My Niece's Birthday Reminds Me of My Goals

Photo from the Nutrilite Health Institute in Buena Park

Motivation:

"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done. Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you. You're better than that!"
Rocky Balboa
Speaking to his son in the movie Rocky Balboa (2006)

Diary:
I watched the movie "Rocky Balboa" on the plane while traveling to Irvine, California. I think I chose this movie because of my recent depression deciding what to do now that I have met some of my goals. I am desperately trying to get fired up to go for the next goal, I just need to take the next step. Also, in the last posts, I brought up Rocky, and so I had this character in my brain. In this movie, Rocky was retired from boxing, and through what probably is a preposterous series of events, comes out of retirement to fight the current boxing champion. Why? He kept saying that he still had "something in the basement" - something still in the bottom of his heart - some passion to "be somebody" again. Rocky says about the current heavyweight champion "Who am I kiddin'? I ain't even in the guy's league...It don't matter, 'cause I was nobody before...I was nobody. That don't matter either, ya know...It really don't matter if I lose this fight... 'Cause all I wanna do is go the distance... And if I can go that distance, ya see, and that bell rings, ya know, and I'm still standin', I'm gonna know for the first time in my life, ya see, that I weren't just another bum from the neighborhood."

Another, perhaps simpler way to say what Rocky is feeling might be "If you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it's OK. But you've got to shoot for something. A lot of people don't even shoot."

I enjoyed my "Birthday Gift Weekend" In California. I visited (toured) the Nutrilite Health Institute, which develops some of the weight loss supplements and products that I used to lose 250lbs, and continue to use on my way to achieve optimal health. I also met other people who had set goals (weight loss, health, financial, family goals, etc) and I heard several stories of people who had goals and dreams for improvements, and were met with obstacles, pain, embarrassment and loss. It was depressing to think about all the struggle and defeat these people had. What did they have along with their pain - a desire, and an ongoing reminder of their goals. They repeated their habits over and over again, over and over again, over and over again. As they made small steps, they could see how their life would be better as they would realize their goals.

Did they stop the pain and suffering involved in change? No. Did it make it more palatable? No. Sometimes challenge sucks - that is just how it is. Sometimes you fall on your face in a patch of black ice and take a moment to cry on the hard, cold cement outside your garage door.

But as much as change can stink, getting that glimmer of hope when you are down can be a beautiful, life changing moment. I pine for that feeling - want to get back to that feeling that what I was doing was exactly what I was supposed to be doing, that everything seemed to be happening for a reason, and that all my hard work was worth it. It doesn't just happen, though.

While watching the Super Bowl (congratulations New York Giants) I was very excited to see the half-time show. It was really classy, in my opinion, and I liked it. I use Tom Petty songs for my mp3 player when running and training - Running Down a Dream and Won't Back Down are good songs to have on a gloomy day. So, already I have a bias for this music.

What hit me while watching the half-time show, It hit me that while they "looked like" they were just out there having fun with the same old songs that they have been playing for years, I thought to myself, "wait, they have been playing for 10 minutes. how many hours did it take for them to prepare for this show?"

Of course the answer is impossible to quantify, because some of their preparation for this show took place years ago, before they even thought they would be introduced or invited to attend a super bowl. These beginning steps happened years ago, as they learned these songs, developed relationships in the band and gained a base of fans who appreciated their songs.

"It's mind-blowing [awesome]," Petty said. "It's something that I never even dreamed of. It never crossed my mind, but it's very exciting. We've had quite a week already. It's really something." Petty said it was really hard to select what songs from the band's lengthy career to perform.

The same is true with our goals. You can't merely look at your success and say "it takes XX to do this!" It took XX, but it also took AA, BB, CC, FF, MM, and so on. Every step is part of the process, even steps that seem to go backwards or sideways...

On my birthday, I received a wonderful card from my brother's family, with wonderful pictures of my nephew and nieces. The oldest of the three has a birthday a few days after mine, and I am always looking at the changes that I see in her face. She seems more mature every time I see her and her latest picture shows it. I wonder what steps she is taking now to be who she plans to be in the future. Will she be singing for the super-bowl half time show, winning a dance competition or running a presidential election? Maybe she will be caring and loving to her family and friends, or an inspiration to others around her? No doubt, she is taking steps to something worthy, even if she doesn't yet know what that something is.

