EOM Outcome

I didn't feel much like posting anything last night. As you could probably figure out, I lost EOM AGAIN!!! For the 3rd time in my 10+ years and the 2nd time in 14 months, I lost. While it is an honor to be nominated and be a finalist, it also sucks hard to not win. I got a lot of support though after my loss and had an awesome lunch with some great co-workers and friends and they helped to cheer me up.

Other than that, Friday was boring. Saturday has been alright. I washed the car for the first time in a long time and it looks soooooo much better. After that, I went a got a few groceries. I happened to be there at the same time as Dan, who was with his wife Amanda and son, Jonah Blue. What a cool name!! On the way out, I saw Jeremy who was still trying to get me to go see a live show of Rocky Horror tonight. Just not a big fan so that would be a no. Thanks to Jeremy and Kim for the invite though.

I have to do measurements tomorrow morning so that'll be interesting. I don't think this will be a very good weight loss week so I'm not expecting much on Monday morning. I just need to keep going though and the weight will start coming off again.

I got a request on Thursday for some pumpkin bread so that was part of the groceries I picked up earlier and will be making that tomorrow. It should be a good day and I'm hoping to sleep in a little bit and just have a good day. I need to finish off my speech for Tuesday but I'm still not sure what it's really about.

The Interview

I'll start off by saying I didn't take the stairs this morning. I was too nervous from having my EOM interview later in the morning. I also didn't want to start sweating or anything because I would start doing that taking the stairs.

Anyways, I think the interview went alright. I answered their questions and thought I did so very effectively. It was weird that there were 3 people from last year's committee that were there either filling in for others or still on there. I liked it though and my day was pretty good otherwise. Tomorrow morning at 9:45 is the announcement of the winner so maybe I'll have some good news tomorrow night. I'll still be going to work out in the morning and I plan on making it a good one.

I'm ready for the weekend although I also have to come up with a speech idea for Toastmasters on Tuesday. I need a 5-7 minute speech put together by then. I know I'll figure it out over the weekend, I just need a topic though.

This Post's Title Is That It Has No Title

I worked out hard this morning at the gym. Did a very good back workout and a strong 30 minutes on the elliptical. Getting up was a bit of a struggle but I was able to get up and still get to FitClub on time. I have to do measurements on Sunday since it'll be 15 weeks so I'm looking forward to that. I was able to put on and wear some jeans comfortably for the first time in a long time. I might wear them for work on Friday.

I'm ready to get tomorrow over and especially the EOM interview. I'm not really "nervous" for it....that'll be tomorrow...just ready for it to be done. I walked downtown with Jeremy and Kari today to Cold Stone Creamery. I got a huge ice cream sundae....no, wait, I got a small watermelon sorbet that only has 160 calories. Yea me!!! It was very tasty and Kari treated us both with a gift card. Thanks Kari! It really hit the spot.

Again??

I heard that refrain a couple of times today. Why did I hear this you may ask yourself. Well, I'm a finalist for Employee of the Month, or EOM. This will be the 3rd time I interview for this. The first time was in February of 2006 and I thought I had nailed the interview and was going to win: I lost. The second time was in August of 2009 and I was against one of my closest friends and they deserved to win for what they were doing. I had 2 chances to be happy for the person who won: I lost and so did they. Just total crap.

Well, now 14 months later I'm a finalist again. While I'm certainly flattered by being a finalist and the fact that co-workers had to care enough to nominate me again, we'll just have to see. I don't want to lose for the 2nd time in just over one year. Things are going pretty well for me and this "stress" or whatever might be counterproductive for me. I don't deal with rejection very well at times so this will be a test for me especially if I was to lose. I interview on Thursday morning and the winner is announced on Friday morning.

Anyways, enough with that stuff. I've been taking the stairs now and things are going alright. I can only make it up to the 3rd floor right now but if I just do that every day for a week or two I know I'll be able to make it to 4th floor and then to 5th floor. I'm pretty glad to make it to 3rd because not too long ago just climbing one flight would just about to kill me so this is some good progress.

I've also started doing 30 minutes on the elliptical at the gym and am doing pretty well with that although I've only done it once on Monday and plan on doing it tomorrow. I enjoy the elliptical so the 30 minutes seems to pass by pretty quickly. I just need to keep doing well and keep my eyes on the right path I've been on and not veer off course. It's gonna be a couple of hard days but I'm going to get through them.

