One Year closer to gay death... lol

Well, here it is... the inevitable.

Sunday, December 14th, at 12:15 am, I will officially be another year older.

To me, its a good thing because I enjoy the ability to say that I am older because I have always been a grown up. I will now be and "old soul" in an old body. It was bound to happen!

I just am planning on spending the birthday as I have always done. Maybe some friends or Jeremy will take me out to dinner and the day will pass without a hitch. I am not used to big, elaborate birthday parties so this is fine with me.

So, happy birthday to me and I hope this year is better, emotionally, than last year.

Dreams: What I view them to be...

Dreams rarely happen for me. So, when they do happen, I always wonder what triggers that mechanism in my brain for the dreams to actually happen. Most people do not pay attention to their dreams, but they happen so rarely to me that I try to take what I just dreamed and put that into perspective in my life.



I do that because I believe that dreams are like letters being passed from one state of consciousness to another. Dreams are my natural way of taking what I try to suppress and forget about, and bringing it to the surface so that I have to deal with it and put it out of my head. Being able to process those dreams is important in my life because I have to deal with them.

Last night, I had a couple of dreams that just irritated the piss out of me. I woke up this morning, almost in tears because of the intensity that they caused me to feel. I don't know why these dreams came into my head, but apparently I had to process thru them and get past them because I had been frustrated about them. As I am writing, I still feel upset by them, but as I write, that feel is also going away.

I just felt I had to write something about this. My dreams were extremely intense.

Disappointed, but not Surprised...

This morning, after falling asleep knowing that Barack Obama was elected and having the feeling of relief that our world is heading in a new direction, I was brought back to earth with a phone call from my father, in Arkansas (which as we know, went for McCain).

Me: Hello, Dad.
Dad: Did you vote for that N****R?

Me: Yes, I did.
Dad: That is stupid to vote for him.

Me: That is your choice to feel that way, but I voted the way I wanted to.
Dad: I hope that n****r treats the country the way they treated me.

Me: You have the right to feel anyway you want to, dad.
Dad: At least I live in a state that is smarter than the rest of the country.

Me: Why do you say that?
Dad: Because Arkansas voted for McCain.

Me: These are the same people that told me that I am not allowed to adopt a child, whether I am gay or straight. They told your son that I can't adopt. I am sorry, but I don't trust the judgement of Arkansas people, especially with voting for the President.
Dad: Well, they were smart enough to vote for someone other than that n****r.

Me: Did you vote at all dad?
Dad: No, I didn't. I don't ever vote.

Me: Then I am not talking about this anymore. I refuse to have a conversation with you and let you bitch when you didn't even vote.
Dad: Ok, I love you son.

Me: I love you too dad. *end call*

The reason for this post is to show where I grew up and what I grew up with. I fully expected to have a conversation like this when I went home for Thanksgiving, but he threw me off guard when I woke up and was getting a phone call from him, just to talk about that.

This is a prime example of how the world is going to change. Most people my fathers age are set in stone, bigot, hypocrit, racist, stubborn, hate-mongers. They grew up in a time when it was acceptable to hate people because of the color of their skin. That is not the case today.

I am very proud that I do not share that view of the world with my father. He taught me many things in life, such as my work ethic, my values towards my country, my views on family and friends, and I am grateful for that; however, I refuse to accept the ways of hatred and prejudice that he tried to instill in me. It didn't work then and it won't work now.

Arkansas: Last Day

As I woke up Saturday, I wanted to surprise my parents by showing up to a car show that was being held in downtown Little Rock. So, thats exactly what I did! I went to the show and visited with them and my sister, uncle and nephew. Below are some pics from that.



After that, I went to Arkansas Tech, to go to the game. I went to CJ's Big Boy Burgers, because they are the best in Russellville, and then went to visit one of my best friends, Veronica.

After I visited with her, I went to the game. Unfortunately, every team I rooted for on Saturday lost. ATU lost by a touchdown. Arkansas lost by 2 points and Ohio State lost. So, it just wasn't a good day for me to be rooting for football, but I had fun visiting with my friends and visiting my old school! So, it was worth it!

Friends on Friday

All I can say is that I love my friends. We went out and had a blast on Friday night!

I started out by going to my favorite restaurant, Lilly's Dim Sum, Then Some. My friend Kathy Webb, who is a State Representative, owns and operates the restaurant and was there to visit with me.

My friends Wes, Dax, and Warren showed up for dinner. It was a great time!