On her birthday, I think about all the fun times I would like to have this year, and that is a goal that I can hold on to. When it comes to a project, having that desire or goal fresh in your mind is important - to focus on what you want to achieve helps the rest of the "chaff" to clear away. Some of the goals that I had on my list are still very much on the list, such as "Be able to play games with my nephew and nieces." "Go to baseball games with family and friends" and "Be around as the kids of my family and friends are growing up" It is for these reasons (and others) that I continue to commit to my habits, discipline, reaching for new goals, new milestones, striving to eat health, take natural supplements, move daily in my fitness routine, and *try* to live with a stress-free positive attitude.

Her birthday card is on it's way, just need to assemble it together.... I am so glad she is on my list.



So, similar to Rocky and the heroes that I met on the west coast, I am diving into my goal - head first. Back into training - again.

Starting this week, I am beginning a 12-week 5K training program. I choose a race at random, but it fits the timeline that I need to have to prepare for a race.

I am preparing to do the 5k Run/Walk For Batten Disease in St Paul, MN on Saturday, May 10, 2008. I don't know much about Batten Disease, other than it is a genetic disorder (I am familiar with this concept, as I was diagnosed with Galactosemia at birth). It will be timely, as a week later (May 17th) I will be traveling to Dallas to once again share my weight loss / optimal health experience with others and also to be a witness/cheerleader/motivator/encourager for others who wish to do the same.

If you are ready to start the 5K journey with me, I challenge you to join me. In 12 weeks, I assure you that you can participate. It is a Walk/Run event, so if you feel that a 3 mile run is too stressful, please consider doing the walk. It is a worthy experience. If you need help, let me know - I would be happy to help get you started.

SIMPLE IS NOT EASY

The Zen Habits blog discusses how you can eliminate stress and be healthier at the same time by simplifying your diet. I will try to compress these thoughts into the following list:

A healthy diet could be

• Simple. Everything should be easy to prepare and not take long.
• Nutritious. We need to get fiber, vitamins and minerals, protein, good fats, etc.
• Low in calories, saturated fat, sugar and cholesterol.
• Homemade - no Fast food or Junk food. it's high in saturated fat and sugar and that bad stuff.
• Whole food - not Processed food. No fiber, low in nutrition, high in calories. Try to get stuff in its natural state, without all the gravies and sauces and cheeses on top.
• Lean meats. If you want to eat meat, eat fish and boneless skinless chicken breast and turkey breast. Or try other forms of protein that doesn't have all the fat: tofu, nuts, whole grains, beans.
• Baked or Grilled instead of Fried food. Fried = High in saturated fat and calories. Look for baked or stir fried or even raw (as in fruits and veggies, not meat).
• Keep stocked with the essentials. By simplifying your food choices at home, you shorten your prep time and save $$ on groceries. Processed food costs are bundled with the packaging and marketing that aren't necessary.

A Simplified diet would have a lot of fresh fruits and veggies, beans, nuts, whole grains, including some simple meals:

• Breakfast: Whole-grain cereals (no processed or sugary cereals), homemade granola, fresh fruits, whole-grain toast with almond butter, scrambled eggs for protein.
• Lunch: Sandwiches of turkey or avocado with tomatoes and sprouts on whole wheat bread; pita filled with hummus and tomatoes and sprouts and lettuce; leftover soup or chili. Apple or orange for a dessert.
  
• Dinner: Hearty soups; homemade vegetarian chili - make a big pot of the easy-to-make chili or soup and it can last for days; hearty salad with nuts and spinach and avocados and lettuce and carrots and a light dressing; steamed veggies with seasoned brown rice; stir-fry tofu and veggies; butternut squash with couscous and chutney.
• Snacks: Fruits, cut-up veggies, nuts.
• Treats: Every now and then treat yourself with little things like a little bit of dark chocolate (watch out for sugar content), natural peanut butter or berries.
  

Other notes and Errata:

1. Stay tuned in the next couple weeks for BIG NEWS on the blog. I am not allowed to reveal the information yet, and it is driving me somewhat crazy.
   
