Dr. "Hobe" - thank you for being a real Renaissance Man!

Hobart "Hobe" Wiltse, M.D., Ph.D. (1932 - 2007)


Editors note: Next week, I will be on vacation. Look for the next article in July. Have a great Independence from fear, uncertainty and doubt!

This week I have been gaining new insight on my life, birth, and story of my family. It has been insightful, and after retelling the story to my friend Pat, we realized that this story should be recorded, written and published. I think this may be a long project, but a worthwhile one.

One of the reasons during my podcast interviews that I ask my subjects "What stories do you remember from your birth?", is that my own birth story was quite a drama, that still affects me on a daily basis. I once heard that "miracle births" mean that the child will do something miraculous in life. While I am unsure that I agree with this statement, it shows that miracles still happen, and this is a wonderful thing. I will attempt today to give a snippet of the story, focusing on one of the characters who made it all possible. No other notes, check-in or diary today, there is time for that later.

Motivation

"What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?"
~Dr. Robert Schuller

Thanks to my Mom for notifying me of this news. In order to fully understand how this post relates to "the Renaissance Man project.", well, I am not really sure how to frame this post. This post may wander into technical biological stuff, and some of it, I just need to get written down, so this is a start. Let me frame this using the email message from my Mom:


The Message:

While downloading family photos from the past days, I decided to read the newsletter Dad gets from UNMC each week. Inside was this article. I hope you can print it and read it. (attached below in this post)

Dr Wiltse (and another doctor) were the diagnostic and attending doctors for you at UNMC. I so wanted to share your latest Renaissance with this wonderful Dr. Wiltse…and now we will not be able to. He would be very proud of your progress…as we are!

Mom.

The Background:

5 days after being born, I was moved to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, as I had jaundice skin and enlarged abdomen. I had not left the hospital from the birth, and my conditions were worsening. The threat of a major snowstorm bearing down caused the physicians to want to quickly move me to the UNMC for further observation. My mother and father, through snow, flat tire, and late night conditions, made it to Omaha, only to be confronted with the potential loss of their baby son.

*Right here was a bunch of really interesting and cool stuff which in itself is a novel worth of information. I will skip the drama for now, and go straight to the point.*

About this time, Dr Hobart E Wiltse, who technically on a 2-week vacation, was called in to look at my case. After some testing and diagnosis, Dr Wiltse committed to being my advocate and personal physician. He made the connection that I had (and still have) a metabolic genetic disorder named "Galactosemia". The solution was fairly simple - stop ingesting any milk or whey-based food items.

When ingesting lactose (e.g., dairy products such as milk, cheese, butter), a normal body breaks the lactose down into both galactose and glucose. Glucose is sugar used by the body for energy. Glactose is a simple sugar (monosaccharide) that, before it can be used by the body for energy, must be changed into glucose by the liver.

Galactosemia means too much galactose in the blood caused by the individual "missing" the enzyme (known as GALT) to convert galactose into glucose. This accumulation of galactose is a poison to the body and can cause serious complications such as the following and if untreated, as high as 75% of infants will die. Treatment requires the strict exclusion of lactose/galactose from the diet.


Dr Hobe dedicated himself to being my metabolic doctor , and quickly changes for the better were seen for the myself and my family.

Dr Hobe also was a strong supporter for genetic testing of newborns, to help other parents understand rare metabolic disorders. Diagnosis of most metabolic disorders, including galactosemia, is usually made within the first week of life by blood test from a heel prick as part of a standard newborn screening.

Historically, states did not all do newborn metabolic screening, and no standard testing was in place. Some institutions leave it up to the clinicians and parents to decide to test for disorders, based on their observations. I believe this has changed, due to many parents organizations who felt more research was required.

Currently, all 52 united states screen babies for Galactosemia. Unfortunately no uniform methodology is employed. It is necessary to test not only for GALT but for total galactose (Galactose and Gal-1-P) as well inorder not to miss any case. A Beutler's spot test screens and removes all normal babies from the group and the rest are subjected to a florometric GALT and GAL-1-P and both results are reported. This is necessary because GALT is very sensitive to heat and humidity and often get denatured.

Rama Chandran, Ph.D., H.C.L.D., C.C(ABB)
Georgia Public Health Lab

*By no means is this the end of the story, or the entire story itself, but this gives a good idea of where Hobart Wiltse fits in. Following is the article that my mother sent me. I really enjoy the description of Hobe and that he was recognized by others as a "Renaisance Man". Funny that I have been thinking and discussing "What it is to be a Renaisance Man?" One of the men who saved my life as a child was one!*


The article:

Funeral services held Monday for Dr. Wiltse
by Tom O’Connor, UNMC public affairs
Date Published: Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Funeral services were held Monday, June 11, 2007 in Omaha for Hobart "Hobe" Wiltse, M.D., Ph.D., retired professor in the UNMC Department of Pediatrics, who died on June 6 from lung cancer.

Dr. Wiltse, 75, retired in 2002 after 37 years on the faculty. He was well known for his caring demeanor and for giving his time to students and patients, said Bruce Buehler, M.D., professor and chairman of the UNMC Department of Pediatrics and director of the Munroe-Meyer Institute.

