MOM

I never liked this picture...until now.  I always focused on my appearance and didn't think about how lucky I was to have a photo with my mother.  Now it's one of my favorites.

 

I started this blog a long time ago, for my Mom.  It was a way for me to communicate with her, and keep her up to date on what I was up to.  I didn't update it near as much as I should have.  But I could always count on her reading my posts, and letting me know what she thought. 

 

But my Mom passed away a couple of weeks ago, and I just don't know if I'll every want to write on this again.  She meant so much to me, and it hurts to even think of putting anything out here if she's not going to be around to read it.

 

So, for now I say goodbye. 

I love you Mom.

Long Time, No Post...

 

I don't have any excuses.  I just haven't had the desire to post much of anything lately. 

Yep, I'm busy at work.  Seems like my 4-day workweek has turned into six days a week.  That just wears on you after awhile.  But I have to keep reminding myself that my job isn't just a job.  I work for a company that serves an important purpose.  The product we build helps protect this country. 

I know my part in what we build may seem small when you consider how many employees we have.  But I'm proud of the work we do, and proud of my efforts in that.  I know that all the extra hours I've been putting in, have assisted in allowing us to deliver additional units to the field.  What that means is this country is better protected.  Soldiers in the field are better protected.  Important sites within this country are better protected.  I'm proud to be part of that. 

But I'm ready for a long weekend.  It won't happen this weekend, but soon.  I have TONS of vacation, and I'm going to take a week off ... someday. 

Culture

 

Pierre-Auguste Renoir,  M. Jules Le Coeur and Mlle Lise Trehot,  1866

 

From time to time, I feel I need to turn off the Nascar and go get me some culture!  So last weekend, I went to the Dallas Museum of Art.  I admit I do enjoy going to a museum from time to time, and I had a really good time.  But I don't think I'll ever be open minded enough to understand some of the modern art they have over there!
I did find a quite few painting really interesting.  The picture above is a very small watercolor painting by Renoir from the mid 1860's.  The information described this painting as a tender moment in a garden between a couple. 
Out of the hundreds of paintings over there, I found this painting refreshing.  I love watercolor, but I really liked the simplicity of this.

 

Below are a few other artists on display.  I don't know if these are necessarily my favorites, but it was pretty dang cool to see works from these famous artists.


Paul Cezanne,  Still Life with Apples on a Sideboard,  1906

Pablo Picasso,   The Guitarist, 1965

Vincent van Gogh,  Care Terrace on the Place du Forum,  1888

Vertigo!

Not exactly sure why, but I've been experiencing bouts of vertigo lately.  It's a really wierd experience because it seems like the whole world is moving around me.  It hasn't been real bad, and it's not making me nauseous or anything.  It only lasts for short periods of time, and then it goes away. 

I went by my doctors office, and they checked my blood pressure.  That all checked out fine.  I'm seeing him again on Friday, and we'll see how it looks then.

From what he's telling me, he thinks it may be related to the migranes I've been having in my eyes lately.  He doesn't seem to think it's anything to worry about unless they get worse or more frequent.  In the mean time, I'll just take some ibuprofen every now and then.  That seems to keep the migranes from happening.

Worst case, I'll lay on the floor for awhile and pretend I'm on an amusement ride while the world spins around me!  Weeeeeeeee!

4th of July

I made my second trip to Borger in three weeks, this time for fun!  I love going up for the the July 4th holiday.  Usually, we spend way too much money on fireworks and end up acting like idiots setting them off in the middle of great big caliche pit near Stinnett. 
But going up to Borger this year, I didn't really expect to be able to do all of that.  First, it's been so dang dry up there this spring, I just didn't think the local authorities would let anyone use fireworks.  And second, Bill isn't up and around yet, so I really didn't think he would want to mess with it.
But as it turns out, it's been raining in the panhandle the last few weeks, and things have greened up dramatically.  It's not tropical up there yet, but it sure looks a lot better.  And Bill was feeling pretty good and decided to go with us to shoot off some fireworks.  So Cliff & I were able to continue doing as Dad taught us, and spend way too much money on some fun!  Cliff, Wendye, Jason, Betty, Bill, Jane & I all went up to Stinnett and had a fun evening.  The wind was a little strong, but it's the panhandle...which means it was about normal.  It was a fun night and no one lost any fingers!
Julie was able to come up on Saturday and spend the night.  Cliff, Jason & I played golf on Saturday morning (I shot 88, pretty good for me).  And we had a cookout over at Cliff & Wendye's house too.  Overall, it was a really fun weekend.  I sure didn't want to do that drive back to DFW on Sunday, but once I got on the road it wasn't too bad.  The 4th of July is always a lot of fun, and I'm glad it all worked out this year.

