The Guide to Being Happy

I know I haven't updated in a couple of months or so, sorry.  There's been a lot going on, and honestly, it's none of your business, but I will tell you this, I've learned a lot about myself, and about others.

When I say I've learned a lot, I mean good and bad, and some of the bad has brought out a lot of changes, some that have been immediate, some that will take longer, but they are things I'm intensely working on.  It's not all bad, I'm learned a lot of good things about myself, and that's been the source of a lot of motivation and I realize can be a source of happiness. When you really look at yourself, you can fix the things you don't like, some of them are hard to confront, some are easier, but each thing you overcome is a step in the right direction.

I've learned being happy is primarily about being content with who you are, or what you are working to be.  I've learned that taking things for granted is stupid.  I've learned that each moment is a decision, and you can't go back, only forward - so you have to act with wisdom, not emotion, because emotions aren't always wise.  I've learned there are people who will play both sides of the game just to cause drama, and that hurting people hurt others.

Be kind to everyone, it's just the right thing to do.

Special Special Edition: It's Not You, It's the Kids

Ok, pull up a chair and get ready, it's time for my soapbox rant. That's right, sit down.  Now that you have sat down, you've probably realized that you can not get up, that's because I put glue down before you came in.  If you want the release agent, you have to wait until I finish my rant.  Captive Audiences are always the best listeners.

As you probably know, my wife, Lyndsay (love you honey), is a teacher.  She is a special education teacher to be exact.  She is the Special Olympic's Coach for her school district. She has put this project (unpaid mind you) first (aside from family. Well, the kids, I think she forgets to feed me sometimes).  She has spent countless hours with practices, paperwork, ordering supplies and arranging everything for the events they attended.  I'm proud, she is an awesome person and I'm lucky.

Here's the thing: she hasn't really told anyone about all the stuff she's done.  Usually when she does tell someone it's a vague reference to the efforts she's put forth. She's that way on a lot of stuff, but to me, this was significant.

Her athletes were awesome.  I was able to witness them at one of the two McDonalds fundraisers that was held, and not only did they raise a lot of money, they had fun and were happy to do so.  I've did a lot of fundraisers in my time, and I can say that fun isn't in the description.  Matter of fact, it was the opposite, maybe agony is a good word.  Maybe it was my leader, maybe it was my attitude, there are a lot of factors it could have been.  Their leader, their attitude and their determination was literally awe inspiring (yes, literally - I know my use of language).  If you've seen any of the picture of them during the events or during\after the medal ceremony, you know they had fun and it was a very special time.  You'll also see a smiling Lyndsay a lot.  You can tell that all the work not only made them happy, but it gave a huge sense of joy and satisfaction to her.

I can't speak for most people, but for all that work, I'd expect some huge pats on the back, and if I didn't get them, I'd either make people pat me on the back (trust me it's awkward.  Not for me, for them) or I'd get upset for people not knowing how awesome I was.

I've read about some people lately in similar situations, and in the articles I've seen, there was a lot of hidden bragging about the leader, and their past accomplishments.  Who cares.  Ir's not about you, it's about the kids.  I see articles like that and I get so frustrated because it's like they are missing the point entirely.

Well, I'll step down off this pretty soapbox.  Oh, as for the release agent for your seats that you are glued to ... I lied, I only had the glue.  You'll either have to take off your pants or walk hunched over with a chair on your hind quarters.  Until Thursday dear reader!

-James

Special Edition: The Man in Black Comes Together

A lot (most of) the pieces for the Man in Black Costume have arrived, and although I won't give you a preview of what they look like on me, I do want to show you them individually.

First, let's look at the head wrap\bandana:

I'm satisfied with this, after all, it is a simple piece, so it was going to be easy to please me on this one.

The next thing are the gloves.  I actually had to look pretty hard to find gloves that a) looked close enough to the onscreen ones, b) did not have a liner so they wouldn't be incredibly hot, and c) we tight enough to provide me with a near normal tactile feeling.

The picture makes them look like they fear out a lot, but the flare isn't really that big.  There is no liner and they are tight, I mean like a second skin tight.  Well worth the search.

Next up? The Mask.  I am still a bit worried about this part.

As you can see, I have two. Currently the one on the left is the one I'm going with, although I like the nose better on the right one.  The problem with the one on the right is that the eye holes go too far inward makes my eyes bulge out because they are shoving into my eye sockets.  I have thought about putting some sort of padding either around the eyes or on the upper part of it to push it outward a bit, but haven't really hard time to try.  I'll update on that later.

An easy piece: The sword holder.

Simple thing, the scabbard goes through the holder, it attaches to my belt. Done deal.

Now my favorite piece of the puzzle.

The sword.  It's actually a well crafted sword, better than I expected.  And yes, it's a real sword.  I was have expecting a moderate quality blade that was loose in the hilt and a sub par wrap on the handle.  I was surprised.  It is a nice blade, set sturdily into the handle and the wrap is nicely designed and comfortable to hold.  Again, well worth my search.

Now, the piece I'm not so sure of:

The look is right, but the material is iffy. It's a little ... thin.  Should breath easy though.

The only things left are the sash that goes around the waist and the paints.  Can't go without the pants, Alexandria told me so.

All in all, everything is coming together, so I'm very pleased with everything, and although I might not be at the weight I wanted to be, I think everything will be ok.

Well, Maybe Not

So, we didn't go to Lone Grove Days.  We had a sick little girl (Alexandria) that had strep throat.  She is better now, but it was so sad this weekend, she was a quiet girl, which is not like her at all, a sure sign that someone is really sick.  She is better now, but it's going to be interesting to see if she has spread it.  Victoria is complaining of a sore throat now, but she also knows that Alexandria got to get out of school because of hers. Children are smart creatures, albeit devious at the same time. Madison did have to come home from school Tuesday and see the doctor, but we aren't sure if it was the same thing since she had a lot of puke going on.

This weekend, I had a few cheat meals, but I made up for it with plenty of exercise.  Friday I came home to watch Alexandria and while she slept, I planted my starter plants into the big garden. Saturday I cleaned the garage almost to the point I had it after I redesigned it, and if you've ever cleaned a garage, you know that can be intense, especially trying to find small jobs for the girls to do at the same time. To top it off, Saturday and Sunday I expanded the garden, I did not build the permanent add on that I want, but a lot more potted vegetables. I thought I took a picture, but I didn't which means you'll have to hang in suspense.

Thursday and Sunday I rocked out some intense workouts, so I feel pretty good about that.  Sunday I worked out my legs, and I can still fell it. I'm continuing to lose inches like I had previously mentioned, which is awesome, except the fact that my pants are so loose, it causes my shirts to come untucked. I need to put another hole in my belt. If I do reach me goal weight, I will need to get a whole new wardrobe.  I'm not super excited about that like others would be.  Some changes I don't like.

The first hotel I booked for us to stay at while we were at the Renaissance Festival overbooked, and luckily I was about to get some rooms at the last hotel in town that had rooms, it's a nicer hotel so I guess it worked out.  We are all set on that front, and if I can lose a few more inches, I'll be happy with my appearance as the Man in Black.

Speaking of the Man in Black, all of my pieces for the costume are on their way, and soon I will be able to tell for sure if my work has paid off! I think I might be more excited to go than the girls this year.  Like I mentioned before, look out for updates both nights!

Until next time, dear reader.

Old McJames Has a Farm

Not really, but it was a catchy title.  In reality I have a garden, not even a big one right now, but it is a garden.  Reports show that gardening can help reduce stress. Liars.  I kid, I kid. Working in the garden gives me a sense of accomplishment, the results don't take all that long, and you can say that you did it.

I mean, this is pretty awesome, right?

