HE AROSE AND I WITH HIM

DAY 6

• This morning's weight:      240.5         
• Fasting Blood Sugar:           74             
• Breakfast:                                               

       Breakfast Burrito -

       1 whole wheat tortilla

       sautéed kidney beans, red onion, red & green bell pepper

       1 scrambled egg
       chopped fresh tomato, salsa, shredded sharp cheddar cheese
       2% milk - 1 cup

       2 cups coffee (no additives)

• Activities:

       Drove across town to celebrate Easter @ Grace Bible Fellowship

• Snack: 

       Left-over chicken salad                                           

• Activities:

        Hey, it's Easter Sunday... how much activity do I need?

        

• Lunch: 4:00pm @ Landry's Seafood

       Landry's Seafood Salad -
          Lump Crab
          Boiled Shrimp
          Smoked Salmon stuffed w/cream cheese and capers
          Bed of Lettuce & Tomatoes


       Great company and stimulating conversation

• Activities:

       30 minutes on blog, FaceBook and emails

       30 minutes on the phone with Liz

• Snack:

       Ruby Red Grapefruit segments

• Activities

       Went to bed with "same kind of different..."

   THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY: 

    
     The church service at Grace Bible Fellowship was amazing. The people there were so warm and friendly. It is a little storefront church in a small office structure. Maybe 25-30 families attend and they are mostly young and beautiful families with beautiful children and bright smiles. I attended a "Care Group" which is their word for small Sunday School Class group. We met together first for a short teaching video on marriage and about a marriage being a battleground—not where husband and wife are at war but where the world wars against the marriage. After the video, my "Care Group" met in a secluded part of the sanctuary where a discussion about the video was facilitated by a leader. The leader as well as all the other members of my group was wise and mature. Everyone seemed anxious to participate. Exciting stuff! A Men's Group has breakfast Wednesday at 6:00am at the Bagel Shop. I'll be there if the alarm goes off. 
     The teens performed a mime skit about the need for a savior and the Crucifixion and Resurrection. It was moving, so moving that tears began to run down my cheeks. I will be there next Sunday...
     Easter dinner with Justin, Kara and her grandparents was delightful. The food superb. The conversation was outstanding. We sat down at 4pm and left the restaurant at 6:20. I love people.

     My overall grade for today: A++

     How did you do?        

A DAY OF FOCUSING

DAY 5

• This morning's weight:      241         
• Fasting Blood Sugar:          134             
• Breakfast:                                               

       1 slice whole wheat toast (1 tsp Promise and 1 tblsp fig preserves)

       1/2 cup red grapefruit sections

       2 cups coffee (no additives)

• Activities:

       Washed clothes
       Photographed the dogs - sent email to confirm
            they are still alive and well
       Corrected devotionals
       Walked to store and back - 2 miles

• Snack: 

       Kashi Honey Almond bar                                                 

• Activities:

        Seared roast and put in oven to slow cook

        Prepared today's lunch

• Lunch: 2:00pm

       Grilled teriyaki chicken breast on steamed rice
       Grilled fresh pineapple
       Szechuan Shrimp stir fry

       

       

• Activities:

       Read several more chapters of "same kind of different as me."

       Spent entirely too much time on FB and this blog

• Dinner:

       1/2 cup Honey Nut Cherrios

       Small handful of chopped walnuts

       2% milk 1 cup

• Activities

       Washed dishes, cleaned kitchen, folded laundry

   THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY: 

     
     The weekend came but it didn't look or act differently from any other day of the week. I found a church to attend tomorrow by Googling  Fellowship Bible Church El Paso. Grace Bible Fellowship was the third from the top and possesses everything I'm looking for. In fact, they look exactly like Fellowship Bible Church in San Antonio, only about 20 years ago.  I went to their website and listened to last Sunday's message - I can live with that. The only negative consideration is that they are on the other side of town, off N. Mesa at Executive Center Blvd. Their classes start at 9:30 and service at 11:00. Right now I'm leaning toward getting there at 9:30.


     Another piece of exciting news, I got invited to Easter Dinner at Landry's Restaurant. I'll be joining nephew Justin, significant other Kara and her grandparents. I'm looking forward to some stimulating two-way conversation.

  

     Today was a good day for writing, a good day for reading, a great day for eating and walking. My weight is down again. And an exciting turn of events, neither television was turned on today until 7pm! That is some sort of record for me and the best part is that I never even thought about turning it on. I watched one recorded 30 minute show, a Food Network show about "The Best Thing I Ever Ate." They had nothing on me. Although there was an item called "Bar Nuts" that I found very, very interesting. Two ingredients, butter and brown sugar, are not on my recommended list of food ingredients.


