Movin' On Up

Our family will soon be moving to a new house. We finally got a "Yes" to our offer on a house in Forney.



The house has almost 3000 square feet, which will be a 150% increase in the space we will have. We'll finally have adequate closet space, and plenty of room for all our stuff.

I am looking forward to being able to park my car in a garage. At our current house, we have had to use the garage for storage, so my car has never been inside it.

The new home will only cut a small amount of time and mileage off my commute, but I believe it will add up. It should mean about one less tank of gas every month, and at current prices, every little bit helps.

Disappointed but not Discouraged

Some of you may not know that I have spent the past few months in an effort to gain the Republican nomination for Judge of a newly-created Court at Law for Kaufman County. The Primary election was this past Tuesday, March 7th. My bid was unsuccessful. Looking at the final results, I can honestly say that I don't think there was anything I could have done that would have resulted in my winning the nomination outright or even my leading in the vote count among the four candidates. It is apparent that a substantial number of Democrats crossed over and voted in the Republican Primary in Kaufman County. In 2002 & 2004, approximately 3100 people voted in the Republican Primary. This year, that number more than doubled to 6800.

Both the candidate who obtained the most votes and the candidate in second are former Democrats who switched parties for this election in an effort to get elected. I don't begrudge them this decision. It was the only way they would have a chance of winning this position, so they had to do what they had to do.

What is disappointing to me is that despite the cross-over voting, I should have been able to run stronger and challenged for second place and a spot in the Run-off election. My failure to do so probably stems from three main reasons: 1) The Democratic cross-over; 2) The fourth candidate in the race siphoned off some of the "true Republican" vote; and 3) I refused to believe that the cross-over was going to be as significant as it turned out to be, so I ran a traditional targeted Primary Campaign focusing almost exclusively on people who had a history of voting in the Republican Primary. The second and third reasons combined are probably the most important ones. If the fourth candidate had not been in the race, I believe I would have received the vast majority of the votes that went to him. Those votes alone would not have put me in second, but if I had run a more broad-based campaign, I might have drawn the extra few hundred votes I would have needed to make the run-off. However, despite the adage that "anything can happen in a run-off," I believe that the leading candidate has too strong of an ability to turn out his voters, so it probably would have only resulted in my focusing five more weeks on a race I was ultimately destined to lose.

I don't know if I will seek elected office again any time soon, but as the title of this entry states, I am not discouraged. I ran an honorable, clean campaign, and I am proud of everyone who helped me in any way.

Getting in Shape Update 65

It's time for serious re-focus and re-commitment.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 225.5

Today's Weight = 227.0

Weight Gain in past week = 1.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 40.0 pounds

Getting in Shape Update 64

Just didn't have the discipline this past week not to snack.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 222.0

Today's Weight = 225.5

Weight Gain in past week = 3.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 41.5 pounds

Looking for the Weight Update?

My wife suggested that I move my "weigh-in" day to Saturday because that's the day she goes to Weight Watchers. I agreed, so this week's weight post won't be until Saturday, but I will say that if I don't do much better between now and Saturday, I will have gained.

Will on Free Speech

Today's George Will Op-Ed, "Less Freedom, Less Speech" (Wash. Post, registration required) sums up my thoughts fairly well.

I remember disagreeing with my Criminal Law professor about the constitutionality of "Hate Crimes" laws. Will writes:

American legislators, using the criminal law for moral exhibitionism, enact "hate crime" laws. Hate crimes are, in effect, thought crimes. Hate-crime laws mandate enhanced punishments for crimes committed as a result of, or at least when accompanied by, particular states of mind of which the government particularly disapproves. Governments that feel free to stigmatize, indeed criminalize, certain political thoughts and attitudes will move on to regulating what expresses such thoughts and attitudes -- speech.

First Amendment rights are not absolute, but I believe we have gone much too far in the attempt to protect people from being offended by what others say.

For several decades in America, the aim of much of the jurisprudential thought about the First Amendment's free-speech provision has been to justify contracting its protections. Freedom of speech is increasingly "balanced" against "competing values." As a result, it is whittled down, often by seemingly innocuous increments, to a minor constitutional afterthought.

As has been attributed to Voltaire, I agree with the sentiment expressed as "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Political Correctness is not just a tool to create a more polite society, but is a calculated effort to squelch the voices of those with whom people disagree.

The Old Gray Hair Just Ain't What it Used to Be

While I was getting my hair cut Tuesday, the barber looked down at the top of my head and said, "Hmmm . . . you have a few gray hairs up here." Now, I'm not vain about my hair. In fact, I have been willing to do dramatic things with my hair in the past without worrying too much about it. I mean, hey, it grows back.

What has caught me a little off guard is that my father didn't go gray until he was 55 years old, after he had open heart surgery. I'm sure he had some gray hairs up there before that, but I don't remember any being noticeable.

I guess I should be glad, in a way. My whole life, people have thought I am younger than I really am because I have somewhat of a "boyish" face. Maybe some gray hair will get people to realize that I truly am a "grown up" now.

Getting in Shape Update 63

Water intake was poor this week. Exercise was non-existent.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 222.0

Today's Weight = 222.0

Weight Loss in past week = 0.0 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 45.0 pounds

Weight Loss Disappointment

I was really hoping to have hit the 50 pounds lost mark by my Doctor's Appointment on Friday, but that obviously didn't happen. Ah, well. I know I will get there, and beyond, but my impatience is kicking in.

Update on House Buying

Ugh! Apparently, the Realtor® had set the listing without discussing it with the bank. The house is in foreclosure, and the bank said our full asking price offer wasn't high enough. We bumped it a little last night, but if they don't accept that, we'll have to walk away from the deal.

Getting in Shape Update 62

Had some ice cream last night at an event, but it didn't seem to hurt. For all I know, It may have helped shock my system into burning some more fat.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 222.5

Today's Weight = 222.0

Weight Loss in past week = 0.5 pound



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 45.0 pounds

House Hunting

Today, my wife and I went to look at houses. We only got to the 2nd one. Our Realtor® and we rushed to get an offer put together on House #2. It has been turned over to the bank as a foreclosure, but it's still in good shape. House is only 3+ years old. Nice neighborhood. Lots of space and a decent sized yard.