Bill's Surgery

(This blog posting was orginially written June 23rd, but didn't upload properly)

I just got back from Borger visiting Bill after his surgery.  All seemed to go well, and we got him home this weekend.  He's got all kinds of tubes in him, and he's going to be awful sore for a while, but it sounds like the doctors have got him on the road to recovery.  I was pretty surprised at how Bill took to being in the hospital.  I guess he knew he didn't have any other option, and was probably very relieved to get some relief from his discomfort.  I know Mom is relieved too.  Now he's going to have several weeks of in-home healthcare, and will need to take it easy to give his body a chance to recover.  If we can keep him home for a few weeks, and keep him from making all those trips to Amarillo, he may actually get better!

Happy Birthday Bill

I called Bill yesterday morning to wish him a Happy Birthday.  But I wanted to check in on him to find out how he's feeling.  He's going to the doctor in Amarillo today to try to determine the reason he's not feeling very well the last few weeks.  I told him that he's got me a little worried about this.
Bill's the type of guy that doesn't sit still too long, and I understand this thing has kind of run him down lately.  I sure want the doctors to find out what's going on, and to treat it to make him feel better.  I told Bill that we all kind of like him, and want him to stick around for a long time.  I think he kind of liked that!
I hope he had a happy birthday.  Next year, we'll have to make his 75th birthday big ol' shindig!

Mom's Visit

I brought Mom back with me after my Mother's Day visit to Borger.  We drove down on Monday and ran into big rain just south of Wichita Falls.  We had to pull off the highway and get under shelter at a truck stop because the rain was coming down so hard.  Thankfully, we had taken a break a little earlier in the trip to allow the worst of the storms to pass by us before we got there.  After our little rest at the truck stop, we drove on into town and the weather & traffic was pretty good.  That's good news, because Mom isn't the biggest of fan of lots of traffic or bad weather while driving!

While in town, Jane & Mom did lots & lots of shopping.  I meet up with them in the evenings and we would all go out for dinner. It wasn't the best thing for my diet, but it sure was fun.  I really enjoy when she comes to town, and I think she had a lot of fun.

We headed back to the panhandle on Saturday morning, and met Bill in Vernon.  That's where we made the swap and they were on their way.  I hope Mom comes back later this summer when the water in the pool is warm. 

YIKES!!!!!

This is the first week that I actually gained weight since I started this whole thing back in January.  I went up to Borger for Mother's Day, and I guess I enjoyed myself a little too much.  A couple of Mr. Treat donuts here, and hamber & hotdog there.  It all adds up to gaining two pounds this last week.

So I'm hoping to get back on track this week.  I'm drinking my shakes and eating a very light lunch.  But Mom's in town, and I'm sure we'll be going out each night this week to eat.  I'll have to be on my best behavior to keep things in check.

Uhhh...What Happened?

I got back on track this week, and really worked hard at eating right.  I started drinking the shakes, and having my snacks like I'm supposed to.  I ate sensibly the rest of time, and even got back on the treadmill.

So what happened?  I only lost a half pound.  :(  It almost makes me want to go eat a big ol' bowl of Blue Bell Ice Cream.  But I didn't do it...yet.  I'm going to keep at it, and hope the weight loss starts again. 

A Slow Month

I guess my excuse for not losing as much weight this month is I was just tired of it.  I did it for three months, and needed a break.  The truth is, I had excuses for not sticking to my diet almost every week.  Traveling didn't make it any easier.

But I started back on it this last week, and lost two pounds.  So I didn't lose 10 pounds like I did the other three months, but shockingly, I didn't gain any weight!  To lose 5 pounds this month shows me that I can keep it up without even trying that hard.  I wasn't drinking my shakes every day, but I still made better choices throughout the month.  That just shows me that if I don't eat two cheeseburgers or a plateful of lasagne, I can keep things under control. 

Garden Creation

The area in between my drive and my neighbors has looked terrible for a few years.  It's in shade, and doesn't get enough water.  With the freezing temperatures we had this winter, the grass that was in that area just didn't survive.  So I decided it was time to take action, and do something about it.

