Things went… swimmingly.

Posted: June 3, 2013 in Exercise, Gratuitously Naked Guy, Physical activity, Team AllEars, The Rec, Walking, Yard sale
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So I made it to the pool yesterday. The pool is actually part of the Rec, just a part I usually don’t go in, mainly because I kind of forgot where it is (don’t judge me).

I showered, got my suit on and went hunting, primarily by feeling the humidity level and smelling the chlorine increase. I made a wrong turn in the locker room and found the hot tub. There was also a Gratuitously Naked Guy sighting. A regular slice of life at the Rec.

As it was Sunday, they had half of the pool sectioned off for family swim. This left two lanes for lap swimming, one of which was occupied by a kid getting swim team coaching and the other occupied by two wizened women. I figured my best choice was to stay on the family side next to the lane rope and get my work in. Everything went well, until I was on my second lap, when I realized that granny had stationed herself about 20 feet from the wall, next to the rope, and was just standing there. I kept swimming, figuring she would see me coming and be courteous. Guess I thought wrong. Granny watched me swim toward her and didn’t move, forcing me to swim around her.

I kid you not.

After swimming around 300 yards, albeit slowly, I toweled off and headed back to the locker room. I was tired, but I still felt pretty good. I decided to hit the treadmill and did 20 minutes on there. Turned out to be a pretty good workout.

After that, I showered up and headed to the ghetto for the viewing. We weren’t there all that long, just enough to pay our respects. Afterward, I dropped off my mom and I headed home, hitting a torrential downpour that was mercifully brief. I stopped and picked up supplies to add a baked good table to the Dreaded Yard Sale. I got extra flour, sugar, chocolate chips and eggs… hope this adds to the bottom line and allows us to increase our contribution to Team AllEars and the Avon Walk.

That about does it for the day. I plan on mixing dough tonight and getting ready for Bake-a-Palooza. I really hope the sale does well… maybe my cookies will gain new fans.

I can hope.

Song of the Day: Avenida Revolucion – Chickenfoot

Hunger

Posted: June 2, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Digestive issues, Hunger
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Hunger is a strange beast. As a fat guy, it strikes me differently than a lot of people. I’d love to say it’s not as bad now since I had the bypass, but suffice it to say, I’m still hungry.

It’s not physical hunger, though. Most of my hunger is mental… whether it be boredom, habit, or whatever.

I tend to eat when I’m bored. It’s been my MO for quite a few years, and I seem to be bored. A lot. This has lessened, mainly because I don’t act on it anymore. I know if I eat too much, it results in barfs, and, well, that’s nobody’s idea of fun.

Habit is a little harder to nail down. I still feel that temptation to graze if there’s food sitting around. Granted, I’ve been avoiding all the high carb snacks and trying to stick with high protein stuff, but the temptation is real.

Somebody asked me how I dealt with hunger post-surgery. I’ve been wrestling with it for some time. After all, it’s not like you can just simply stop eating. I know I’ve discussed this before… you don’t need to smoke to live or drink alcohol to live, but you do need to eat to live, and that makes it hard for those of us addicted to food. Somehow, you have to teach yourself how much is enough. Whenever I face that question, I can usually count on Joe the Pouch to let me know, sometimes in spectacular fashion.

It does make me try and understand how I got to this point. How did I, a somewhat zany, but mostly rational person, ever let myself get in the position where I needed to have much of my belly rerouted?

That’s going to take a lot of soul searching, but I think the short answer is a distinct lack of mental fortitude. I’m not always as strong-willed as I should be. The worst times are when I am not getting in my workouts, because if I slide on that, I tend to slide on other things. That’s when I try to eat too much and the digestive fireworks start. If I’m going to the gym and getting my work in, I find I can focus better and accomplish more. Take yesterday… I got up, went and got a couple miles in on the treadmill and felt pretty great (other than sore ankles), after which I went and hit golf balls (I know, not crazy on the active scale) for about a half hour, then dragged out the table saw and built my yard sale sign. After that, I still had enough energy to do laundry, clean the kitchen floor, do the ironing and stay awake to pick Supportive Partner Woman up after work.

I didn’t even need to take a nap.

That would be me with longer arms, but still just as futile.

