Dinner!

I'm so sorry for your loss Josie. How is Carmela holding up?

I also thought you wanted bigger arms.

Aw ty MLY. Carmela seems to be doing ok. I think she accepted it was going to happen.

I guess I do want bigger muscles but that's not what I meant by gun issues.

I am pretty ant-guns... But....

I had my fair share of dealing with them in Russia and I was also shooting in Germany at a shooting range. I remember vividly how much I hated to disassemble and assemble Kalashnikovs with time stopped. My mani was ruined every time I had to do this. That all took completely the fascination that everything new/deadly has, out of guns. For your son guns are clearly something fascinating in itself. To forbid him that is so going to backfire. Especially because he can get one without you even having the slightest suspicion that he has one.

I think G4S approach to let this old pieces be very thoroughly checked out is a pretty reasonable idea. That was also my first thought when I read that they were just hanging around without much care.

I think that you should put all burdensome stuff that has to do with guns onto your son. Like drill into his head that it is his responsibility to take care of them, it is his responsibility to pay for all the certificates and so, and, most important, it is his responsibility to ensure that his friends aren't going to shoot each other with his guns. Make sure that he feels the weight of the last one. Basically don't forbid him that because he is going to do it anyway, but make sure he feels and behaves in this matter like a grown-up.

No, I definitely have not forbidden him. He has a few bb guns that he's always used with care. I just don't think these guns have been shot in a couple of decades. G4S makes a good point that someone can check them out.

congrats on the weight loss
amazing the difference b/w this blog and and mlylt's. not surprisingly you have great results while she does nothing but make excuses and bad decisions.
keep it up!

Thanks Borg, I appreciate it. It's definitely tough - but it's a change of lifestyle. Last spring 2016 I couldn't walk long enough to go grocery shopping so the mobility is worth so much more to me than cupcakes or whatev.

Alf and I in February 2017, before I started this thread. He had a time share in Key West. Big condo so the last couple years I'd go with them and liven things up a bit. yes I was a 3rd wheel but Alf would always insist I go too.

He and I got pretty drunk after the picture taken above. Night ended with me trying to help a homeless/alchy person who was passed out and laying in the middle of the street and then me puking behind our car rental. Good times.

Also noteworthy, I am at least 12 lbs lighter now than I am in this photo. I also look a lot less puffier now than in the pic. But my arms in this pic look normal/chubby. Now they do not look "normal".

Now I have muscle tone showing along the upper area of my arm and a huge curtain of skin hanging below. It almost looks like a double upper arm to me and continues to look worse, not better. This is not something that a cream or lotion would help. It pisses me off that it's getting worse not better.



RIP Alf!!

Here's one more pic of Alf and me from February's trip!

There was a guy. Laughed, loved, drunk, ate crap and liked to be around pretty women. The guy was alive. And now he isn't no more.

You absolutely apparently contributed to him having good time in last year of his life. I think it is a big deal.

And I have to cry now and think about strange questions like what matters in the face of death.

Well now I'm afraid of getting into a gun fight with Lapka AND losing.

Josie; I don't think the boys are going to be able to help you with that upper arm thing.

You are correct sir. I have 2 options: acceptance or surgery and I ain't doing surgery. Where would it end? Arms are by far the worst skin wise but legs and tummy skin ain't great. Meh. I need to focus on how ****ing awesome I feel and how much better I look. But yeah it bugs me.

Lapka, you are someone special. Ty for this comment.

Johnny Cupcakes out of nowhere!

I'm sorry for your loss Josie. I've only ever known one Alf and he was a particularly great person, very generous of spirit. He also liked to drink, like your Alf. He is gone now and so is yours. I guess we really need to enjoy our time with people while we have them, which it sounds like you did.

Regarding the loose skin on your arms I have no idea of how to minimise it or anything like that but it might help to think of the skin as a badge of honour, in the same way that bodybuilders and mothers think of stretchmarks.

Wow, you know everything!

I like that. Okay, badge of honor!

Wednesday July 5

Calories 1352
Protein around 80

I need to get back in the zone!

I worked out last night though and it felt sooo good. Session was a little shorter than I wanted cuz sis wanted to do something when I was done. "Less is more. Your body needs a rest. You're doing too much."

Meanwhile, I'm doing less not too much. I gave in last night but I'm the boss of me ! She does mean well tho.

So session was about 85 min, vs 120 min.

I rode the exercise bike for 30 min plus workout below.

Obscure fact: I knew Johnny Cupcakes when he worked at Newbury Comics on Newbury Street before he went huge. I used to work directly above them.
That was like OJ verdict year or close, as I was in that office when the verdict came out and watched the party in the streets out of a second floor window.

What a great street to work on. Just hot ass walking up and down that street all summer. I miss that place.

Damn, I'd love to work on Newbury! I bet it was great but pricey. I'd prolly spend more than I earn every week. (Not JUST on coffee. )

And I know you're from this area but johnny cupcakes is pretty obscure or so I thought. His store is so cool.

Top block, right across from Sonsie! Mmmmm...

Thank God it's Friday!

We have "summer hours" in my office which means we close at 12:30 today.

Gonna haul ass home, do some shiat and then hit the poker room!

I made chicken curry for dinner last night and it was fabulous. I should've taken a pic. Then I went to the gym.

It was an off day so I hit the exercise bike hard for 40 min. I'm in a bike challenge at work so I have to bike every day if possible.

Then I swam 15 laps! I almost gave up around 12 but **** that. Next week 16.

As for Thursday's food:

Calories 1116
Protein 83g
Fat 59g
Carbs 61g

I thought I'd end up w higher protein due to my chicken curry and some hard boiled eggs! But that's not too bad. This week I'm transitioning back to WIM from my break. Not easy. I find myself desiring food I shouldn't eat. I know that'll go away in a few days.



I'm going to email Tony next week about starting the program.

Josie,

Feed your phone.

Can't. Phone is on a diet/weight loss bet. If it turns into an Iphone 4S, I win.

I'm not a big meal prepper, but curry is something I can make a giant batch of and eat for 4 or 5 days. I like to make it vegetable curry so wife gets to eat vegan (keeps longer, too) and I just pour it over chicken or beef for me. Protein hack it by including beans in there.

Mmmmm good ideas. I thought about putting garbanzo beans in it but I'm not a fan of them, maybe some other kind of beans.

This was my first attempt at making curry from scratch. It was soooo good and since I've just invested in a bunch of new spices I'll def making it again. Son loved it more than his other option for dinner; cheese stuffed burger!