squeeze a little lemon back on it before serving - might be good.


For dinner I built a grilled-cheese variation.


I cut a couple rounds from a medium zucchini and pan fried them along with 1/4 of a 3" jalapeno, about 1/8th cup onions, and fresh chopped basil.

As things caramelized I picked up the veggies, applied to thin Rye bread and placed back in the pan.  Before topping, I added 1oz of sliced Tillimook Cheddar.  I cooked till toasty.

My 'side' was Campbell's Heart Healthy chicken soup stuff.  I used a cleaned Jam jar for a soup container; makes the soup easy to transport (can use the lid), and easy to drink the broth when finished.

The H3 happens starting in about 30 mins. 



Random photo:  October 2005ish; my RX8, driven by me at Pacific Raceways, Kent WA.

Facing the Music

Sometimes we excuse the sucky parts of our life.

Today's Menu

When I was in 7th grade my father asked me to diet.  I said "If God didn't want me fat, he would not have made me fat!"

Humans tend to rationalize their shortcomings or failures or bothersome conditions by passing the blame to God, karma, circumstance, Luck, or other external forces.  Women say "Of course he is a drunk and he hits me but...I love him!"  As if their 'love' was somehow forced upon them as a yoke to an ox.   See, they MUST stay because of "Love!". 

Love is not fear.  Fear cannot exist in Love.  Love is gentle.  Love is Kind.  I think the Bible talks about that stuff, too. 



I am a member of MyFitnessPal.com.  As a member I can post photos to my online profile. Others browse my photos and quite honestly-if-embarrassingly, most of my feedback from the opposite gender is positive.  Upon my mantle are bestowed names such as "handsome" or "cutie" or "Why does a chick like YOU have a Beard and call yourself Darin?"

Tonite things change. 



Today I visited the fitness center and measured my body fat; same machine, same settings, similar time of day.  While my weight has stayed very close to the same the past couple of weeks, the machine tells me I've lost another 1% of body fat since 8 August.    3% loss over six weeks and two days.

A friend from MyFitnessPal crunched the numbers for me:

"Aug 8: 230*0.293=68.54 (Percentage of fat in pounds)
Aug 31: 224*0.278=62.272
Sept 21: 224*0.269=60.256 (You said your weight hadn't changed recently)

Difference: 68.54-60.256 = 8.284 Fat lose

Weight: 230-224=6lbs weight loss total

But you lost 8lbs of fat, so your weight should be 222. If you still weight 224, then the other 2lbs are lean body mass (i.e. muscle).

So you lost 8lbs of fat and gained muscle."

When I got home from work I decided I wanted to compare where I am with where I was.
So...I am terrified to be doing this but I NEED to do this.  These photos are my progress report to myself, and the lovely Miss Erin - this will be her first time seeing me shirtless, btw.  Sorry Erin! :-p

These photos - the progress shown are the direct result of Erin's muscle-building and fitness program, my calorie tracking and support from friends. 

If I had to pick a goal, my body fat will be less than 16% when I reached the goal.  With the 'another 25lbs' of fat I will lose, I think I can reach that percentage.

Here goes....this is me "In process"

Big Day 2k calories

My day started wonderfully.  I was late.  I was unable to find my pants - I will NOT skip them like I did one time last year.  NOT worth the hassle.  I missed my turn twice.  Drove the LONG way to work.

Got to work and went to the gym.

Arms were KILLER today.  Gawd I love the arms routine Miss Erin created.  I feel great after.
As I worked - with each rep I reminded myself the pain was the fat leaving.   Then I thought - Geesh...I wish fat hurt this hard to build on a body. 

My body hurts today but feels great.  Seeing a bit of muscle and feeling my arms and chest - i find excused to flex just to cop a feel of myself - however pathetic that sounds. Maybe I should solicit volunteers?

:)

Alaina in a Tree

Couldn't wait to share this photo - Last night I climbed a large tree in the front yard because my daughter was in the tree and I wanted to capture a photograph.  After a few minutes of posing and lighting we returned to the house.  During post-processing I found the shadows bothered me. We went back and up into the tree - this time with the flash mounted on the camera.  Below is the result.

I like adore this photo because I adore Alaina Lizabeth.  She's 13 going on 17.

:)

Big Menu and Work-out Day

Could barely screen-shot the menu for today.

