Life At AOM

Some Good Advice

2012-02-24T10:03:00.000-07:00

http://blogs.zappos.com/blogs/health-and-fitness/2011/12/30/new-year-resolutions-kyle-and-sonnets-weight-loss-journey

The Dork Bike

2012-02-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

Today was day number 2 of riding to work. Yesterday when I left the house it was a balmy 27 degrees. I'm not sure if today was any warmer, but I could at least feel my face when I got to work today.

I look like a complete dork and I ride what I call the "Dork Bike". It's a Performance brand bike, it's got a steel frame, and the thing weighs a ton. About 40lbs compared to my 16lb racing bike it's a bit slower going up hill and it's a single speed so I have no gears. Oh and from my house to work..........it's mostly up hill and there are times when I could use and extra gear or two. My wife call's it the FBI bike, (just because it's all black), but it truly is a dork bike. It's got panniers on the back (big ugly saddle bag looking things) and skinny road tires. There is nothing remotely cool on this bike.

Then there is the rider. The rider qualifies as a major dork that rides the dork bike. I don't wear my usual cycling stuff. If I wore my racing stuff (ya the tights, the spandex, the jersey etc) while riding the dork bike, it would increase my level of dorkness dramatically. I have to wear a bunch of stuff just to avoid freezing. So I start layering it. First on, goes the short sleeve jersey and yes spandex shorts. Spandex shorts are your crotches way of surviving a bike seat. Why you ask, because of the 1/2 inch piece of chamois sewed into the crotch. Then comes the insulated tights and insulated jersey (long sleeve). I do wear my racing jacket as it's the warmest I have and it's not all huge and baggy. The dork part comes when I put on the black sort of jogging looking pants on. This combined with my black shoe covers (these are what keep my toes from freezing off) makes me look like a very out of touch, out of style ninja. Oh and of course don't forget my little beanie with my helmet. I am DORK through and through, but I am a warm dork.

So on the way to work, if you see the big black dork riding his dorkish black bike, give me room people. If you don't, you can count on one of my hands coming off the handle bars and giving you the chosen finger. Only you can't tell because my mittens don't allow for one finger gestures. It's nothing personal, just a reaction.

The Dork Bike

The coolest thing on this bike is the......................uhhhh..............ok there isn't anything cool on this bike.

Keevan's Night

2012-02-21T18:56:00.000-07:00

Tonight it's just me and Keevan so were getting our hot chocolate ready and the Bob the Builder video ready to play. I've been horrible at spending quality time with the little guy, so tonight we're going to do whatever he wants. Currently that is to drink warm chocolate milk and watch good ol Bob. No nap today so I'm not even sure he's going to make it through the whole video.

Welp, the movie is starting, I'll write a bit more later.

28 million

2012-02-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

I bought one of these jersey's for my son and wasn't sure what the 28 was for.

I learned that an estimated 28 million people are currently living with cancer. That is just crazy.

I hate Cancer!!!!!

Roller Coaster Diet

2012-02-20T20:28:00.000-07:00

This diet thing has been a major up and down roller coaster. I'm not complaining though as the weight loss is becoming less of a hastle.  A month ago, I had decided to go Vegan for a month. This was solely to see if I could get my cholesterol down without having to take medication. The medication was causing way too many side effects.

As part of my back therapy/nutrition program I'm supposed to record everything I eat on myfitnesspal.com. Sam, my therapist then logs on to view everything I eat then lets me know what I need to change.

Last week I get a call and it was Sam. I got a huge lecture (nothing bad) on how the body regulates cholesterol and that my protein to carbs ratio was way off. He then told me that the purpose of my diet isn't to get my cholesterol down but instead to minimize inflammation within the body. He said the cholesterol will take care of itself if I can get a handle on the inflammation. This was quite hard for me to get my head around at first, but the more I research, the more I really feel comfortable having faith in Sam's plan.

So now I'm increasing my protein with lean meats, mostly fish (I was advised to keep canned tuna to a minimum, as it likely contains BPA which apparently is a form or turns into a form of estrogen), and he wants me to try and eliminate gluten for a while............and I thought eating no meat was a challenge.

I must say though, today was my first day without grains and I can tell a world of difference with my stomach. Normally by the end of the day I would feel all bloated and gassy (I know, yuck) but today I have felt great all day.   I've thought for a long time that I may have gluten issues, but really haven't had the motivation or desire to really try and avoid it. Guess I'm about to see if it really makes a difference.   So if your husband comes home passing gas all evening, or if your wife is smelling up the bedroom:) , try a little less wheat in the diet. Your rear end will thank you, so will your spouse.

