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So my trip to Virginia was fantastic. Every aspect of the trip was enjoyable to the fullest. From the drive down there to the things I did, it was a thoroughly satisfying trip.

The drive was uneventful as car drives go. I got to see plenty of Pennsylvania's countryside(and smell it too). I took the back roads and while it was more stop-and-go between towns, I avoided much of the constant construction. I really enjoyed the drive.

As for the actual time there, it was fantastic. I spent time visiting Harrisonburg's Museum, swimming at the local pool, and exploring one of the local caverns. They were fun things to do(I wish I had time to do other things there), but when I look back there was something more that stood out.

When I remember this trip, it won't be the caverns or the museum that stands out. It will be the time I got to spend with my best friend. She was a gracious hostess and we did what we could within the time and limitations we had. I enjoyed the dinner that she, her boyfriend and I put together, as well as making the Twinkie Minions! Also, the countless hours playing Clue or Zombie Dice still remain fresh in my mind. I couldn't have asked for a better vacation.

Now, if only she'd let me put up some pictures of her to share

I've been meaning to post here, but it's been pretty hectic!

1. My vacation was fantastic- more on that in a future post(promise!)
2. Work has been going pretty smooth and I'm getting lots of "you rock!"'s and "gonna miss you"'s at work. I am so glad I had a positive effect on so many people at work.
3. School starts on Monday and I'll be unemployed too. Kinda nervous about it but I'm confident I'll manage quite well.
4. I renewed Activeworlds up for the "AW Reunion in AW." Hope to see some friends!
5. My supervisor and friend at work bought a cake to celebrate my going-away as well as reaching my "half-the-man-I-used-to-be" event. However, I'm still at 270lbs but he said that was close enough.

More soon!

A few quick updates, now that it's August.

1. I handed in my letter of resignation. My last day of employment with my current company is August 27th. At first it was a little scary but I'm becoming more at ease with the idea as each day passes by. I will certainly miss the people I've met and the friends I have made, if not the actual job itself.
2. My weight-loss continues. I'm currently at 274lbs with only 9lbs more to go before I can claim to be half the man I used to be. It is very hard to stick to it, but I'm doing it.
3. My surgeon said I was in excellent health and his aide said that I was a model patient. It seems that many people who get the surgery I had do not stick to the lifestyle change and often fall back into their old ways again. They were quite pleased that I continue to stick to my regimen and continue to lose weight. I've decided that I'm going to volunteer my time for the support groups. I hope I can be an inspiration to people who have had the surgery(or are going to have it done) so that they stick to the lifestyle change.
4. We also discussed the skin surgery and I am absolutely a candidate. There are a few insurance things I can look at but he recommended I pay in cash if I want the best doctor. It makes sense as insurance for cosmetic surgery is a labyrinthine mess.
5. My family is having another yard sale at the end of August and I'm hoping to get in on that. This will give me a chance to sell some of extra junk and I'm looking forward to it.

On a final note- I've had so many people tell me that I'm an inspiration for them. I don't really know how to react to that but I end up doing the only thing of which I can think... to all of those who say I am an inspiration, thank you from the bottom of my heart. It is not easy, but it can be done. I can only hope to inspire as many people as I can while I'm still here.

Perhaps the comments on my last post have prompted this response. I'd like to make clear what my successes have been these past few months.

1. I have reached 89% of my savings goal for the fall. The overtime did run out sooner than I had hoped but that wasn't something I could control. The goal is a number that I calculated that I would need to survive without working any part-time job. Worst case-scenario. Since I fully intend on working a part-time job during the fall, that goal could potentially be a surplus.
2. I continue to lose weight and get tone. My weight-loss is slow and I often plateau, but during those plateaus I am still slimming down. Pants that were tight are now loose- so I know I'm doing it right. There are times when I don't feel motivated do work out, but then I am quick to remind myself why I am there at the gym 5 days a week and I keep that reason at the forefront of my brain.
3. I have been focusing on my dietary consumption of late. In the past, with an ample budget, I would buy more expensive fresh fruits and vegetables, and expensive meats. Now, I've learned that higher price does not always equal higher quality. I've managed to get my food budget down to $200 for the month of July, and I hope I can keep doing so for the next 6 months.
4. I've become more shrewd when it comes to buying other stuff as well. Going to the consignment shops(Salvation Army, Goodwill) has saved me a lot and there are some good clothes there as well. I've been going through clothes and even some of my favorite shirts that fit fine before now are too big and make me look bigger than I am. The consignment shops have really saved me money.