I dug out all the old dead grass, and even took out the really bad clay soil.  I brought in all new garden soil and added Texas cobblestone in the front.  I then planted verigated liriope (monkeygrass) and begonias.  I'm going to have to make sure it gets enough water to get it established, but I'm thinking these things will do much better in the shade and new soil.

A few of my neighbors have already come by to tell me how much better it looks.  I love digging in the dirt!

Slowing Down

I haven't posted an update on my weight in a couple of weeks.  I was out of town all last week and wasn't able to drink my shakes.  We did have some really interesting food while I was there, and I did have to give it a try.  I didn't gain any weight, but I sure have slowed down on the weight loss. 

Now I'll have to get back on track and see if I can keep up the 10 pounds a month goal I set for myself.  I may have to fast for several days if I'm going to reach that goal this month!

Springtime!

SPRING IS HERE!

Well, I think it's here.  We almost got down to freezing yesterday morning, and I had to cover everything up with sheets just to make sure it didn't all freeze.  But I'm really having fun working on this part of my backyard garden.  I still have lots of work to do, but it's getting there.  I've been working on this for the last few weeks, and it's starting to look good.  I really enjoy working out in this are when the weather is nice.

Below are some closer pictures of some of the flowers I've planted.  Some are perrennial so they should come back each year.  But I like color, so I'll be adding annual plants each year to fill in blank spots.

Here's a few things I've planted:  Salvia, Zinnia, Marigolds, Verbena, Hibiscus, Pentas, Daylillies, Croton, Periwinkles and a few others that I've forgotten.  Now I just hope I can keep them alive when the summer heat hits.  I've also added about 100 plugs of grass in my backyard, but it'll take a few months for that to take hold and really start spreading.

One more thing, I put a small concrete frog in the garden.  It belonged to Mimi, and I think she would like that I have it out there in a happy place!

I really like these blue plants.  The taller ones are some type of Salvia and the blue in the back are called Delphinium.  I don't know if they'll grow, but the color was so cool I wanted them!

There's Mimi's frog in the picture above.  I may have to add a little more around it, to make it look right.

This water feather has been here for five years now.  I did have to replace the pump last year, but those are cheap.  I just put a new light on it so it shows up better at night.  I'll need to get in there to hide the cord and maybe add a little more color to the area.

The daffodils have already bloomed, and are just kind of hanging out for now.  I'll clip those back in a few weeks, and add some more color in this place.  I might add a few more daylillies, as those will come back each year. 

Opening Day!

Baseball season is here!  Okay, I'm not the biggest baseball fan, but it is cool to go to a game every now and then.  I went to opening day yesterday afternoon, and it was really a lot of fun.  Our seats were in the upper deck along the third base line, but it didn't matter.  Just being in there on opening day is pretty dang cool.  The pagentry of it all is something to see.  The Fort Worth Symphony performed the national anthem, just like they did 20 years ago when the ballpark first opened.  I was there on that day too, and can't believe that ballpark is that old.  (Not that I'm getting any older.)

The picture above shows where my seats were, and the picture below was taken looking at all the people coming into the home plate entrance of the ballpark.  FUN DAY!

Back on Schedule

I had a little better results this week compared to last.  Last week, I was in Borger eating cake, candy, hamburgers & hotdogs.  It sure was a lot of fun, but I knew it wasn't good for my diet.
This week I got back on my regular schedule, and was able to lose a couple of pounds again. 
I got really inspired to get going again when I saw a picture of myself at Wendye's party.  In my mind, I do feel a little better, but then I saw this giant guy sitting at a table and it shocked me back to reality.  I have a long ways to go before I look somewhat normal.  So, no more hotdogs or hamburgers until I reach my next goal of 60 pounds.  This isn't fun, but it's necessary!

Wendye's 50th

It was a fun weekend!  We were able to surprise Wendye last Saturday morning with a birthday party she really wasn't expecting.  Cliff got her out of the house for about an hour, and we were off & running to decorate the place.  I brought the cake and some candy.  Justin & Mattie brought more candy and decorations.  Lindsay brought even more candy with even more decorations!  Jason filled the house with helium balloons.  Julie & Kacie made delicious cake-pops that everyone enjoyed.  David, Brayden & Blake came up on Saturday morning to join the fun.  Betty, Glenda & Wendel were there to help yell "Surprise" as Wendye walked through the door.   She was honestly surprised and just kept saying "Oh My Gosh!" over & over.  I'm really glad we did this for her.  Happy Birthday Wendye!