"Hobe was a teacher's teacher," Dr. Buehler said. "He was a Renaissance man. He loved photography and music and even built his own organ. He had so many interests that were reflected back in his teaching."

Three months ago, Dr. Wiltse donated 19 of his favorite photographs to the department of pediatrics. The photographs, which feature 18 photos of animals and one plant shot, are hanging in the main hallway of the pediatrics department on the fifth floor of University Tower.

Dr. Buehler said the UNMC Pediatrics Department recently created the first annual Hobart Wiltse Teaching Award. It will be given to outstanding teachers in pediatrics and is voted upon by students, residents and faculty.

Two UNMC pediatricians, Sharon Stoolman, M.D., and Carl Gumbiner, M.D., received the award this year. Dr. Wiltse helped select the criteria for the award, which will continue into "perpetuity," Dr. Buehler said.

During his career, Dr. Wiltse focused on caring for children with inherited metabolic disorders. For 25 years (1969-1994) he oversaw the eight-week clerkship program for the third-year medical students and the electives program for fourth-year medical students.

He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1953 and earned his medical degree (1958) and Ph.D. in biochemistry (1965) from UNMC. Dr. Wiltse was instrumental in pushing through mandatory newborn testing in Nebraska to detect metabolic disorders.

In 2000, the Hobart Wiltse Center for the Study of Metabolic Disorders at Children's Hospital was funded by grateful parents, Dan and Lisa Koch, for Dr. Wiltse's care of their son, Michael. This center has become an international facility providing clinical care, professional education and research in pediatric metabolic disorders.

A world traveler, Dr. Wiltse's wildlife photo collection included photos taken in Antarctica, Costa Rica, the Galapagos Islands, California, Colorado and even his own back yard. His travels were enhanced by his ability to speak three foreign languages -- German, Russian and Italian. His love of nature was evident from the 175 rose bushes he had at his Omaha home.

With the exception of four years (1964 to 1968) when he was doing his pediatric fellowship training at Johns Hopkins University and the UCLA School of Medicine, Dr. Wiltse spent his entire career at UNMC.

A Falls City, Neb. native, Dr. Wiltse served as acting chairman of the department of pediatrics from 1975 to 1976, was assistant dean for curriculum for the UNMC College of Medicine (1976-79), and was interim director of the Munroe-Meyer Institute (1982-83).

He is survived by his wife, Margaret; two sons and their wives, John Wiltse and Melinda Knox, Lake Oswego, Ore., and Todd Wiltse and Linda Rosul, Chicago; a sister, Roberta Wiltse, Los Angeles; a sister-in-law, Joyce Wiltse, Falls City; nieces and nephews.




You can read more about Dr Wiltse here He has been an angel for many lives. I enjoyed reading these tributes, and am inspired to continue doing "Renaissance projects" as a part of my daily life.

Funny that just yesterday, I was confronted with the question "What would you want your eulogy to say?" Refer to the article above again, and note my bold markings, specifically, "Caring Demeanor and taking time." Time and our Love and Care for each other are the most valuable things we will ever be able to spend. These are the types of things that I would want to have associated with me. That would be an honor.


more later,

Chazz


PS: I hit my current goal - under 297 lbs! I need to make a new goal and new rewards. Maybe next post in July, I will do a 6month review and look back- look forward on goal setting and motivation!

Celebration Week - looking to the future.

Todays article written with thanks and celebration of my parents - Happy Anniversary. Also, I hope all Fathers have a great day tomorrow.


Motivation:

"The toughest part of getting to the top of the ladder,
is getting through the crowd at the bottom."
~unknown

Diary:

True story, protecting names to change the innocent:

"Karen" went up to me before church to say, very loudly, "Look at you - you are a different person! You are just a different person!"

I responded rather bitterly, "No, I am still the same person." Giving her a look of contempt and pointing at my heart, "I was always this person."

I felt like she needed to know that she said was the entire wrong thing to say. Why couldn't these (type of people) be nicer to me when I was fat. Lose a few pounds and you are all the sudden approachable! OUTRAGEOUS! For fat people everywhere, I say "Good Day to you, Sir, Good Day!"

Later that same day, I was corrected by "Kevin", who overheard this conversation and had to tell me two things:

1) You have to listen to people's hearts. Most people have no clue what they are saying and a lot of conversations are miscommunicated. The intention of her comments were to say that "I have noticed your changing and I care and am happy and proud of you." People just can't seem to say this with grace and tact. For this, she was wrong.

2) Your answer was incorrect. You claim that you haven't changed, or that your changes have only been physical, but you are basically the same person. You are mistaken, wrong, and misguided if you truly believe this. Without being rude to your former self let me count the things that others are seeing in you - regardless of your weight.
a) You are forward thinking. You seem to have purpose and are planning for future events. Two years ago, you were filled with fear and doubt - in the way you approached others.
b) You are outwardly sensing. It seemed to me that before you were so focused on your problems that you glossed over other's needs. Now it appears that you are desiring to be with other people and meet them where they are. (something like this)
c) You have changed your priorities - and this shows in the way you hold yourself and in what you do and think about.

