And so a new year begins

As the midnight hour approaches I take a moment to reflect on the past year. I was able to do the Tour DaVita again this year. I endured more cold and wet weather than I thought possible while pushing my self to go the distance on a bicycle. What great memories of the friendships I have developed over the years. The next tour is in Connecticut and I hope that I am able to attend. I bought a new car this last year. My wife and daughter were in an accident in the Honda Fit. I give thanks that they were not injured. I traded the Fit in after the repairs for a much larger Kia Sorrento. I just love the ride and it is still pretty good on the gas. I lost 25 pounds this last year. And as I dropped the pounds I lowered my blood pressure and my cholesterol.

While I reflect on the past I look forward to what the new year may bring. I do have some goals that I would like to work on this year.


I am starting the new year at 173 pounds. I would like to be 165 by my next doctors appoint on June 1st and to end the year less than 165.

I would like to keep a log of the miles that I walk. I have been walking 25 to 40 miles a week and I would love to see what that number would be by the end of the year.

I want to walk a ½ marathon every month this new year. I have done it once or twice this past year.

Ride my bike more this year. Teri gave me a road bike. It needs a little work but is in good shape. I put new tubes in the tires today and will road test it in the morning to make sure all the gears work.

Get my daughter into college. She has been doing so well in school. I am very proud of her.

Bond more with my son. He is growing up so fast and changing so fast. He is doing outstanding in school and makes good choices. I am proud of him as well.

Here is to the new year. May it be even better than the last. Always remember, you create your happiness and life is what you make it. Make it a great year!

Looking Back

Where did this year go? It seems like yesterday it was the start of the year and now it is almost over. I was looking back at my post from January and the things I wanted to accomplish this year.

Read 12 good books. I have read more than 12 good books this year. The best series that I read was The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I read all three books back to back. It was a very good read. I was so disappointed when it was over. I love to read books like that. I then watched the movies. They were good but I have yet to see a movie that is better than the book.

Loose 20 pounds. Well in fact I have lost a total of 24 pounds! At the beginning of the year I was diagnoses with a fatty liver and high cholesterol and high blood pressure. I was put on medication for the cholesterol and blood pressure. I started to walk in the park and now I walk about 35 miles a week and watch what I eat. My blood pressure is now fantastic and cholesterol is below150. I find out on Monday how my liver is doing.

Give 20 gallons at the blood bank. I did not reach this goal due to my health conditions. I wanted to make sure that I had all of my issues taken care of so I can donate for years to come. If all is well on Monday then I can start to donate again. I may even try to get a donation in before the end of the year.

Be happy with my decisions. Well that is another tough one. I have to make decisions that effect not only me and my family but also my team at work and patients that I see. I would have to say that there are few decisions that hind sight would change my choice. I would have to say that I am happy with my decisions that I made this year.

The past year dealt many challenges, both personal and professional. It seemed like there was one obstacle after another put in my path. I have been able to overcome those obstacles and turn them into inconveniences and learning experiences. I look forward to the many challenges that the new year will bring.

Battle of the Shoes

I have had many posts on shoes. It is hard for me to find a pair of shoes that don't give my feet problems. Years ago I had a pair of Nike Yankee running shoes. They fit my feet the best. I put several hundred miles on those shoes before I had to replace them. That was back in high school when I was on the cross country team for Soul American High School. When I returned to the states half way through my senior year I did not continue with the cross country team at Copperus Cove.

Lets review. I was wearing a pair of Nike shoes but had worn out the heal on the inside of the shoe. They were a good shoe but I never did any real distance walking with them. I got another walking shoe from Rebock. I then started doing distance walking. My feet always hurt. Time for a new pair. I saved up my pennies and a half off sale due to store closing got me a pair of New Balance 1200 series. Almost a hundred dollars at half price. These were no better than my other shoes,in fact they were worse. I started to get blisters the size of Texas on the inside of my heel and the back of the heel as well. From there I went with Sketcher. They felt fine at first but then the blisters on the inside of the heel started after a few miles. It got to the point that I did not want to go walking. That is when I got the Vibram Five Finger KSO shoes. Finally no more blisters. I actually enjoyed walking again. My feet felt fine, until I started distance walking. After 5 miles my feet were numb and tingling. If I stay on the trail over dirt and grass I do great but all paved walk was not good on my feet. I was back to square one. This weekend I bought a pair of Asics shoes. I tried on at least 10 different shoes at the store. I would put on both shoes and walk around the store. It came down to three shoes and all were Asics brand. The ones I bought have a gel sole and really cup the heel. I went out this morning for a walk. I was only going to do 5 or 6 miles but my feet felt so good I ended up doing 13 miles. When I got home and pulled off the shoes, no blisters. I think I found a shoe that fits my foot.

