Come to the Beach

I Directed Brighton Beach Memoirs for Kaufman County Civic Theatre. We opened Friday, have a matinee tomorrow at 2pm, and run for two more weekends. You can leave a comment here and let me know you're coming (I'm also running the light board—It is community theatre after all), or you can call the theatre at 972-563-8991 and leave a voicemail for reservations.

Tickets are $12 ($10 for Senior Citizens).

If you come, I'll go have a drink with you after the show. Terrell has a really great place to get a Margarita! If you're under 21, you can always come along and get a Dr Pepper. ;)

The show is rated PG-13 for language and some adult discussions.

Please come. I think you'll like it.

The Early Bird Gets the Worm

I awoke at 3:20 a.m. this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, so I went ahead and got out of bed at 4:00, got ready, and came on in to work.  I got to the office at 6:15.  Still dark.

I figure that I'll be "crashing" by 10:00 this morning, but for right now, I seem to be doing okay.

It is, however, already time for a 20 oz. Diet Dr Pepper. 

Toddler Logic

Tonight after dinner, I had a Philly Swirl, Reduced Fat Sugar-Free Fudge & Chocolate bar. My daughters asked if they could have one, but we don't let them have things with artificial sweeteners, so I said, "They're only for grown-ups. Calvinatorette IV, our almost 3 year old, said "Can I be a grown-up?"

mea culpa

Since I was chastised by my mom for not trumpeting my wife's efforts, I'll do it now.

My wife was asked to create a "Cookie Bowl" for my nephew's groom's cake.

She toiled several frustrating hours, but the final result was remarkable.

Let Them Eat Cake

A good friend of mine has a business of creating cakes for all types of occasions. Check out some of his work Renaissance Productions.

He doesn't ship cakes, but if you have an event in the D/FW area, he is well worth the money. The cakes not only look good, but they taste delicious as well.

Wally World and Jack Daniels

I was in southern Louisiana this week for the funeral of my Aunt Sue. Before I began my trip back yesterday, I headed to the Wal*Mart in Denham Springs, LA to pick up some Diet Dr Pepper, snacks and ice for the drive. When I got back to where the soft drinks were, I wasn't surpised to see beer & wine in the store, but I was somewhat shocked to see bottles of liquor right next to the Doritos™ display. Right there among the variety of goods available at just about any Wal*Mart store in America sat Jack Daniels, Absolut Vodka, Bacardi Rum, and most of the major name liquors. I had no idea that any state allowed liquor sales in regular stores.

The biggest issue I had with it was that it has been so long since I've bought any liquor that I had no idea if the prices were good enough to justify buying some.

Getting in Shape Update 75

Ate after dinner too often and snacked a bit too much during the day.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Update's Weight = 236.0

Today's Weight = 237.5

Weight Gain in the Past 2 Weeks= 1.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 29.5 pounds

Getting in Shape Update 73

Did better not snacking or eating in the evenings after dinner.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 238.0

Today's Weight = 236.5

Weight Loss in the Past Week= 1.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 30.5 pounds

Getting in Shape Update 72

Didn't eat all that well. Didn't drink very much water. Still not exercising (and won't be able to until Kiss Me, Kate opens.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 238.5

Today's Weight = 238.0

Weight Loss in the Past Week= 0.5 pound



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 29.0 pounds

Getting in Shape Update 71

I had feared the worst after eating way too much brisket and too many hot dogs, not to mention the ice cream.



Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 238.0

Today's Weight = 238.5

Weight Gain in the Past Week= 0.5 pound



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 28.5 pounds

Ride, Captain Ride

Okay, so I have been able to get back into the exercise routine. I still don't like it, but I've made it bearable by attaching my Discman to the water bottle holder by some velcro and by watching TV (mostly sports) with the sound down.

I know getting in shape in general and losing weight in specific is an ongoing process, but I have to admit that patience is not always my biggest strength. In the past, I have used the Atkins way of eating to lose weight rapidly. It works for me, and it's not a huge sacrifice because I really like the foods that are allowed with Atkins. When I ate that way, I did miss pasta and bread, and that's probably one of the biggest drawbacks to that way of eating.

