In the Feel Goods

You know, there isn’t much else in this world that is as great as seeing your children happy. This past weekend I took the girls to the pumpkin patch that we go to every year. Seeing their faces light up as they play there though is awesome, something that never gets old, and always warms my heart. Watching them block out the world so that they can have fun and enjoy time with their sisters is like watching a little miracle.

On a different note, planning and producing a web series is hard. I’ve been working on mine for a while and I’m just starting to see some results, and you’ll see them too pretty soon. In addition to my web series, my oldest daughter, Victoria, has decided that she too needs to have a video blog. I’m encouraging her with this project because she seems genuinely interested in it. Of course, her channel will be private, but still, it is pretty cool to see that she is taking an interest in this. More details on my series will be released to my readers very soon!

Until next time, dear readers.

Keep On Keeping On

A lot of you know that right now there is a lot going on in my life and in my family's life. It's been an eye-opening experience. It's amazing to find out how many true friends you have when you are going through a life changing event, and in some cases it's been jaw dropping finding out both who supports you and who doesn't. I've been lucky and my support system has been incredibly awesome and continually expanding.

It's times like these you really learn about yourself, and you also learn a lot (maybe too much) about others around you. It's at this time you realize how difficult forgiving people can be. I'm not saying it is impossible, in my opinion forgiveness is always possible and should be your first instinct, well maybe second instinct, the first should be to try to understand. The whole idea of forgiveness is for your own well being more than the person you are forgiving.

I've heard people say "I forgive, but I don't forget." That's unhealthy, and a huge contradiction in the overall process. If I forgave you for something, but never forgot, I would always be thinking about what you did to me, which means I haven't really forgiven anything and would eventually become resentful to you without you even knowing or doing any other wrongs to me. In essence I would be setting myself up to hate you later if I wasn't truly sincere when I forgave you. I know that's a hot topic, but ultimately you can't be a better person if you are always wondering when that person will hurt you again, as a matter of fact - false forgiveness will make you more cynical than anything anyone else could have done to you, and all of your relationships with people afterward will suffer.  By not really forgiving someone and explaining to them what you have did and why, you give them permission to continue as if they didn't do anything wrong.  If they say they won't wrong you again and are sincere, you have to make that determination if you want to believe them or not, but don't tell them you've forgiven them when in your heart you know you can't forget it as well. Do people deserve second chances? Absolutely. I believe that in certain circumstances people even deserve thirds, fourths, fifths, etc. If all depends on how important that person is to you and their impact on your life. You have to think about not only their impact of your life, but your impact on theirs. I have a picture that sums up my feelings on this:

Life if short.  You will make good decisions, bad decisions and ones that you think are one but turn out to be the other.  I'm not saying that you should forgive every person in your life for every misguided thing they may have done to you, but I am saying that if you do truly forgive them, you will both be better for it.

Sorry to get all philosophical on you, but I thought that if I shared what I've learned I might be able to make someone else's life a bit easier.

On a different note, I have to have surgery.  I injured my shoulder about a month ago and after a few tries at fixing it without surgery, my doctor has stated that I can only get fixed up with a trip to the operating table.  It looks like the seal around my left shoulder socket has been damaged and he will have to go in and find the problem and fix it up.  That's cool.  Not really, I hate surgery and the idea of being put under anesthesia. I had a bad reaction to the anesthesia that was used when I had my gall bladder removed and it's haunted me ever since.  I'm sure I'll be fine, but still - I worry, it's what I do.

I have several video projects I am currently working on, I've finished another chapter in my Science Fiction novella, and also I'm planning the trip to the Texas Renaissance Festival for the girls and me.  Lots of fun stuff to happen that weekend, plus it's pirate weekend there! Arrr?

Until next time, dear reader.

A Trip to Remember - Part 3

Well, we did it.  We Had Fun.  We went to Beavers Bend, we stayed in a cabin, we survived, we ate smores, we lived. Now, I would have updated my blog sooner, but reception, both data and voice was almost non existent most of the time.  It was kind of nice getting away from everything and not worrying about what is going on outside of our own world.  I put together a little recap video of the trip, I hope you enjoy:

We went to the popular pizza place Saturday night, Grateful Head.  It was a neat place, and the pizza was good, but honestly, it may be so popular because there isn’t a whole lot in town.  We walked a few trails next to the cabin, but because of the heat, we didn’t venture too terribly far on them.

We went shopping, oh yes, we had to go shopping.  We stopped at a neat store called Janet's Treasure Hunt and it was a great place to look around and snap some photos.  We also got to play some miniature golf.  This was the first time all the girls got to play it together, and boy, was it interesting!

