Great time at Jimmy Buffet Friday night, he played all the favorites: Cheeseburger in Paradise, Fins, Margaritaville, Come Monday, Southern Cross, its 5:00 Somewhere. The encore was A Pirate Looks at 40 played on the pitcher's mound. Like me most of the crowd is now looking back at 40 though (and its getting smaller in the rear view mirror.) Box Skaggs opened.

I've had enough fun in the last couple of weeks though, now I have to buckle down and make my goal of get under 300 before i start liquids.

Last Week 303

This Week 302.8

Have a good week all

Jim

Bob,

Preacher, teacher and cop's kids are under more peer pressure than the rest to prove they are just like everybody else and will do stupid **** to prove it. If you looked at my brother and I today you would say we were bull****ting if we told you what HELL we put our folks through! Mind you we were church lay leader's kids! But a funny thing happened. We got our heads out of our asses, "cranial-rectal-edomy" and grew up. It did not happen till we were in our respective mid-20's or so but we finally did it!!

You don't say what age he is or level of "affluence" he comes from but to reach a level of "affluence" pulling yourselves up by own boot straps, cop and RN both working, family time is very often sacrificed with extra shifts and extra jobs taking the parents out of the home and leaving the kids to their own and friend's vices. Somebody is enabling your nephew. It is a parent, sibling or even a friend. Somebody keeps getting him out of trouble, keeps a roof over his head, bails him out of jail etc. Every drunk, drug and even food addicts have one. Google "Ethan Couche". He's from TX, was an intoxicaed16 year old when he wrecked killing 4 people, got probation and he and his Mom skipped town to Mexico. Defense was the "affluenza defense" saying he was not given societal values because his folks had bank. I say BULL**** on that!

Values are taught to children more by example more than by words. If Mom is a dope headed drunk (his Mom has been in the clink for drugs) odds are the kid will be a dope headed drunk. Can show you family trees of criminal histories. Mom and Dad, or step-parents, are turds and the kids grow up to be turds. At the same time I can show you folks that ain't got a pot to **** in or a window to throw it through whose kids make straight A's, are very respectful and the parents are working their asses off keeping a roof over their heads and still manage to make all their sporting/school events because they made raising good children/people their priority.

It is a very traumatic event to find a loved one deceased whether from natural causes, accident or other means. This is the first anniversary of that happening. It would screw anybody up. Be there for her, as I know you will be, and if she needs it some professional help.

To lighten things up. Daughter and her beau. When I still had "granddaughters' via X2 would kid former step SIL that when they started dating we'd get t-shirts made. His saying "Respect the Dad" and mine would have been "Fear Grandpa Don". I'd be at the table cleaning guns or sharpening knives when the date came to door. If they only honked then no date that night. Something to think about.

196.1 Last week
193.8 Today

Food: B
Water: A
Vitamins: A
Exercise:B

Been a busy week and hectic week. Working on ouside projects is very satisfying, that's the fun part. Mom wandered out and got lost in assisted living, so they had to put her and my dad in a memory care unit. MUCH smaller and one room. My poor dad, stays loyal to staying with mom, but as he put it, he's in a "looney bin" Mom is enjoying it and oblivious. They just were moved out of their house 5 months ago, now move withing 48 hours again, and downsized again. They are about an hour away from me, I feel guilty not getting there enough. My nephew had a relapse, OD'd and had to be administered Narcan. My brother in law flew down to LA to bring him back to OH to be with family. I would have never thought the son of a policeman and a nurse, from a affluent suburb, could get caught up in opiods. Don, maybe you have some words of wisdom. Lastly, my 15 years old daughter is starting to date. Her "boyfriend '1s 17, and will 18 next month. Nice kid, but I know what boys like. I've told her so, and she is level headed and very open with me. But still.... Lastly, Tuesday is one year since my wife found her father deceased. She is getting very emotional, as she spent a lot of time with him the last couple of years tending to his health needs.

OK, enough of the unloading....today our kids will be over for a cookout. A good day!

Good week to all.
-Bob

Haha, yeah, sometimes I miss that extra mass. Most of the time not, but every now and then I have to horse around a machine or something similar. I admire your dedication in lifting six days a week. I could not do that. But then, I have lots of rural type work to do which requires some muscle. As long as I can keep up, I'll be happy.

Start of 6 month pre-op diet (2/14): 320 lbs.

7/2: 284.6 lbs.

7/9: 284.6 lbs.

I stayed active and hit my step goals 5 out of 7 days. I didn't make the best food choices, due to the 4th and eating out a lot, but I stayed close to my calorie limits. I'm happy with staying even.

I'm glad to see there are other Tour De France fans out there. I figured I was one of a few in the U.S. that loves the TDF and watches it religiously. Its the only sporting event in the summer that I actually care about. The World Cup is exciting every 4 years, but I like the TDF better, even years when there isn't an American contender.