So, that brings us to today. Given the fact that the ankles were misbehaving, I’m thinking I might hit the pool for some laps today. I’m not the world’s strongest swimmer, but I enjoy it and it will be a nice change of pace. I technically should lift weights today, but that schedule messes me up with the boys, so I’ll probably lift tomorrow morning and be ready to go on Wednesday and Friday. At some point, I should probably go more old school and do some pushups… I’m not sure how well I would do, though. I’m thinking it would be like T-Rex trying to do them. The only difference is that I have more proportional arms and smaller teeth.

At any rate, whatever I decide to do, I should probably do it. Hopefully my surgical scars and freaky feet don’t bother anyone if I do opt for the pool, but even if it does, it’s something I need to do.

Hope you all have a great Sunday and I’ll be back with you later in the week.

Song of the Day: Thunderstruck – AC/DC

Things we do for the family

Posted: May 31, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Exercise, family, Footwear & socks, Little Victories, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Walking, Yard sale
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Greetings from cow country!

As I drove to the gym this morning, I was stuck behind a slow-moving tractor pulling a manure wagon. It made me think that there aren’t many places left where this is a common occurence. However, smell aside, I like living where we live. On a quiet night, we can here the cattle lowing at the farm down the road. It’s peaceful. It’s bucolic. It can stink to high heaven. But it’s our home now.

I took a half day vacation to handle a few projects for my mom (and to get a blessed haircut), so after my gym session with the boys (totally killed it, too… had the treadmill up to an 11° angle and up to 3.7 mph for a stretch) I headed to the bustling metropolis of Reading, PA.

Now Reading is somewhat infamous for being among the most dangerous towns in Pennsylvania (per capita). It’s a city of around 75,000, lots of city issues, i.e. unemployment, drugs, gangs, prostitution, political corruption. It’s a regular ray of sunshine. My travels did not take me downtown today. I spent part of the time in the suburb where I grew up, and I gotta say, it’s a lot scarier than I remember. Old mom and pop places that I remember have been replaced by tattoo parlors, check cashing places, Walmart, etc. Farm fields plowed under for housing, all the typical stuff you see these days.

It made me sad… I’ve only been out of high school 24 years and the mall I worked in is now I place I will not willingly set foot in.

But, I still have family in the Reading area, as does Supportive Partner Woman (Photographer of great skill!), so it’s a necessary evil that we visit there from time to time, and no, the evil is not seeing our familes, but seeing what has happened to our home town.

One of my daily routines is to visit the Reading Eagle website on a daily basis just to see if I know anyone who got shot, stabbed, or otherwise. I do this every day. There’s just something wrong with that, ya know?

So, I got to my mom’s, moved a big flowerpot for her (and didn’t throw out my back FTW!), and put in her window screens. I don’t see mom as often as I should, but she was really surprised with the changes in me since my operation. She even liked my Beasts. I was very proud of her as she didn’t try to push food on me, as she used to. She understands that my capacity is limited and I appreciate that.

After that, off to work. Now, as for the weekend, SPW will be working (and I might have to work Saturday… the jury is still out on that), but she will be taking time on Sunday to shoot pictures of her parents’ class reunion. As for me, I have to take my mother to a viewing. In a surprise move, she’s not really thrilled at the thought of having to drive into the hood by herself, but since the deceased was the mother of a close family friend, I’ll do it. Dolly was a sweet lady and will be missed.

Next weekend, though, is the Dreaded Yard Sale. This year, all proceeds from the sale are going to Team AllEars and from there to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Should make for interesting writing at the very least. Maybe the fact that the proceeds are going to a good cause will stop some of the cheap bastards from trying to haggle over a nickel.

I doubt it.

Song of the Day: You Just May Be the One – John Flywheel

P.S. As I was at the gym this morning, the “music” channel was playing something from Justin Bieber, prompting me to say, “Is there a volume setting lower than “mute”?

Back on the treadmill

Posted: May 29, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Footwear & socks, Goals, The Rec, Walking
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So, I hit the treadmill pretty serious this morning. Especially considering I haven’t been on it since my surgery and I haven’t done any heavy treadmill use since two weeks before my surgery.

