We're Finally Losing, and it Feels GREAT!

Way back, last Fall, I posted here that I was going to get serious about dropping my extra weight. I got serious, but still didn't get the results I was hoping for... The reality is, that kind of thing is much more successful when you've got a partner to do it with you. And even MORE successful when that partner is your spouse. Not only is there an extra level of accountability, but the partnership really makes it easier to stay on the plan.

Two weeks ago, Cindy decided that she was going to start working out with me every day, and watching what she eats. That has made a huge difference to both of us! Getting up for a 5am workout is SO much easier when you're not leaving someone behind in a nice, warm bed... And having someone to check in with throughout the day and just touch base with on things like what you ate for breakfast, keeps it in the front of your mind. And when it's in the front of your mind, it's a lot easier to skip right past the candy jar on the counter at work... or the fast food joint you drive past in the morning...

And after 2 weeks, we've each lost weight! Enough that we're inspired and energized to keep going, knowing our goals are attainable. Life is Good!!

Return of the Removed Adenoids

So it's been about 5 months since Tyler (not pictured at left) was in the hospital for a week with a swollen eye infection.

Periodically since then, he's complained that his eyes were still hurting. I tended to blow it off, thinking he was just paranoid after his ordeal, and associating any discomfort with that same problem. Well, he kept saying he was hurting, and finally he went in to see an ENT doctor, who took an MRI.

Four years ago, Tyler's tonsils and adenoids were removed, due to being oversized and prone to infection. Apparantly the adenoids didn't like being told to move out, and grew back.

I know, the whole notion of them growing back makes me wonder if Tyler's turning into a zombie or something, but I'm told that it happens in about 1% of the removal cases.

So, he's going in for surgery again, on March 13, and hopefully the little troublemakers will stay gone this time. We would certainly appreciate your thoughts and prayers for a quick recovery!

And The Youngest Turns Nine

Last week, Tyler (not pictured at left) had his 9th birthday. It's hard to believe, like it always is, but as I think about it, the bigger milestone is that in one more year, all four of our kids will be in double-digits. Each year brings more independence, more things they (and we) can do...

It just kinda makes me look back and take stock of where things are in my life - and I love where things are in my life!! Cindy and I have been together since Tyler was only 2, and Kaylee was 3. To look back over our pictures, it's amazing to see the growth as they've grown up over the years.

Between my family, my job and my church, I can't believe how incredibly blessed I am! So I'd like to publicly thank all of them right now for a life I didn't believe existed 10 years ago. THANK YOU!!

A Test For Smart People!

The following short quiz consists of 4 questions and will tell you whether you are qualified to be a professional. Scroll down for each answer. The questions are NOT that difficult. But don't scroll down UNTIL you have answered the question!

1. How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?




















The correct answer is: Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe, and close the door. This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated way.


2. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?





















Did you say, Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant, and close the refrigerator?

Wrong Answer.

Correct Answer: Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door. This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your previous actions.


3. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals attend... except one. Which animal does not attend?





















Correct Answer: The Elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator. You just put him in there. This tests your memory.

Okay, even if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show your true abilities.


4. There is a river you must cross but it is used by crocodiles, and you do not have a boat. How do you manage it?





















Correct Answer: You jump into the river and swim across. Have you not been listening? All the crocodiles are attending the Animal Meeting. This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.

According to Anderson Consulting Worldwide, around 90% of the professionals they tested got all questions wrong, but many preschoolers got several correct answers. Anderson Consulting says this conclusively disproves the theory that most professionals have the brains of a four-year-old.

It's Electric!

Pictured to the left, is an artist's rendition of an Electric Slide. You may have heard of "The Electric Slide", a group dance often done at wedding receptions, and quite often, done very badly. In fact, in my side-job as a DJ for such functions, "Slide Time" has become a fun diversion from the normal blathering of requests that nobody other than the requester would ever care to hear.. It's a time when young and old join together to collide in a giggling trainwreck of semi-synchronized stepping, lunging, and yes - smashing into each other. Honestly, someone usually ends up on their back before the song's over. It's a tradition!!

BUT - did you know that the steps that make up this treasured dance didn't just come together over the dancefloors of the ages, but instead were choreographed by a man named Richard Silver? I didn't either! It turns out he created the steps in 1976 (probably to put a smack-down on all those punks doing The Hustle for free) but didn't get around to copyrighting them until 2004. What?? You can copyright dance steps?? Apparently so. And since you can copyright them, you can go completely Rufus and sue people and organizations that you believe are abusing your rights.

In 2007, what's the biggest source of entertaining videos of people dancing badly? Did you say YouTube? CORRECT! So YouTube is suddenly being swamped with demands from lil' Richie Silver demanding that they remove any videos of his masterpiece being desecrated. I actually find that I'm at a loss for words to describe just how insane this whole situation is. So I'll just point you to the original article here.

And the next time you're at a wedding, watch out! If somebody has a camcorder present, you could find yourself in violation of international copyright law! Forget downloading movies, the REAL crime is screwing up The Electric Slide.

Friday Funny!

It's a great idea - you gotta love that redneck creativity!

Wii Tennis Better Than Real Tennis!

The Wii is apparantly one of the great equalizers in life... The clip below shows Conan O'Brien putting the smackdown on real-life tennis star Serena Williams. The best part? After watching it, I'm pretty sure I could take her too! Viva la Wii!