"Motivation is what gets you started.
Habit is what keeps you going."
- Jim Ryun

The sermon on Sunday was on Celebration - and asking the question "Why don't we celebrate more?" The following came up: When we are asked to come to church/school/office/a friends house/family because some work needs to be done, the whole place is filled. When asked to stay around for an ice-cream party celebrating each other, no one stays. Why are we so programmed to working to death without taking time to celebrate and enjoy life and enjoy others.

When was the last time you called someone or wrote a letter only to say "I love you and here are 3 small things you do that make me proud. God loves you, and here are the gifts that I see you have?"

Have you ever thought of having a celebration for days that are minor holidays, like Flag Day party, or Pentecost Dinner, or Anniversary of a really great project that I finished.

From a Renaissance Man perspective, "celebration" should be a regular occurence. Since projects are being monitored on a weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly basis, there should be some celebration every 3 months at the least.


So with that start of the week - with a reminder that I am changing and I should be celebrating my life and the life of others, here is how things commenced:

On Monday, I found out that I am supposed to do a self-performance review at work. Since I have only been at this place for 5 months, I do not know how this worked in the past, but I am very used to setting goals and reviewing my progress, so this should be easy - well it hasn't been done yet and time is running out. There seems to be some disconnect with my goal setting in my life and at my work - and since my job is a large portion of time, my daily hours in my life, it takes a large part of my habits. As we know, habits are what determine discipline and character, so anyone who claims (bosses love to do this) that you shouldn't take your job personally... well, I totally disagree. If I am going to spend 40+ hours a week at something, I want it to matter, and I want to be good and valuable at my role. I think that if you didn't care about your work - that would be a very sad and boring place to have to go to every day. More about setting Objectives at work below in the "Notes" section. Read on if interested.

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives."
- Annie Dillard

On Tuesday, I was surprised with a "Celebration" at my weight loss clinic. I have reached the Century Mark - I have lost 100 pounds of weight while with this particular counselor. (overall, I have lost -> whatever it says in the sidebar, I guess) They had a really nice card for me with great inspiring comments and notes and a bag of goodies, including energy drinks, sugar free gum, and a Men's Fitness and Men's Health magazine. They were really great about it, and while I usually would have been very meek and off-putting about all of the praise, I decided that I would just accept and appreciate the gifts and thank them for their help. I really did like their gifts, and down deep somewhere, I really am glad that they took the time to tell me just how good they think I am doing. It is nice to get that pat on the back.

On Wednesday, I started an interview with Karl Wicklund, the 2nd podcast interview. In that first recording, two things stood out for me. 1) I told him that I hit my 100lb mark with the new clinic and indicated that he was happy I could "celebrate" my achievement with them, and that it was great that I still had some work to do - he compared it to making it base camp while climbing the mountain. Glad that you made it so far, and ready to go the next stretch! What a reminder about "Celebration Week"

Then later in our conversation he said something that I was missing. He indicated how having "Fun" was so important to him, and one of the reasons that he loves being with his wife. That they treat life with fun and celebrate daily. It almost comes second nature to them , to have fun - huh - did you hear that - let me repeat "second nature to have fun". Do you remember what the word "Habit" means - isn't it something that comes as second nature? So, "Celebration" isn't necessarily something that we put on a calendar or plan for a specific time, but it might be that "Celebration" is something that we do as part of our lives. Habits become Discipline become part of our nature - part of who we are.

"Our character is basically a composite of our habits.
Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns,
they constantly, daily, express our character."
- Stephen Covey

Today I am celebrating my family - parent's anniversary, father's day, some wonderful emails including pictures from my nieces and nephew, and spent about an hour today with two of my "foster" nieces. (Foster, because when I visit, I am called "Uncle", which I love).


So, after a week of reflecting on "Celebration", I need to be able to handle moments of joy and fun and be accepting of others who want to say something nice to me. I guess they are looking to celebrate with me, but I don't take it that way. I will *try* to accept their comments as celebratory and use them to continue to motivate and inspire.


Notes:

#Diet#

I missed a meal this week - on accident . On Wednesday, I had work - drove to my interview with Karl at a coffeeshop - then went to band practice. We practiced until 10pm, and my stomach was growling to the point that I was afraid to move much. I at a protein snack in the car, and by the time I got home, I still had a few things to do. I didn't feel like eating at that hour, so I went to bed hungry, but mostly tired.

The next day at the clinic, I was rebuked and scolded - "You shouldn't miss a meal because it will intefere with your body's metabolic cycle, and this is bad for weight loss". While I agree fully with this remark, I am not sure how someone can be scorned for just stuff that happens as a part of life. I could shelter myself and never leave the house to ensure that I make a good decision for every meal, but this is not reality.

Still, they were right, as I only lost a piltry (is that a word?) 2 pounds this week.

The stats for this week are updated on the right-hand of the blog, so enjoy. Hey, I am only a few pounds from the next major goal.


#Exercise#

I did pretty good with my workouts this week, and I have found and brushed the dust off of the "Couch Potato to 5K" training program. For those planning on running the 5K in Northfield on the 29th of September - keep ready. I will unveil the training plan on July 29th. It goes for the 9 weeks before the race and anyone/everyone is invited to do it. Get ready, I will post the training plan on the blog and you can take your place at the starting gate!