It felt good. Very good. I did 25 minutes at 3.1 mph and a 6° incline. It wasn’t particularly taxing, but it felt good, and more importantly, the shoes felt good. One additional purchase I did make with my shoes was a pair of Balega socks. I was a little leery of merino wool socks, but Mark at Inside Track recommended them. These things are awesome. Not only do they give me some cushion, they also keep my feet nice and dry. I dare say they are even more comfortable than my other moisture wicking socks.

So, with the results of today still fresh in my head, I’m going to go back to the Rec tomorrow. I haven’t been there too much recently and I’m sure it will feel great to go back.

Song of the Day: Pop Muzik – M

Long weekend

Posted: May 28, 2013 in Cooking, Cruising, Exercise, Holidays, Supportive Partner Woman, Travel, Walking, Wegman's
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So, after a long holiday weekend, I’m back to the grind. However, it’s a Tuesday that feels like a Monday, it’s raining and I’d still rather be off.

Got to go to Wegman’s yesterday and I saw that the price of truffles was up to $999.99/pound. I commented to SPW that even with that price, it’s still hard out there for a pig. We picked up another piece of Copper River salmon which I roasted on a wood plank. It turned out very good. I added a spice mixture called “Mural of Flavor” which I had received as a gift. It’s a nice blend for fish… gives it a nice bit of flavor without drowning out the taste of the fish. Special thanks to Lori and Matt for providing the spice… and the best part is that it’s salt-free!

See? That's not good workmanship!

See? That’s not good workmanship!

So, after a weekend of living in the Beasts, I’m thinking that I now worship at the altar of Brooks. My feet feel so supported and comfortable that I don’t even really notice the extra space at the toe of the right shoe. I plan on consulting with my foot doctor to see if there’s anything that can be put in there as a spacer, just in case. Apparently, SPW is digging her new sneakers as well. I did send my New Balance trainers back to the company, though… there’s a plastic lace guard on the 856 that broke after only two months of wear and the lace is digging into the leather. I emailed the company and they said they would send me another pair. It will be nice to have the trainers available for sessions in the gym and leave the runners for the roadwork.

Grandeur of the Seas showing fire damage

Grandeur of the Seas showing fire damage

In sad news, though, Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas suffered a fire over the weekend that resulted in the passengers being flown back to Baltimore. It was a really nice ship and we had a great time aboard her. It was sad seeing that pristine white hull with fire damage. Hopefully she will be repaired and back in service before too long. The good news is that there were no injuries reported and the ship retained full power and was able to make port in the Bahamas without too much inconvenience.

That about does it for today. Hope that you all had a safe and happy Memorial Day.

Song of the Day: Round and Round – RATT

Surf n’ Surf

Posted: May 26, 2013 in Cooking, Physical activity, Racing, Supportive Partner Woman, Weight loss
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One of the pleasures of my new diet is that I can eat lots of protein, and in my mind, the best way to get protein is seafood. I just love fish, mollusks and crustaceans. I had mentioned in the last post that Supportive Partner Woman (owner of new running shoes!) had picked up a small piece of Copper River salmon. Well, we both had off today and after running around, it was time for dinner. We also had a few clusters of snow crab legs in the freezer, so I opted for surf n’ surf, because, well, you can’t go wrong with that.

Rocking my new apron and lovely piece of fish.

Rocking my new apron and lovely piece of fish.

So, after slapping the fish on a piece of cedar wood, I boiled up the crab legs with Old Bay and served them with melted butter (not for me, though), alongside the salmon. It’s just amazing how much more flavor the salmon has than the typical farm-raised stuff. I was also rocking my new apron that was part of my groomsman’s gift for yesterday’s extravaganza. It was a nice end to a very busy day.

SPW and I both went to the driving range. It was a great day for it, if a little windy. I really like my five iron… I was making some nice, straight shots that had a perfect arc on them. I don’t have my distance back, yet, but I am looking forward to a real round of golf with Lieutenant Graham one of these days.

Other than that, part of my day was occupied with watching racing. Specifically, the Monaco Grand Prix. It was nice to see Nico Rosberg win what is basically his home Grand Prix and also to be the first son of a Monaco winner to win the race. Memorial Day weekend is really a good time for racing, between Monaco, Indianapolis and Charlotte.