I still have foot pain when I walk distance. I can deal with that as long as there are no blisters. My next step is to see if I can get inserts to take the pain away. Stay tuned.

Tour DaVita 2010

I have survived the tour yet again, only this time unscathed. Last year on day two I ended up in the Emergency Room and had 13 sutures placed in my right calf that was sliced opened from the sprocket. For those of you that don’t know what I am talking about, the tour is Tour DaVita. It is a three day bike ride that benefits the Kidney Trust

The Kidney Trust is a non profit organization that provides free testing of kidney function and provides financial assistance to dialysis patients. On the first service, 90 percent of adults with kidney disease do not even know they have it. Once found, lifestyle modifications can be made to prevent the disease from progressing to end stage renal disease (ESRD). That is when you need to be placed on dialysis three times a week until you can get a kidney transplant. The second service takes the burden off of a patient having to decide between paying for a medication and paying the rent.

The tour this year was in Washington State. You can check out the route and pictures and video at tourdavita.org. We started off in Tacoma. The first day was approximately 66 miles. The rain was a slight drizzle most of the day with the temperature in the upper 50’s. There were two large hills that day. I made it half way up the first hill and then had to walk my bike up the rest of the way. I looked at it as on opportunity to stretch my legs and enjoy the sights. The second hill was even more brutal. As I start to make my way up I get cramps in my legs. I had to get off my bike to stretch my legs out. I look down at my legs and it looks like snakes crawling under my bike shorts. The muscles were just jumping. I couldn’t even walk. Then the cramps moved to my lower back. Ouch! The guest speaker for the night was riding his bike up the hill and saw that I needed help. He took my bike and pushed it up the hill while I tried to stop the cramping. After about 15 minutes and a bottle of water, I was back to good and continued on my way. I finished all the miles that day and made it in by 3:30. I hit the showers and then the massage table.

Day two was the visit to the dialysis clinic for a presentation. The morning was crisp and just a very slight mist coming down. We rode to the clinic and just about half way through the program the rain started to come down in buckets. I decided to stay and tour the dialysis clinic to kill some time and see if the rain would let up. After about 30 minutes it did not so I took off. It was raining so hard I had to remove my glasses to see. There were several steep hills on the ride and I stretched my legs on all three. On one of the hills a car full of girls drove by and one yelled out the window “Nice ass!” Boy, it had been a long time since I heard that! Only my bottom was starting to hurt and I was ready to give up. I had two friends, Kevin and Marjorie that pushed me to continue. I carried on with their encouragement and we all crossed the finish line together. That was 79 miles in the pouring rain and temperatures in the 50’s. It was a miserable weather for the ride but the sense of accomplishment and the company kept was worth it. It was after 6:30 when we arrived. I took a nice hot shower but unfortunately the massage tables were closed.

I started day three with the intention of doing the full century mile ride. As the day went on the soreness on my groin was getting worse and worse. The hills were plentiful this day as well. The day started off with rain and about 30 miles out the rain slowed down and then the sun actually broke through the clouds. By the time I made it to the lunch stop I was in so much pain it hurt to walk. Not the legs, the groin. This was the 45 mile mark and I made up my mind I was done. This was a difficult decision but the right decision. I did not want to risk further injury. I ate lunch and turned in my bike. I fell asleep on the one hour bus ride to the camp. After a nice long shower I went to the finish line to cheer the arrival of other riders. I had so many different emotions as I rang the bell and waved to the riders. I was filled with joy that they had finished the ride and disappointed with myself for not completing it. I just have to remind myself that I did my best and there is always next year.