All-told i felt GREAT today.  While sitting in a meeting I noticed my biceps and actually tried to find reasons to flex them just for the movement.  I'm embracing the soreness as 'awesome' - although I believe my right bicep is severely injured.  Kids mom pushed down upon it while I was flexing - in an awkward way.  Feels like NASTY carpal tunnel pain.  Burning, cutting, soreness (which was also my nickname in college). 

I still feel fat. I still see my gut stick out.  I still see the hate-handles under my shirt.  I still am careful about photos to not betray the weirdness of my body in this transitional phase.  It'll figure it out.  My body will catch up.  Right?

RIGHT??
:-D

Sodium was more in line with my goals - right at 2000mg. 

Random Photo:
My son and daughter, circa 2005, Puyallup Fair, Washington State.   My son giving the bad guys what-for with the blaster cannons on the ride.

Generic Post title :)

Today's Menu

Good day today.  Slept in until 0630 - probably a solid 8 hours sleep!  Tooled around the yard today; really enjoying the property.  Tuesday the temps will drop to 40F; started harvesting as much as I can - somethings will have to ripen off-vine.  Such is life in the country.   One of these days I'll figure out how to take a nice photo of the night sky.  The stars out here are amazing.

So - food today was a challenge.  I need a trip to trader joe's.  Out of chicken and not a lot of veggies here.  Still struggling with my absolute weight. 

Oh - Non-scale victory today:  Getting a small back rub I heard "Stop flexing your shoulders!"

"I am not flexing...this! is flexed"

"Oh. WOW!"

:)
Random Photo:

Taken at the Puyallup Fair, Sep 2004

Weekend wrap up - 15/16Sep

First - 

SEAHAWKS, BABY!

Was an up and down weekend.  NO weight loss according to my evil scale.  Showing i'm up a couple-few pounds.  Course, at one point during the week I was up by eight pounds - back to square one.

I hate it. I hate it.  I HATE it.  I need to - must be thinner.  Must loose these nasty 'hate-handles' (formerly love-handles) - and apart from that I have no hope to be desirable.   Sure I'll still like myself - but I need much more than 'me' to make it through life.  I require a partner.  Used to think that's a weakness - now I consider my desire to devote to be a strength.

The weekend's menus:

Two day wrap up

Yesterday Miss Erin sent me a fairly easy-looking work-out list.  Single leg squats, calf raises, lunges, etc..

I was sore yesterday.  Today I'm destroyed.   The last time my massive rump hurt this much?  Never?  Maybe?  Even hurts to sit on the ...throne.  Standing from same is all-kinds of agony.  I LOVE IT.

According to my scale I've gained-back 100% of any weight lost since 1 August.  Am back to 230lbs if that was right.  Thankfully I know I did NOT gain eight pounds over the week - and I know I in fact gained muscle and destroyed a little muscle too! :)

Emotionally/mentally I felt great most of the week.  Some down time as i think about the storm clouds in my life.  Most of the time I'm thrilled beyond reason at the progress Miss Erin choreographs for me. 

This morning as I walked past the long-mirror, i was wearing only my boxers, and I saw my body from profile.  Not too shabby!  Then, tucking in my shirt I saw my triceps flex.  Pretty freakin' cool.  I'm probably six months from having a body I'm not ashamed to show during an intimate encounter.  Fact is, there may be women who even like the way I am now - but the thing is...I do not like it (probably been conditioned that way through a few things I won't discuss).  So - with the help of MyFitnessPal.com and the very good people on that site, with Miss Erin's guidance, I'm changing.  Still plugging away.  Still picking up things and putting them down.




Thursday

Friday

Broken Rear

[edit] - Did I mention 222.2lbs as of last Sunday morning?  Exactly 20lbs lighter than I was 17 June of this year. :)

Brakes.  Rear brakes on the F150 were metal-to-rotor.  Just horrid.  Jacked around, literally, for an hour and 30 minutes tonite trying to get the jack enough of a spacer/booster to lift the truck's back wheels. 

Finally got to it - was my first time w/ F150 rear brakes.  Everything went as smoothly as possible.  Got it done. That's the important part.

Today was a great day because I chose to respond greatly to things around me.  My arms  are scoring a non-scale victory.   As i flex my arms, I'm getting a cut-line - horizontal - showing actual-if-slight muscle definition.