So, we also paid a visit to Inside Track to get SPW a new pair of kicks. She wound up with a very shiny pair of New Balance 860’s that she said fit wonderfully. It’s simply amazing how getting shoes in the right size can help your feet. Turns out her old shoes were too narrow. Took Mark at Inside Track all of about three seconds to figure that out, and he went in the back and came out with these and it was love. Professionals are a good thing.

At any rate, that’s all I have to talk about at the moment. There’s going to be a big announcement the week after next, so stay tuned!

Song of the Day: 10538 Overture – Electric Light Orchestra

Getting seriously serious

Posted: May 23, 2013 in 5K, Cooking, Digestive issues, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Foot issues, Goals, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Team AllEars
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Greetings!

It’s been good to be wearing a regular shoe. The Toe. That. Will. Not. Heal. is now the Toe. That Would. Not. Heal. That’s right… the Boot of Shame has been put back in storage until the next time it’s needed.

My first stop after leaving the foot doctor on Tuesday was at Inside Track. This place is apparently THE running store for central PA and I can see why. The owner, Mark, took one look at me and knew I was dealing with overpronation and hammer toes and knew which shoe would work for me. I picked up my Brooks Beasts today and I can’t wait to start breaking them in. He was able to fit me up, knew exactly how these shoes ran in terms of sizing, and was able to get a pair of size 13 EEEE shoes in just two days.

Speaking of our upcoming 5K, I’ll be posting some information regarding fundraising in the coming weeks. I’ll be raising money for the Avon Walk through Team All Ears. Too many of us know someone who has been impacted by breast cancer, whether directly or indirectly, and it’s my hope that we will have a cure in my lifetime. Keep your eyes peeled.

My new Brooks Beasts

My new Brooks Beasts

I’ve always struggled with shoes… I think I kept trying to squeeze my feet into smaller shoes, not for any reason other than I hated trying them on. Plus, the last time I tried a size that was a little wider then what I was sued to, I could feel my ankle grinding. Not a good feeling. But, I figure if I’m going to do this 5K, I’d better have decent shoes for it. Mark assured me that while my trusty New Balance trainers were fine for general use and working out, these would be a far better option for any serious roadwork. I was sold the second I slipped them on and walked around outside (Could you see Foot Locker or Dick’s let you wear the shoes outside?). These have plenty of cushion and the motion control insoles really cradled my feet. I was concerned about the length difference in my feet, but they seem OK to start. If there’s a problem, Brooks will even create a mixed-pair order for me. Good to know.

So, speaking of shoes, I’m in a wedding on Saturday. I went to Men’s Wearhouse to get fitted and was presented with the dreaded rental shoe problem. Is there nothing worse than rental shoes? I mean, they don’t fit, they feel cheap, and they want to charge you $20 extra to torture your own feet. I was worried that I would have issues, so I went in search of my dress wingtips, which I might add I wore to my wedding almost nine years ago. They aren’t the greatest fit ever, but they should be enough to get me through the day, and Lord knows they are a better fit and quality than the rental shoes. I mean, seriously, bowling shoes are much more comfortable and don’t cost $20 to rent.

Other than that, I’ve been managing to keep food down today. My lunch was a crab burrito that we found at the store last night. It’s pretty spicy, not too much rice and loaded with beans, crab meat, and salsa. Oh, and Supportive Partner Woman (Still the bestest wife ever!) located some Copper River salmon and picked up a small piece. If you’ve never had this salmon, it’s easily the best you can find. It’s wonderfully red with no added dyes like the farm-raised stuff. (Also, I love seeing “Atlantic salmon – product of Chile… guess nobody ever looked at a map to see exactly where Chile is) I’m looking forward to plank roasting it and just having it melt in my mouth. The season only runs about a month, but,  well, damn.

We also attended the Friends of the Library book sale at Franklin & Marshall college. Gotta love when you can score three big bags of books for around $35. Plus, all the proceeds benefit the library. After we read the books, we wind up donating most of them back to the library, so they can be sold again. I would prefer to keep them, but storage space becomes a premium in a townhouse.

