A Man With Bread

What a weekend!

It was an action packed weekend in Marty's World.

My brother Russ came out for a visit for the first time in 15 years! We hung out, drank some beers, ate some good food, had some good wine and sipped a massive amount of coffee. My new bar stools were enjoyed, my new guest room occupied.

I even got to see my sister in law Cindy twice in one weekend!!!

That was not all.

BR and I also went to a wedding (congrats Cynthia and Bryan!) on Saturday! We had the best soup in the history of mankind. It was a creamed squash soup. Sounds not so good but we have spent the time since then wishing for a bucket of it with a loaf of French bread and a snorkel. The food was amazing, as well as, excellent coffee!

To top it all off, Sunday was our 1st wedding anniversary!! Wow. A year already.

--Wow.

Diet Update

I am two weeks into my new diet and I am already down 16 pounds. This weeks weigh-in found me at 269 pounds. I feel pretty good. Not hungry as I get through the day.

It will take me a year to lose the 100 pounds. Only 84 pounds to go sounds way better than 100! I think the first 50 will be easy. The last 50 will be the work!

Ready for the scary part?

Brenda took before photos of me in just shorts.

-- Be afraid, be very, very afraid!

I am missing bench seats.

I mean the old fashion car seats that were like big old comfy sofas in your car or truck. I want one. I want a classic pickup truck with a bench seat so my wife can slide over next to me and I can put my arm around her as we take an autumn drive in the mountains. I want to take her to a drive in movie theater in that truck. Her head resting on my shoulder.

I want that.

I know head rests, bucket seats, seat belts and padded dash board are safer. I don't care.

A classic pickup might just be my midlife crisis hobby project ride!

--Hey! It's better than a Harley!!

My son Gray turned 10 years old today.

The presents were opened before breakfast. The living room is full of debris from the Marvel Legends action figure packaging. (I hate the damn twist ties.) Beanies, books, action figures and PS2 action will have our little man smiling all weekend.

It occurred to me today that in the last 10 years we have lived in 7 different houses. Lots has changed (besides his hair style). But through everything he has been and always will be my son, my friend, my pride, my future. Happy birthday Gray!

I am so glad he was born.

--Did I mention my awesome daughter?

Oh the Humanity!

MADRID. (Reuters) - The world's first ban on overly thin models at a top-level fashion show in Madrid has caused outrage among modeling agencies and raised the prospect of restrictions at other catwalk pageants.

Madrid's fashion week has turned away underweight models after protests that young girls and women were trying to copy their rail-thin looks and developing eating disorders.

Organizers say they want to project an image of beauty and health, rather than a waif-like, or heroin chic look.

But Cathy Gould, of New York's Elite modeling agency, said the fashion industry was being used as a scapegoat for illnesses like anorexia and bulimia.

"I think its outrageous, I understand they want to set this tone of healthy beautiful women, but what about discrimination against the model and what about the freedom of the designer," said Gould, Elite's North America director, adding that the move could harm careers of naturally "gazelle-like" models.

Madrid's regional government, which sponsors the show and imposed restrictions, said it did not blame designers and models for anorexia. It said the fashion industry had a responsibility to portray healthy body images.

"Fashion is a mirror and many teenagers imitate what they see on the catwalk," said regional official Concha Guerra.

The mayor of Milan, Italy, Letizia Moratti told an Italian newspaper this week she would seek a similar ban for her city's show unless it could find a solution to "sick" looking models.

--At last! Sanity! Sammiches!!

"Civilizations fall because people bitch and complain when the electricity is off for fifteen minutes, and never give a thought to the fact that it has been on for their entire lives. "

--Unknown

Understanding Engineers

To the optimist, the glass is half-full. To the pessimist, the glass is half-empty.

To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

__________

An engineer was crossing a road one day, when a frog called out to him and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess." He bent over, picked up the frog and put it in his pocket. The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me I'll turn back into a beautiful princess and stay with you for one week." The engineer took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to the pocket.

The frog then cried out, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a princess, I'll stay with you for one week and do ANYTHING you want." Again, the engineer took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket.

Finally, the frog asked, "What is the matter? I've told you I'm a beautiful princess and that I'll stay with you for one week and do anything you want. Why won't you kiss me?"

The engineer said, "Look, I'm an engineer. I don't have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog, now that's cool...

Where were you when...

For some people it was when Kennedy was shot. For others, it was when the Space Shuttle exploded.

Five years ago today I was in a Windows 2000 MCSE class when my Blackberry went off. I didn't know what to make of the message:

"Dude, a plane just hit the World Trade Center."

Five minutes later:

"It was a 747."

