Start And Stop

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I've got a few posts queued up that I wanted to post on... and then other things come up. I keep running out of time to really sit down and write- so I'm going to do it now.

I've been having enormous success in losing weight. I'm down to 328lbs and continue to lose. Today I purchased my first jacket in 4 years and it was only a 2XL. I have not worn a 2XL size in nearly 10 years, and I'm still shocked and amazed at that fact. I'm slowly but surely changing into a person that I don't remember ever being. I've always been obese and for the longest time I always imagined that I would remain obese. Until now.

My school classes are going along fairly well. I'm mostly concerned with getting my observations done and fighting to understand a certain confusing teacher and just what she wants from me in terms of performance. Tomorrow I get to do an awesome demonstration involving paraffin wax and explosions! Don't worry, it's safe and fun(for me at least).

Sometime soon I'll be posting on my current plan to get out of debt. I would feel remiss if I did not share it with everyone who reads this blog. It's done really well for me so far and I know it'll help others too. That's it for now, stay tuned though!

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Request for Prayer

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I used to be skeptical once, but since my mom passed away I believe in the power of prayer. I have a friend who is in need. She's been having gastrointestinal problems for quite some time and recently its become unbearable. She is currently seeking help from a doctor and there's no diagnosis yet, but the pain is great. I've never really done a prayer request so I don't know how it all works, but for those of you who do believe, Candi could use your help as she works through the pain, and (hopefully) quick recovery. Thank you.

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Hey hey hey... what's going on?

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I've got a few things to talk about for this update. All is quiet on the education front. My teachers haven't pressed me for any difficult work. I'm waiting for instructions on how to get started with my in-class observations in one class. The other class features a professor with an admitted tendency for loopyness. Neither class has any solid structure except for maybe the first one. It's very different than my science classes. Here's the odd thing: in these two classes they instruct us to be clear, concise and explicit with our instructions with students and NEITHER of our instructors practices what they preach. Imagine the frustration.

I'm continuing to lose weight at a steady pace and it is in line with my goal of being 320lbs by October 23rd. I was 340lbs as of my last weighing which brings me to a total weight loss of 190lbs since February of 2007. Through different experiments I've learned that I lose weight when I control my diet whether I work out or not. I'm still going to continue to go to the gym but on my days off when I'm at home, I'm going to ease up on the walking since its starting to get too cold to do it.

Speaking of the workout, I did ask a few ladies at the gym if they could guess my age. The average age of the guesses was 23, with no one guessing higher than 24. One lady thought I could have been 19 or 20. What a boost in confidence that was! Some people thought I was deluding myself by saying I was 25 again, but now I have proof that my claim isn't far from the mark.

Things are always looking up for me, and even when I hit a speed bump it doesn't always seem so bad after the fact. Thanks for reading!

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More New Beginnings

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I sit here at my desk, recently weighing myself in at 344lbs. The plan is going really well, so let me tell you about it. For the last four months I've been languishing over a problem that I've had for a couple years now. I prayed to God over and over for an answer because I didn't know how to fix this problem. Sometime after my camping trip I realized that I needed to start walking much more. I know this may sound crazy but I believe it was God directing me to do this.

How do I know that, though? Some people tell me that they do hear God's voice, and others say they hear nothing. I don't hear voices in my head at all. However, in this case it was a very strong urge to do something and it came out of nowhere. At the time, walking wasn't required and I only played at it up until now. In fact I really didn't feel like increasing my activity level as I was comfortable in my then-current condition. There wasn't any real imperative to exercise. So why all of a sudden did I have to start walking regularly? When I mulled this thought around in my head, and the idea that God was directing me to do this, there was a strong sense of truthfulness about it. Does anyone else ever get that truth-sense?

Since following this directive things are starting to change for the better. I walk four miles every day and have added sit-ups and some weightlifting. I'm definitely feeling the difference and the weight has come down. I've also become much more deliberate with my eating habits. I'm oddly able to pay more attention to what I'm eating and even with the workout I have been able to decrease the amount to a more appropriate level. Now all I need to do in that area is integrate more protein. In addition, I got my second choice for the new shift bid at work(which happens to work out better for me than my first choice!) and I started that yesterday. So far the transition from a day shift to an evening shift has been smooth.

These past few weeks have been a blast too. Coming home to a relaxing game of Left4Dead with my best friend has been like another vacation. Unfortunately, with school and work constraints our campaign of zombiecide will have to be relegated to my days off.

I'll be turning chronologically 30 in a week, but I've decided that I'll be going back to 25. I don't feel like I'm 30, and you are only as old as you feel, right? Seriously though, it isn't an attempt to mask my age. The past five years haven't been all that great so now that I'm healthy and wise, I think I can go back a few years and redo them.