     Liz gets here in twelve days for a three day weekend. There is a light halfway down this tunnel. I am halfway through revising and correcting my devotionals, almost halfway through a great Christian book, "Same Kind of Different As Me," and then on to re-writing my novel for the fourth and hopefully last time before I pitch it to a publisher.

     My overall grade for today: A

     How did you do?        

THERE'S NO CRYIN' IN BASEBALL

DAY 4

• This morning's weight:      241.6  
• Fasting Blood Sugar:           70             
• Breakfast:                                               

       
          Mediterranean Breakfast Taco

          whole wheat tortilla

          1/3 cup kidney beans

          1/2 diced tomato
          chopped green onion

          1 egg
          fresh grated Parmesan cheese
          thyme

• Activities:

       Pickup limbs left from wind storm 

       Skyping my sister in England
       CompUSA

     

• Lunch: 3:00pm

       
       Pan seared/Baked stuffed chicken breast

       Stuffing:
            chopped mushrooms
            chopped green onions
            chopped celery
            chopped 1 slice dry toasted whole wheat
            1/2  raw egg
            1/3 cup chicken stock
       Baby Peas

       Red onion and tomato salad w/ red wine vinaigrette 

• Activities:

       Are you kidding? Cleaning the kitchen of course

       Putting new memory stick in computer

• Snack:

       Nature Valley Peanut Bar

       Small handful of whole almonds

       

• Activities

      Create blog

• Dinner:

         It's 7:15 and I'm going to go for a walk and finish this part of

         my blog later. You can skip down to "My Thoughts if you like. I'll

        be back later..."

• Activities:

       Walked to the convenience store and back - 2miles

       They say pork skins have no calories, right?

• Snack:

       1/8 bag of pork skins - 80 calories, 5 grams fat (oops...)

       1/2 cup Heartland Low Fat Raisin Granola Cereal - 200 calories!

       1 cup 2% milk - 80 calories

       3 large strawberries

       So shoot me! This was in place of dinner!

   THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY: 

     I owe all my family, friends and others that may have read yesterday's blog a huge apology. I guess I was a little overly dramatic concerning my feelings of abandonment, dire loneliness and deep depression. Hey, I love people. I enjoy their company and more than anything else in the whole world I love to be listened to. I am finding the next best thing to being listened to is being read. When I was a kid my favorite phrase was "watch this." Yes, I loved being watched too.

  

     So, I'm sorry for my whining and complaining. Please forgive me—and, if you can't find it in your heart to forgive me, please tolerate me. Tolerate me and keep reading.

     I discovered last night that I wasn't really alone or abandoned. All this time God was patiently next to me waiting for me to turn to Him. All this time He wanted to talk to me. Not so much listen, because He too wished I'd quit complaining. He desired for me to spend time enjoying His company. And I did.

     My overall grade for today: A+

     How did you do?        

NO TURNING BACK NOW...

DAY 3

• This morning's weight:      242.5         
• Fasting Blood Sugar:           174             
• Breakfast:                                               

       Bowl of fresh fruit (strawberries, red grapes, a pear)
       Orange juice

       2 cups coffee (no additives)

• Activities:

       Headed to neighborhood mall for a walk

       Shopped for a Bday present for David

       Blood sugar went through the floor - had to stop 
            at Starbucks

• Snack: 

       See above - Starbucks
       Tall Vanilla Latte
       Blueberry Muffin                                                 

• Activities:

        Up to chapter 15 of same kind of different...

        Made a production for lunch

             (Only consumed 1/2 of the muffin and ready for
             something special)

        Blackened Catfish with caper sauce

        Spanish rice with peas and tomatoes

        1/2 small avocado with salsa

• Lunch: (There's enough leftovers for another day!)

• Activities:

       Worked on blog so I could make you

       envious about lunch...
       Off to find a fax machine, finishing my
        taxes and ready to send via Turbo Tax
        but must transfer funds into IRA first.

• Dinner: 8:00pm

       1/2 cup rotisserie chicken salad

       6 saltines

       small wedge iceberg/sliced tomato      

       Fat-free Ranch
       2% milk 1 cup

• Blood Sugar before dinner: 164

   THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY: 

     I decided to bite the bullet and shave off the beard and mustache. It's been my almost constant companion for over 40 years - I shaved it off for a week when Liz and I got married 34 years ago and once again for about a week 9 years later. Liz asked me to grow it back both times. Yes, I was ugly back then too but with half my face covered with hair, not so much. Just in case family and friends don't notice the changes in my behavior, I can always point to the loss of the scraggly, homeless-person-looking-beard. And also, it gave me a title for today's blog, No Turning Back Now.