We are supposed to hear tomorrow if our offer has been accepted. If it is accepted, I'll fill in more of the details about it.

I feel like boasting

My two oldest girls took some sort of reading/vocabulary assessment this week at their homeschool co-op. Erin, our First Grader who is approaching her 7th birthday, is reading at a Fifth Grade level. Hannah, our Pre-Kindergartener who is nearing her 5th birthday, is reading at a First Grade level. Right now, all my girls love reading and/or being read to. I hope this continues. I know firsthand the great value in being a reader throughout life.

Things that make you go GGGRRRRRR!!!!

Okay, so the Postal Service raised the rates for postage about a month ago. I rarely grouse about the price of postage because I know the U.S. still has the best mail delivery system in the world and the cost of postage has not risen at the same rate of inflation, making what we pay a relative bargain.

What chaps my hide is that despite the fact that the change was over a month ago, they USPS still doesn't have 24 cent stamps available. So, if you need to send a postcard, you have to use a 23¢ stamp with a 1¢ stamp. If you are still finishing up your 37¢ stamps as well, a letter over 1 ounce will require 4 stamps (unless you happen to have a 3¢ stamp lying around). I understand that they want to deplete the supply of 23¢ stamps before making 24¢ ones available because nobody would buy the existing inventory otherwise, but they should have done a better job leading up to the change so that there would not have been as much 23¢ inventory to clear out.

Getting in Shape Update 61

Okay, someone explain this one to me. I wasn't very good this week with food or water or exercise, but I still lost weight.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 224.0

Today's Weight = 222.5

Weight Loss in past week = 1.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 44.5 pounds

It's About Time

I think it's about time that I put up a new Profile Pic. I've had people tell me that the current one is the "Funny Teeth" one, and I've noticed that on some computers, the mouth does look a little odd.

It's also not terribly accurate because I haven't had a goatee in more than 3 years.

I'll try to get a new one up in the next few days.

Getting in Shape Update 60

I am really discouraged. About the only explanation I can think of is that I didn't drink anywhere near enough water this past week.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 221.5

Today's Weight = 224.0

Weight Gain in past week = 2.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 43.0 pounds

Blessed Rain

It started raining during the night. We need it. Actually, we need it to rain non-stop for about a week.

Getting in Shape Update 59

I guess it's better than gaining half a pound, but I was disappointed. I thought I would have come in a little better this week.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 222.0

Today's Weight = 221.5

Weight Loss in past week = 0.5 pound



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 45.5 pounds

For my Semi-Regulars

I apologize for not posting anything but the weight update these past few weeks. Life has been hectic. In fact, I really ought to be doing something else right now.

I'll try to be a bit more regular, but for now I present The News, in brief:

Our family has been visiting a different church that is significantly closer to home the past few weeks. Theologically, it differs from my views in a few small areas, but not so much to make it unacceptable.

For the first time in a long time, none of my girls have been sick for almost a month.

Work has been hectic, as usual. I'm still enjoying it, but I could use some extended time off. I haven't taken more than a day at a time since Christmas 2003.

I got a chance to see my best friend this past week. I was happy to loan the use of my cable service to him while he was in the D/FW area and couldn't find a hotel with the SciFi Channel so he could watch the final part of a three-part Battlestar Galactica arc. There's a good chance that Rod and Sherri will be moving to the metroplex in the near future. I really look forward to getting to spend lots of time with them.

My niece and her husband signed a contract to buy our house, but we aren't closing until the end of April, so Jody and I haven't found a new place, yet.

Getting in Shape Update 58

I did a lot better avoiding snacking this week.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 224.5

Today's Weight = 222.0

Weight Loss in past week = 2.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 45.0 pounds

Getting in Shape Update 57

A small step in the right direction.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 225.0

Today's Weight = 224.5

Weight Loss in past week = 0.5 pound



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 42.5 pounds

Getting in Shape Update 56

A good start to the new year and the new focus on finishing the journey.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 226.5

Today's Weight = 225.0

Weight Loss in past week = 1.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 42.0 pounds

New Year's Revolutions

No, not Resolutions.

This year, I will lose the rest of the weight I need to lose to get down to 190 pounds.

This year, I will be more consistent with reading the Bible and praying.

This year, I will spend more time playing with my family and less time playing on the computer.

I think that's more than enough to keep me busy for the next twelve months.

Getting in Shape Update 55

I didn't pay much attention to what I was eating this past week.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 226.0

Today's Weight = 226.5

Weight Gain in past week = 0.5 pound



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 40.5 pounds

Getting in Shape Update 54

Two bad days with Christmas parties.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 223.0

Today's Weight = 226.0

Weight Gain in past week = 3.0 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 41.0 pounds

Let me brag just a bit

My six-year-old, Erin, just said to my wife, "Mommy, ate can make another word. Eat." I then asked her if she could think of another word it could make, and after about 4 seconds, she came back with "Tea".

I realize that three-letter anagrams aren't that difficult, but I, for one, was fairly impressed.

At Long Last

Erin has had a tooth dangling for quite awhile now. I was finally able to get it pushed out. Now she is missing her front 2 teeth on both the top and bottom. And another tooth on top is already loose as well.

Erin had been very resistant to my trying to pull this last tooth out, but it came out quite easily.

If You Can't Stand the Heat, Get out of the Car

I wish car makers would develop a heating and cooling system with dual climate controls. What? You say they already have. Oh, you mean they have separate controls for the Driver and the front seat passenger. That's not what I'm talking about.

What I want them to do is make it where I can blow warm air on my feet but have cool air blowing out the vents toward my face. Whenever I have the heater on high enough to keep my feet toasty, eventually the car gets so stuffy that it is hard to breathe. Then, I have to turn the air cooler and blow it out the vents. That causes my feet to get cold.

This is Aggravating

Over the past few days, while I was driving, I've thought of some things I wanted to blog about, but now I can't remember what they were. Maybe something will trigger the memory later.