Here are some pictures! Until next time, dear reader, enjoy!

A Trip to Remember - Part 2

Oh yes, there is an update coming, and you would have been flooded with pictures and videos, but reception is spotty at best. I've decided to make a compilation video of our adventures, and I'll share it as soon as I'm done and have enough signal to upload it. 

Stay tuned. 

A Trip to Remember - Part 1

So, for the last few months, there has been a trip planned.

About 3 years ago, my family and my parents when to Beaver's Bend and rented a cabin there.  The girls absolutely loved it, and ever since have talked about wanting to go back, especially Alexandria.  I'm glad to say, we are going back this weekend.  They do not know about it, and I won't tell them until we are almost there (it is a three hour trip and they might guess it, but they won't know for certain).

Looks nice, huh?

Here's more:

I'm pretty sure the girls will love it, and I think it will definitely be a vacation that they will remember. There are all sorts of activities, and I can assure you that I'll be posting pictures and videos of our adventures!

Until next time (which might be sooner than the semi-regular Thursday post), dear reader.

A Web Series

Some of you remember the web series I had started working on, Regular Dad.  I have to put that on hold, but I am starting to work on another web series.  The series may not be as upbeat as Regular Dad, but I'm hoping it's just as entertaining, and even more informative. Hopefully you'll agree it's good, but more to come on that later.

My girls and I went to Six Flags this past Saturday.  It was hot and muggy, and we only stayed for about 4 hours because of that.  The lines were longer that we had expected and just spending the day in the heat waiting 30 minutes for a ride that might be 2 minutes wasn't appealing to any of us.

So, where could we go that would definitely be air conditioned? A wax museum!I took them to the Wax Museum and the enchanted mirror maze:

We went through the maze about 5 times, and each time it was fun.  The first time it wasn't, there was a feeling of sheer panic as you realized you had to find your way out.

Stay tuned for hints about the new series!

Progress

For those of you following me, you know I've been hitting the gym really hard and planning my meals carefully (most of the time).  It has obviously paid off, I have lost about 40 pounds total, and that includes the gained muscle mass (which means I actually lost more, but got some weight back from muscle growth).

The secret? Sorry I can't tell you.  Oh, ok, here it is - determination and consistency.  I have read many books on diets and on exercise, and usually no two will agree on more than three things, but all agree on determination and consistency. I have been diligent on both fronts.  As I was planning out my meals for the week, I realized - that's it! The secret to everything really boils down to determination and consistency.

I've had a lot of people ask what my workout routine is, and it's simple really - I've been doing low reps with heavy weights.  Bigger, Leaner, Stronger by Mike Matthews has been my guideline, and I've read the book over and over. It's good stuff.  I will continue on to his next book after I've gotten myself in a little better shape.

I do want to clarify, I'm not sharing all my progress or activities to brag, I'm doing it to show people that it's possible.  I was very overweight and was unhappy, and with a lot of hard work, I'm fixing both of those issues.  It's not an easy process, but it is one that is worth it, and will be something you are glad you did for the rest of your life!

The Guide to Being Happy

I know I haven't updated in a couple of months or so, sorry.  There's been a lot going on, and honestly, it's none of your business, but I will tell you this, I've learned a lot about myself, and about others.

When I say I've learned a lot, I mean good and bad, and some of the bad has brought out a lot of changes, some that have been immediate, some that will take longer, but they are things I'm intensely working on.  It's not all bad, I'm learned a lot of good things about myself, and that's been the source of a lot of motivation and I realize can be a source of happiness. When you really look at yourself, you can fix the things you don't like, some of them are hard to confront, some are easier, but each thing you overcome is a step in the right direction.

I've learned being happy is primarily about being content with who you are, or what you are working to be.  I've learned that taking things for granted is stupid.  I've learned that each moment is a decision, and you can't go back, only forward - so you have to act with wisdom, not emotion, because emotions aren't always wise.  I've learned there are people who will play both sides of the game just to cause drama, and that hurting people hurt others.

Be kind to everyone, it's just the right thing to do.

Special Special Edition: It's Not You, It's the Kids

Ok, pull up a chair and get ready, it's time for my soapbox rant. That's right, sit down.  Now that you have sat down, you've probably realized that you can not get up, that's because I put glue down before you came in.  If you want the release agent, you have to wait until I finish my rant.  Captive Audiences are always the best listeners.