I'd like to articulate the things that haven't been real successes but rather things I need to improve upon.

1. I really need to draw up a list of the stuff I want to sell. I plan on doing it through craigslist/ebay, but that makes me a little wary when I hear about people getting robbed.
2. I really need to follow up on some the part-time job leads.
3. I need to get better at keeping my apartment clean now that I don't have overtime. It is for the most part clean but I'm sure I can get it cleaner.

That's it for now. Current weight: 277lbs.

Well the overtime has run out- a little earlier than I had hoped, but what can one do? I have a few things planned to cover the shortfall but those are not guarantees. I should be okay financially but I won't be comfortable. Comfort isn't what it's about though. I can sacrifice for what I want.

I do plan on getting a part-time job, hopefully tutoring. There are also scholarships available once I am in the student teaching position. Additionally, I can start selling stuff too- something I've been meaning to do for a while. I'm concerned about my bills. I could certainly save money if I stopped paying the credit card bills. The only problem with that would be the harassing calls after not paying for a while. I have every intention of paying them, I just won't have any income.

I don't know where things are going to go right now, but I am determined to get through the student teaching. After that, the sky is the limit. I'm very confident God will point me in the right direction and help me out here.

I'm keeping busy now that I'm not working overtime. My workout progresses and while I'm not losing weight fast I'm certainly slimming down. Additionally, I'm catching up on my chores and looking for ways to save money while I can. I need to keep this sense of accomplishment strong in my mind so I don't go crazy with doubt and fear.

My doctor gave me a clean bill of health on all points and that's great to hear now that I'm heading to a health insurance-less situation. I'm preparing on that front too and shopping for my own insurance. There are a few questions I have in that regard but I won't have answers until I approach my current employer about me leaving. I'm getting close to making my mind up on that but again I don't have the needed information. Another classmate who also works with me is in the same situation, and he's still waiting on some answers.

I will be seeing my surgeon at the end of July for my yearly visit. I'm getting this done because I don't know if I'll have insurance in January when it is normally scheduled. I'm going to ask him about the skin surgery and what it entails. I am definitely going to get it done but it won't be this year- I just want to have a good idea of what it will involve.

I'm keeping my head up high and I'm hoping things fall into place- then again God might lead me into another direction, who knows!

As I'm reading some of the books on the right-hand side of my blog, there seems to be a common theme: People who write down their goals are more likely to reach them. Very few people actually write them down or articulate them clearly. I've already stated my goals for the year, but I realize I need to state my long term goals as well.

In 2 years: I will no longer live in New York State. I will be a teacher in a new place. I will have paid off my car and my two credit cards. I will no longer be single.

In 5 years: My debt snowball will continue to shrink. I will be a full-time teacher with tenure and I will be a leader among my peers. I will be married or engaged to be married to a beautiful and loving woman who shares my hopes and dreams.

In 10 years: My debt will be completely gone. I will have saved up enough to put 20% down on a new house. I will have several beautiful children and they will be learning how to live a life with God.

In 35 years: I will retire with at least 4 million dollars, and at that point I will begin a foundation to give it all away.

I have been putting off writing on my blog for some time- almost a month! I actually have a few false-starts saved up here but I never really got around to them. It's been crazy busy over here, but that's more of an excuse than a reason.

I've been working an enormous amount of overtime, some 12-14 hours each week since school ended. I'm really saving up for the Fall and I'm hoping it'll be enough. This has been my main focus of late but I've learned that I need to balance things out better.

I've started losing weight again. After adjusting my diet and continuing to work out every day, I can really see the difference. The new exercises have made me more flexible too.

I am no longer using the CPAP machine. I find that I'm just as rested after 6 hours of sleep without the machine as I am with the machine, so I no longer see the benefit of using it. Speaking of sleep...

I've finally realized just how important sleep is! For several months I have been going back and forth with skimping on sleep and then sleeping properly and it's caused me to get depressed almost once a week. Depression really screws with your brain and I don't like it. I've made it a priority to focus on getting proper sleep each and every night, especially now that I'm doing so much overtime.

