I'm Brian, and what you see here is usually the product of my warped sense of geekiness. I started the blog to chronicle my struggle against being overweight but I've branched out into social commentary as well as the trials and tribulations of bariatric surgery. When I'm not being snarky on here, I like baseball, music, and travel, as well as keeping up with technology. Oh, and I also have a wee bit of a Lego problem.
There’s been some success in my life lately. I actually got service from Comcast… an event I just had to add to the Life Events part of my Facebook page. I got the parts to repair the mixer. I even went to Root’s Market for produce.
The biggest success thus far is not only have I made my original fundraising goal, I’ve made my revised goal. See, after making it to $500, I upped it to $600. Thanks to a donation I received in the mail yesterday, I stand at $601 (for anybody checking out my page, checks take a long time to reflect in your total), which makes me wonder if I should up the ante yet again. Should I make it $750?
Anyway, the contribution that put me over the top came from an old college friend of mine. Karen and her husband Rodger, who I have seen once since their wedding 18 or so years ago, were kind enough to drop a check in the mail.
People do surprise me.
I’ve been so busy carping about Comcast lately that I’ve not given any credit to those who are inspiring me. Today, that honor goes to the lovely and gracious Supportive Partner Woman.
Now, I’m sure some people may think that’s a cop-out answer, but truth be known, SPW is to be admired. She has a stressful job, family health issues and, well, has to put up with me. Through it all, she lets me drag her to the gym and when she gets there, she totally kills it. Take today, for example. I did 2.3 miles at a 3.3 mph pace and she did like 2.6 on the elliptical and another 1.5 on the dreadmill.
Basically, she smoked me like a trout, and I love her all the more for it.
That’s why she’s my inspiration of the day.
Oh, and I only have a few days until the Boot of Shame makes an appearance again. I’ll be getting two toes on my left foot straightened on Tuesday, so I’ll need to be in the boot for a week. I hate missing the workout time, but it should make walking easier. I’ll take that.
It helped that the temperature is pretty moderate, the humidity better than normal, and a nice breeze blowing. Oh, and the trail is very shady.
That’s right… I said trail.
Supportive Partner Woman (Getting serious!) and I have noticed a walking trail a few miles from our house for the six years we’ve been here. About damn time we used it. There’s a nice parking area near the county’s public safety training facility, along with some public restrooms (which we did not have to use) and easy access to the trail.
A curious bovine looks on
The trail itself is well-maintained. Mostly gravel and cinders, with some muddier spots for good measure. The weeds are well-controlled and the bugs were not bad. It parallels the creek for a portion and it’s nice to stop for a minute and hear nothing but the birds and the rushing of the water. It also runs along some farms and pastures, so even though there are portions with more “fresh country air” than others, it’s not so bad. Plus, you get a curious bovine checking you out, not to mention multiple chipmunks and other fauna.
The best part about the trail is that it’s flat and there’s plenty of places to break into a jog. We managed to do that several times. SPW even managed to capture some video. I warn you, it’s not pretty and you can see how my feet problems have caused my right foot to go to the outside to compensate for the missing toe. Here’s the 12 seconds in all it’s glory.
Like I said, it’s not pretty, but it will improve. Practice!
Quick note… I’m pleased to start working with my Team AllEars mentor, Rich. I look forward to learning from him and getting the benefit of his experiences with various running events. Thanks in advance, Rich!
Again, please consider donating to the Avon Walk. My personal fundraising page is located here.
At any rate, that’s about it for today. Hope you all have a great weekend!
I not only killed it at the gym, I managed to wound Stubby as well.
See, on Thursday, I was actually running on the treadmill. It felt pretty good… the left ankle was barking a little, but that was the extent of my pain.
When I got home from work that night, well, I found that Stubby had a pretty substantial blister that had developed where there was a corn.
Cue frowny face.
I had Supportive Partner Woman (tender of my feet!) give it a Betadyne bath, then slept with my foot hanging off the bed, allowing it to air out. The next day I called my podiatrist and scheduled an appointment for this morning. He was impressed at how well it is healing and told me I could get out of the Boot of Shame. So I have that going for me. The bad news is that I’ll need to spend a week in it in early August. The doc wants to straighten the two remaining hammertoes on my left foot. Not something that I’m really looking forward to, but what can you do? This will hopefully prevent any more corns from forming.
