My Family

'Round the house

Kids being kids

Lincoln Wyatt

Sunsets of NC

Nature Shots from the beach...

A couple of photos...

Tiny Dancers......

Lincoln 'n Nolan

Future partner's in crime.....

Rainy Friday morning

So my post have slowed down, basically because I ran out of things to say.   But I figured I would throw something out here since I had a moment.  

I have been losing weight (dont know how much yet) but it seems to be aided by eating a little bit, rather than eating nothing.  I guess its the metabolism factor.  So my plan of a 40 day fast has pretty much been scrapped.  However, when I say I am eating, I mean I am having bites of stuff, or a few pieces of sushi; definitely not eating full meals.   So I think this may be the key to dropping weight faster.  We'll see.

Moving forward, I feel its time to return to the gym.  Yeah I know, that should be a given, but I haven't made that commitment yet.  I think its time.  Now I have no desire to be a cardio rat, but I certainly enjoy weight lifting.  I think a return to steel plates and cables is the next piece of the puzzle in completing this plan, so starting March 2nd, its back to pushing and pulling the heavy stuff.

So my post will start being a diary-ish type journal.  I think it will be the best way to stay on track, and keep me honest.  In any event, I need to get back in there, cause it can only help me in the long run.  

Wow, have I been gone a week??

Okay sorry for the sabatical.  Time to get caught up!

I have to confess something.  I have not stuck to my fast 100%.  I have eaten sushi on the last two Friday nights, and Saturday night.  Yeah, I know, I was weak.  But man I LOVE sushi!  But I wrote about that last week.  Anyway, I have had some sustenance, so I cant really claim to have fasted all 40 days.  But, my goals remain the same, and since this was really more of a physically purposed fast, I dont feel like a faithless failure. :)

The weekend was great.  We painted our kitchen and finally changed the tropical orange to "Almond Oil", , which is Eddie Bauer for beige.  I also got our dining room bench built, painted and installed.  The room is looking totally new and very updated.

Thats all I have time for now....I'll be back later. 

This is me....this is what i do....

And yes, at times, I DO wear sunglasses at work.  The sun can get rough in the afternoons.

Sorry, time to get Political

Okay, here's a shocking revelation......I despise liberals.  At least their ideology anyway.

  $789,000,000,000 is about to be spent by Congress, and debate is being stifled by the Democratic leaders.  A 1000 page spending bill was not available to any member to read until after midnight last night, and now approximately 12 hours later, they are supposed to vote on it!  And our illustrious Speaker has ruled the bill officially "read"!  She ruled that the bill has been read by the House of Representatives as a whole!  So they are going to force a vote on a bill which virtually no one has actually read.  I am so thrilled to have them in charge.

 

All Republicans request to extend the debate has been declined by the head of the Democratic party.  Despite their plea to have time to read and comprehend the content of what they are even voting for, the liberal wishlist will be passed and signed whether the American people want it or not.  Nancy Pelossi has pretty much laid out the REAL reason for this bill.  It will be a big feather in the hat for Obama.

 This was the HOPE and the CHANGE we were promised?

Day 8

Please forgive me for not posting anything since Friday...its been hard to sit down and just write.   Its not that Ive been really busy, I just didn't take the time. 

 

So lets catch up.

Today is day 8 of my planned 30 day fast.  Last night I purchased a juicer from Wal-Mart and have decided to jump on the fresh juice bandwagon.  (Hopefully my version of juicing is as effective as Bonds and Canseco's, but without the needles.)  I have to admit, I don't know that I have ever drank fresh-squeezed carrots, and definitely not celery and bell peppers, but WOW.....they are seriously good!  If the information I have been reading is accurate, then this should aide in my weight-loss goals.  At the very least, freash vegetable and fruit juice has to be good for me.  Right?

Anyway, the weekend was pretty enjoyable.  We didn't have to be somewhere we didn't want, and the weather was awesome.  Megan and Dawson finished their whirlwind stage tour Saturday afternoon (see below for more info) and Sunday was very lazy.  Dawson actually got to steer his Poppy's tractor while they cleaned up the garden; I guess getting ready or planting.  I started planning the dining room table and bench I am going to construct, and then headed over to Wallyworld for groceries.  And the juicer.

So now I am back at work, well, my office.  I have more to post but I will stop here and pick it up again later.

Lillys Purple Plastic Purse

My kids are Broadway stars now.  Bright lights, photo shoots, autographs......yep, Big Stars!

Okay, that might be an exaggeration.  

But they are currently performing in a local children's theatre, and doing a really good job.  Opening night for Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse was tonight at CAST, in downtown Hickory.  The whole crew, except the director, was made up of kids; all of which are home schooled.  I thought they did awesome, but I might be biased.  

I thought a few pics were warranted.  Enjoy....

Stimulus money....

