Friday, 3 September 2010
Week 27: Do at least 15 crunches each day this week.
Good morning. Luke and I just got up and are eating breakfast, or I should say I’m eating breakfast — he is hammering everything in sight with the new Craftsman toy hammer that I got him the other day. I tried to tell him it was too early for construction, but apparently I am forgetting my days of building houses in Washington.
Today we have one of those days that I’m not too thrilled about, Luke has a doctor’s appointment, and he’ll be getting a shot. I tell myself it’s for his own good, but I’m not looking forward to 3:00 PM. We’re going to go for a walk and a small jog (he really likes to run), so I hope it will tire him out by the time we get there.
I should be sending some new photos to Carol soon. I just have to make some time to get Dave’s so he can snap some. While I’m at Luke’s appointment today, I’ll ask the nurse if it’s OK if I step on the scale. I don’t think it will be a problem, and then I’ll give you the latest update.
I hope everybody has a great day and avoids smiling nurses with stickers because they are always up to something.
Later,
Barry J
Tags: breakfast, kids, life
Posted in Exercise Goal | No Comments »
Thursday, 26 August 2010
Week 26: Eat 2 cups of cooked or baked whole grains each day this week.
Good morning. Luke and I just got done eating a healthy breakfast of fruits and oatmeal, and now he is playing with his cars while I am blogging and lifting.
I’m not sure what we have in store for today, but I’m sure we’ll find something cool to get into before I have to go to work at 6:00 PM.
I’ve been getting a lot done on all of my writing besides the blog, and I believe my focus comes from being in a healthy state of mind and body. It’s amazing – if I go back two years and look at where I was compared to where I am at now – Life is good.
I hope everybody has a great day and stays focused.
Later,
Barry J
Tags: breakfast, healthy living
Posted in nutrition goal | No Comments »
Sunday, 22 August 2010
Week 25: Do at least 15 push-ups each day this week.
Good morning. It’s raining here today, so as I type Luke is playing with his fleet of new hot wheels trucks and cars that he got for his birthday. I just finished doing all of my stretches and exercises and now I am enjoying some oatmeal and Jif.
Luke and I went to this place called Pioneer Tunnel in Ashland, PA. yesterday for his birthday, and it was great. We took a mine car 1800 feet into the side of Mahanoy Mountain, and once inside we got a tour of how the mining was done by people who performed in character as miners from the late 19th century. They did an awesome, funny, yet serious and sometimes sad job. I highly recommend it. After we came back to the light, we rode a steam train which also stopped and the conductor gave you a guided tour of the other types of mining that went on outside of the main mines. Luke really dug the train and to be honest with you, so did I.
So now we’re on day 731. Wow, I think the music group the Talking Heads said it best. “Where do the days go by?”
I hope everybody has a great day and gets a chance to get underground before well….
Later,
Barry J
Tags: breakfast, healthy living
Posted in Fitness Goals | No Comments »
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Week 25: Do at least 15 push-ups each day this week.
Good afternoon. Luke and I just got back from Knoebels amusement park, and what a blast we had. I introduced Luke to a new ride, the Kiddie Himalaya. It goes around and up and down. He seemed to really get a kick out of it.
When I woke up this morning, I ate a healthy breakfast of oatmeal and strawberries and then did my calisthenics and weight lifting. I’m really feeling like I’m in peak condition right now, but I also believe that it’s only going to get better as I keep jogging and lifting. As I type this, I’m boiling wild rice that Luke and I will have with some chicken for lunch. Mmmhh, sounds good huh?
Well, I’ve got some car playing to do before lunch is served, so I’ll catch you tomorrow.
I hope everybody has a great day and tries a new ride.
Later,
Barry J
Tags: breakfast, exercise, fun
Posted in Fitness Goals | No Comments »
Sunday, 1 August 2010
Week 21: Walk/Run 30 minutes, 4 days this week – Walk 10 minutes, (run 1 minute / walk 1 minute) x5, Walk 10 minutes
Good morning. I just woke up and got done with my crunches, push-ups and healthy breakfast (which consisted of oatmeal and blueberries). I’m going to pick up Luke at his Grandmother’s, and then from there I have no idea what we’re going to go get into. It’s raining here so Knoebels isn’t going to be part of the plan. Maybe we’ll do the visit thing and start knocking on some doors. Friends and family love it when Luke shows up on their front stoop unannounced. Me, on the other hand, I’m not so sure about, but I’m a part of the package so hah.
I hope everybody has a great day, and if you hear a knock on your door, you might want to check first.
Later,
Barry J
Tags: breakfast, Family, friends
Posted in Fitness Goals | No Comments »
Sunday, 25 July 2010
Week 21: Eat 1 1/2 cups of cooked or baked whole grains each day this week.
