F&%k Winter

Ok, winter hasn't officially begun yet and I'm already sick of it. We had a nice snow earlier in the week, about 2 inches. We had another winter event last night, that started as freezing rain, changed to sleet, then ended as light snow. Enough of a nuisance to make a real mess of things. Today, while trying to clear the driveway (which was almost nearly impossible due to the ice), my snow shovel broke in half. WTF! So, I decided to get the snowblower out, and thought perhaps it could cut through the ice. The total depth was only about 2", but it was hard. Well, by the time I was finished, I think my snowblower belt started to burn up. Not from cutting through the ice, but trying to clear out the 18" deep mound at the base of our driveway. Plus, it was a heavy wet snow, so the chute kept plugging. I don't mind the snow, but the aftermath is always a nightmare. All that grunk that falls off your car in your garage, walking through all the slush, broken snow shovels, burned up snowblower belts. I'm so ready for retirement, settling in a southern climate where I don't have to put up with this s&#t.

The Perils of Losing Weight

Well, after gaining a few pounds over the Thanksgiving holiday (despite having a cold), I was able to get those pounds back off. So, I'm holding steady around 161. It's both a good and bad thing. The good, I'm keeping the weight off, and I never want to be heavyset again (like I was a year ago at this time). The bad, most of my winter clothes are too big, including all my sweaters, my button down shirts, and sweatshirts. I also had bought a new winter coat at the end of the season last year, but even now it's too big. It's a brand new Columbia Bugaboo parka, size Large, and I'm swimming in it. I've slowly been trying to build up my wardrobe with size small and medium clothes, but it's not easy. And I've been holding onto my old clothes, just in case I ever gain the weight back. I think that may be my problem, and perhaps I just need to get rid of all the old clothes (too large). Seriously, I never want to gain the weight back, and what better motivation to continue keeping it off than to just get rid of everything that is too big. And maybe I just need to buy that new winter coat, and try to sell the old one on Craigslist. And even though I'm holding around 160 lbs, I STILL have that stupid spare tire around my waistline. No matter what I do, I just can't get rid of that. So really, I'm a chunky 160, and if I get rid of this extra fat, could easily trim down to 155 I think. Hmm, December 1st was supposed to be my deadline. I think I need to kick it up a notch.

Hate Colds...But Love ABS

I've been battling a cold for the last two weeks. It started as a head cold, and then after about 4 days, went into my chest, and is now back to my head. Ugh. I hate colds. I suppose it's a necessary evil though, and hopefully, after this, won't get another one this season. Seems ironic, but I got a flu shot 3 days before getting the cold, and then I got sick. I've never gotten a flu shot before, and decided that it was time to start. Hmm. Was it coincidence? Or did the flu shot lower my immune system's guard allowing a bug to get in? Did I say that I hate colds?

I do however love ABS (anti lock brakes). While the sensation of the ABS system is akin to what feels like driving on road of crushed glass (sends chills down my spine), it does work remarkably well. The snow that we were supposed to get amounted to about 1/4", most of which melted as it hit the ground, but then quickly refroze as a solid sheet of ice. Driving out of our subdivision, we have a downward slope to the stop light, along with a curve. This morning, I hit the brakes to slow down quite a bit once I realized that I was driving on nothing but ice, and the ABS kicked in. Every time it starts, it gives me a jolt, but I've learned to just keep my foot on the brake no matter how strange it feels. And, they sure do their job. Amazing piece of technology.

It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas...Almost

We're expecting our first measurable snow of the season tomorrow. Today was a very mild day with highs in the mid 50s, so I wanted to take advantage of the warm weather to get the Christmas decorations up on the house. However, I slept until almost Noon. Ugh. I only got 4 hours of sleep last night, so I was tired, and I also used my new sleep mask, the Hibermate. Wow, that sleep mask sure block out the light, and it let me sleep a really long time. I also wanted to clean up the dog deposits in the yard, and also trim all the bushes down to their winter length. Alas, half the day was already wasted when I slept so late.

I have to say, hanging Christmas lights is probably one of my least favorite things to do, along with painting, and possibly visiting the dentist. So I wasn't really looking forward to it anyhow. It never fails, no matter how delicately I place the lights in the storage boxes, when I open them back up the following year, it's a complete disaster. This year was no different. It took almost an hour to get everything sorted out. And, there are always lights that get burned out, so getting all the bulbs burning was a big challenge too.

About 3 hours later, about half the lights have been strung. I put C7 lights up on the roof, and then icicle lights on the gutters. I also put a strand of lights in each of the bushes out front. Got the lights up on the house, but didn't have time to get the lights in the bushes. At the last minute (well after the sun went down), I decided to trim the bushes anyhow. They really needed it, and I wanted to get it done before the snow hits tomorrow. Finally about 730 pm, I finished. Perhaps in another couple of days, when it warms back up a little, I get the lights in the bushes.

All in all, it's beginning to look (a little) like Christmas. Probably within the next week or so, we'll dig out the Christmas decorations for inside the house. Another day I'm not looking forward to.

Ho Hum

Hmm, not a lot to say recently. The stock market is still down. There have been a few up days here or there, but overall, it's down. I try not to think about my 401k anymore, and if the new democratic government gets its way, I won't even have a 401k. Harumphf!

My weight has been fluctuating a little lately. In other words, I haven't been sticking to my diet as I used to, and it bothers me. I gained a couple of pounds back, and then decided that I need to get back on the horse and keep it off. I've really been pretty lax about my workouts lately, and have only been swimming, mainly since I hurt my back a few weeks ago. So I think that in another couple of weeks, I need to begin anew. I holding steady around 160lb, but I just want to get rid of this belly roll. I've been talking about that for months, and I think December is the time to begin lifting weights again. I certainly don't need to lose any more weight, but just need to tone up what I've got. Still wearing size 31/32 jeans, and size medium shirts. Lately, I've been enjoying the benefits of hitting the sauna more and more. I had mentioned this in a blog entry a couple years ago, but had really gotten away from using it at the gym. It feels so good to just sit and relax in the heat and steam, and it does wonders for the skin.

We did have a good Halloween. I dressed up again as the grim reaper, and used a fog machine and a lot of decorations for the house for Halloween night. It was a big hit, although I think I may have scared away more kids than I snared since I was using a voice changer to make me sound like a monster, and I didn't have a visible face (faceless mask). I then went over to my daughter's school Halloween party and tried to scare the kids. They didn't know I was coming, and only 2 adults knew about my surprise. The kids totally freaked out, the homeowner was about to call the police on me, and the kids (all of 30 of them) gang tackled me as I came around the side of the garage. It wasn't pleasant as they used sticks to try and poke me, with a couple boys on each leg, a couple boys on each arm, and a couple more pounding my head. I thought they were going have to call 911 for a medical emergency for a second there.

My geocaching hobby has been a lot of fun. I've managed to find 50 geocaches over the last few weeks, and have hidden 5 of my own. I certainly could be finding a lot more, as there are hundreds in the Omaha metro area alone. It's just a time consuming hobby, and sometimes, I just don't have any time. Although now that winter is here, perhaps I will have more time, however, traipsing around outside in the frigid temps, blustery winds, and rain or snow isn't appealing. Go figure.

Let's see, 2 weeks until Thanksgiving. Unbelievable. Time is sure flying. We have no huge plans, and will have dinner at my inlaws. I'm sure my wife will do the shopping thing the day after. Ugh. I'm not even ready to think about Christmas.

WTF!!

Wow, this economy is sure depressing! And, it doesn't help matters that I forgot to budget our mortgage payment for November. I was fat, dumb, and happy, looking over the balances on our back account and thought we were doing OK. Little did I realize that those numbers didn't factor in the missing mortgage payment! No wonder it looked so great! Doh! I'm such a dumba#@. I've pretty much got everything set up on auto-pay, so we wouldn't have missed the payment deadline, but I wouldn't have had enough money in the account to cover it. Super doh! Anyhow, after rerunning all the numbers, it's kind of bleak. LOL. Oh well, heaven forbid that we'd actually be making progress or any headway. Nevermind the stock market, but am talking about personal savings and the emergency fund, and so forth. Due to my budgetary error, we've definitely lived past our means this last month or two. In fact, I think our family is the poster family for living beyond our means. Oh, and I shouldn't have looked, but my 401k is down about 35% since the beginning of the year. Just over 1/3 of our nest egg has vanished. Well, retirement in 18 years probably will be pushed back to 23. Retiring at 57 (in 2027) was always in my master plan, but pushing that back to 62 seems likely right now, and that's depressing enough on it's own.

Geocaching Adventures

Well, my geocaching adventures have begun. I've got my GPS receiver all set up, and have the necessary software to find caches. In the beginning, it was a little confusing, but now that I've got the basics down, it's kind of fun. I'm still not accomplishing anything real by hunting for hidden caches, as it's mainly just a time sink that gets you outside, traveling to somewhere that you might not have normally visited. Right now, I've found 24 caches, and have even hidden one of my own. Here's my setup if you're interested in the details: Garmin 60Csx GPS, combined with a premium membership at geocaching.com, the Geocaching Swiss Army Knife (GSAK) software, Cachemate (for downloading cache details onto an old Palm), Topo 2008 and City Navigator 2009 maps from Garmin as well. This gives me the ability to use the GPS in the car for auto-routing, and also use the GPS off-road for cache hunting. My daughter and I went cache hunting last Friday night and had a good time. We found a travel bug (a trackable item that travels from cache to cache), and then deposited that travel bug into another cache in Missouri, and even picked up yet another travel bug there to move along to a different cache. Now that the gear has been set up, it's just a matter of heading out to find the treasure. Yesterday, I headed out for an afternoon of caching. Several were Park and Grabs (PnG), and one was a 4-mile roundtrip hike in Platte River State Park. It was a fun afternoon! The hike sure made me forget that I live in corn country!