Afterwards, we all went out to Backstreet where I met up with other friends and they reminded me why I go back to visit them. I do miss them and I love my friends. They make me want to come back and visit home as often as I can.

Arkansas: Little Rock scenery

On Thursday, I didn't have anything to do. My friends were all at work and I was not going to sit around all day and just wait. I decided to go take a hike at Pinnacle Mountain State Park and The Big Dam Bridge, over a lock and dam on the Arkansas River.

The scenery was beautiful for Fall!

Trip to Arkansas, Friends

I finally decide to go back home to Arkansas to visit my friends this past week. I left early on Wednesday morning and get to Arkansas around 3pm. So, I leave earlier than expected and get to Arkansas earlier than expected. Which is ok!

The first thing I do, is go see Dax at Bed Bath and Beyond. The bitch is waiting for me at the door! Who knew! We caught up and I waited for a phone call from Tiger.



Well, during that time, my friend Brett called me and we went for a drink. Thus a night ensued of visiting and catching up. Brett and I were joined by my friend Elizabeth and Tiger.

We went to Bene Vita and had a few drinks, which were cheap and not very strong. We decided to have dinner, so we go to a sushi restaurant in downtown Little Rock. It was a fun night! The lady's name was Kat and she had a great personality, along with her mother who were working. We sat and ate and they drank, and it was a great night!

Obama Rally in Columbus

So, Thursday, I get this text message from the Obama Campaign, stating that Barack is going to be in town today for a rally. I have not seen him in person, so I decide to take the time to go down and see him, in person. This is a big election year, so being able to take part in someting like this is history in the making, so naturally, I would want to be a part of it.

The gates opened at Genoa Park, in downtown Columbus, at eleven in the morning. I decide to get there early, so that I could get a decent spot to be able to see him. Well, upon parking 6 blocks away, I start walking. As I get closer, there is table after table of people trying to sell crap. Thankfully, I don't buy crap, so I just walk past them.



As I get closer, I notice I am not the only one who is early. There are already long lines to get in. So, I stand in one of the lines, waiting for them to open at 11. While I am standing there, a volunteer for the campaign brings a form for me to fill out, and asks me what I am doing on election day. I tell her that I am already planning on taking the day off to take people to the polls. She hands me a different ticket, and tells me to go to another line.

I get to the line, and start talking to this nice lady, who overheard about the blue tickets. We start talking, and upon a few minutes of dialogue, we find out we are both Arkansans! How odd is that! Out of the 15000 people who went, I find a fellow Arkansan to chat with.

We get to the place where the volunteers are supposed to go and stand there and talk about Arkansas and the places we enjoyed eating and visiting. She is a very nice lady. She and I stood there for about 3 hours visiting, which is good because it made the time fly!

Well, after a while, the speeches started and I got to see Mayor Coleman, Govenor Stickland, and Barack Obama. It was a very spirited event and it made me feel good about my choice. I am not gonna launch into why in this post, but those who know me, understand!

I hope you enjoy the pics!

Scooter Savings Update...

Here is an estimated breakdown of the scooter savings so far:

Scooter:
2404 kilometers = 1494 miles.

1494 miles / 80 mpg = 18.675 gallons

18.675 gallons x $3.80 (estimated average) a gallon = $70.96 total gas expense


Truck Equivalent:
1494 miles / 22 mpg = 67.91 gallons

67.91 gallons x $3.80 a gallon = 258.09 total gas expense


Cost Difference:

$55/month (monthly payment) x 3 months = $165

$165 + $70.96 = $235.96 (total scooter cost)

So, as of right now, riding the scooter has saved me $23 dollars, over 3 months. So, imagine after I get it paid off! It will save me about $700 a year in fuel expense! That is worth having, if you ask me! So, the scooter was a good investment.

Mound Tour, Small piece of Ohio History

Marshall told me about the mounds of Ohio that Indians originally used for living. He asked if I would like go to and, being a history buff, I said sure!

I am not going to put all of the information on my blog, I am just gonna link each mound to Marshalls blog and you can view the information there!

It was a fun time! It was very interesting to see the mounds and it was a beautiful day. It was worth the time!



Mound Tour, Day 4 (The only day I was able to go)

Tarleton Cross Mound - Interesting mound itself, although not that impressive to look at.

Mound City Group - This one was the best group of mounds, by far!

Adena Mansion and Gardens - This is the spot where the Great Seal of the State of Ohio gets the insignia. I don't understand why they put the emphasis on the seal, instead of the state. Shouldn't it be the Seal of the Great State of Ohio?? Food for thought!