As you probably know, my wife, Lyndsay (love you honey), is a teacher.  She is a special education teacher to be exact.  She is the Special Olympic's Coach for her school district. She has put this project (unpaid mind you) first (aside from family. Well, the kids, I think she forgets to feed me sometimes).  She has spent countless hours with practices, paperwork, ordering supplies and arranging everything for the events they attended.  I'm proud, she is an awesome person and I'm lucky.

Here's the thing: she hasn't really told anyone about all the stuff she's done.  Usually when she does tell someone it's a vague reference to the efforts she's put forth. She's that way on a lot of stuff, but to me, this was significant.

Her athletes were awesome.  I was able to witness them at one of the two McDonalds fundraisers that was held, and not only did they raise a lot of money, they had fun and were happy to do so.  I've did a lot of fundraisers in my time, and I can say that fun isn't in the description.  Matter of fact, it was the opposite, maybe agony is a good word.  Maybe it was my leader, maybe it was my attitude, there are a lot of factors it could have been.  Their leader, their attitude and their determination was literally awe inspiring (yes, literally - I know my use of language).  If you've seen any of the picture of them during the events or during\after the medal ceremony, you know they had fun and it was a very special time.  You'll also see a smiling Lyndsay a lot.  You can tell that all the work not only made them happy, but it gave a huge sense of joy and satisfaction to her.

I can't speak for most people, but for all that work, I'd expect some huge pats on the back, and if I didn't get them, I'd either make people pat me on the back (trust me it's awkward.  Not for me, for them) or I'd get upset for people not knowing how awesome I was.

I've read about some people lately in similar situations, and in the articles I've seen, there was a lot of hidden bragging about the leader, and their past accomplishments.  Who cares.  Ir's not about you, it's about the kids.  I see articles like that and I get so frustrated because it's like they are missing the point entirely.

Well, I'll step down off this pretty soapbox.  Oh, as for the release agent for your seats that you are glued to ... I lied, I only had the glue.  You'll either have to take off your pants or walk hunched over with a chair on your hind quarters.  Until Thursday dear reader!

-James

Special Edition: The Man in Black Comes Together

A lot (most of) the pieces for the Man in Black Costume have arrived, and although I won't give you a preview of what they look like on me, I do want to show you them individually.

First, let's look at the head wrap\bandana:

I'm satisfied with this, after all, it is a simple piece, so it was going to be easy to please me on this one.

The next thing are the gloves.  I actually had to look pretty hard to find gloves that a) looked close enough to the onscreen ones, b) did not have a liner so they wouldn't be incredibly hot, and c) we tight enough to provide me with a near normal tactile feeling.

The picture makes them look like they fear out a lot, but the flare isn't really that big.  There is no liner and they are tight, I mean like a second skin tight.  Well worth the search.

Next up? The Mask.  I am still a bit worried about this part.

As you can see, I have two. Currently the one on the left is the one I'm going with, although I like the nose better on the right one.  The problem with the one on the right is that the eye holes go too far inward makes my eyes bulge out because they are shoving into my eye sockets.  I have thought about putting some sort of padding either around the eyes or on the upper part of it to push it outward a bit, but haven't really hard time to try.  I'll update on that later.

An easy piece: The sword holder.

Simple thing, the scabbard goes through the holder, it attaches to my belt. Done deal.

Now my favorite piece of the puzzle.

The sword.  It's actually a well crafted sword, better than I expected.  And yes, it's a real sword.  I was have expecting a moderate quality blade that was loose in the hilt and a sub par wrap on the handle.  I was surprised.  It is a nice blade, set sturdily into the handle and the wrap is nicely designed and comfortable to hold.  Again, well worth my search.

Now, the piece I'm not so sure of:

The look is right, but the material is iffy. It's a little ... thin.  Should breath easy though.

The only things left are the sash that goes around the waist and the paints.  Can't go without the pants, Alexandria told me so.

All in all, everything is coming together, so I'm very pleased with everything, and although I might not be at the weight I wanted to be, I think everything will be ok.

Well, Maybe Not

So, we didn't go to Lone Grove Days.  We had a sick little girl (Alexandria) that had strep throat.  She is better now, but it was so sad this weekend, she was a quiet girl, which is not like her at all, a sure sign that someone is really sick.  She is better now, but it's going to be interesting to see if she has spread it.  Victoria is complaining of a sore throat now, but she also knows that Alexandria got to get out of school because of hers. Children are smart creatures, albeit devious at the same time. Madison did have to come home from school Tuesday and see the doctor, but we aren't sure if it was the same thing since she had a lot of puke going on.