Monday Morning Weigh-In #14

After hitting some big numbers these last few weeks, the weigh-in came in a little low this week. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not disappointed...it just came in a little bit lower than I hoped. I lost 1.4 pounds this week to bring my total lost in 14 weeks to 67.2 pounds. I think my body caught up to me with working out and I got the "slow" week that everyone eventually encounters. I'm proud though of how things are going and continuing on my losing ways.

We Now Resume Our Regularly Scheduled Programming...

It's been 3 days since my last post. That is the longest I've gone without posting and the longest I plan to go. As could be seen from my last few posts, I was tired at the end of last week. I just felt very worn down and just wanted to rest. I didn't go to poker on Friday night so I could just rest and take it easy. It made me feel bad to skip poker but it just wasn't in me to go.

I also didn't do a whole lot on Saturday until the evening when I met some people for dinner and then went to a trivia contest in Jacksonville. Jeremy, Kim, Kari, Gayle, Teresa and myself went over there and won a hard fought battle by 1 question in the last round. It was a very fun evening and we each won $50...or, $40 in profit since it cost us each $10 to play. We finished 3rd there last year without Kari so maybe she's our good luck charm? Who knows?

Not much to say about Sunday but it's been a nice one so far. Nice weather, did a few things around the apartment and getting things ready for the week to come. I've gotta start doing some steps tomorrow so it'll be an interesting morning after working out. I used to walk the steps all the way up to the fifth floor where I work but I know that won't be possible at first. I promise to do the best I can though. I'll be back tomorrow with a weigh-in and maybe another post in the evening. It's been a good weekend though and I'm feeling alot better.

Just Kinda Tired

It's been a long week. I'm really pretty tired and this weekend I have a few things to do. I have poker tomorrow night and then I'm going to kick some trivia-ass on Saturday with my team, "We're What Willis Was Talkin' 'Bout!" It should be a good time though.

I worked out pretty well on Wednesday morning. I did a shoulder workout that I hadn't done in awhile and my left shoulder has been telling me that since then. It doesn't really 'hurt', more of an annoyance than anything. I have to get up tomorrow morning and get on in there to do my leg workout. I've also been doing 25 minutes on the elliptical this week so that's got me feeling pretty good.

I'm going to start taking the stairs at work on Monday. I know I won't be able to make it up all the way to 5th floor at first...I know, I'm a pansy....but I also don't want to die of my heart exploding in the Horace Mann stairwell. I'll start by climbing my way to 2nd or 3rd floor for a week, then taking the elevator up the rest of the way. Well, maybe I'll have to do that for 2 weeks instead of just 1. I know I need to do this though as it will increase my cardio fitness and climbing stairs is always good exercise although I hate Stairclimber machines. Just not comfortable for me to do. But anyways, I'm going to start trudging up those steps again on Monday....say a little prayer for me, I don't necessarily like climbing steps although I will get used to it.

Blog Post #100

Well, I've made it to 100 blog posts. Not quite one hundred days on my journey since many Mondays there have been 2 posts...weigh-in and another...but getting close. I started on this journey on July 19th and here we are on October 19th and I'm still going strong. That's 3 months down the road and I can hold my head up high and feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment with what has happened so far.

I've been down this road a time or two in my past. I've felt this good after 3 months before and then had it fall apart. 2007 for example....soooo, I'm trying not to put the cart before the horse and trying not to get too far ahead of myself. I'm proud of what I've done but am still holding myself back on getting too big a head through this ordeal and life change because the true test will be where I am a year from now or even another 100 blog posts from now. About that time it will be part way into 2011 and I'll be 6 months into this.

This blog has really been something new to me. It's been somewhat therapeutic for me. I'm single and live alone and don't get to converse with many people at night after work...I'm not a big fan of the phone since I had some phone-based jobs in the 90s. So, I don't get to talk alot about my day or my life or some of the hard times I have with trying to eat right, exercise, etc with all these changes. But you guys reading out there are the best. I get loads of encouragement from all of you and I appreciate every single bit of it. You are all a HUGE part of this and I want you all to know this...I could not do this without you. Losing weight is a very personal thing and something you have to do for yourself but I've learned that you can't do it alone. The times I have failed, and there have been many, have been because I have not been interested in a support system or in putting myself out there to be helped. I can be a very independent, stubborn person at times and that has been a good thing in some situations but has also been a detriment in my life in losing weight.