Dazed and Confused

I called my Dad the other day to see how things were going. We had just finished the week with a tropical storm and lots of rain. I also wanted to see how Mom was doing with her radiation treatments. I called his cell phone and he picks up.

Dad "Hello"
Me "Hi Dad, How's it going"
Dad "Fine..."
Me "I just finished helping Paul with the trees that fell down in the storm."
Dad "O-Kay..."
I go on talking for about a minute about helping Paul and then I say "Dad....Dad...." The phone is dead. So I wait a few minutes for him to call back. No call. So I call him again.
Dad "Hello..."
Me "I lost you there"
Dad "Yeah...."
Me "Did you get a lot of rain this week?"
Dad after a pregnant pause "Yeah....."
Me "Dad are you all right?"
Dad "Who is this?"
Me "It's Danny!"
Dad "OH!"

And so went the conversation with my Dad. From that point on we had a great conversation. I was starting to think that my Dad had a stroke or something. I know it had been a week or two since we spoke but come on.

When I talked with him today I asked him about the conversation. He said that he was in the truck on their way to eat dinner and the phone sounded like it had an echo. He said when the phone disconnected Mom asked him who it was. "Just some lady telling me about cutting up some trees" he says. When I called back and finally told him who I was everyone in the truck had a good laugh.

Then I started thinking. I started off the conversation, "Hey Dad." Who could it be? Do I have other siblings out there that I'm not aware of? Good lord I think nine is enough!

Rain rain and more rain

Tropical storm Hermine rolled through south Texas yesterday and today. With the first wave we got a little over 5 inches of rain. Then last night 2 bands came rolling across the area. It started about 1:48 this morning. I know this because the storm was very loud. My dog Larry is a big chicken when it comes to thunder. He jumped up on the bed and I couldn't get him to get off. He stayed at the foot of the bed the rest of the night. I know this because he was shaking the bed like it had a massage motor built into it. Larry weighs 58 pounds and I could not budge him. Then princess thinks she can keep the thunder away if she barks when she sees the lightening. The second wave moved through about 3 in the morning. There was more lightening associated with the second wave and a lot more rain. Between the 2 waves we added a little over 3 inches to the total. As I sit here typing the rain is still coming down in waves. Hermine has brought a total of about 11 inches so far with scattered showers expected tonight. This rain was welcomed as we were getting close to water restrictions. Everything is already looking greener.

A Walk in the Park

I stepped out of the house this morning to hang another ear of corn for the squirrels. (One was setting in the tree staring in the window!) The air had a crisp feel to it as a cool front had blown through yesterday. It felt like the perfect morning to go to the park for a walk. I came back inside and woke up the kids, it was after all 8:40 and half the day was gone already! The kids come down stairs and Chris jumps on the computer while Ashley sits on the sofa with her mom. I tried to get someone to go with me but I had no takers.

So I get to the park at 9:00 and there is only one parking spot left. Perfect! As I get out of the car a runner is just getting back from her run and lets out a primal scream. “I did it!” she yells. I shouted back “Great job!” and others around start to shout out their remarks of encouragement. I don’t know what her goal was but she achieved it and that was great. It was so nice to see strangers interacting in such a manner.

I head out on my walk moving at a good pace. The park was a hopping place. There were walkers, runners, skaters and bikers making good use of the cool morning. When I go walking I like to listen to the sounds of nature. So many had there ear buds on and not really paying any attention to anything or anyone. I was saying good morning left and right. Some people were friendly while others just appeared to ignore the greeting.

I started off with the goal of walking 13.5 miles. At 5 miles my left foot was getting uncomfortable. The inside heel was starting to hurt so after another half mile I stopped to look at it. Before I left the house I used padded mole skin on the heel as it had been a problem in the past. When I removed the sock the mole skin was just barely hanging on. The sweat was doing a number on the adhesive. I had a blister on the back of my heel the size of Texas and several smaller blisters on the inner heel. Well that put an end to proceeding further. Unfortunately I had to walk 5.5 miles back to the car with the blisters. Ouch!