2. The most recent St Olaf Magazine indicated that Chazz "writes that he has embarked on a mission to lose weight and lead a clean and healthy lifestyle. In a year and a half, Chazz lost more than 200 pounds. One of his major motivational goals was to run the 5k at St. Olaf during Homecoming and Family Weekend last fall. He not only ran successfully, but followed it up with a 5k affiliated with the Twin Cities Marathon."
   Ok - some correction MUST be made here. First, I never wrote this!!! I got a letter from my class thanking me for writing to the newsletter, and a very long explanation that I think was stolen from my blog and website. I then was stopped in the hallway at work and told "Hey I read your letter in the St. Olaf Magazine. When did you start a 'clean and healthy lifestyle'?" from one of my co-workers. So, that caught me a bit off-guard. I have no idea who wrote it or how it got in the magazine. It wasn't my first choice. seriously, why would they write "he writes" in the article, when I never wrote this!! How do I recant this, when supposedly they are claiming that I wrote the original? "Chazz writes that what was written in the magazine attributed to be written by Chazz was not previously written by him, but none the less is factual and really did happen, so he is not disputing the content of what was written but disputing that he, in fact, did not write it." Brilliant! Secondly, what is 'leading a clean and healthy lifestyle?' It comes off sounding like I am oh so much better than everyone else OR it depends on what your definition of *IS* is. On occasion my lifestyle is healthier and cleaner than others. Other times, my lifestyle is about as pathetic and dirty as you can imagine. Since they ("they" being whoever would be tasked to do this) haven't yet made a measurement comparing the health-o-meter or clean-li-ness-ness of a lifestyle, I think I am in the free and clear. I shudder to think of the day that you put your hand up to a monitor and it tells you "today your lifestyle is at level orange, which is a medium level of healthy and clean. please continue to monitor your lifestyle today with caution."
   
3. sweers3 asks "I'd like to know more about the "Jared Cooley" work out... who is he and where can I get in contact with him for my own work out. jas
   Chazz says: Sweers3, Jared Cooley is a fellow I met at a local fitness club. I don't know how you could get in touch with him, as I don't really know him. He wrote down a fitness routine for me on a cocktail napkin - sized piece of paper, and I spoke with him for only about 10 minutes. I think my best advice would be to ask a fitness instructor at your local club to sit down with you for a 30 minute session and map out your goals and a plan to get improvement. I hope this helps.
4. Thanks to Diamond Dave, Kaptain Karl and MaryR for your comments to the posts. Everyone is free to please post your comments and thoughts on the blog - share information and ideas if you want.
   
5. To MaryS, PremaP and Memphis, who have asked if I am going to start my "90 Days to Better Health" program - "Yes!" I am! I just haven't been feeling motivated to be able to pick up the ball and run with it. If you can wait just a few more weeks - I will be getting my act together and meeting with you to discuss how we should move forward.
   

more later,

Chazz

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Every coin has 2 sides - what are the chances?

Motivation:

"What distinguishes us one from another is our dreams,
and what we do to make them come about."
~Joseph Epstein

Diary:

I remember the clinic warning me about "taking a break" from my weight loss and health program. They indicated to me that I would be harder to stop and start over, than it would to just grit your teeth and drive through it.

At the time, I scoffed this idea, but now I am seeing why this may be the case. I am finding the 2nd time around - setting goals, getting motivated to workout and prepare my daily meals and supplements - it is sort of a hassle.

I have been watching the NFL playoffs, and thinking about the coin toss at the beginning of each game to decide which team starts with the ball first. Heads or Tails - Heads or Tails - there is the same chance every time. Even if you flip a coin 100 times, and they all come up Tails, there is still a 50/50 chance that the next flip will be Heads. The same way with starting up a new year of personal goals. Just because you succeeded or failed with last year's (or last months / last weeks / yesterdays) goal and milestones, doesn't really matter - except for perhaps your attitude and confidence.

With a new cycle, you still have -> input in -> output out. If you do all the things that made you successful the first time, such as daily planning, regularly setting and reviewing goals, repeating good habits, purchasing and using good materials (groceries, supplements, etc), and keeping a diary or calendar of your progress. If you stay committed, just like you did last year, this will help you to make strides this year.

I am seeing the challenge of a sequel. Rocky was a great story, but how do you get motivated to be "Rocky II"? The questions and fears that you may have had before about "can I do this?" are somewhat gone - you did it before, you surely can do it again.