Week 9 Update

Just a quick entry today.  2 more pounds lost this week.  That means I'm down 29 pounds so far. 
I've had an attack of the mountain cedar allergies this week, and I'm ready for it to be over.  I used to laugh at the folks with allergies, but now I'm one of them.  It's awful! 

2 Months...

27 pounds in two months.  That's the total weight loss so far.  I will admit it's not as easy now as it was those first few weeks.  But I'm also not being quite as diligent as I was.  I'm not eating two Big Macs or anything like that.  But there have been a few evenings that I has a small dinner rather than just the shake.  I can tell when my body is fighting me, and I have to feed it every now and then.  But even then, it nothing too big or too bad for me.  I'm sure that's why I haven't gained any weight in these past eight weeks.  That gives me hope that once I finally get down to the weight I want to be, I'll be able to maintain it.  I just don't think it's going to be that difficult to maintain weight if I eat smart. 

So I'm more than half way to my original goal of 50 pounds by the 4th of July.  I should have more than enough time to reach that goal, and hopefully break it by a bunch.

No good deed...?

I got a speeding ticket this week in Dalworthington Gardens.  I know better than to speed through that little town, or in neighboring Pantego.  I was in an industrial area with no other cars around and didn't even realize I was speeding.  I never saw the police car until he was behind me with his lights flashing.  He got me going 42 mph in a 30 mph zone.  Dang It!  That's going to cost me around $150.

But wait...late Friday night I'm heading home after a nice dinner out with friends.  I'm back in Dalworthington Gardens, but am being very observant of my speed.  As I approach an intersection, I witnessed an accident happen right in front of me.  A woman made a turn right in front of the car ahead of me.  It wasn't a violent wreck, but messed up both cars pretty bad.  I pulled over and checked to make sure both people weren't hurt, and then called 911.  I waited for the police to show up, and gave them my name as a witness to the accident.  The policeman that I talked to was the same one that gave me the speeding ticket!

So I went home and was watching TV when the phone rang.  It was that same policeman, thanking me for stopping at the accident scene and giving the info as a witness.  He then told me he was going to have my speeding ticket dismissed for being so helpful.  Woo-Hoo!

A Slow Week

It's been seven weeks, and things have definitely slowed down.  I only lost one pound this week.  I guess the fact that I had a nice juicy steak this week, along with a couple of pieces of pizza didn't help.  I really didn't intend to cheat at all.  I made a trip out of town, and went to a steakhouse with a friend.  I don't think eating a steak was that bad, but I did sample the salad bar which I really didn't need.  Now the pizza happened a couple of days later, and I have no excuse.  I was out with friends, and thought a couple of pieces couldn't hurt too much.  Actually, I know neither one of those things were that bad.  I'm still being pretty careful at what I eat, and more importantly how much I eat.  I'll get back on track this week.  I'd like to lose around 40 more pounds by July 4th.  That means I have about 18 weeks to reach that goal.  If I can lose 2 to 3 pounds a week, I'll be happy.

The Eagles!!!

I got an unexpected surprise last night.  I was on my way home from work when my buddy Todd called and told me to get to his house as soon as possible.  I asked why, and he said he was given two free tickets to see The Eagles.  He was going with his wife, but she's home sick and didn't feel like going.  So when he called me we had about an hour to get there. 

The tickets weren't on the front row, but they weren't too bad either.  We were on the side about halfway up the lower section.  It was so very cool!  It's called the history of the Eagles tour.  They told stories about how they met and how the band was formed.  Don Henley & Glen Fry came out first and played a few songs from the early years of the Eagles.  Then Bernie Leadon, the original guitarist of the band came out, followed by Timothy B. Schmit and Joe Walsh.  When all  five of them were out there it was so dang impressive.  They really sounded incredible!  They played for about an hour and then took a short break.  But when they came back they planed for almost another two hours.  I think they played just about every one of their hit songs.  Amazing.

I'm really going to owe Todd for calling me and inviting me to this.  I'm so happy his wife was sick!

   

And the beat goes on...

Just a quick update here.  Weighed in this morning, and was down another 2.5 lbs.  So far that's 24.5 pounds total.  I actually had to tighten my belt a bit this week because my drawers were falling down!  Something must be working so I guess I'll keep this up for another week or so.