#Fine Art#

Band practice was good. We did several songs and with the band's assistance, I cleaned up a song that I wrote several years ago. It is ok, for what it is.

#Geek#

Not much geek this week -

#Money#

2 weeks in a row without spending outside my budget. This is a good thing for me.
I was fascinated with the idea of buying an electric guitar from Sunday to Wednesday, but that passed as I realized I already have a nice acoustic guitar and need to use my money for better things. It was a passing fancy. I will keep my eye open, but not pursue it unless the opportunity arises.

#Personal#

I am eating clementines again! I received an orange peeler from a reader - awesome! I got a backup peeler as well, so all is right in "the grove".

I realized something this week. It has been in the 90-degree temperature range this week, and I haven't been using Air Conditioning. I was looking at last months electricity bill, and thought it looked strange that it was about $40 less than usual, but then with a discussion during work, one of the ladies was talking about her A/C being out and getting fixed. I said "I haven't even turned mine on" and kind of did a second-take on myself. Last year, I had the A/C on starting in April or May. This is mid-June, and I haven't felt uncomfortable enough to start the air. Weird - considering that this is very much unlike me. I like things cool and comfortable. What is the deal? Maybe I will turn this into a game "How long will summer go before Chazz turns on his air conditioner? I should turn it on at least once, just to make sure there aren't any mechanical problems with it, but maybe it will need to get above 95 before I turn it on. We will see - it was just an odd thing that I thought I would write about.



#Work#

So, at work I am being asked to write up some yearly objectives.

That being said, while I do have control over my personal goals and can set a Vision (long term (1-2 years) plan) and Objectives (3-month plan), these help me set my Monthly Goals, and the these help to set my Weekly Discipline and my Daily Tasks.

My work is different. I don't get to set the Vision - and sometimes I am not even fully communicated the Vision, so I have been asked to define my Objectives for the next year. This seems backwards, and I am having some problems doing this. I know they want my Objectives to be from the company's perspective, so I have to remove my personal/professional goals, and strictly give them what I think they will be wanting me to do in the next year.


However, I am trying to take this seriously, and knowing me, did a lot of research on the subject. I did find a good website that discusses creating Job Objectives, and I am using this. What I have learned is that "When planning and writing goals for the upcoming performance period, it is important to frame them using an objective statement, and metrics guidelines"

• An Objective Statement is "Action word + key result + target date + conditions"
• Be clear and concise. Identify the precise activity/task/project that should occur. Address questions such as who, what, and when. This helps avoids confusion and conflict later on in the review cycle.
• You can't maintain or review what you can't measure. Objectives that involve quality need to be defined because these are more difficult to measure.
• Goals should be achievable and reasonable depending on your position, level and resources available.
• Objectives should be written as a tangible result or deliverable that you will produce, not just behaviors you plan to demonstrate throughout the year. Don't confuse efforts with results. Individual objectives must contribute to larger objectives of your business unit or function. If they don't, then they probably are not the most important initiatives you own.
• Objectives should have targeted project milestones and due dates to help you monitor progress.

This is a great opportunity to think about your personal goals - currently my weight loss and 5K training goals, and write a few Objective Statements. Let's review:

"Action word + key result + target date + conditions"

"Work out, follow my diary, take my vitamins and water & eat right (both quantity and quality) foods + lose 2 to 3 lbs per week + weekly + to look and feel better and to be in shape to run a 5K in under 50 minutes."

That is a start - I will maybe think about and work on these further.




more later,

Chazz

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June is National Accordion Awareness Month

Motivation:

" There are no great people in this world,
only great challenges which ordinary people rise to meet."
~William Frederick Halsy, Jr.

Diary:

If you are interested, TIME Magazine's June 11, 2007 issue has some really educational information about Weight Loss, and research into how our digestive system works, and why for some, losing weight is a very difficult process. It is a great read.

In this magazine, was an interview with the previous "Biggest Losers" on NBC's hit TV show. One of them lost 100+ pounds, but has regained 80% of the weight loss. The theory here is the same thing that I have personally found and stated over and over again to my diet counselors. "It is harder to maintain weight than to lose weight." The article in TIME states that having a show called "Biggest Maintainer" would be more boring, but it would be a bigger challenge.

It is my thought that anyone can lose, for a while, given that they follow the simple rule of eating less and moving more. This, however, is really only half of the story, and most people don't stick around for the other half. What happens when the scales and cameras are gone? Now the former fatty has to relearn how to live as a fit person. This stabilization period is where most people regain their weight. I am determined to not be one of these people.

I am going to need more clothes - 46 and under pants and 2x shirts. I went through my closet, and tonight may go through my dresser drawer - trying to declutter my bedroom to make space and make "laundry-management" an easier process.