Hopewell Mound Group - This took us on a LONG walk around the mounds, only to find out that after about 2 miles, that the mounds were no longer there, just the imprints of where they used to be. It was a good day for a walk though!

Siep Mound Earthworks - This Mound was HUGE! There are pics to show the size of this mound. I looked so small in comparison.

Story Mound - A mound, literally, in the middle of Chillocothe.

Great Seal State Park - Once again, the Great Seal... hrm?!? We think there is misinformation on the plaqard. I am looking into it!

So, overall, it was a great trip. It was a beautiful day and I got to see parts of Ohio that I had not seen yet. Take a look at the pics! Leave some comments!

Trip to Niagara Falls

Jeremy and I both had the weekend off, so after some searching online for some good deals on hotels, we decided to go to Niagara Falls.



Truth be told, we both had never been to Canada and we didn't know what to expect. Its not that far of a drive. It only took us 5 hours to get there. Considering we had to drive thru the border and stop at 2 toll roads, the drive was not bad at all.

We get to the hotel. Jeremy decided to stay in a nice hotel for a change instead of the Motel 6 type places we normally stay. So, we splurged and stayed in The Embassy Suites, on the 34th floor, overlooking the Canadian and American Falls. It was a beautiful view from the room.

Pics are posted below to browse thru.


On Friday, we ate at "The Keg" restaurant that was in the hotel. It was a good dinner. I had tiger shrimp with rice pilaf. It was very yummy.

On Saturday, we did the toursity stuff. We went onto the "Maid of the Mist" and actually went INTO the Canadian Falls. We got a view of the American Falls as well, but the Canadian Falls are the real attraction.

After we did that, we went on a walk to look at the "whirlpool." The further along we got, the more we realized that 5km is quite a ways to walk! We were told that we could go down to the whirlpool by going up the road to the Totem Pole Park and walk down to the Whirlpool itself. It was supposed to be a 40 minute walk, there and back. Well, after going down the 6 flights of stairs and walking for about 20 minutes, we were no where close and the trail was POORLY designed, so we turned back.

Overall, it was a great trip, but in the end, its just water falling over the edge of a cliff, LOTS of water! It was beautiful, but next time, we are going straight to Toronto!

Friends: Why they are here.

Most of the time, I don't think that people look at their friends with the same kind of love and admiration that I think I do. I love my friends just as much as I love my family. In a lot of instances, my friends are my family.

When I left Arkansas, I left a lot of friends behind and I miss them terribly. I find myself just sitting at my desk, wondering what they are doing and how they are doing. Dax, Tiger, Veronica, Danielle, Brett, Tara, Casey, Warren, Chris, Brett, Gary, and so on.

I have gained a lot of new friends here in Columbus. I have found a few that I really feel that I have come to know and they are going to be some of my best friends. I have found a few that the more I get to know, the more I want to know better. They are just good people. I meet new people every day and its a great part about being in a new city. I only hope over time, these people still remain my friends.

One good thing is that my best friend Karrie lives here now. She is the greatest and I love her. My other best friend Josh is here and thankfully he keeps me sane. Whether it be by medicated alcohol or listening to me on a hard day, I know they are my best friends. Marshall is getting close... not quite there yet!

I just felt like blogging a tribute to my friends. I have been on an emotional roller coaster today and wanted to do it while I was thinking about it.

The Hardest Part of My Job...

I am in HIV Prevention. I am going to come into contact with people who have HIV. I am going to come into contact with people who do not. I am going to come into contact with those who believe that they cannot get it as well as those who believe it is inevitable for infection to occur. I can handle all of that. I do both testing and counseling and for the most part, I can handle that too...

The hardest part of my job is telling someone who is just starting their life, that they are infected with HIV. I had a twenty year old guy come in today and I had to give him the unfortunate news that he was infected. I don't know why the younger guys give me the most grief, but I have given results to older guys and it doesn't affect me as much.

I know HIV is not the "death" sentence that it once was, but it still ensures the people who are infected hardships that we cannot imagine, as people who are not infected. People's lives change in almost every aspect due to that one thing I have to tell them during the testing period. It is such a humbling experience. It puts reality into perspective when compared.

I don't feel sorry for people infected with HIV, but at the same time, I do. It is a double edge sword that I have to deal with. Bad decisions lead to mistakes and that, unfortunately, is what it is... a mistake. Due to that mistake, people who are infected are treated so badly...