On the walk back I came across an older gentleman that was picking himself up off the trail. He was bleeding from both arms and one leg. I asked him if he was all right. He was brushing the dirt off his legs and looking at the ground. He said that he had moved off the trail to let some bikers past and then tripped on a vine. I guess the riders didn’t notice. I made sure he was good before continuing on my way.

I made good time back to the car. It took me 2 hours and 45 minutes to go the 11 miles. I had plenty of time to meditate and clear my head. My battery is charged and I am ready for the week ahead. Who knows, I may go riding tomorrow but I know I will hold off on the walking until after Tour DaVita.

Vibram Five Finger toe shoes: the Verdict

I have had my Vibram toe shoes for a while now. I have worn them as my daily shoes and have worn them out on the trails. I have about 70 miles on them. My first impression of them was a foot saver. I had tried several shoes but all hurt my feet. The Vibrams did not make my feet hurt. I thought I found the perfect shoes. Today I went walking the trails and walk ways in the park. The path is mostly concrete with stretches of dirt path. After six miles of concrete my heels were feeling the lack of cushion. I had to walk the last mile back on the grass next to the concrete walk. The difference was night and day. I will say that because I gave my feet a rest from conventional shoes for two months I am now able to wear my dress shoes without any foot pain. I will still wear my toe shoes, just not all the time. When my KSOs are worn out I will buy another pair of toe shoes.

School Daze

When did they grow up? I woke up this morning and my daughter was starting her first day of her last year of high school. What happened to the first three years? School starts and then I lose her to her friends. The first day and it starts already! I am at work and I get this text message.

Ashley: “Dad I need 15 dollars”.
Me: “Why?”
Ashley: “I’m going to the movies and then out to eat at EZ’s”
Me: “Says who?”
Ashley: “Dad we talked about this a few days ago.”
Me: “I don’t remember”
Ashley: “Stop it Dad! I told you yesterday!”
Me: “No”
Ashley: “Mom said O-Kay”
Me: “So was it a few days ago or was it yesterday?”
Ashley: “You have selective hearing!”
Me: “No”
Ashley: “No what?”

I just left it hanging at that. What is the deal with texting any way? Wouldn’t a phone call be so much quicker?

So Christopher, not to be left out, tells me. “Dad, I need some money.” “Why do you need money?” I ask. “Because Mom said I can go to the movies with my friend tomorrow.”

So while at the store I get cash back. I am walking out the door and Christopher asks, “Did you get the money?”
“Why no. Was I supposed to?”
“Yes you did, I saw it.”
“Then why did you ask?”

My head hurts.

Owl house up date

The sun was setting and I went out to check on the Owl house. We had quite a storm blow through here. It took down trees in the area so the wind was very strong. The Owl house was still bolted to the tree about thirty feet off the ground. All of the bees were back at the house and as you can see it is over flowing. The bees so far have not bothered anyone. I can walk around the yard and under the tree without any problem. I have mowed the grass and even used a chainsaw without incident. I will leave them be for now. If they become aggressive then I will have to do something about them. I wonder what happens to them in the winter? Do they stay put or do they die off like a wasp? I will have to do some Internet searches to find out. I had asked Melanie to go out and check out the Owl house. She said, "Why, do they have little honey bear bottles lined up for us?" Obviously she isn't as excited about the guests as I.

Vibrams fivefingers KSO

After reading all of the hype about these shoes, I got a pair for an early fathers day present. My family was tired of listening to me talk about how much I would like a pair but what if I don't like them. What if it they hurt my feet. I didn't want to spend $85 just to have them sit in my closet.

I use to wear Nike shoes and I absolutely love them. I heard how great New Balance shoes were so after much debating I broke down and bought a pair. $150. Ouch! I went out walking and they felt great at first but then my left foot started to hurt on the inside edge of my heel. I walked about 3.5 miles that day. I had to pull my shoes off when I got back to the car. The left foot had three blisters all around the heel. I was hurting for weeks. I healed up and then tried them out again. I ended up pulling them off and walking back in my socks. I told my self never again will I spend that much on a pair of walking shoes.

