Well, well.  Today is someone’s 29th birthday.

You know what THAT means?

That means that this is the 30th year of his life.  No more “kid stuff”.  Now it’s taking care of the new home and all the bills that follow, plus planning a family, plus working on the career, plus a whole lot of other stuff that (heh heh) he’ll find out about as it comes.

And it will come, believe me.

So enjoy your 30th year, Chris.  And ignore the hill.

Or climb it and jump higher.  Your choice.

Happy birthday, son!!

What a year!  Aren’t you glad it’s over? 2011 was “interesting” in the Chinese-curse sort of way (“May you live in interesting times”).

It was a tumultuous year, to be sure.  Probably the most memorable and defining event was the tornado outbreak on April 27th.

Then there was the death of our rat terrier Minnie in late May.  While we love her replacement, Rosie the beagle, we still tend to call her name when addressing the dog.  Old habits die hard!

Speaking of old habits, my old habit of devouring anything edible within reach is slowly dying.  My weight has been stable at just under 200 pounds since late August.  I lost 100 pounds in exactly 1 year.  I look different (check out the before and after photos) and feel much better (and sometimes hungrier!), but it was worth it.  Now to keep it off for the rest of my life.  I hope.

Family updates:

1. Our oldest son Chris bought a house in Smyrna, Georgia, which is a suburb of Atlanta. He continues to work for Wandering Wifi and is in line for a good promotion in the coming year.
2. Ally finished up at Bob Jones University and has been through a couple of jobs.  Hopefully the current one will be stable for a while. She will be moving out of the apartment that Chris originally rented several years ago to try to save a bit of money.
3. Ben spent 2 weeks on a mission trip to Antigua, then worked the lifeguard stand at the Wilds Christian Camp for the summer.  He also got very serious about a young lady from Virginia (Hi, Kelly!).  He changed his major to computer science, which gave him a bit of a struggle at first.
4. Jon grew about 17 feet and now is as tall as I am – and he’s only 13! He played JV ball last year, and now is a starter for the JV basketball team this year.  He also won 1st place in the state preaching competition in January, as well as placing 2nd in calligraphy and later winning in some fine arts events.  He also became a teenager (boy, did he!!). I hope we survive it.

In a more important category, my wife continues to be a good great wonderful fantastic wife and mother. I would be hard-pressed to survive without her.  Love you, honey! (Did I use the correct adjective this time??)

Work at Ropak continues.  We have great plans for the coming year, especially since my father just completed purchasing 100% interest in the company. There are some exciting projects that we are working on getting, and if we do, it will mean great success for the business.  That is, of course, if the electrical engineer and IT guy can get off of his once-fat butt and do something productive for a change.

I could rattle on, but I won’t.  We’ll see how the new year progresses. One of the scariest things upcoming in the new year is the presidential election. I am still ambivalent about who to support, but I know that his name will not sound like or rhyme with “Obama”. Nor will he (or she) have a donkey beside their name on a ballot. I steadfastly refuse to vote for ANY candidate – local, state, or national – who runs under the auspices of the Democratic (spelled “A-N-T-I-A-M-E-R-I-C-A-N”) Party.

I am very thankful to the Lord my God for permitting me to have this year and allowing me to start the next one.  All praise is always due to Him alone. Soli Deo Gloria!

* For those not aware of the shortcuts used in blogging and texting, this conglomeration of letters means:

“Don’t Let The Door Hit You On The Way Out”

“Thanksgiving” is a uniquely American holiday in which our whole nation pauses to (ostensibly) give thanks for the many blessings received from God over the past year.  It is sad that we must formalize something like this that should in reality be a constant attitude in our lives.  What other country can boast of the benefits (non-governmental, mind you) and resources (likewise) available to those who strive for them?

The so-called “Occupy” movement, which is really an offspring of this president and his immoral, anti-American political party, is mostly a hodge-podge of greedy malcontents and lazy, ill-educated brats who have never been taught the truths that:

1. in reality there really is no “free lunch”;
2. there are no guarantees in life other than the age-old pair of “death” and “taxes”;
3. hard work does ultimately tend to pay off;
4. “luck” is seldom the reason for success;
5. success, prosperity, and security are never instantaneous – they take time to develop in personal, corporate, and national spheres;
6. like it or not, everything in life carries a certain amount of risk which cannot always be foreseen, mitigated, or avoided;
7. no one (ESPECIALLY not the government!) owes you anything more than you earn;
8. much of what you DO have comes from your own efforts and/or the hard work and generosity of your parents and others who worked before and alongside them;
9. whining, complaining, and tantrum-throwing accomplishes nothing to further any cause and tends to minimize its importance in the public opinion;
10. it really doesn’t matter to others what you want unless it has potential to further satisfy what it is that THEY want;
11. growing up is ultimately necessary and should never cease until death stops the process; and
12. believe and accept it or not, there IS a Higher Power that governs all by His all-knowing and all-wise counsel and Who has an ultimate purpose for each of His created beings, giving to them those things and experiences that He knows will improve them so that they can serve Him joyfully and in total personal fulfillment.

