Day 409 - Adorable Blog Award

Back to work we go. Well, right after publishing this post that is. Hope all had a great holiday weekend. We enjoyed ours here. Saturday was our daughter's high school graduation, Sunday got in a couple of miles just before we we're treated to a monsoon of a thunderstorm, and yesterday we got in 4 miles before settling in to clean our rifles while the ribs got busy in the smoker. Good times...

How was your holiday weekend?

Karen over at Waisting Time gave me a blog award last week, The Adorable Blog Award. Very kind of her to do so. Not often I get called adorable so this is a rare treat for me. Kittens are adorable, so my wife says. But I'd rather be adored than have another cat in the house to adore; we have four, that is enough.

Rules of the Award
*Thank the person who gave you this award, and link back to them in your post.
*Tell us 10 things about yourself.
*Nominate your bloggers.
*Contact these bloggers, and let them know they received this award.

Ten things about me huh, lets see here; completely random and rapid-fire here I go....
1. Tomatoes, I love Tomatoes!
2. I grilled corn in the husk yesterday, husking corn is not fun; I'd rather have grilled Tomatoes.
3. Saw the Hangover Part 2 last week, Sick, Twisted and Hilarious; glad I went.
4. It has been at least a year and likely closer to two since I have had a real hangover.
5. Stacey Dash is trending on Twitter right now, I have no idea who that is.
6. If I were 18 again, I would not be in such a hurry to grow up.
7. I am hoping the Boston Bruins beat the Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup Finals.
8. Frisbee, I never found throwing a frisbee to be enjoyable.
9. Zippers or Velcro; I am old school, give me a zipper!
10. Something I never understood, How is it that Willie Wonka is so skinny?

It has been a while since I have received/passed on a blog award. Let me pass on the fun to the following...
Ewa from Trail To Wellness
Tim from Fat Boy Thin
Sarah from not An Effing Diet
Floriana from Sugarless Diet
MandaPanda from Candland To Bandland
Carrie from Family Fitness Food
Christine from Phoenix Revolution

And I could go on and on for sure as I adore all of you who blog for fun, for fitness, for sanity, for insanity. By all means check out those I have linked to here, you wont be sorry.

Have an Adorable Day!

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 274 - I am Irresistibly Sweet

Saturday is here, sweet!

No real big plans this weekend. My wife has been fighting a naggy cold all week so depending on how she feels when she wakes up that will go a ways to determining whether it is a quiet weekend at home or if we venture out a ways.

Exercise is in my plans for this weekend. I did not get in as much during the week as I wanted. Now I know I cannot make up for lost exercise and I don't plan to try. But I want this weekend to include a couple of excellent work outs because I need them and I get a great rush at the end of a work out which was challenging, executed well and leaves me sweating.

Yesterday I received a very sweet surprise in the form of  The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award which Stephanie of She's In There Somewhere honored me with. I must say that is one delicious award.

With this award I need to list five guilty pleasures and then pass this on to three fabulous (& sweet) bloggers that I know and love; so here we go...

Let me do this backwards and hit up the trio of sweet bloggers to honor:
Karen @ Sunshine's Heart
MandaPanda @ Candyland To Bandland
Patsy @ Musings on a 100+ Weight Loss Journey

So, five guilty pleasures, hhmmm...


source

Bacon!
Bacon is romantic
Bacon is sexy
Bacon is intoxicating
Bacon is the secret to world peace
Bacon is the perfect vegetable
I LOVE Bacon

source

Buffalo Wings
We served wings at our wedding.
Wings are part of just about every party we host.
Even on my weight losing ways I enjoy wings once a week.








source

Ben & Jerry's Chubby Hubby
OMG, the best ice cream this side of Neptune.
Pretzels in Ice Cream - BRILLIANT!












source

White Almond Bark.
My Grandma would make this for me every year at the holidays.
That was the only time of year I got this treat.
These days my wife & daughter make it for me at the holidays.
They come real close to Grandma's work, close.








source


Labatt Blue, my favorite beer on the planet.
Yep, I am as patriotic an American as there is, but Americans just can't brew great beer.
Oh we brew some good ones, but great ones, not.












Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 271 - Stylish Blogger Award

Good Morning one and all! Hope all are enjoying the whether it has been filled with snow and hot chocolate, or, sun and chocolate milk.

We received about six inches over a days time here in the Chicago area. Which is akin to a fly buzzing about for a few seconds; easy stuff for the hearty folks here. Nothing was shut down, the roads moved with minimal slow down due to conditions; it was a tame dose of fluffy light harmless snow. Those of you that endured the not so nice dose of sloppy heavy nasty snow, bummer;it'll melt soon enough.

Yesterday I was graced with the honor of receiving a blog award. Thank you to Michele and Josh @ Healthy Cultivations for honoring me with this Stylish Blogger Award. Check them out if you have not yet done so; great site for awesome food pics and thoughts on being mindful in eating and life.

Ok, some business for me in accepting this award:

1. Post and link back to the person who awarded you this award;
2. Share 7 things about yourself;
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers (or as many as you can); and
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them they’ve won!

I can do that, here we go...1. Did that above.

2. Seven Things, whew, see if I can come up with some winners
--1-- I do not have a myspace account, perhaps I should apologize to the 500 people that they just laid off.
--2-- Rye bread is my favorite, if it is not rye bread it really is just a sponge made out of food
--3-- I do NOT get what folks get all excited for Shark Week on television; that is cool why?
--4-- I have used the snow blower only once this winter; I now shovel by choice!
--5-- Watching the news on TV to be so 1992 and thus rarely do; by the time the news comes on TV I already know it all thanks to my blackberry or laptop.
--6-- I truly believe that Rachael Ray wants me; don't tell my wife please.
--7-- I'd run for President but I have a moral issue with being paid for doing nothing; but if I change my mind and win you better believe I am serving venison at the inauguration luncheon.

3. Hmmm, 15 recently discovered great bloggers, not all are recent but let me recognize...
Zineb @ Losing My Baby Weight
Carrie @ Family Fitness Food
Rinn @ Ring Around Rinn
Chubby McGee @ A Mom On A Journey To get Fit Forever!
Suzanne @ Scared Of Wearing A Bathing Suit
Darla @ My Winning Year 2011
Stephanie @ She's In There Somewhere
John @ Prior Fat Guy
C. @ The Evolution of Me
Mrs. D @ In Pursuit
Kelly @ KellyisLosingWeight - I am a Future Thin Girl!
Michele @ Ruminations and Uncovering: Toward a New ME!
Anne @ How I am Losing It
Cinner @ ME, MY FOUR CHINS AND I
andi @ My Quest for a Yummy Life!

4. Done

Have a Great Day!


Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 154 - Cherry On Top Award

Lanie Painie has honored me with an award yesterday.



Thanks again Lanie! She definitely does have a beautiful blog, I mean, it has allot of orange on it. Orange is my favorite color! She has a bit of 'then some' too, she understands who she is,that she own her own choices including what she eats & how much she moves.





Ok, this award's rules for eligibility are:

1. Answer the question, "If you had one chance to go back and change one thing in your life, would you and what would it be?
This is a really tough question. Certainly I'd change a number of things if I could roll the clock back say 30 years. Some people say they would change nothing in their lives. Seriously, I have doubts there isn't at least one thing all of us can find we'd change if given the chance. Ok, here is mine...

I would have completed my college degree in four years, not the nineteen it took me to do so. Now I know that is not a health related change. But if pressed for one I really have to choose between this and whether or not I should have kissed Tammy on the first date in 1982. A story for another day. Not completing my degree in my early twenties certainly reduced some of my career options early on. Now I did real well to succeed & climb the ladder despite not having a degree for many years, but I often wonder which doors weren't open to me for so long because I didn't have a proper ticket to the dance.

