Leaving the Y this morning, I met an older gentleman I hadn't seen in a while. He's always been encouraging, and he asked how much weight I've lost so far. When I told him, he smiled and gave me the ultimate backhanded compliment. He said, "You're about where you need to be. Now, you just look like a really big man."
Well ... gee. Thanks, I think. What did I look like before, a fat, hideous ogre?!?
No, wait. Don't answer that ...
Friday, August 26, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
No. 47
The ground shook and the windows rattled. What could this possibly be? A truck going by, surely. Thunder? Can't be ... there's not a cloud in the sky. It couldn't be ... no. Not an earthquake, not here in Yadkinville.
Adam walked into my office, his eyes as big as saucers and very clearly scared. Most of the time, he is a ball of energy, joking and trying make folks laugh. This was not one of those times. "Dad ... what was that?!?" he asked with urgency in his voice. "Dad, are we OK?"
Yes, we were fine. There was little or no damage involved in the quake that had its epicenter in Virginia, but how do you convince a frightened child that it wasn't another Japan? He knew what happened there and he had just felt the ground move beneath his own feet. I will never forget the look on his face or the sound of his voice.
Jesse never missed a beat, kept right on playing with a buddy who was spending the afternoon at our house. Later, Jeanie asked if he'd been scared. His reply, a full day later, gets the best of me. "A little bit," he said. "But I wasn't nearly as scared as the kids in Haiti."
The perspective of a child ...
Adam walked into my office, his eyes as big as saucers and very clearly scared. Most of the time, he is a ball of energy, joking and trying make folks laugh. This was not one of those times. "Dad ... what was that?!?" he asked with urgency in his voice. "Dad, are we OK?"
Yes, we were fine. There was little or no damage involved in the quake that had its epicenter in Virginia, but how do you convince a frightened child that it wasn't another Japan? He knew what happened there and he had just felt the ground move beneath his own feet. I will never forget the look on his face or the sound of his voice.
Jesse never missed a beat, kept right on playing with a buddy who was spending the afternoon at our house. Later, Jeanie asked if he'd been scared. His reply, a full day later, gets the best of me. "A little bit," he said. "But I wasn't nearly as scared as the kids in Haiti."
The perspective of a child ...
Monday, August 15, 2011
Who Is That?
I had something kind of cool happen at Adam's soccer practice the other night.
There's a kid on the team who looks EXACTLY like Goldberg from the "Mighty Ducks" movies, chubby cheeks, jet black hair and everything. This is at least the third straight year they've played together, so I know the young man and he knows me. Or so I thought.
As they practiced, I walked some laps around the field. The kid had seen me coming in with Adam, and he asked him, "Who is that?" Adam said, "That's my dad."
"No, it's not."
"Yes, it is."
"No, it's not."
"Yes, it is. Why in the world do you think it's not my dad?!?"
"Well ... he doesn't look the same."
Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss ... if I had the money, I'd buy the kid a car.
That said, I hit a new milestone this morning. After working out at the Y this morning, I went to the doctor's office and weighed. I have now lost exactly 70 pounds since late June 2010. From my heaviest ever, I'm down 85, but I'm not counting that. Before starting my current routine, I didn't care one way or the other. I was headed back to my heaviest weight ... and beyond.
There's a kid on the team who looks EXACTLY like Goldberg from the "Mighty Ducks" movies, chubby cheeks, jet black hair and everything. This is at least the third straight year they've played together, so I know the young man and he knows me. Or so I thought.
As they practiced, I walked some laps around the field. The kid had seen me coming in with Adam, and he asked him, "Who is that?" Adam said, "That's my dad."
"No, it's not."
"Yes, it is."
"No, it's not."
"Yes, it is. Why in the world do you think it's not my dad?!?"
"Well ... he doesn't look the same."
Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss ... if I had the money, I'd buy the kid a car.
That said, I hit a new milestone this morning. After working out at the Y this morning, I went to the doctor's office and weighed. I have now lost exactly 70 pounds since late June 2010. From my heaviest ever, I'm down 85, but I'm not counting that. Before starting my current routine, I didn't care one way or the other. I was headed back to my heaviest weight ... and beyond.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
No. 46
As most of you know, Jeanie was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2006 and then had it come back a couple of years later. She is now cancer-free, but has to have regular checkups to make sure things are still in check.
Yesterday was one of those appointments. The boys and I were going to go with her to the doctor's office, and before she got home from work, they were asking how long the visit was going to take. I told them I wasn't sure, but we'd stay there for as long as it took to make sure she was OK.
Because of the issues he faces, it's sometimes hard to gauge just how Jesse truly feels about things. This time, it was not.
In no uncertain terms, he declared, "If it helps keep Momma from getting cancer again, I'll stay at the doctor's office for a month."
Considering my family's history with cancer, his words rang in my ears. If it would have kept my mom and dad from going through the things that they did, then yeah ... me, too, Jesse. I would've gladly camped out at the doctor's office.
Yesterday was one of those appointments. The boys and I were going to go with her to the doctor's office, and before she got home from work, they were asking how long the visit was going to take. I told them I wasn't sure, but we'd stay there for as long as it took to make sure she was OK.
Because of the issues he faces, it's sometimes hard to gauge just how Jesse truly feels about things. This time, it was not.
In no uncertain terms, he declared, "If it helps keep Momma from getting cancer again, I'll stay at the doctor's office for a month."
Considering my family's history with cancer, his words rang in my ears. If it would have kept my mom and dad from going through the things that they did, then yeah ... me, too, Jesse. I would've gladly camped out at the doctor's office.
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