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Escalation

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I look back at my previous posts and I remember thinking that walking ten miles a week was a great deal. Today, however, I can't think of walking so little. Last week I've stepped up my walking and I have been walking three miles consistently, and today I just finished a four mile walk. Ten miles is nothing. After Saturday's walk the tally was 17 miles but I didn't feel particularly challenged. Today was my first four mile walk and I feel achy but satisfied- I have found my challenge point. From here on out I'll endeavor to walk at least four miles a day until it takes me less than an hour to do so- at which I shall escalate further.

I managed to secure the optimal shift for school. I was really concerned that due to my drop in ranking and the poor choices I might have had to leave my job. However I did get the shift I wanted- it'll have to adjusted a little bit but that shouldn't be a problem. I'm looking forward to this year in school.

I'm amazed right now how the jigsaw puzzle of my life seems to have pieces fit together. It's starting to look like a complete picture. As I've started to make my money behave and work for me, my drive for physical improvement has also stepped up. And since my physical improvement has stepped up, so has my ability to pay attention to what I'm eating. I'm beginning to feel like an engine that has been sitting in a lot during a long winter and now after a tune-up and a shakedown cruise, I'm running efficiently again!

I've had enormous encouragement from my friends, and for those who have read this I thank you. You have meant a great deal during this journey. It's great to hear your cheering voices at my side.

So, which is the real Jeff Raven?

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Bureau for the Irradication of Zombies

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Her: So... I got Left4Dead.
Me: Really? I have it too! PC version?
Her: Yup.
Me: So...

It isn't easy living in a post-apocalyptic world. As a survivor of the viral holocaust, I feared I was alone. Thankfully, I found other survivors in among countless zombies. Just us four have managed to remain human. I know there are others out there, but where? We've come together for mutual survival, and hopefully, with our wits we will escape the horrors in the city.

They never eat. They never sleep. They only know fear and violence. Once they notice you, they attack until you make them stop. They will beat you until their hands fall off and then continue wailing their bloody stumps at you. It's all you can do to put them out of their misery. Its something out of a movie, to tell you the truth. I can barely remember what movies are these days.

I kick my fellow survivors' feet to wake them up. I had the last watch and it's time for us to move again. There's a safehouse ten miles up the road, but we'll have to make our way through an infested park. I check my shotgun to make sure I have a full barrel. "Time to wake up, ladies."

"Thank you. But since I'm the only woman here, that isn't very nice to the other guys." She smirks and she rubs the sleep from her eyes. My other two fellow survivors climb out of their sleeping bags and reach for their weapons, one of them grumbling about coffee.

"We're about 10 miles away from the safe house," I tell them. "Providing that map is accurate. I figure if we move quickly, we'll get there before lunch."

"I hope they have something to eat there. I really miss some KFC, or Burger King," the younger survivor says.

"Burger King's dead, and Colonel Sanders is a zombie," I chuckle wryly. "Let's get moving before we attract more attention." With that, my fellow survivors packed up their few belongings, checked their weapons and we headed up the road, cautious but determined.

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Hey, Comic books can be cool!

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Starting sometime last year, I've rediscovered comic books as a form of entertainment. It started with Stephen King's Dark Tower comics, which were not only well-written,but well-illustrated as well. Its brought me back into the world of comic books again.

Previously, my interest was only intermittent due to a few reasons. First, the social stigma that was attached to comic book collecting- images of the pimpley 30 year old with no life living with his parents come to mind. Second, there was the fact that comic book series were ongoing series that never seemed to end. To me, there was no percieved beginning and ending- they just kept going and going. I couldn't get interested in buying Issue #492 if I haven't read 1 through 491 first.

When I had heard that my favorite book series(The Dark Tower) was going to transition to a comic book series, I decided to pick it up. I was so delighted at the quality of both the writing and artwork, I decided to try other comics as well. It was then that I realized that the barriers that kept me from buying comics regularly was about to break down.

First and formost, there has been a trend among comic companies, and that is to compartmentalize their stories. I now see plenty of series that have a beginning and an end- series are limited in size and I don't need to hunt for back issues and then I can say I have them all- I don't need to keep buying and buying.

Second, the social stigma seems to be breaking down. I purchase new comics at a particular store and I met a fine gentleman in a business suit and tie and he was buying Spiderman. Turns out it was something he did as a kid, and still enjoyed collecting comics. There are still some of the nerdy types, and quite a few other enthusiastic characters, but it was great to see that the social stigma is starting to fade.

