I'm back with you all again.  I've been really busy trying to keep the family afloat during this recession, but things are starting to look a little more hopeful, so I'm going to get back with this whole blogging thing.

First, I hope you all had a safe and happy Thanksgiving.  I really mean that.  I've recently been blessed with appreciation for life, and by letting my anger and worry go, I've found much more time to appreciate the little things.

It's been a little over a month since I've posted so I wanted to get you all caught up on how I'm doing.  First, I'd like to apologize for such a long delay.  Things were getting dark and sullen so I decided to take a break to get myself back to earth, and I'm glad I did.  Just a quick recap as to what has happened in that time:

- I turned 40 on 10/8/09

- I got down to 226 and am now back to 233 (because of birthday celebrations I'm assuming)

- The Sun-Times, and more importantly to me, Sue Ontiveros are alive and kicking after bankruptcy threatened both

- There has been absolutely no improvement in relations between myself and those who run the football program where my son plays.  This is fine. 

I'll address all 4 of these issues throughout the week. 

I hope you have been well

I got another pleasant suprise this morning! I may have a job interview tomorrow, so I went to take my suit in to the cleaners. I had just worn it for Rick's funeral on Friday and noticed it was a little big, so I asked if the pants could be taken in a couple inches. The woman at the counter asked if I would like to see the seamstress, and when I said I would, took me to the back.

When we got to the back to see the seamstress, I reinterated what I had told the lady at the counter as I was holding up the pants. She looked at me with a puzzled look which I took to mean that she would not be able to take them in. She then said it looked like they needed to be taken in a good 5 or 6 inches (not 1 or 2), and verified this by measuring both me and the pants!

After the week I had last week, this was welcome news to say the least.

Up until now, I've tried to keep this blog related to weight loss, exercise, and health topics.  There is another topic that I've touched on, but haven't really gotten to deep about it; Mental health. 

There are many things that can impact weight loss and the mind set needed to stay physically healthy.  I've learned that mental health is just as important, if not more so, than the three listed above.    How did I learn this?  By being aware when things make me want to say "the heck with it" and just eat what I want, I've learned that I used to take too much stock in people's opinions.  I used to let peoples poor judgement, unprofessionalism, and rudeness dictate how my day went, and like many others, I took solice in food. 

But by by vigilant and really trying to find the causes of my eating habits, I've noticed some things and would like to share them with you for the rest of this week and maybe next as well. 

The reason..

I've finally reached the point where people are noticing that I'm dropping the pounds and I have to admit that it's kind of nice. It's also a good way to keep yourself motivated.

I like that fact that I've had to buy a new belt. I like the fact that old clothes that were put away years ago now fit. I like that my wife feels she needs to worry when I'm talking to an attractive woman (she doesn't; I love my wife and would never disrespect her, my kids, or myself by cheating...just a personal thing). These are just small benefits in addition to the main, health related ones, but they are nice. They are the ones that keep your head up.

The clothes that my wife put away a few years back have started to fit again. I was suprised at all the "cool" clothes I have that I've just plain forgotten about. In this economy, that's a welcome suprise.

As I mentioned in my sister blog at http://40andfitterthesequel.blogspot.com/, I went in for my second sleep study thing last night. This time however, I had to wear one of those masks. When Michelle, my tech, told me I would be wearing one, I had images of one of those masks you see pilots wearing. It really wasn't anything like that as those masks are for people with severe cases of apnea, and Michelle said mine was mild, at worst.

We tried on a few masks and finally found one that was comfortable. It was sort of weird as the mask pushes air in. If you open your mouth, there's a mild suffocating feeling as the air rushes out.

Even with all the wires and mask, I slept pretty good. I don't know if it was because of the mask because they say it takes about 2 weeks to really feel the effects, but she said I was dreaming good and all that other stuff so we'll see

I'll have the results in a few weeks. I didn't get any video this time as I just wanted to get the hell out of there. I did weigh in at 239 at the office, which was 8lbs down since the last time I was there. My scale says 236, but whatever. It's good to see the results of my hard work paying off!

As anyone who has kids knows, it's time to go back to school. If they are not already back, they will be soon. This is a very stressful time for parents as well as students, and I for one am definitely not looking forward to this coming year. While there are a few teachers/staff/volunteers that we are very appreciative of, most who work for or with this school are, well, hard to deal with.

As the start of the school year gets closer, I've noticed my stress level rise and my appetite getting a little harder to control. What is it about food that we think we can find comfort in it? To me, it just seems strange, but it is what it is and I have to pay special attention that I don't start "slipping". It's been hard. .

Hello again everyone!

My apologies for not posting for a few days. Because of my back, I've been overcompensating and ended up straining an oblique. I've been resting it as much as I can and it's feeling better, as is the back. Thanks for all the thoughts!

I got the call today with my sleep study results. Apparently, my limbs move while I sleep which isn't the end of the world, but I have to go in for some lab work to see if I'm deficient in something like iron. If so, I just take supplements to get my levels up and I should be good. The other bad thing is I have to take the sleep study again...sheesh. I hope the last tech I had is there again; she was great.

Also, I'm down to 236! I will post a picture as soon as someone wakes up to take it. I feel really good and am right on track.

See everyone tomorrow!

The suit is at the cleaners, shoes are shined, and my best shirt is pressed. Why? Because I have a job interview (finally) tomorrow! I have to beat out a few others to get the job so I'm a little nervous. I even caught myself looking through the fridge after I got the call, but was able to recognize it before I did something I'd regret :-).

I'm nervous because I am extremely qualified for this position, but have bad luck in these situations. I don't know why. It just seems that whenever I'm a perfect fit, the employers always go with another candidate. The last time this happened was when I applied for a job with the Park Forest Village. The call after the fact went like this:

PFV: I'm sorry, but we decided to go with another candidate who is a little "greener"
ME: I'm sorry to hear that; was there anything in particular you didn't like about my qualifications?
PFV: Oh no, your qualifications, answers to the questions, and overall demenor were excellent; We just thought you were too good, and thought you would leave when something better came along.

This is what I get these days. It's very frustrating.

Anyway, we'll see how it goes. If I get the job, I'll post, if not, I won't mention it again