CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER

Chicago public schools just announced shortly before 6PM on Thursday night that the original school shutdown which was 'only' for two weeks, will no be extended (at least) until a full FIVE WEEKS have elapsed.

Also late today the United States State Department warned all Americans not to travel abroad and if they were out of country to get back. It is not difficult to imagine that the entire airline industry will officially grind to a halt before too long... although it is hard to imagine what is happening with them right now.....

My 'last' night in the field I stayed at a Marriot hotel in Columbus, Ohio.
I was one of EIGHT guests in the hotel that had 254 rooms.
I was on the NINTH floor.  There were more 'floors' in the hotel than there were guests.
On the day that I checked out, I was told that there were no scheduled arrivals.
It is hard to imagine that that hotel will be open too much longer.
That hotels and thousands of others around the country and world.
Yep, things are getting curiouser and curiouser.

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Purchased GAS at the Costco in Merrillville, Indiana on Wednesday night.
$1.449/gallon
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I visited a Walmart in Northern Indiana on Wednesday... I went to purchase Keurig Coffee, Instant Oatmeal and some canned soup.  That part of my trip was successful.... Still I checked out some other sections of the store...

Need Cereal? Sorry, gone

Need Eggs? Sorry, gone

Need Bacon and/or Sausages? Sorry, gone

Need Bread? Sorry, gone

Need weapons for home defense? Yep, Walmart's got you covered!

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On Friday, with my new-found free-time, I did something that I have not done in ages... I took a walk... My daughter and I walked downtown Chicago (ghost town) and we accumulated some serious steps for the day.

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out and about during my 10+ mile walk with my daughter in Chicago

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!

My daughter will have her first day as a High School Freshman today on Tuesday morning. My first day as a High School Freshman was the day after Labor Day in 1971, a mere 45 years ago. It is hard to know who is more excited - me or my daughter (OK, apparently it is me.) The last time my daughter had her first day of school was the day she walked into her kindergarten class for the first time nine years ago. Oddly enough, back then I weighed about what I weigh now, as I had lost 80 pounds in the preceding Spring and Summer. At that time, my weight never stabilized and from the moment that kindergarten started I gained and gained and gained weight back after having lost it in the previous year. By the time that my daughter was in 7th Grade, I had ballooned up to 309 lbs. Fast forward nearly ten years, and this time things have been different.  My weight has mostly been stable for nearly two years. In four years time, when my daughter graduates from high school, I would expect to weigh something very close to what I weigh now, or perhaps a bit less. That's the plan. It is useful to have a plan.

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Eight Mile walk in the early morning.

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Three Mile walk in the early evening.

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Your Food Diary For:

Monday, September 5, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Roundys - Creamy Wheat - Enriched Farina	480	100	0	16	340	4
	480	100	0	16	340	4
L U N C H
Johnsonville 170 - Polish Kielbasa Sausage	340	4	30	14	1,140	2
Omelette - 3-egg Omelette With Cheese	425	0	21	28	650	2
Roundy's - Center Cut Bacon	210	0	12	21	660	0
Quaker Chewy - 90 Cal Chocolate Chunk	90	19	2	1	80	7
	1,065	23	65	64	2,530	11
D I N N E R
Homemade - Spaghetti With Meat Sauce	800	210	5	35	0	0
	800	210	5	35	0	0
S N A C K S
Yogurt Pretzels	400	59	0	4	379	40
Lay's - Doritos	140	16	8	2	210	0
Quaker - Chewy Granola 90 Calories, 1 bar	90	19	2	1	80	7
Nestle - Dark Chocolate Bar	300	31	18	4	0	0
	930	125	28	11	669	47
Totals	3,275	458	98	126	3,539	62
Your Daily Goal	3,899	487	130	195	2,300	146
Remaining	624	29	32	69	-1,239	84
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,969 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 196.5 lbs in 5 weeks.

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First Day of Kindergarten, the day after Labor Day, 2007 (for a brief period in late 2007 I weighed about 225 lbs, by the time that that first year of Kindergarten ended I had probably gained at least 25 pounds on my way to 309 lbs)

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First Day of High School, the day after Labor Day, 2016. (my current weight this morning was 215 lbs) My next photo in this series is unlikely to be me with my daughter on her first day of college, but rather a photo of us as we drop her off in her university dormitory wherever that might be. The third picture in this series should be available in less than 48 months! 

