Thursday, March 31, 2005

Terry Schiavo

I hadn't said anything here about the Schiavo situation. There's a very good reason for that. I'm really not sure what I think about it. I'm torn between the ideas that, as her husband, it was, indeed, Michael's decision to make, and that Michael forfeited his right to be the one who made the decision because of his other behaviors.

What I do know is that the issue wasn't as cut-and-dried for me as many claimed it to be.

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Weight Loss Pics

BEFORE CLOSE-UP PIC (taken October 27, 2004)


16 WEEK PROGRESS CLOSE-UP PIC (taken March 29, 2005)


    BEFORE FULL BODY PIC          16 WEEK FULL BODY PIC
    (taken October 27, 2004)        (taken March 29, 2005)
      


If you want to see the pics from 8 Weeks, you can go HERE. The link will open a new window.

Getting in Shape Update 16

Managed to exercise one day. Eating was a LOT better.

Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 230.0

Today's Weight = 227.0

Weight Loss in past week = 3.0 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 40.0 pounds


I'll post new progress pictures later today if I can.

Saturday, March 26, 2005

Thanks

I want to give a big Thank You to everyone who prayed for my wife. She came through the surgery fine. She's a bit sore and tender, but everything apparently went well.

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

If You Pray

Please do so for my wife. Jody is undergoing some surgery tomorrow. It's nothing major, but she will have to be under general anesthesia. It's scheduled for 7:30 am Central Time.

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Slacker Blogger

I'm sorry for the 2 1/2 of you who check in here regularly to see if I've posted anything new in the thrilling saga that is my life. The past week was particularly hectic.

Erin (aka calvinatorette I) had her birthday Sunday. Party was Saturday because of the matinee for Annie.

Rehearsal Thursday and shows Friday, Saturday and Sunday kept me (and her) quite engaged.

My wife and I watched Ray one night last week, so I finally saw the amazing performance by my fellow Terrell High School 86'er, Jamie Foxx. Foxx's turn was nothing short of brilliant. On the whole, however, I 'd say the movie was only "Good" and not "Great." The two-and-a-half hour movie took us three-and-a-half hours to watch because of numerous distractions. Ah, the life of parents of young children.

Getting in Shape Update 15

Bad week. Ate too much sugar and didn't exercise.

Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 228.5

Today's Weight = 230.0

Weight Gain in past week = 1.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 37.0 pounds

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

Disaster Averted

Yesterday, I was faced with the very real prospect of every parent's worst nightmare. When I got home from work, my wife told me that our almost-3 year old daughter had a harrowing experience. It seems Sarah (AKA Calvinatorette III) was trying to reach her pacifier (which she calls a "deedee" for some inexplicable reason), which had been placed on the top of the dresser in our girls' bedroom. Also atop that particular dresser sits a 20" TV/VCR/DVD combo. My precious daughter apparently decided to climb to get her deedee instead of asking for her mom's help.

The dresser tipped over. The TV/VCR/DVD crashed down and into the rail of the bottom bunk of the girls' bunk beds.

Two dresser drawers are broken. The TV has a broken casing (but still works). The bed rail is broken.

Calvinatorette III escaped without a scratch.

The only thing I can figure is that she had opened a few drawers, but instead of standing in one, she was trying to climb up the sides. So, when the whole thing started to tumble, she fell off to the side and avoided being crushed by either the dresser or the TV.

The emotions that hit me when I heard the story were a new experience for me. I had always heard that extreme fear and helplessness can express itself as anger. Now, I have first-hand knowledge of the truth of that.

I thank God that Sarah was not injured . . .

or killed.

Getting in Shape Update 14

Another inexplicable dramatic drop. I guess with my show running, I just haven't eaten as much. The 30 minutes or so of dancing every night must help, too. Even though it isn't particularly aerobic.

The average is 2.75 pounds per week.

Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 233.0

Today's Weight = 228.5

Weight Loss in past week = 4.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 38.5 pounds

Wednesday, March 09, 2005

People Confuse Me

At least, sometimes they do. A few of my students last semester and this act as if they are in charge of the class. They take umbrage at the idea that what the Instructor (me) says, goes. In my opinion, I am not a difficult teacher, nor do I expect unreasonable things from my students. They, on the other hand, tend to think that I am an unrealistic slave-driver.

This past Monday, one of my students claimed that I had said something in class in advance of the test they took last week. I had said no such thing, and when I stated that, my student had the audacity to argue with me in front of the rest of the class. The student in question wouldn't even back down when several of her classmates told her she was mistaken.

I have a suspicion that the attitude I perceive in my classes is the result of years of students being coddled and pandered to in the education environment. Parents don't help the situation when they march to school and attack Teachers and Principals and threaten legal action if their little Johnny or Susie isn't "treated better."

In short, it's time for people to grow up. And that goes for the kids, too.

Tuesday, March 08, 2005

The Incredibles

I finally got around to seeing this year's "Best Animated Feature" yesterday. I know people who think it should have won "Best Picture" as well. I have to say that it's mighty hard to argue against that.

This movie has great acting and keeps you interested from start to finish. Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter were fantastic as Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl.

If you haven't seen this movie yet, don't miss it. Right now, it's playing at the "Dollar" theaters in my area, so try to catch it on the big screen right away.

Getting in Shape Update 13

The average is about 2.6 pounds per week.

Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 234.5

Today's Weight = 233.0

Weight Loss in past week = 1.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 34.0 pounds

Saturday, March 05, 2005

You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile

Last night was opening night for Kaufman County Civic Theatre's production of Annie. Everything went well.

In fact, we had to add chairs in the aisles to accomodate the crowd. For an actor, there's not much better than playing to a full house. As the theatre's Treasurer, I was fiscally pleased, as well. Here's hoping the remainder of the run (10 more shows) will be equally successful.

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

Getting in Shape Update 12

Well, I guess I was wrong last week about slowing down. Good week.

Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 238.5

Today's Weight = 234.5

Weight Loss in past week = 4.0 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 32.5 pounds

In Honor of Eric

UPDATE: I guess I shouldn't try to type that late at night. I left out a very important word in this post originally. It has been fixed. My apologies to Jamie Foxx for the error.

My High School classmate, Eric Bishop, who is better known to you as Jamie Foxx, won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Ray Charles. As I watched his acceptance speech on the giant screen set up in our hometown's Performing Arts Center, I couldn't help but think to myself that what I was seeing was not some Hollywood phony. What I saw was the guy I knew almost twenty years ago.

Jamie Foxx

I am as proud as I can be of Jamie Foxx. I am glad that he doesn't seem to be much different from the guy I remember.

What is The Chance of a Lifetime (redux)?

I got an e-mail from Jeopardy! today offering me a chance to audition for the show at their upcoming Houston try-outs. I passed their test once back in April 2002, but I never got called to be on the show. That time, I was one of two who passed in a session with about seventy folks who took the test. They told the two of us that the small passing rate probably boded well for us, but it was not to be.

I may need to bone up on some pop culture and some Shakespeare over the next month.