Getting in Shape Update 53

I did a better job drinking water this week. I'm still snacking more than I should, but it must not have been as bad as I feared.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 225.5

Today's Weight = 223.0

Weight Loss in past week = 2.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 44.0 pounds

More High School Football

My beloved Terrell Tigers got knocked out of the Class 4A Division II playoffs a few weeks ago. We lost to the Hebron Hawks. Hebron will be playing next week for the Division II Championship. Terrell's final record was 10-2. The other loss was to the Highland Park Scots. Highland Park is playing the Class 4A Division I championship right now against Marshall. At the end of the 3rd Quarter, the score was 52-0 in favor of the Scots.

If Hebron wins next week, then Terrell's two losses would have come to the two State Champs in 4A. This may have been "the one that got away" for the Tigers.

Getting in Shape Update 52

Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of my effort to lose the weight I need to lose. I started off so well.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 224.0

Today's Weight = 225.5

Weight Gain in past week = 1.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 41.5 pounds

Getting in Shape Update 51

I'll blame this week on Thanksgiving. I ate entirely too much sugar last Thursday, and we still have some ice cream in the house.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 221.5

Today's Weight = 224.0

Weight Gain in past week = 2.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 43.0 pounds

A Spirit of Thanksgiving

I posted this last year as we approached Thanksgiving. The sentiments in that post are still true today except for the part about the second job. I am still thankful I had the part-time teaching gig, but my position was eliminated with the fall semester. I had a couple of other opportunities to teach this fall or this coming spring, but other things prevented that. Depending on other things, I may look into adding some teaching back in the summer or fall 2006.

Memories

On November 11th, someone who was once very important to me died in a car crash. Christy Prather Haney was a former girlfriend of mine. Although I had a handful of "serious" girlfriends over the years, when I look back as objectively as possible, I realize that Christy was the only one other than my wife who could realistically have become Mrs. Calvinator.

When Christy's obituary appeared in my local paper, my wife asked me if I knew her. Jody's attention was caught because of the young age Christy was when she died (she was 32). When Jody asked, I assumed she didn't know that Christy had been a former girlfriend, so I wasn't sure what to tell her. Obviously, I acknowledged that I knew her, but I didn't add any details about how or how well I knew her. Later, something must have triggered Jody's memory because she called me when she was out shopping to say she finally realized who Christy was and to say how sorry she was about the death. It turns out that one of our best friends had told Jody about Christy a long time ago, but I didn't know.

I think it's natural for us to think "What If" at times regarding the choices we have made in our lives, and Christy's death definitely sent me down that mental path. I know that God had different plans for me, and that's why I did the things I did back in 1991 & '92. I thank God everyday that He knows what is best for me and made it come to pass.

With regard to Christy's death, I haven't been able to figure out what my feelings are. It had been years since I had spoken to her, but it is still weird to realize that someone with whom I shared part of my life is gone.

Getting in Shape Update 50

I was really tempted not to post this week. I am getting very frustrated. It seems like everytime I approach that 50 pound mark, I decide to eat stuff I know I shouldn't.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 218.0

Tuesday's Weight = 221.5

Weight Gain in past week = 3.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 45.5 pounds

Getting in Shape Update 49

I haven't felt that great this week, so I think I just haven't eaten as much as normal.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 220.5

Today's Weight = 218.0

Weight Loss in past week = 2.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 49.0 pounds

Go Tigers!

Congrats to my beloved Terrell Tigers for avenging last year's first-round playoff defeat at the hands of the Sulphur Springs Wildcats. Terrell won 34-17 and advances to Round 2 next weekend againt the winner of Saturday's Hebron-Dallas Lincoln game.

Dear to all
When hearts recall
Happy years gone by
We'll sing again
That old refrain
Of dear old Terrell High

Getting in Shape Update 48

A small step back in the right direction.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 221.0

Today's Weight = 220.5

Weight Loss in past week = 0.5 pound



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 46.5 pounds

Getting in Shape Update 47

I guess I ate a bit more Halloween candy than I thought.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 218.5

Today's Weight = 221.0

Weight Gain in past week = 2.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 46.0 pounds

Judicial Philosophy

In relation to the nomination of Justice Alito to the Supreme Court, allow me to set out my take on the law and what a proper Judicial Philosophy is. For too long, many in our society have taken the approach that if something is good or desirable, then it must be afforded Constitutional protection. On the flip side, if something is deemed bad or undesirable, it must be found to violate the Constitution. Proper Constitutional interpretation, however, is not quite so broad.

If Congress or a State Legislature passes a law that is not in conflict with the clear language of the Constitution as it was originally intended, then that law should be upheld. It is not the place of a Judge to decide whether a law is a "good" law or a "bad" law. If the law does not violate the Constitution, that law should be upheld, regardless of whatever bad consequences there might be. If the law violates the Constitution, the law must be struck down, regardless of whatever good it might create. It's really not that hard.

I remember having this debate in my Civil Liberties class in law school about the issue of Commercial Speech. I was the only one in the class who took the originalist approach. It was rather disheartening. My classmates actually assumed that because I felt that Commercial Speech did not fall within the protection of the First Amendment, I must not think it a good thing for people to have more information relating to commercial enterprise. Nothing could be further from the truth. I agree that more information flowing is better than less, but just because that information flow is good, does not mean that it rises to the level of Constitutional protection.

I know that my view isn't the easiest to grasp these days, but that's the result of decades in which people have had the wrong attitude about how the Constitution is to be applied.

2006 Dallas Summer Musicals Schedule

DSM released the 2006 season. I am underwhelmed. I may try to catch "Mamma Mia!" and "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," but the rest of the season doesn't entice me at all.

Getting in Shape Update 46

I overdid the exercising last Tuesday, and I had to lay off for several days.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 218.0

Today's Weight = 218.5

Weight Gain in past week = 0.5 pound



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 48.5 pounds

Wicked Awesome or Wicked Disappointment?

I caught Dallas Summer Musicals production of Wicked at Fair Park Music Hall on Wednesday. I had heard nothing but glowing reviews of this show, and I was very excited.

Stephanie J. Block was brilliant as the green-skinned Elphaba, who is much more misunderstood than wicked. Her singing was extraordinary and may actually have surpassed that of Idina Menzel, who originally played the role on Broadway. Kendra Kassebaum was fine as Galinda/Glinda, but she seemed out of her league vocally compared to Broadway's original, Kristin Chenoweth, and she paled in comparison to Block. Kassebaum's over-the-top antics and physicality were also a little distracting at times.