In the other news, it’s time for a rant.
Got another letter from Evil Bitch Queen Wanda of our homeowner’s association. This time saying that we need to put down a “mulch” barrier to prevent damage to the siding from the lawn crew trimming.
My first thought was, “Seriously, this is the first you mention it after the lawn crew has had SIX YEARS to jack up the siding?
My second thought was a lot less charitable.
I posted about this on FB and one of my friends had the winning comment regarding the “mulch barrier.” She said, “Four foot bunker made of bags of mulch. Check.”
Amen.
So far we’ve established that the foot is healing nicely, me running isn’t pretty,and, oh, yeah, Wanda is an evil bitch.
Not bad for a day’s work.
So, on to the fun part of today’s post… Another fine inspirational story.
When I was in elementary school I had a very good friend named Mark. We played together pretty often and we kept in touch well through elementary and middle schools. At that time we went to different schools, and as frequently happens, we lost touch. Fast forward 20 years and we reconnected via Facebook. I’ve been very open about the health issues I have faced, and he had faced some similar issues. It’s been a long road for both of us, but he’s done some running and it inspired me to get in better shape. It’s kind of funny that I can find inspiration from someone I haven’t seen in over twenty years but still think the world of.
Thank you, Mark, for your friendship, inspiration, and also your donation to the Avon Walk. Every little bit counts.
Speaking of which, if you want to contribute, visit my personal fundraising page at
Had a great Independence Day. Spent the day at Hersheypark with some friends at my company picnic and it was actually fulfilling. Not only that, 16,472 steps and no blisters. Woot!
Right up until the end.
The day was oppressively warm… there was a fleeting breeze, but it was not always dependable. It took about as long to get into the parking lot as it took to drive to Hershey. So, you could say it was busy. We started the day with The Scrambler, a special request of Supportive Partner Woman. Line was a little long, but the ride is always fun. After which, we scouted out Skyrush, which is the latest entry in the Hershey coaster pantheon, while we waited for our friends to arrive. I was pretty sure I was going to attempt it, if one big hurdle could be overcome… if I could fit.
They have a demonstration seat at the head of the queue, so I sat in it and was pleasantly surprised to actually fit.
This would come back to haunt me.
After our friends arrived, we made our way to the back of the park to ride one of our favorite wooden coasters… Lightning Racer. Lightning Racer is a dueling wooden coaster that usually ranks in the top 15 wooden coasters in the world. It’s a lot of fun, and doesn’t beat you up like a lot of other woodies.
After that was the picnic lunch. It was kind of a challenge, but I managed to eat a little bit of chicken BBQ and half of a hamburger patty. I also had some fresh fruit. It was pretty tasty, but I can’t help contrasting it with what I would’ve eaten back in my heyday. That would’ve been multiple hot dogs and burgers, all with rolls, chips, washed down with lots of diet soda.
Yeah.
And to think that was normal. I’m liking the new normal that much better.
Following lunch, we wandered over to The Claw. This is an evil beast that I kind of looked at and said, “Oh, HELL no.” We hung around while our friend Hollie went for a ride, then we wandered to the arcade to play some SkeeBall. Post SkeeBall, it was off to my favorite coaster in the park… Great Bear. Great Bear is smooth, yet thrilling, and I even managed to get SPW (Brave little toaster!) on board for the ride. As with many things, there’s a backstory. During my yo-yo weight loss years, I went to the park. Paid admission and all that, then decided to try to ride Great Bear. I waited nearly an hour in line, climbed on board and they couldn’t close the restraints. I was too fat. I left the park immediately, totally ashamed.
The last time I rode it, I managed to fit, but it took two people to get me in, pressing on the harness until I could barely breathe, until the belts would actually close.
This time, there was even some extra room.
The ride is smooth and thrilling, and due to the design of the coaster, it roars like an angry bear. This is due to the lack of sand in the supports and the design of the track itself. Following Great Bear, I was hoping to take my first ride on Storm Runner. This was not to be, however. The seat harness is supposed to touch your thigh and I needed another inch or two. Gives me something to look forward to next time.