I'm starting my bike commute to work tomorrow. I figure it's now or never. It's only 7 miles to my office, but I guess it's better than nothing. So if you see some dork early in the morning with a backpack pedaling his butt off, don't run me over.

I have no clue how many of you are keeping up with the Challenge Stats, but the Hippos are just friggin amazing this year. I get a new post from at least one of them almost every day. They're a very motivated group. Best watch out for Big Mama, she's the sleeper that will surprise everyone. Dud Horse, I mean Spud horse has fallen off of the radar as expected. The guy has some sort of weakness, and it's called sugar!!

I'm not sure how many of you read Aprils brother's post, but hope most of you did. It's a good story. He faced the same challenges as we all face. He did what he had to do to be successful and they guy looks great.   The important thing to note is that he too fell of the wagon, but like he said, you just have to get back on track. To let a down day keep you down. Pick your chubby butt back up, don't whine and pout, but refocus on those goals and get back on track.

Well I have to go load my backpack and make my lunch for tomorrow. Hope you all have a super day.

Another Success Story

2012-02-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

Here's another awesome story of success:

http://www.comewhatmayandlovingit.blogspot.com/2012/02/camerons-weight-loss-story.html

2012-02-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

Do ya think the system is broken? http://ctwatchdog.com/health/102-million-payout-to-united-healthcare-ceo-draws-outrage

Too Late its already taken

2012-02-17T16:26:00.002-07:00

Who lives or works in the Pinetop Lakeside area and wants a 3 month membership to the Pinetop Fitness Zone? Newell? Blue Ridge Clinic? Bueller? Bueller? Anyone??

Post a comment or email me . Only one left.

One more thing

2012-02-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

Gaz is going to be like a guest poster next week on Fatty's site. Answering questions of all sorts from people posting them on Fatty's site.

Check out some of the questions. I think many can relate:

http://www.fatcyclist.com/2012/02/17/advice-from-someone-whos-walked-the-walk/#comments

39StoneCyclist

2012-02-17T13:32:00.003-07:00

Ok I know I posted it earlier but in case you didn't look at the entire site. This is just amazing!!

Oh by the way. one stone= 14lbs (ya I had to look it up)

http://theamazing39stonecyclist.wordpress.com/goals/

Addendum (read post below this first.

2012-02-17T12:05:00.001-07:00

Sitting here pedaling on the spinning bike and listening to my new audiobook (ya the joel osteen one)

Guess what he's talking about.........smiling!!!!!:). Damn I'm good!
Rusty-------Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Hola Hola Hola, Waasssss UP!!!! :)

2012-02-17T11:19:00.000-07:00

I'm still here. Sorry for the lack of posting lately. Just have a ton of things going on. I've been sort of a gut check in a lot areas:)

First let's discuss the weight loss challenge. I'm guessing some of you are struggling. If you are, don't be so darn hard on yourself. Even if you have some down days or just aren't seeing the pounds come off, don't quit.  Tomorrow is a new day. Heck, the next hour is a new hour.  Dig deep and beat the urge of falling off the wagon. At the beginning of the challenge, I get a ton of emails about how good people are doing and how much weight they are dropping. Over time the emails start to slow down,,,,why????    Remember how good you felt when you were sticking to your plan? Compare that to how let down you may feel when either gaining the weight, or just eating crappy food.

Don't let the frustration get you down. Remember it's got to be a lifestyle change. It can't be a January thru April thing. Treat yourself once a week (not an entire day) to your "crappy food":). (There you go AW)
All in all though, you need to look long term. Here's a super example. Take a look at this amazing blog. http://theamazing39stonecyclist.wordpress.com/pictures/

This was on Fatty's website (Thanks Elden) so I guess I should give him credit. Heck, Look at Fatty's site too. He's about to start another contest so get involved. It's a lot of fun.

You've gotta want it real bad. You've got to want those smaller jeans more then you want that chocolate cake or that before bed snack.   So if you have given up or feel frustrated......please don't. Start from scratch if you have to. Rewrite those goals and move forward from here.

Some people are still posting some impressive numbers. Someday Skinny is the first to hit double digits. The Wii's and the Hippo's are still battling out in the team division.   What in the world happen to the Sexy Mamas???   And did 2 of the 4 Phat Chicks turn skinny or what??