I was looking forward to Carol Kane in the role of Madame Morrible, but she actually didn't pull it off for me. At times, she was difficult to understand (which may have had more to do with the terirble acoustics in the Music Hall than anything else), and I thought the character should have been a touch more sinister.

David Garrison (Steve Rhoades from TV's "Married With Children") was fine as the Wizard. Jenna Leigh Green (Libby Chessler on "Sabrina the Teenaged Witch") turned in a solid performance as Nessarose, Elphaba's sister, and I was pleasantly surprised with her singing.

Boq was played by Logan Lipton. His performance was unremarkable except for the mic problems he had in Act II (unfortunately, at a critical juncture). Derrick Williams' portrayal of Fiyero was high-quality.

Unfortunately for all the other actors, though, nobody could match the sheer power of Block's Elphaba.

I enjoyed the production of The Producers that came to DSM earlier this year more than this show, but Wicked was a better overall production. The Producers made me laugh almost non-stop, but Wicked can actually make you stop and think.

SPOILER WARNING--DO NOT READ ON IF YOU DO NOT WANT ANY OF THE PLOT SPOILED

I don't think the musical had to follow Gregory Maguire's book completely, and I understand the decision to have Boq become the Tin Man. I can even accept that Fiyero becomes the Scarecrow. What really drew the air out of the show for me was the "happy ending" that was added. For me, the story is much more poignant if Elphaba is dead, and having her and Fiyero/Scarecrow go off into hiding just seems cheap.

Getting in Shape Update 45

After I got over being sick, my weight popped back up to where it had been. I've been pretty good drinking water this past week, and I even exercised last night.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 222.0

Today's Weight = 218.0

Weight Loss in past week = 4.0 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 49.0 pounds

Don't try this at home

As you all know, I'm engaged in a continuing effort to lose weight. This morning, when I stepped on the scale, it read 216.5. This was a loss of 5 pounds from yesterday. What precipitated this dramatic drop you ask? Well, it seems the Calvinator household acquired a stomach virus from somewhere. My wife called me yesterday morning to let me know that one of the girls had already gotten sick and that she, my wife, was feeling nauseated as well. Over the course of the day, all the girls got sick except for our one year old.

It appeared that I might avoid the wrath of this bug, but at 2:30 in the morning, I could be found on all fours on the bathroom floor. Thankfully, that was my only episode. Because I had not been sick for several hours, I decided to go to work today. Probably a mistake. I feel wiped out.

On a good note, the 216.5 pounds is the least I have weighed in the entire time my wife has known me.

Interesting Personal Discovery

Over the weekend, my wife was out of town. She took Calvinatorette IV with her, but I had Calvinatorettes I, II, & III. On Sunday evening, my mom kept the girls because I have to get up early to get to work on Mondays. So, I came home to an empty house after the closing performance of Rumors.

What I discovered that night was that although when the family is home, I like to be left alone on occasion, I do not like being alone. I hated being the only one in the house. It's not like I didn't have things I could do. I watched some sports. I surfed the web. I listened to music. All the while, I was aware that I was the only one in the house.

And I didn't like it.

Getting in Shape Update 44

It could have been worse.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 221.5

Today's Weight = 222.0

Weight Gain in past week = 0.5 pound



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 45.0 pounds

Getting in Shape Update 43

I sometimes wonder if I engage in a little self-sabotage. Eating was not the best this past week.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 220.0

Today's Weight = 221.5

Weight Gain in past week = 1.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 45.5 pounds

Getting in Shape Update 42

Please let this be the start of a new trend.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 223.0

Today's Weight = 220.0

Weight Loss in past week = 3.0 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 47.0 pounds

Back on the Boards

Friday night was the opening of Rumors at Rockwall Community Playhouse. This is the first play I've done in three-and-a-half years. I have been in a number of shows during that time, but they were all musicals. It has been interesting being an "outsider" for a show. Almost all of my productions have been at the community theatre in my hometown. Rockwall is only a few miles away, but it's like a whole other world. Doing a show at a different theatre has its advantages and its disadvantages. I've learned some things about how they run their theatre; many of which would be beneficial for my normal troupe. The main disadvantage comes from not being one of the regular gang. This has been lessened by the fact that this is the first show at RCP for half the cast.

We run two more weekends. It's a good show. If you live in the area, please come check it out.

Getting in Shape Update 41

I'm sure you're getting as tired of this lack of movement as I am.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 223.0

Today's Weight = 223.0

Weight Loss/Gain in past week = 0.0 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 44.0 pounds

Getting in Shape Update 40

I'm not sure that half a pound even counts as a gain.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 222.5

Today's Weight = 223.0

Weight Gain in past week = 0.5 pound



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 44.0 pounds

Feeling Small

No, this isn't about losing weight, and it's pretty long.

A hot, prickly feeling of shame spread from the top of Harry's head all the way down his body. Dumbledore had not raised his voice, he did not even sound angry, but Harry would have preferred him to yell; this cold disappointment was worse than anything.
                       —Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, p. 428

I don't think I ever heard my High School Speech teacher, Janice Caldwell, raise her voice. She never had to. Mrs. Caldwell was one of those teachers whom everyone respected. In those days, it seemed that most of the students still cared what teachers thought of them. That was especially true regarding students and Mrs. Caldwell.

Mrs. Caldwell may not have ever yelled, but she certainly knew how to express her displeasure. Whenever a student behaved inappropriately, she would not berate or chastise. Instead, a hurt look would grow on her face, and she would say, "I'm very disappointed in you." The words were always the same. The reaction was usually the same, too.

My contact with Mrs. Caldwell began my Sophomore year. It was that year that I first competed in Speech tournaments. Mrs. Caldwell was also the Assistant Director for our competition One-Act play. Because of my course schedule, I was not able to fit Speech class in until my Senior year. It is a point of pride for me that I was the first person to obtain a grade of "A+" in Mrs. Caldwell's class. School generally came easy to me, but I made a little extra effort in Speech class. There's just something about Mrs. Caldwell that made students want to please her.