GOODBYE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, HELLO HIGH SCHOOL

Yesterday, at precisely 10AM, the graduation ceremony at my daughter's elementary school began right on time. Within an hour, it was over and I am now no longer the parent of an elementary school kid. In September, my daughter will be going to High School. Of course, it is cliché, but I remember so well, sitting in her kindergarten class during an orientation on the first day of school nine years ago. My wife and I are very proud of our daughter. She has been accepted into a selective enrollment high school in Chicago that is considered one of the best public schools in America. But before we look forward, I still want to enjoy this current achievement.  Yesterday morning, as the graduation ceremony reached its conclusion, I only had to wipe away a couple of tears as I realized that my daughter was making a transition, and really so was our entire family. A happy day indeed. 

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Your Food Diary For:

Friday, June 17, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
3 Egg Omelette - Ham Cheese	400	1	30	40	1,225	0
Kirkland - Pre-Cooked Bacon, 4 slices	160	0	12	12	700	0
Grits - Grits, 2 packet	200	44	3	4	620	2
	760	45	45	56	2,545	2
L U N C H
Footlong Steak and Cheese	760	96	20	52	2,060	16
Cashews - Dry Roasted & Unsalted	200	11	16	5	0	1
	960	107	36	57	2,060	17
D I N N E R
New England Clam Chowder, 2 cup	360	36	20	10	1,780	2
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 2	190	50	1	1	4	38
	550	86	21	11	1,784	40
S N A C K S
CHERRY VANILLA GRANOLA	300	50	9	6	75	19
	300	50	9	6	75	19
Totals	2,570	288	111	130	6,464	78
Your Daily Goal	4,043	505	134	203	2,300	151
Remaining	1,473	216	23	72	-4,163	73
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 2,113 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Friday, June 17, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	97	1,360
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	83	938
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-185
Daily Total / Goal	181 / 30	2,113 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	763 / 210	9,739 / 4,130

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After an initial workout of 97 minutes, I simply felt like working out some more (or was that I simply wanted to watch more netflix?)  My second workout was 'only' for 83 minutes - That meant that my total for the day was 180 minutes - a nice even three hours.

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My weight on Saturday morning, 232.9 pounds, up one pound from last week. I cannot (and will not) get too stressed over this.  The week before, I had lost over three pounds.  I am always a bit wary when the scale indicates a weight that is either too good or too bad. I will simply remember that just a few weeks ago, my scale had indicated that I was 242 pounds. That was bad. My pants did no longer fit. Right now, everything fits again. That is what is important. The battle continues. It has no end. There is no so-called exit strategy when it comes to weight management. 

GRADUATION DAY

It's hard to believe that my daughter who was born on a snowy day in March in the second year of this century will be graduating from elementary school today. When this summer ends, she will be a high school student. One personal statistical oddity about all this is that when my daughter started kindergarten, all those years ago, I had lost 80 pounds and briefly weighed 220. By the time Thanksgiving rolled around that same year, my weight was already steadily increasing and it wasn't too long before I gained back every pound and tacked on nine more for good luck. As my daughter receives her diploma tomorrow, my most recent weight was 232 pounds. So although it is technically true that one can say that my weight is up about 12 pounds in the nine years that my daughter has been going to school - there is a bit more to that story. I have only been 'fit' during two slivers of my daughters educational years, at the start and the beginning. Four years from now, when I proudly watch my daughter graduate from high school, I expect to weigh somewhere near where I am now (hopefully a bit less).  I also expect not to have another massive weight gain and massive weight loss in between. That's the plan. And since the subject of graduation has been raised, I would like to publicly congratulate my daughter for her many academic achievements over these past nine years. I am looking forward to seeing what she will accomplish in the next four years! I could never have predicted her level of accomplishment so far. I know she will continue to amaze me. 

Your Food Diary For:

Thursday, June 16, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Ham w/Mustard Cheese White Bread	500	54	5	34	2,300	10
Red Delicious Apple, 2 medium apple	190	50	1	1	4	38
	690	104	6	35	2,304	48
L U N C H
HUGE SPINACH SALAD	1,000	0	0	0	0	0
	1,000	0	0	0	0	0
D I N N E R
Crockpot Chicken Noodles	720	5	15	133	584	0
Red Delicious Apple, 2 medium apple	190	50	1	1	4	38
	910	55	15	134	588	38
S N A C K S
Chocolate Cookie With Creme Filling	280	42	14	1	180	26
	280	42	14	1	180	26
Totals	2,880	201	35	170	3,071	112
Your Daily Goal	3,021	377	100	152	2,300	113
Remaining	141	175	65	-18	-771	1
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 1,091 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	99	1,182
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-91
Daily Total / Goal	100 / 30	1,091 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	582 / 210	7,623 / 4,130

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1182 calories burned during my one session on the elliptical machine

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There is nothing 'heroic' about a day with 15000 steps, but it is very respectable. Most people strive for 10000 per day. I have every reason to be pleased with a total step count that reaches 15000. And I am.