I believe though that this blog is helping me evolve and trust more in people with what I reveal. There are still lots and lots and lots and lots...well, you get the idea...of things I haven't told you and those are things I'm not ready to divulge and with some of them that I might not ever divulge but I'm feeling more at ease.

So, in a closing to a very rambling blog entry, I'd just like to say a hearty "THANK YOU!!!!" to all of you reading, commenting, supporting, helping, motivating, listening and respecting what I'm doing. But most of all, thanks for believing in me maybe more than I may have believed in myself. 100 blog posts down and the rest of my life to go...thanks for being along for the ride and I'm looking forward to continuing down this road together.

Monday Morning Weigh-In #13

Well, weighing in this morning was pretty sweet. I lost 7.8 pounds this week to make it a grand total of 65.8 pounds lost so far!!! That's pretty sweet and got me past my 3rd 20-pound increment pretty easily. Gives me a little more than a 5 lb/week average which is pretty good in my mind. I still have a long way to go but things keep moving along nicely.

I Really Hate Football This Year

Another Sunday, another Cowboys loss. They are now 1-4 and just suck. They can't seem to get out of their own way, commit too many penalties and hand momentum back almost immediately after they get it. It's just very depressing to me but hopefully they get better. Just gotta keep hoping I guess.

I rode the exercise bike this morning for 30 minutes and got in 8.04 miles. I was tired afterwards but not too bad. Tomorrow morning I'll up my time on the elliptical to 25 minutes and am really looking forward to it. It's been a good week this week with eating, exercising, everything. Wow, lots of E-words there. I'm slowly working on my closet and getting out clothes that are too big for me. Another week or so and I think I'll be taking out either 3 or 4 pairs of work pants...khakis and black pants. I'd still like to be able to get into smaller shirts but that will come with working out and dropping inches from my chest and around my shoulders.

Well, I'll be back tomorrow with a weigh-in update in the early evening and let's all hope it's a good one. Just another 2 pounds and I'll pass another 20-pound increment...my 3rd one...which will be a nice little milestone. Good numbers, good numbers, no Whammies!!!!

Well....They Can't All Be Good

I tried a new recipe today. I'm not sure why it intrigued me but in a new healthy cooking magazine I get, there was a recipe for Curry Chicken Soup. Now, I've never really had Indian food and not truly sure if I've ever had anything with curry in it but my mind thought this would be a good opportunity to try it. For decisions like these, I should really kick my mind's ass.

Now, the soup wasn't awful.....it just wasn't good. I think it was the curry though. Other than that, I think this could be a good chicken/vegetable/tomato-type soup. I would've had another bowl to freeze and have later but it just wasn't worth it. I did get some of the chicken pieces out because I didn't want to waste that but the rest went down the garbage disposal. I'm also really hoping the curry doesn't turn against me and turn my digestive system into a bubbling cauldron of stinking dreadfulness. Keeping my fingers crossed!!

Other than that, it was a nice day. Got groceries, did laundry, cleaned up a few things and bought some flannel sheets for the bed. JCPenney's was having a good sale and I got some $60 sheets for $23.99. I picked up 2 sets. It still isn't cold enough consistently for them but soon, very soon.

Finally the Weekend

This has been a really long week dear readers. Just a lot of things at work and extremely busy. I had an extremely bad headache last night which led to no post last night. I've felt much better today though and went to work out this morning. Got in all 3 of my workouts this week and thinking about going tomorrow morning as well.

I'm working on cleaning some items out of my closet that are now too big for me. It's a pretty tremendous feeling to be able to do that. I actually think I need some new jeans because the ones I have are too big and my other ones are a little too small since they are 2 sizes smaller. I'm going to wait until I can fit into those though so I don't have to spend any more money. I'm really needing to get into some smaller shirts but I haven't quite gotten there yet. Soon though...soon!

Workout Wednesday

I had a bunch of meetings at work today and have a bunch of meetings tomorrow. Goody, goody!! All in all though, work is good.....just a whole lot to do. It's United Way week though so I'm hoping to win some stuff on Friday with the donated baskets/items. Lets all hope Brad wins an iPad!!!!