One Week Post Strain

Well, one week after straining my back, I'm on the mend. I've spent much of the last week resting in bed, using the heat pad, and just lying around and resting. In fact, I even made my wife mow the yard. I get a little better each day, and now, 7 days later, my frames is starting to straighten out too. The pain, which was probably a 9 last Tuesday, is now down to a 2. I've been doing my stretching exercises also, so hopefully in another week, I'll be back to 100%.

The markets have continued to tank. After congress failed to approve the 700 billion bailout plant last Monday, then tried again and passed it on Friday, the global markets could care less. The Dow was down another 400 points today, after being down 150 on Friday, and after losing 700 last Monday. I'm not even sure I have anything left in my 401k. Well, it's not that bad, but it feels like it.

While it was probably a stupid move (considering how the economy is taking a nose-dive plunge to rock bottom), I did buy a new toy this week. I bought a GPS and associated accessories to do a little Geocaching. It's time I started a new hobby, I haven't tried anything different in a long time. Hopefully it will be a fun diversion to the economic woes that continue to plague our country.

My Aching Back

Well, after straining my back yesterday, I've lied in bed nearly all day today. I've used a combination of ice and heat and really haven't moved a whole lot. I did have to get up and pick my daughter up from school. That may have been a mistake. I was scheduled to work today, but there was no way I could have. I'm sure they all think I just wanted a 7-day break (after my 4-day weekend in Vegas), but I really did throw my back out. I do have the next 2 days off, so hopefully can rest most of each day. I did intend on getting a lot of yard work done, but I'm afraid it will have to wait. Such a shame to have wasted 3 great fall days. I may go to the doctor tomorrow to try and schedule some physical therapy. I can't believe this. The last time I threw my back out like this was in 2006 I think, but it wasn't this severe. The last time I've been in pain like this was 2000. Ugh. My damn back. I'm so mad at myself, although there was no way to know this was going to happen. S%#t!

What an Awesome Weekend

We spent the last few days in Las Vegas! Wow, it was such a fun weekend, we had such a great time, and didn't want to come home. We arrived Thursday night, very late, and it took a couple of hours to get our car and get to the hotel. We had a reservation for a premium suite, but unfortunately, they gave our room away and we had to stay in one of their older rooms. It was very dated, but they were able to get us into the suite the next day, so it was fine to sleep in for one night.

On Friday, we just took it easy, slept in a little bit, had breakfast with my brother and his spouse, and just relaxed until we attended bachelor/bachelorette parties that night for a friend's wedding. The women learned how to pole and lap dance, and then went clubbing. The men partied, gambled, and did our own version of clubbing. It was a fun night, and I think everyone had a great time.

On Saturday, we hung out with my brother Dean for the day. We enjoyed a good breakfast, visited the strip and did some shopping. It was a very hot day, but the cool air in the malls and casinos felt very good. For dinner, we ate at the Cheesecake Factory, then attended V the Ultimate Variety show. It was a great day and the show was awesome.

On Sunday, we again had a good breakfast, then did some more shopping, then attended the wedding of one of my coworkers. The wedding was at the Valley of Fire (60 miles northeast of Las Vegas on Lake Mead) at sunset. It was beautiful, then we partied at the VooDoo Lounge in Vegas on the 51st floor of the Rio Casino. It was a very unique, beautiful wedding and we're glad we attended.

Monday was our travel day home. It was uneventful, and we were glad to be back in Omaha safe and sound. Until I tried to load the luggage into our trunk that is. Upon lifting the second bag, my back snapped and it was Game Over. I was in extreme pain. By the time we drove home, picked up our dogs from the vet, and picked up our daughter from school, I could barely walk. Dammit!! I haven't had hardly any back trouble in over 2 years, and I fear this could be one of the worst.

Such a great weekend, but then to ruin it in the last home stretch. At least it happened at the end of our vacation and not at the beginning. Sigh.

What a Crazy Week

Well, after historic crashes on the market this past week, the market made everything back, and then some on Thursday and Friday. What a crazy, wildly swinging week. I did look at my 401k, and had last about $8000 value through Wednesday, but then gained that back, plus another $2000 by Friday. That's insane! I'm not sure I'll ever be able to say that I lost $8000 in three days, but then made made $10000 in two days. Of course, it's all just numbers, and I'll never see that for another 19 years (when I retire), but it's still kind of a weird feeling. Now I really wish I had put a large portion of my emergency fund in on Thursday after the nearly 1000 point loss, but didn't have the confidence that I wouldn't lose my shirt. But, perhaps that's why I live paycheck to paycheck as I'm not a risk taker when it comes to money unfortunately.

Big Money BullS%#t

Well, the stock market has shed almost 1000 points over the previous 3 days. Wow, that's great news. Actually, it almost makes me sick to think about how much I've lost out of my 401K. But, they always say, don't worry about it until you sell, and hey, I've got 18 more years before I have to retire. And, they also say you shouldn't look at how much it actually went down or it will really make you depressed. But, at the same time, it's hard not to look, and hard not to worry about you much you've lost over the previous couple of days, even if you don't retire for 18 more years. It all stems from the big money movers all Wall street who have either gone bankrupt over the previous 6 months, have been bought out for pennyies on the dollar, or have been bailed out by the feds. I think we've spent over 200 billion on these buyouts, while the CEOs and board members make hundreds of millions of dollars. It's all bullsh%#t if you ask me. I'm just a regular guy trying to support my family, but also save a little for the next rainy day, but at the same time, still have money to spend of some of the fun things in life so it's not so hum drum. We honestly live paycheck to paycheck sometimes. And yet, when I hear that the government just spent 80 billion to buy out the next big corporation who has continually stuck it to the little guy, it makes me angry. It all just sucks. And, to make matters worse, when our political candidates attend $30000 per plate luncheons and make millions in one sitting, I have to question the ethics of our possible leaders, again, especially when little guys like me struggle every day just to keep our heads afloat. It's no wonder I'm so turned off by big business and politics. It's all BS!

GeoCaching? Is It Worth It?

I've vaguely heard of Geocaching, but have never really looked into it. Essentially, it involves hiding some sort of package, then having others seek your hidden package. It typically involves the use of GPS, with several clues, hints, coordinates, etc to find the treasure. It's not important treasure, but moreso just the challenge. It might just be the experience that folks are looking for, etc, but mainly just a hobby to kill time.

So, after doing a little research, it does sound like something that might be fun to do, but I do question the end result. Really, is it worth it to go traipsing around the countryside (or cityscape) just for the privilege of saying, "I found your hidden treasure." I suppose it might be, but again, I think the end goal is to just get people outdoors, to get them moving, and if they can do it with friends or family, they can all share the experience. But, it also seems that many (vast majority) of the finds are meaningless, trivial experiences, just to increase your tallies. It also seems that I'm often quite busy, with work, my stupid rotating schedule, and often severe weather, that I'm hard pressed for time anyhow. It certainly could be a time sink if you let it.

So, is this something I might be interested in? Perhaps. But, I'd have to buy a new handheld GPS. I've been wanting to get one for my car (that was one of the concessions that I made when I bought it, to avoid buying the built-in-dash GPS). I believe if I do this right, I could get a GPS that could be used for both the car and for geocaching, but in the end, is it really worth it?

HD TV Repair

Well, the TV seems to be getting worse. A few days ago, it was going off every 5 minutes. So, I called and set up a service call with the warranty company. But, I vacuumed all the air vents, and that seems to have helped. I still maintain that it's a heat issue, and perhaps the vacuuming helped it a bit, but last night, after not faulting for a couple days, it tripped again. The repair shop says it could take a couple weeks from beginning to end to get this fixed, and they need to have it in their shop to do the diagnosis and repair. Ugh. This TV weighs a couple hundred pounds, so I wasn't looking forward to hauling it into the shop. Thankfully, our extended warranty allows for in-house pickup. They're coming tomorrow morning. The driveway joints may still be tacky by then, so they'll have to carry this beast while stepping over the fresh caulk. I'm guessing it's just a board or a power supply that needs to be replaced. The diagnostic light blinks 6 or 7 times when it does fail, and according to a brief web search, that hopefully will be an easy fix.

Driveway Cracks Sealed

We got our driveway cracks and joints sealed today. I also had the sidewalks done, our back patio, and also all joints against the house. I had mentioned this previously, but the job was completed today. It looks really great, and is definitely a professional job. They used Sonalastic NP1 joint compound. From what I can gather, it's a high-grade sealant that should stand up pretty well to the elements. It's the type of sealant that you see in commercial installations, so hopefully it was money well spent. It was a little expensive, and now that I've seen how they do it, I could definitely maintain it over the next few years. The most important thing is that it's done, and I feel so much better about the large cracks in our driveway that seemed to be getting worse over the last 5 years. I should have done this awhile ago, but sometimes, with house maintenance stuff like this, I tend to put it off. But, it's a done deal, no matter how expensive, and gives me some piece of mind.

Vegas in 1 Week!