At any rate, I have an appointment with the boys tomorrow. I think I’ll be breaking out the Beasts and seeing if they get Ryan approval. I’m also going to invest in some decent socks that should help the blister conditions. The guys at Inside Track said that cotton socks are a bad choice because of how much moisture they hold. We will see what happens.

Hope that you all have a great day!

Song of the Day: Nineteen Forever – Joe Jackson

Run horse, run!

Posted: May 20, 2013 in Uncategorized
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It’s another Monday after the Preakness, and I can safely announce that I didn’t win. I know… big surprise there.

It was a good weekend, though… full of friends, family and food, although not as much food as usual. The weekend commenced with our usual trip to South Jersey. It’s always an adventure, what with us usually trying to avoid traffic by taking the Burlington-Bristol Bridge over the Delaware River. I hate this bridge. It’s a lift bridge that is simply too damned narrow. It’s a lot better crossing it with the Honda rather than the big 15-passenger van I used to have to drive to Pimlico, but I still don’t like it.

We arrived at my sister-in-law’s place and the party commenced. Their house is the primary gathering point and there is much pre-race drinking and dinner, not to mention, prep of the Giant Preakness Mobile Buffet. I managed to even have my first piece of red meat since my operation and it stayed down. This makes me happy… I’m not a huge red meat eater, but I do enjoy a burger or steak from time to time. I’ll probably switch more to turkey burgers, but it would be nice to enjoy a treat from time to time.

Saturday saw us arrive at Pimlico before the first race, which is something of a rarity. I lost a couple of bets, then won one which brought me back to even keel. I lost on the Preakness, thanks to Orb doing an epic choke job. So, all in all, I ended the day down around $18. Not too bad for a day’s worth of gambling.

Most of the story is usually about the camaraderie that goes along with the day… there’s plenty of laughs and good times. I even managed to avoid the barfs for most of the day. Until the end, when I had some turkey and ate it a little too fast. I get what they were saying in support group and in class regarding how easy it is to lose track of your pace when you’re eating in social situations. I have to keep better track of how quickly I’m eating to avoid messiness in the future.

Yesterday was a fun day. Supportive Partner Woman and I left Jersey and headed back around 1:30. After the obligatory traffic snarls on the Schuylkill, we swung by the Lego Store at King of Prussia Mall to pick up some of the new minifigure series, then went to Wegman’s, because, well, we were driving by and had to stop… it’s the law. We actually didn’t do too much damage at Wegman’s, for a change. Headed home, put the cold stuff in the fridge, then went to the movies to (finally) see Iron Man 3. It was pretty enjoyable and we both had fun.

In the other good news, it seems that the Toe. That/ Will. Not. Heal. is in fact healing. It has a nice scab on it, and with any luck, I’ll be out of the Boot of Shame by this time tomorrow. If that’s the case, look out gym. Brian’s going to be back.

Going to wrap this up… paying a visit to the Friends of the Library book sale.

I’ll leave you with a photo from Saturday. As you can see, we have some pretty good seats.

 

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Is it really surgery?

Posted: May 14, 2013 in Convoy, Digestive issues, Foot issues, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman
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So, there is some progress on the Toe. That. Will. Not. Heal.

My podiatrist, recognizing that the toe pretty much has no chance to get better if it keeps rubbing, decided to perform a tendonectomy. Basically, this involved numbing the toe, making a small incision in the base of the toe, then cutting the tendon that was causing the hammertoe. It was pretty quick and painless, and so far, the toe has extended to its normal length. Now, instead of rubbing on whatever footwear I’m wearing, the ulceration is on the tip of the toe and has greater opportunity to heal.

This does not mean I haven’t changed my mind about switching podiatrists. This is the only one of my medical team I’m not 100% sold on, and he was recommended by my wound care doctor, who is top notch. So, I’m going to open the search and see what happens.

The weekend was pretty good. Train Day didn’t pan out, but since I was feeling festive, I went to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. It’s a nice facility, located in Strasburg, PA, and there’s a wide selection of rolling stock to view, not to mention a display of railroad themed art, not to mention a substantial archive. I’ve been there a few other times, but this time I was able to take my time and really appreciate the engineering that went into building the locomotives. These are some incredibly massive machines, many weighing over 200,000 pounds. It’s even more impressive when you consider the technology to build them relied on manual labor.