Society of Watercolor Artists

I attended my first meeting of the Society of Watercolor Artists in Fort Worth last night.  I was invited to attend as a guest, and was a little intimidated by the thought of all those great artists and their amazing paintings.  But I actually felt welcomed and pretty comfortable.  I found out there were all levels of talent in the room.  There were some really good paintings on display, but also found several people that paint at the same level I do.  I do feel like I'm still a beginner, but know I'm probably a little further along than that.  I'd like to find the time to actually put forth the effort to get really good at this.  I sure didn't think it would be anything I would ever enjoy doing, but I have to admit it's pretty fun.  I don't know if I'll really ever paint a great painting, but I think I'm going to give it a try again to see just what I can do.

By the way, here's a painting by Soon Y. Warren.  I find this absolutley amazing.  To be able to control watercolor paint, and make it as brilliant as this is beyond me.  This is something I want to be able to do someday!

Getting Older...but skinnier!

So I turned 51 last week.  Big Whoopee.  I've never been one to celebrate my own birthday too much, as I don't see the point of making a big deal about it.  I understand the big one's..40..50..60..and so on.  But 51?  Boring.  So I just stayed home and worked around the house.  I got a lot of cleaning done, and even packed away a few things that I didn't need anymore.  It was quite the productive day, and I enjoyed it.
But around 9 pm, the phone rang and a couple of buddies told me they were on the way over with my birthday present.  None of us do birthdays, so I was a little worried what they were up to.  They showed up a few minutes later with a big ol' bag of TACO VILLA!  Woo-Hoo! 
I know I'm on my diet, but it was my birthday. :)  So I had a couple of meat burritos, french fries and a Dr. Pepper.  I was in heaven!!!
So, with all that being said...I still lost two pounds this week.  Take that 51!

First Month Complete

Once month into my trek to skinnydom is complete.  I weighed in yesterday morning, and hit the twenty pound mark.  I sure didn't expect to lose that much in one month.  I can tell that my pants aren't quite as tight as they were.  That doesn't mean I'm going to the mall this weekend to get a new wardrobe.  I have another sixty pounds to go before I hit my goal.  If I can do ten pounds a month, that means I can be there sometime this summer.  Maybe on July 4th I'll be able to challenge the kids when they chase down those parachutes! 

Superbowl 2014

Tonight's the Superbowl between the Denver Broncos & the Seattle Seahawks.  I don't have a dog in this hunt, so normally I wouldn't really care too much who won.  But this year I'm cheering for the Denver Broncos.
There are two reasons.  First, I keep hearing how everyone wants Peyton Manning to win one more championship.  He's the old guy and deserves one more title to go along with his huge passing numbers.  Well, first of all, he's not old.  He's only 37.  Granted, that's getting up there in football years, but let's quit with the old talk.  But I do like Peyton, and want him to have at least as many Superbowl titles as that dumbface brother of his.  Second, I'm getting real tired of all the Seattle Seahawks fans coming out of the woodwork.  In my mind, Seattle is still an expansion team.  I don't like them, and I really don't like how they've tried to steal the 12th man thing from Texas A&M. 

So, my prediction for the game?  Who knows.  I'm guessing it'll be close in the first half and hopefully Denver pulls away late in the game.  My bigger concern is where am I going for the game?  Friends have asked me to come over, and they usually have a great blowout.  But there's going to be so much food there, and I'm trying to be good.  I'm sure I"ll go, but it's going to take a lot not to eat so much I make myself sick!

Week 3 - Woo Hoo!

Three weeks into this weight loss, and I'm now down 17.5 pounds.  After last week, I only expected to lose two or three this week.  But another 5.5 pounds!  I have a long way to go, but I can feel a little difference in the way my pants are fitting.  I haven't tightened up the belt yet, but it's not far off.

After hearing how it's going for me, Jane wanted to try give Herbalife a try.  I bought some for her, and we'll see how it goes for her.  I know Mom started it about a week ago, and I think she's down a couple of pounds already.

I'm going to keep on doing this until it stops working, or I have a breakdown and attack a girl scout for her cookies! 

Ticketstock 2014

January 24, 1994.  I remember that day very well.  It was the first day of the first all-sports radio station in the Dallas/Ft. worth area.  I remember thinking that it was going to be cool to listen to a fun sports station.  But I didn't know how attached I would get to the personalities on the shows.