Woohoo, can't wait for our Vegas vacation in just 1 more week. Looking forward to a little time away for some fun, although can't guarantee there will be any rest or relaxation. We've got a non-stop weekend planned with activities one right after the other. We're going to do the bachelorette/bachelor thing one night, which will be interesting. My wife is allergic (severely) to smoke, so we'll see how much she can take. She may end up bailing pretty early in the night and head back to the hotel for refuge. I plan to party awhile with the boys, but don't really want to stay out all night. I'm too old for that anymore, plus don't want to trash myself for the rest of the weekend. My brother and his spouse will be there too, so it will be fun to get together with them a few times for dinner and general sight seeing. We're also going to go to a show, V the Ultimate Variety Show. It's kind of like America's Got Talent, but it sounds really fun and should be an enjoyable time. Then we're also going to our friend's wedding, which will be at sunset at the Valley of Fire. That also sounds interesting and should be a good time. The only drawback, I'll miss a nighttime Nebraska football game, which will also be shown on network TV . Ugh. All in all, I'm sure it will be a very fun, but tiring (and borderline mega expensive), weekend, and now counting the days.

Going Green

For the last few months, we've been trying to take "Going Green" to the next level. Our garbage company started a program called Recycle Bank. Essentially, we have a full-size garbage container now for all of our recyclables. They will take just about anything, all paper, all cardboard, styrofoam, etc. There are just a handful of things they won't take. We get a wait credit with a pickup every other week. There is a website that we can visit to see our bi-weekly point accumulations and can cash in points for gift cards, coupons, etc. It's not a lot of money, but $5 off here or there, 20% off entire orders, etc. It all helps. Anyhow, I would say our recycle stream now is about 60/40, or possibly even 70/30. In other words, we're now recycling "much" more than we did before, and it's a good feeling knowing we're doing what we can. It's ironic though, we recycle our goods, in turn to sell to China (and other foreign countries), who in turn remake the plastic goods, allowing us to in turn recycle it again. It's an interesting cycle, and apparently there is money to be made.

Lots To Catch Up On

Let's see, there's a ton of things to catch up on. I attended a professional conference last week in Hays, Kansas. Wish it was some place exotic, but at least it was close. It was a good conference and I had a great time. I drank way too much Wednesday night, but that's all part of the experience. I presented my research on Friday and think it went OK.

Then, I went to the Nebraska Football game Saturday morning. Woohoo! We played San Jose State. The huskers didn't play as well as we'd hoped, but they did eke out a win, so can't complain about that. The weather was perfect, cool, cloudy, and not much wind. There was some spotty drizzle just before half time, but it didn't last long. That may be the only game I get to go this year, so was thankful for the opportunity! Thanks Ron (father in law), I had a great time!

I got the yard mowed earlier this week before the rains came. I also started trimming down some of the perennial flowers in the flower beds. They're done for the year so no need to string them along. Fall is fast approaching, and honestly, I'm looking forward to the first frost. It will put an end to my allergies, although I haven't had hardly any trouble at all this year. While mowing the yard, they flared up a little, but nothing like previous years. It's been nice. The rain started this morning, and we've had well over an inch. The rain helps to wash out the pollen too, so it's all good.

We head to Vegas in a couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to the 4 day vacation! Yeah! Should be fun. My brother will be there, and we're also attending the wedding of one of my coworkers. We are doing a bachelor/bachelorette party Friday night, so that should be fun too, where we can actually put to use the classic phrase, "What happens in Vegas..." :O

Our HD TV is starting to go out. It's a Sony 34" tube TV, but now shuts itself down at random points. The diagnostic light blinks 6 times, which helps pinpoint the problem. Guess I need to call the TV repairman. I did buy an extended warranty with this TV, so will see if they're willing to repair it under the contract. Time will tell.

I also need to get the furnace serviced. It's time to renew my annual contract. I'm kind of anal about stuff like that. Preventative maintenance is key I think, although it sure gets pricey sometimes. I also am having our driveway professionally sealed in a couple of weeks. We've got a few cracks that need to be sealed, and all the joints need to be sealed too. It's a pretty big job, and I don't really want to mess with it. A neighbor down the street had a company come in and do it, so I got an estimate too. It will be a little pricey, but at least it'll be a professional job and will make any maintenance or repairs down the road much easier.

Oh yeah, we also need new cordless phones. I have 5 in the house, all the same model, all tied into a single base unit. They are as old as the house, now five years. They won't hold a charge anymore, so all need new batteries. Actually, we've lost one somewhere in the house, so we're down to 4. I could buy new batteries, but with phones as cheap as they are, I got another 5-unit system on sale this past weekend for what it would have cost to buy batteries. Plus, it's upgraded technology based on DECT6.0, so it's a different frequency that should have less interference.

Oh yeah, my wife bought a new dress and shoes for Vegas, and it's going to cost them $90 each to head out on the town, which doesn't include drinks, dinner, tip, or transportation. And I have no idea what we'll be spending at our clubs. So needless to say, the credit card is getting a workout.

Sigh, it's always something. I think it's a never ending cycle to spend more than we make. I should change my license plate to NDET4VR at this point. :)

There is a new hurricane brewing on the horizon, Hurricane Ike. It's headed directly for Houston and it may be pretty bad. Am praying for everyone's safety, but the track doesn't look good right now.

And So It Begins

Hmm, I bet you were thinking I was talking about the Bo Pelini Husker football era, right? Or a sharp upward turn in gas prices as Hurricane Gustav wreaks havoc on the Louisiana coastline? Wrong! It's my allergies. A week ago or so, I was babbling about how I had any of the effects yet this season. Well, they started today. I guess pollen levels have become saturated enough to reach my trigger point, and indeed, levels are at their highest point this year. It wasn't bad today, but noticeable enough that I woke up congested and had a runny nose all day long. It started yesterday at the pool (last blast of the summer), but came full circle today. Oh well, it's only 6 more weeks, I can make it. Ha.

The Huskers did win yesterday. It was what it was. I think we're a slightly better team than last year, but still have a long ways to go. A new head coach, a new defense, I don't think we should expect miracles, but I believe progress was made over last season. I did buy the PPV game as I didn't want to miss the season opener to see what we've got. It was an OK game against Western Michigan, not a powerhouse by any means, but a win is a win.

Hurricane Gustav is forecast to make a direct hit just west of the city of New Orleans. Ugh, here we go again. However, this time, I think the region is much better prepared, and it's estimated that 95% of the area residents have evacuated. That's good, and everyone else that stayed behind have been told they will get no additional support. I think that's good. If they didn't leave, they should be on their own. It's estimated that this hurricane could cost up to $30 billion. That's unbelievable, but what's even more unbelievable, Hurricane Hanna will be right on it's heals and could hit in nearly the same area. Perhaps that's ideal, as the damage will already have been done.

I can't believe the summer is over. We did head down to the Mahoney State Park water park yesterday afternoon for one last summer swim. It was fun, but a little sad at the same time that summer will soon be over, and within a couple of months, snow may begin to fly. I hate snow. I hate the cold. Yet here I live in Nebraska, a place that can get downright frigid, and can get several feet of snow. I hate winter in general. When I retire, I'm definitely moving south. But not during hurricane season!

Allegy Bliss?

I'm not sure what is different about this year, but my allergies really haven't been a problem, yet. And, the pollen count yesterday and today have been at their highest levels of the season. Today, I mowed the yard and spent most of the afternoon outside doing various chores. Not a single problem. Last year, on any given day that I'd mow the yard, my allergies would go bonkers. I'm still taking Allegra, but something is different this year. I have no idea what, but after a day like today, spending a couple hours outside should have sent me into sneezing fits, even with the medication. Weird. I'm not complaining, but just waiting for the other shoe to drop when my watery eyes and sneezing attacks return after being outside for awhile.

On an unrelated note, I had a great weekend in Colorado visiting family. It was a quick weekend, but a good one nonetheless. Got to spend some time just talking, catching up, laughing a ton, and just having an all-around good time. I didn't win the card tournament, I never do, but that's OK, sometimes the experience is just as important.

Now, it's back to work. I could use a good vacation, but that doesn't come for another month when we go to Vegas for a few days. Looking so forward to that, but until then, there is a professional conference that I have to attend next week, and I have a few projects at work that need my attention too.

Hurry Up and Wait

I headed to work early this morning to meet our national Director. He was in town and it was recommended that we attend the meeting. It wasn't as exciting as what I had envisioned and probably wasn't crucial that I was in attendance. Oh well.

Then I hurried home to pack for my weekend trip to Colorado. I scrambled around, got everything ready, grabbed some lunch, and made it to the airport with about 1/2 hour to spare. I had already checked in online and printed my boarding pass, and was carrying on a bag, so no big deal. In fact, timing was perfect. I did check the flight status before leaving and all was good, but upon arriving at the gate, was informed that our plane would be about 1 1/2 hours late. Oh well. I'm not in a huge hurry, but sitting in an airport isn't fun. Although, having Internet access (as I type this message) will help pass the time.

Looking forward to a pleasant weekend. It's our annual family card party, and many of my brothers and sisters will be in attendance. Should be a nice weekend to just relax and have some fun!

A Banner Day!