  

     Even if Liz does somehow convince me to grow back the beard, the positive changes in my lifestyle and character I hope to keep. However the loneliness is becoming a real hurdle. I walked a shopping mall on this side of town today just to be around other people. I even asked a sales clerk for directions I didn't need. It was a pleasure to stop at Starbuck's and sip a latte and munch half a blueberry muffin under the pretense my blood sugar was low. The day before I had opted for a fruit cup to fight off low blood sugar. Today, I was desperate.

     I thought this experiment was going to be easier. Years ago I worked in Mexico City during the week and flew home on weekends. That was a snap compared to this. There, I had an office staff and clients to visit with. Here, I feel like a prisoner in solitary confinement. Oh sure, I have a well stocked kitchen, a beautiful yard, great weather, and two giant screen TVs but nothing beats a companion. No wonder God made Eve for Adam. He saw how alone Adam was. And no, I'm not in search of an Evette or a Liz II. I am, however, looking forward to attending church this Sunday. Usually I could expect a lot of attention as a guest and I might have charmed someone to invite me to lunch, but this Sunday is Easter and the church will be overflowing with visitors and those who only attend on "High Holy Days." The only person who will likely make eye contact with me will be the usher shoving an offering plate my way. 


     Let me know you're reading this, if only to tell me what I misspelled or what a wimp I am and how lucky I am to be able to get out of town and how many guys would love to get away  from work and that I should just suck it up. 


     I better quit while I'm ahead.  My overall grade for today: C-

     How did you do?        

I THOUGHT THIS DAY WOULD NEVER COME?

DAY 2

• This morning's weight:      244.0        
• Fasting Blood Sugar:           N/A             
• Breakfast:                                               

       1 cup Great Grains

       1 cup 2% milk

       3 fresh strawberries

       2 cups coffee (no additives)

• Activities:

       Work on blog

       Feed Huckleberry (the fish)

       Treats for Willow and Cricket

       Get the paper

       Good Morning America (I miss Diane)

• Snack: 

       Small fruit cup from Chick Fil-A                                                 

• Activities:

        Mall walked 2 miles with brother-in-law, Lee

• Lunch: 1:00pm

       Chinese Fastfood @ the mall

       Mixed veggies - broccoli/cabbage/carrots

       Lo Mein noodles

• Activities:

       Cranked up classical music and napped

       (Had intended to read but zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)
       Prepared my favorite chicken salad:
            2 cups shredded rotisserie chciken
            1/2 cup chopped peeled green apple
            1/2 cup chopped walnuts
            1/2 cup chopped celery
            1/3 cup sliced red seedless grapes
            2 chopped green onion
            2 tblsp mayo (light if you got it - I didn't)
            2 tblsp E.V.O.O. (if you don't know, ask Rachael)
            1 tsp brown mustard
            Season to taste

            1 small avocado
            1 small tomato
            1 small wedge iceberg
                   (salt & pepper and drizzle E.V.O.O.)
             Stoneground sesame crackers
             Crystal Light Lemonade

• INTERLUDE: Now I'm stuffed with dishes to clean, but it was worth it. Now to feed the dogs and maybe do a little reading. I am not comfortable with the way things are set-up to do my writing. I am spoiled by my wireless keyboard I left at home. I guess I will have to transfer files to my sister's computer and work on it. 
• Snack:

           Boiled shrimp w/ cocktail sauce

           saltine crackers

   THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY: 

     The best thing about today was meeting brother-in-law Lee at the mall. Human contact! The communication between adult human beings is so much more than the communication between two spoiled Chihuahuas. Oh, you can talk to them if you want. I wonder if they understand my conversation any better than I understand their wagging tails and screeching barks? And, more importantly, they don't seem keen on listening. But then I am not sure if brother-in-law Lee was keen on listening to me blasting him with my incessant orations. I was so glad to be actually heard and understood. I don't remember if I even listened for his responses. Did he actually talk or was he just listening?
     This blog has become my instrument for reaching out for human contact. I spend way too much time thinking about writing it and then planning to write, and then actually writing. What happened to the list of important tasks I actually wanted to accomplish?


     I got my test strips in the mail today for my glucometer. That is the reason for my "N/A" response to entering my blood sugar levels. I had only 2 strips with me when I got here. I realize now that fresh fruit can really affect your blood sugar, even though it appears and feels healthy. I am learning now that volume supersedes content. Not that what you eat isn't important but you can't stuff your face with chicken salad and expect to lose weight. You can get and stay fat eating too much healthy food!

