Greateight’s Posts
Good morning, everyone!
I don't feel that close to the weekend but by tomorrow, I'm sure that I will. Meanwhile it's into the office for me today. I'm kind of glad to be going in today because I'm going to run over to Orvis at lunchtime and pick up a few things to bring to Florida.
That means I will try a new lunch place, so hopefully, I find something good. A lot of the places in that shopping area have closed over the years.
Today is a rest day, so I might go to the shopping outlets tonight as well: bathing suit, swim shirt, flip flops and running shoes for Florida.
QOTD: raking
Breakfast: hash
Lunch: TBD
Dinner: stuffed peppers
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everybody!
I finally made it back to swimming today, and they still don't have the hot tub fixed. I loved to sit in there on a cold morning before starting my day. On Saturday, I am going to a clinic to learn how to change the tires on my bicycle. The guy who coaches us at swimming is also going to be the one who runs the clinic. I told him that I was going to run out and get tubes today, but he said that I should let him help me pick out what I need on Saturday, so that is off of the list.
We firmed up some Florida moving/packing plans yesterday. Next week, Marilyn is going down to Birmingham to get my son's car serviced. He is starting to feel better and is thinking about spending the summer down there. We are going to rent a truck from Home Depot, towards the last week in April. I will pack up the truck, my older son and Marilyn will drive down and then I will fly down to meet them and unpack it. We will all fly back to Chicago, and then, in early May, my youngest and Marilyn are going down to Birmingham for a trial stay. When we get a date for our pool refurnishing, we will go down again, but that might be towards June.
I ordered a bunch of fly tying supplies to keep me occupied while Marilyn is away.
Since we are keeping this house, we are mostly going to be moving gym equipment, fishing gear, Marilyn's kayak, one TV, and some clothes. I am sure that it will add up.
We have Happy Hour tonight. Between switching to every two weeks, fly tying class and travel, I think I have only been 3 or 4 times this year. Hopefully we have a good turnout.
QOTD: This isn't really something that I had thought about. I did meet a woman named Karen, who said that she was reticent to express her opinion, because everybody would say she is just a Karen.
Breakfast: Bagel
Lunch: Hot Dog
Dinner Kielbasa and Pierogies
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everybody!
Florida pulled it out last night, so I won $166.50 in my brackets. This is only the second time that I have ever won. I have been doing brackets most years since 1981, so I am probably a bit behind even with those two winnings. I used to be in a work pool that had hundreds of entrants, so you had to pick a big upset to have any reasonable chance of competing. At the beginning of March Madness, I said to myself "one thing for certain, it will be warm spring weather by April 7th."
Um, no.
Tuesday is a work from home day. Not too much planned today except for CrossFit and working. I have a number of calls that are interspersed throughout the day. Saturday, I am going to a clinic to learn how to change the tires on my bike, so I need to get some tubes and air (I think it comes compressed in cans?). But the bike shop is closed on Tuesdays, so I can't do that today.
QOTD: I might be allergic to scallops, so I don't eat them and don't get iodine based tests at the hospital.
Breakfast: Bagel
Lunch: Chicken
Dinner: Kielbasa and Pierogies
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Matt, I'm sorry to hear about your Mom.
Love Wildfire.
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Thanks, Mary! I was looking at the results for the rest of my gym's group and they were all in the 25-29 age group. It's amazing how quickly you can get in shape at that age.
Ordinarily we fish for small and large mouth bass and some panfish. We would generally release all of those. As Chrissy pointed out, this weekend was Spring Trout season. We probably would have kept those: they are stocked fish in small lake and won't winter over with all the fishing pressure they get.
In Florida, mostly Seatrout, Grouper, Snapper, Redfish, and Snook. Most of those we will keep some and release some. Snook have very tight limits. I've never had it, but I know Liz has and said it's good.
We are planning for a Costa Rica fishing trip next May. That will be big stuff: Sailfish, tuna, etc.
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
They may have all came to our town!
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everyone!
I had a great weekend. Saturday was the 10-k. I jogged the whole way and actually went at a faster pace than the 8-k two weeks ago. Hopefully shaking off the winter's rust. There was a band and a hot dog and beer for the finishers. We actually have another race next weekend, but it's only an untimed 3-K.
Saturday night, I fell asleep on the couch and missed the epic ending of Houston/Duke. I think that I will win a little in the pool whatever happens tonight, but more if Florida pulls it out. I may go to CrossFit before the game.