My workout this morning went really well and while leaving me tired, left me very fulfilled. I'm adding some weight to what I'm doing and not getting too stiff or sore which is an excellent thing. I also did 20 minutes on the elliptical on one of the programs....Cross Country...which provides one heckuva workout. The resistance moves around and just when you think you're doing good, the resistance gets raised and your pace slows down. I just really need to keep pushing through it and try to maintain some type of pace when that happens. I wound up doing 1.45 miles today in 22 minutes...20 minutes with a 2 minute cool down. I left Fit Club feeling very good about myself and knowing that I'm doing a very good thing for myself.

Workouts are kinda fun right now. They're still tough but I feel pretty wonderful right now.

I'm Bringin' Sexy Back

Oh yea! Just like JT and TJ, I'm bringing sexy back!! With all this weight I'm losing, I'm starting to get lots of comments. Several compliments in the last few days which have made me feel pretty awesome which makes me want to kick more butt. Thanks to Stephanie, Cindy, Kari, Teresa, Gayle, Mindy and Denise for all their wonderful thoughts and words of encouragement over the last couple of days. I've also gotten a ton of encouragement from guys I know as well. It really does mean alot and I'm greatly appreciative and thankful to know all of you.

I've been working out really well in the morning and keep feeling better and better. Getting up in the morning is becoming a little easier with each passing day and I'm really beginning to see some results. The waist is shrinking and the confidence is rising. I just feel better about myself. I still have a long way to go but I'm moving in the right way which always makes me feel better.

Tonight I had one of the nights that I would've eaten badly in the past. Work was just kinda rough today and I wound up staying late until about 5:30. On my way home in the past I would have stopped at a drive thru or ordered a pizza once I got home but I just came home tonight and had some 2 lean beef burgers along with some cottage cheese and canned peaches. It's basically the total opposite of what would have transpired in the past. That really makes me feel proud and gives me a huge sense of accomplishment. I still have to keep working at it all and I know this so I can't take something like this for granted but it's a great building block for the future.

Monday Morning Weigh-In #12

I weighed in this morning and lost another 4.6 pounds to have now lost a total of 58.0 pounds in 12 weeks. Woo-hoo! Hopefully next week I can be over 60 pounds lost. That would be pretty nice. With going back to the gym and working out, I'm hoping that the 4-5 pounds lost a week might continue. We'll see. I'll be happy with anything truthfully but if the slightly larger numbers can continue for a few weeks, it would definitely be a boost.

Sunday Morning Measurements - Week #12

Unfortunately I'm up kind of early but I guess I did go to bed a little early last night. On the bright side, I got up and did my 12-week measurements. I was supposed to do 6-week measurements for myself but I got 2 days after I supposed to do them and finally remembered so I just decided to wait for the 12th week.

As you all well know, I've lost 53.4 pounds in the first 11 weeks and have a weigh-in tomorrow morning. But, after 12 weeks I've lost the following:

Waist: Lost 8 inches
Hips: Lost 6 1/2 inches
Right Thigh: Lost 4 1/2 inches
Left Thigh: Lost 4 inches
Neck: Lost 1 inch
Chest: Lost 7 inches

So, I'm very happy so far with my progress and the losses I've seen. Clothes are fitting so much better and there are even some I've had to stop wearing because they are TOO BIG!! How good a feeling is that????!!! Pretty awesome, that's how good! I'll post again on measurements in another 6 weeks or, 11/21/2010....let's see how how well I've done before Thanksgiving hits me.

Day-To-Day

I woke up this morning thinking I would go to the gym in the morning for a little while. Well, when I woke up my left thigh was really hurting me. Must've been those squats I was doing yesterday. I'm not sure why, but even with a very low amount of weight, squats can really kill my legs. Anyways, I decided to man up and go on in. I didn't do any leg work except for 20 minutes on the elliptical but I did a shortened shoulder workout as well. That 20 minutes on the elliptical was 5 more minutes than this past week and what I will do all this week.

One of the strange things that happens when I'm going to the gym are these little aches and pains. I'll wake up with them or I'll have them the night before but once I get dressed to go and get my stuff ready, things do not hurt so badly. That's not to say that all those nuisances go away or that it goes away completely, but it's not quite as bad. Hopefully with a day of rest tomorrow the thigh will feel much better on Monday. Once again, besides the elliptical, I won't be doing the leg workout until Friday morning so the leg should be just fine by then. I think I would show up on an NFL team's Injury Report as: B Melton(thigh) - Day-to-day. Day-to-day status....aren't we all?????