The Skyrush train
We closed the day with a visit to Skyrush. The motto for the coaster in “Ride the edge” because the two outboard seats are floorless. I opted for a trip on one of those. SPW (Kind of a coaster chicken!) was having no parts of this, so there were only three of us. The train is pulled out of the station with a cable lift rather than the typical chain lift. You are moving up that hill at a pretty good clip. The cable system pretty much throws you over the top and into an 85° drop, reaching speeds of 75 mph. That’s awesome. Then the airtime kicks in, pretty much throwing you out of your seat. This is what caused the problem. I hit the restraint with my left leg so hard, it bruised the quadriceps. This has made walking a challenge, not to mention getting into and out of a car. It will heal, and I now have more of an appreciation of what to expect, should I ride it again. I’ll leave you with the front seat POV.
After our park time, we stopped at the Troeg’s Brewery in Hershey to meet up with the subject of today’s inspiration section, Brad. Brad is a fellow Disney enthusiast, fan of quality beer, as well as an all around great guy.
We met some years ago at Magic Meets (are you sensing a pattern here?) and we just hit it off from the get-go. He and his family live in the Central PA area as well and we get together periodically, although not as frequently as we would like. Brad is one I refer to as insane, as he is a running nut who’s been known to do the Dopey before it was officially the Dopey. What that means is that he would often run 42.4 miles in one weekend. See? Insane. That being said, he’s been incredibly supportive of my efforts with Team AllEars and has offered much in the way of sage advice and patience for a complete novice runner (me). I’m really psyched for January now… I think that crossing that line will really make an impact on my life and maybe illustrate that I can succeed at something I thought insurmountable. It will be because Brad (and many others) believe in me, so much so that I might start believing in myself.
It’s been a good weekend so far, for the most part. The blister appears to be pretty much healed, I got to do the sanding on my project, and the British Grand Prix was a helluva race.
In the other good news, Supportive Partner Woman (Getting her work in!) has been hitting the gym with regularity. This makes me very happy that she’s been doing this. I know how much of a difference it has mad in my general health and well-being and I hope it has the same effect on her as well.
Yesterday was also a chicken BBQ day at the little Mennonite church on the corner. Pretty tasty stuff and, for me, two meals. 🙂 I ate the leg and thigh yesterday, I still have the breast and wing, so it might actually become a three-meal chicken dinner. I knew there was a plus to this surgery thing.
As for the blister, well, I protected it with moleskin when we went to the gym yesterday and stayed on the arc trainer and lifted weights. That was more for some protection, just in case. After I got home and took a shower, I figured I’d go without, since things seem to be really well-healed. After a few hours running errands and the like, I found that my sock was bone dry and the foot seemed in great shape. It’s a far cry from the last blister. I’m taking that as a positive sign. As for today, I’ll probably put moleskin on for the gym visit, just to be cautious, then I’m going without for the rest of the day. See what happens. I’m hopeful that there will be a Wegman’s trip today, which will be a nice change for the foot.
Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen
I’d also like to give a shoutout to Nico Rosberg on his win at Silverstone today. Looked like it would be another Vettel runaway, but Nico was there when Vettel’s gearbox went and managed to hold off a charging Mark Webber for the win. Also, mad props to my boy Kimi Raikkonen for scoring his 25th consecutive points finish, setting a new record for consistency in Formula 1.
That about covers it for the day. Hope to post more frequently this week and maybe give a fundraising update. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Today was a good day thus far for a couple of reasons.
1) I woke up (and let’s face it, being alive is better than the alternative)
and 2) Supportive Partner Woman (making the healthy change!) opted to trek along to the Rec with me this morning.
I’m so thrilled that SPW came along… she’s been saying that she needs to do this. It was perfect, as she had been up most of the night (turns out Netflix added The Avengers to the library and she was watching it after only getting home from the office at 2 AM.