This weekend, I had a few cheat meals, but I made up for it with plenty of exercise.  Friday I came home to watch Alexandria and while she slept, I planted my starter plants into the big garden. Saturday I cleaned the garage almost to the point I had it after I redesigned it, and if you've ever cleaned a garage, you know that can be intense, especially trying to find small jobs for the girls to do at the same time. To top it off, Saturday and Sunday I expanded the garden, I did not build the permanent add on that I want, but a lot more potted vegetables. I thought I took a picture, but I didn't which means you'll have to hang in suspense.

Thursday and Sunday I rocked out some intense workouts, so I feel pretty good about that.  Sunday I worked out my legs, and I can still fell it. I'm continuing to lose inches like I had previously mentioned, which is awesome, except the fact that my pants are so loose, it causes my shirts to come untucked. I need to put another hole in my belt. If I do reach me goal weight, I will need to get a whole new wardrobe.  I'm not super excited about that like others would be.  Some changes I don't like.

The first hotel I booked for us to stay at while we were at the Renaissance Festival overbooked, and luckily I was about to get some rooms at the last hotel in town that had rooms, it's a nicer hotel so I guess it worked out.  We are all set on that front, and if I can lose a few more inches, I'll be happy with my appearance as the Man in Black.

Speaking of the Man in Black, all of my pieces for the costume are on their way, and soon I will be able to tell for sure if my work has paid off! I think I might be more excited to go than the girls this year.  Like I mentioned before, look out for updates both nights!

Until next time, dear reader.

Old McJames Has a Farm

Not really, but it was a catchy title.  In reality I have a garden, not even a big one right now, but it is a garden.  Reports show that gardening can help reduce stress. Liars.  I kid, I kid. Working in the garden gives me a sense of accomplishment, the results don't take all that long, and you can say that you did it.

I mean, this is pretty awesome, right?

These are getting ready to plant, meanwhile, in the garden:

 I even got Victoria in on helping:

It's fun, and it does give me exercise when I'm not working out, and I'm not even thinking about it, so it's still helping reach my goal of losing weight to be the 'Man in Black' for the Festival.  Speaking of the Festival, Lyndsay had an idea that blew my mind. Instead of being the Man in Black the first day, I should be him the second day, in case I find anything better that would compliment my attire.  She also had another reason, she is going to look for a dress so she could be Buttercup from the movie. Woah, that would be awesome.  Now, clothes at the Renaissance Festival aren't usually cheap, but in this case, I might splurge.  Also, during the Festival I will probably update the blog each night when we get back to the hotel, so keep an eye out for those. You must read them.

 This weekend is Lone Grove Days, and I plan on having a special update about that this weekend, so look for that.  It's a day of fun in the city where I live, games, activities, music, shopping, a car show and food.  Also, I should mention, that I wasn't going to go this year, but Lyndsay got Shanghaied into working the concession stand.  Probably a good thing, so she can monitor how much of the delicious bad food I try to eat.  She might put my picture up with the caption "Do Not Sell to This Man." Speaking of eating, I've changed my diet, and it's working.  I feel better and I am losing weight (and inches).  Just goes to show you, you treat your body good, and it will return the favor.

If you didn't catch it, we went to the Zoo this past weekend, and well, this sums it up:

Anyhow,  until next Thursday Dear Reader.

Fun Things Ahead

As most of you know, my family loves to go to Renaissance festivals. Due to scheduling and a low budget, we were going to have to skip the Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie, TX this year.  This one is my favorite (at least that I've been to thus far) and I did not want to miss it.  After rearranging schedules, and saving money (and selling a lot of crap on eBay) we have the funds, and will be on our way at the end of May.

Last year I dressed up, and I loved it.

I did only dress up one of the two days we were there last year, mainly because I had sweated so much in it that I dare not wear it again.  This year, I will wear this outfit on day 2, day 1 will be:

That's right, the Dread Pirate Roberts from The Princess Bride.  I might not make a great one, but I'll have fun.  I'll even shave my beard down to just a mustache to complete the look. 

Since this is at the end of May I have roughly a month to get myself into a little better shape so I don't have to pretend to be Wesley in his old, fat years.  I'm hoping to trim down my belly a bit, and lose about 7-10 pounds.  I'm already on my way, I've made good progress, so I think I can do it. 

Just the little time I've been more conscious of what I'm eating, my belly has reduced in size a bit, and I attribute this to the reduction in sodium intake.  I still need to lower it, but it was astronomical before.  The short term goal to look decent for the fair is really off to a good start.