So the other gut check thing...........not really a gut check but more like a motivator or self improvement tool. I was never too much of a Joel Osteen fan (the guy just seems way too happy) :) . Actually, I've always been a fan, but have never read any of his books. After seeing his interview on Oprah I was intrigued enough to buy his latest book Everyday a Friday.   In fact, I enjoyed the first couple of chapters so much, I downloaded the audio version onto my IPOD.

When running a company, raising a family, whatever it is you do, things are bound to get to you after a while.   I've mentioned this in the past, but it was also the main topic in chapter one and that would be, Choose Joy.   Being joyous is completely and totally up to you.   Nobody has the right to take that joy away from you but more importantly, don't give anyone the power to take it.

This week I've been working on the whole notion of choosing joy. And for the most part it has worked. Don't get me wrong, I've failed a many of times and I'm sure I'll fail many more, but it's a work in progress (sort of like the dieting).

I realize that in some of my other posts I haven't been the most supportive person of "organized religion" and a company blog probably isn't the best place to talk about it, but one thing I know for sure............ I need God.   I need Him to be complete. Something always feels like it's missing when I distance myself from him.   I'm not a Bible thumping, scripture reading guy, but I'm not naive enough to think I can do all of this on my own. I'm far from being a good representative of Christ and fall way short of the expectations I put upon myself as a follower of Christ, but like I was saying to a team member this morning (we weren't talking God), all I can do is move forward.

God is truly my crutch. Running a medical supply company (DME) is a nerve racking task. Between dealing with medicare, insurance cuts, marketing, employees, patients, etc......it literally weighs on you at times.   There are days when the future scares the crap out of me.   Republican, Democrat, I don't have a clue as to what is better for this country or our healthcare system.   The elderly shouldn't go broke while trying to pay for healthcare.  I saw yesterday where we now have a shortage of Leukemia drugs. Are you friggin kidding me???   Obama (or the other candidates) can raise millions for their campaigns, yet we are struggling to pay for life saving drugs for little kids.   Holy crap we are a messed up country.   God must just look down on us and shake his head. How selfish we have become.   We all want the best of everything, but at what cost? Is it God's plan for each of us to make millions and screw everyone else?    I believe in working my butt off to better my life and those around me, but I also think it is everyones responsibility to help those around us (no i'm not a democrat:) )   Don't ya think we get to hung up in the whole conservative liberal thing? In the end, aren't we all just people?     The other night I was watching Orange County Choppers and it showed Donald Trump talking to Senior. Senior of course was bad mouthing Jr. and the Donald said, "Leave him nothing". Meaning take him out of the will.    Donald......Shut the heck up.  I bet the Trump has never once had his hands dirty.  Like Obama, does he really know what "real" work is all about?   Let's see some callouses boys...........

Crap, I really went off on a tanget there. Sorry. Anyway......................

Choose JOY:)    Make a difference in somebody's day with just a smile.   Honestly, your smile really does make a positive imprint on someone elses day.

I have completely lost track of whatever the heck it was that I was going to say, so I'm going to get for now. I hope I haven't offended anyone, if so,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,cry me a river. Go find some JOY:)

Later folks!!!!

I'm too tired to go back and proof read this. So forgive me for any grammatical error you may find.

2012-02-15T15:39:00.000-07:00

I swear, dad didn't dress him.

Someday Skinny

2012-02-14T22:23:00.001-07:00

Hey Someday! Really enjoyed your post on the forum. Do you happen to live or work in the Pinetop area? If you do and would like a 3 month membership to Pinetop Fitness Zone, I've got one left. Let me know if you would use it. Either email me or post a comment.
Rusty-------Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

African Bike Rider

2012-02-14T16:10:00.000-07:00

How many times do you think he ate dirt before getting it right?

Pathetic

2012-02-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, my earlier post has bugged me all day. Who am I to complain about the "little things". The more I think about the post, the more I realize how pathetic it sounded. I will likely delete it later, but will leave it up for a few so even more of you can see how pathetic I really am:)

If you're having a crap day or are just pathetic like myself, just take a quick glance at this blog. Then you can go here to see more details of the entire story.

I've been keeping up with Elisa and Nathans story for quite some time but today it wasn't the actual blog or story that caught my eye. It was the dates. I realize that they were diagnosed within 9 days of each other, but, (and I know "it's only a year") while I sit here whining and fussing over the little things, these too have been battling for their lives for the past year.

I wake up every morning to a healthy family. I have a job to goto. In fact I could probably ride my bike to work if I wasn't being such a pansy. Can you imagine what Elisa and Nathan would give just to have a portion of that?