These are getting ready to plant, meanwhile, in the garden:

 I even got Victoria in on helping:

It's fun, and it does give me exercise when I'm not working out, and I'm not even thinking about it, so it's still helping reach my goal of losing weight to be the 'Man in Black' for the Festival.  Speaking of the Festival, Lyndsay had an idea that blew my mind. Instead of being the Man in Black the first day, I should be him the second day, in case I find anything better that would compliment my attire.  She also had another reason, she is going to look for a dress so she could be Buttercup from the movie. Woah, that would be awesome.  Now, clothes at the Renaissance Festival aren't usually cheap, but in this case, I might splurge.  Also, during the Festival I will probably update the blog each night when we get back to the hotel, so keep an eye out for those. You must read them.

 This weekend is Lone Grove Days, and I plan on having a special update about that this weekend, so look for that.  It's a day of fun in the city where I live, games, activities, music, shopping, a car show and food.  Also, I should mention, that I wasn't going to go this year, but Lyndsay got Shanghaied into working the concession stand.  Probably a good thing, so she can monitor how much of the delicious bad food I try to eat.  She might put my picture up with the caption "Do Not Sell to This Man." Speaking of eating, I've changed my diet, and it's working.  I feel better and I am losing weight (and inches).  Just goes to show you, you treat your body good, and it will return the favor.

If you didn't catch it, we went to the Zoo this past weekend, and well, this sums it up:

Anyhow,  until next Thursday Dear Reader.

Fun Things Ahead

As most of you know, my family loves to go to Renaissance festivals. Due to scheduling and a low budget, we were going to have to skip the Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie, TX this year.  This one is my favorite (at least that I've been to thus far) and I did not want to miss it.  After rearranging schedules, and saving money (and selling a lot of crap on eBay) we have the funds, and will be on our way at the end of May.

Last year I dressed up, and I loved it.

I did only dress up one of the two days we were there last year, mainly because I had sweated so much in it that I dare not wear it again.  This year, I will wear this outfit on day 2, day 1 will be:

That's right, the Dread Pirate Roberts from The Princess Bride.  I might not make a great one, but I'll have fun.  I'll even shave my beard down to just a mustache to complete the look. 

Since this is at the end of May I have roughly a month to get myself into a little better shape so I don't have to pretend to be Wesley in his old, fat years.  I'm hoping to trim down my belly a bit, and lose about 7-10 pounds.  I'm already on my way, I've made good progress, so I think I can do it. 

Just the little time I've been more conscious of what I'm eating, my belly has reduced in size a bit, and I attribute this to the reduction in sodium intake.  I still need to lower it, but it was astronomical before.  The short term goal to look decent for the fair is really off to a good start.

As a practice run, we may end up going to a Renaissance Festival in Muskogee, OK (okcastle.com) for one day and see if I can stand the costume and if I look horrible or not, you know, to get feedback and whatnot.  We shall see.  Until next time, dear readers.

So Soon? What is this sorcery?

I told you I'd keep you up to date. I won't be updating everyday, but I wanted to update you on my first day of sticking with my plans.  Last night went well, and today has went well.  To fill you in on a few things I'm working on, here is a small list:

• Reducing (or eliminating) sodas - this is a big deal for me, but so far so good, well today anyway.
• Not buying take-out or going through a drive-through and prepping my lunch for work.
• Working with Lyndsay and making meal plans for dinner, and preparing them.
• Exercising regularly, I mean I have all the equipment and I was doing so well, time to get back at it.
• Drinking more water.  This works with the first one, and I'm doing well (for my size 124 oz a day)

Hopefully this will give me a good start to get back on track.  I'm 5'9" and 212.8 lbs with a goal of 180-190 and less than 20% body fat, it's currently 35-37%.  I told you, I've throwing out numbers, that way you guys can see if I'm making progress.

I'll leave you alone for now, and like I used to do, I'll update you once a week - on Thursdays.

Thanks for reading, you wonderful people you!

-J