We got our stimulus money today....and paid bills.  Actually it was our Federal refund.  No stimulus money headed our way this year from what I tell.  Apparently its all (well not all, but thats another topic) going to programs and organizations.  In some capacity or another, this current bill in Congress, which has passed the House, and now moves to the Senate, is supposed to jump-start the economy, or save us from "catastrophe" as B.O. put it.  Yeah.  Right.

The last time I looked, the National Endowment for the Arts (50 million) was NOT a key element of our GDP.  Nor was Amtrack (850 million) the Smithsonian (150 million) 0r climate-research missions by NASA (450 million).   Apparently, in Liberaland, they are.  

And thats just the begining.  Here's the 40 year Democratic wishlist in laymans terms.

I guess they are taking Rahm Emanuals advice...

"You never want a serious crisis to go to waste, and what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things that you didn't think you could do before." 

Yeah Rahm, dont miss an opportunity to screw the American people.

 

The Little Guys

163 Days

So this is day four of what is very likely to become 30+.  Crazy, I know.  Everyones going to become an expert or a dietician when they find out.  There will be no end to the advice and suggestions that seem to pour forth when you do this.   But its okay, I'm ready.

Unfortunatly, theres no ideal time to carry out a lengthy fast.  At some point it will collide with a event that centers around eating.  Valentines is in 8 days, and standard operating procedure is to go out on a date....and have a good meal together.  Does that sound good to me?  Hell yes!  But will i let fasting diminish my enjoyment if I dont eat?  No. It may be a little weird to the waiter, but it wont stop me from having a good time.  The problem is that others feel awkward eating in front of you.  But this is my choice.  Its not the result of illness or disease, so there is no reason to feel this way.  Just be normal.

So theres 163 days to go until the beach.  I cant wait.

Potential changes?

Lets be clear......fasting is not the easiest thing to do.  Your head hurts, you get a nasty taste in your mouth, and your stomache makes very loud noises.  It is not exactly conducive to putting you in a great state of mind.  

Maybe thats why I can stick to it easier than a diet.  No portioning issues, no counting calories or fat grams....just dont eat anything.  Pretty simple.  

So I have to admit I was a little stoked when I stumbled on a website today fully engaged in the process and direction of weight-loss through fasting.  In fact, there is a LOT on the web about the topic, and it was pretty interesting.  Juice fasts, water-fasts, tea fasts, etc.  The common denominator? No solid food for a set time period of between 1 and 40 days.  The results? Incredible.  And what shocked me was that no one was selling a "program" or "system".  There are books for sale on these sites, and some "planning" type materials, but nothing like you see in a generic weight-loss arena.  I guess its because no ones gonna sign up and shell out money for a plan that cant be labled "no-hunger" no will-power necessary" or whatever.  

That would be bull@#$.

Today's day 3.  I think at this point I will stay with my original plan of 7 days, and then be diligent about the foods I eat from there on.  However, if I continue to read about all the positive benefits of withholding food from my system, I may extend this out longer.  I cant help but believe that if, done under strict guidelines, I can break my addition to sugars, and fats and food in general, that I could succeed in my goals faster than trying to manage the never-ending barrage of question marks that arise while "dieting".  

I guess we'll find out......

What blessed looks like to me

167 Days

So every journey has an end point or destination.  Loosing weight and transforming your body should be no different.  I needed to find a goal to aim at while on this little path of total physical overhaul and it just so happens that we are going to the beach this summer.......in 167 days. 

5 months and 17 days,  4008 hours, 240,480 minutes or  1,442,880 seconds to burn off many years of excess calories and fat molecules I have so carefully collected and stored.  One way or another, I will be 30% less of a man when we head out on July 18th.  I will take NO clothes with me that I own right now.  I will not have backaches or knee pain due to lugging around my  fat @$$.  I will not take Annamarie for granted, and will give her a husband she deserves; a husband that is up to her level.  I will be father that leads by example, not by words alone.  I will be a positive influence on others in this situation.

Come hell or high water, I will make this happen.  I dont have a choice.   I don't have time to do it again later.  I won't forgive myself if I fail.

This I swear to God. 

The Most Beautiful Girl in the World

When we were teenagers I thought she was beautiful.  I didn't know what beautiful was until the day I saw here holding our first child, Megan.  Now with number 4, Nolan Trace, she still occupies my thoughts like the day I first fell for her.  I love her more than I can put into words, I want to spend every minute with her.

Reduction

As I aluded to in the post Saturday night, Sunday was a big day for me.....and ultimately my family.  It has now been 48 hours since my last meal.  (Technically, since the last bite of solid food I have consumed.)  For two days now, nothing but coffee, milk, and a beer.  I am fasting, and I feel great.

There are two reasons why I am doing this, and I might as well spell it out since that seems to be everyones first question......"why"?  First, fasting is a VERY powerful tool for refocusing your faith.  When the urges and pains hit, you have NOWHERE to turn but to God himself for relief.  Prayer is not a outlet, its a lifeline.  If you feel the need to find a way to reestablish a connection with the Lord.....quit eating, it wont take long.