The day started off oh so well. My wife and daughter got off to school OK, and I was actually on time for work with about 10 minutes to spare. I stopped to get a skinny latte and realized that I had enough points on my card for a freebie. Yeah. Then, I got to work and realized that we were doing a software upgrade today and my backup office would be doing all of my tasks for me today. Yeah. It was going to be a good day. Then, I dropped my Oakley sunglasses as I was taking them off my head to store in my locker. They fell on the floor and got a huge scratch in the left lens, right in the field of vision. Couldn't believe it. The rest of the day was OK, we spent a lot of time trying out new office chairs, and overall enjoying some free time. Then, I picked up my daughter after school, only my wife didn't know I was picking her up. I left her a voice mail message, but her phone broke and she had no signal to retrieve it. So, she thought our daughter had been kidnapped. Nice. Got home and realized that the two trees that we planted earlier this summer were dying. They're in sprinkler zones and the yard is getting enough water, but apparently not enough deep watering for the tree roots. Ugh. The Northfire maples appear to be going into early dormancy. Hopefully, they've shut down enough to protect themselves, but who knows. I gave them a drink yesterday since they appeared to be stressed and starting to turn orange. Today, half of one of the trees is orange and a few of the leaves have fallen off. Even better. I've managed to kill $800 worth of trees. Not sure if they're a total loss, but perhaps we can salvage them yet. I'm such a dumbass. My wife is pissy, I'm pissy, my daughter is pissy about school and the fact that she already has a LOT of homework on the first day. Oh, it's a banner day.

Where Did the Rain Go?

It's been a long time since it's rained, almost 3 weeks. Sure, I've got automatic yard sprinklers, but it would be nice to not have to use them. In fact, I very much enjoy having a beautiful looking yard. I have a lot of pride in my landscaping, and take great pains to make sure that I don't have any weeds, crabgrass, or chick weed. Although today, I did spend about an hour pulling weeds and nut grass from my shrub and flower beds, and along the fence line and under the deck. I hate weeds. I guess it goes back to my childhood days when my father would make me chop thistles for hours on end during those hot summer days.

School starts tomorrow. My wife is running around and still isn't ready, and my daughter informed me that she's 100% ready to go. I took my daughter to lunch today, to celebrate her last day of summer freedom. I gave her a choice, and she picked Olive Garden (which happens to be one of my favorite spots). It was very yummy!

I went shopping for some clothes tonight. We actually went last night too, but couldn't find sizes that I needed. I still couldn't find khakis in my size tonight, so I think I'll order them online. I need a size 32x34, and I really only like a specific style of Dockers. Wow, that's a hard size to find. Lot's of 32x32s out there, but I'm tired of wearing pants that are about an inch too short and ride up toward my knee every time I sit down. Sigh. I'm so picky. Ha. I also bought a new pair of jeans (since summer is almost over and I don't really have any jeans that fit me, and also since I haven't worn jeans in about 3 months since summer began). I ended up with size 31x34 550 Levis. Wow, I've never worn jeans that small before. I also bought a swimming suit on clearance. Didn't really need it, but couldn't pass it up for $7. It was a size small. Yippee! But yet, I still feel fat. It's that stupid belly roll that I just can't get rid of, and my moobs that really bug me. I think this fall, after Labor Day, I'm going to make a hard effort to bulk up and tone down. I really want this belly roll gone by Christmas.

Five years ago, my brother said I was the most impatient person he's ever met. Perhaps he's right. I can be impatient at times, but at other times, I really try hard to have an open mind and not be so judgemental. But, when dealing with stupid people, it's hard not to be impatient. Some people of just dumba$#!s I suppose. The lady in line ahead of me at Panera Bread tonight fell into that class. I just couldn't help NOT be impatient with her. Ugh. Stupid people.

Allergy Season Returns

It's that time of year when my seasonal allergies return. I'm severely allergic to ragweed, and the peek of the season runs from mid August through the first fall freeze. About two weeks ago, I got my Allegra prescription renewed and have been faithfully taking it every day. Even though the pollen count has been high over the last several days, I've not had a single symptom yet. I know the drug works, but just think the density probably isn't high enough to affect me just yet. Usually on days that I have to be outdoors, it gets very bad. time will tell, but I'm sure in another couple of weeks, I'll start to feel a little worse.

School Starts This Week

I can't believe that summer is over. It seems that school was just getting out and we had the whole summer ahead of ourselves. Now, 3 short months later, the fun is over and it's time for the kids to head back. In fact, a lot of the schools started this past week already while my wife and daughter start back next Wednesday. For me, that means a return to normalcy, but also means a return to homework, school meetings, projects, and occasionally being overwhelmed with a neverending list of things to do. Hannah will be in the 7th grade, which means a lot more responsibility too, and probably even more involved projects, reports, and activities. Sigh.

On unrelated notes, Michael Phelps won his 8th gold medal yesterday at the Beijing Olympics. The man is a machine, it's amazing at what he's accomplished. And, he may not be done, and could potentially have 2 more Olympics left in him? Crazy.

On one more unrelated note, I joined Facebook this past week. Ha. It's supposedly all the rage for adults now, and several of my friends have prompted me to set up an account. Ugh. It's not really my thing, but have to admit, it's been kind of fun at the same time. I'm sure the novelty will wear off pretty soon.

Curb Painting

A guy showed up in the neighborhood a couple of days ago and posted flyers about having your house number painted on the curb. I've heard of this before, and have seen the results. Actually, I do think it's a good idea, it's just that I've never taken the time to get it done. This sounded like a good opportunity to get it done professionally for $20. Sure, I could've bought the materials for a lot less than that and done it myself, but what fun would that be! I noticed not too many people in the neighborhood agreed as I could only find 3 houses that also though it was a worthwhile investment. Indeed, the end result looks pretty darn sharp. They used a reflective paint that kind of glows in the dark. They painted a black rectangle, then 4" white numerals inside. Looks good to me, and money well spent. Kudos to the guy that did it, he's found a unique way to make some money with not tremendously hard work.

Ah, Relaxation at Its Best

A few weeks ago, I joined a new gym, mainly for its close proximity to our house. Lifetime Fitness opened up a new location here almost exactly 1 year ago. I've got a couple of friends that go to that gym, and they have nothing but praise. I do have a membership to 24 Hour Fitness and only have a $20/year renewal (at least for now), although, sometimes the cleanliness leaves a lot to be desired at times. So, recently, I've been driving to the new location, which is about a 20-mile roundtrip for me. So, by doing the math, I decided to join Lifetime, which results in a 5-mile roundtrip now. Plus, they have executive locker rooms, provide towels, and have a huge list of amenities. They also have a pool outside with 2 water slides, which essentially is a great family draw to get more people in, especially during the summertime. The last few days, I've hit the pool just to relax and catch some sun. It's really nice, and actually quite relaxing, I wish I would have done it at the beginning of the summer. Lots of kiddos running around, but that's OK, sometimes it's good to be in a family atmosphere. Overall, am pretty pleased with Lifetime Fitness. Yes, I'll have to pony up a gym membership now, but honestly, it's a worthwhile price for the moment.

Great Deal on Airfare

In a couple of weeks, I'm taking a quick trip to Colorado to participate in my family's annual card tournament. My sister (who lives in Colorado Springs) took the trophy home last year, along with the tournament. I was initially planning on driving and possibly taking a couple of extra days for some much needed vacation time (since I've only had a staycation this year), but just couldn't swing the extra days away from work. But, to drive would be about 1200 miles round trip. Then my niece (who is a travel agent) informed me of an airfare sale from Omaha to Denver for $116. Wow, that's hard to beat, in fact, was so good, I booked it immediately. I'll rent a car in Denver and drive to Colorado Springs and in the end, still be ahead versus what I would have spent in gas, time, and energy to drive. Thanks Liz, really appreciate the travel tip!

Am I Too Thin

10 months after my weight loss began and I'm still keeping it off. I'm holding my own around 158lbs, and this seems to be a good weight for me, although I still have a little belly roll that I just can't get rid of. My administrative assistant told me yesterday that I looked too thin, and that I needed to gain some weight. She thought my face was too gaunt-looking. Honestly, I didn't think I looked too thin, and my wife thinks I look fine. Ideally, if I could lose this belly fat and gain about 5lbs of muscle, I'd probably be at my perfect weight. Oh well, I know one thing, I'm not going back to where I was, I love being a size 32 for jeans, and can even wear size small running shorts and size small tee-shirts. :)

Bachelor-Hood

My wife and daughter left me. Hopefully, in a few days, they'll come back. :) Last week, they left with her parents (and their two dogs) on a cross-country vacation from here to Portland, Oregon. They are traveling in a 5th wheel camper (I think it's about 27 feet long) and will spend about 3 days getting to the Oregon coast, will spend a few days camping on the coast, and a few days in Portland to visit family. I didn't go as I had to work, plus, not sure it would have exactly been my cup of tea, and frankly, not sure my daughter will be up to it as well (she doesn't like mosquitoes, so not sure if camping for two weeks will be OK or not). So, I'll be on my own for the next couple of weeks. That's OK, I'm a big boy, and will certainly manage. I've only got 3 days off during that time, with no long breaks, so won't have a lot of extra time anyhow. Sure hope they enjoy their break, although I'm sure they'll be ready to come home too!

Washer and Dryer Delivered

The delivery truck arrived and unloaded our shiny new Duet Sport washer and dryer this morning. The first empty load went smoothly, no leaks, no violent shaking that some have reported on the Internet. It's very quiet actually, and hopefully will be a great washer and dryer for years to come. Just in case, we did buy a 5-year extended warranty that provides 100% coverage, parts, labor, everything. Given that everything is electronic, and our past history with appliances breaking down, I didn't want to take any chance. If we never use it, great, but if we need it, we're covered. We could debate all day about whether or not to buy extended warranties, but any more, I'm inclined to have the peace of mind, rather than worry about whether or not what might break next.