Soon the second one hit, the Pentagon was hit, bad reports flooded the air and the towers began to collapse along with our long held sense of security. Class was canceled, rumors of car bombs and more attacks were rampant. When I got back to my office everyone was packed into the conference rooms... Watching it over and over.

I went home.

My big screen TV has a mode where you can watch 16 channels at once. So I watched it from angle after angle in slow motion. Watching it over and over.

--The images of the people jumping still haunt me the most.

The first of 50 weekly diet updates.

I got on the scale this morning.

I lost 11 pounds so far. That is just since Tuesday!! 285 - 274

I knew it would be fast to start, but damn, 2 pounds a day. I was hoping for like 2 pounds per week. I know it will probably average to that over the next 6 months.

The Nutrisystem food has been good so far. The only thing I have not liked is the Instant Scrambled Eggs and Cheese. Horror. It's what they served on the Nebakanezer in The Matrix.

--The hottub is helping the knee too! Thank GOD it is back in action!

I finally had to go to the doctor.

My knee has been getting worse and worse over the summer. All the camping and moving has kicked me down hard. Last week I went to see the doctor. He was amazed I could walk at all.

When I had my knee operation in 1999 he told me I had an artificial knee in my future. Now it is seven years later and I am due. He told me it was up to me. He'd do it whenever I'm ready.

I am NOT ready.

So... in an effort to get all the mileage out of this knee that I can, I have started a serious diet. I weighed in yesterday at 285 lbs. I have the ambitious goal of 185 lbs. by next labor day weekend.

I am starting off with Nutrisystem. I am going to give it a try for six months. You will probably be forced to suffer through a pile of whining posts in the next year about it. Already the egg&cheese breakfast sucks!

--Coffee is still my friend!

Catching up on TiVo

Catching up on TiVo

So I am back from vacation, done moving, my gear is set back up, including TiVo.

What happened?

I go on vacation and all the writers from SG1 were replaced by a committee of 12 year old fan boys. I just watched episode 200. This thing was done by fanboys on esspresso. Fan boys with ADD. I mean for gods sake they had Thunderbirds puppets.

O'Neil actually said, "I wouldn't mind one last trip through the orifice."

WTF!

--They should have gone straight to Claudia Black in a skimpy top and leather pants!

Wow. I have been busy.

The move went really well. We are in and mostly unpacked. Every night we do more and more. This weekend we are going to hook up the hottub finally.

We went on a two week camping vacation. Big fun but lots of work.

And my knee is killing me. I am going to see the doc next week. I need that hottub, and I need to spend some serious TIVO time with my leg up.

--And I gotta stop eating like a pig.

We are in the new digs.

Well, I was without the Internet for about 18 minutes.

I got through it...

We are in the new house, but BR and I will be spending the whole day getting the other house cleaned up. Spackle and power washing for me, scrubbing and dusting for BR.

--One more day and we are done. (except the whole unpacking thing)

It's Moving Day

The movers will be here in a few minutes.

At the end of this long day I will be in the new house.

Who knows how long it will take them to get me my Internet back up!

--Wish us luck.

How do you tell your wife is wonderful?

First you hose her computer depriving her of the Internet. Then turn her life upside down by stressing her out while on vacation. In stead of the vacation being a restful time to relax and recharge it becomes a big hassle, selling one house and buying another. Leaving her mind spinning at nights.

Then you give her only 2 weeks after you return before actually moving. Did I mention we are moving into the new house before we actually own it.

Toss in the lack of sleep and temps outside that approach a humid 100 degrees during the day!

Next. Her car dies and strands her.

In addition, subtract the things that usually relax her: regular hottub soaks, dates with her husband, snuggling in bed with the kids watching comedy on TiVo, quiet weekend dinners followed by wine candles and the quiet attentions of her husband...

Did I mention we leave for Pennsic 4 days after closing...

With all this stress she has maintained her humor, always kept a smile ready and a day has not gone by without taking the time to soundly kiss me.

Back scratching and sleeping in on Sundays will get her though.

How do I tell my wife is wonderful?

--In times like these, every moment of every day tells me.

Living in packing hell.

So the professional movers will be here a week from today. We broke down and bought a giant pile of serious moving boxes. At this moment BR is packing the kitchen. All the swords and axes are packed (seriously) and it was a way bigger job than I thought it would be. I may have to move those, quilt wrapped bundles myself. The third level is totally packed and ready. I need to get my AV boxes outta Em and De attic to break down the electronics.

Got kinda misty Thursday morning. Cady said, "Today is the last day I will see the inside of this house. It's been a very happy house, a good karma zone...".

Sigh...

Tomorrow, the whole day is dedicated to the garage. That will be a big job!!

--Breaks over! Game console packing is next!!