Yesterday, I went fishing with my son. We got sandwiches at Jersey Mikes, ate a picnic and fished for a couple of hours. It was opening day, so the Lake was absolutely mobbed. We are going to try again next weekend, but start much earlier to beat the crowds.
QOTD: Speak every language. I fear the animals are mocking me.
Breakfast: bagel
Lunch: catered
Dinner: Chicken
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Happy Friday everyone!
I got Marilyn from the airport and we made it home at about 11:30 last night. So no swimming today. I've missed three in a row, I'm going to have to make a concerted effort to make it both days next week.
Marilyn had a good and productive couple of days in Florida. Are neighbors are very thorough and have provided her with the checklist that they use when they close up their place. I think that she appreciates it, but they are stressing her a little with reminders of everything that could possibly go wrong.
This weekend can't get here soon enough. I'm doing a 10-K in Chicago tomorrow, fishing with my son on Sunday and March Madness tomorrow evening. I have a few gym trips and errands as well, should be pretty busy.
This week is Spring Break in Chicago, so it's been pretty quiet on the roads and in the office.
QOTD: My term is up, but I was a Board Member for our County's Court Appointed Special Advocates. CASA provides volunteer advocates who help children that are navigating the Family Court system (generally abused or neglected children). Right now I am not on any Boards, just a financial supporter of various groups.
Breakfast: Bagel
Lunch: hot dog
Dinner: chicken
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everybody!
I'm back on the train this morning, which I much prefer to driving. I also slept like a rock. CrossFit was running, box jumps and kettle bells and after dinner I was ready to crash. Watched Chicago Med and Fire, but fell asleep during PD.
Marilyn is coming home tonight, if my son offers to pick her up I am going to take her up on it, otherwise I will get her. Our place came furnished, but still needs a lot of stuff like trash baskets, etc. she has been looking for those things, getting the utilities switched to us and having locks changed, etc.
I am hoping to go down there the first weekend in May, to move some things: mostly gym and fishing stuff, some clothes and Marilyn's kayak. Our goal is not to have to pack for short trips, just put the electronics and meds in a backpack and go.
QOTD: I wear my hair pretty short, but sometimes it gets a little spikier than other times.
Breakfast: bagel
Lunch: catered
Dinner: steak
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
With EBB!
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everybody!
These last 24 hours have been a whirlwind. Two hours of traffic to the airport, a flight, a client call, an hour home from the airport and another two hours of traffic into the office today. I actually have an onsite client meeting this afternoon. Those have become rare.
I have to be in the office these three days, and I will pick up Marilyn at the airport on Thursday night. Saturday morning I have a 10-K. But after that, I'll be back on a normal schedule.
My son knew that I would be home late, so he made me a burger. I had half last night and maybe will have the rest tonight. I think we have some Tater Tots in the fridge.
QOTD: cottage cheese is one.
Breakfast: bagel
Lunch: stuffed shells
Dinner: hamburger
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everybody!
We are closed. Everything has gone pretty smoothly. We got C45 and C46 on our Southwest seat assignments and we thought it would be a nightmare. But since it was Spring Break, all of the kids took middle seat between their parents. Actually got an emergency exit window seat.
Lunch with Marilyn's parents when we landed, house walkthrough and a boat ride and dinner with our agent and his wife last night. Closing was this morning and took about 75 minutes.
Hoping to swim after lunch and fish before I head back to Chicago tomorrow night.
QOTD: I guess under. Every now and then I will see a complete roll resting on top of the dispenser and know that the boys have been there.
Breakfast: Bacon and eggs
Lunch: Publix sub
Dinner: Fish tacos
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everybody!
Woo Hoo is right! So happy it's Friday. I stayed up too late watching March Madness and missed swimming this morning. I've only had 2 voluntary absences since I started going in October, but I needed the sleep this morning. Good game, though.
Today, I'm in the office, CrossFit this evening and more March Madness. We leave for Florida on Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon is the walkthrough, we are going to dinner with the realtor on Sunday evening and we are closing on Monday morning.
I will bring my fishing rod on the trip and need to run a few miles when I'm down there. Marilyn said that her parents are excited to see us, so we will spend some time with them as well.
March 31 is the midpoint of our fiscal year, so I will officially be 18 months from retirement as of Monday. But it's certainly possible that a year's earlier date will be offered in the next couple of months. I guess we'll see.