That's years and years - decade or more - since I felt any amount of strength.

I ate a lot today - felt a lot of hunger.

Oh - another non-scale-victory:  The shorts I wore all last summer?  Walking out to the truck to start the repairs...they literally slid off my hips and to my ankles.  There I was, standing in my work gloves, t-shirt, Pirate boxers, and shoes. 

You missed it. 

Today's menu:

11 September Memories

12 September 2001

Beewding Fah Down?


There are times in life where we are tempted to raise our fists to the sky and shout “WHY, GOD???” We witness events happen beyond our control, imagination, and fears. We look to make reason out of insanity. We struggle with blame and cause.

Last night, while watching the never-ending broadcasts, they showed what was left of one section of the Pentagon. My thoughts drifted to a Soldier with whom I served, who left Fort Lewis to work at the Pentagon. I wondered if he was safe. I wondered if his friends and loved ones were alive. I wondered if he was trapped under piles of burning rubble even I sat comfortably on my couch. As I started to cry, I lowered my head, slightly, so as not to disturb my 2 yr old daughter, Alaina. The disguise did not work. From across the living room, Alaina walked over to me and stood by me. She looked up at her mother and asked, “Daddy Cry?” I raised my head, and took her by the hand, bringing her close to me. I told her, “Yes, baby. Daddy is crying” Alaina put her arm around my neck and pulled my head close to her, comforting me with “Daddy, T’okay”.
At this point she looked up at the television to see the images of one of the World Trade Center buildings crash down upon itself. Alaina turned once again to me and said “Uh-Oh! Beewding Fah down?” I answered with, “Yes, love, Building Fall Down. That is why Daddy is crying.”
Alaina “oh Daddy…. iT’okay Daddy…. I love yooo”.

With that, she released her hug and started walking towards her bedroom. I asked her if she wanted to watch more of the building. She replied, “Laina want color!” as she wobbled along down the hall to her room.

How refreshing it was to be around Alaina’s innocence, at a time like this. To hear her complete trust that, “everything would be okay”. And that even though the “beewding fah down” Alaina still loves her Daddy. Last night I couldn’t be away from Alaina more than a few minutes. I took solace from Alaina. Something about they way her little pony-tail would flop as she ran through the house helped me escape the horror of yesterday’s events, and find a still small place in my own mind. A place where I could just be 2 again. A place where people weren’t killed, planes were not crashed, and nobody hated anyone.

Alaina saved me last night. And the beauty of it is, she wasn’t even TRYING to. Once more I asked God, “Why? What did I do to ever deserve such a wonderful girl?”

My daughter is 13 years old now. I doubt very much she remembers much if anything about that day, years ago. She probably doesn’t know that one moment in time she changed her Daddy. She’ll probably live the rest of her life not knowing how I became a different person in a small way, because of her, and the events of that day. Sometimes I pray about what happened then. People tell me it’s too late – that God won’t change the past. I believe in God. I believe God can do just about anything. I believe God is not constrained by time. When I pray, I ask God to be with those people who suffered that day. I ask that God would have sent his Spirit to comfort them – provided them safety or companionship or warmth as they may have felt the cold steel and concrete fall around them. I ask that God hold them in his arms, as they passed on to the next life.

I have a son who has no concept of that day. In the last 11 years my life has had wild swings of 'good' and 'bad' - but through it all I've found strength in the words spoken by my little girl more than a decade ago.

Today's Menu:

  

Your mind

Recently a technical stranger but a practical friend asked me to describe my mind, as if my mind were a place.  One of the best questions I've had the pleasure and stress of answering.

Here's a snippet - not the whole thing to preserve the privacy of our communications

"You are atop a small hill, cascading gently downwards towards a field of tall grass blowing in a gentle breeze. As you glide downwards you notice 1950s-era projectors on stands - hundreds liked up facing the edges of the field. Walking a small stone path you arrive at the first projector replaying super 8mm soundless home-movies of my childhood. The next couple steps you see my youth - then moving on to my current life. My mind replays my events hungrily searching for meaning or cause of current behavior. The next series of projectors snap to life at uneven intervals - each with a burst of light and sound as my mind jumps across the genres of film - romance then fantasy and those two are one and the same more often than not but then to science fiction and comedy."