Funny How Things Work Out

OK, just yesterday, I was complaining about how our 5-year old washer crapped out, again! We went to Nebraska Furniture Mart to look at front-loading systems, and walked out with a great, absolutely fabulous deal. They were having a 60-week no interest sale, and everything was marked down for a Grand Opening sale. I was able to haggle with the salesman a bit and got another $60 off the washer and dryer (off the already rock-bottom price), got the dryer cord for free, and got another $20 off a 5-year warranty that we purchased. Plus, they will take the old washer, and there's a $100 mail-in rebate that expired tomorrow, and they were able to set it up for express delivery tomorrow too! So, all in all, I'm very pleased with the end result, even though it will result in an extra $118 monthly payment over the next 14 months.

Well that Sucks Too!

Just when I think we're about to catch up with our finances and get caught up on the credit card, something else pops up. I guess it's called life, and it sure isn't easy. Over the last month, I've spent an extra $900 on car maintenance for my wife's car. She desperately needed new tires, and it was time to get a new battery, get the transmission flushed, and get new air and cabin filters, along with an oil change. That's a big chunk of money, but I feel OK about spending it since it helps ensure the safety of my girls.

But then, last week, our washer started to leak from underneath. Then, in about a day, it started to sound like a jet engine when in the spin cycle. After getting the appliance repairman to take a look, it's the main bearing and seal. It's a Maytag, and is only 5 years old, but has been a POS from day one. After about 9 months, the main bearing and seal went out. Thankfully, that was under warranty. But, since then, we've had to replace another seal, and occasionally, the thing will dance across the mudroom floor. The repairman said it would be about $400 to replace the bearing and I don't think I really want to fix it. This would be a good excuse to just chuck the whole damn thing and get a nice front-load set. Plus, our drier is 15 years old, and while we had the main bearing on it replaced last year, I think it may be time to just get a complete new set. An entry-level front-load Whirlpool Sport Duet (what my MIL has and loves by the way) would run about $1300. Yikes. So, just when I'm about to get my head above water, the damn undertow kicks in, AGAIN! LOL .

In fact, I'm sure it will be this way for a long, long time. My daughter is just now entering 7th grade. There are new uniforms to buy, new shoes, a new backpack, and activity fees at school. Let's see, then a Vegas trip, then a whole slew of family birthdays, then Christmas! In other words, there will always be something on the horizon that requires a lot of cash. Hey, who ever said that living paycheck to paycheck isn't the American Dream? It's becoming a reality for the majority of us.

Oh yeah, the good news, Nebraska Furniture Mart just announced a 60 week no interest deal. How could we pass that up? It's basically a free 14-month loan. That's how we've bought all of our furniture up to this point here in Nebraska, through no-interest loans at the Mart. It's a great incentive to buy more!

Speaking of Weight

Well, in my last post, I complained about America's overweight problem, and here I am myself starting to fall off the wagon. I'm 6 months post from the Biggest Loser competition we had at work, and I'm still keeping the weight off, but I can also feel myself getting pulled back into the spiraling downward spiral. I range anywhere from 158 to 162 lbs, and that's down from 205 lbs, but I just can't seem to get rid of my extra belly roll. I also have to admit, I haven't really exercised very hard over the last month or two, just trying to maintain my diet and ensure that I'm not eating crap. I'm down from size 36/38 to size 30/32, but I don't ever want to be the size I was before again. I feel so good about my self image now, and it's not something I want to give up. So, I've got to get back on the bus. I don't think I need to lose any more weight, or drop any more sizes, but I really want to tone down the tummy roll. I was reading Men's Health today that everyone can have 6-pack abs, but most don't put in the effort. I'd say that I'm in that camp, it's just that I've never put in the effort. When I was in the competition at work, I wasn't really trying to bulk up, I was trying to lose weight. I know I'll never have that 6-pack model physique, it just needs to flatter.

Enjoying a Day at the Waterpark

We've hit the waterpark at Mahoney State Park a few times this year already, and decided to travel to Columbus today to try something different. About an 80 mile drive west, it has a lazy river, 4 water slides, and a toilet bowl plunge. It's a great water park, and it was an awesome day just enjoying the water and the sun. I have to admit, it's a total new experience for me since I've had LASIK eye surgery. Before, I could only reliably see about 6 feet in front of me, and was always worried where my daughter was, whether she was safe, and so forth. Now, I can see her from across the entire park, and a whole new world has been presented to me. I can actually see like I've never seen before. It's still a surreal feeling. But, I'm also seeing for the first time that a lot of people who go to the water parks shouldn't be seen in public in bathing suits. It's sad really to see so many overweight people who don't seem to care. But, that's another subject.

Firestorm 2008

It's that time of year when people waste their hard-earned money on fireworks which sends our dogs into hysterical fits. And it will only get worse with each passing day. Personally, I think it's a waste, especially with people complaining about how the economy is tanking, gas is $4 per gallon, and that they can't afford to buy groceries, yet they can afford to buy and endless supply of fireworks. Honestly, I'm not trying to be a wet blanket, but I guess I just don't see the thrill.

Well That Sucked

We had a major wind storm move through the area earlier today. It hit our house about 445 pm. A hellacious storm developed just north of here with 80 to 90 mph winds reported. It was bad enough that the city of Omaha sounded its tornado sirens, even though it was only straight line winds. Two weeks ago to the day, our new trees were planted in the back yard. I was worried whether they'd be able to withstand the wind. One fared OK, the other was blown down as the support straps gave way. Thankfully, the tree only got toppled over, pulling the whole root ball out of the ground. The top of the tree also looks like it's been permanently bent, and not sure it will ever recover. I was able to put the root ball back into the ground, but may have to have the nursery come back out and replant it. We didn't have any damage to the house though, and am thankful for that. Other's in Omaha weren't so lucky. There were thousands of trees down, a LOT of property damage, and about 126,000 people without power. Several homes were completely destroyed. All in all, I'm getting very tired of the extreme weather, and wouldn't mind the dog days of summer to commence.

Planting Trees in the Back Yard

I should have done this 5 years ago, but there was always something else that always had priority. Finally, this spring, I decided that I'd better get some trees planted before I wasted another 5 years of growth. We've got a really big back yard, and probably have room for 6 or 8 trees. I've thought a long time about what to plant, and wanted a combination of shade, fruit and flowering trees. Given that I've already given up 5 years of growth, I also wanted to spend a little bit more to get some really big trees.

In the end, I opted for a couple of Maple Northfire trees. They are 3" trees, and probably already 20 feet tall. They will make a nice barrier to the homes to our east. I also wanted to possibly get some trees that aren't common. I settled for an Aspen tree, an Elberta peach tree, 2 apple trees (Honeycrisp and Freedom), a Cleveland Select Pear, and 2 dwarf Lilac trees. The huge Maple trees are being planted by the nursery, and I've planted the others as time allows. When it's finished, it should look nice. I've kept the center of the yard open in hopes of someday putting a pool there. Ha. I can always dream. But, if I can't get a pool, a grand, tiered fountain surrounded by a courtyard, and a circle of rose bushes would be awesome. That's probably doable over the next few years. I'd also like to add a couple of cedar arbors here and there, get some climbing roses and ivy to cover them, along with a yard swing, and maybe a butterfly or humming bird garden sometime in the future too!

Ah, just lots more outdoor stuff to keep my busy over the next few years.

No Chase Today, But Enjoyed a Good Movie

As expected, I didn't chase the tornadoes today. I was just so tired when I woke up this morning, I decided to just head home. Plus, the storms were expected to fire in the same exact spot as yesterday, and some of the roads I was on were horribly bad with nothing but mud. I didn't want to put up with that again. In fact, there was an EF4 tornado that I missed, but I'm OK with that. I got home about 4pm and found out that my daughter was spending the night at a friend's house. At the last minute, we decided to go out for dinner then go to the new Indiana Jones Movie. So, it turned out to be an awesome day after all since I got to enjoy a great date with my wife. While we enjoyed the Crystal Skull movie, we're not sure it was a good as the previous Indy movies, in other words, it's probably not a movie we'd want to see over and over again. Plus, the story line was quite the stretch of the imagination, and the suspension of reality in several scenes was probably a little over the top. But, it was still a good movie with a few funny scenes too.

Bagged Another Tornado

Well, I did see another tornado today, near Grainfield, KS. It was a good, high-risk chase day, although I was awake for 30 straight hours. I had intended on getting an hour-or-two nap in somewhere on the road, but storms fired quicker than I thought. It was an elephant trunk tornado that I captured from the beginning to the end. It was beautiful! The number of chasers out on the roads was horrendous. Way to many people doing things they shouldn't have been doing, breaking traffic laws, and just overall being quite annoying. I guess there's no way around it though. At nightfall, I decided to call it a day, even though there were a couple of strong storms that were continuing that were producing tornadoes. I drove for about 2 hours in very heavy rain and winds of 50 to 60 mph. It was horrible. And, to make matters worse, I almost munched my wife's car in BIG hail twice. Ugh. That would have been bad. All in all, it was a fine day! There is another moderate risk of severe storms tomorrow, likely to be upgraded to a high risk as well. Although, I'm not going to chase it. I'll probably head home to get some rest since I'll have my own outbreak of severe weather to deal with Saturday and Sunday.