End of the Work Week

It's finally Friday! This week has been very long. I'm not sure why but some weeks seem longer than others and this one just took forever. I did go and work out this morning so that went really well. I did some leg exercises and then the elliptical which I kept raising the resistance on until I was at 17 which seems fairly high. My legs were tired after going through that but still in pretty good working order as opposed to some other times when I've basically hurt myself. That is what I'm working to not have happen so....so far, so good.

We had a really beautiful day today in Springfield. I walked downtown with Alison around lunchtime so I still the energy to do that after the morning workout. It's been a really good day and I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I am going to go to the gym in the morning for awhile to do some work on the elliptical again and maybe some weights, not sure yet on that.

I'm working hard on this and am feeling really good but especially good about myself which is a nice feeling. The goal is to just keep moving in the right direction and that's what is happening and it feels really spectacular.

Getting Up Is Rough

Waking up in the morning is one thing.....GETTING up early in the morning is another. I stared at the alarm clock briefly this morning as it was blaring at me to get up. Unfortunately...or, fortunately depending on how you look at it....it did not shut up and turn itself off like I was telling it to with my mind. Soooooooo, I dragged my weary ass out of bed and got myself off to the gym again. I had my protein shake and was out the door by 5:15am to get there by 5:30.

Now, the funny thing about the gym is that it's been a few years since I've really gone regularly. It was 2007 when I first joined and went 6 days a week for about 6 months. One of the things you notice is that you see the same people all the time. I would like to think that I kind of became one of the "regulars" during that period but who knows? Fast forward 3 years and you know who I see there in the morning??? About 75% of the people I remember seeing back then!! It's sort of spooky really but most of them look like they continued going to the gym while I look like I ate enough food to fill the gym. It does have a strangeness to it though to see alot of these people again. Mind you, I don't talk to any of them because I don't want to but I see them just like they see me.

I did get in a nice workout though this morning. I kicked it up a notch on the elliptical by still doing 15 minutes but adding 2 levels of resistance every few minutes so that when I ended I was on a resistance 11. I did some various weights, still trying to loosen everything up before I dive into some lifting plans but I'm feeling pretty good.

At lunch, I walked with Kari, Jeremy and Teresa down to the Farmer's Market. I didn't really get much, just a loaf of Challah bread so I could have some with my pasta on Pasta Night, but it was nice to walk downtown with them and it was a beautiful day out. It was just gorgeous and I'm glad we went out. I needed the walk although I'm very tired tonight. I don't have the gym tomorrow but would like to go for a walk and get in some time on the exercise bike in the evening. I'll let you know how it goes when I give you all the gift of another post. HA!

One last thing....holy crappin' crap Roy Halladay pitched a helluva game in the playoffs. A no-hitter against the team that beat the Cardinals for the NL Central....darn impressive.

Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday

I didn't go to the gym today. As I've said, Mon-Wed-Fri for now. I slept pretty well last night but I was pretty tired. I was a little sore today but nothing too bad. Just a little soreness through the upper chest which I figured would happen. I will be going again tomorrow morning so I am a little excited. Going to do some weights again and the elliptical. I really like the elliptical machines so time seems to go by quickly for me. That makes the cardio work a whole lot easier in the grand scheme of it all.

My eating has remained good and I'm going off of a menu I prepared on Sunday so I can stay ahead of everything and get things ready the night before. I've also found myself buying a few cooking magazines that specialize in lower calorie or healthier recipes. I've found quite a few I want to try and I will. This weekend I'm going to try and put together copies of the recipes so that I have them all ready and know what to pick up to make them. That's one way I've been trying to keep myself totally in it, some different recipes and different flavors. I know my friend Jason and his family have been doing that too. It all just gives me something to look forward to and find something new that I can make from time to time.

Gym Day

Well, I did it. I went back to the gym for the first time in probably 2 years or a year and a half. I was pretty nervous for it and had a little bit of trouble sleeping but I got up and got dressed and got my stuff which I had put together last night and walked out the door. All in all my workout went well. I did some chest exercises and some leg stuff to try and loosen up and then I did 15 minutes on the elliptical and then walked 8 laps around their indoor track. All in all I felt good about the workout and how I've felt after the workout. I'm definitely going back on Wednesday...just 3 days a week for a few weeks and then full boar back into it.

