So, I've been sitting on my ass a lot the past two months. There are reasons and excuses but nothing that really holds up when someone shines a light on them. Yes, my wife left in July and that stung but I had Matthew and Brayden to get me through. By the time they went back to school in late August, I was on a pretty good track. Them being gone allowed me to change my eating and really begin dropping some pounds. January 15, 2015 I weighed 270 pounds. September 1, 2016 I weighed 225. Soi lost 45 pounds in 17 months. Not too bad. March 1, 2017 I weighed 195 pounds. So, that's a little more like it. 30 pounds lost in 6 months, most of it by New Years. I was in the gym or running 7 days a week. Eating very clean, except work lunches which have been the hardest part for me.
Now the problem starts. I went home for Christmas with Matthew. We flew down and the trip was a fiasco. We're probably done with United for travel. Anyway 6 hours late getting to Dallas. Got our car the next day and hung out with Natalie. I'd already gotten Brayden in trouble for missing days going on the cruise, so we spent another night in Dallas for him to not miss school. Again hung out with Natalie. Finally picked Brayden up from school and headed south. We stopped in Austin to see Granny and Carolyn. Had a nice dinner and stayed the night. Got up the next morning and drove into town to see Bill and Mason. Had a nice game, or three, of basketball. Bill and I actually beat the college boy and Mason once.
Then 6 days in Padre with Bobby's family, Mom, James, Kevin, Linda and Ross. Lots of fun. Lots of noise. Lots of chaos. Lots of things I wasn't really used to anymore, but that'd I'd really missed. Took a night off to hang out with Sarah and celebrate her birthday at midnight with a bottle of wine and a few beers. We sat around a fire in her back yard and talked until almost 1am. Very peaceful night. I really enjoyed the whole trip.
I flew home on the 27th, alone. I had a horrible sense of just being alone. The divorce wasn't yet final. I hadn't thought much about what to do after it was because I thought I was doing just fine. I'd been happy. I'd lost weight. I'd gotten in much better shape. But, at that moment, I was fucking lonely and it scared me.
New Year's Day I skied, alone, because Matthew was still in Texas. It was a beautiful day. So much so that I thought I'd do it again the next day. I show up and BOOM! There's the ex with her new, not new, boyfriend. That rocked me. Shook me to my core. I tried to ski but they were everywhere. I left, got drunk and started digging myself a hole that it's taken me a couple of months to be really ready to climb out of. PS, I hate that bitch. I'm sure it won't always be that way, but I do right now.
So, I did things I said I'd never do, or never do again. I'm probably lucky to still have a job. I might not if I hadn't talked to my boss the very next day and told him what was going on. I signed up for online dating because I don't know anyone here. She, and the boys, were my whole social world and they were missing.
I met LB, yep same damn initials. Can't see that ever tripping me up....... Anyway, met LB online. Emailed and texted for almost two weeks before we met for our first date. My first real date since 1992 or so. Can't see this going wrong yet, can you?????? She's a first grade teacher. I'm oilfield and all that goes along with that. Foul mouthed. Quick tempered, but I'm really not anymore. But, there was something about her. She's very fit according to her profile pics. She runs, like A LOT. Think marathons and longer. So, I worked out two whole days in a row before our date. It didn't do anything but it helped me mentally.
First date. I was early, as always. She was late, as is her norm. She got out of the car. She looked nothing like her profile pics. I mean, they were of her but goddamn. She looks probably twice as good in person. My mind exploded and that's pretty much all I remember. She said I called her a dumbass five minutes in to the date. I have no recollection of that. None. I ate pasta. She had fish. That's about as detailed as I can be.
Next day, she says thanks but no thanks. I said ok. Told her she should have left during dinner.
The next day I asker her to call me so I could explain. She did. I did. She's so nice that she agreed to meet me for dinner after work two days later.
To be continued. I promise.
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Sunday 12-23 the week in review
Just a little catching up to do. Matthew has had 2 basketball games since my last post. He's actually playing better, even though his team is not very good. He's scoring less, but has become way more aggressive. You can just see him understanding the game better. His coach isn't very good, he just yells, as if the kids are embarrassing him. Either way, I talk to Matthew before each game and at halftime. Just to motivate him and tell him what I see and what he can do differently to affect the game. Try to give him something positive. It seems to be helping and I think he looks forward to it. After pre game warmups, he comes over to get his Gatorade and ask what I'm thinking. I spend all of warmups watching the other team. After they come out of the locker room at half time, he comes back and asks the same question. I never call him over, he just comes. I coached him in so many things that we just work well together and he knows that I'm focusing on his game more than anyone else is.