So, we went and hit the dreadmill. I got over 2.5 miles in and she did 2 miles on the dreadmill and another mile on the elliptical. All in all, a pretty good workout. I can do 2.5 miles at 3.3-3.5 mph and have my pulse top out at 114. Guess that means my cardio fitness level is getting better. Used to be I’d be up over 130 for a similar workout, mainly trying to hang on because I c ouldn’t move my stumpy legs that fast. I’ve also found that the wifi at the Rec is fast enough to support streaming. I’ve taken to bringing my tablet with me and streaming something on Netflix. It’s big enough to cover the display screen so I don’t have to focus on how much time I have to go or obsess on how far I’ve gone. Tablets FTW!
The short work loop
At work I’ve taken up going for a walk during my break. It’s a nice .75 mile loop that I can easily do in the 15 minutes alloted. Even on a warm day. It’s nice to actually be out in the air and physically move around.
On the project front, most of the cutting is done. I still have to notch out the shelves and cut the back, but after that, it’s only going to require sanding, staining and assembly. Oh, and a good coat of polyurethane. Always helpful.
At any rate, that’s about it for today. More tomorrow, I hope.
Oh, and congrats to SCOTUS for the decision in United States v. Windsor. I’ve long been of the opinion that you should be free to be with the one you love and if two men or two women want to be together, that’s no one’s business but their own. I honestly don’t see any reason why this “threatens the institution of marriage” any more than the sham Hollywood marriages of Kim Kardashian et al. Maybe now some of the best people I know will finally be afforded equal protection under the law. It’s about damn time.
So, I woke up this morning at 4:45. I noticed that the other side of the bed was empty, and it was still cool to the touch. I assumed that Supportive Partner Woman (night owl!) had simply just fallen asleep in the Nerd Lair. I got dressed for the gym and ambled downstairs only to see that she was very much awake and engrossed in watching North and South: Book II. Now, I understand a guilty pleasure as much as the next person, but I just looked askance at her and said, “I don’t know you any more.”
Her response?
“The power of Swayze’s mullet compelled me.”
Hard to argue with that level of logic.
So, the gym wasn’t particularly good. My legs felt very heavy today. Maybe they were feeling the lower barometric pressure, but I still managed to get 30 minutes of cardio in. It’s the days like this, where you generally feel lousy, that show a level of commitment. Plus, it feels good to be able to say that you managed to get your work in… even though you pretty much felt like crap. I’m hopeful that tomorrow will be better.
Hope everyone stays safe today with the biblical storms we’re having. And in honor of the rather damp U.S. Open, I give you the following:
I am pleased to announce that I haven’t fallen off a treadmill in four days.
That’s not for lack of trying.
I should clarify and say that I am not, repeat NOT, actively trying to fall off a treadmill. It’s just that my legs have been awfully rubbery of late, so stepping off the treadmill can be an iffy proposition. The funny thing as that while my hip/posterior was where I thought I’d get a bruise, I actually did more damage to my arm.
It’s a good thing, though… if my legs feel rubbery, that means it was a decent workout. Plus, the more I get my work in, the less time the legs stay rubbery. One thing I do know for sure is that the Balega socks are wonderful. They feel good when you put them on, there’s no seam to rub against your toes, and your feet are wonderfully dry when you’re done. I’m in the process of converting to a mostly moisture-wicking sock collection and selling the old cotton socks at the next edition of The Dreaded Yard Sale®. I figure I can get a quarter a pair… after all, most have hardly been worn, and it’s all for charity!
I also am going to pick up a pair of Balegas for Supportive Partner Woman (She of the ouchy back!). While her feet are nowhere near as bad as mine, she would probably benefit from a nice, comfortable pair of socks.
In other news, the Lego 10240 X-Wing is complete. It’s sizeable, especially when compared to the standard X-Wing that was released in 2012. The downside is that the new one is not scaled for minifigs… but I’m keeping Porkins, because, well, he’s Porkins. I’ll probably sell the other one… limited display space is a bad thing. This is why I never bought the Super Star Destroyer.
At any rate, that’s about all I have for today. Tomorrow and Friday bring sessions with the boys and hopefully my arm will continue to feel better. Oh, and I plan on continuing my streak of not falling off of treadmills or other objects.