I looked up some other synonyms for "pathetic"........commiserable, deplorable, distressing, feeble, heartbreaking, heartrending, inadequate, lamentable, meager, melting, miserable, moving, paltry, petty, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, plaintive, poignant, poor, puny, rueful, sorry*, tender, touching, useless, woeful, worthless, wretched .....................................

Yep, that would pretty much describe my whining for the day:)

http://friendsofnathanandelisa.blogspot.com/

http://familybondingtime.blogspot.com/

Holstee Manifesto (I took the time to copy it down)

2012-02-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

This is your life. Do what you love, and do it often. If you don't like something, change it. If you don't like your job, quit. If you don't have enough time, stop watching TV. If you are looking for the love of our life, Stop! They will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love. Stop over analyzing, Life is simple. All emotions are beautiful. When you eat, appreciate every last bite. Open your mind, arms and heart to new things and people, we are united in our differences. Ask the next person you see what their passion is and share your inspiring dream with them. Travel often! Getting lost will help you find yourself. Some opportunities only come once, seize them. Life is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them so go out and start creating. Life is Short!! Live your dream and share your passion.

http://www.holstee.com/

Love this pic!!

2012-02-14T10:00:00.001-07:00

I love this picture!! Not because it's Blue Ridge or because I coached these kids when they were barely old enough to swing a baseball bat, but because it captures the essence of teamwork. The desire for an entire team working towards the same goal. Bonds are built when you work and struggle towards something. I think this is the importance of sports in the life of a young person. Teamwork, Integrity, Desire, Sacrifice.........

Note: #57.....I remember calling his mother when he was 9 years old and asking her if I could draft him onto my baseball team...........Her comment, "yes, but are you sure he'll be ok". He was my catcher for the next three years. He's now playing football for Baker University.

Happy V-Day

2012-02-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

I am unbelievably sore after yesterday's workout. It's a "good" sore, but nonetheless, I'm sore all over. Sam, (the therapist helping to fix my back and my diet) started me on Box Squats and holy cow, the insides of my legs are beyond sore. Squats along with lunges have made walking today a very tedious task.  After the weights came the cardio with the bags (note the lovely picture in the last post).   Basically what we do is a variety of cardio stuff with 2 minutes on each bag (yesterday there were 3 bags) then weights, jump rope, and abs all thrown in.   Then after 30 minutes of this, we do what we call "burn out", where you do 30 seconds of hitting the bag as fast and hard as you can non stop. By the 4th set, I could barely raise my arms.  Every cell in my body was going on strike. "Stop or we make you stop":).     As hard as it gets though, it is so much fun.

So that was my day yesterday.........

Today as you can see by looking outside, it's a gorgeous Valentines day outside.........NOT!!! Holy Cow this weather sucks!!!   I love the snow, but I could do without the wind. Even my dogs were saying, "please don't make us go out in this!!"   Looks like I'll be riding indoors this week, yuck!!

So what is everyone doing for their spouses for Valentines? I'm being a complete loser. I'm hoping to take my wife to lunch, but I think that will be all we do today. I didn't buy flowers (I hate using a holiday as an excuse to buy flowers) but I show up with unannounced flowers throughout the year. Does that give me a "bye" for Valentines day?   I guess if I get the silent treatment later, I'll know the answer to that question.

I've got a pile of things I want to talk about, but think I'm going to have to postpone some of them for a while.

Are there days you feel like you are "all talk"?   Meaning you say youre going to live one way yet you don't quite live up to "those ways".    Live each day to the fullest............yet do we?    Kids grow up so fast, make the most while they are young............do we?    This is the one that scares me, "Nobody on their death bed ever says, 'I wish I would have spent more time at the office'. "

There are days when I really feel the need to "get my crap together".   Start living what I preach.

Bear with me as I type all this stuff out and sort of skip all over the place.    Remember a while back when I posted something about expectations. About having expectations of others only to be let down when those expectations arent meant......

The other night I was watching interview of Joel Osteen and his wife. I don't remember the exact question but it was directed towards his wife and she was asked, do you have the perfect storybook marriage.   Again, I don't remember her exact response, but she basically said, I focus on the good things with Joel and don't dwell on the very small difference we may have.    Like I said, I don't know her exact answer, but whatever it was, it caught my attention.

It makes you wonder... Does Joel do these tedious ass things that just drive her nuts, yet she is filled with so much joy and belief that those things really do not matter? No clue!!

