Operation Blood Pressure

Operation Lower Blood Pressure has been a success. My blood pressure two months ago was 140/100 yesterday it checked in at 114/80. No blood pressure medication for me.

The loose weight end of the equation did not come in as low as hoped, however it is headed in the right direction. I have jogged between 80 and 120 miles in the past 8 weeks. I lost 5 lbs, I didn't loose it, I left it on the streets of my home town.

We are having a great Halloween season at the Old Blue House and it will come to an end with a big trick or treat extravaganza tonight. I love toddlers on a sugar high.

Peace.

Memory Lane

I am updating the catalog, spellchecking, and formatting. It is fun to go back and read all the old posts. People who end up here randomly will never know. Those that subscribe to bloglines, enjoy the trip down memory lane

What's next?

I do not and have not had anything of any substance to write about in what seems to me to be a very long time. One of the benefits of beta blogger is that it tells you on the dashboard how many posts have been posted. In my eleven months of blogging I have made over 200 entries into this journal and I do not have much more left to say.

I am not giving up, I will continue to post, I just do not want to feel as though I have to get something out there everyday. Everyday I think about whether or not I have something worth passing along and lately the answer has been that I do not. Instead of trying, I am going to sit back and let it come naturally, like it did in the beginning.

See you soon, I bet the moment I let it go that it comes back stronger than ever. There is enough pressure in this life, I do not need to be worrying about blog entries.

Peace.

Bermuda

Here are some of the best shots of Bermuda. We had a wonderful time. At this point it seems like it was a century ago, the palm trees and ocean bring me back to that happy place.

Three

My boy David is three today. He is sensitive, funny and tough. I love him and I am happy he is in our lives. Hugging David is like hugging a fire hydrant that loves to hug you back.

Happy Birthday Wrongside!

Love Dad.

New Dad

I know a guy who is a brand new Dad. Seeing him and the tired yet satisfied look on his face fills me with an emotion I can not quite name. Happens to me every time I see new parents wading through the awe of resposibillity that comes with the first child.

The lack of sleep has him a bit off guard, yes he had been warned but you can't know until you know. The wonder associated with the little life that is completely dependant. The realization of what being a parent means is huge for anyone who takes it to heart.

I remember rocking Merry, comforting her in the middle of the night, thinking that I was the luckiest guy in the world and at the same time having no idea how I was going to survive the next day on three hours sleep.

Survive I did, we even had two more babies after that. Each child is a gift which presents different challenges and rewards. The rewards are the hardest part to express, I certainly am not eloquent enough to do it justice. My children are my pride and joy, my feelings for them encompass my being. Nothing can frustrate or elate me more than my three kids.

Have a terrific journey down the path of parenthood New Dad. It will be the journey of your life, you are now traveling along the edge, the spine of joy and despair, life is fragile and you are now directly responsible for one. Have fun!

Beta Blog

A little sign has been asking me to switch to Beta Blogger for the past week or two. Today I did it and I am not exactly sure what benefits I will realize, I just hope everything continues to work reasonably well.

One benefit I am not sure I care about is the abillity to label my posts. Terrific, I have a hard enough time coming up with a Title, now I have to label it as well.

Label this post "what the Heck, I am going for it"

Report on Jogging

The weather has turned. Thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit this morning when I went for my jog. It is odd the things you notice when jogging, today I was fixated on the fact that the only part of my body that was cold were the backs of my hands. I love the body awareness that comes from exercise, I can not remember a time before this morning when I thought about the backs of my hands.

Bought a new pair of running shoes this weekend. My last pair were Puma's that I got when Heidi and I were working out to get in shape for our wedding. The pair I bought are the same brand I wore on the cross-country team in highschool. Nike Air Pegasus, they felt pretty good. I have remained consistent in my exercise routine and now have my mileage up to three miles three or four days a week.

I am approaching a strange place with this jogging, that place is a sad feeling on the days that I do not get out there. It is odd that I miss it when I miss it. Two months ago I never gave it a second thought. Why the infatuation with something that I am so bad at? This morning I had the dry heaves to the point that I thought a spike was going to shoot out my spine through the back of my head. I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Jogging is like life, you do not know what kind of jog you are going to have until you get up and take it on. Some days start out great and finish poorly or maybe there is a rough patch in the middle or it could start out awful and you may think that the end will never come and then out of the blue you catch a wind and finish strong. The fun part is finding out and you can not find out unless you start.