Maybe you need to make a new bigger goal, or a different type of goal. Maybe think horizontally in your life. If you made a change or progress in one part of your life, do you feel like adding a goal in a different part of your life? I am excited to find new ways to motivate myself and stay committed while trying to reach new milestones. For example, getting excited about running a 5K again this year seems like a task right now, especially when the outdoor view I have is of a gray sky, snow on the ground, and a forecast of 7 degrees below zero and wind chill factors. What can I do to remind myself of my "Beat 32:00" goal - to take tiny steps now, knowing that when summer is around I need to be in full stride so that I can smash the milestone and feel great doing it. It is a mental challenge, as I know I can do it and will enjoy it, but right now it is difficult to visualize. This is where faith and hope come in. I need to continue to dream and have faith in the dreams, while understanding where I am - January, Winter, over my ideal weight and fitness level.

SIMPLE IS NOT EASY

Recently, I had a discussion with a couple of friends of mine about "Simplicity at work" and what our "roles" are at the office. One role we agreed that we fulfill is being a listener. A lot of times, I don't have the answer to the problem or question we are having at work, and a coworker just needs a sounding board, or a person there to interact with or lean on. It is an important, but simple role to play - because while it seems like we are doing nothing (actively doing nothing) in reality listening can be a very difficult activity to do well. It requires focus, attention, and empathy, three things that can be difficult for many to do.

During this discussion, we thought of things we can say when we don't have an answer. "Ok" is good, it implies an understanding of the situation and empathy, "What can we do to make this better?" is sometimes a good question to ask, as it may spark some outside the box thinking, which can be helpful in finding the next steps to do, or can help in fortifying the relationship.

My favorite idea from this conversation was "Take Your Time". "Take your time" is maybe the most simple way to acknowledge someone who is having problems with something and needs to get it off their chest. It does a couple of things in a relationship. First, it puts CONTROL in the hands of the other person. You have indicated to them that you are interested in listening, and will give the TIME that they need to fully explain the situation, and you are willing to listen to the whole story. You hopefully have made them comfortable to think through the problem and consider options that were not visible in a hurried mode. I love "take your time" as a response to "do you have a second to help me" or "can I discuss this problem I am having". I want to try and say "take your time" at least once per week. This should be a simple thing to do, but remember that SIMPLE IS NOT EASY. It will take some removal of EGO and PRIDE on my part, which is difficult. I think the return on this investment, however will be great. It is unmeasurable, however, as relationships and your position in a relationship isn't really measurable by # of hours spent or amount of help given.

So, I challenge you to start giving up yourself in new ways and let me know what you find to be the results.




more later,

Chazz

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2008! - New Year, New Mantra..

the Switzerland Holiday is packed away - Neutrality is over (for January)

You Voted - and Tied. I have decided that for now, black will stay - sorry for those who are having problems with the white type on black background. I am sure this will change at some time, but right now it will remain. Here we go with a new year!!!!

Motivation:

"To understand beauty, one must first understand ugliness."
~Benjamin Franklin

Diary:

2007 Mantra was "Obedience, Not Opinion", given to me by my friend Kendall Carlson, (not the only thing he gave me in 2006 - read on for more information). "Obedience, Not Opinion" was a great mantra for me - when I was feeling tired and not interested in training, when I was craving something that I shouldn't eat, when I was in a place that I was tempted by my own ego (what I thought I NEEDED at that moment to make me feel better) - I could remind myself "Obedience, Not Opinion". It helped me to put my life and my goals back into perspective. The obedience to the long-term goal trumps the immediate short-term opinion, sometimes based on fear, sometimes on peer pressure, sometimes on a poor self-image of myself, my opinion of myself and my place on this earth was really twisted for a while, and this mantra was of great benefit to me in my health and fitness goals.

However, I learned something near the end of 2007, during my Swiss vacation - a month long retreat from my "getting things done" routine. During this "break", I stopped journaling, stopped going to my noon-time run/lift, stopped measuring my food, stopped reading labels, stopped abstaining from alcohol, stopped taking my vitamins and supplements regularly, and stopped measuring/weighing in to track weekly goals.