During that year, one of our units was Cross-Examination team Debate. The class was set up in an elimination tournament. Fifteen teams of two contended for classroom glory. The tournament was single-elimination (except for one of the first seven teams defeated; that team was randomly selected to compete in the first round again against the fifteenth team), so the pressure was immense. My partner, Kim Appleton, and I were paired up against Shelly Scarborough and Jennifer Raynes. They were the Affirmative. The topic being debated was:

Resolved: That the Federal Government should enact a comprehensive policy to protect the quality of water in the United States.

****At this point, you are either very impressed or very scared that I still remember that after almost twenty years.****

Shelly and Jennifer pulled out a plan to mandate Fluoridation of all public water supplies in the U.S. Now, Kim and I had all kinds of evidence about the water table, ground water, lakes, rivers, Superfund, and the like, but we had not card one about fluoride. I told Kim our only hope was to go after Topicality, which is an issue related to whether the plan really fits the stated topic.

The Judge, who was the school's Drama Teacher, voted for Kim and me on the Topicality issue. The team of Appleton and Scott were never seriously challenged in the next three Rounds and won the Tournament handily.

However, going back to the day of Round 1, at lunch that day I was up in Mrs. Caldwell's classroom. She told me that she thought the other team's plan was topical and that, in her opinion, we should have lost the round. I replied that we were caught completely by surprise, so we had to "BS our way through the Round." Mrs. Caldwell looked at me and asked if I knew the meaning of what I had just said. At that moment, if I could have hit a magic "Rewind" button, I would have, but it was too late. I told Mrs. Caldwell that yes, I knew what "BS" stood for, but I didn't really mean those words, which was at least consciously true.

Mrs. Caldwell gave me a brief lecture about choosing words carefully, especially as a Christian who desired to be a positive example for my classmates. I sat there and took my medicine hoping it would be over quickly. Mrs. Caldwell spoke again, quietly and calmly, "I'm very disappointed in you." Since the Rewind button was nowhere to be found, I started wishing for a hole in which to hide. It did not need to be a big hole either because I only felt about two inches tall.

After that, as further testament to Mrs. Caldwell's greatness, there was no lingering condemnation from her. She had expressed her displeasure and then moved on. I have communicated with Mrs. Caldwell occasionally over the years, but it's been a while since the last time. She was one of those great teachers who leaves a lasting impression, and I am a better person for having known her.

Journal Anxiety

I was unable to locate my Journal for the past few days. I checked everywhere I thought it could be even though I couldn't remember hav ing it in any of those places. Thankfully, I don't have all that much written in it, and most of what I had written has been posted here on the blog anyway. The stuff that wasn't posted here wasn't anything that would have been terribly embarrassing if the Journal had fallen into the "wrong" hands, but it was annoying beyond description to think I had lost the blasted thing.

Well, I found it tonight. Great relief.

I am especially pleased because there are a couple of passages in Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince that I want to write about. Look for the first tomorrow.

Getting in Shape Update 39

At best, I thought I'd lose 2 pounds this week. I'm beyond trying to explain why my weight fluctuates how it does.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 226.5

Today's Weight = 222.5

Weight Loss in past week = 4.0 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 44.5 pounds

It Always Comes Back to Iraq

I communicate with a wide variety of people over the internet. They run the gamut of the political spectrum. The reactions to the aftermath of Hurrican Katrina have been, for the most part, true to form. The frothing Bush-haters are whipped up into a lather about how horrible a job Bush supposedly did/is doing in handling this crisis. If you keep pushing them, though, ultimately, it always comes back to Iraq. Eventually, after all the high-minded sounding arguments about evacuation plans and relief efforts, these folks will devolve to this argument: "If we weren't spending all that money and manpower to fight Bush's personal war in Iraq, there would have been the necessary funds to reinforce the levees (presumably overnight), there would have been the necessary manpower to run the evacuation and relief effort."

This, my friends, is what is known as a crock.

I have come to firmly believe that the hatred of Bush is a result not so much of what Bush has or hasn't done or his political ideology, but more a result of the American Left's desire to "get us back for what we did to President Clinton." You see, the vast right-wing conspiracy managed to prove that Bill Clinton was a liar, so the Left has decided that it must bring the same charge against Bush. That's why the anti-war rhetoric always claims that Bush lied to the American people. It wouldn't be enough for them to say that he had been wrong in his reasons. No, they have to take the next step and assume he knew the WMD's weren't there; therefore, in their minds, he lied.

I happen to be one of those Kool-Aid drinkers who thinks the WMD's managed to get secreted out of Iraq in the 6 months we were forced to wait before we invaded, but that's beside the point. Even if there were no WMD's at all, that is not proof that Bush lied to us.

Seriously, when you find someone who is attacking "the government" for how poorly things were handled and are being handle in New Orleans, keep pressing. Eventually, you will hear the word Iraq escape his or her lips.

In Praise of Mickey D's

I've been meaning to post about this for a few weeks. I don't know about where you live, but I am extrememly excited that all the McDonald's restaurants around here now have Diet Dr Pepper available. I wonder what took them so long.

In fact, I'm noticing Diet Dr Pepper popping up on more and more "fountains" these days.

As I've mentioned before, I loves me some Dr Pepper.

Getting in Shape Update 38

Bad week. Very bad week

Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 223.0

Today's Weight = 226.5

Weight Gain in past week = 3.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 40.5 pounds

Getting in Shape Update 37

Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 224.0

Today's Weight = 223.0

Weight Loss in past week = 1.0 pound



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 44.0 pounds

Wilkommen

I just got home from seeing the closing performance of Cabaret at Water Tower Theatre in Addison (North of Dallas). It was moving. At the end, the audience was hesitant to applaud. This show is one that is important, and the emotional power was obvious as the audience delayed the applause. I assure you that the delay was not because of any deficiency in the acting, singing, or dancing. Across the Board, it was a fabulous show.

My local community theatre had originally scheduled Cabaret for last season in the slot where we ultimately did Annie. I had voted for Cabaret based on having read the script, but now, having seen the show, I realize that we could never have done the show justice. In order to avoid alienating our small town crowd, the show would have had to have been so watered down that it would not have been worthwhile.

The Tooth Fairy comes tonight

Our eldest lost her first tooth today. She was very excited about. I wasn't even sure she knew about the Tooth Fairy, but she told me on the phone that she had to put the tooth in her room so the Tooth Fairy could get it.

Happy Birthday, K-Bob

Wherever you are.