Over lunch I went with Kari, Jeremy and Teresa to look at the build site of the house that Kari is having built. They've started framing and doing other things so it was kind of neat to see. Lots of work to be done but it's getting there. Gayle Meyer at work was wondering when she would get her shout out in my blog because she was feeling a little left out. We decided it would be after the Trivia Night some of us are doing on the 23rd since she is our team captain. Wait until then Gayle and you'll get your shout out!!! Hey.....wait.......hmmmmmmm.....

Monday Morning Weigh-In #11

I know this is much later than normal but with my Monday morning weigh-in earlier, I lost 2.2 pounds for a total of 53.4 pounds lost. I'm feeling pretty good about that although I do wish it was closer to 3 pounds but I'm happy with it. I'll have more of an update on the rest of my day in a little bit but I left work a little late tonight so I need to have my dinner.

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

First off, the Drive-By Truckers rule! The show I went to last night in St. Louis at The Pageant was just fabulous. The opening act, The Henry Clay People, were very good and had a local guy named Warren on drums because their drummer had a family emergency. He was one hit of the night with the crowd as was their ender, a cover of Springsteen's Born To Run which I love. But, the Truckers played for about 2 hours 15 minutes and it kicked ass the whole time. I will definitely be looking to go to more DBT shows in the future.

Today was kind of a lazy day. I had my chili and watched football. I also did a few things around here to get myself ready for tomorrow because I'll be returning to the gym so I had to get my lunch ready and my clothes and well, just all sorts of things. I'm going to go to Fit Club early in the morning like the old days. Going to start with some light weights and heavier on cardio. Here soon I'm also going to start taking the stairs at work again. That will help me build up some endurance so that needs to happen.

Sooooo, don't get all troubled that there is no early morning weigh-in. It won't be coming until the evening but I will try to post on Facebook from my phone what the numbers are so people are still able to see. I want you all to know along with me whether it's been a good or bad weight loss week so I'm going to keep you all involved. Think some good thoughts for me as I drag my butt out of bed in the early morning cold and get it going earlier than it has had to in quite awhile.

T-Minus: 0 days! WHAT TIME IS IT???!!! HITTING THE GYM TIME!!!!

What Time Is It???!!!!

It's Drive-By Truckers Time!!! Tonight I'll be going to a Drive-By Truckers concert in St. Louis with Ben Rudin from work and a couple of other people. He got me into the Truckers about a year and a half ago and this is my first opportunity to see a show. He says it'll change my life but we'll see about that. I'm sure I'll have a great time and I love their music so I'm very excited for it. DBT! DBT! DBT!

Needless to say, there won't be a post tonight so this will have to do. I'm fired up about going back to the gym on Monday. I think I'm going to start off with trying to go in the mornings and see how that goes. Now, for the first 2 or 3 weeks, I'm going to just try and go 3 times a week to ease back into it. I'm going to work on some cardio and some weights.

Also, there probably won't be any more Monday morning posts on the weight loss so you'll all have to wait until later in the day for the update on how things are going. Just thought I'd get you all ready for that so you aren't wondering where those blog updates have gone.

T-Minus: 1 day

I Hate Dentistry

Sorry for the lack of a post last night. In the early evening I got a tooth drilled and a temporary crown put in. I was pretty well numbed up all evening and in a small amount of pain. It didn't hurt badly, more of a major annoyance. Anyhoo, I went to bed early and just didn't feel much like being on the computer.

Today was a pretty good day, the weather was nice out and I went for a short walk at lunch. My friend Kari and I walked to Jimmy John's to get a sandwich for lunch and then walked back. I got the Hunter's Club sandwich with no mayo. It was freaky fast and freaky good. I chose Jimmy John's because earlier in the week I got a $10 giftcard from my boss and her boss for doing a good job on a project. It's nice to be recognized and be rewarded. I don't know if they read this but thanks again!!

Anyways, it's been kinda funny to me that everytime I go somewhere with someone now, they ask if they're going to get a shout out in the blog and my answer is always yes. I enjoy spending time with my friends and find it encouraging that they read my blog and wonder if they will appear in it. Thanks guys for reading and doing all you can to help me out. If I can make you happy with a shout out, I'm more than happy to oblige. :)

T-Minus: 2 days