Snoopdon Update!

While I have found time to heckle one of my occasional blog "buddies," I have been neglecting my post in the cybersphere. I have been neglecting the keyboard for other pursuits that leave me empty by the end of the night. Some of the pursuits are worthwhile while others are a waste of time, to be honest. Here is a quick rundown in a poetic patter.

Reading Blogs but not Writing,
loving wife, but not fighting,
living life on less food,
watching TV, not so good,
going out to exercise,
bikers, walkers, wizzing by
trying to lose weight and gain some soul
oops, this week I did not meet my goal
before your face contorts,
do not fret, I was just a pound short.
For this weeks punishment,
No room for libatious refreshments,
I don't care that's okay
This week I will meet my goal anyway.
Out for more exercise, this last week was short.
unforunately my foot was hurt. (I know this made a difference for my goal)
online games are a waste of time,
I could do better with this time of mine.
Always have time to pet my cat
His diet worked he is no longer fat.
Playing guitar with all my heart,
Maybe someday I will be a superstar.
Or I could sell a song to someone cool
to hear my song on the radio would be cool....
(I got stuck on this rhyme)
Will you still be a friend of mine.
Other than this, still finding my way, finding my faith, soon I pray.
Found a good church to visit on Sundays.
Something different from the norm.
Institutional tradition is not their form.
Adoption is an option that we explore
hopefully soon we will have one to adore.
Sometimes happy sometimes sad.
That is all from Snoopdon DRad

And to all a good night.

Glory Road....

Me and teach99 saw Glory Road this evening. I must say that it was one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. It is full of humor and inspiration as you travel with this newly integrated basketball team through their journey involving both the torture of prejudice and the thrill of victory on the court. I am thankful our country has come much further in the area of race relations and these guys were major contributors to that. Go see the movie!

Wine Blogger or Tea Totaler?

I like a good glass of wine every once in a while. Not only does wine provide me with the opportunity for a tasty beverage, it gives me the opportunity to speak and learn words from a variety of languages. Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Sake (a good way to get your rice by the way), Port, Shiraz, Muscadelle, Bordeuax, Red, and White... Even though I can say these correctly, who knows how my spelling is (call the grammar police!). I think a few of my favorites to say, after reading a list on the internet, are Gewurztraminer (go figure, this is a French wine and it sounds German to me) and Bastardo an inferior variety from Portugal (no explanation needed why this makes me giggle... ask for this at your local wine shop... I would like a good Bastardo please).

Say these names over and over again and you will have a lot of fun. Say them over and over again after a few glasses and you will be speaking in tongues to the degree that it would make any Charismatic Christian jealous because you can do it better and won't even have to fake it.

But, when I go shopping for wine I am clueless. When the wife asked if we could get some wine my reply was, "Don't you whine enough?" She raised her fist at me and I replied that, "A little wine with that punch would make some good Sangria."

Nevertheless, I don't know what to look for in a good wine. The names above mean nothing to me. So, like a child on the cereal rack I am left to looking for pictures of cute characters and animals. That is why we settled on "the Little Penguin." If the picture is cute it must be good. Maybe someday, this little guy will get some good competition. If "Chilly Willy" were to come out with some wine, I would probably try it... as long as there is a prize inside.

Diet... When food becomes medicine.

Ah, a moment away from the guitar. I really cannot put it down. I am learning music and writing my own. The irony of the whole thing is that rather than rock, I am learning Bach. I can pick out Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring pretty well, until I get to the accidental sharps and flats of the second half. But, each day I notice it is getting a little better. Then when I get too frustrated, I turn to banging out some new, rocking chord progression. It is about time for me to put some on tape before I forget them. When I get better, maybe I well invest in some recording equpment and burn some samples. That would be nice.

Oh yeah, my title. What was I going to talk about?... The diet.

If any of you have read Teach 99 lately, you know that we are dieting. It is tough. I am trying a different approach to the whole dieting thing. Being overweight... I happen to need to lose about 30 pounds myself... is a sickness. I have made myself sick becuase of my bad eating habits. It is a natural consequence. So now, I must change my mind about the food I eat. I need to consider it as the medicine that will get me better. When a doctor prescribes medication, he prescribes dosage as well as type. I will eat food that is good for me as well as stick to an amount, no questions asked. No longer will I be eating meals, I will accept that I am going through a treatment program, and the food I used to eat (minus the obvious bad foods) will now be medication to make me better.

As with any medication, there will be side effects that I need to accept. I will feel hungry. I may get a headache. But, in the end I will feel better. Before anyone thinks I am starving myself, I am not. A few years ago, a dietician friend set us up on a plan. I still get 2000 calories a day, but the crazy thing is how much less that is than what I usually eat, after the servings are meted out with scales and measuring cups instead of my food lusting heart. Will my change of mind result in a successful diet? I hope so. More than that, I hope it will be a lifestyle change for me. We will continue to update here, but mostly on Teach 99. Also, I jumped on the treadmill today and later this week I might go for a bike ride. Yippy!

New Years Day Escape!

Our teacher vacation is almost over. Today, the wife and I escaped to the coast for grub and sightseeing. After looking at a friends pictures online today, I thought I would give the camera a workout. I hope you enjoy the pics. No FX on these. I will try that later.

Beach Photos - I am not certain I got the effect I was looking for on this first picture, the grass is only about 2.5 inches tall. I hope it looks bigger. It sort of does....







Lunch Photos...









Shopping/Street Scenery










Bottles Behaving Badly! (Litter)