New Profile Pic

The new pic over to the right is not really new. In fact, it's from over 3 years ago. I just got tired of the old one that had me looking like my eyes were whacked out.

No, I don't currently have a goatee.

On Writing

I signed on for a free on-line writing seminar over at The Phantom Professor blog. The first assignment was posted today—"Write a compelling sentence." Wow! What a first assignment! The further instructions indicate that it should be the first sentence of a story I would like to write and should make the reader eager for more. I've been reading a lot of Sci-Fi lately, mostly Harry Harrison, so I think I'll start in that direction. Here's my first stab:

As Thomas looked out over the wreckage strewn before him, he couldn't help thinking to himself, "How do I keep getting into messes like this?"

Getting in Shape Update 36

I guess it could have been worse.

Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 224.0

Today's Weight = 224.0

Weight Loss/Gain in past week = 0.0 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 43.0 pounds

My new favorite blog

Thank to the Rabbi Philosopher for point me to the tremendous blog, The Thinklings. I strongly recommend it.

A button will be coming as soon as I can get to it.

I am deeply honored

I don't want my friends and family who regularly check out my blog and leave comments to feel slighted, but I was thrilled to discover that Chris Muir left a comment here. For those who might not know, Muir writes and draws the great internet cartoon, Day By Day. It's one of the sights I link in the sidebar. I guess his traffic report indicated that he gets enough visitors coming from my blog to be noticed.

Chris, I love your strip, and I hope you enjoy my sporadic brain thoughts posted here.

Getting in Shape Update 35

Man, is this yo-yo thing getting annoying. We went to Six Flags Sunday, and I walked for about 6 hours, but I also ate junk and drank non-diet soft drinks.

Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 219.5

Today's Weight = 224.0

Weight Gain in past week = 4.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 43.0 pounds


I knew last week's weight was artificially low because my crazy schedule right now caused me not to eat any dinner two nights, but I didn't think I'd gain back as much as I did.

Getting in Shape Update 34

Avoided eating after dinner and drank a lot of water. I also ate significantly more protein than normal.

Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 225.5

Today's Weight = 219.5

Weight Loss in past week = 6.0 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 47.5 pounds

My long, personal nightmare is finally over

I was finally able to bring my new computer home. It took CompUSA almost a week to get the data transferred from the old, dead box to the new machine. I still haven't found my old e-mail messages, but so far, I've found everything I needed.

When I picked it up, the guy said I would have to re-install all my third party software. He was wrong. Apparently, this is yet another reason Macs are superior to Windows PCs.

The Great Texas Poker Debate

DISCLAIMER: The author's opinions are his own, and he is not speaking on behalf of any agency or other person.

Back in the November/December 2004 issue of The Prosecutor, the official periodical of the Texas District and County Attorneys Association, Markus Kypreos wrote an article starting on page 41 titled "A hold on Texas Hold'Em" in which he opined that most public Hold'Em tournaments are illegal. Kypreos reiterated his opinions on page 13 of the March/April edition in "Texas Hold ’Em: Three months later, it’s still illegal". At the time of those two articles, I debated them with a few other prosecutors and peace officers. I took the position that Kypreos was wrong about the tournaments being held by the Amateur Poker League because there was no "bet" involved. In short, I believed that the Texas Gambling Statute should be read to mean that unless there is a risk of loss to the player, then no bet occurs, and thus no gambling is occurring.

My main objection to Kypreos' articles was not that he reached a conclusion different from mine. My main objection was that he seemed unwilling to even acknowledge that another interpretation was possible. It is this smug attitude that leads to attorneys in general and prosecutors in general having a bad reputation. If Kypreos had taken a more scholarly approach to his articles and acknowledged that his conclusions were merely his opinions, I don't think he woudl need to be eating any crow right now.

BUT, he does.

Greg Abbott, the Texas Attorney General, who is no fan of gambling, has issued Opinion No. GA-0335, which supports my interpretation.

The Opinion states,

"Pursuant to the test promulgated by the court in Odle, this lack of "tender of a gift of something valuable" means that no "bet" has occurred.

I am happy that the AG's office got this one right, and I hope Kypreos will acknowledge his error in the next issue of The Prosecutor.

Getting in Shape Update 33

Ate late a few nights, and I didn't drink anywhere near enough water.

Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 223.5

Today's Weight = 225.5

Weight Gain in past week = 2.0 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 41.5 pounds

Getting in Shape Update 32

Thought I had a pretty good week. I'm not sure why I gained weight.

Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 221.5

Today's Weight = 223.5

Weight Gain in past week = 2.0 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 43.5 pounds

Free Poker

While my wife is out of town, I decided to go out yesterday and this evening to play some free poker. There are no locations close to me that are part of the Amateur Poker League, so yesterday, I drove a pretty good distance. Tonight, I went somehwere that was sort of on the way home.

Sunday's sessions weren't that bad. In the 6pm tournament, I started slow, but picked up after the first break. I caught one lucky set of community cards when we were down to about 14 players. I was short stacked and forced all in on the blind. I think I had suited cards, but they weren't worth much. The Board hit with an Ace High straight. We wound up with a three-way split of the pot. I was still pretty short-stacked, but I managed to make it to the final table of 8. Went out first for an 8th place finish.

In the 9pm session, I hit two big hands early and rode it to the final table again. I was second in chips, but because of the turbo-style blind structure, I still wasn't in great shape. I played a hand I shouldn't have, which left me with a medium stack (by comparison to the table—it was a short stack in relation to the blinds). I decided to take a stab at it before being forced all-in on a blind, but I couldn't hit the cards I needed. Slightly better this time with a 6th place.

Monday night, the location was thankfully snoke-free, but much more crowded. the guy to my left busted out another player early, so he had a pretty good sized stack. I was dealt A-10 in the big blind for $40, big stack raised to $100, and I re-raised to $300 when it came around to me. He called. The flop came A-J-10, so I had two pair. I bet out $300 and big stack raised to $1000. I immediately re-raised all-in. He called and turned over A-Q suited. At this point there were only 7 cards that would kill me—the 3 other Queens and the 4 Kings. The turn was a King. I still had 7 outs on the River. And Ace or 10 would give me a winning full house, and a Queen would result in a split pot. No such luck, and I got to leave early. In fact, they should be finishing up just about now.