While the above list is in no way all-inclusive, it does summarize many salient points.  And those points are ignored by many of the “elite” who have purchased power for themselves by spending their own ill-gotten fortunes and buying votes and influence without the experience that comes from learning the principles of life.

How much could the American people grow and proper if they would only acknowledge the One Who is ultimately responsible for it all?  is “In God We Trust” really only an empty motto now for most residents?

Our country’s first Thanksgiving proclamation is a good one.  Our first president penned it in 1789.  Read it, and follow its instructions.

And “Happy Thanksgiving”!

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – A PROCLAMATION

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor – and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be – That we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks – for His kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation – for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of His providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war –for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed – for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which He hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions – to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually – to render our national government a blessing to all the People, by constantly being a government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed – to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord – To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us – and generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

GO. WASHINGTON.

Child #3, son Ben, turns 19 today.

Or, stated otherwise, today is the 1st day of his 20th year.

20 years ago, I had the worst year for being away from home.  I was gone almost 160 days that year, which, if you do the quick math, is more than 5 months.

“Mommy” decided that she was not done with doing the “mommy” thing, and informed me that she wanted another child.

So she got another child.

He made her pay for it, too.  He was the biggest of the 4, and waited almost 2 weeks beyond his “scheduled appearance” (at least “Mommy’s schedule).

But he came.  And he has been quite the blessing.

Happy birthday, Ben.  Hope there are many more ahead of you.  Just don’t get ahead of yourself – or ahead of God’s plans for you.

Love you!!!

{Note: I’m a baaaaad Daddy.  I started this post on the right day, then forgot about it for a week and had to post-date it.  SORRY!!}

No, I don’t suffer from a math impediment.

I have (almost) reached those numbers.

It was on August 23rd of last year that I attended the diabetic diet class that I took to heart and changed my way of eating.  Now, 365 days later, I weighed 99-3/4 pounds less than I did a year ago.

I honestly doubted that I would have this result.  I am astounded by how much better I look and feel now that 1/2 of my mass has departed.

So now I’m 2/3 of the man I used to be.

The hard part begins.  I’ve noticed a drop in weekly weight loss over the last 3 months, which I would suspect to be normal.  And I don’t think I can lose too much more without seriously eating into what little muscle I have (and I suspect that I have lost a bit of that as well).

I must continue regulating my input and try to get a bit more exercise to build muscle and keep the fat away.  If I could only flip a switch or check a box on a form that would mean that I keep this weight level with little or no work, I would.  But this is a project that will last the rest of my life, so I need to get used to it.

Really, though, it appears to be worth it.

But I’m still hungry.  Sometimes.

Here she is:

And believe it or not, she’s a year older!  Can’t tell from looking, can you?

Happy birthday, dear.  Hope you survive many more with me.

I use quotation marks because many would doubt my thinking ability.  So do I.  Sometimes.

• I have been restricting my food intake for 50 weeks now.  On last Saturday morning I weighed just a fraction over 200 pounds.  I haven’t been that light on my feet since – well, since college, probably.  And that was 30 years ago.
• In July we went on a trip to see Ben at camp and attend the Summer Partners banquet.  When it was over we drove through the Smoky Mountains towards Gatlinburg.  We saw 3 huge bull elk as we entered the park.  We stopped in the store in Townsend, TN, where we bought our dulcimers 2 years ago.  I was hoping that the owner had a freshly-built one available that I could purchase, and he did – but it cost twice what I was prepared to spend.
• 

  On the dulcimer subject, 2 weeks after that I was fooling around in eBay and searched for dulcimers.  There on the top of the list was one by Mike Clemmer, the guy from Tennessee!  The wood type was wormy chestnut and walnut, both of which which I love, and the price was right.  I jumped on the deal and very quickly consummated the sale.  The instrument arrived late last week, and it is a gorgeous looking and sounding piece of work.  I love playing it!