I still need to run my Vibrams through the paces to see how they will do for me. At first blush they are great. I walked about 3/4 of a mile on the sidewalk and then returned on the trail. The KSOs did well both on and off the walk way. This week I should get about 20 miles logged in the shoes. Stay tuned.

Owl House Guests

After what seems like forever I have guests living in the owl house. Hundreds, maybe thousands actually. I was in the back yard today looking at a tree that I cut up last weekend and just happened to look up at the owl house. It had been several weeks since I had looked at it. A picture says a thousand words but these pictures do not do the bees justice. The bees are very thick in the opening. I am not sure if that is honey comb that I see or just bees swarming to keep the inside cool. You can hear the hum of the wings beating back and forth. Very cool. I just hope they are not the African honey bees that will chase me around the yard when I mow the grass.

A Memory Fading

As you know if you have read my blog, I am a huge Famous Quote addict. I have a new quote delivered to the blog daily. They always provoke a moment of thought and reflection. The quote today is: Memory is the personal journalism of the soul.Richard Schickel

This got me thinking about my mother-in-law. She is in her fourth year with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's. We had to have her placed in a home that cares for patients with this devastating disease. She is more and more confused as the days go by. I can see changes each time I see her, which is about twice a month. Melanie sees her about four times a week.

I get to hear all about the interesting conversations. It is very sad to think that her personal journal is getting erased. Her memories are going away but her family will remember her as she was before. We will cherish the memories we have as she was and be thankful for them.

Alzheimer's sucks.

Your story

Every life is like a story. They all start the same and they all end the same. You are born and then you die. What happens in between is mostly up to you. In the early years, you are mainly directed, much like an actor in a play. Then you step up to the director position. You call the shots and set the scenes. What story will yours be. An action adventure. A love story. A comedy. A tragedy. You are the master of your world. You can choose to be villain or the hero. You can choose to be rescued or you can do the rescuing. It is all choices. Don't stay behind the curtian. Pick a part and play it. Mix it up. Only you can play your role. In interviewing elderly people and asking about what regrets stood out the most, it was not what they did but rather what they didn't do. Choose wisely and live well. What will your story tell?

Hot days and fewer clothes

I went to the zoo this weekend. I took the kids because they still like to go, even at 15 and 17 years old. I would go even if the kids didn't go. I like to watch the people even more that the animals in the pens and cages. As the Texas heat builds and gets hotter and more humid the fewer clothes are worn. Now I am an equal opportunity gawker. I watch the women and the men. I watch the skinny ones and fat ones. As well as the pretty ones and ugly ones.

I find it interesting the parts of the body that gets pierced and or tattooed. I have heard it said that you can tell if someone is bi-polar by the number of piercings they have. Any number over 7 is a sure bet they are. (Or 7 rings is a pretty good indicator!) I saw many people that fit this category. Facial piercings were the most common. I did see one guy with bars on his neck and there was a woman that was wearing a tee shirt and no bra. You could see her nipple piercings through the tight shirt. How tacky is that!

Even more interesting than the piercings are the tattoos. There were several people there that had full body tattoos, 3 women and 1 man. I saw everything from dragons and fairies to Koi and hibiscus flowers. I am amazed at how many people have names tattooed on various parts of their body. It seems like the neck is the most popular followed by the upper back just below the neck for the women. I was thinking to my self what is the point of that. So the guy can remember his name while doing it like the animals do? Please!

I will be glad when I can go to Six Flags this summer. I will park myself by the pool and keep entertained for hours on end!

Flan cake

It was my job this year to bring a cake to Dads house for Easter. Easter fell on the kids birthday this year so I made two. The one in the picture above is a milk chocolate flan cake. It came out delicious and it was very easy to make.

You will need your favorite box cake mix, or if your have a favorite homemade cake recipe that is just fine. You will also need 3 eggs, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, and one can evaporated milk.