2. Pass on to six people and inform them of the award.
Hhmmm... Six who have beautiful blogs and then some. Ok, here we go:

1. Liz
2. Karla
3. Clyde
4. Jae
5. The Heavy Man
6. Christine

 Have a Great weekend!

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 153 - Fuel For Life Award

Good Morning, Good morning! Um, is it morning where you are? If not Good Day to you then.

Today I have a pair of doctor appointments, yeah I hear you; yippee kay yay for me. Boring you with details I wont do today but I will say this is the day I will learn just what that blemish was I had removed, or mole as some have come to refer to it; factually it is a skin lesion. Shoot, failed; I went & bored you didn't I?

Final doctor tidbit is that I'll get these surface stitches removed. If you looked at my progress pictures on Thursday then you saw in my 40% shots I have that bandage on my right cheek still. Looking forward to saying sayonara to those stitches & the bandage.

Misunderstood and Admired honored me with an award yesterday - Thanks again!

He sent some very kind & admirable words my way with his award presentation, you can read them on his blog via that link there. If you are not a follower of Misunderstood and Admired, you really ought to check him out.

With sincere appreciation I accept this award and at the same I must spread credit for it out amongst my fellow bloggers with who I am engaged regularly. Together we put blogging to use. Blogging is not a video game, it is not aimless surfing of the net to kill time. Yes, it is enjoyable but it is also beneficial & useful to our missions to getting healthy.

Lets see, I have been blogging for well 153 days now. On day one I expected blogging to be simply where I would organize my thoughts on how to go about losing weight. Maybe, probably not, but just maybe I'd gather some pointers along the way too. My expectations were low, but my curiosity was high. Thank goodness it was too as I've been rewarded a zillion-fold for my explorations. A few blog visits here a few more there, and wow; I was buried in a torrent of new knowledge I could put to immediate use thanks to bloggers such as all of you.

This award has some responsibilities to follow, so let me get down to business...
1. List three things that you are happy about at this very moment
a- I am happy about being able to rise above my own self-imposed perceived limitations and enjoy the immense surprise from my own results
b- I am happy about having family by my side & having all of you here in blogosphere join me too
c- I am happy about the Chicago Blackhawks possessing Lord Stanley's Cup

2. List three things that played a big part in your current focus on weight loss and inner growth
a- Shutting out negativity. We can fail, learn from failure, and even feed off of it. But negativity too often is the straw that breaks the back of many an effort to get healthy; I have chosen not to accept or even acknowledge any negativity on this mission - none
b- One at a time. Success happens one choice at a time. I have planned to lose 121 pounds, but I attack the plan one choice - one decision - at a time; just one & no more.
c- A new respect & a new approach to food. I haven't talked about this much, or perhaps not at all; but I shall in a post soon

3. Pass this award on to a blogger that you feel really deserves it
'A' blogger huh, just one... whew who oh who do I give this to?
Ok, I will stay within the same essence of the presentation in which I was given this award...
Someone I've had as a friend from the beginning (she was the first to ever post a comment on my blog in fact)
Someone whose energy I feed of off
Someone who has demonstrated they can put it all together into a rhythm and groove
Someone who has FUELED my tank

Thank You DAWN

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 137 - A Happy 101

Eating was excellent on Tuesday and exercise was minimal. Soccer practice in the early morning and a soccer game in the evening stunted my available time, well, I let it stunt it. After work when we got the game the previous game was 25 minutes behind schedule so I went next door and got some cardio in on Stanton Hill. Not my usual event where I do as many laps up & down in 30 minutes, didn't have time for that. But I did have time for about 1/2 of it before our game started. Planning more cardio this evening and more excellent eating today as well. Are you?