He got hit in the mouth at the end of the third quarter, game before last. That flipped some kind of switch. At the start of the fourth quarter, he looked up at me MAD, I just shook my head in approval. I expected him to foul out, because he's not the type to cause a fight. I was wrong. He turned up the hustle and aggression to a never before seen level for him. He's always just been too nice. That seemed to go away for the rest of the game. They had 3 boys bigger than him, but he had 2 points and 7 rebounds in the fourth quarter alone. Those boys had him pretty well handled until then. He ended up with 4 points, 9 rebounds, 4 fouls and an assist.
The game on Friday, I reminded him to be aggressive. He came out on fire. 4 points and 4 rebounds in the first quarter. He remained very active. More hustle and aggression. I liked it, even if the ball just wouldn't go in. He shot plenty and took good shots. He dominated underneath and was triple teamed after the first quarter. Still ended up with 8 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 steals and 5 fouls. Fouled out with 3.7 seconds left in the game. Good job Matt.
Aiden and Arron are here, after three hour delays on both of their flights, but they're here. It was too windy for a camp fire last night, but I think it's on tonight. We had a big pot of jambayala last night and watched Safe House and Napoleon Dynamite.
Today Matthew and I are off to Baltimore to pick up Mom, James and Bug. Should be a good trip down, as it will be filled with sports and hunting talk. Maybe some singing. The trip back will be fun as well. Nothing like a long trip with B, not to mention all the catching up the rest of us will be trying to do, over his giggling. Fun times
Wish you were all here
Jim
He got hit in the mouth at the end of the third quarter, game before last. That flipped some kind of switch. At the start of the fourth quarter, he looked up at me MAD, I just shook my head in approval. I expected him to foul out, because he's not the type to cause a fight. I was wrong. He turned up the hustle and aggression to a never before seen level for him. He's always just been too nice. That seemed to go away for the rest of the game. They had 3 boys bigger than him, but he had 2 points and 7 rebounds in the fourth quarter alone. Those boys had him pretty well handled until then. He ended up with 4 points, 9 rebounds, 4 fouls and an assist.
The game on Friday, I reminded him to be aggressive. He came out on fire. 4 points and 4 rebounds in the first quarter. He remained very active. More hustle and aggression. I liked it, even if the ball just wouldn't go in. He shot plenty and took good shots. He dominated underneath and was triple teamed after the first quarter. Still ended up with 8 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 steals and 5 fouls. Fouled out with 3.7 seconds left in the game. Good job Matt.
Aiden and Arron are here, after three hour delays on both of their flights, but they're here. It was too windy for a camp fire last night, but I think it's on tonight. We had a big pot of jambayala last night and watched Safe House and Napoleon Dynamite.
Today Matthew and I are off to Baltimore to pick up Mom, James and Bug. Should be a good trip down, as it will be filled with sports and hunting talk. Maybe some singing. The trip back will be fun as well. Nothing like a long trip with B, not to mention all the catching up the rest of us will be trying to do, over his giggling. Fun times
Wish you were all here
Jim
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Cooking and eating
Today was slow, so Lucy and I cooked, for fun, this evening. We made brown rice, ablama (a really cool Lebanese dish I've always wanted to make. Zucchini stuffed with meat and onions, smothered with tomatoes.), apple dumplings and fruit smoothies. I hoped it would turn out ok, and it did. Barely enough left over for lunch on Thursday. I'd eat it tomorrow, but I have a meeting from 10-11, then Lucy and I are running up to Ithaca NY for lunch.
Tomorrow will not be slow, by any stretch of the imagination. Meeting, lunch, back to the office, hour drive West to Wellsboro for Matthews basketball game, then 2 hours East to Binghamton NY to pick up Aiden at the airport, then 2 hours home. Sounds exciting to me. It's been kinda blah lately.
Wow, I really thought I had more to say, but I guess not
Next time
Tomorrow will not be slow, by any stretch of the imagination. Meeting, lunch, back to the office, hour drive West to Wellsboro for Matthews basketball game, then 2 hours East to Binghamton NY to pick up Aiden at the airport, then 2 hours home. Sounds exciting to me. It's been kinda blah lately.