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From the first day that my daughter walked into her kindergarten classroom I weighed about 220 pounds. Nine years later, when she graduated, I weighed 232 pounds. I gained an average of 1.33 pounds per year over the past nine years. Although technically true - that doesn't exactly tell my real story! This reminds me of one of my favorite book titles of all time.

HOW I LOST 5 POUNDS IN 6 YEARS by Tom Arnold

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BITTERSWEET WALK

The dictionary defines 'bittersweet' as something that is both pleasant and painful. Yesterday I walked my daughter to school. Of course it was pleasant. Although we have not actually walked to school together very many times since she started kindergarten, I have driven her to school many times. Yesterday was the last time that I will ever walk my child to her elementary school.  She graduates from eighth grade this Friday. My schedule will preclude any more walks to school this week. So that's it. High School girls don't like to walk to school with their dads so much. I cannot fathom my Mom or Dad walking me to school when I was in high school - although I cheerfully accepted a car ride occasionally. So there is the bitter part. My girl is growing up. Of course, this is the natural order of things.  I am very proud of her achievements that she made during her elementary school years. Still yesterday's walk was bittersweet. Her high school will only be a little more than a half mile from home - maybe I will sneak in a walk with her once in a while. I know that she will still accept a ride in the car if the weather is inclement - but that's just not the same thing as a two mile walk through the neighborhood. 

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A photo to be treasured: Dad and Daughter on the 'last walk' to school

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The last walk together, to elementary school - two miles took 33 minutes! (It us usually difficult for me to walk so slowly!)

Question: What does one do to erase the melancholy of the feeling of walking one's daughter to elementary school for the last time?  Answer: Thirteen Mile walk

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Before the day was over, I found another 99 minutes to spend on the elliptical machine. I know one cannot use exercise to shed weight, and yet, I find myself with the 'need' to burn calories every chance I get. I know that there are more wasteful ways of spending time. I am content with my hobby of calorie burning. I used to believe that the reason that I could not take off a day from exercising was that I would redevelop the habit of not exercising at all. I am the same guy who spent nearly ten years exercising for approximately zero minutes in aggregate. Apparently this is a 'dragon' that I have slayed. I am less hopeful that I will ever 'slay' the 'overeating dragon' that lives within me. Perhaps the best I can hope for is to win my share fare of daily battles to insure that I win the war. Things would be so much easier if I could simply curb and control my appetite. Life is not easy. We all try to deal with our own personal demons as best we can. That is precisely what I am doing.

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Even after I was sure that I was done with my walking for the day, I was not. My daughter returned home from the beach with the yearbook of a friend of hers staying at a third friends home about a mile away. In order to return the book, I offered to walk with her and get the book back into the hands of its owner. Of course, I did - I managed to log an additional 4000 steps which assured a 40,000+ step day. 

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Your Food Diary For:

Monday, June 13, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
3 Egg Omelette - Ham and Cheese, 1 Omelette	400	1	30	40	1,225	0
Kirkland - Pre-Cooked Bacon, 4 slices	160	0	12	12	700	0
Creamy Wheat - Enriched Farina	240	50	0	8	170	2
Malt O Meal - Honey Nut Scooters	240	48	3	6	420	18
	1,040	99	45	66	2,515	20
L U N C H
Earthbound Farm - Baby Spinach, Organic	40	6	0	4	130	0
Crab - Imitation	100	18	0	8	563	4
Roundy's - Sliced Beets	40	8	0	1	250	6
Tomato - Grape, 1 cup	45	6	0	1	7	9
Hard Boiled Egg, 1 Large Egg	78	1	5	6	62	1
Lady lLiberty - Asparagus	18	2	0	2	408	0
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 2 medium apple	190	50	1	1	4	38
	511	91	6	23	1,423	57
D I N N E R
Homemade - Lasagna	800	53	25	40	1,053	21
	800	53	25	40	1,053	21
S N A C K S
Natural Dark Chocolate With Cherries	500	44	32	6	0	22
	500	44	32	6	0	22
Totals	2,851	286	108	135	4,991	120
Your Daily Goal	6,277	784	209	314	2,300	235
Remaining	3,426	497	100	178	-2,690	114
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 4,347 extra calories from exercise today

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Your Exercise Diary for:

Monday, June 13, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking	34	303
Walking	175	2,480
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	99	1,288
Walking	34	382
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-106
Daily Total / Goal	343 / 30	4,347 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	343 / 210	4,347 / 4,130

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bittersweet

[adjective bit-er-sweet, bit-er-sweet;noun bit-er-sweet

both pleasant and painful or regretful:

a bittersweet memory.