To Chase...Or Not

Well, my severe storm chase target for Thursday, May 22 really hasn't changed. The computer models are still indicating southwest Nebraska or northwest Kansas will be the best area to see anything good (tornadoes). But, since it's going to be such a big event, and since we're in the midst of many storm chaser's "chase"cations, I'm beginning to think it's going to be a zoo (circus) with so many people out and about. Plus, with gas now getting dangerously close to $4/gallon, perhaps I need to rethink this plan. On the one hand, I could easily not chase the event and watch it from the comfort of my home, while eating some pizza and drinking a beer. Plus, I'm sure someone will be streaming the storms live from their cars too. And, it's not like I haven't seen tornadoes before, in fact, I've seen many, many tornadoes. But, on the flip side, if something big happens and I missed it, not because of prior work or family obligations, but because I decided to just stay home and save the hassle and be lazy, I'd be extremely upset. Dilemma, dilemma. Plus, this could really be my last big chase for awhile, do I really want to give that up? Friday will also be a big day, and I'd almost hate to give up two good chaseable days.

Love, Love, Love My Car

Did I mention that I love my car? LOL! Honestly, it's great, and there are so many features that I really appreciate. Those HID headlights are awesome at night. I always curse when I see them on someone else's car because they are so bright, but they make a huge difference and really light up the highway much more than standard lights. I hooked up my phone via Bluetooth this evening, so now I can make and receive phone calls through my car. How cool is that? I can also hook up my Ipod and play music through the Bose 264W, 9-speaker stereo system. Awesome! The smart key (with accompanying push button start) is really the bomb. Still got 25 mpg on this last tank of gas, so perhaps that might be the average. Really, there are only 2 features that seem to be lacking (versus our Honda Accord), and that's power passenger seats, and automatic locks when you lock the driver door. Also, I'm finding that it will be incredibly hard to keep the Majestic Blue clean. When it's freshly washed, it's absolutely gorgeous. But about 10 seconds after that, it really starts to show the dust. Ah, lesson learned I guess. When I get a new car in 10 years, I won't go so dark. Oh well, if that's all I've got to complain about, life is good.

Storm Chasing...Hmm, I Just Can't Give It Up

Well, after considerable thought, I just can't quite storm chasing cold turkey. It's like a drug. Quitting cold is hard to do. So, I've made a couple of concessions, but am willing to take my wife's older car out for chase trips, but would be even more judicious about what I'd drive into. I never trashed my old beater car when I was storm chasing, so no reason to believe I'd trash my wife's car. And, if it comes right down to it, I'd certainly back off it meant that I'd be putting the car in jeopardy. Plus, I do have the technology available to know where the storm is, where it's moving to, and where the most dangerous part of the core might be.

For me, it's not so much about getting into the core of the storm, but just getting out on the open road to see a few sites and to glimpse what Mother Nature has to offer. I don't particularly enjoy driving long distances or traveling on gravel/dirt roads when the chase is on, but just like to get out of the city.

It looks like storms will fire on the high plains later this week. I do have chase opportunities on both Thursday and Friday of this week before I have to be back at work on Saturday. Right now, it looks like southwest Nebraska or northwest Kansas for Thursday, May 22, then again in perhaps western Kansas Thursday.

Window Tint is Great

The window tinting on my new car turned out great. There still are a couple of water bubbles, but hopefully, the next few warm days will iron those out. All in all, I'm very pleased with the new car. The first tank of gas averaged 25 mpg, so hopefully once it gets broken in, I can boost that up just a bit.

Catching Up

Well, indeed, my alternator on my old car was replaced last week and I was soon on my way. I did do a bit of storm chasing in western Kansas, but it was all "crap"vection, and nothing really interesting ever presented itself. Driving home Tuesday, I debated about whether I wanted to get a new car now, or try to nurse the old car along. I also debated on possibly starting to finish our basement. In the end, the idea of a new car won out. On my way home through Lincoln, I stopped at the Nissan dealership and talked shop for a bit. After driving a 2008 Altima 3.5SL, and then talking money, after about 3 hours, I walked out with a new car. Going in, I told myself that if I could get them down to the invoice price, I'd buy it on the spot. Well, they came down to $49 above invoice which was close enough to not pass up the deal. Woohoo! Who knew that buying a car could be so easy!

Last Wednesday, I went to work. I got off at 4pm and thought since it was such a nice day that I'd clean up my old car and get it ready to sell. I washed and vacuumed it, then placed an ad on Craig's List around 630 pm. By 815 pm, it was sold. It all happened so fast that it left me without transportation the next day since I couldn't pick up the new car until Thursday evening. It was almost comical.

On Thursday, I picked up the new car, and man is it sweet. I'm so happy I almost can't contain myself. The new car is smokin hot. It's a V6 with 270 horsepower. Definitely more than I need, but I'm at the point in my life where a little excess is OK. It has a low growl when you fire it up, has a smart key with a push button start, high intensity xenon headlights, and just all-around a hot car. It's totally awesome and I'm very pleased with how it all has turned out.

The only casualty will be my storm-chasing hobby. Unfortunately, I'm not going to drive a brand new car on dirt roads into a supercell thunderstorm. Initially I was a little bummed about that, but now, a week later, I'm OK with that. Storm chasing was fun while it lasted, but it's almost as if, "I've been there and done that" as I've seen some incredible sights. So, in the end, I get a new car and can go out on a personal high.

I'm getting the windows tinted today, which should complete the package. I was going to add a rear spoiler, but believe I'll let that go and just enjoy the ride.

Sitting in a Familiar Spot

Well, here I sit in the automotive repair shop, awaiting a diagnosis on my car, in anticipation of a chase day. I was hoping to catch a few storms on my way home through western Kansas today, but first have to get my car repaired.

Yesterday, after letting the car sit, it started just fine, not once, but 4 times. It did finally die though, so I'm guessing the alternator has flaked out. I'm not very comfortable with getting car repairs so far from home, but have no choice. It's not like I can band-aid it to make the 600 mile trip home.

So, after they get the battery charged, they'll be able to run a diagnostic on the alternator and hopefully in a couple of hours, I will be on my way.

I did have an awesome trip to Colorado. I went to a Cinco De Mayo Party, had lunch with my brother, sister, niece, and their families, and just enjoyed a great day.

Quick Trip to Colorado

I decided to take a quick trip to Colorado today to see my brother and sister. Also, I'm setting myself up for one more storm chase in western Kansas on Monday on the way home, so it just made sense to drive out to Colorado in the meantime for a visit.

The drive out was OK, although it was a comedy of errors the entire trip. I got a late start leaving Omaha as I realized I forgot to send 50th birthday cards to my brothers! Happy birthday guys! Then, I realized I only had 1 stamp, but had 2 cards to send. So, I had to stop and gets stamps too. I decided to stop in Kearney to get some lunch, but had to go to the bathroom first. There was only 1 person in line at the Subway, so I thought it would be OK. Upon exiting the bathroom, a family of 11 (3 adults and 8 kids) were now in line. Ugh, it took 30 minutes to get sandwiches made for that brood. By the time I got my sandwich, I was torked. Needless to say, since I was running late, I hit the road. Because of the high gas prices, the truckers seemed to have slowed down to 60 to 65. I guess they're just trying to save a little money by driving a little slower. That's not a problem, unless you get stuck in a convoy and get past them. I got stuck in 3 separate convoys throughout the day. It was only slightly annoying. Plus, I was on a deadline and had to be at my brother's house by 5pm. Time was running low. Then, about 50 miles outside of Colorado Springs, my battery light came on. Damn. I guess the alternator probably blew. This happened just outside of Simla, CO, and I was too worried about the battery light to realize that I had gone from 65 to 55 to 45 to 35 in the span of about 2 blocks. So, I got pulled over for doing 60 in a 35. I pleaded with the officer that I had a "legitimate" excuse, even though he's probably heard it hundreds of times. Funny thing, he actually believed me. We popped the hood to make sure the belt was on, it was, and he said to get going. I was very thankful that he understood. It's a bad feeling to have your car break down hundreds of miles from home.

So, after a very eventful day, I arrived at my brother's house on a wing and a prayer. The battery died about 2 miles from his house, and I literally coasted onto his street.

It's always something with that car. Well, with almost 170,000 miles, what else would you expect. I guess I shouldn't get so bent out of shape when the car breaks down, I've sure experienced my fair share of them. You have to have transportation, there's nothing else you can do "but" repair the car. I'm beginning to think more and more that now is the right time to get a new car. I was trying to nurse this one along for as long as possible, but it's becoming an increasingly difficult challenge.

What a Great Storm Chase

Yesterday was such a roller-coaster of emotions. After spending most of the day at the repair shop trying to fix my car, I was pretty upset that I'd missed a big storm chasing opportunity. I did finally get on the road by 345 pm and chased storms up by Sioux City. I wasn't hoping for much, but at least wanted to salvage part of the day. Actually, I ended up chasing an EF2 monster of tornado. I actually got some great video and some awesome pictures. So, after going from a low of dealing with my car repair, I was soon experiencing something that I've never seen before, and also reaching an ultimate high. Wow, what a great day afterall. And, I wouldn't have captured that tornado if the sequence of events didn't happen as it did, so perhaps it was fate that I spent most of the day on the sidelines. I've got a review of the chase here.