I love my job and the work that I do, but having to do that is the hardest part of my job.

A Weekend... thats all...

This has been an enjoyable weekend so far. After work on Friday, Marshall and I went to the Greek Festival in downtown Columbus. First of all, this is an awesome church. They are in the process of renovation and addition right now, but you could tell it is a very beautiful church. Go here for the website to view: Greek Festival.

You wanna talk about some GREAT food! I had a Gyro, it was an overstuffed, full filled, mouth full of goodness. I also had some black pepper greek fries, awesome! After the food part, I had some Greek desserts. Apparently these pastries are cooked by little old greek women. I don't know if that adds to the appeal, but it made it worth the payment! Talk about some GREAT food! YUMMO!

Well, after that, I went home and got some much needed sleep. Saturday morning: Guess what... first day of fanatic Ohio State Football. I was sooo not in the mood to deal with the first game traffic. I was headed to the gym and surprisingly there was no traffic, well, none to deal with directly for the game. After the gym, I headed down Neil Avenue, taking the scenic route home, and I noticed that the leaves were either changing colors, or they were dead. Either way, I was just remembering how things happened last year. Autumn is early...which means that winter is right around the corner! Yay!

I am fan of winter... call me idiotic, but I hate heat.

Part Time Job

Ok, who thinks I am mean enough to be a security guard/bouncer for a LESBIAN club?

Well, apparently the good people at Wall Street seem to think I am! (I am, I am just being dramatic.) So, with that, I started working there.

They are a GREAT group of people to work with. They are fun and they know how to have fun. The job requires that I be stern with people, to protect the bar itself, but I am enjoying it so far. With the bar on my side, I can kick people out! WOO HOO!

Anyway, its a great place to work so far. The only things I don't like is that the hours are late night and I cannot dance while working. I love to dance, but I make due!

Here is the club: Wall Street

Back to School... UGH!

Its that time of the year again... time when you start signing away your life's savings before you even get to save, time when you start burying the nose in the books with hopes of making a difference in the life you are leading... hoping to get a great paying job.

So, just like millions of other students, I start back to the grind this week. In doing so, I am taking Principles of Accounting II and Human Resource Management. It should, hopefully, be an easy semester!

Bratwurst Festival - Good Food!

Well, I had the Friday off and Marshall asked if I wanted to go Bucyrus to the Bratwurst Festival, so I said yes. I had never been before, so I was looking forward to it!

We take off around 9 am. Mind that I am EXHAUSTED because I had to work until 330am. We take off and head north. We are riding in his black VW Bug Convertible. It was a PERFECT day for a drive too.

As we get there, we go to visit his mother. All I can say is that I know alot about the way Marshall is now. He was right when he said the fruit didn't fall far from the tree!



As we pull up to the festival, its the same thing you would think of when you imagine a fall town festival. There were street vendors and carnival rides and all the typical event stuff. It was fun. We went by the Band Booster booth and ordered some of Carle's Brats. They were GOOD!

After some time, we heard one of the local bands playing, however it was an older version of a band. :) They were playing that song from Groundhog day... do you remember? The one that played CONSTANTLY thru that movie! I felt like I was in PA, other than it was summer and warm!



After we browsed thru some places, we decided to have an Apple Dumplin... OMGOSH! It was sooooooo good! Yummy!!!

It was a fun afternoon! I was a little sun burned but it was worth the day!

Hocking Hills - The first real time I have left Columbus

Jeremy and I decided to make a drive out of Columbus for the day on Sunday and we went to an outdoor park called Hocking Hills. First of all, most of our friends said that we were in for a 1.5 hour drive. It took nowhere near that! Jeremy and I left and, with stopping for gas and breakfast, drove for 45 minutes. That is not a bad drive at all!

*I have to stop and realize that most of the people we were asking are used to bitching about driving from one side of town to the next, so we should have known better than to trust their judgement, but alas, we did.*

So, we get down there and start walking around. We equate the place to Petit Jean, which is back home in Arkansas. It was a beautiful walk, and it was a very beautiful day. We couldn't have asked for a better day to walk around.

We were walking the 4 mile or so trail when we got to the half way point and decided to turn back. We had noticed several people walking while we were on the trail and it really didn't bother us to turn around. So, we get back, taking a different route back up to the parking lot. After we get to the parking lot, we go and drive to the Cedar Falls area, which we would have walked to originally. On the way there, we see most of the people either at the falls or on their way back to the spot we started. We felt sorry for them that they had to walk back as we drove off, but we were happy to be heading to go eat lunch. :)

All in all, it was a great afternoon. We spent the rest of the day reading books at Goodale Park and watching "The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green" over at Marshall's house.