Wow, I really thought I had more to say, but I guess not
Next time
Monday, December 17, 2012
Suspended
Matthew was suspended for tonight's game because he didn't turn in a paper in American History. I'm upset and that's all I have for you guys right now. I'm sorry, I thought I was doing a better job.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
No fish
Ok, no fish yet. The lake is frozen over, so now I have to wait for the ice to get thick enough to get out on it and ice fish. No ducks or geese yesterday either, and because of the goofiest rule ever, you CANNOT hunt in PA on Sunday. Huh? So, today will be an movie and dinner to celebrate our anniversary.
We got our Christmas tree, finally. I'm to blame for that. We got a Blue Spruce, 7' tall or so. It's very pretty and smells nice. Matthew and Lucy decorated it while I made a wreath out of the limbs that were cut off the bottom of it. Then, Lucy and I made Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. Not bad, not bad at all. I watched the first episode of Amish Mafia, yeah, scary. Then I went to bed. I was out by 6:00 pm. Matthew and Lucy decided to light the campfire, that I never did, and make s'mores.
That's Saturday in a nutshell. The end.
We got our Christmas tree, finally. I'm to blame for that. We got a Blue Spruce, 7' tall or so. It's very pretty and smells nice. Matthew and Lucy decorated it while I made a wreath out of the limbs that were cut off the bottom of it. Then, Lucy and I made Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. Not bad, not bad at all. I watched the first episode of Amish Mafia, yeah, scary. Then I went to bed. I was out by 6:00 pm. Matthew and Lucy decided to light the campfire, that I never did, and make s'mores.
That's Saturday in a nutshell. The end.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
More stuff I wouldn't put on Facebook.
The "Me" that you guys know, isn't the "Me" of today. In most ways I'm the same, but there have been some major changes. I wake up every day, between 5:30&6:00 am. Most days, even weekends, I cook breakfast. I'm in bed between 8&9pm, most days, now. No, I haven't done anything crazy, like start working out or going vegan, but I see work outs coming. I cook dinner almost every day. Well, I did until basketball started. There's been a lot of subway, Chinese and pizza lately. I like my cooking better, but there's just not time. I'll have to work on that.
Little description of our town, Canton PA. It's Mayberry with 3 bars. Old timey drug store. One screen movie theater. One stop light. No fast food for 15 miles, just subway. We live about 600 feet above town, it's pretty steep, because that 600 feet is in 1.2 miles. Just after you leave my house, you're looking down on Canton. It's pretty cool. There's always fog or clouds in the tops of the mountains, especially in the mornings. Even in the summer, when the highs average 88 for July and August. It's cold in the winter, but not bitter because of the lack of wind. I picked Matthew up from practice Thursday night, where he was standing outside, waiting, in his tank top. It was 29 degrees. It's different, I can't explain it, it just is. Now, -21 was bitter, but its supposed to be. On a sunny winter day, two years ago, it was 0 out. It was snowing glitter, because it was basically just frozen water vapor, and I was working in jeans, a tee shirt and a fleece jacket. Amazing huh?
I'm open to questions, or suggestions. If there's something you want to know, just ask. About me, about here, whatever.
At this point, I have no intention of moving back to Texas. Work is ok, but slow right now. I've worked myself into the top 5-8 in my entire company and I simply make too much money to move back and start over. The people here are nicer than you can imagine. The country is incredible. We live 3 miles from 40,000 acres of public hunting land, that's empty except during their 2 week deer (gun) season. So, for 50 weeks a year, it's just ours pretty much. Wild blueberries, wild strawberries and wild blackberries grow all over it. Pheasant, grouse, rabbit and squirrel are in season most of the fall and winter and spring. In late spring through mid fall, we fish everyday. We're usually the only ones on the lake and that can go til sun up. Big largemouth bass, perch, pickerel, catfish, they're all here. When you jump in to swim and look down, it's like looking at a sunburst, even though the pickerel make it a bit disconcerting. They gots teef!!!! Big teeth. But, the neighbors all swim, so it's got to be ok, right?
Ok, I guess it's time to let the dog out, light the campfire and mess around outside for a while. Hoping for some catfish this morning. If not, we'll go try our hand with the ducks/geese, again.