The lowlight of the weekend was getting the inevitable e-mail from AirTran saying that our flights had changed. I booked out of Reagan National in order to save a few bucks and because the times were perfect. Flights were nonstop and avoided the ninth circle of Hell that is Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta. Nothing against Atlanta, it’s probably a great city. I’d just never want to fly there because I’m sure my luggage would take a nice, scenic detour through the Kamchatka Peninsula on its way to Hotlanta.
So, the email stated that our new departing flight left DCA at 6:01 AM, then we had to change planes AND airlines in Atlanta on the way to MCO, getting in around 11:30 AM. That doubled the length of travel time, which was less than optimal. Same deal on the return flight… obligatory stop in Atlanta, leaving two hours earlier than desired, etc.
I cooled off for a day (otherwise Ensign Furious might’ve sailed up aboard his garbage scow and that’s never pretty) and opted to call them this morning. What a circus.
First of all, the menu. The Voice gives you precious few options, one of which is NOT “Speak to a live actual person”. God help you if you opt to press 0, because the Voice gets a bit testy almost snarling “Invalid Command!” and then restarting the menu as if to say, “Now, where was I before you interrupted me, you ignorant jackass?”
Eventually, if you say or press nothing, you get a real, live person. Maybe The Voice does not like to be ignored. Whatever the reason, I got a guy who was reasonably helpful. After a few minutes of phone wrangling, he was able to get us on a flight out of BWI (much closer to home) that is non-stop and while it leaves a little later than preferred, it beats the trip through Il Purgatorio.
The fun part was when he was surprised when I wanted to change both trips. Why wouldn’t I want to fly out of BWI and into DCA? I could have a car stashed in both places. Seriously? To make a long story short, they changed the flights and didn’t require a change fee. Gotta like that. See, it’s been my experience that when you actually get a live person, they are pretty eager to help.
In the good news department, I didn’t fall off the treadmill today. That’s always a plus. No real damage from Friday’s misadventures other than a sizable bruise. Could’ve been a lot worse.
The Ultimate Collector’s Series X-Wing
Other things accomplished this weekend was replacing the shocks on Mario the Honda. They were pretty well gone and once Jim and I got the new shocks on, well, it rode and handled like a new car. Had to road test it, so we headed off to King of Prussia and the Lego Store. Through a combination of VIP points, a timely 10% coupon and a few other discounts/credits we came home with the new Ultimate Collectors Series X-Wing. It’s shaping up to be a most excellent build. This was followed by a trip to Wegman’s. Saturday night, Supportive Partner Woman and I went to El Serrano for a charity margarita competition in which our favorite bartender, Frank, was a contestant. All told, I had about an ounce or two of real, actual booze for the first time since last year. I’m happy to report that it stayed down. Frank wound up winning and gets to go to Mexico, so kudos to Frank! After that, our friends came over to the Nerd Lair and a good time was had by all.
So, all in all, it’s a positive start to the week. Let’s hope it continues.
I actually didn’t mind the Dreaded Yard Sale® this year. I know somewhere in the great beyond, my father’s ashes are trying to recoalesce so he can give me a brain duster for even thinking the thought.
It’s when I stop to think of why it wasn’t so bad that I realize just how worth it the sale was. See, this is the first time I’ve done the sale where the proceeds are going to something more important to me. As I previously mentioned, all proceeds from today’s sale are going to Team AllEars,
After all is said and done, Supportive Partner Woman and I raised $176.
That’s a pretty good chunk of my fundraising commitment. Of course, some people might question us selling baked goods to benefit a running team. All I can say to that is that the running part burns off the baked good calories. Hey… it sounded good in my head. Work with me, people!
I’ve been circling around the point, though, and that point is that I am so happy and pleased to work toward such a worthy goal with such amazing teammates and friends that even the Dreaded Yard Sale® doesn’t get me too down. So, now when anyone asks me if I run, or more to the point WHY I run, I can honestly say it’s because of something far bigger than myself.
That’s all anyone can ask for.
Now, of course, I’m looking forward to another yard sale so I can get rid of some more shit. You can never complain about that.
Song of the Day: Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-a-Lot (No, I’m not a huge fan of Mix-a-Lot, but it was playing on the 90s channel and it almost made me swerve off the road.)
Memoirs of a Soon-to-Be Former Fat Guy 