• This weekend I go back to NC to the camp to collect Ben.  He will be home for 2 days, then go to Richmond, VA, to visit his girlfriend, then come home for 3 days, then go back to BJU in Greenville.  I guess this means he’s left home now.
• Work is a bit slow right now, but we are negotiating a couple of deals that could really give us quite a bit of work before the end of the year.  And if this other ongoing special project finally concludes, we’ll be so busy that we may never see daylight again.  Then there’s the Pack Expo West in Vegas at the end of September.  Am I looking forward to going back to Las Vegas?  Not in the least.
• On the political side, this stupid “debt crisis” has my blood boiling.  To see the slimy manipulation of fact and opinion by this dishonest president, his staff, his political party, and their fawning acolytes in the major media (and the local daily toilet paper) is infuriating.  The only “crisis” is one of commitment to this country, its people, and the principles that originally made this the greatest, most powerful country on the planet.  We are very quickly losing everything that our forebears worked so hard to provide for us, and it appears that this destruction is intentional.  All Christians should be praying regularly for eyes to be opened to truth, ethics, and morality in all of our leaders (elected and unelected) and those who shape or attempt to shape public opinion.
• Speaking of opinion, how about this “global warming”?  Sure, it’s hot.  It’s August, Einstein!  In Alabama!  It’s ALWAYS hot this time of year.  And it’s frequently in the upper 90′sF to 100F, too!  Thunderstorms?  They happen all the time, too.  This year is really no different than any other.  Maybe there are a few more storms.  Maybe not.  I’m not counting.  I’m just trying to keep from slapping myself in the head every time I hear or read the further bloviations of those whose constant expressing of hot air contributes more to “climate change” than any traffic-snarled freeway could ever do.
• Did I mention that I’ve lost almost 100 pounds in a year?

Mondays come.  Mondays come again.

Life goes on.  And on.  And on.

And so it goes.

I hope we survive it.

No, we didn’t have damage from a storm.  We’ve just been on the move so much that the speed of a wind event would seem like a fresh breeze.

We’ve been to Rockford, IL, to visit Lori’s folks.  We had a good time with her sister and other members of the family.  Denise’s husband Randy tried to take us fishing.  We tried the Kishwaukee River, but it was too muddy and fast, so we drove 45 minutes to a better place.  After sitting in heavy rain and thunder for well over an hour, we gave up.  At least we tried!

We stopped in St. Louis to tour the arch and see whatever else we could see.  Our hotel, the Hyatt Downtown, was incredible.  I got a great room rate through Expedia, and we could walk to the arch and the river.  Our room overlooked Busch Stadium, and, lacking anything better to do, we went to a Cardinals game (they lost, but we saw a great game and got free t-shirts anyway!).

Last Saturday was the annual amateur radio Field Day contest.  I unfortunately had to stay overnight to watch the radios and computers and try to make a few contacts.  I watched things OK, but the radio work was pitiful.  It took almost all week for me to recover from the lost sleep!  Our club still did better than last year, though.  Jon spent the day there with me and made 14 contacts on the radio!

I fought a continuing computer battle at work.  I finally won – by stripping the hard drive and totally reloading everything (exactly what I was trying to avoid, of course!).  One customer had some strange issues, and it took me most of the day to set them right.  Internet connectivity to remote machines can be a good thing, especially when it prevents a long trip up north!

We also got a replacement for the late, great Minnie.  She’s an 8-year-old female beagle named Rosie.  She is slowly learning what we expect of her, and we are slowly learning how to handle her.  We are trying hard not to let her think that she runs things.  It’s not always working.  She’s turning out to be quite the couch potato, with a bit of separation anxiety thrown in.

Ah, the long weekend.  I wonder if I’ll be able to enjoy it.

I guess we’ll see on Tuesday.

Here we go again.

The “odometer” has moved up to the next higher digit.

I “celebrated” my 53rd birthday yesterday.  Wow!  A prime number!

I spent the entire day having “fun” fighting a computer battle at work for the 2nd time in a week. Some birthday party!

But Lori and Jon took me to The Melting Pot restaurant in Madison for a birthday treat. Of course, cheese and chocolate fondue are not necessarily known as foods that aid in weight loss.

But I didn’t care. It was very good. I did succumb to responsibility and ordered a vegetarian course. Artichoke hearts, portobello mushrooms, and asparagus are really good when cooked in the broth!

When she made the reservation, Lori told them it was my birthday (they asked, she claims).  At the end of the meal with the chocolate fondue course, they brought out a plate with a small piece of Rice Krispie bar, a candle, and a message spelled out it flavored syrup. It was very good.  The text was written in licorice!  YUM!

Now, back to reality.  Not that I ever left it.

I wonder what the 54th year will bring?  Probably not another 85 pounds of weight loss.

At least I hope not!

Forward!

What a difference a year makes!

This is what I looked like on May 30, 2010:

And this is what I looked like on May 26, 2011:

Notice any difference?

I’m almost 2/3 of the man I used to be.  The total weight loss seems to have stabilized at 85 pounds (that’s 6 stone, for any Brits that happen to see this).  I’ve lost approximately 9″ off my waist.  My knees and ankles don’t hurt now when I walk, and it’s a whole lot easier to get up out of the chair or climb stairs than it was just a few short months ago.

Now comes the fun part:  maintaining this for the next however many years I have to inflict myself on the poor undeserving world.  That and the self-inflicted cruelty of exercise and abandoning the wanton consumption of tasty foods.

I suspect it may be worth it, though.