So what kind of comics do I buy these days? Well I've become a big fan of Hellboy. The artwork and story is always interesting. I also like to pick up illustrated versions of some of my favorite books. Right now Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow are both being rewritten for the comic book medium. Stephen King's The Dark Tower comics are not retellings of the original books, but they are covering a lot of Roland's history and how he became the man he is in the books. There is also a version of The Stand being printed as well. I never read the book but I've seen the miniseries and references to it is replete within The Dark Tower.

From time to time I'll pick up a short series of some of the more popular characters- Spiderman, Silver Surfer, Wolverine and Batman- but overall I avoid them because they're not as interesting anymore. Also, while I do buy new releases from the comic shop, I tend to buy some of the older series from mycomicshop.com because I can usually get them much cheaper, which leads me to another point.

I don't collect comics because I expect them to go up in value, like some people do. I collect them for the stories. It is very much like picking up a novel at Barnes and Noble for me. Some people tell me that the comics I have are not in the best condition and tell me what they'd be worth had I kept in better condition, but personally I care little for that. I'd rather have them in good enough condition to read again, or even let my kids read them when they're old enough.

So that is where my current interest has been going, and I especially like the idea of limited series because it's easier on my limited budget too.

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Smashing the Glass Wall

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This week I finally broke an invisible barrier. For the last six or seven months, I've been at a weight-loss plateau where I've been stuck between 360 and 370lbs. Everything I've tried to change in my diet has yielded few results. I've switched to supplementing my protein intake with beans and rice as a cost measure, and while it helped a little bit, it wasn't enough. I consume about 1800 to 2400 calories a day and to me that seems like not very much.

So, last Monday I decided I needed to increase my activity in some way. I figured I'd try to find a used weight bench and weights and get into that, but so far what I've found is either too expensive or way to big for my needs. Concerned with the cost, I remembered what my surgeon said to me a year ago- "Walking is free." It was then I decided to take this walking thing a bit more seriously, and investigate just what I can do with it.

All this time I've been walking a mile here and there, totaling 2 or 3 miles a week. I was very inconsistent and I realized I need to get better at it. I decided that this time around I would take some measurements while walking. First, I wanted to gauge how long it took me to walk the usual route at one of my favorite spots(the park at the Waterfront). Surprisingly, it took me only 30 minutes to walk it. Using a distance calculator that uses Google maps, I found out that I was actually walking about two miles.

Two miles? In 30 minutes? That's it?? I can do two miles a day! Using this distance calculator, I found two other favorite places had plenty of room for two miles of walking as well. I've walked every day since Monday except yesterday due to the rain with today making it 9 miles so far. I plan on continuing this trend and make it at least 10 miles a week.

So, thanks to all the extra walking, I've finally managed to break a plateau. I weighed myself yesterday and I'm at 355lbs. This is fantastic. I'm back on the weight-loss wagon again. I still plan on getting a weight bench but its not a priority and I can wait to find a cheap used one. I plan on using it for inclement weather and the winter to stay in shape. In other good news I have a good lead on a second job, this one for delivering papers... which involves walking :)

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Sampson State Park

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New gallery up!

Most of the trip is up there, with a big emphasis on the museums. A few notes though.

It did rain quite a bit. I wanted to do a lot more on this trip but God pretty much told me to sit down and read a book for most of the time I was there. It isn't easy to stay positive with constant downpour and mud and coldness all around you. Maybe that's why Chinese water torture is so effective. Nonetheless, there were some awesome moments.

One of the things I was hoping to do was chop wood. I know for most people this sounds very boring and back-breaking, but it is something I really enjoy. When I arrived at my dad's house, I found out that the axe handle was broken. Not to be deterred, I went out and purchased an axe handle for the axe so that I could have something to chop wood while at the campsite. Unfortunately, my dad left the axe at home for some reason. I was able to do some chopping, but using a little hatchet just isn't as satisfying. During a wood splitting session with the axe, I managed to cut my finger with my multi-tool's knife. It was a good hit too, but I must say that it was very clean. The cut was immediately bandaged and I credit the Leatherman multi-tool for the clean cut. VERY SHARP.

I did get to do some swimming, albeit between thunderstorms and often alone. However, I did get to be watched by four young and attractive lifeguards. I even went out there without my shirt. I don't have the most attractive midsection, but I let go of my self-consciousness and swam a few laps bare-chested. I did get the ladies to smile when I said to them that it's not every day I get to have four attractive ladies stare at me. I got a few smiles out of that.

I did do a little fishing with my dad but we didn't catch anything but seaweed. We did however find some cherry trees which I returned to later and harvested a few handfuls. They were tart but still good.