Good hike, good scenery, good friends, and good food... what better way to spend the day!

New Toy... Coming soon!

I finally decided I wanted it. I asked Jeremy, thru some pleading and reasoning, if he would buy me the item I so desired to get and guess what?? I AM GETTING AN IPHONE! YAY!

I don't know why I am excited. I have not had a new phone, let alone a GREAT phone in my life. I usually just get the crappy ones because I don't want to waste the money, but this seemed like a good, worthwhile investment.



It will be here in about ten days... It was alot easier than I thought to get. I went to the store and ordered it and it is being shipped to the store. After it gets there, I go to the store and get it.

The ONLY downfall I have to this... I have to sign another 2 year contract with ATT. I have been free of them for the past 2 years because I didn't know if I wanted to stay with them, but I guess I don't have a choice for the next 2 years. Maybe they will wow me... I seriously doubt it, but here is to hoping!

I can't wait!! :)

Playing like a Team

I am soooo proud of the softball team I am on. We went out today, granted it was a beautiful day, and played a double header in softball. As of today's game, we were 7th out of 8 teams. I wonder where we are going to end up now??

The first game we played today started out rough. Even though I set a deadline of 130, we had two guys show up at 240, thank goodness we had an extra person and the game before us was running long, so that extra 10 minutes was a blessing!

We get on the field and we are, for the first time this season, having fun as a team. We are playing around, at the same time, we are actually doing really well with the game. We did end up losing to the team who is ranked below us, but it was just the beginning!

Next, we go over to another field and play a make up game. This time we are playing the Red Devils, who are tied for second place in the division. We know going into the field that we are the underdogs and I honestly didn't expect to win. As we start playing, we pull ahead in the first inning and we never looked back.

As we are playing, we are playing like a team and we are completely demoralizing the other team. We are out having fun and we are loving the day and the game. Well, we made some GREAT plays, and I finally learned how to be an outfielder and I myself had some GREAT catches. We batted great! We played great! We had fun and we played as a team! I was very very happy with my team today.

So, we won and this was the odds we were up against:

1. One player was half-lit.
2. One player had a pulled calf muscle.
3. One player was playing with a pulled back.
4. One player was playing with a swollen left knee and bleeding right leg.
5. One player was playing with a pulled muscle in his side.

So... this is the day! Let's see how the playoffs go now!

DCI - Atlanta

Have you ever been to something that you just felt was a blast? That was what I was hoping DCI would be, and it was!

Drum Corps International is sloganed as Marching Music's Major League, and for good reason! If you have never been to a DCI show, you are missing out! It is a lot of fun. Of course, you would have to be a fan of marching band to somewhat enjoy it.

Me, Veronica, Ashley, and Deejay drove to Atlanta, GA for a Saturday performance. Deejay and I drove down from Columbus, which was an 8.5 hour drive. So, we get up and leave early Friday morning to make it down to Atlanta. It is HOT! It is HUMID! I had totally forgotten the difference in the south vs. the midwest.

Veronica and Ashley drove from Russellville, Arkansas. That is about an 11 hour drive, which they made into a 13 hour drive due to stopping to view a band they thought was in Memphis and heavy rain. I was exhausted for them!

After we get there, we go to the hotel and check in for the night. We go downtown and eat at Jason's Deli, which is one of my favorite restaurants we don't have here in Columbus. I wish we had it.

We went out for one drink at the local bar called Blakes. Wow, I thought Columbus was pretentious! It was packed, full of people who you could just feel their judgement reigning down. The good thing is that I didn't care! I was not going to be back to visit so let them stare.

The next day, we head to the Georgia Dome. I had never been in a dome that big before so I was very impressed! We walked in and there were people everywhere. The best part of it was that Veronica got us FREE press box seats. We didn't have to share with hardly anyone. It was great. We were up and away from the masses and we had primo seats! It was a great place!

So, all in all, I had fun. Although I had to be back in Columbus for a game at 3:15, which we had to forfeit for because of the lack of players... UGH! I was so tired!

My friend Josh's Birthday

Josh, one of my dearest friends, had a birthday this past week, on Sunday, July 27th to be exact. Well, being the friend that I am, I wanted to do something for him. If you are reading this, you should know that if you are my friend, I will do anything for you and if you are a really good friend like Josh, I try to make it special.