We Just Lost the Moon

That's a quote from Apollo 13, after the astronauts realized that they weren't going to be able to land on the moon. That's exactly how I feel. I'm still sitting in the service center at 130 pm, with work still being done on my car. The IAT sensor was bad, so they replaced that. But, it didn't fix the problem with the car. Then they thought it must be the ignition module since the crank shaft sensor wasn't throwing any codes. That didn't solve the problem, and they finally got the crank shaft sensor to fail. So, am finally waiting for that part to arrive. But, it's too late for reaching my chase target in southeast Kansas where a big event will likely occur later this evening. I'm about 6 hours away, and at this point, even if I left right now, I'd be arriving likely after things were already popping. Storms will continue well after dark, but chasing after dark doesn't have the reward for me. So, I feel like I've just lost the moon. I know it's not the end of the world, but it's also very frustrating at the same time. There is still some potential here, perhaps in northeast Nebraska, but it's certainly not going to be as impressive of a show as the southern target. But, as I said before, I really didn't want to be stranded hundreds of miles from home either with a car that wouldn't start.

Car Acting Up Again

Well, it's been awhile, but my car started acting up again yesterday. It wouldn't start at the mall, but it eventually did. Last night, it wouldn't start at Menards, but it eventually did. So, this morning, I decided to get the fuel filter replaced (it needed it anyhow). That didn't help, and it wouldn't start after that. So, there's a new problem developing. Three years ago, I had to have the crank shaft position sensor replaced, and I wonder if this isn't the same problem. I'm sitting at Tuffy's now having it diagnosed. It could also be an ignition coil, who knows. But, I was also heading out today to do some storm chasing, and having a car that won't start is not a good thing if a supercell is bearing down on your position, or getting stuck in the middle of nowhere hundreds of miles from home.

Date Night

Our daughter headed off to Outdoor Education today so we had a free evening tonight. We decided to go out for dinner to Red Lobster (haven't been there in a long time). Then, we went to the movie "21", which was about the MIT students who tried to beat Vegas a few years ago. It was a good movie, and a great evening out with my wife!

Third Mowing of the Season

Well, the third mowing of the season is under wraps. Another 200 gallons of yard clippings. Wow, can't believe my yard is growing so much. Well, the lower notch on the mower helps too! I emptied the mower bag 34 times today. Basically the same as last time, one pass down the yard and about half way back and I'd have to empty the bag. On about half of those dumpings, the blade was bound up with clippings, so I'd have to tilt the mower up to dig them out. The yard looks pretty good though. There's still a lot of dead thatch though, really wishing I would have gotten the chance to dethatch earlier this year. So, the yard, when mowed, still looks a little yellow due to the dead thatch. But, it looks great when the grass grows over it.

On a side note, my landscaper came late last week and remulched the beds. It looks great! It was a little pricey, just over $200, but it saved me the hassle of getting the mulch and doing it myself. I don't have a truck anymore to get it, so would have had to pay a delivery fee anyway. Money well spent, since I didn't really have the time to get it done.

I also got my sprinkler system fixed. Indeed, the backflow valve had broken. That repair was $85, but no way to avoid it. Things break, and if you don't fix it, you can't use it.

Storm Chasing

A couple of days ago on April 24th, I had the opportunity to do some storm chasing in northwest Kansas. I had the day off from work, and thought if something did develop in my own area, I wouldn't be needed. I left home around 1030 am, after a fitful night's sleep the night before. I guess I was just giddy about the first chase of the season. All data continued to point to severe development across southwest Nebraska or northwest Kansas. There was some debate among chasers that southern Kansas would be the hotspot. Indeed, the weather parameters were off the charts there, but alas, it remained capped, and nothing happened down there.

I arrived in Arapahoe, NE by mid afternoon, about 4 hours in advance of anticipated development. This was also the first chance I had to use my new data connection through Alltel. It worked great. Upon arrival, I analyzed the mesoanalysis data for about an hour, and decided that I needed to shift further south toward, Norton, KS. Upon arriving in Norton, KS, I waited for another hour, and started to drive to Hill City, KS, but stopped and decided to head west. This proved to be the right choice as I intercepted the second warned cell of the day, which would eventually develop into a moster supercell that would roll eastward across Kansas for the next 5 to 6 hours.

I encountered a couple of hail cores, both about 1" in diameter, and also was able to position myself directly under the wall cloud. It was very cool. I also was blasted with rear flank downdraft winds in excess of 60 mph, which created a horrendous amount of blowing dust. I also heard this weird, howling sound, which was likely the RFD, but it almost sounded as if a sound engineer were somehow adding the sound effects from Twister.

After chasing the supercell storm for about an hour, darkness fell, and I realized I couldn't see the character of the dirt roads anymore. I couldn't tell if they were wet or dry, couldn't see the ruts, etc. I attribute this to my recent LASIK surgery. I may never have "good" nighttime vision again I'm afraid. So, I decided to get back onto paved roads and follow the storm east. The storm actually followed Highway 24 exactly, so was able to follow behind one or two miles for another couple of hours.

By late evening, I was very tired, and decided to let the storm go. In another one to two hours, it produced a 15 mile long tornado after midnight. I doubt I would have been able to follow it as it veered off the main highway, given my poor nighttime eyesight.

All in all, it was a great day. I put about 825 miles on the car, had a great chase opportunity, and overall had an awesome time. My equipment worked well, and I estimate that I had a cell phone data connection 95% of the day. The new mobile computer desk worked great. I do need to gery-rig some supports to keep the laptop from sliding off, but that's an easy fix.

Sigh, I'm Still Fat

After working very hard over the previous 7 months, having lost 43 lbs, I realized today that I'm still fat. My body fat percentage is still in the lower 20s despite my best efforts to make it go any lower. I still have love handles that hang over the side of my shorts, and I have moobs' (man boobs). Overall, I've reduced my clothing size from a size 36/38 to a size 31/33 and have lost 43 lbs, but I've still got the same old trouble spots that I had before, it's just that they're in slightly different proportions, but nevertheless still there. Needless to say, it was a real downer. I guess I just need to accept the fact that I'll never be that buff dude that is smokin' hot. I never have been, so not sure why I've got this delusion that I ever would be.

Nothing is Ever Easy

I dusted off my bicycle last night in hopes of getting out and getting some great exercise. The tires were flat, and the batteries were dead on the tail light and the cyclo computer. I did have new batteries, but the screws were so small in the Specialized Elite computer that I had to go to the store to buy a jeweler's set. Thankfully, it was only 94 cents at Walmart. LOL. But, one of the screws is set so tight, I've stripped the heads. Damn. Now I'm stuck, and have no way to get that stupid screw out. Ugh. Nothing is ever easy.

I also got a call from the guy that aerates my yard each spring and fall. He's coming tomorrow so I had to flag the sprinkler heads so he doesn't run them over. Typically, I just run the sprinklers on each zone for a couple minutes so I can drop the flags. This was the first time I've opened up the valves this year, and upon doing so, saw a huge stream of water flowing down the check back-flow valve. Crap. Have to get it replaced. I have no idea (let alone time) how to replace it, so will call the sprinkler guys tomorrow to get them out for a service call. Nothing is ever easy.

Then, after walking in the house, my wife said she couldn't access the part of her website that sends out her weekly newsletter. Upon some quick debugging, it appears my web provider is having trouble with their MySQL server. I opened a trouble ticket, but they have no idea when it will be fixed. Nothing is ever easy.

And, I've been having a tooth ache off and on for the last month. The pain is actually coming from the tooth that I had the root canal and subsequent crown put on at the beginning of the year. It must be referred pain from the tooth next to it, so I need to call the dentist to have it check. Nothing is ever easy.

The moral of the story? I guess Murphy was right. If there's any chance that something can go wrong, it usually will.

Hate, Hate, Hate Yard Work

The saga continues today. After getting off work at 4pm, I decided to get the remainder of the yard work done this evening since it might rain tomorrow. I quickly regretted lowering my mower one notch, as I had to literally change the back with each single pass through the yard. My back yard is about 100 feet out, and the bag was full of clippings at the end of a single pass. Yowza, that was a lot of work. When I normally mow my yard, I'll create about 100 gallons of clippings. Tonight, about 200 gallons were produced. And, with every bag dump, I had to flip the mower up to clean out the grass that was binding the mower blade. Ugh. It was a horrible job.

Then, I decided to move re-arrange my reed grass. I moved 4 clumps from the back yard to a huge bed I have in the front yard. It previously had 3 clumps, but now it has 7. I need to grab 2 more clumps from the side of the house. This was no easy job. The reed grass is 5 years old, and about 18" in diameter. I had to dig up the clump, then carry it to the front yard. Each bunch weighed about 75lbs. And, I had to relocated the existing 3 bunches in the front yard. Needless to say, it was a LOT of work, and I'm not done. But, it should improve that bed in the long run.

Yard Work, That Time of Year

A couple weeks ago, I started to get the yard prepared for spring. I cut down all of the reed grass, trimmed the dead branches from the rose bushes, raked the leaves away from the foundation of the house, and blew leaves out from under the bushes, from under the deck, etc. I also mowed for the first time, and then put down spring fertilizer and crab grass preventer. Over the last week, especially after the last rain, the grass started to green up.

This afternoon and evening, I spent about 4 hours in the yard and pulled grass from all the mulch, and also decided to pull up all the brick edging and re-seat it. Wow, that was a hard job. But, it looks much better, and I feel better and the overall front yard appearance. I also mowed the front yard again, and will finish the back yard tomorrow. I decided to move the mower lower one notch this year. Wow, that created a lot of grass clippings, but I think overall the yard will look a lot neater.