I wasn't happy to be eliminated, but I told myself that you can't beat yourself up when you play it right and it just doesn't work.

CORRECTION: It dawned on me this morning that the other player actually had 10 outs. If another Jack had come up, we would both have had 2 pair (Aces & Jacks) and his Queen would play over my 10. Now, I'm not as sure I made the right play.

The Rove-Plame Affair

Karl Rove may not have done anything illegal with his leak (accidental or otherwise) of Valerie Plame, but what he did was wrong, and now it is time for him to go. I can imagine that President Bush figures that Rove deserves the benefit of forgiveness on this one. Bush can afford to think that way because he isn't seeking re-election.

In case you were wondering

I have been writing in my Journal, but some of the stuff in there isn't for public viewing. Nothing too secret, but things that are better kept to myself. At least for now. As a Government employee, I have to be a little careful about what I say about work. In fact, I believe I have left my job out of this blog completely (but I could be mistaken about that). There's just too much risk to posting everything I think.

Getting in Shape Update 31

Snacked much less and did better not eating in the evening after dinner.

Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 224.5

Today's Weight = 221.5

Weight Loss in past week = 3.0 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 45.5 pounds

Why I hated Grad School

I just had an epiphany about why I was so miserable while I was in Graduate School. I went The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to get a Master of Arts degree in Speech Communication right out of college. During the first year of the two-year program, I felt burned out and almost dropped out. I had always thought that burned out feeling was because I had been in school practically my entire life, but now I think I discovered the real reason.

I didn't have any friends in Grad School.

I am a very social person. I love to talk and spend time with others, and I genuinely like almost everybody. I have lots and lots of friends. However, while I was at Chapel Hill, there was nobody with whom I would just "hang out" and do stuff. I've always had many friends, but perhaps more importantly, I've always had a best friend (or two). In High School, it was Jay and Kim. In college, I had K-Bob and O-Steph. I met Rod at orientation at Law School, and I can't tell you how many hours we spent playing Super Nintendo or eating queso at Chili's. When I lived in Houston, I spent time with the gang from my Singles Sunday School class. Now, I have my friends at the Theatre.

In Grad School, I had squat. There were 29 or 30 other students in our program, and I got along with all of them, even if I was one of only two Conservatives (and the other one never got into political discussions), but I wouldn't say any of them were friends. The only times I really enjoyed Grad School were when I was teaching as a Teaching Assistant and when I performed in a play. During that production, I did hang out a few times with the other cast members, but as soon as the show was over, that interaction came to an end.

Who knows, if I had just made a good friend or two at UNC, I might have wound up a college professor instead of a lawyer.

Blog of Local Interest

I discovered a new blog this morning that might be of interest to folks around here (northeast Texas):

The Kaufman County Pundit

I told some people about it this afternoon at a wedding reception, but I got the name wrong.

Another Openin', Another Show

Tonight was opening night for The Foreigner, the show I directed for Kaufman County Civic Theatre. The audience was small, but responsive. A good show overall. It runs for 8 more shows on our stage, and then we are taking it on the road for one weekend to the theatre in the next small town over.

Great job tonight, gang!

Here's a an image containing a couple of shots from rehearsals:

Worth the Weight

I know I always seem to beat myself up when I have a week in which I gain a little weight, but other than the fact that it delays my reaching my ultimate goal, the minor "setbacks" really don't bother me that much. I typically step on the scales every morning, despite the fact that most "experts" say one shouldn't do that when engaged in a weight-loss plan. When I was at my heaviest, my weight would fluctuate as much as 5 pounds from one day to the next. One morning I would weigh 263; the next, 258. The day after that, I might be back at 261. So, I know that minor fluctuations aren't that big a deal.

In fact, this morning, the scale read 222.5.

Getting in Shape Update 30

I had a bad week. I didn't pay much attention to what and when I ate.

Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 223.0

Today's Weight = 224.5

Weight Gain in past week = 1.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 42.5 pounds

Button Happy

I fired up Adobe Photoshop in the Classic environment on my MAC today and created some buttons for my blog links to the right. Yes, I know the "convention" for size on these things is 80x15 pixels, but at that size, the text was very difficult to read. The font is "Sand".

Feel free to copy and use any of them if you'd like, but please download them to your computer and then upload them to your own host site. I use Geocities, and if the images get accessed too often, my geocities website actually becomes unavailable for a short time.

Getting in Shape Update 29

It makes it really hard to "be good" when the results just aren't happening.

Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 223.0

Today's Weight = 223.0

Weight Loss/Gain in past week = 0.0 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 44.0 pounds

A Pox Upon My House

Hannah is nearing the end of her bout with Chicken Pox, but on Monday, Lindsey (the 8 month old) broke out with them. This morning, Sarah (the soon to be 3 yr old) was sporting little red spots as well. Jody told Erin (the oldest), "You might as well just go lick her [Lindsey's] bottle and get it over with."

Last night was not fun. Lindsey woke me up around 3:00. I don't know what time she actually woke up because it takes alot to rouse me from my slumber. Her crying woke up Hannah and Sarah, so I helped try to calm Lindsey and get Hannah and Sarah back to bed. Finally, at 4:30, I went and got in bed with Sarah to get her calmed down.

I was very tempted to take a sick day today.

Drat!

Baylor was just eliminated from the College World Series by the Texas Longhorns. Congrats to UT.

Pac-Man Fever

Where I ate lunch today, they have a video game machine that has both Galaga and Ms. Pac-Man. Seeing that reminded me of the days back in the early 80's when Donkey Kong and Frogger ruled my world. We had a great video arcade in my hometown. Hightower's was clean and had a great selection.

The house I grew up in, and where my parents still live, is 4.8 miles from the City Limits. That includes 1.4 miles of dirt/rock road and 3.4 miles of a Farm-to-Market two lane undivided roadway. In the summers (with that mid-90's and above heat), I would occasionally ride my bicycle to town and go to Hightower's to spend my time and money. There was one day that I spent twenty dollars there, a quarter at a time. My mom grounded me from playing video games for two weeks. The worst part of it was that a few times, my brother took me with him to the arcade while I was serving my punishment sentence. I had to sit in the arcade without being allowed to play.