I was just back from spending time with my family in Borger over the Christmas holiday.  It was a different kind of holiday.  It was the first Christmas since my Dad passed away.  Everyone tried their best to go on, and make it as normal as possible.  But it was still different.  Difficult at times.
I always love seeing my family, but it did hurt to see everyone act as if nothing was different.  I remember doing my best to stay upbeat and positive, but when I got back to Arlington I had a hard time.  I'm not sure why it took almost 10 months after my Dads death for it to really hit me, but it did.  I remember going to work and having to hold back my emotions just to keep from crying during the day.  When I would get home,  I just wanted to go to bed.  It was not a good time.

So when this dumb radio station started up, I didn't think much about it.  But from the very beginning, I was hooked.  With time, I started laughing again.  The guys on the radio brought me out of my depression.  It didn't make me miss my Dad any less, but I realized I could still enjoy life and not wallow in my own sadness.

So this weekend I went to the Dallas Convention Center, and laughed my butt off as I watched and listened to the guys on the Ticket celebrate their 20th anniversary.  They told all kinds of stories about their last 20 years and it was so much fun!  They'll never really know how their humor helped me out, but I'm really thankful they were there.

I think Dad would get a chuckle out of them too.

Week 2

The weight loss continues.  I lost 4 more pounds this week, so I'm down 12 pounds so far.  I'm kind of surprised that it hasn't been more difficult so far.  I'm usually good for about a week, and then I lose interest.  So, when I say I'm two weeks into this and it's not too bad, that's kind of amazing to me.

In a way, I had hoped for more.  But I've read that a healthy weight loss is about two pounds a week.  That's kind of what I'm expecting from here on out.  But if I can do a couple of pounds a week, I'll be OK with that.  I'll just have to stay away from the beef jerky I found so tasty this week!

Today was my first weigh-in since I started my "lifestyle change".  I had no clue if I had really lost any weight until I stepped on that scale.  So, after 7 full days of being good, and following what I'm supposed to do, I lost 8 pounds.  Woo-Hoo!  I'm so relieved to know that it was actually working. 
It's way too early to tell any kind of difference in how I feel or clothes fit, but it's a start.  I may have to give this thing another chance.  So today I'll start week two, and see where it takes me. 
I haven't really set a goal, but I created this graph to keep up with my progress.  I would like to see if I can lose 50 pounds by the July 4th holiday.  (maybe even more)  So I'll update this each Wednesday with my progress, good or bad, to keep myself honest.  Now I'm off to have lunch!

Yesterday would have been Mimi's 100th birthday.

I had a dream about her the night before last.  In the dream a bunch of the family was going shopping at a big mall in the Dallas area.  We had to park our car in a parking garage, and then walk a couple of blocks to get to the mall.  As we are walking in this crowded area, I noticed an older white car coming down the street in the wrong direction.  The car was moving real slow, and weaving back & forth.  All of a sudden, I realized it was Mimi.  She was trying to find us, and she was lost.  We were able to safely stop her and get her out of the car.  She was so happy to see us!  I remember hugging her and not wanting to let her go.  That's when I woke up.  Dang it, I wanted a few more minutes to hug her and talk to her.

Dreams can be so dumb sometimes.  But other times they can give you a moment you want...or need.
So I decided to post a note about Mimi on Facebook.  I did it for myself, just to make me feel better.  I didn't expect all the responses it got.  Some people posted nice comments about what I wrote.  But what I didn't expect was to hear from several friends I hadn't heard from in years.  That was really unexpected, and fun!  I even had some folks at work come up to me the next day and tell me how nice the Facebook posting was.
Happy birthday Mimi.  I miss you.

OK, it's been years since I put anything on this blog.  But its a new year, and I feel like its going to be a new me.  I'm finally going to try to take some weight off and get healthy.  It's going to be a long fight, and I don't expect it to be easy, but it has to be done.  I'm going to post honest results here each week.  I hope each post will be good news, but if I struggle every now and then I've got to be strong enough to continue.  I'm so dang proud of my sister Julie, and the success she's had in losing weight.  She looks great, and more importantly, she's happy with the way she looks and feels.  That's where I want to be.  Cliff has also lost a bunch of weight over the last few months  He also looks great.  Wendye is also losing a lot of weight doing the Herbalife system.  It sure seems to be working for her too.
So, with all that said, I'm giving myself a whole year to reach my goal.  I didn't get this big overnight, so I can't rush getting it all off.  I'm hoping to be down to 200 pounds (or less) by this time next year.  Here we go...