The real fun came when my Uncle Ron showed up a few campsites down. Not only did he come with an axe, but a number of logs for chopping too! He let me have at it, and I really enjoyed it. Later that day we had an awesome seafood barbecue, and I contributed some clams.

For all its mud and cold and wetness, the camping trip was worth it and I'd like to go again. However, depending on how next year pans out, I might just have to hold off as I'll be in my last semester at school.

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Summer Daze

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Apologies for not updating... affirmations to post more...yadda yadda.

Anyways, I've been up to a few things, nothing too exciting except for the recent vacation(more on that next post) but here are a few highlights from the month of June.

I've managed to get some fishing in with my Dad
Some of these sheepshead were pretty big too. My shoe size is 18, by the way.
Always wanted to snap a picture of this street sign. It was funny back when I was 18, not so much these days.

Near where I work is the Irish Famine Memorial
It has some interesting tidbits of information on something that shaped Western New York history. Here's more: 1 2 3 4 5

One of my favorite places to walk in Lockport is the Market Street Park, which runs a length of the Erie Canal. There are some delightful views for Spring and Summer, so here are a few pictures I snapped up.
There are some blossoming trees that look gorgeous from any angle. Even from across the Canal.
From under the canopy of blossoms, you can always catch a few geese waddling their way to the Canal.
Unfortunately, my camera doesn't do this view justice.

So how am I doing? Well I think I'm doing pretty well, thank you.

Finally the finale: The king and queen of cute, Atlas and MiuMiu!
Though I'd be wary of MiuMiu's laser eyes.

Thanks for stopping by, and I'll be sure to have the Sampson State Park trip up by this weekend! Woot!

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Getting this ship to sail

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It's been a while since I've posted, I know. Since my last post though I have switched to the morning shift(out by 5pm!) and have begun selling stuff on Ebay. I have done a brief search for a second job, but I seem to lack the motivation to look harder. I'm really trying to see the dollar signs so I can save up enough cash, but they seem to be hidden around the things I'd rather be doing, like walking in the park or playing video games. Perhaps its time to set the controller down again.

Speaking of walking in the park, I hurt my ankle today, walking with Melissa at the park today. Still hurts so I'm guessing its a minor strain instead of a sprain. Should be okay in the morning I guess.

My first few tests of selling stuff on Ebay have only been mildly profitable, and I need to find out why Ebay won't let me charge 7 dollars for shipping when that's what it cost me to ship the item. Once I have that figured out, I'll do a much better job at this than I did during these first few test sales. If anyone has any(cheap) suggestions, pass them along!

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Seriously?

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Aftermath

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Not only did I get an A in Physical Chemistry, I also got an A in the lab class and Economics. I'd like to say it was too easy, that it was no sweat, piece of pie, easy as cake... But that would be lying. With exception to the Economics class, that was the most difficult class I've ever taken, and it is also the semester in which I expended the most effort ever. So I am pleased with the outcome and I can also say that if I could pull off an A in Physical Chemistry, I can do anything. Anything.

So this summer, with all my free time, I've decided I'm committed to getting the second job. It doesn't look like my primary place of employment will be offering overtime anytime soon so I'll be sticking with the second job. I've already applied at several locations to deliver pizzas but so far they've all said that they're at full employment right now, but they'll keep my application on file. I've heard turnover can happen at these locations so we'll see how that goes. I'm going to do another round of searching and applying so we'll see.

Tuesday I went to see the new Star Trek film, and it might sound provocative to say that this ain't your daddy's Star Trek, but it wouldn't be true. It is the same Star Trek, but refreshed and renewed in a way that makes it just as interesting and compelling. I brought my sister along for the ride and she really enjoyed it as well, and even wants to watch the Original Series. Personally, I liked what they did to it, kept it relevant and integrated it into what we(Star Trek fans) know about Star Trek. I look forward to more of this reboot!

Wednesday I visited my dad, and we went fishing. Fishing with my Dad is always awesome. Our conversations before fishing are always interesting, and while they tend to drop off as we fish, they're still potent. I value this time immensely. This time around I actually caught some fish! Dad caught a single perch but it wasn't worth saving. I caught two gobies. Hideous things, they were less than 6 inches a piece, and Dad believed them to be an invasive species, which are not edible. We killed them by throwing them onto the rocks. Dad and I decided to move onto a different location, and I caught the third fish there. It was a sheepshead which put up a big fight but I landed it. Sheepshead are apparently very fishy tasting so I threw him back. All in all the experience was delightful and I can't wait to go fishing again! Hopefully we can catch something edible.

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Veni, Vidi, Vici

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I got the A.

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