Sunday, Supportive Partner Woman and I made the trek to visit our mothers. My mother was thrilled, as she hadn’t seen SPW since Christmas, so that really made her day. On the way, we got caught up in the Mother’s Dsy truck convoy for Make-a-Wish. That was kind of cool.

Other than that, there’s not too much going on. I can’t work out for at least a week, since the foot won’t fit in a show right now, but if all goes according to plan, I’ll get back to my six days a week soon enough. This has given me a shot of something I was rapidly losing… hope.

Hope you all have a great week.

Song of the Day: Convoy – C.W. McCall

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Make Your Own Sub Party vs. Joe the Pouch

Posted: May 10, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Digestive issues, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Foot issues, Travel
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Good morning!

I write this after a long night. No, that does not mean that I’ve been up all night. It just means that it was a learning experience.

See, my office recently celebrated a milestone. Some two million work hours without a day-away case. Basically, that means we are working safely. That’s saying something… we’re a printing company and there are presses, tow motors, basically all sorts of heavy stuff that can do serious bodily harm if not respected. To go two million hours without anyone being maimed or killed or worse is pretty good. As such, they decided to throw a “make your own sub” party to celebrate.

Now, given more former girth, I don’t have to say that I was always a big fan. Think about it… piles upon piles of unhealthy meats and carbs, not to mention that you could thrown some lettuce and tomato on top and kid yourself you were making it healthy. Don’t get no better than that.

Of course, just because I’m embracing a healthier lifestyle doesn’t mean I don’t like lunch meats and I wanted to participate, because, well, it’s like a bonus. So, as I trudged down to the party site (step… thump, step… thump) I concocted a strategy for making the most out of my sub experience. I obviously couldn’t have the roll… a little too much bread, but I thought why couldn’t I have some meat and cheese? After all, it’s protein and protein is important.

This wasn't how I planned it, but it was my reality

This wasn’t how I planned it, but it was my reality

So, I picked up a slice of provolone, a slice of American, and one slice each of bologna, salami, ham and turkey. The cheese and turkey went down fine. One bite of the salami was enough to make me pitch it… nasty. The ham, though, was very fatty. VERY fatty. And, well, it didn’t stay down long. So, lesson learned. Stay away from fatty meat. In this case, advantage: Joe.

In other news, the toe that just won’t heal has caused me six weeks of issues. After multiple visits to the podiatrist, I’m not feeling confidence that it’s helping. I understand that he thinks Betadyne will dry the wound, but it doesn’t seem to be healing. I dug into my bag of tricks and discovered some prescription stuff that the wound care doctors had given me for a prior toe issue and have opted to go that route. So far, it seems to be working pretty well… if I don’t show marked improvement by my next appointment, I’m ditching Mr. Foot Guy and going back to the wound care doc, who is named Paul Rogers. And no, he doesn’t periodically tour with Queen. Different spelling. Either way, I have to do something, because this is killing me to be so inactive. Plus, sleeping with one foot hanging out is kind of a pain in the ass.

It’s funny, though… even the boys have noticed my frustration level. I was at the fitness center yesterday and although they keep telling me to not get down about it, it’s so hard not to. The wearing of the boot, coupled with the uncertainty of when I’ll get it off just really wreaks havoc in your mind. If I knew that I had “x” number of days to go, well, it would really do wonders in making life a little better. Or, at least, give me an idea of how long my sentence will be. I know I shouldn’t let it get to me, but that little voice is there in the back of your head saying, “Remember, Brian, thou art mortal.”

So, this upcoming weekend is National Train Day. I’m planning on meeting up with a friend at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia and touring the equipment they will have on display. It’s always nice to ride the rails and since I’m an equipment geek, I like to walk through the various trains and private rail cars they have on display. We had discussed going to Washington, since they are offering excursions on an Acela trainset, however, given my new eating reality, we thought it best to just make it a day trip. Should still be fun.

At any rate, hope that everyone has a fun weekend and that you can kick back and enjoy some weather that will supposedly be very nice. Talk to you more after Train Day.

Song of the Day: She Sells Sanctuary – The Cult

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