Karla was so kind as to honor me with a thank you by giving me a Happy 101 award. Thank you Karla! Nice looking award, look at them cup cakes. I like cup cakes, and they have sprinkles too! Zero calories if you just look, or if you try & lick them off of the monitor screen. Not that I tried, serious, I didn't.

OK, awards are fun, and awards have rules. Rules by definition are not always fun, but remember, these rules came with a picture of cup cakes, so I dig in to them with pleasure; the rules that is..

First, I need to state 10 things I like...

1. Greek Yogurt (recently discovered awesomness)
2. Alternative History author Harry Turtledove 
3. Hunting (just deer hunting now, next year going to turkeys too)
4. NASCAR & Roush Fenway Racing (greatest sport on the planet)
5. Real BBQ'ing (especially ribs & shoulder, if I didn't need money I'd do it at a competitive level)
6. Hockey & the Chicago Blackhawks (2nd greatest sport on the planet)
7. Exercise (Yep, never thought I'd say that, but I have come to like it)
8. Darts (my father played for money, I play with the kids to be a more connected father)
9. Collecting Hot Sauce (collection is almost at 300 bottles now, I'll get some pics of it soon)
10. Franks for the Memories (Best wings on the planet)

Second, I need to pass this award on to 10 other bloggers I wish to share some cup cake happiness with...

1. Dee
2. Amelia
3. Aliana
4. Misunderstood and Admired
5. MandaPanda
6. Deb
7. Jo
8. Tish
9. Clyde
10. Alan (Pounds Off Playoff)

 Thanks again Karla!

Everyone, whatever it is you choose to do today; enjoy!

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 114 - Blog With Substance

Welcome to a new week everyone.

What do you have planned for your success this week?

Myself, EXERCISE, 4x this week minimum. EATING, balanced & sensibly portioned meals & snacks daily. FUN, if it aint fun I don't want to do it this week; sorry non-fun-stuff not this week. BLOG, The past week with all that has gone on at home I have not been as attentive to your blogs as I like, that changes today!

Thank you to my friend Marie at And then the refreshments come... for honoring me with this Blog With Substance Award!

Rules, the rules for the award are as follows:

1. Sum up your blogging philosophy, motivation, and experience in 5 words:
Hmm, sum up three things in five words; Ok, I like a challenge. Boisterous, Forthright, Tenacious, Enumerating, and Quintessential.

2. Pass it on to 10 other Amazing blogs:
I could honor so many many bloggers here. But I'll put up just 10 here somehow, enjoy the award folks, my pleasure to honor you!
Allan @ ALMOST GASTRIC BYPASS
Julie @ Julie Lost And Found
Suzi @spunkysuzi working towards a healthier me
Clyde @ The Clydesdale Project
Tish @ Incremental Improvements
Vickie @ Vickie's Voice
Bobbie @ Anonymous Fat Girl
Manda Panda @ Candyland to Bandland
Trina @ Dropping the pounds, Picking up my life!!
Rapunzel @ In Pursuit of my Inner Pin-up

There, TEN... 10 of nearly 100 I follow and am so grateful to share my days with.

As noted yesterday my son & I went to the Cubs game. They lost, 11-4, typical for me attending a game. I had trouble uploading pics from the stands yesterday, all I got off was the sunflower seed shot; so I didn't take many pics as it were. But here are a few from the game...

The famous Wrigley Field manually operated scoreboard. This was before the game started and they put up all of the zeros the Cubs were producing...











This embarrassingly I must share was my seat at the game; look at the damn I-Beam pole in front of me? When I got the tickets from Stub-Hub there was no reference at all to Limited View seating. None. Argh...

Last but not least, there is Andrew on the 'L' train texting who knows which of a handful of bff's... Notice his shirt if you can, "Failure Is Not An Option"; Amen to that...











Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 90 - Versatile Blogger Award

Good morning everyone. Let's see if I can pull this post together quickly. I've been pushed by Jody to go tackle Stanton Hill often and this morning she is getting her wish; this one's for you Jody! Many of you may know Jody, but some may not. She is a very popular and accomplished blogger and I highly recommend reading what she has to say. Actually, I would suggest you start with her post HERE from yesterday re: The 2010 Team Sarcoma Initiative. Great cause and amazing job she is doing in leading the fight on this rare form of the beast. But I don't recommend her post from today, oh no. It is about pancakes,yes PANCAKES! The pictures she has there; amazingly! Be warned, they are so inviting - you don't want to be like me and actually start sniffing the pc screen in hopes for just a small whiff. I said sniff people, not lick or nibble! What do you think I am goofy? Seriously, check out all of her posts, sniff the screen, and join her cause if you can,and say Hi.



Thank you to my friend at First Steps for honoring me with this Versatile Blogger Award!

Rules, the rules for the award are as follows:
1. Thank the person giving the award
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Nominate 15 newly discovered blogs.
4. Let your nominees know about the award.

So let me play by the rules now...

1. THANK YOU once again! If you are not following First Steps, you should!

2. Seven things huh. So far I have shared 17 unknown facts with you with past awards, and I don't want to give you any duplicates; thinking... Ok, here are my 7 for this award...

1. I have dyed my hair light brown for about 8 or so years now. If I didn't I would be all grey. I don't mind grey hair, but I went grey in my late 20's and that was just too young for me. So in my mid-thirties I learned to dye in and do so once a month.
2. My wife does most of the work on the bills. She is an accountant/financial management type and it all comes natural to her. Oh how I love my wife!
3. My favorite band is Chevelle, hands down! 
4. I believe what comes out of Hollywood has never been as anywhere near as good as it was when John Wayne was alive. 
5. I grill our dinners outside 80% of the time; cooking indoors pales to cooking outdoors. 
6. I have stared down the barrel of a gun and into the eyes of the man willing to pull the trigger and talked my way out of a bad ending.  
7. I bond with my kids while playing darts; the more we play the more talk. The more we talk the more I am involved, I know, I understand and thus the more I can influence their making better choices.

3. For nominating 15 newly discovered blogs, I am not sure 'what newly discovered' means really. Newly discovered by me I suppose, not new to blogging necessarily. That's my interpretation. My 15 here are mostly newly discovered by me, some not as new as others but hey I have only been here 90 days now - In no order of anything here they are...

1. Kristen-Conversations With My Inner Skinny Chick
2. Luke-The Super Fatlete
3. Christine-Phoenix Revolution
4. Michelle-The Garlic Chronicles
5. Seth-Fit WIth A Purpose
6. Dan-At Darwin's Table
7. Going For 96
8. Lisa-In Weigh Over My Head
9. Allan-Almost Gastric Bypass
10. Debbie-Weigh Down
11. Michael-Free The Wolf
12. Vickie-Vickie's Voice
13. Rick-Fat Bastard
14. Lynda-Taking Less Space
15. Grace-Grace's Fat Chance

 4. On my way to do that now... enjoy the award folks, my pleasure to honor you. I could have honored so many many more too!

Go gett'em this Friday!

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 80 - Fab Sugar Doll Award

Oh Yeah!- someone has blessed me with an award...

Michelle honored me with The Fabulous Sugar Doll Blogger Award yesterday - Thanks Michelle!

Now I have been called many things in my days, yes - including Sugar and I think even Doll once. But, I don't believe I have ever been thought of as a Sugar Doll. I am not sure I know what a Sugar Doll is. As they say, there is a first time for everything.

This is my third blog award and I am grateful to have received it. Blogging is something I find quite enjoyable and sharing the ups & downs of our missions to get healthy, learning from each other and helping each other, I not only find all of it enjoyable but I consider an important indredient of my recipe to getting healthier. It is the people that I blog with that keep me coming back each day.

This award has some rules to follow so follow them I shall...

Rule #1… I have to link back to the giver, which I have done above, thanks again Michelle.