Here is what I learned:

1. I gained weight! What a surprise, I sarcastically jest. The great part of this weight gain is that I feel like a bloated, lethargic, hideous beast! It is exciting. (I know, I know, some readers, especially family, will read this and shiver. Why is he excited about gaining weight? Why did he not stick with the direction he was going? What is he thinking?) Just have a little faith - this was the result of a planned break - I sort of needed this - let me explain in #2.
2. I realized how great I felt in November. Everyone I knew kept asking/telling me "You must feel great since you lost all that weight!?!" When the truth was that I was so devoted to the fitness/health "program" that I was never happy, never satisfied, never able to step back and enjoy myself. I didn't feel great - even when running the 5K race, it was HARD, and HARD isn't fun, or at least I didn't think it was. During the break time, I finally had a chance to look in the mirror and see a person that I was getting used to. I liked what I saw, and started to feel great about my accomplishment. Now I feel ok with saying "Yes, I do feel great with my weight loss, but I also feel great that my body is in better condition." Now that I am bloated and uncomfortable, I desire - am hungry for - getting back in fighting condition where I can go for a 3 mile run and have a buzz afterward. The break helped me to realize this.
3. Another thing I realized was that while I was eating right (whole, natural foods), exercising, and taking my supplements, I didn't feel sick - my insides were quietly doing their thing, and I felt healthy. I took 1 day sick from work, due to a food poisoning, and never once felt home-bound due to a stomach ache or malaise. Since I have stopped my regiment, I have a stomach that is constantly bothering me, headaches, gas and indigestion, bloating, and an all-over "greasy" feeling in my body - like my blood has sludge in it. It is nasty and I feel like just staying inside and not being social or productive. My energy level is declined and I don't feel motivated to do anything above and beyond basic tasks. Again, this is such a BLESSING! The blessing is this - I spent years with this feeling, and thinking this is just how I am - a natural feeling that I will live with. I now know that this is the most un-natural feeling that I should have. I have lived the last year+ feeling motivated, productive, energetic, empowered - and that is the real me.
4. Maintenance is somewhat of a misnomer. I am not saying that it would be impossible for me to stay in a maintenance mode, however recently I have discovered that it may be better to be in a "cutting" or "bulking" mode - never in a "maintenance" mode. For the last 9 months, I was in an extreme "cutting" mode, limiting my calories and upping my aerobic exercise. What I have been doing for the last month is NOT "bulking". Bulking is adding calories specifically to add lean body mass, while limiting body fat. In bulking, you may change up the fitness routine to add core muscle toning, but reduce running and aerobic activities that you would do during cutting. This way, you never stay at the same weight, you are adding and reducing, but never adding fat deposits. Now, I have not been cutting or bulking, I have been doing something I now like to call "reverse liposuction". Ha! The plan for 2008 is to restrict "cutting" to only 12 weeks or less, then switch to a "bulking", allowing for more food options, without going overboard in either direction. I would never encourage someone to doing the extreme cutting that I did. It worked, but I think it wasn't as healthy as it could have been. Long term, I think the practice is the way to go, but modifications should be made in more reasonable time-periods. This whole paragraph didn't make any sense, so this year I need to put this test into practice and I will let you know how it works as we go along. It is a more Kaizen approach (little steps) which I think makes more sense for a life-long, sustainable health program.
   
5. Journaling, Planning, and Measuring are a pain - but they work. A month with any Accountability or Self-Discipline results in exactly what you put into it. I met a man during my break who was interested in losing weight, and indicated that he was "working on it", but I witnessed him eating nachos, fried chicken wings, beer, something called "colorado bulldogs", and other snacks along the way. He was asking for my advice on what I did to lose weight. Huh. What do I say? I just tried to give a "you can do it" raw raw talk, when in reality I should have said "You are what you eat!" It is hard - I will say that it is very hard to give up your own desires and bow to Accountability and Discipline. However, I still do believe that we are built with the Will Power to overcome our obstacles. Habits and Motivation can help conquer Cravings. Another thought on this subject can be found here. I didn't just wake up one day and start losing weight - I used my tools and techniques to set up an environment for me to accomplish my goals. The goal just happened to be losing fat, but your goal could be anything. If you have a goal to save more money, but you never open a savings account, what good is your goal? You have to put the structure together and then make small steps to do it. I honestly don't think he would have been able to appreciate a lecture on discipline and self-control, and it probably wasn't the time or place. I do wonder if people think it is as easy at I made it look. It wasn't / isn't easy. mmmmmm maybe I have an idea....

NEW MANTRA FOR 2008!!!!