     My overall grade for today: B+

     How did you do?        

THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF MY LIFE...

DAY 1

• This morning's weight:      246.5         
• Fasting Blood Sugar:           80             
• Breakfast:                                               

       1 egg

       1 slice whole wheat toast (1 tsp Promise)

       1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese w/3 fresh strawberries

       1 cup 2% milk

       2 cups coffee (no additives)

• Activities:

       Washed clothes, towels

       Brought in trash containers

       Cleaned breakfast dishes
       Watered backyard

       Created format for this daily blog

• Snack: 

       Kashi Trail Mix bar                                                 

• Activities:

        Another chapter of same kind of different...
        Twice around the block, 20 minutes
        (Oops...tried to do too much. Blood sugar fell through 
        the roof)

        Bowl of strawberries

        Bananary

        2 Tbl Peanut Butter

        That's better, not ready for lunch, ready for a nap.
        1 1/2 hrs working on Devotional Dictionary corrections

• Lunch: 3:00pm

       Szechuan Shrimp stir fry

       Brocolli/Sprouts/Snow Peas/Carrots/Red Cabbage
       1/2 cup white rice

• Activities:

       45 min. watching Castle (fstfwrd past commercials)
       Another chapter of same kind of different...

• Snack:

       1/2 cup tuna salad

       saltine crackers

       grapes

       2% milk 1 cup

• Activities
• Blood Sugar before dinner: N/A
• Dinner:
• Activities:
• Snack:

   THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY: 
     Yesterday I finished the last chapter of Joshua by Joseph F. Girzone. The book, a gift from my sister, is a wonderful piece of Christian fiction. I cried, not so much at the ending, but in the early parts of the book as Christ's nature was revealed. Last night I finished the first three chapters of same kind of different as me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. It holds promise of a great story about an unlikely relationship. 
  

     The longest journey begins with but one step. I made that step today - towards a goal of becoming better. I want to be a better husband, a better writer, a healthier being. I want to focus my thoughts toward becoming a better father, a better grandfather (and great grandfather to Elijah), a better friend, and a better Christian. 

     I was prepared for today. I met it with great anticipation, having planned for it over the past three days. 
     My overall grade for today: A


     How did you do?        

THE BEGINNING...

The day before the 1st day of 30 days.  

  
     Let me explain the reason for this short term blog experiment. My sister, Gayle, is going to England for a month to be with her son Travis, his wife Teresa, and their son Jack. Jack is her first and, until there are others, her only grandchild. It goes without saying then that he is her favorite. Jack will be celebrating his first birthday while my sister is with them and he will also be taking his first step. Teresa is with child again, expecting in October. They will also be vacationing in Spain for a week while she is there.
     And me? I have moved into my sister's home in El Paso while she is gone, keeping her two dogs, Cricket and Willow, company and watering the plants. Pray for my wife as she remains at home in San Antonio and trudges back and forth to work daily. She is our bread winner and my biggest supporter. I wasn't the first choice for my sister's house sitter; her first choice cancelled three days ago due to the offer of employment in Austin. There was little time for preparation or thought, two days later I was on a plane to El Paso. 
     The next 30 days will be an experiment and proving ground for me to do better with my life. I have always believed that if you did something 20 times it would become a habit. I have numerous bad habits to break and several specific habits I hope to acquire during the next 30 days. 
     I watch too much television, waste too much time on unproductive things, consume too much food while exercising too little. On a positive note, I am challenging myself to acquire a host of good habits. My blood sugar is much too high. My weight is problematic. I need to structure my time for writing and complete the re-write on my novel, prepare my collection of devotions for publication, alter the mindless time I spend in front of the television with inspiring time spent in the pages of uplifting literature. I want to commune more with God, offering praise and prayers and listening for His voice. 
     I will post here daily, beginning tomorrow my weight, my blood sugar levels, my food consumption, my exercise activities, my writing progress, my pages read, my prayers offered, my daily activities and my thoughts for the day. 
     Come and join with me. Hold me accountable daily. Come along side and break your bad habits and acquire new healthy ones. Let's do this, accept the challenge. 


     We can do better... 


I just put my sister on the plane. On my way back to her house I stopped at the grocery store and picked up $108.00 of nutritious, healthy and low calorie foods. I now have fresh fish, chicken breasts, fruits, vegetables, whole grain bread and a variety of heart-healthy, low calorie, fat-free snacks. I had an apple with 2 TBL of peanut butter when I got home. I put up the food and now I'm headed out for a 30 minute walk.  It would be a good time to pray for strength of my convictions as the empty house I will come back to has a 55" flatscreen in the living room and a 42" in the den.