Rule #2... You have to list 10 little known things about me. OK, I can do that. I may have to give a bit of thought to come up with 10. With the Beautiful Blogger award I had to come up with 7 so I don't want to give you any duplicates. Here are my 10 for this award...
1... My first job was as a dishwasher at the Golden Bear restaurant; this was back in 1981 when I was 16. I would later be promoted to cook and then demoted to bus-boy.

2... I once ate 52 ribs in a single all-u-can-eat sitting at Sizzler, 1982 with my friend Mo who ate even more than I did.

3… I had the game winning rbi in the final game of the season to clinch our little league team a spot in the playoffs, 1978. I got to second base looked back to the bench and saw the entire team rushing out to me in celebration; I had no idea what I had done until I saw them coming at me.

4... My first day of kindergarten was not good, 1969. First I cried and cried when mom dropped me off and I realized she was leaving me there. And then some kid took the toy car I was playing with and wouldn't give it back! Jerk - I wonder how his life has turned out?

5… As I young teenager I had a crush on Kristy McNichol of the TV show 'Family'.

6... I prefer black licorice over red.

7... I can't dance, not even a bit. Saying I could dance even a little bit would be an over statement and an insult to people that actually can dance a little bit.

8... Harold Ramis once had the honor of relieving himself in the urinal next to the one I was using. No, I didn't ask him for his autograph.

9... I don't get neck ties, I mean I don't understand the concept behind why it ever became fashionable for men to drape a strip of cloth from their neck and down their chest & abdomen.

10... Boxers

Rule #3… When you receive/accept this award you must then pass the award on to 5 other blogs. Just 5; well I can do that but which 5 is tough, so many here deserve recognition for their blogging. In no particular order...
Here are three lady-bloggers I am honoring...
Karen
Patsy
Anne

Here are two gentlemen-bloggers I am honoring...
Kyle
Clyde

I don't think any of them have received this award, I didn't see it posted on their blogs. But if I was wrong and you have it already let me know and I will award to another.

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 61 - Beautiful Blogger Award

Whoohooo - I received an award; how cool is that!!!

LISA honored me with an awarded yesterday - Thanks again Lisa!

This is my second blog award and I am very happy to have received it. Certainly credit goes back to all whom I blog back and forth with as together we make this experience called blogging worth our time and truly find it enjoyable.

This award has some rules to follow, so let me get down to business.

Rule #1…When you receive/accept this award you must then pass the award on to 7 other bloggers you consider to be beautiful bloggers. Just 7 huh, well here are 7 bloggers that are certainly deserving. Certainly I could have named many others. In no particular order here are the 7 whom I am honoring...

Amy
Kimmi
Carla
Debbie
Mertle
Vinny
Ron

<< After awarding this to Jody & FiTCETERA they informed me that they have received it already (not surprised) so I saw it only fitting to honor other beautifl bloggers with it >>

I don't think any of them have received this award, I didn't see it posted on their blogs. But if I was wrong and you have it already let me know and I will award to another.

Rule #2… You have to list 7 things about yourself that others did not know. That should be easy, I think. Here are my 7....

1... I collect hot sauce, my collection is just under 300 bottles and growing. I spent ALLOT of $$$$ on custom shelving for them in our kitchen (I'll share some photos soon)

2... I picked at earning my bachelors degree for 19 years (graduated in 2007 w/ a B.S. in Technical Management)

3… I was in line awaiting my omelet at my employer's cafeteria when 9-11-2001 went down. The cafeteria server (who I despised) told me that a plane flew into the WTC and I said, "Yeah, right. Are my eggs done yet?" Imagine my horror when I got back to my desk and everyone around me is dialed into CNN, FOX, etc. websites streaming news and photos of the WTC on fire. I never did eat that omelet.