I decided yesterday that weeding through clothes in the closet is one of the most depressing (and potentially harmful) things that a person can do during weight loss. I was very frustrated, and wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. Here is why:

1) I run into old clothes that were too small for me when I last tried them on - a few months ago, so I put them in the closet as "goal clothes" to remind me of the next stage, thinking that I would try them on after the next time-frame. After a while, I forget about these clothes, and then yesterday - I saw them. It was time to weed out some items from the closet, and I did weed out a lot - several jeans and pants that simply looked baggy on me. I shouldn't wear baggy clothes for fashion reasons, but also because the counselors at the clinic LOVE to harass me - "you're pants are to big - you need to get smaller clothes" - I am unsure if they know how demeaning this is - to constantly berate people about their clothes - maybe some people don't have a lot of money and cannot buy new clothes every time they change a size. For someone like me who is changing sizes every couple months, this can be a big deal. Maybe they think this is positive, and are trying to say something nice, but it comes across as catty, and disrespectful.

The bigger reason, however, to not wear baggy clothes, is that when I see myself in the mirror in clothes one size too big, well I get a distorted view of my actual size. Clothes that are tighter to my body force me to see the bumps and definition - or lack thereof - and having a belt that it just a little too tight (not uncomfortably tight, but you can sense it) is a motivation.

It feels a little like the theory of running with people who are faster than you makes you want to keep up with their speed. Running with people slower than you gives you the feeling that you are already faster, so why push yourself. Big baggy clothes are the same for me. I am already smaller than my clothes, so there is no need to push it. When I am wearing smaller clothes, and have tight clothes in the closet to wear, I feel more of an urgency to continue to lose weight - to stay in my clothes.

So, what was the point for #1 - ok - The clothes that I thought were too small for me a few months ago, I put in the closet and then last night tried them on. They were too baggy! What? A couple of the shirts were so big, I could wrap them around my body 1 and 1/2 times. What the heck? It is an emotional drain to try on clothes that are so obviously for that other fat man - but for me, not so much.

all in all - I threw out 3 arm-fulls of clothes to the 2nd bedroom. What will happen to them? Eventually, they will be discarded to either Goodwill, local Veterans group, or trash. For now, they sit in a lonely 2nd bedroom, while I try to figure out what I am going to do with that space.

2) I don't know what looks good. There were several shirts I tried on and said "Does this look right? is it too big, should I wear this to work?" I don't have a good enough eye for these questions. I would like to have someone just tell me yeah or nah. The one disadvantage of the single bachelor.

3) I need someone to continue to remind me (it is all about me, right) that I am "ggooooooddd looookin". There were a couple shirts and jackets that I tried on and thought "Damn, I am good looking.", but that only lasted a second, and wasn't very satisfying. I would like to have others feeding my overblown ego from time to time - that would be nice.

Something strange has been happening over the last 6 to 8 weeks. I write the notes and outlines for my blog subject on Saturdays, and then the next day at Church I am finding that the sermon is about the same subject, with a spiritual twist. For example, in the last blog I wrote about my alias and how he has the ability to do things that I don't want to do.

So in church on Sunday, the sermon was about "Confidence" and how important confidence is in our spiritual growth. Here are my notes:

"Confidence + Faith = God helps us to do things that....

... are greater than our resources

... are greater than our efforts

... are greater than our fears"

That was a nutshell overview of the sermon - which was focused at the Confirmation Class at church. It struck me as very close to what I spoke about "Chazz" having the strength and lack of ego to carry the torch.

The theme for the sermons this spring has been "Christian Disciplines - A look at our habits" (does this sound like something I would be interested in?)

Here are some other notes of the last weeks:

Discipline of Fasting:
1) What do you do to fill emptiness?
2) What is your attitude toward fasting and self-denial?
3) In what ways do you deny yourself?
4) When do you feel entitlement mentality?
Fasting doesn't have to be "food" - it could be a sacrifice of something else that you may be over-indulging in, such as:

• Media/Entertainment
• Newspaper
• Television/Movies
• iPod/Gaming
  
• Hobbies/Personal Luxuries
• Reading
• Crafting
• Scheduled exercise
• Regular social activities
  
• Consumption-related
  
• Financial
• Food
• Starbucks
• Non-necessary shopping
  
• Relational/Behavioral
• Social Activities
• Negative/Critical thoughts and words
• Any 'comfortable' habit that results in nothing
  
• Time/Convenience
• Walk/bicycle to work or shopping, instead of driving
• Give specific quantity of time in a special capacity at church (or volunteer, give up your time)
• Consecrate time serving someone in your family/friends/community
• Give up your fears, uncertainty and doubt - take a risk and do something different, uncomfortable, or outside your normal habit.
  

I will sprinkle in more sermon notes into later messages.

Notes:

#Fine Art#

June is National Accordion Awareness Month (NAAM). National Accordion Awareness Month was established in 1989 to promote the accordion, help spread the word about the resurgence in popularity in the accordion and to educate people about the accordion.