So, I decided to do something on Thursday night because I was going out of town and I wanted to do something before his actual birthday, which I knew would be busy and I would be exhausted. Yes, call me selfish but I wanted to celebrate with him.

The evening started out by me making cupcakes for him, that I actually took to Wall Street. I am glad they were good because he ate one, which is all I wanted. They were for him, so if no one else ate any, I was fine... which was good because out of the 24 I made, I would say 18 of them got thrown in the trash.

We were there, along with his boyfriend John, which I finally got to actually talk to. He seems to be a good guy. The normal stomper group was there and they made the night fun. So, after we got done at Wall Street, we headed over to AWOL where we did bad karaoke and such. It was fun. Josh did not end up on the street like he did last year. I wish I would have kept that picture because it was funny as hell!

After we got done at AWOL, we went to TeeJay's Country whatever and had the barn yard buster. For someone who is watching what he eats and is measuring calories each day, it was decided that those should be put on Friday... 1600 calorie meal!

So, overall it was a great time. I really enjoyed Josh's birthday. I hope he did too. I love that little mexican! :)

Here is a clip that Marshall took from line dancing. I am towards the end, dancing badly with Chase!

Passing of a Dear Face in Acting...

Estelle Getty of 'Golden Girls' dies at age 84

Unless you watched the Golden Girls, you would not understand the significance of the show. This is a show that I watch every single day of my life. I Tivo the show because I cannot be home to watch it when it comes on.

As Sophia, Estelle Getty embodied someone who I wish I could have had in my life. She was full of life and humor that came across in such an impactful way that I encorporate quotes from the show in my every day life. She was such a great actress and the world is going to miss her dearly.

Here is the article from Yahoo.

LOS ANGELES - Estelle Getty, the diminutive actress who spent 40 years struggling for success before landing a role of a lifetime in 1985 as the sarcastic octogenarian Sophia on TV's "The Golden Girls," has died. She was 84.

Getty, who suffered from advanced dementia, died at about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday at her Hollywood Boulevard home, said her son, Carl Gettleman of Santa Monica.

"She was loved throughout the world in six continents, and if they loved sitcoms in Antarctica she would have been loved on seven continents," her son said. "She was one of the most talented comedic actresses who ever lived."

"The Golden Girls," featuring four female retirees sharing a house in Miami, grew out of NBC programming chief Brandon Tartikoff's belief that television was ignoring its older viewers.
Three of its stars had already appeared in previous series: Bea Arthur in "Maude," Betty White in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and Rue McClanahan in "Mama's Family." The last character to be cast was Sophia Petrillo, the feisty 80-something mother of Arthur's character.

Food Diary Update

After 2 weeks of tracking what I eat and how i am doing, I am surprised at the results.

First of all, I have lost 4 lbs. That is great! I don't know if it is from tracking what I eat or working out with my trainer but I am attributing it to the combination of both.

I think that keeping track of what you eat, especially if you can see what you are putting in your mouth and see how it affects your body, you can start adjusting what you eat and learn to eat healthier.

I use this website http://www.fitday.com/ and it allows me to go and put in the food that I eat. It shows me the calories that are in the foods I eat and allows me to see how many grams come from fat, carbs, and proteins. It is just amazing at how bad food is for you. It is also amazing on how you can change your mind on what you eat... for example:

Chipotle Burrito, with chicken, rice, black beans, tomato and corn salsa, cheese, lettuce and a large coke (which is what I used to get) = 1350 calories!

NOW: Chipotle Burrito bowl, no tortilla, rice, black beans, tomato and corn salsa, lettuce and a glass of water: 455 calories!

That is the great thing about keeping track of what you eat. It makes me constantly analyze what I eat and helps me make better choices. If you wanna view what I eat, just click below.

http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/PublicJournals.html?Owner=shaun7220

Working as a team!

All I can say is... WOW!

We played the second best team in the division on Sunday. We played Somewhere Else. They were a good team and this time, we put up a fight. We only lost by one run! The final score was 12-13. Not bad for a team that has been last in the division!

We hit better. We fielded better. We encouraged each other better. We were great!

I am so proud of the team. We are playing the top team in the division on Sunday. I think we are going to show them that we don't just roll over and play dead.

The best part about this is that after all the turmoil, we have finally started playing as a team. It took something jarring to show the team that we can do it if we want to and we did!

This is stolen from Marshall... He sums it up better than I can, so thanks Marshall!!