4... I met the Beast, battled the Beast, and Kicked it's A$$, I am a cancer survivor (colon - 2001)

5… I made a promise to my Grandmother just before she died (1996) that I shall be alive when the Chicago Cubs win their next World Series title. Today I joke about this and tell people that I made a pact with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to be alive when the Cubs win their next World Series title (Harry Potter fans will appreciate that)

6... I ate a 36 ounce steak to celebrate the news that we were pregnant with my son (1993)

7... I am a US Marine (active duty 1983-87 honorably discharged)

Have a Beautiful Day!

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 29 - 11% Progress

FIRST > Happy Birthday to my sister! She is three years younger than I and has been healthy her whole life for the most part. May that be true for a long time to come.

SECOND > I have been given an award! Thank You River and also Kyle. River bestowed it upon me yesterday, and Kyle did so back on April 30th. I must confess that when Kyle awarded it to me I didn't understand it, how awards work here, so I didn't make the connection as to it's meaning and the thoughtfulness behind giving it to me. Recall, I am new to Blogger, as of today I've only been here 29 days. But today, I do get it, understand the awards I've seen on the many blogs I follow and I am honored to have been recognized by both Kyle & River. Thank You both of you!!!

Now that I get it, I then too recognize that in accepting this award I have the following rules to consider:

1-Get really excited that you got the coolest award EVER!
2-Choose one of the following and post it on a blog post.
(a) Get really drunk and blog for 15 minutes straight, or for as long as you can focus
(b) Write about your most embarrassing moment.
(c) Write a “Soundtrack of your childhood” post.
(d) Make your next blog a ‘vlog’/video blog.
(e) Take a picture of yourself first thing in the morning, before you do anything else (hair, make up, etc) and post it.
3-Pass the award on to at least three, but preferably more, awesome bloggers as yourself. Don’t forget to tell them.

For Number 1; oh yeah I am excited! No doubt there...
For Number 2; Hhmmm, 2a is the obvious choice but man I am not looking for a hangover, 2c is not doable as I am no mix-master, 2d is something I am not set up for and should fix, 2e requires me to think about doing so as I wake up which is not likely, so... 2b it is (see below).
For Number 3; There are so many I could pass this on to, but in sticking to the rule for just three I shall bestow this upon... Blue, Trina, and Dave

All three have inspired me in various ways, gave me things to think about which 29 days ago I wouldn't have considered, and simply are very deserving of this honor for their efforts. Blue, Trina & Dave please accept this award and have fun in passing it on.

Here it is 2b; My most embarrassing moment... Way back in college on a hot summer evening my girl friend & I went for a swim which turned into skinny-dipping. We had only been seeing each other a week or so and this was the first time we had seen each other naked. About 15 minutes into the 'skin swim' she swam back from the raft we were on to shore, and started getting dressed. I got back to shore just as she finished dressing, just in time to see her grab up my clothes and towel and bolt! She ran off, what could I do but chase her, and I did until she tossed them over a 8-foot fence into the back yard of a house twenty some yards away. She said sorry and ran back to the car and took off!!! Pissed, obviously, I made my way over the fence and started grabbing up my clothes. As I reached for them on the grass the back door to the house opened and an eruption of cheers and jeers followed. Before me now was a dozen college kids well on their way with their evening drunk. Some I knew, others not, regardless I was quite embarrassed and dressed in record time. I got over that quickly though and joined the party; haven't thought about that in years. Oh, she showed up at the party an hour or two later. It was all a set up I never saw coming; college prank. We had a few more weeks of good times and that was it; oh to be in college again. Thank goodness that in the days before digital cameras, you-tube and the like.

THIRD > Can I get an Oh Yeah! As of this morning I am 11% of the way to my goal; I've lost 13 pounds in four weeks, 3 of them this past week. Today I weighed in at 307 pounds. After another week I'll cash in on my goal for reaching the 10% Progress mark assuming I haven't had a backslide back under 10%; and that aint happening.

Feeling good today; hope you are too this Sunday!

Responsibility 199... Gotta Do It!!