I guess that was a character-building experience. Either that, or it just served as inspiration for a journal entry.

A New Experience

In my life, I have succeeded at most of what I've tried—from school to music to acting to appearing on a TV quiz show. The only lack of success I can think of is my run for office in 2002. However, I had never, as far as I can remember, quit anything—until now.

Even though my appearance on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" was over four years ago, I still participate in an internet message board related to the show. The board, or Bored as the regulars call it, has migrated to several locations over the past few years, and people have come and gone, but one thing has been fairly constant and consistent—the Question of the Day. The QoD, as it is shortened, is a monthly trivia contest for the Bored's participants. The citizens of this particular internet community are unusually adept at trivia, and as is the nature of the species, we are very competitive. The QoDMeister gets to set the format of the game, and the monthly winner earns the right to run the game the following month. For a long time, the winner had never declined the opportunity to host, but eventually someone did. In that case, usually we just go down the final standings until somebody agrees to host.

Over the past four-and-a-half years, I have won the QoD a few times. Most recently, I won in May. I agreed to host the game this month, and although I started strong, I quickly lost my motivation and petered out. This morning, I posted a message to the Bored to let them know that I would not be finishing the game.

I know in the "grand scheme of things" that this game isn't that significant, but as I said before, I think this is the first time I've ever quit anything.

If You Can't Stand the Heat

I don't know why it surprises me every year when the temperature gets so hot. Except for 1992, I've spent every summer of my life in Texas. And yet, every time the mercury rises to the mid-90's, it's as if I am caught unawares. I love Texas, and I really can't imagine living anywhere else, but if I could, I would lower the average temperature somewhere between fifteen and twenty degrees.

Jody grew up in the cold of Montana. She tells me that she'll take the heat of a Texas summer over being snowed in all winter. At one point, we had talked about moving to western Montana to be closer to Jody's family, but it never came together. I don't know if I could have withstood the long winters, but I do know that the oppressive heat of North Texas is quite wearisome.

Getting in Shape Update 28

I guess I have to be resigned to slow, but steady, weight loss from here on out.

Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 223.5

Today's Weight = 223.0

Weight Loss in past week = 0.5 pound



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 44.0 pounds

Play by Play

I'm listening to the Baylor Bears game at the College World Series on the interent broadcast from BaylorBears.com. The Play-by-play announcer, whose name I haven't caught, is horrible. The cadence of his voice is very annoying, and if I weren't really interested in the game, I would have turned it off a long time ago.

Writing Tools

One of the things I've discovered since I started this blog is that oftentimes, something hits me during the day that I think might make an interesting blog entry. What happens almost every time is that later, when I try to remember what the inspiration was, I have forgotten what I observed or thought.

With that in mind, I've decided I'm going to start carrying a paper journal with me to jot things down as they arise. Maybe this will result in a more consistent and better blog.

Superstar

Last night, I went to see my oldest daughter's performance for the Children's Summer Theatre Experience. She was in the two group numbers and had two smaller scenes. One of her scenes was from State Fair, which is a show I've never seen. She and this boy named Keeton sang "Isn't It Kinda Fun?" They got the biggest cheers of the night.

After it was all over, the Director, Linda Leonard told me that Erin is a natural talent. Linda is a professional actress who has done Regional shows and used to act in Chicago. I have no idea if Erin wants to be an actress, but she does seem to have the knack.

Getting in Shape Update 27

It is hard for me to eat right when I'm sick. I seem to be over my Shingles, but now, I've been hit with a cold.

Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 224.0

Today's Weight = 223.5

Weight Loss in past week = 0.5 pound



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 43.5 pounds

My Daughter the Theologian

My four-year-old daughter, Hannah, has come down with the Chicken Pox. Most likely, she caught the varicella zoster virus from me as a result of my outbreak of Shingles.

This morning, my wife was giving Hannah an oatmeal bath to help alleviate some of the itching. I was in the bathroom talking to Hannah when she said, "If nobody got Chicken Pox, that would mean nobody ever did anything wrong, and nobody would ever have to eat soup." My four-year-old has apparently already come to an understanding of the pervasive effects of the Fall of Man.

Hannah is a very emotional child. She wears her heart on her sleeve, but in many ways, she's the deepest of our kids.

Getting in Shape Update 26

Could have been a lot worse.

Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 224.0

Today's Weight = 224.0

Weight Loss/Gain in past week = 0.0 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 43.0 pounds

New Show on TV for Actors

I stumbled across a show last night on E! called "Fight for Fame". I can imagine for some actors, seeing it might be intimidating, but to me, it was exhilirating. The show starts with five un-represented actors in L.A. who are vieing for one slot with an Agent. They go through various auditions and exercises and are cut one by one until the winner is left. Each show will have five new faces. The whole process of each episode transpires over the course of one day.

If you have any dreams or delusions of "making it" in Hollywood, I recommend this show.

Proud Papa

Saturday night was the First Annual KCCT Awards Gala. Jody, Erin, and I got dressed to the nines and stepped out for the event. I was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical for providing the voice of Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors, which was very flattering. However, Erin was nominated for Best Performance by a Juvenile. She was up against 3 other very talented girls who are all older than she is. My daughter, who played Molly in our production of Annie and turned six years old during the run, was announced as the winner. Her acceptance speech was short, sweet, and to the point: "Thank you."

The other winners:

Best Show
Little Shop of Horrors

Best Actor in a Musical
Dennis Gullion as Dr. Orin Scrivello, D.D.S. in Little Shop of Horrors

Best Actress in a Musical
Emily Hunt as Miss Hannigan in Annie

Best Actor in a Play
Lonny Schonfeld as Jake in Jake's Women

Best Actress in a Play
Kay Hinds as Cora Gump in A Bad Year for Tomatoes

Outstanding Technical Achievement
The design and build team for Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors

People's Choice Awards
A Bad Year for Tomatoes -- Ron E. Harris as Piney
Little Shop of Horrors -- Josh Wood as Seymour
FrUiTCaKeS -- Olivia Hughs as Sally Dantzler
Annie -- Olivia Hughs as Annie
Jake's Women -- Lonny Schonfeld as Jake

Congratulations to all the winners! I am glad to have been able to share the stage with you.