I'm going to start focusing on what I need to get done for school in the Fall. There's a list of things and some of them are exams. Not looking forward to it, but these things have to be done.

I want to say thank you for all my supporters out there. Sometimes it feels like I'm going at this alone, but I know I have an unofficial fan club cheering me on!

It has been a crazy few weeks! I've been so wrapped up in the minutia of my life that I haven't had time to much writing. Now that I have some time to catch up, I have some news to report.

I recieved my grades for this semester, both of them were A's. Both classes were wrapped up easily, but it was the education class that ended with the most controversy. As a "final exam," the professor gave us a written test that had nothing to do with assessing my knowledge that I had obtained in the class but rather assessing the teaching capability of my professor. Since this violates so many college policies, most of us felt uncomfortable filling this out, much less counting as part of our final grade. As a compromise the professor said it was okay if we filled it out and placed it in an envelope, to be sealed and only opened if and only if we wanted the points to count towards our grade. Several of my classmates didn't think it was much a big deal but I was happy to see that nearly half the class asked for envelopes. They were sealed and they were sent along with the official class assessments(the ones that the professor is not allowed to see until next semester and after grades are closed) to the department head.

I made my views on this class very clear. I learned nearly everything about teaching methods during my observations in the schools and not in the classroom. The best thing about the classroom were my fellow classmates, as the professor pushed my fellow students and I into a strong comradery that some day we would look back at this class like veteran survivors in an old war.

Shortly after I handed in all my necessary work, I recieved an email from the professor that with out the final I would have a grade of A-, but with the final I could have A. I stated that the A- was acceptable and that was that. I was so glad to have finished the class and I will hopefully never ever ever ever ever have to have her as a professor again.

With that chapter closed, I've been looking forward to the summer with a few trips in mind, but I will be mostly preparing for my final semester at Buffalo State and student teaching. With that in mind I have been working a great deal of overtime and it's working very well for me. I should reach my financial goal by the end of August if all goes to plan. I still plan on getting a second job once the overtime runs out.

I've plateaued on my weight loss again. I don't know if I've reached a point where the abdominoplasty is all that's left or if I'm just not doing something right. I've been counting calories like a savant, I've been trying to exercise as best I can, but I'm not seeing the results I used to. I've talked to several people at the gym and at work and they said that plateauing will happen, I just need to stay steady, so that's what I've done. I've changed my diet only a little this time to incorporate more protien and less carbohydrates. I haven't had rice or bread and I'm slowly phasing out potatoes. Popcorn is still a part of my diet but the intake is low.

I've also embarked on a new goal. I find myself obtaining my goals when I can visualize them and I've found that I need to visualize my weight-losss goal if I'm going to reach it. With that in mind, I'm determined to get abs. I know several of you are laughing, but I've learned that the best way to get me to do something is to tell me that it's impossible for me to do it. I've been telling myself that I'll never have a tone body and now I've decided that that's a lie- I can certainly reach this goal. My workout has changed slightly to incorporate abdominal exercises and after two weeks I'm noticing small results. I'm going to keep going and not lose sight of that goal.

One of the ladies at the gym told me that to get abs it takes dual focus: the exercises and nutrition. She was shocked to know I eat less than 1500 calories a day and sometimes as low as 1000. She told me to keep it above 1200 calories with three servings of fruit a day. Sometimes that can be a challenge! On the fitness side, I've added the abdominal exercises to my routine and it's helping. Additionally, I've been looking for exercises I can do at work. I'm already going for walks during my breaks and I've learned a few exercises to do at my desk. It's amazing how easily I've incorporated fitness into a job where I sit at a desk all day! Not only that but the exercises are helping me get through the 11 hour shifts.

I'm so excited. I can see what I'm going to look like when I reach my goal. My shoulders are almost wider than my waist. I'm succeeding in school, I'm doing really well financially, and have all my close friends and family to thank because they continue to encourage me and give me direction. Thank you God for such wonderful people in my life!

Today I learned an unsettling fact. Well it wasn't anything I already knew, but today it hit home. My friend and supervisor at work reminded me that my place of employment does not have any part-time employees and has not had any for several years. Such as it is, I will likely not be able to work part time in the fall while I am doing my student teaching.

I knew in the back of mind of this potentiality, but I guess I wasn't ready to accept it. I could put off the thought and keep hoping that my employment could continue until December. This is likely not to be... so my mind has quickly turned to figuring out how to prevent crisis and prepare.