I'm not really happy with the overall landscaping scheme in the front yard, but am likely stuck with it in the meantime. I do need to re-arrange some reed grass tomorrow as well, and re-arrange some of the boulders we have strewn about the landscaping. I do have some perennials in the bush beds, and also plant some annuals as well. But, it's nothing special, I wish I had more of a green thumb and the time and patience to take care of it all.

I've also got a commercial flagpole that I need to install, but can't really decided if I want to put it on the left or right corner of the house. Supposedly, our covenants prevent the installation of flag poles, but a neighbor on the next street over has installed a flag pole, so if he can do it, I will too.

While raking the grass in the front yard, I uncovered no less than a half-dozen cigarette butts in the stripe of grass next to the street. Nothing peeves me more than someone throwing out their cigarette butts on my property. I assume they came from folks driving by and tossing out their butts. I'd like to pop anyone in the mouth if I catch them doing it. Smokers can be so rude sometimes. You see it all the time, especially at stop lights, just take a look on the ground. You'll often see hundreds of cigarette butts. Disgusting.

Anyhow, my back aches, my legs hurt, and my hands look and feel like hamburger. I imagine in a few years, I'll just say to hell with it and hire a professional lawn service and just sit back on the deck and drink a cold beverage instead. In fact, that option is sounding better and better. I used to love yard work, but unfortunately, my age is starting to show.

Maintaining My Weight

Well, 3 months after the end of the Biggest Loser Competition, I'm holding steady around 162 lbs (not unless you count the day that I gained 4 lbs from eating Thai food). I feel great, and really feel this is where I want my weight to be. I can't believe, when looking back, that I felt healthy when I weighed 205, and hopefully will never go back to that point. In fact, we went clothes shopping tonight (with a 30% Kohl's coupon), and I bought size 32 shorts and medium shirts. Even the size 32 was big, and I probably should have bought a size 31. I've never worn a size 32 in anything, and have never worn a medium shirt. It's just surreal. Or if I have worn clothes that size, it may be been during my junior/senior year in college, I can't remember.

Seeing Things Like I've Never Seen Before

Today, we visited Coco Key Water resort here in Omaha. Essentially, it's an indoor water park attached to the Holiday Inn Convention Center, similar to the Great Wolf Lodge resorts. This was the first time that I've had the chance to swim in a public place since my LASIK eye surgery. Wow is all I can say. It's the first time in my life that I've actually been able to see everyone and everything while swimming, and was actually able to keep track of my daughter. Previously, I'd always wear sunglasses, but with such poor eyesight, was basically blind, and could never see anything more than a foot or two in front of me. Losing track of my daughter at the water park before was a common occurrence. Now, I could see her from across the complex. In other words, I love, love, love my new vision and have no regrets. Even though my vision is occasionally blurry or fuzzy, it sure beats what I had before, and the slight inconvenience is OK with me. I'm now 4 months past surgery, and I assume this is probably as good as it's going to get. I do see 20/15, with about 1/4 of a diopter. The optometrist indicated that it would be too risky to do a surgical enhancement, so I may just have to settle for what I've got. We'll see if things change in another 2 months.

Gearing up for Severe Storm Season

It's now April 1st and the first severe storm warnings of the season were issued yesterday morning. That means it's time to start gearing up for storm chasing as well. With that in mind, I've changed my equipment slightly. I recently purchased a new Dell 1525 widescreen laptop (sold my old Dell 600m laptop on Craigslist in a couple of days). The new laptop can now handle my weather software with ease and also draw 3D renderings of thunderstorms, etc. I also changed cell phone carriers and now have a data plan with Alltel (last year, I had AT&T). I believe Alltel has much better data service, mainly in rural areas. I also purchased a mobile desk to use in the car to hold the laptop. Other than than, not much has changed, and I intend to chase a few severe storms here and there. If you recall, last year, I chased a few storms, most notably the Greensburg, KS EF5 tornado. I've thought about purchasing a Kestrel 3000 wind/temperature/dewpoint meter, and may still do so before the heart of the severe weather season arrives. Bring on the storms! I also need to get my "chase" manual up to snuff with updated maps, charts, diagrams, and references, and get my "go" box ready to go also. Essentially, I want things to be ready that I could leave within a moments notice if necessary. Of course, chasing thunderstorms for fun revolves around my work schedule, and I'm not willing to drive extreme distances since my car already has 170,000 miles on it, but nevertheless, I will be out at least one more year. If I eventually get a new vehicle, I imagine it would severely limit my abilities to core-punch a severe storm.

Sold My Truck

Well, I decided to sell my 2000 Ford Ranger pickup truck. I haven't really driven it much at all over the last 3 years, and I'd like to get a new vehicle within the next 6 to 12 months. It wasn't really doing me any good losing value sitting in my driveway, so I cleaned it up and put an ad out on Saturday. I got a call Sunday morning, and sold it Sunday evening, just as the Super Bowl was beginning. I got exactly what I wanted for it, and it was a very quick, painless transaction. Wow, amazing how that all comes together. I'm tempted to go out now and get a new vehicle, perhaps an SUV and take advantage of some dealer incentives, along with a rebate bonus on my GM card. But, I'm not even sure what I want for sure, so at least I've got a few months to get out and do some shopping and do some test driving. It should be fun, at least for awhile.

Tired of Winter

Ok, we're still in the midst of winter, with about 8 weeks still to go. I have to admit, I'm downright tired of the snow and cold. Last Saturday, it was 8 below zero. If that wasn't bad enough, this morning, it was 12 below zero. We've had snow on the ground for a solid month now, and it's becoming a PITA to track in all the slush, mud, sand, grit, and junk into not only the garage, but the house too. I don't mind cool weather, in fact, it's refreshing to be outside when it's in the 30s and 40s. Over the previous 5 winters here in Nebraska, we've ranged from extreme to mild, and you never what you're going to have from year to year. But this year, I'm done. Definitely ready for spring. But, it's going to be a long 8 weeks unfortunately. Hmm, the thought of a nice warm beach sounds good. I think I'll look into retiring somewhere in Florida.

Weight Loss Continued

Well, 2 weeks after the end of our Biggest Loser competition at work, I'm down another 4 pounds, to 168 lbs (down from 205). Wow, I can't believe that. My wife thinks I'm getting too thin, but honestly, it's addicting, and it's a great feeling to see the weight still fall off. I still have a healthy body fat percentage, and I'd like to get that below 20%. We'll see.

I've had many people ask how I've lost the weight. Basically, I've been following a modified "Abs Diet" plan. The Abs Diet is a regimen that includes whole grain breads, non fat dairy products, whey protein, eggs, green leafy vegetables, oatmeal, almonds, lean meats, beans and legumes, natural peanut butter, and berries. I eat other things as well, but these make up the 12 power foods that have made up the bulk of my diet. I have also allowed myself to cheat a bit, that's why I say a "modified" version of the diet plan.

Another key for me has been 30 minutes of daily exercise at least 5 to 7 days a week. That may seem like a lot, but really, it's probably the most important part. It's important to supercharge your metabolism, and daily exercise is so important. I initially started with cardio workouts every day, and about 3 weeks into the program, started adding weight training every other day as well.

Also spacing meals every 2 to 3 hours is very important, so your metabolism is in high gear all day long. Basically, I'd have snacks between breakfast and lunch, between lunch and dinner, and one snack before bed. Yes, eating before bedtime is important, as long as you eat the right foods.

Another recommendation of the Abs Diet is to eat as many grams of protein per day as your current weight. While my protein intake was never that high, I easily increased it to 120g to 150g per day. Ideally, I wanted to strive for a 40/30/30 blend of carbs, protein, and fat, which is also suggested by the "Zone Diet" as well.

And finally, another key to my success was a daily log of all food eaten, and a daily log of exercise. To this end, I used the Calorie King software which is one of the best that I've seen. It has a database of 50000 food items, with a plethora of restaurants as well. It was very important for me to log everything everyday, and I think was a huge reason for my success.

My final 14-week average of nutrient intake was 46% carbs, 28% protein, and 26% fat. My average caloric intake over the 14 weeks was about 1600 calories per day, and my average exercise burn per day was about 225 calories.

Add a little bit of hard work, will power, determination, and the competitive spirit in me, and I was able to drop 33 lbs during the competition, and now down 37 lbs total, or about 18% of my body weight. Believe me, if I can do it, you can do it too. Trust me, push yourself beyond your limits and you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish!

Below is a chart of my weight loss over the previous 4 months. Nice, steady, downward curve, just where it should be. In other words, I don't feel that I've lost the weight too fast or too slow, just right.




And, here is an image during my final weigh in for the contest. I thought I'd better grab a shot of myself on the scale, just in case someone at work didn't believe me. Ha. I threw my work ID badge in there just to prove these really are my feet.




And, if anyone is interested, here is a PDF file of my food and exercise log. It's about 1.5 mb, but does list my daily food intake, meal-by-meal, over the course of the nearly 4 months of the contest. About 95% of the food entries are real, and the remaining items were substitutes as necessary. Also, items were usually combined to make a frozen smoothie for breakfast, and occasionally for snacks.

Bottom line, if you're trying to lose weight, get up off the couch and do it. Change your eating habits, get some daily exercise, keep a journal, and you'll be losing weight in no time. The final point for me, this is a lifestyle change. It's not really a diet plan per se, but a paradigm shift of how I eat and ultimately live.