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