I started Operation Lose Weight / Lower Blood Pressure to lose weight and lower my blood pressure. It has become more than that and I am thankful for it. That is what I get for getting started, life and jogging really are like a box of chocolates, you do not know what you are going to get until you bite into it.

If I can do it you can do it. If you have been thinking about getting started exercising and need just that little push to get started consider yourself pushed.

Hey Google

Hey Google! Head over to the Tutu Boutique and check out our new title. I went over to inventory.overture today for the first time in a long time and found that the number one search term for tutu was princess tutu. When I get info like that I move and I wanted to let you know.

Been busy with work and family, I will post something a bit more substantial tomorrow.

Secrets

There is a story I want to tell but I have been informed that this story should remain a secret. This story is about a secret, the problem with secrets is that the moment you tell somebody, it is no longer a secret. Our little secret involved an innocent little accident that the person in charge wanted to keep quiet.

The problem with asking a four year old and her little brother to keep quiet is that it instills sneakiness into their being. It also teaches them that it is okay to hide things from their parents. It is not okay to hide things from your parents when you are four. When an adult tells you not to tell your parents, that is a signal to run and tell your parents as fast as you can.

This little story has brought to light a very important lesson that everybody involved has learned. We talked it out last night and we are now all on the same page. We understand the seriousness of keeping secrets from Mom and Dad and it will not happen again.

Our little secret, okay?

Back

We are back from Bermuda. When answering the question: How was your trip? What did you do? I am beginning to feel a bit embarrassed. The answer is perfect, but dull. I napped, drank rum, watched the Yankees lose to the Tiger's and slept in. Oh yeah we ate dinner and lunch and some mornings had coffee.

We let the anxiety of life slip away and by Saturday were actually relaxed. By Sunday some of the old worries started to slip back in. We decided to fight them off together and try not to hurt each others feelings in the process.

The nicest part of the trip is the part I resisted the most. The first afternoon we were there, Heidi went into a little clothes shop, I sat out front on a bench and struck up a conversation with an interesting elderly Bermudian who had the faint odor of a rum lunch. Eventually the Bermudian asked me what I thought Heidi was doing in such a small shop for such a long time. I did not have a guess.

When Heidi emerged we set off down the street, Heidi turned to me and asked me if I would marry her. I said "No, we are already married." Well that was the wrong answer because while she was in the clothes shop she manages to organize a service at the beach renewing our wedding vows. The thing with me is I almost always say "no" first and then warm up to an idea. Heidi understands this and when I got to the bottom of her questioning and realized what she had in mind I agreed.

We met the pastor at the beach, we were joined by his associate pastor and the woman in the store who put the whole thing together. We renewed our vows. It was touching and I am glad that we did it.

The ceremony was a bit different than I am used to, I think they were Baptist of some sort because there was a lot of agreeing and praising Jesus during the ceremony. We Catholics murmur Amen at specific times, there is no freestyle in Catholicism.

That is beside the point, the main thing was touching base with the institution and values of marriage. We stood before God and renewed our commitment to each other and our family. It was really satisfying and brought a tear to my eye.

I guess it was not dull, however I do not go into the renewing the vows in most conversations. When was the last time a father of three, under five, got to take a nap every afternoon for a week? The answer is last week. When will he get to do it again? Only time will tell, maybe never.

Stephen Colbert

How does he know what I am thinking. Stephen Colbert makes me laugh everyday. When his show is a repeat it makes me sad. When it is new, I feel happy. Stephen Colbert is my kind of conservative.
This quirky man with his lopsided head and big, uneven ear is not afraid to ask the tough questions. He is not afraid to point out the hypocrisy of the left and he is a champion to the moral majority.
The Colbert Report gives me the news I need. The Colbert Report is where I turn for unbiased reporting on the politics of today. Thank you Stephen Colbert.

Conflict

I am experiencing a conflict between my head and my heart. My head can not wait to get on the plane and be free of the wants and needs of my children. My brain wants a break from the responsibility of three children. My heart does not want to go, my heart wants to put them to bed and say their prayers. My heart wants to feed them their dinner and talk about their day.

This conflict will pass and good will win. Heidi and I are going on a vacation alone. Two adults who can put on their own clothes without any help. Two adults who can sit down at a table and eat with out making a mess. Two adults who can wipe their own bums. What are we going to do with all of the free time? I am sure we will think of something to fill the void left when you do not have three dependents pulling on your pant leg.

To Merry, David and Thomas, Mommy and Daddy are going to miss you. Nanny will take good care of you, remember to treat her with respect and be helpful. See you soon.