Out-of-towners are always surprised to find out that Lake Erie has islands. Islands big enough to support intelligent life. Entire towns. Airports. Schools. Year-round residents.

That's right. The lake is that big. It's a Great Lake. You cannot see the other side. Don't let Tahoe tell you it has a "big" lake. The other shoreline is right there. Not the case with Lake Erie. You can not see Canada from Sandusky (unless you're on top of the 400-foot roller coaster at Cedar Point, then maybe... on a really, really clear day). Most of the world's seas are smaller than this.

The islands are a really fun places to visit. North Bass, Middle Bass, South Bass and Kelley's Islands are the main ones. Ferries leave from Sandusky and Port Clinton on a regular basis in the summer. In the winter, you have to fly. (Unless, when the ice is thick enough, you're brave (or crazy) enough to drive to the mainland. It's been a long time since the lake has frozen deep enough to drive semi trucks back and forth to the islands.) When there are enough kids at the local high school to field a basketball team, they have to fly to their games on the mainland, as long as the weather cooperates.

We made a field trip to South Bass Island in July. Ferry from Catawba. Rent bikes on the island. Make a full day of it. If you want to spend the night, try the B&B's... but reserve early because they sell out quickly in the summer.



The main town on South Bass is Put-In-Bay (pronounced/slurred together as "Puddin' Bay). It's a party town, to say the least. Plenty of bars and restaurants to entertain the tourists. The Heineman's Winery is a pretty good stop on a hot summer day.

The Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial commemorates the Battle of Lake Erie, won by Commodore Olive Perry during the War of 1812. Perry and his ships beat the British near South Bass Island and helped bring the war to a close. Today, there's an enormous tower and a national park on the island.

The Crystal Cave is fun tourist stop. It's actually part of the winery. It's gigantic geode about 30 feet under ground. You climb down the stairs and find yourself in a little room full of crystals. Walls. Ceiling. Everywhere. It's bizarre. And totally natural.

Quit? Really?

If you are reading this, you either know that I am an extreme team player or you don't know me at all, and at such point you decide to read this, you will now know!

I play on a softball team and I am the assistant manager. This is the first time I have ever played softball, so I am learning how it goes and learning how to play.

I am also learning more about my friends than I care to admit. The reason for this blog is to get my frustration out on how a couple of friends have quit or stopped caring about the game and the season.

First of all, if you are going to put your time and dedication into something, wouldn't it stand to reason that you follow thru with that? Well, that is what I think. I have had a couple of people, who I call friends, decide to just give up. WTF? Why?

One friend is frustrated because people were not showing up to practices. He was putting time and effort into going to practice and helping people learn how to play and also helped us learn how to play as a team. So, someone who from the beginning showed passion to play is now not caring when he is playing. Imagine the teams morale just by watching him.

The other friend of mine, just makes me irritated. He got made because I sub'd him for a game. He didn't feel that he should be sub'd because of the time and dedication that he has put in. I tried to explain to him that it was tentative and that he would get to play, but he did not want to hear it and quit over it. Can you believe it??? Quit... A 45 year old man acting like a 12 year old. I know I shouldn't care, but it really opens my eyes to stuff in the future. If he gives up so easily on a softball game because he didn't get what he wanted, imagine us as friends. If I ever make him mad, he will just give up on our friendship. So it just has me thinking.

I am just from the school of thought that you don't give up... PERIOD. If things don't go your way, you grow the F*&K up and finish what you start. Maybe that is just me...

Bottoms vs. Plugged Nickel

5 weeks off from playing

5 weeks off from practicing

No practice the week of the game

Recipe for Disaster? It seemed to be!

My softball team played for the first time yesterday in 5 weeks! Wow! We held our own and it wasn't a shut out but wow! We lost 16-7.

The day started by having the coach basically telling me that he doesn't want to be coach anymore. So, that was a great way to start the day and that pretty much set the tone. As we started practicing, I got to warm up and then, as the assistant manager, I had to go to do my job.

I FINALLY get the official line up going and its time to start the game. The umpire wanted to start early, but alas, even though I told people to get at the field at 1 p.m., people showed up as late as 1:55. So, at 2 pm, we start.

It was not bad at first! We were up to bat first. We did pretty good considering the circumstances. 0-0 first inning!

Well, after we got up to bat next, we were down 0-5. We get out there and tie the game! I was so proud of the team. Something clicked and we were able to get by them. Wow!