Later gator
Little description of our town, Canton PA. It's Mayberry with 3 bars. Old timey drug store. One screen movie theater. One stop light. No fast food for 15 miles, just subway. We live about 600 feet above town, it's pretty steep, because that 600 feet is in 1.2 miles. Just after you leave my house, you're looking down on Canton. It's pretty cool. There's always fog or clouds in the tops of the mountains, especially in the mornings. Even in the summer, when the highs average 88 for July and August. It's cold in the winter, but not bitter because of the lack of wind. I picked Matthew up from practice Thursday night, where he was standing outside, waiting, in his tank top. It was 29 degrees. It's different, I can't explain it, it just is. Now, -21 was bitter, but its supposed to be. On a sunny winter day, two years ago, it was 0 out. It was snowing glitter, because it was basically just frozen water vapor, and I was working in jeans, a tee shirt and a fleece jacket. Amazing huh?
I'm open to questions, or suggestions. If there's something you want to know, just ask. About me, about here, whatever.
At this point, I have no intention of moving back to Texas. Work is ok, but slow right now. I've worked myself into the top 5-8 in my entire company and I simply make too much money to move back and start over. The people here are nicer than you can imagine. The country is incredible. We live 3 miles from 40,000 acres of public hunting land, that's empty except during their 2 week deer (gun) season. So, for 50 weeks a year, it's just ours pretty much. Wild blueberries, wild strawberries and wild blackberries grow all over it. Pheasant, grouse, rabbit and squirrel are in season most of the fall and winter and spring. In late spring through mid fall, we fish everyday. We're usually the only ones on the lake and that can go til sun up. Big largemouth bass, perch, pickerel, catfish, they're all here. When you jump in to swim and look down, it's like looking at a sunburst, even though the pickerel make it a bit disconcerting. They gots teef!!!! Big teeth. But, the neighbors all swim, so it's got to be ok, right?
Ok, I guess it's time to let the dog out, light the campfire and mess around outside for a while. Hoping for some catfish this morning. If not, we'll go try our hand with the ducks/geese, again.
Later gator
I'm back!
I know it's been forever, and yes the title is misspelled on purpose, you know me better than that, but I thought I'd give this another try. I'm tiring of Facebook, and there's not enough room for all this anyway. Not to mention, 340 of 350 people that have friended me wouldn't care. No more than I care about their political rumblings, or their futile little bullshit, or petty, squabbles, that they think we should all know about and take sides. So, here goes.
Well, Matt's basketball season hasn't gotten off to the greatest of starts. The team is 0-4, and has been beaten pretty badly the in the first 3 of them. Last nights game was quite an improvement. The other team wasn't twice the size of our team. Canton loses a ton of kids to wrestling. We even had a lead going into the fourth quarter. Matthew has played great in every game, without exception. He leads the team in scoring, rebounds and fouls. He leads the team in scoring despite the fact that he only had one point in the second game of the year. But, he had 10 rebounds, or 12, I can't remember.
Last night they played North Penn, or Blossberg. Must be a consolidated school. Matt had 9 points, could have had 20. 8 rebounds, he got everything he was close to, he's a real scrapper. Or, as they say here, he's one rowdy boy out there. 4 fouls, almost got the fifth, but they just wouldn't call it for him. 3 blocked shots, 2 assists, a steal and a partridge in a pear tree. Nobody has taken a rebound away, that he's touched, yet, unless its been a team mate and he let go. He's actually quite a bit stronger than I gave him credit for being. And he just doesn't quit. Hard headed little (6' 1 1/2") shit. It's been one of my greatest joys, just being able to watch him play. I've only watched him play once before this year. Now 4 times in less than a week. They play Monday, Wednesday and Friday, every week, almost without fail. During the Christmas break, they have a tournament that mom, James and Brayden will get to watch.
Matthew's stats for the year are, 24 points, 30 rebounds, 18 fouls, 4 blocks, 4 assists and 1 steal, through 4 games. Averaging 6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.25 fouls, 1 block, 1 assist and .25 steals. The points are skewed by a 1 point game. Everything else is about right.
I mentioned mom getting to watch Matt play. Yep, her and James are coming up and bringing Bug, Brayden, with them. They get here the 23rd and leave the 29th, taking Matthew with them for his Christmas with Angie's family. Aiden will be here in 4 days, on the 19th and Arron on the 22nd, so we should have a blast for Christmas. Natalie opted out, choosing the flight money over coming up, she's saving for a car..... Either way, I'll see her on her birthday at the end of January.