Did you know...
* The accordion is the most cross-cultural instrument in the world and provides a signature sound for music from Italy, France, Germany, Russia, Argentina and more.
* The piano accordion is the official musical instrument of the city of San Francisco and has been since 1990.
* Actress Lucy Liu plays the accordion
* Guitarist Nils Lofgren started on the accordion.
* Billy Joel, Bruce Hornsby and Barry Manilow also play the accordion.
* The accordion is a member of the reed family, not the keyboard family.
* The first United States-made piano accordion (the ones with the keys on it) was manufactured in San Francisco back in 1907. It was at the Guerrini Accordion Company on DuPont St. (Grant Ave., near Columbus Ave.)
* When people think of an accordion, they usually envision that large, black monstrosity with piano keys on one side and about a thousand buttons on the other side. However, the accordion family also includes Cajun button boxes, chromatic and diatonic button accordions, the concertina, the bayan, and the bandoneon.
* China is the largest manufacturer and exporter of accordions in the world.
("Did you know" list stolen from http://www.ladyofspain.com website)


#Geek#

I have been playing around with PaintShop Pro and have learned how to use layers and make a collage. This is a step forward in making some 'before' and 'after' weight loss shots. I am showing one of the examples in the top right corner today! More to come on this subject. I think PaintShop (and PhotoShop) have become some new fascinating programs for me.

I updated my personal website (again) and am working on updating my "about me" description of this site. This is in conjunction of the end of the Fat 2 Five K name of the site. Once October 07 is here and I am finished with the first 5K, there really is no need to keep the title. I have a new title, and am chomping at the bit to use it.

I am planning on learning how to use Dreamweaver later this year. When this happens, I will be changing my personal site (again) using some Dreamweaver or Flash design.


#Money#

I have been researching the prosper.com website. At this site, neighbors help neighbors lend and borrow money. It is a noble concept, but I am trying to figure out "what is the catch". I may try it at a small amount to see what the benefits are.

Otherwise, slow and steady wins the race. I didn't spend any money this week - beyond gas and groceries. I did save another $100 this week in my savings.

My weight loss goals and financial savings goals are similar in that I don't feel like I am doing anything active to accomplish them. In reverse, I am NOT doing something to do something. Not overeating, Not overspending, Not falling back on my habits, Not getting off of the routine.


#Work#

Many interesting things are happening with my work. I have recently had glimpses of happiness with my work. Instinctively, this makes me worry, as I have found that just when you are comfortable, then something bad, or some change, happens.

I went to a STC event on Friday, and sat next to the President of a translation company. His company takes documentation (manuals, marketing materials, etc) and translates it for another language. After speaking with him briefly, he indicated that he had been away for a while as he volunteered to be on the STC board of advisors, and during this time, met my boss's, boss's boss. I had a really good conversation with him.

The meeting itself dealt with how to write better for a global community. It was interesting to consider how we write and how it may be translated for other people. For example, consider that 5% of the world speaks English as the first language. We were encouraged to use "Simple English" (which is good to do in general). Simple English asks you to write fewer words, if possible. Some writers think that adding words helps to describe what is going on, but readers generally gloss over the extra words anyway, so are unneeded. I do not use Simple English on the blog, but I do on my documentation.

At work, I have been studying Structured FrameMaker 7.2, and using a new template for the software manuals. It is a fun thing to learn.

#Personal#

During Spring Training, I purchased a year of online MLB, so I could listen to the Twins when I am in a place that I cannot play an AM radio. I can check on the score and listen in while at work, or away from home.

The other day I found a bonus of this purchase. For some reason, during a Twins vs White Sox, the Twins feed was not coming through, so I switched to the Chicago White Sox feed. I thought the announcers did a good job, and it was fun to hear another perspective on the history and quality of the local players. I learned some things that the local media don't reveal about the team.

What I found most interesting was that after the game, they continued to broadcast the local Chicago after-game-show. I realized that sports fans in other cities are just as clueless and moronic as sports fans in my city. The callers were hilarious, but sad because they seemed to not have heard the same game that I did. One of my new favorite things is listening to radio stations in other cities, and understand that people are about the same wherever they are from.

Maybe sometime I will speak about listening to sports stations in such places as Kansas City and Milwaukee.


#Dates to remember#

28, Saturday, 6:30 p.m.- Luck, Wisconsin
music from Shotgun Johnson and the Mississippi Seven

September 29, 2007 - Northfield, MN

5K race - finale milestone for the F25K blog.


I was thinking about how powerful books are and the power of reading. Lately, I have had conversations with random people from different parts of my life, and somehow the discussions have migrated to books. It occurs to me that a LOT of people have had 'eureka' moments - periods that have created change in their lives - through a book that they have read. In meditation, I thought of a couple books that I read that opened my eyes. The books I read had principals that seemed very good, but when I looked at my environment, I realized I was not living up to the principals that I was reading. It inspired me to dive deeper into matching what I wanted to do with what I was actually doing - and how to change.

I encourage you to chime in - add a comment, please. What books have changed your perspective on things? What books would you recommend to others for enlightenment?



more later,

Chazz

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If you aren't wearing Dockers, you are just wearing pants....

Motivation:

"Far better it is to dare mighty things to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered with failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that know not victory or defeat."
~Theodore Roosevelt

Diary:

Walking around SuperTarget, purchasing some vegetables, I saw a small boy running with some peppers. When he reached his mother, she scolded him, saying "No Danny, we only buy organic, we only buy ORGANIC!!" (For some reason this has stuck in my head this week. ORGANIC, ORGANIC, ORGANIC echo in my mind. She had a 'valley girl' accent, so it sound like a plea "orGANic". Lord help us, Danny, if our family's lips ever touch fruits and vegetables that aren't stamped as "ORGANIC"! PUT THAT DOWN DANNY, IS IT ORGANIC?)