Good morning. Last night I had the pleasure of working until 5:00 a.m., which means they were serving breakfast in the E.D.R.. This was the first time I had the chance to see what they broke out for the employee’s to start their days. Let me tell you something, it was a no-holds bar, smack down from whatever side of the fence you were on, you were happy breakfast. For those who wanted what I like to call the Barry Old Breakfast, there was bacon, sausage, french toast, some type of chicken smothered in gravy and a tray of scrambled eggs that would make Big Bird run away in agony. Then there was the other side which I will call the Barry New Breakfast, which featured fresh cut honeydew melons that were so sweet they tasted like penny candy from the Olson’s Mercantile (it’s a Little House on the Prairie reference. I’m a huge fan. If you don’t know what Little House on the Prairie is, please ask Cindy Harris, and immediately watch an episode to see what good wholesome T.V. programing is. Man I hope I don’t break my neck when I come down off my high horse.) Anyway. Where was I?….Breakfast. There was granola, fruit salad (yummy, yummy), a pot of oat meal so big it would have made the dude on the Quaker Oats tube nervous. I opted for the healthy breakfast because it’s what I’m use to now and I actually enjoy it. The bacon and sausage was calling out to me. To make matters worse, I ran into Teddy who was like the devil perched on my shoulder saying “Go ahead have some bacon Barry. It’s delicious. It won’t kill you.” I told him “Yeah, it eventually will” and that’s when he gave up and went out to have a cigarette. I wished him luck with that. He didn’t hear me, but I’m sure he would have said his trade mark saying of “I know, I know.”
I looked around to see a lot of people eating healthy, and this made feel good. I’m not one to sit there and preach or push this lifestyle of healthy living on anyone, but if someone asks, well, that’s opening a whole bag of baby carrots.
I hope everybody has a great day and doesn’t listen to Teddy.
Later,
Barry J
Tags: breakfast, healthy living
Posted in nutrition goal | No Comments »
Saturday, 24 July 2010
Week 21: Eat 1 1/2 cups baked or cooked whole grains each day this week.
Tags: breakfast, fun
Posted in nutrition goal | No Comments »
Monday, 19 July 2010
Week 21: Eat 1 1/2 cups cooked or baked whole grains each day this week.
Good morning. Wow, I got to sleep in today so it’s more like good early afternoon. Last night was a fun-filled night and it went by in a blink of an eye. Before I knew it I was driving home and the clock was reading 2:30 am.
Carol gave me my goal for the week which is to to increase my whole grain consumption from a cup to a cup and a half every day. Once again this should be no problem considering I already eat that much anyway. Even as I type this I’m scarfing down my oatmeal with Jif, and at work they usually have some type of whole grain rice up for grabs.
Yesterday something funny happened when Luke and I were hanging out. We were playing hide and seek wrestling (basically it’s the game of hide and seek, but when you find the person who is hiding you put wrestling moves on them and I’m not talking about TV wrestling here – I’m talking what they do in school wrestling. I wrestled one year in high school and I only wish I wrestled every season. So I figure if I can get Luke into it early, maybe he might dig it. He already has a super ankle pick, but his “pancake” needs a little work. I think that’s because I outweigh him by 200 pounds.) What the heck was I talking about?…Oh yeah, man the digression. So Luke’s hiding and to be totally honest with you he’s not the best hider in the world, but again he’s not awful for a 696 day old. We have played this game with other toddlers who have stood in the middle of the room with coats over their heads. If I’m seeking I act like I can’t see them, but Luke goes right for the two point take down. As I said, his single ankle pick is a work of art. Luke’s down fall with hiding is he always hides in the same spots. But to be fare I guess there are only so many places to hide in our home. One of his favorites hiding places is the bedroom closet, but yesterday he decided to try and cover up under some of the boxes that are in there (so he is better than I give him credit for), and he realized that the boxes are actually toy trucks. You see, I’ve been collecting Hess gasoline toy trucks since I was a child. Every year for Christmas Hess comes out with an AWESOME truck (last year it was a car for the first time in its forty years), but not only is it a truck, it lights up and has sirens. It has always been one of my favorite presents on Christmas morning. My Mom still gets me one every year and Luke also gets one now. But in my closet I have about twenty, still in the box. Trucks that I have been saving. For what? And this is the neat part that I forgot about… In case I ever had a child. Some of these trucks are worth some money, but a toy, in my opinion, should not be kept in a box when a kid is around. If I wanted them for their cash value I would have gotten two of them, one to play with and one to collect dust. Anyway. I’m counting out loud to forty-three (that’s what we count to. Luke does it in his own way, but when he gets to the end it sounds like “PROORRTY FREET!!!” which usually takes anywhere from five seconds to three minutes.) When I hear Luke scream at the top of his lungs, “DADO DADO DADO DADO!” I know he’s not hurt or scared because of his tone, so I come into the bedroom saying, “what buddy, what buddy?” He’s smiling pointing at all the boxes. I start laughing thinking to myself “Ahh, it’s about time.” “Wow man, do you want one of them?” I ask and he answers back in Russian, “Da.” I tell him to say please and he comes up to me with a super grin, grabs hold of my leg, gives it a big squeeze, looks up at me with his Frodo Baggins eyes, and says, “please Dado.” My heart melted and I told him he could have one for now. He choose the 2005 emergency truck with rescue vehicle. A GREAT year. It was like passing a torch I tell you, not one to light the way, but one to warm the heart.