Oh, and tomorrow, 12-16, is our anniversary. We will have been married for 2 years. We've talked about it and agree that it seems like 10, in mostly good ways. We've had our struggles, for sure, but things seem to be looking up. We don't have to work together any more, so we get a little separation. That's helped a lot. We have a dog now. We live in a modest house on an incredible private lake. Yes, you've heard that before, but I wake up amazed every damn day. Today it's 3/4 iced over. I'm just waiting for it to thaw so I can check my fishing poles.
Matthew and I are trying to provide all the meat, except for the pulled pork I'm gonna do, for the week of Christmas. We, he, has gotten us a couple pheasants that were gonna do cacciatore style. Cacciatore means hunter in Italian, so it's fitting. He's also killed us a nice, fat, doe, so we'll be having deer tenderloin one day. I'm trying to haul a few fishies out of the lake for us. We're also working to get a few ducks and a couple of geese to the table. That's not going so well, because the ponds are LAKES up here, but we're trying. I'm wondering how rabbit will go over...... Might slip that in there too, but I promise NO SQUIRREL! Those suckers are a lot of work for just a little meat, and its hard to keep the hair off the meat, but they taste really good.
I guess that's about it for today. Hope everyone is ok. Maybe more tomorrow, but Monday or Tuesday for sure.
Well, Matt's basketball season hasn't gotten off to the greatest of starts. The team is 0-4, and has been beaten pretty badly the in the first 3 of them. Last nights game was quite an improvement. The other team wasn't twice the size of our team. Canton loses a ton of kids to wrestling. We even had a lead going into the fourth quarter. Matthew has played great in every game, without exception. He leads the team in scoring, rebounds and fouls. He leads the team in scoring despite the fact that he only had one point in the second game of the year. But, he had 10 rebounds, or 12, I can't remember.
Last night they played North Penn, or Blossberg. Must be a consolidated school. Matt had 9 points, could have had 20. 8 rebounds, he got everything he was close to, he's a real scrapper. Or, as they say here, he's one rowdy boy out there. 4 fouls, almost got the fifth, but they just wouldn't call it for him. 3 blocked shots, 2 assists, a steal and a partridge in a pear tree. Nobody has taken a rebound away, that he's touched, yet, unless its been a team mate and he let go. He's actually quite a bit stronger than I gave him credit for being. And he just doesn't quit. Hard headed little (6' 1 1/2") shit. It's been one of my greatest joys, just being able to watch him play. I've only watched him play once before this year. Now 4 times in less than a week. They play Monday, Wednesday and Friday, every week, almost without fail. During the Christmas break, they have a tournament that mom, James and Brayden will get to watch.
Matthew's stats for the year are, 24 points, 30 rebounds, 18 fouls, 4 blocks, 4 assists and 1 steal, through 4 games. Averaging 6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.25 fouls, 1 block, 1 assist and .25 steals. The points are skewed by a 1 point game. Everything else is about right.
I mentioned mom getting to watch Matt play. Yep, her and James are coming up and bringing Bug, Brayden, with them. They get here the 23rd and leave the 29th, taking Matthew with them for his Christmas with Angie's family. Aiden will be here in 4 days, on the 19th and Arron on the 22nd, so we should have a blast for Christmas. Natalie opted out, choosing the flight money over coming up, she's saving for a car..... Either way, I'll see her on her birthday at the end of January.
Oh, and tomorrow, 12-16, is our anniversary. We will have been married for 2 years. We've talked about it and agree that it seems like 10, in mostly good ways. We've had our struggles, for sure, but things seem to be looking up. We don't have to work together any more, so we get a little separation. That's helped a lot. We have a dog now. We live in a modest house on an incredible private lake. Yes, you've heard that before, but I wake up amazed every damn day. Today it's 3/4 iced over. I'm just waiting for it to thaw so I can check my fishing poles.
Matthew and I are trying to provide all the meat, except for the pulled pork I'm gonna do, for the week of Christmas. We, he, has gotten us a couple pheasants that were gonna do cacciatore style. Cacciatore means hunter in Italian, so it's fitting. He's also killed us a nice, fat, doe, so we'll be having deer tenderloin one day. I'm trying to haul a few fishies out of the lake for us. We're also working to get a few ducks and a couple of geese to the table. That's not going so well, because the ponds are LAKES up here, but we're trying. I'm wondering how rabbit will go over...... Might slip that in there too, but I promise NO SQUIRREL! Those suckers are a lot of work for just a little meat, and its hard to keep the hair off the meat, but they taste really good.
I guess that's about it for today. Hope everyone is ok. Maybe more tomorrow, but Monday or Tuesday for sure.
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