QOTD: With a decent fitness level, but no supplies, I would be somewhere in the middle. Unless I could join some sort of paramilitary zombie fighting organization.
Breakfast: bagel
Lunch: steak
Dinner: tacos
Have a great day, and a great weekend, everyone!
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everyone!
Long day yesterday - woke up at 5:00 AM for swimming and didn't get home from the concert until about 1:00 AM. I'm in the office today, so just trying to power through. Tonight will just be sweatpants on the couch watching March Madness.
Milwaukee is about 100 miles from Chicago, but it's all highway, so only about a 1 3/4 hour drive. The FiServ Forum was a good location, smaller than the Chicago venues. Unfortunately, we did not get to go to Maders, because of the crowds. We went to a forgettable bar for a burger. They did have a Claw Machine that had White Claws as the prize. I sent a picture to Chrissy, but I've never actually had a Seltzer, seems to bubbly.
The two ladies next to us had at least a dozen shots of Whistle Pig - I would not have been able to walk after that.
Concert was great. Ann broke her arm, so sang sitting down but still had great range. And 70-something lady, or not, Nancy whales that Telecaster. Dreamboat Annie, Little Queen, Magic Man, Crazy On You, Barracuda - you guys know them all. Plus covers of David Bowie's Let's Dance and Led Zeppelin's The Ocean and Going to California.
Cheap Trick sounded much better in the smaller arena than in the Rogers Center last year. When we go to Rod Stewart this July, they are also opening.
QOTD: Christmas Tree.
Breakfast: bagel
Lunch: catered
Dinner: Marilyn said she would get me a pretzel and cheese sauce since we didn't get one last night.
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everybody!
The chili came out really good, but I kind of messed up when I was scooping mine out. I think that most of the meat had settled to the bottom of the slow cooker and I didn't stir it before I took my portion. So, I got a lot of beans and vegetables yesterday. I guess today's lunch will be the opposite. I certainly wouldn't have been able to have a second portion just to get proportions correct.
Swimming was crowded today. Usually, if I am not done with my whole workout by 7:00, I just stay extra and fini**** but today there were reserved lane swimmers all across the pool at 7:00. I ended up having to leave after 1320 of the 1520 meter workout. Not a big deal, but I do like to finish.
Tonight is Heart. We will leave Chicago at about 4:00 and grab dinner before the show. I am thinking of going to this German place called Mader's. I guess it has been in downtown Milwaukee for 120 years. No doubt that Laverne & Shirley went there after shift. Cheap Trick is warming up. It seems like they warm up for everybody now.
QOTD: Yes, I still use a paper planner to write out my appointments and to do's for the day, week, etc. And always a different color Uniball Pen each year. I think that after I retire, I will stick with the same system. Just the appointments will be different.
Breakfast: bagel
Lunch: Chili
Dinner: TBD
Have a great day, All!
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Let 'em be Doctors and Lawyers and such
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everybody!
I slept for almost 9 hours last night. I guess the race is catching up to me a bit. My legs are a bit sore today, but nothing too bad. One of our sons asked for chili, so Marilyn is making a bunch in the slow cooker. That should keep us fed for a couple of days.
Tomorrow, we are heading up to Milwaukee to see Heart. I've never seen them play before, so I'm pretty excited. We were planning to see them last summer in Toronto, but they cancelled because Ann Wilson was undergoing chemotherapy. The concert is at 8:00 and Milwaukee is almost a 2 hour drive, so it will be a long evening. We will probably head up at about 4:00 and have dinner before the show.
QOTD: I will dump pretty fast on Ice Cream, so I need to approach it with caution. I'm with Kelly on the Mint Chip train though. Sometimes we eat those fake ice cream cones, Drumsticks, with chocolate chips that they sell in the freezer. The kind that don't melt. I can eat those without dumping. Probably because they aren't real.
Breakfast: Yogurt Parfait
Lunch: Bratwurst
Dinner: chili
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
I will have to check out the new flavor. As I got towards 5-k, my legs were saying "Yeah, almost done!" But my brain was saying "two more miles still."
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everyone!
Jennifer, it does sound like you had a great weekend. We had a fun, too fast weekend as well. Wish I could add another day to it.
Yesterday was the Shamrock Shuffle. I had two goals: don't walk, and finish in under an hour. I finished in about 67 minutes, but didn't have to walk any. The first two miles went fast, but then I felt like I was in slow motion and everyone was running by me. I guess I should not be surprised, I only ran 4 times since early December. Cold climate life.