"SIMPLE IS NOT EASY"

What does this mean? Well, I may be reflecting on this throughout the year. It may seem to be a very plain thing, but it does have layers. Being "simple" doesn't equate to "lacking judgment", although my first search of the Bible might give you this impression. I would propose that living simply is perhaps more complex than you may believe.

Over the next 12 months, we may drop in on this thought from time to time. We may try to answer a few questions:

• What would a simple diet look like?
• Is a complicated fitness plan better than a simple exercise routine?
• How would your day unfold if you focused on the simple?
• How would you organize your home to simply find the things you use?
• What would a simple budget look like? Where would you spend your money?
• Do you like to pamper yourself with luxurious gifts, or are you satisfied with simple rewards?
• What are the simple things that you use every day, yet you would find yourself lost without?

I remember sitting on the Cannon River with my friends, a baguette and a nice cheese and some apple cider. Talking and watching the river and enjoying our snacks. It was so simple - but it is still one of my most entertaining, enjoyable memories of college years. Simple folks talking about simple things on a very simple day.

Living Simply does take some effort, however. This years goals will be focused on the simple life, but that doesn't mean it will be easy.... this could be exciting!

Notes:


Random note: Today (January 2) is the coldest day of the year. (Since we have only had 2 days, not a big record, huh.) It was -4 degrees according to my thermometer, and that is a pretty impressive number.


New Year's Gifts - a follow-up to the Hong Kong Suits:

If you haven't read the story about Sitlani Custom Tailors, search the blog for this post. It is somewhat interesting, I guess. The short story is that in 1994 I purchased thousands of dollars worth of suits, coats, pants and shirts from a tailor in Hong Kong. When I returned from my trip, they were just right, but I had no reason to wear them. As I grew and grew, the clothes were no longer the right size to fit me and they were left in a closet as "someday" outfits.

When I lost my first 100 lbs, I didn't change pant/shirt sizes. It was very frustrating, but for some reason I lost a century of weight, but still had the same body frame. I tried on the Hong Kong suits a year ago, and they were still too small. I put the clothes back in the closet. I was getting frustrated and sad. I had spent so much on these clothes, and have carried them with me to 4 different homes - they were a physical representation of a dream that was lost and my struggle to get back to a respectable size. And I still couldn't use them.

Fast forward to July 2007. My sister and mother are in town to visit and they have brought some hand-me-downs from other family members. I am trying them on, and thinking "I bet I could wear my Hong Kong Suits". So I try them on and they FIT! I show them to my sister and she says "Oh, those are too big for you, they make you look frumpy." I had surpassed the weight loss to be able to use these clothes that I had been carrying with me for all these years. I was sad and upset about this. I spent so much emotional energy on wanting to be able to use the Hong Kong suits - and now I have nothing to show for it.

I ended up sending this off to other family as hand-me-downs, leaving me with no suits that fit me. The last suit I had was for my size 62 waistline body, and my hopeful "new" suits were now too big for me.

Fast-Fast-Forward to New Year's Eve Day. I called my friend Cheryl to wish her a Happy Birthday and Blessed New Year. She thanked me and indicated that she was packing for her family's move and had a few sweaters that she thought would be my size and wanted to know if I would like to have them. Sure! I can use sweaters. I dropped by to find them busily packing and preparing for a move and got a chance to speak with them about all sorts of things. I realized how much I will miss them, and was reminded that I appreciate their wisdom, humor and friendship.

Kendall jumped up and stated that he was sure there were other things that he had not had a chance to pack. He came downstairs with an armful of clothes and encouraged me to try them on. I did and they were "almost" perfect fit. If I was at my November size (which I should be back at in Feb/March timeline) they would have been excellent fit. They were all very handsome sports coats and I really liked the way I looked with them on. Kendall's mom indicated that I would be a very handsome date wearing these jackets. I agreed.

I left with a dozen sports jackets, a basket of shirts and pants and a bag of sweaters. I also left with a huge boost of encouragement and energy to get re-started with my fitness plans for the upcoming month and a bunch of real, physical goal markers that I will enjoy using.

I don't know how to thank my friends for their gift of clothes. It more than makes up for the loss of the Hong Kong suits - it was a real need and a blessing from out of nowhere. I have to find a way to thank them. I think part of it will be to get back into lean shape, then get some quality portrait pictures taken using my new clothes. I can't wait to have them see the shot in the arm that they gave me just at the right time.


more later,

Chazz

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