Ugh, then starting in the 5th... they found the weak spot in our defenses and exploited it. They had 11 runs on us and we thought we were in for. However, as we are doing our "high 5's" there was a challenge on the rules and we got to play for 2 more innings. We got 2 more runs in those 2 innings. So, we only lost by 9 and we put up a damn good fight!

So, all in all... it was not bad considering the circumstances. I know what needs to be done now and so shall it be! :)

A NEVER Ending Battle... Will I Win This One?

When I first moved here, I felt like I needed to lose some weight. Obviously, if you knew me, you would agree, even if you didn't tell me. I was up to almost 265 when I moved to Ohio. So, what to do? Diet! UGH.

First of all, I love to eat. Not the good food, but the bad food. McDonalds and Wendys are my good friends and they are invited to dinner all the time, but I decided since I was in a new place I would start a new life here and that included losing weight.

I started out by exercising. I enrolled in a local health facility and the personal trainer worked with me for the first couple of months and I really started to lose the weight. I was making sure I ran at least 500 to 750 calories off a day and that didn't include lifting. So, on top of that I changed my diet and really started to see the weight loss. I got all the way down to 219!

Fast forward to around February: I start feeling burn out from working out EVERY DAY. So, I stop going to the gym as much. Once again, I start eating unhealthy and stop looking at myself as someone who need to lose weight and started to look at myself as "ok."

Here we are now, after Pride is over and guess where I am at??? I am not back to 265 but I am at 235 and that is NOT acceptable. That is only 16 lbs over the past 3 months, but that is alot.

Time to diet and work out again! This time, I have help, or so I hope!

Jeremy, Marshall and I are going on this website to track our calories. http://www.fitday.com/ We are doing this so we can start to actually see where the weight is coming from and where all the calories are coming from. IT IS AMAZING HOW BAD I EAT!

So, with that, I start a new chapter hoping to make these changes permanent. I hope that I will be able to do it and I hope Jeremy and Marshall enjoy it, well... not ENJOY it, but benefit from its benefits!

A Little Civility and a Lesson in Manners

Now that you know I have a scooter, lets talk about manners when it comes to scootering along.

If you know me at all, you should be aware that I pay attention to just about any and all things that surround me. I generally know who is doing what at all times during my journey thru the day.

Today is no different than any other day, except...

I am driving along down South Central, yes, just like the corny movie, when I notice two kids walking along the right sidewalk. Nothing suspicious right...

As I start getting closer, one of the boys hides behind a light pole. Curious about to the reason, I start paying attention.

I get right up on the kids and notice an arm come out and some kind of liquid, which I found out to be Sprite, was thrown into my path. YES, usually I don't pay any attention to stuff like that, but since I was on my scooter and was headed to work, I decided to take action.

The little brats did not expect this, but as soon as I was hit by the liquid, I slammed on my brakes and turned around. Surprisingly, the kids did not run, but they did hurry up to try to get away.

I catch up to them and ask for an apology, of which they deny me. I get no where with the children and finally tell them that I want to speak to their parents. Once again, they take me to their mother.

I get the mom to come outside to the porch and explain to her what happened. She could not refute the evidence of which I presented and the apology was given, reluctantly.

It will teach them the next time to be deviant!

Here we go a Scootering!

I have something I never thought I would have. I have a Scooter!

First of all, there is a good reason for buying a scooter. I have wanted one for several years and since our move to Columbus, we have finally decided to buy one.

Well, those of you who know Jeremy know that he does not do anything off the cuff so after some extensive research, and a few dozen trips to a local scooter peddler, I finally have a scooter.

After doing some research for cost and use, we decided that a scooter would be feasible for us. Let's do some math:

My truck at 20mpg in-town gets about 300 miles to the tank. I fill the tank up about once a week, and on a busy week, I fill it up twice but for time sake, lets just go with the one.

My scooter, on the other hand, gets $90 miles a gallon and only has a 1.3 gallon tank.

Truck:

17 gals x 3.99/gal gas = $68

$68 tank x 4 weeks/month = $272 a month in gas!

Scooter:

$50/month payment

1.3 gal x 3.99 = $5.20 x 3 times week = $15.60

$15.60 week x 4 weeks = 62.40 month!

So, just by doing that math, I save almost $160 on JUST gas a month! Wow!

So, for all of you out there who are thinking about a scooter, just remember that if you are going to use it, it saves you TONS of money!

So, its out to the street with the wind in my hair! Wait, I have to wear a helmet!