I am signed up for a 10-k in 2 weeks, so I'm really going to try and make an effort to get out and put some miles in so that it isn't so hard. Two things that I loved: the running gloves that Marilyn gave me for Christmas, and the race had a coupon attached to my bib to gate check a clear plastic bag full of coats, phones, etc.
Other than that, lots of March Madness and we went out to dinner on Saturday.
QOTD: I don't drink a lot of coffee. Clementine flavored Bai is my morning stand by.
Breakfast: Bagel
Lunch: catered
Dinner: Steak
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everybody!
This had been a long week. Between getting home at almost 4:00 AM on Sunday night/Monday morning, 4 in-office days, and being back at swimming, I am so ready for the weekend!
I did get my full swim workout in this morning, although it was not a thing of beauty.
I am running in an 8-k on Sunday and I need to pick up my race packet at lunchtime today. The race is called the Shamrock Shuffle, and it's in downtown Chicago, so it should be a nice course. Plus I get a free beer.
Aside from the race, I am planning a very relaxed weekend: gym, March Madness, and a lunch on Saturday. Maybe a little fly tying.
QOTD: Accounting and Sophmore English
Breakfast: Bagel
Lunch: Not sure, maybe a slice of pizza
Dinner: Leftover meatballs
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everybody!
We started Spring with 3 inches of snow, LOL. But today is the first day of March Madness and Spring is going to happen. I picked Florida in my brackets. I don't know enough teams to pick the favorite and still have a chance to win. But I guess Florida is the second favorite, so I'm probably out on the same theory.
Jennifer, can we talk rabbits? Short of a rifle/casserole solution, what can we do to keep them from eating our flowers? Last year they ate pretty much all of the annuals except for Wax Begonias. They ate, literally, hundreds of square feet of Hosta's.
I always thought that Hostas were a fail safe ground cover, but not last year. I could even hear the rabbits eating Hostas when I went outside. It kind of sounds like celery. If truth be told, we kind of let the Hostas slide because it was a hot, dry summer. But now there are puddles of rainwater. Nobody is going thirsty. And they are starting to eat the Mall Tulips.
Are there plants that they don't like, or are we just going to have to fence everything?
QOTD: I don't usually watch the local news.
Breakfast: Bagel
Lunch: Catered
Dinner: Spaghetti and Meatballs
Have a Great Day, all!
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everyone!
Happy last day of winter. It's great to hear this garden talk, I'm ready for everything to be green again.
Between our travel schedule and the pool being shut down for maintenance, it had been three weeks since I last swam, and I definitely felt that this morning. I ended up cutting my workout from 1560 meters to 1240. Hopefully, I will be back to full distance on Friday.
Today, I'm in the office and I have CrossFit tonight.
QOTD: I have not. I would like to plant some vegetables this year, though. I will have to put it on my list.
Breakfast: bagel
Lunch: catered
Dinner: hamburgers
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
I'm sorry to hear that, Mary.
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everybody!
I wasn't as tired as I thought that I would be yesterday. I ended up sleeping about seven hours last night, no nap. Today, I will be back at the gym, so maybe it will hit me then. Because of som in-person meetings on Wednesday and Thursday, today will be the only day that I will be working from home this week, so i will try to enjoy it. Friday I have to be in town to pick up my race packet for an 8-K on Sunday.
The tulips seem to be coming up great, it looks like Marilyn's chicken wire idea worked to keep the bulbs from getting eaten by rodents. And I was wrong, she doesn't intend to move them around the yard until after they bloom this year. We are looking forward to seeing what color everything is and she will devise some sort of labelling system for them.
March Madness starts on Thursday. Actually Tuesday, but nobody pays attention to the 4 play-in games that take place tomorrow. I'm not as big a fan as I once was, but I will fill out a bracket and submit $10 or so. My favorite thing about the tournament is that it takes us through the end of winter. Thursday is the first day of Spring, and by the time the tournament ends on April 7th, it will be full, no doubt Spring.
QOTD: I am pretty happy now. 26 was a great time because I was young and my weight was low, but I gained that back really quickly and was still working and broke. A lot of people on this thread got their weight to normal for a bit around that age, but not for long.
Breakfast: Bagel
Lunch: Sandwich
Dinner: Corned Beef and cabbage
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Kelly, did you see Travis Barker ran a 22 minute 5k last weekend? I guess he got really into running while rehabbing from an accident.
Jim Age 58 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
