I'm Back!

Wow. It has been six months since I last posted here. Do I have any excuses--or more charitably, any reasons--for my absence? Yes. Are they valid? Maybe, maybe not. But they don't really matter. The past is gone. If we dwell on the negative, the "I wish..." we will gain nothing. If we learn from our actions, and make new choices going forward, then we ultimately win and can grow beyond what we were.

I choose to win!

So, I am back! And this time, I am here to stay! (More on that later.)

There have been a few major family events. Our oldest son is now 21, and although still in college, has moved out for this summer to work as a research assistant for his professor and then will spend 17 weeks studying at the University of Amman, Jordan. He is almost out of the nest. Our youngest son just turned 18 and he is feverishly looking for an apartment so that he, too, can spread his wings. Our only other "child", Ozzy, will turn 7 in August and he is still playful, fun and shows no signs of wanting to move away. Especially since we are so good at filling his food bowl.

And I am officially a member of AARP. Oh, this not based on employment status--I figure I will be working until 80 or more. But today I turned 50 years old.  Last night, my son asked me, "You're going to be 50. How does that feel?" I chuckled and said, "Well, it is a combination of 'how can I be that old when I feel this young' and "how the heck can I be that old?!?!?!"

But 50 is just a number and numbers are only relevant when you understand the context. In my context, "50" means I will get a discount when my wife and I stay in hotels on vacation. Nothing else changes. Here are two other numbers, that mean nothing out of context: 87 and 19. But here are the defining labels: 87 pounds lost, and 19 months maintaining that weight loss level.

What does all this mean? Well, I think that right now, today, with this birthday, I am starting the second half of my life and regaining my focus. I always enjoyed writing these blog posts. They helped me stay on track, to organize my thoughts, and to iron out details that seem elusive when just thinking about them. So the blog begins again, anew.

As before, this will be a combination of recipes from my kitchen with pictures that I have taken, discussions of travels we take and restaurants where we eat, and as Tammy describes them, "blah-blah" posts, where I will try to explain how I accomplished my goal and how I have stayed at (or under) goal. Those 'blah-blah" posts may be very blunt discussions of what I feel is incorrect information or techniques being used, but they could also be motivational posts to help you find another reason to stick with it. I still use LoseIt and have occasionally posted motivational thoughts there, and this blog will replace that venue.

Lastly, this blog will serve as a precursor to my next project. I think--based on feedback from readers of the blog and LoseIt--that my writing could be compiled into a motivational book. It may even sell copies to people who are not related to me by blood! As of right now, I have about half of the book roughed out (written, but not formatted.) As I go forward, I will complete the writing and properly format it. When it is done, I will first release it here.

I have a lot of recipes to post. I also have pictures. The challenge will be to match the picture with the recipe. But that is my problem. I hope to post at least three recipes a week here. I also look for feedback and ideas. If there is something you would like to see, let me know!

Again, thanks for coming back and feeding these feeble thoughts. It was fun before--it will be even more fun now!