I stand in awe at the bigness of the question and challenge the reader to consider answering this question - post up in the comments if you're brave.  If you are brave but private take the answer and strive for honesty.

My food for today:
















Random Photo: Joint Base Balad, Iraq - fuel bunker near my work location, looking east and south towards a maintenance yard and other buildings.

Weekend Wrap

Crazy weekend.

Saturday I drove to meet the new owner of my Subaru.  Good guy - he emailed later telling me he LOVES the car.  I'm sad a bit...but selling it was for the best. 

Emotionally - Saturday's 'change' set me off kilter.   To restore a little balance I took my daughter shopping.  Therapy right there - seeing a 13 y/o girl's perspective on things.  Simple. Honest.  Moody. (Hey, I'm those too!)

I spent more than I should - but this was a me-centric shopping trip.  I wanted clothes to better-fit my shrinking waistline.  I ended up with American Eagle stuff.  Plains with button/snaps.  And a nice pair of khakis.  No, no pics.  Sorry. 

Speaking of waistline - saw 222.2 on the scale today!  I'm happy and pissed.  ONE measly pound per week?  OMG.  I'll never get this.  But...222? That's something like SIX YEARS AGO on my scale journey, except for a brief time just after Iraq. 

Next week will be crazy busy for me.  Ugh.  Have a 3 day the following weekend - will keep my eyes on the prize :)


Random Photo: Last night I attended St Hubert's Festival - out near Lake St Clair - 16 Mile road and Jefferson.  TONS of fun. Hung with great people...drank a LOT of beer...a lot for me.  Photo below shows the commemorative mugs for me and my date - she owns the backside pictured in the OTHER pic. :)

End of the Week

I cannot think today.  My mood rages.  I feel bloated and terrible inside - physically.  My mental outlook swings from confidence (I looked pretty cute today) to dispair (Man...I'll never get 'there').

I realize i'm mid-processes.  I feel as though life is passing me by - by life I mean "All the fit people" - as I sit on the sidelines burdened by my insecurities and general sadness. 

I AM willing to go through this.  Last week sometime I took another 'before' photo...my first comparison based on the baseline photo I took the first week of august.  Visible changes!  Yes...still...

NASTY to me. Ugly.  Repulsive.  Embarassing. 

That's fine. I own those feelings - will not let them define me.  Just going to get through them until they are done.

:)

I wish farewell to my Subaru - which tomorrow I deliver to the new owner.  I'll miss the car - but eager to see where life next takes me.


 Menu and work-out for today:

Woot! Only 3 more days until Monday! :(

Gawd - today is thursday.

So - here's the recap.

Sick tuesday. Yesterday? emotionally shot. Spent. Ended.

So - I didn't blog.

I'm really trying to get to bed early tonite but I will fail.

Where am I today? this week?

I prepared to get super deep and emotionally available....but screw that. Look - simple facts:

Aspects of my life suck.

Most of my life is pretty damn easy. I'm learning to embrace the suck. I'm learning to grab my...uh...guts and stop being a victim of my neediness, my emotions, and my self-centered desires.

I'm still a fat-ass. Still 30lbs before I'd even consider removing my shirt in public. But who cares. I'm also pretty cute. So...yeah...and funny - did I mention funny?

Meals and work out from yesterday, and meal from today:

Random photo: The day we brought home our little bundle of 'barking' :)

First day at work this week - sorta

Honestly planned on going to work today.  Bad tummy night - ulcers probably too. Lots of pain. Subsided today, so will give it a go tomorrow.

Today was a non-scale victory! My -fit pretty good 36w jeans? I can make a fist and slide between my body and the jeans, at the waist. Fresh from the wash, too! :)

Today's thoughts centered around love and our interpretations thereof.  

"...the enchancement of unsatisfied desire produces results which the humans can be made to mistake for the results of charity. Avail yourself to the ambiguity in the word "love": let them think they have solved by Love problems they have in fact only waived or postponed under the influence of their enchantment. While it lasts you have your chance to forment the problems in secret and render them chronic" - Screwtape Letters - CSLewis.       

Today's menu

Very interesting and sad how people so often excuse-away problems or simply 'hope' problems go away.  Hope will not get you through your heart's pain.   We excuse what we need by calling what we need merely wants; because - after all, that person LOVES me. And "love is all we need!".