Pre -heat the oven to 340. Spray Pam in your cake pan. Make the cake per directions on the box and pour into your mold. Blend the eggs and cans of milk. Gently pour over the cake batter. It looks strange but do not worry. Bake for 50 minutes. Let the cake cool down for 30 minutes then turn over on your serving plate. The flan settles to the bottom of the cake mold which is the top when turned over.Let cool 30 more minutes and then place in the refrigerator to cool before serving.

I used ice cream topping to drizzle over the top for a frosting. Any cake mix will work. You could use a strawberry cake mix and drizzle with strawberry topping. My second cake was a butter pecan with butter scotch and caramel topping. It was very good as well.

Enjoy!

Started

I started my P90X today. I could not keep up with the tempo of the Kempo DVD. My heart rate was past 180 and I had to let it go down. All that did was get me stoked to improve. I am going to weigh my self every Monday to see my progress on weight loss. Today I weighed in at 195

P90X and my fatty liver

In January I was feeling ill. I had my blood work done and it showed elevated liver function tests. So, I had it repeated several weeks later (as well as other blood tests). The hepatitis screening came back negative twice but the liver function tests still are elevated. Last week I had more blood work done to rule out other bad problems. All came back negative and the liver function tests were still high. The doctor said I have a fatty liver! I stepped on the scale and I was back up to 192 pounds. Time to do something about it.

A friend gave me the P90X DVDs, a muscle confusion exercise routine. I went to Wal-Mart today and picked up free weights and a combination pull up/ push up bar. I will start the program next week to see if it is all that. Stay tuned.

2010 garden

I planted my garden today. My garden isn't the traditional garden with straight rows or mounds planted evenly. I hand tilled the soil in the flower bed and tossed the seeds in randomly. I planted yellow squash, zucchini squash, cucumber, and egg plant. I only put half the seeds in the tilled up area. The other half I tossed in the rest of the flower beds and a few seeds in pots. The last time I planted a garden the squirrels ate the blooms off as fast as they grew. I hope that by using this scatter method some blooms will go unnoticed and I will get to enjoy the fruits of my labor, so to speak.

An Angel or Karma

Everyone has an angel and everyone has the ability to be an angel for someone. You can call it Karma, you can call it what ever you like but it is there.

Years ago when my children were both in car seats, I drove a two door Hyundai. The car seats were strapped into the back seat. I had the muffler replaced and an extension tube did not get replaced on the tail pipe. The bumper caught fire and I pulled over into the police department parking lot. After pulling over the flames shot up and the back end of my car was on fire. I pulled the kids out of the car and got them to safety before looking for help with the fire.

I ran into the police station and yelled for help. I told them my car was on fire and I needed an extinguisher. The police officer yelled at me for pulling my car into their parking lot and said he could not help. So much for protect and serve. That exchange took less than a minute and I was back out to my car. I pulled out one car seat but the smoke became too much to remove the other.

Then when I thought all was lost a silver Accord pulled over in the parking lot and the trunk sprang open. A tall , thin black man with a well kept goatee dressed in a gold suit stepped out of his car and pulled a fire extinguisher out of the open trunk. It took him less than thirty seconds to put out the fire. He turned to me and asked if we were O-Kay. The fire extinguisher was replaced in his trunk and he was on his way.

To this day I swear he was an angel sent to help me and the kids. I was so speechless I couldn't even form words to thank him before he was gone. Was he simply in the right place at the right time with the right equipment? Only you can answer that question.

Everything happens for a reason. This weekend I was at a conference. A friend came up for the conference on Saturday but did not intend to attend on Sunday. He changed his mind and arrived to the conference for the Sunday session. I had a ride set up for the airport but the ride cancelled out and I was left taking a taxi. My friend said he could take us to the airport.

On the way to the airport we were commenting on how his car was shaking. He thought he needed an alignment. We told him it was a bad tire. At the airport when we got out of the car I inspected his rear tire and found a major defect. I told him to be careful because that tire could blow out on him. He said he would go straight to the gas station and have the tire removed.

I received a text while at the airport waiting for my flight. My friend was driving and the car start to shake worse than ever. He pulled over to the shoulder and was going he said about ten miles an hour and the tire blew. I would hate to think what would have happened if he had been going seventy on the toll road.