I've already begun a fair emergency fund in preparation but now that I look at it, it's pretty meager. I have to figure out several things as a get ready for unemployment. For starters, I will still be employed right up until August when my student teaching starts. After that, I'll have to cover the months of September through December(and perhaps further). I don't know how my saved vacation time will play into that. My company is currently letting us work overtime so I plan on taking advantage of that as often as possible.

I also need to finally getting around to selling stuff that I've been meaning to sell for a long time. My xbox 360, my 36" TV, and a ton of anime stuff. This isn't going to be easy, and frankly I'm scare of being unemployed, but these are things I need to do. I'm going to draw close to my friends and family and look for support, but I think I have a good foundation in which I can stand on.

Keep a look out here if you're interested in some decent stuff for a good price.

I have just about two weeks left in the semester and for the first time I do not have to rush to get work done at the end. I have been proactive in both of my classes and even my professors has complimented on getting the work done early. The only thing that remains is my unit plan and a journal to hand in for my Teaching methods class, and I have a final exam for American Government which consists of two short essay questions. I couldn't have it any easier and it's all because I did most of the work as soon as it was assigned.

I'd like think that I'm proud of myself, but my pride is tempered by a fear. I've been inspired to succeed academically as well as financially and spiritually. I owe much to that inspiration and sometimes I become afraid of losing it. Nonetheless, I work hard and I hope it becomes a permanent part of my life so I can continue to be inspired and work hard. I feel that I have an important job to do in this world and I need to be ready in mind and body.

I have a quick update on the weight-loss: I'm down to 292lbs.

1. I took my car in for an oil change as well as some minor repairs. I found out that I'm going to need new brakes soon and likely two new front tires- $600. Thankfully, my emergency fund will cover it.
2. I went to the dentist today for a cleaning. I was told that the crown I needed for my molar would have to be done soon. $500 after insurance. Thankfully, my emergency fund will cover it.
3. I've been picking up overtime at work and it's getting better to do. The bigger paychecks are helping a lot.
4. I've started to tithe- not quite a full 10% but very close. I feel strange about it but I don't miss the money. I think its something I'm going to keep doing.
5. This summer I'm determined to get a second job. I'm looking at tutoring and as long as I get the hours I think it'll be just fine. If I end up having to leave my full-time job, it'll be a good job to take over.

Want financial peace like me? www.mytotalmoneymakeover.com

This update is largely about my academics, but I figured I had some cool stuff happen that I thought I'd share.
1. I continue to succeed with my political science class. So far, all A's. The class is not very challenging and I like that it's completely online.
2. I just finished my Nature of Science paper. I've done pretty good at getting it done and I move onto the next project- the unit plan. Our professor is so incompetent we're only just now getting to it.
3. I met with the cooperating teacher for my student teaching next semester once again. Apparently my concerns were because she was a little scared of the prospect but after talking with her again she is very enthusiastic and she's hoping it is a positive experience. Me too
4. I'm definitely going to stay proactive on the student teaching front. I want to get my lesson plans done ahead of time so I'll be working on them over the summer. should be pretty interesting.
5. Finally got my state tax return, it took nearly 2 months! I can't wait to escape this state. On that note, I also set my federal tax withholding correctly so I should get more money in the paycheck instead of giving our Dear Leader an interest-free loan.
6. I showed Melissa her finances, clear as day and I think she realized that something has to change. I hope it sticks!
7. I'm back on the weight-loss train again! back down to 296lbs.

1. Saw the doctor, told me I don't need the blood pressure medicine anymore. Also set up a referral to get the mole on the side of my head removed. He was very happy that I've lost 15lbs in 3 months.
2. I observed at one of the schools I'm set to student teach in and it was interesting to say the least. I get the feeling that the teacher might not be very interested in me student teaching with her. I'm going to observe again just to be sure.
3. Political Science class continues to be easy, continues to show high quality.
4. I've got the LAST (liberal arts exam) this Saturday and I need to get fingerprinted soon. If you think all these extra seminars and exams are cheap, they're not. I'll be spending an additional $1000 or so on all the certifications I need to go through.
5. Easter was awesome, though I gained a few pounds back. I just need to stick to my guns again and continue to lose the weight. Looking forward to it!