Easier to pack on than shed...

Well, over the holidays, I managed to regain several of the pounds I had lost in October. This was due not only to traditional holiday eating, but just bad eating in general. Money was tight, as it is so often during the holidays, and I ate fast food instead of being disciplined. I hope to correct this soon.

The Juice Fast

I've decided to try a juice fast/ diet. My friend Mark has had some success changing his lifestyle doing one and now it's my turn. During the fast, I'll only partake of vegetable and fruit juices that I'll make myself and lot's of water. After the fast is over, I will, in theory, switch over to a better way of eating. I think, initially, the hardest part will be kicking the caffeine addiction, as I love my sweet tea.
I started today at lunch. I'm 293 pounds right now and am hoping for the best. It should be, at the very least, an experience.

An Update

I haven't updated lately due to a combination of stress and just being plain busy. I'm generally not one to complain or have personal pity parties, but my Mother's house has been foreclosed on. This is the house where I practically grew up and it's been in the family longer than I've been alive. When my Father passed two years ago there wasn't enough insurance money to finish paying it off. My Mother just couldn't keep up payments between not having consistent work and taking care of my nephew and oldest niece. This has been on my mind lately and, while I know all things must come to pass, it has been depressing.
On a somewhat lighter note, I'm discontinuing "20 Top 20s". I've run out of ideas to post. Maybe next time I'll do "10 Top 20s" or similar.

KISS

Tonight, I'll be going to see KISS for the fourth time. I'm certain it'll be a good show and I'm looking forward to it. Every time I've seen them, both live and in video, they've always put a great deal of effort into their shows and you can expect a quality performance. This will be my first time, however, seeing them at an outdoor venue (Lakewood Amphitheatre), but I don't believe this will negatively affect the experience. The only thing I really don't care for is the fact that it's on a Tuesday, a work night.
I'm also nearly finished with my first short story and I'm actually feeling pretty good about it. I do admit that it's a bit derivative of Robert E. Howard's work, but this was really more of an exercise to see if I could do it. I'll probably try my hand at a few short stories before I attempt a novel length story.

Sore and wore out

The last few days I've managed to wake up early (5 AM) and go to the apartment complex's exercise room (it's not big enough to be a gym). I'm doing pretty well and hope to continue doing so, but I am exhausted. This, traditionally, has always been one of my problems. It's so easy to say "I'll sleep in tomorrow and start back the day after". Of course, "the day after" becomes "the day after that" and so on and so on. It's really as much a mental challenge as a physical one, but I do plan on forging ahead. It amazing how, during my brief stint in the service, we could wake up at 4 AM to exercise, do various tasks throughout the day, and then get maybe six hours of sleep. That's essentially the schedule I'm hooting for now.

My weekend

I had a fairly fulfilling weekend; doing nothing. I watched "Centurion" on Pay-Per-View. It was good. It's a fictional movie based on the Roman Ninth Legion in Britannia in which most of the legion is wiped out in an ambush by the Picts. A handful of Romans survive, but are stranded behind enemy lines and are being hunted by the Picts. There were some anachronisms and factual errors in the film. While there is some mystery as to the fate of the Ninth, there is evidence they were transferred to the Eastern Frontier from Britannia. There was also a Pict who used a two-handed, double-bitted axe, one of my personal pet peeves. It was a good movie, however,and will probably see it if, and when, it comes to theatres.
I went to the theatre to see Pirahna 3D. I enjoyed it immensely. The premise and acting were suspect at best, but that's not why you see movies like this. There was plenty of nudity, women in bikinis, and gore. In fact, it's the goriest film I've seen in years. The 3D aspect was also well done. I may see it again.
I also started reading "A Feast For Crows"; book four of "The Song of Fire and Ice" series by George R.R. Martin. I'm about half way through the book and it's brilliant, as were the others. It's been so long, however, since I read the other books, that I'm having to look back to the last book to remember some of the plot.

Common people

Today, I had to travel to Villa Rica, Georgia, for my great aunt's funeral, which I mentioned in an earlier post. While a solemn occasion, I did have an opportunity to interact with "small-town" folks. My mother's people are from West Georgia, near the Alabama state line. These are country people, generally simple in their beliefs and needs. While I'm a suburbanite myself, it's refreshing to be around them. There seems to be less duplicity and less of a need for myself to conform or prove myself.

Today

Today, I had to attend my great aunt's funeral. I admit, I wasn't very close to her, I mostly saw her around the holidays and at the odd family gathering. I probably saw her an average of four times a year, so I'm not too sad about it. It does put life into perspective, however. I do want an open bar at my funeral.

My Great Aunt

I found out yesterday that my great aunt, Elsie, has passed. Admittedly, I was not close to her. She was on my mother's side of the family and we rarely saw her ; except on holidays and such. I am a little sad, however. It means the family's getting smaller and smaller. It means things never get any easier.

It's been a while...

It's been nearly a year since I've written anything; I've had many profound changes in my life since last I wrote and I'm still working out some of the kinks. My Father passing was before my last post, but the ramifications of that are still resounding through my life. I've been divorced for nearly six months now and my Mother's home (my family home)may be foreclosed upon soon. The last year and half have been a trial, but I am pushing forward. I have neither the time nor inclination for a personal pity party.
I do plan on working on my writing more now. A friend of mine suggested I try and write something, no matter how small, everyday. Some of that will be here on this blog. I also plan on writing a few short stories. These will likely be put here on the blog. Ultimately, I'd like to write novels, but I feel the short stories will help me refine my abilities (if any, the jury's still out). They'll also be easier for others to read and critique.
I hope to discipline myself and start doing the things I want to do with my life. Today, I woke up early and worked out with my kettle bell and wrote this post. These are tiny steps, but they may be the beginning of a journey I wish to make.