Own your needs. Make them your goals.  And never stop running towards them.






Random Photo:  Our Campsite while camping in the back yard with my son and our then-puppy,  May 2012.

Great new blog from sweet girl!

Please support a new friend - she's a "local" to me, sorta...but more than that, she's smart, dedicated and well-written!

Came. Came to. Came to believe.: 248 days. 35 weeks.: 248 days ago. I changed my life. For so long... I needed to change my life. I needed to become a better person, and actually allow myself..

A snippet of her truths:

"There has been a lot of damage done to me. I can fix some of it, but there is a great deal of time and pain that I can never get back. Some things are broken and can never be fixed. But I would never change them. They constant reminders of where I have been, and never want to go again."

Labor day was buzzing.

First today's menu:














Today's chore list included removing a large nest of

"Bald-faced hornets are aggressive and will attack anyone or anything that invades their space. This makes bald-faced hornet removal somewhat difficult. They have smooth stingers, so they can sting over and over again. Their stings also carry venom that makes the stings hurt, itch, or swell for about 24 hours."

Last night around 9 I snuck out dressed in twelve layers to empty a can of hornet killer into the nest, as the hornets slept.  I did not see a sentry as I sprayed into the mouth of the nest.

This morning I went back, added another half-can into the nest before burning the bodies.

Not a day of rest

Last night my daughter slept at a friend's house - this morning she was nowhere around while I started getting ready to take Aoife to a local wilderness area.  I asked Ethan if he'd accompany me last-minute.  "Sure Dad!!"

Awesome.  

Ethan showed up to where I laced up my 5.11 Tactical mid-ankel boots.   We chit-chatted before I noticed he wore a white t-shirt like me, the twin of my "Mickey" Hat (he and I bought matching hats at Disneyworld years ago).   He commented how much he liked being dressed-like-dad.

In the truck with Puppy and we were on our way.  As a precaution against car sickness we left puppy skipping breakfast.  Four clear-liquid vomits later, we were thankful.   Gotta figure that out.

Arriving at the trailhead Ethan asked to wear the backpack containing our water supply (100oz), and nutirition (4 packs of Nature Valley granola bars and assorted dog treats, and water bowl for puppy).  

Marching along Ethan told me stories of why we started our quest - we are searching for a lost city as the gunshuts from the nearby firing range sound across the wilderness.

"Dad - that sound is the natives firing their crossbows at us!"

"Very loud crossbows, aren't they?" I answered

"Yeah!" he giggled

"Maybe that's the sound their SPEARS make because they throw them with such awesomeness!" I offered

"Okay!!" he laughed.

We marched on making chit-chat.  Ethan telling me of the adventures we'd have should we ever purchase these hundreds? of acres around us.  As Ethan would pass fallen trees and branches he mocked one of our favourite to giggle-at shows 'Finding Bigfoot'.  See, on the program, "experts" take very piece of data and apply it to the Big Fella (which was my nickname in college). 

"Oh! See here? How that tree fell? Classic squatch behaviour!"
"Oh - a single depression in the sand roughly rectangular with rounded edges? MUST be a BigFoot footprint!" (never mind there is typically only ONE, as if BigFoot jumps on one leg, and lands hundreds of feet with each bound?)
"Oh - See here? We have NO evidence of BigFoot. They are so clever! Often, BigFoots give no evidence as a sign to OTHER BigFoots.  Because we have no evidence we must conclude they are in fact living in this forrest!"

As we reached each milestone Ethan announced our arrival with a question "Think we can keep going Dad?"

"You tryin' to kill your old man, Son?"

"No! But I know your knees are bad!"

"Son - I got this.  Lead on, Sir."

As we completed the circuit Ethan asked if I thought, had I come alone, I'd have completed the 4.5 mile loop. 

"No, Son" I replied "You did such a great job of motivating me.  Thank you."

Today's Route (in red)

When we arrived to the truck, after eating a couple granola bars, our apples, and all but one bottle of our water, Puppy was spent.  We hoisted her into the truck floor where she napped the entire trip home.

So - now the clock tells me I'm nearing 7pm and i suppose I should talk about fitness or wahtever.

Scale reports 223.4 this morning.  :) Thank you MyFitnessPal.com and Erin's work-outs.



Today's Menu: