The Facts of Life

No, it's not really about growing up or where babies come from.  Today I want to talk about facing the truth and acknowledging what is and what can't be.

Let's begin with weight and health.  My goal this year is lose 25 pounds.  For those who have kept up with me — the scale went the wrong way.  I gained 10 pounds.  Since my last checkup, I've attempted to be more systematic and actually DO exercise, not think about it.  For some dumb reason, just thinking about losing weight and working out DOES NOT LOSE WEIGHT!  Go figure.  I took a close look at my meds.  Uh, three of them claim to gain weight and one hints at the possibility of weight gain.  Again, I think salmon might have a better chance spawning upstream than I do trying to lose weight.  BUT, after a quick check.  The scale moved in the correct direction  I've lost the gained 10 pounds and another 5 pounds.  For some that might not seem all that grand, but for me, I consider that a major win.  Yeah, consider it an incentive to work out even harder.  My treadmill walks were like 5 minutes and then I was a crazy panting mass in the chair.  I've pushed it to 15 minutes and not quite so panting.  Yes, I'm sweating and exhausted, but at least I don't feel like a fish gasping in the air.  I'm gaining.  And I can go outside and do stuff, even walk the property without having to stop to rest every 30 seconds.  Amazing how fast one can go down hill if they don't keep at it.  Everyone kept telling me I shouldn't / couldn't do this or that and I believed them.  So I didn't do it.  Now I can barely do anything but I am pushing myself to get back out there.  I want to be around a little longer just so I can write that blockbuster.

Speaking of which, my latest release — The Secret Voice — is doing amazingly well.  Of course, it doesn't reflect that at Amazon { http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VW3BCA6/ }.  I ordered copies of the book (paperback) and have been selling them locally.  I now have ONE copy left to sell.  Yes, a order is going in this week for another shipment.  I requested that when people finished the book, they go online at Amazon and do a review.  Found out, they can't unless they've purchased something online from Amazon.  Hmm?  Sort of tricky, Amazon.  You don't demand they necessarily buy the book to review, they can buy a waffle iron and then comment on my book — or anyone else's book, no problem.  Doesn't make sense OTHER than Amazon wants to sell something.  I'm scheduling some book signings and trying to hit some "art" events where other book sales will occur.  This could be an interesting summer with a lot of travel.  So far, the reviews from those who I've seen since selling them a copy have been unbelievable.  They're loving the book.  One of my church members told she started the book and has barely been able to put it down and hopes to finish it this week. Guess I should mention, I'm working on another soon-to-be released book.

Moving onto travel.  Working now on the RV getting it ready for camping.  Winter storage is so weird.  I park it next to the house and my son comes over during the winter to shove the excess driveway snow in front of the RV.  My wife does a complete cleaning in the Fall in preparation of "storage" and then, come Spring, she has to go out and do a complete cleaning for us to use it.  One wouldn't think it got that dirty, but it does.  Who knew?  We're considering some changes of the inside and we were trying to figure out exactly what we wanted.  My wife isn't too keen on the light oak everything everywhere and we're tired of the dirty mint green carpeting.  We plan to lay new flooring — the laminate kind and it looks like it will be a dark walnut or mahogany/cherry hue.   Again, the oak seemed to be the stumbling block until I found an article about this couple who painted their interior.  DOH!  My wife is excited to be heading to Menards or Lowes to shop for paint and accessories.  We may even put in a new kitchen counter.  We're definitely yanking the dining area and the jack-knife couch out.  We found a recliner sofa hide-a-bed to fit into the one area.  Not sure when we'll get that, but then again, not sure when any of this will be done.  But I'm excited and it gives us something to look forward to... just like the garden.

The garden is almost all planted.  I have 5 rows of sweet corn planted.  They are 6 foot long and sort of tight in the rows.  The garden is a raised bed and the dirt has been purchased - Miracle Grow + a combination of humus/manure, sand, and peat.  Really rich soil.  So the corn should do fine even if they are being squeezed.  I have beets, carrots, peas, wax beans, pole beans, carrots, radishes, 4 types of tomatoes (Beefsteak, Roma, Rutgers and Mortgage Lifter) and garlic growing in my 4X15 garden.  I told you it was intense.  ALSO, I am attempting something new this year: straw bale gardening.  Yes, bales of straw.  I bought 2 bales and have spent the last 2 weeks prepping them for growing my vine plants.  I have cukes, zukes, cantelope, watermelon and acorn squash to plant in them.  This should be an interesting experiment.  As summer progresses, the harvest will be collected and, with any luck, stored for munching on this coming winter.

Today, after church, and after going out for lunch, we picked up my wife's school chum and we went to a local nursery to buy flowers.  I wanted geraniums but they were literally down to about 20 flats of flowers — and no geraniums.  Damn!  So I got some regular pink petunias, red petunias, purple wave petunias, and some white petunias.  I've started Sweet Alyssum in the house and have 48 plants to put outside PLUS another 300 that I'll just break into segments and shove here and there.  Anyway, I will plant the purple alyssum with the purple petunias and add the white ones for accent.  I have a big pot on the front steps which will hold the pink petunias and I'll add the red ones into the center for accent.  The rest of the sweet alyssum will be planted in the raised flower beds and those extras I know will be shoved around trees and bushes to become ground cover.

As you can see, some of my goals I established at the beginning of the year are being met.  I wanted three books out this year.  I've got one done and another in the works and a third in the background, waiting.  I wanted to lose 25 pounds and am officially down 5 pounds.  I'm feeling pretty good.

Until next I ramble on...