For those who don't know, I must indicate that for the most part, there is very little difference between regular vegetables and those marked "organic". The federal government's rules about how foods are labeled is a confusing mystery, so for the most part even buying only organic foods doesn't mean you are going to be healthier or have better foods. You can debate this if you wish, but I think running after your children, haunting them about the evils of not eating organic..... well, I can think of better ways to use your time here on earth.


So, let's talk about Weight Loss, huh? Or, more specifically the lack thereof. On Tuesday, I was UP 5 pounds and I am not sure why. The counselors weren't sure why either. Here is the story: I am just doing the same thing all the time, and this has been resulting in weight loss. Every time - I weigh less - every time. Three things (more than three, but three major things) account for this:

1) I think of it as a game - with many mini-games. For men, at least, I am unsure about women, like to make games out of projects. Some of it is competitive, some of it is just to make it more understandable. Plus, Games are Fun, Work is Not. So, using helpers, such as Joe's Goals (see the chart at the bottom of the page) to track progress and mini-challenges help. For example, yesterday and today, I am doing a plateau breaker, only eating certain foods in order to trick my body into not knowing what is coming next. It is not fun - and somewhat annoying - but last night I played "how many stomach growls can you count in a minute". At the time, this game occupied my mind and made feeling hungry a fun thing to do. Now that I am writing this, it doesn't seem that fun - sounds like a game they might play at Guantanamo Bay. Ok, so maybe this particular game wasn't a good example, but I think you get the idea. Since this particular game ends tonight, it isn't such a big deal.

2) Training for the 5K in September helps to focus. This whole weight loss thing has caused me to become somewhat of a nuisance to people around me - due to a few things. First is that I think about food a lot - not that I think about eating food - but just the opposite. I have to spend a lot more time considering and planning for what I am NOT going to eat, based on what I am going to do that day. A great example was last Saturday. I planned on playing Golf with my friend all the way across town. This was fine, except after we were done, I was hungry and the offer to stay and have lunch and play games was put on the table. I was very interested in playing games and hanging out with my friends - but the idea of lunch was a big concern, causing me to become somewhat frantic (what do I do? will I find food I can have?) I have so many restrictions of what I cannot eat, that it simply is not fair for me to force this upon others. I don't want to cause my hosts to change their plans just because I was a lazy fat bum in my past. My current diet restrictions are my cross to bear, and I shouldn't be making conditions on others to change their plans for me.
So, I was pleased that they offered me chicken (good protein), had some lettuce for a salad, and some edemame (soy beans) which were a fun new snack. I went to Target, and bought some Melba toast for my starch and some peaches for fruit, and luckily had brought my weight loss supplements with me. I did not bring any snacks or energy drinks, which I usually take every day, but overall made it through the day alive.
I do spend about 20 minutes each day just spent planning my food lists for the upcoming time frame, to make sure I have my bases covered. I worry about this, however, as I don't want to come across as paranoid about it.
When I went to the clinic on Tuesday, someone there said "How do you stick to it for so long (16 weeks straight)? I broke down and had to eat some spaghetti last night." I was somewhat at a loss for words at this confession. My answer "I just stay focused and do what is on the list to do." The focus at this time is the 5K race in late September. I was just thinking, if I 'broke down' and ate spaghetti, well, a) it wouldn't be the end of the world, nor would I consider it a 'break down' necessarily, and b) I am starting to get pumped about running a 5k race, but realize I am a long way from physically ready to compete. I am focused to keep getting to a point that I can run the race without completely embarrassing myself.

3) Chazz Vader is a pseudonym, duh. Having an alias is a great tool to use in a very difficult project. (Oh, for those who don't know - Chazz Vader isn't my real name. Sorry for the bubble burst. Let me explain, however, that "Yes, Virginia, there is a Chazz Vader.") Having a secret identity helps in a couple ways: 1) Chazz is somewhat transparent, willing to share his thoughts and current status and concerns freely. Chazz doesn't really care what you think about him, and he is kind of a bad-ass because of this. You can rip Chazz, and he doesn't mind. Don't get me wrong, Chazz is fun and friendly and smart, smarter than a lot of people, and has perfect teeth. Chazz can be perfect even when his real-life persona is full of defects and physically, emotionally, and mentally dragging. 2) Chazz, at times, is the cross between a pit-bull and a robot. The pit-bull grabs onto a subject and doesn't let go. I heard that a pit-bull has a nose designed in such a way that allows it to continue to breathe normally while chomped down on an item. What a cool concept. The robot part of Chazz allows him to just follow routine over and over and over and over again - you can program a robot to do something that you don't feel you have the energy to do, and it will just do it without question.
I have at times thought "I can't do that," or "that will be humiliating" - so I just give it to Chazz. Ha! Chazz will do it. It is a lot easier to say "Let's watch as Chazz runs 2 miles today on the treadmill" than to actually have to do it. It makes things more of a lab experiment. "What happens if we have Chazz do xxx?" Can I lose 170lbs? Maybe - but I know that Chazz can do it, so let's give this to him.
It seems weird, and perhaps it is another reason to have me committed. Chazz is not a multiple personality, nor does he ever 'take over' like a conjurer. He is simply a helper - sort of like my other helpers, such as "RoboDriver" who I use during long drives cross-country. If I am starting to get tired, RoboDriver "engages" for a while, allowing me to reset my brain.