This time, I'm not counting calories, but I have made sure I am eating less than I was before. I'm also not avoiding any particular foods. If I want a cookie, I eat one. I just don't eat eight like I would have before.

The dropping of pant sizes and neck sizes is promising to be a slow-moving affair. My current pants are slightly less tight, but actually losing two inches in the waist and about an inch in the neck doesn't seem likely to occur any time very soon. I have, however, already noticed that my XL t-shirts are less snug (but still not to the point that I would wear them in public).

I promise you that this blog is not going to be only about my quest to lose weight (about 77 pounds total needed), but for right now, it seems to be my main focus.

Getting in Shape Update 3

UGH! Christmas should be banned for anyone who is trying to lose weight and shape up.

I ate horribly for about 3 days and I didn't exercise at all on Christmas Day or the day after.

Now, back to the grind. I got back up on that "horse" yesterday.

Starting Weight = 267.0

Last Week's Weight = 260.0

Today's Weight = 261.5

Weight Gain in past week = 1.5 pounds



TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS
= 5.5 pounds

Endorphins and all that jazz

So, you may be asking, how is the fat guy losing the weight?

Simple.

I have been eating less and exercising. I'm using a great site to log my activity. It's The President's Challenge Physical Activity & Fitness Awards Program.

I recommend finding others to join you in logging activity. That provides some accountability and a little competition if that would help keep you motivated.

The eating less part is both easy and hard. I've cut down on how much I eat at every meal. Plus, I've stopped grabbing a bag of M&M's or Skittles each afternoon. Additionally, I've tried to increase my water intake.

A lot of people have openly commented about how I decided to start this at the wrong time. That is, right during the holiday season. Well, the bottom line is that there is never a good time to start a program like this, so there's no better time than now. My goal (even more than the weight and clothing targets) is to get to the point where I can stop taking blood pressure and cholesterol medicine. That's tedious and costs me $50 per month. I assure you that I have better uses for that money.

The aftermath

Okay, so it's the next day. When I got home last night from the hospital (after having stopped to eat a late dinner at the Cici's buffet—I think I'm still full), I couldn't get to sleep. Finally, I went to bed at 3:30a.m. Although I know my wife is the one who did all the hard work yesterday, I'm very tired. Not quite exhausted, but definitely suffering from lack of adequate sleep.

Here's a pic of me from shortly after the delivery:



The hospital gave me the scrub shirt. It has Lindsey's footprints (shouldn't that be feetprints?) on the pocket.

Anyway, as I was getting that pic uploaded, I discovered I had an old pic of myself online. This one was taken during the Fall of my first year of Law School. It was 11 years and 65 pounds ago.

The most original soft drink ever in the whole wide world

I have a Dr Pepper™ (note the absence of a period) bottle coozy sitting in front of me right now. Growing up in Texas, I was practically weaned on the stuff. I still have a particular weakness for it. Perhaps that's part of the reason I'm that "fat guy" referred to in my profile. These days, I mostly drink Diet Dr Pepper™, which, as the commercials tell us, "Tastes more like regular Dr Pepper™." Even though it is my drink of choice, every time I hear that ad, I can't help but think, "more like regular Dr Pepper™ than what?"

Does that mean it tastes more like regular Dr Pepper™ than it tastes like Drano®. Or that it tastes more like regular Dr Pepper™ than Drano® does. I really don't know. I do know it's the only diet soft drink I can stand.

I also know that, just like every other soft drink out there today, Dr Pepper™ is made with corn syrup instead of sugar.

EXCEPT, you can still get Dr Pepper™ made with Imperial Pure Cane Sugar. It's still made that way at the Dublin, Texas bottling plant. You can order it online from Old Doc's Online Store. Trust me, it's worth it, despite the increased risk of cavities.

I've been told it's available at Love & War in Texas in Plano, but I've never been there myself to see if that's true.