I hope everybody has a great day and finds a closet full of good stuff.
Later,
Barry J
Tags: breakfast, parenting
Posted in nutrition goal | No Comments »
Thursday, 15 July 2010
Week 20: Do at least 10 crunches each day this week.
Good morning. I’m sitting here eating my oatmeal and Jif, slugging down some black Starbucks coffee, and thinking about something I heard about fifty times last night that makes me laugh. When I worked in Atlantic City players would sometimes say when they were not happy with some state law,”Well that’s not the way it is in Las Vegas.” As a supervisor I wanted to scream at the person and say, “You’re not in Las Vegas, Dorothy, but you are more than welcome to take Toto and that scarecrow looking husband of yours, catch the next tornado, and go back to the “All for our country” state. So wouldn’t it figure now that Pennsylvania has table games and different laws people are saying, “Well that’s not the way it is in Atlantic City.” The great part of it is that I am not a supervisor. I’m just a dealer, so when a customer is freaking out like an elephant that saw a mouse, I can just stand back and watch the entertainment. Ahh, life is good.
My healthy lifestyle is going great and I can say I’m feeling about eighty-five percent better. I’m looking forward to going for my walk / jog today considering it has been raining on and off for the past four days which is good for cooling down the heat, but bad for getting outside.
I have the day off unless they call me in to work. There aren’t many crap dealers so we’re in high demand when it comes to people calling in sick or whatever the case may be, and I figured that since I don’t have Luke today I would make myself available. You’ve got to make hay when the sun is shining, right?
I hope everybody has a great day and makes some hay and realizes where they are.
Later,
Barry J
Tags: breakfast, healthy living, work
Posted in Fitness Goals | No Comments »
Monday, 12 July 2010
Week 20: Do at least 10 crunches each day this week.
Good morning. I just got done doing my stretches, push-ups, and crunches. Carol gave me my goal for the week which is to do at least ten crunches each day. I’m up to forty, but that’s just me. Remember if you’re doing this, go at the pace you can handle, but do at least ten if you can. Can I get a hoo raa? I’m going to eat whole wheat toast with Jif and wash it down with some coffee, and then I’m going to try to figure out what to do with my day. I have a feeling that mowing the lawn might be in my future. It’s just been so hot and dry around here lately that I don’t think the grass needs cut, but the weeds that reside in it might need chopped down.
Yesterday at the casino everything went very smoothly. I judge that because I didn’t hear any screaming and I guess I’ve got to explain this to those of you who don’t know. From my experience, there are two different types of screams in a casino. The first scream is the scream of elation — like when someone hits a jackpot or gets black jack when they have a lot of money up. That’s a good scream. The second is when someone is not happy with the outcome of an event, such as if a dealer accidentally places the wrong card on the wrong spot and that card cannot go back to where it was suppose to go because of certain state laws. A supervisor can try and explain that law to a player until he or she is blue in the face, but it will fall on deaf ears, if that card would have bettered the player’s hand. This is where the bad screaming starts. The same kind that would happen if I’d take Luke’s favorite toy car away from him – “WWWWWHHHHAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH” The only difference is that these are “grown ups”. Hey, sometimes all you can do is laugh, on the inside mind you not on the outside – that would be bad. That would end you up in a “jackpot”. Again, let me explain because this threw me off when I first started in the Casino business. If you’re playing in the casino and you hit a jackpot, that’s a good thing. If you work in the casino and you get caught up in a situation that is bad, like laughing in a disgruntled player’s face and there are witnesses, they call that “ending up in a jackpot”. When I first started in the business I was so naive. People around me were talking about getting in a jackpot like it was a bad thing and I was thinking to myself, “Jackpot, I’ll sit down in the middle of a jackpot any day of the week.” All I could picture was me in a leprechaun outfit rolling around in a pot of gold laughing. I’m just glad I didn’t open my mouth — they would have eaten me alive for that one in Atlantic City.
I hope everybody has a great day and stays out of jackpots.
Later,
Barry J
Tags: breakfast, exercise
Posted in Fitness Goals | No Comments »