I think - with that last paragraph - I have guaranteed that no one will ride with me again.


Notes:

#Diet#

As always, check the sidebar for the current stats. My stomach is slowly - think snail-like motion - reducing it's size.

WOO-HOO - Down another 5lbs this week. I am very close to breaking the 300lb mark. I am just doing the routine - eating right, keeping the diary, drinking water, working out 30min a day, 5 days a week, sleeping, taking my vitamins and supplements (daily vitamin, omega oils, carb blockers, energy boosters, vitamin E, C, etc).


#Exercise#

I started treadmill work, in preparation for the 5k. I was at the gym, and all the elliptical machines were in use, so I decided to try to use the treadmill. My last experience with a treadmill was not so great, so I was sort of not expecting much. To my surprise, I went 30 minutes on the treadmill and it felt good. I found out 2 days later, however, that my legs were not ready for it. It felt as if someone was pulling a string from the bottom of my heels to the middle of my back, tighter and tighter as the day went on. Very uncomfortable feeling. I am glad to know this, however, this means that I will need to build up to the 3.2 mile run. I hope to get together with my friend Kurt soon, so we can make a real training game plan.


#Fine Art#

I am starting to feel better about my musical abilities. The band I am playing with is filled with great talent and great people. I enjoy playing and being with these guys, and I hope this group does really well. I especially appreciate how they help me and are patient with me. I brought the guitar to practice this week, and am planning to play the guitar for a few songs, and maybe the harmonica for a song, and accordian for the rest.

Overall, the rehearsal was good and more importantly, fun. I plan on attending more rehearsals.

#Geek#

So much geek stuff, it is hard to tell it all. I procured some deals to enhance my geekdom. I have a new nice 22-inch widescreen lcd monitor, which I found at a steal, a wireless keyboard and mouse - open box 1/2 price item, and more memory for my computer that I found online at a major discount - I can't wait!

Going back to Windows XP from Vista has made my life much easier. I am planning on updating my websites to reflect some information I discovered at a conference. Technology is very exciting - if you are a super nerd.

#Money#

I am staying consistent with my savings challenges, which has caused me to be very inventive with my shopping patterns. (Although it seems that I am buying a lot of stuff, I actually am being very patient and purchase things only when I see the best deals possible. I am pretty stingy when it comes to price, and will vocalize to the people at the stores what I would be willing to pay.)
Actually, traveling to other countries has made me more open to this barter. I will barter for odd things at times, just to see if I can get away with it, such as telling a grocery store manager "I would pay 50cents for this green pepper, even though you have it listed for $1." Most of the time, I get weird looks, and many stores (like a Best Buy) have no ability to change their prices at the store level without some justification, but every now and then, the worker will see that I am willing to pay something, just not what it is listed at, and will give me a discount.
Normally this occurs at my local hardware store, but I have had this work at a clothing store, and a department store. And once at a grocery store - just because I had something with me at the checkout lane, but decided I didn't want it. When asked, I just said I couldn't justify the price (It was something $2.99 item, like strawberries, or something). The checkout girl said "Yeah, these are not as good quality as normal - could I give you a discount?" I paid a dollar for them, and I felt like it was a win-win. The barter system is good, as long as you don't approach it like a jerk trying to make a buck, but if you approach it as, hey, I will pay xx, and you need to sell it, so let's make a deal... sometimes i bust, but it is fun to try anyway.


Along the lines of finding deals at stores, I received a coupon in the mail for a Memorial Day sale at the local "Fat Man Clothing Store". I call it that, because this store only market's fat men, like me. It is one of 2 or 3 stores in the city that has sizes over 44pant or 2xl shirt, and for that reason, they have a corner on the market. I think they do very well, based on the number of fat men that I see rolling in and out while I am there.

So, I tried on a couple shirts, and thought "I look pretty good in these shirts", so I bought them, but it wasn't enough money for the discount they were offering. So, I tried on a new pair of pants. Now, historically I would need to get the super-stretchy waistline kind, because of the comfort that this gives, but it also gives a bit of 'size confusion' because the waist might be a 56, but it will stretch to a 58. The salesperson at the store was helping me find some khaki pants in my size. The first pair of pants that I tried on were too large, and the salesperson threw another pair onto the dressing room door. Without looking at the label, I noticed that they fit nicely, and were comfortable. I indicated I would buy them, and noticed they were Dockers, size 48. A real 48, pleated pants - no stretchy stuff - just pants.

I tried to remember when I last wore Dockers - but am at a loss.

I noticed that JCPenney (Sears, and others) also sell 48 Dockers and 2x shirts, so now I am no longer limited to the Fat Man Store - but can spread my wings in the world of clothes shopping.

At the clinic today, my counselor said, "You look funny in those jeans. They are too big for you!"

I just started wearing these jeans! What the ??
I think it is time again to go through the closet and weed out the large clothes.

more later,

Chazz

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