As a practice run, we may end up going to a Renaissance Festival in Muskogee, OK (okcastle.com) for one day and see if I can stand the costume and if I look horrible or not, you know, to get feedback and whatnot.  We shall see.  Until next time, dear readers.

So Soon? What is this sorcery?

I told you I'd keep you up to date. I won't be updating everyday, but I wanted to update you on my first day of sticking with my plans.  Last night went well, and today has went well.  To fill you in on a few things I'm working on, here is a small list:

• Reducing (or eliminating) sodas - this is a big deal for me, but so far so good, well today anyway.
• Not buying take-out or going through a drive-through and prepping my lunch for work.
• Working with Lyndsay and making meal plans for dinner, and preparing them.
• Exercising regularly, I mean I have all the equipment and I was doing so well, time to get back at it.
• Drinking more water.  This works with the first one, and I'm doing well (for my size 124 oz a day)

Hopefully this will give me a good start to get back on track.  I'm 5'9" and 212.8 lbs with a goal of 180-190 and less than 20% body fat, it's currently 35-37%.  I told you, I've throwing out numbers, that way you guys can see if I'm making progress.

I'll leave you alone for now, and like I used to do, I'll update you once a week - on Thursdays.

Thanks for reading, you wonderful people you!

-J

Look at this, it's one of those updates

Yep.  I've not been telling you anything lately.  I've had a few people email or message me and ask what's up.  I've been busy.  Stuff at work, stuff at home, and dealing with stuff internally. Long story, I'll save it for another time.  In having conversations with myself, I pointed out some good things to myself. I said to myself, "James, you've got to change a lot of things in you're life, or you won't have any real quality of life, and it could possibly be cut short."  I then replied to myself by saying, "Shut up."  I knew I was right, and I do that when I know I've been beaten.

If you've been following my blog, you know I haven't been steady with my exercise schedule, it's like a phase.  I can't let it be that way anymore.  I have to stick to a regular routine, I felt better when I was doing it, and I had gotten ill and had to skip a few days, and then, boom, I stopped.  Going to fix that, and going to fix that fast.

I also started not caring about what I was eating, going for whatever was easiest and fastest.  This caused me to gain some weight and lose a lot of money.  I had stopped prepping my own meals (especially lunch) because of the extra time that was involved, but that was pure laziness. No more.  After my pep talk with myself, I'm motivated. Also, I saw a picture of myself when I was working out, and then I looked into a mirror and a tear streamed down my face.

So, to hold myself more accountable, I'll be posting more about my progress, and *gasp* actual measurements.  Wish me well, and here I go in 3 .. 2 .. 1

Motivation, Gotta Get Me Some

So, a whole week or so has passed since I last talked to you. You know, you really should call more often, I get worried. Anyway, I have found that finding motivation isn't exactly easy. Sometimes it's downright hard. Actually, for me, most of the time it's difficult.

Telling yourself that you can do something and actually doing it are, unfortunately, different things.  I think the best thing for motivation with exercise is a mirror and an honest child without a filter. They both will always tell the truth.  I'll update you again later with that progress.

I have some new followers who didn't know what I was talking about when I mentioned the Regular Dad web series, so here's the trailer:

Let me know what you think.  One of the premises of the show is I'm endeavoring to film the whole series from either my iPod or my iPhone. Just to make it interesting.  Something else I've been working on is the Regular Dad comic, which will be short and sweet.

I'll be updating you more about all the projects later, and hopefully entertain you a little more.

Changes

Changes.  They can be good or they can be bad.  I have changed the location of my blog to myblogtypething.com - and that's a good change.  I paid for my lunch with a $20, and I got money back - that's also good change.  Unfortunately there is bad change.  Last week my grandmother passed away and that was painful change.  Notice I didn't say it was a bad change, because given time to reflect, it really isn't a bad change.  My grandmother was 80 years old and tired.  She deserved the relief from the pain.

Speaking of changes, the blog has a new address - myblogtypething.com!  I figured this would make it easier for the thousands upon thousands of you that visit everyday.  So, update your bookmarks!

More changes are coming for me, I had shirked off my exercise routine due to being ill (translated dying) but I am getting back in the habit.  I have been able to maintain a lower weight than I have before and some of that weight is now muscle, so I've probably lost more fat weight, but gained muscle weight. Sweet.

For those of you wanting to know where the web series 'Regular Dad' is, don't worry it's in production, it's just taking a bit longer than I anticipated. No worries, you shall be entertained.

As always, I invite you to let me know what I'm doing right, what I'm doing wrong, etc. Email me and let's make this better!