Second, I need to lose weight.  Not a few pounds, but a significant, life changing amount of weight....like 80 to 100 pounds.  Its long overdue and its seriously necessary.  Not to mention deserved by my family more than any other gift I could give them.  I have four kids I want to watch grow up to be married old folks, and an incredible wife I want to watch grow up to be a really old great grandmother.  That means I should probably stay healthy.

Now, here is where the "experts" want to chime in with their knowlege of the best path to reach my goal....and how fasting is not the way to do it.  Yes, I know.  Please save all your advice unless you have actually lost 100 pounds, which of course gives you all the right in the world to give advice.  

Its not  my plan to fast my way to a slimmer me, just jump start the process.  Seven days of fasting will make it considerably easier to eat exceptionally smaller amounts of food for the following months of dieting.  Actually, I don't need a diet, I need a whole new lifestyle, but I will delve more in to that on the next post.  

So 48 hours in and things are flowing smoothly.  Its gonna be a long ride but if I have ever been committed to this more, I don't remember. 

Stay tuned.

The Outlaw Wyatt Clark

"Okay Black Bart.....prepare to meet your Maker!"

"Reach for the Sky!  You are all under arrest!" 

My Work here is done........

Super Bowl Sunday. Yay.

 Well tomorrow 's the big day!  The grandaddy of sporting events.......the Super Bowl.  I am thrilled.  I really don't care, but I'll probably watch it just to be in the loop on Monday.  I will definatly use it as an excuse to eat ribs and wings......oh, and drink beer. 

 I will be pulling for the Cardinals because they aren't even supposed to be there and I just usually support the underdogs.  If Pittsburgh wins, well, thats cool too.  For me, tomorrow represents something else.....something much more important than a football game.  Tomorrow is the end of one way of life and the begining of another.  Hopefully, it will result in huge changes for me and my family, but you will have to check back later for the details...

New Ride

Let me say this and be VERY clear......I hate car payments.  HATE them.  I despise making monthly payments on an item that is depreciating as fast as an automobile almost as much as I despise having to spend money to repair said vehicle.   I haven't had a payment in nearly 3 years.  However, as of last night, I have one again. 

I have driven a 1999 Buick Park Avenue since mid summer 2005.  It was nice and big, and pretty well equipped.  Oh yea, and it was supercharged.  Better yet, it got nearly 30 mpg on the highway. Thirty miles per gallon from a big, V6 luxury car with over 100K miles on it.  So I remain numb to the constant barrage of ads about these tiny tin cans that get "nearly 30 mpg".  Big deal.

But what was a big deal was the rapid decline of condition over the last 6 months. 

 

First, the supercharger belt flew apart.  Did I fix it?  Nope.  Took it off, kept digging. 

 

Next, brakes began to shutter like a 737 in turbulence.  Turn 'em? Do you know what that cost?  

Then, it basically had a stroke.  It lost most of the use of internal electricals.  No power windows, no power locks, and the fuel gage needle began to resemble a  metronome, swinging back and forth in smooth rhythmic cadence (full-empty-full-empty, tick-tock-tick- tock).  Really took the boredom out of everyday driving.

And last, I think the torque converter was going bad.  Or maybe it was the Johnson rod.  I have no idea.

So I traded.  I have a car payment again.  Windows work, brakes are smooth and I know exactly how much gas I have in the tank.  But really, those are just luxuries, and I could have lived with them.  In fact, with the exception of feeling safe driving my kids around, there was no truly compelling argument for trading.    But that was enough.  

Oh, and the opportunity to torment a car salesmen who just happens to be a close personal friend. 

V-Day

Well it is officially over..........child bearing that is.  During a 15 minute stint with my feet up in stirups and a spotlight on the "boys", Dr. Geoff DeLeary terminated my ability to add to our family. So its ice-down time, like a pitcher after the game.....time to protect the mechanics for the next trip to the mound, if you know what I mean. 

 

All in all, the procedure wasn't that bad.  In fact, given the choice, I'd prefer that over most dental visits (except dentist don't strip you of any pride you had walking in by making you wait, half naked, in a cold exam room for a half hour, before sending in a guy resembling Ghengis Kahn, whose job is to scalp you with a military grade razor you can NOT buy at Wal-Mart).  It feels like one of the kids sidekicked me just below my bellybutton, so its not horrible.  But, I get a quick reminder of what got cut on when I bend down too far.  I should be fine in a day or two.

Besides, the end result will be like having all the ice cream you want........without fear of getting fat:).

Two versions of one image...

This shot was taken in Manteo NC.  As we walked across a bridge into town I saw these houses off in the distance.  They looked very "storybook" and almost like a movie set, but they were someones home (to my envy I must admit).  I love the Outerbanks of NC, and Manteo/Roanoke turned out to be an area we'd move to in a heartbeat.  

The two finished images came from the same original.  I liked them both better than the original but I cant decide on an ultimate favorite.  Any input would be greatly appreciated.