So, plans changed and a potential bad out come is avoided. Right place at the right time. Karma? An angel? Call it what you like but I am so glad that my ride cancelled.

Quote of the day junkie

I have been on this kick with reading quotes from quote of the day. I have always read the the quote that comes out on my blog. I see quotes from people that I have never even heard of and they made a lot of sense. I went to the site and started surfing the quotes and before I knew it hours had gone by. I was lost in quotes. I read quotes by John Wayne that I never thought came from him and moved on to Jim Carey. I was amazed at the quotes from all of these people. One of the Jim Carey quotes is "If you aren't in the moment, you are either looking forward to uncertainty, or back to pain and regret. " I just found that so deep for such a funny man. And John Wayne. "I don't feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them. There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves." I guess when your as big a cowboy as he was you just spoke your mind. If that statement were made today the press would be all over him. But he is also quoted with; "Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday. " That does not sound like a cowboy talking. When ever you have a few extra minutes to surf the web, head over to one of the quote sites and look up your favorite actor or writer and see what words of wisdom they have for you. Who knows you just might find your self saying "A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer. " (Bruce Lee) Seize the day and make it yours. Only you can create your universe.

Working on the weekend

I love a challenge. This weekend I have been challenged with several deadlines and new projects. I started out reading my quote of the day, "Anything worth doing is worth doing well". I have the newly assigned project finished with the exception of adding a picture from my computer at work. My other projects that are work related will have to wait until Monday. I need information that I left at work and don't feel like going in to get it. Those projects should not take long to put together as I have done similar projects in the past. I am done with work projects for the week end and now time for the home projects. There is just not enough days for the weekend.

AR15 and M1

100 yards with AR15

50 yards AR15 open sights and WWII M1 with open sights

AR15 at 50 yards red dot and open sight M1

AR15 with scope and open sight M1

I went to the range this weekend with the guys. I haven't shot a rifle in 19 years. I had so much fun. when we were leaving there was a baby rattlesnake in the parking lot soaking up the sun. It was so cold that he didn't even move when I tapped it with my shoe.

Imagine

Imagine you had ten years to live. You knew the time frame. What would you do differently than you are doing now? Would you travel more? Would you donate more time to what ever cause was important to you? Think about it for a minute. How would your life be different compared to what it is like now?

Now imagine you had only one year to live. 365 days. How is that different than when you had ten years to live? What would you do differently now? Would you spend more time with your family and friends? Would you write your thoughts down for your grandchildren to read or make a video?

Finally, imagine one month to live. How would you change what you’re doing? What would be different now?

Would you want to know the number of your days? Should time be a factor in how you live your life? As for me, I want to be remembered for the lives I touched.

One lives in the hope of becoming a memory.~ Antonio Porchia

Buttermilk Pie

This is a very good recipe for buttermilk pie. This recipe makes two pies.

1 cup flour

3 3/4 cups sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup butter

6 large eggs

2 cups buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

2 unbaked pie crusts

Pre heat oven to 350 combine flour, sugar and salt. melt butter and add to dry mixture. Add the eggs and stir until all wet. Then using a mixer add the buttermilk slowly,mix for one minute and then blend in vanilla. Pour into pie crusts and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

Hope Wishes Dreams

Read 12 good books

Loose 20 pounds

Make over my yard

Be happy with my decisions

Spend more on me, time and money

Get back in school

Be a better…… {Father, husband, friend, boss, nurse, person}

“Hope is not a course of action.” That is a quote from Face Book. I gave it little thought at first. Hope is not a course of action but it will change your course of action. For if all hope is lost then drive and determination diminish and the goal is not reached. Never lose hope.

Dream is something you imagine, an aspiration or goal. If you can imagine it, it becomes more real. Don’t stop dreaming.

To wish is to want, desire or long for something. The more you want or desire something the harder you work for it.

20 gallons- my dream is for 5 more gallons more in the year to come

200 miles in Tour DaVita- my wish is to be healthy enough to be able to do 200 miles more this year

My hope is that all your wishes and dreams come true. Here’s to another year to spend with family and friends. As always, remember to live, love and laugh. Create your happiness.