Case in point: yesterday I had to go home for lunch. Walk through the door to see my wife putting this huge piece of wood on what very small coals were left in the wood stove.  Wouldn't it be easier to put wood on the fire while the fire was going rather then letting the fire pretty much burn out then putting wood on it?   She know's this drives me nuts (really for no reason except that in my male brain, it just does't make sense). Soooooo at the end of the work day, about 6pm, I walk through the door..............there she is again:) trying to get the fire going with a few hot coals and a big ol piece of wood.    Cmon, are you kidding me?

I didn't say a word, but I allowed this to bug me all night long. So now comes the morning.  I'm frustrated with myself in letting something this "petty" get to me.    More often than not, my wife does the dishes, the laundry, works two days at the office, shuttles kids all over the place, and is one of two people responsible for the local "Bike the Bluff" race.  Now really, should I be acting like such an ass over putting wood on the fire? Don't answer that, as the more I write, the bigger of an ass I feel.

Marriage is a lot of friggin work and I pretty much suck at it. Now I'm not taking all the blame here. It's a two way street. The problem lies in getting the two people involved to walk the same direction on that 2 way street.   I often think that this is just a cruel joke on God's part. He purposely made men and women two very different creatures.   We think on different wavelengths. You know He's just up there laughing His butt off saying "I'm enjoying the show" and I'm sure most of us are putting on a good comedy.

Now before some of you start saying, "geeze your quite the ass", I could be writing a book on this subject. I am the master at over analyzing something and keeping a ton of emotion inside.   Here's another for ya......How often do you feel like talking to someone, youre married, you have a ton of friends, and yet, you have no one to talk to?   It's crazy to think of how lonely the world can feel even when you have some of the greatest friends around. What's up with that?

I really don't have a clue as to what I'm writing about........maybe now your brain can feel as dizzy and cluttered as mine.

Anyway, it's a snow Valentines day and I hope you all have a good one. As you can see, I have a million questions and I hope one day will have more answers. At the moment though.................. just questions:)

Have a super day.

PS: just went back and reread what I wrote...................Dear Lord!!!!!!!!!!

IMG-20120213-00037.jpg

2012-02-13T11:29:00.000-07:00

Only 30 minutes of bagwork.....can hardly lift my arms:).

Gridiron Gang

2012-02-12T21:39:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if any of you have ever saw "The Gridiron Gang" with Dwayne Johnson, but if not and if your any kind of sports fan or even an educator, it's a good movie.   It's about a juvenile detention center developing a football program in order to teach kids there are other options on the streets. Just wanted to mention this one thing.......

At the end of the movie they show segments of the real people (it's based on a true story) involved. Remember these are some "bad ass" kids in this place, but one kid goes on to explain the benefits he got from the program and the second chance it gave him with his mother. He said, "my mother hugs me and talks to me now".

Just this little statement says so much......

All kids want is a little bit of your time. A hug. A "I'm proud of you" moment.

It's like that song of Trace Adkins, "Youre gonna miss this".      Make today count. They grow up so fast.

Just wanted to share that.

MILEstones

2012-02-12T21:28:00.000-07:00

If you get a moment, read Kristin's lastest post. Awesome write up:

http://milemarkers.runnersworld.com/2012/02/milestones/

Good Saturday Ride

2012-02-12T21:20:00.000-07:00

Great ride on Saturday. It was bit chilly when we started (39 degrees) out, but after about 30 minutes of pedaling, things started to warm up. Todd, Katie, Seth, and myself met at the Go Karts at 7:30 Saturday morning. My two oldest kids had basketball games at 10:00 so I really only had 2 hours to ride. Knowing it was supposed to be windy, we wanted to get in as much ride time as possible before the wind really hit.

We left the Go Karts and headed up towards Lakeside. From there we took Penrod down to Show Low. This is a fun road, but I'm not too fond of it because of the lack of shoulder and NO lack of rednecks. For some crazy reason, rednecks don't realize the consequences of running over cyclists. Hey were dads, brothers, sons, daughters, etc. Don't KILL US!!!! Fortunately, the traffic wasn't too bad Saturday morning. Taking Penrod Rd from Lakeside to Show Low is mostly downhill and a ton of fun. Todd lead the entire way, so of course I drafted behind him then Katie behind me. I'm sure with the luxury of the draft, Katie and I maybe had to pedal a whole 20 revolutions, while Todd pedaled the entire way.

At the bottom of Penrod, we picked up Seth who is the youngin' of the group and just so he could get a workout in, he showed up on a steel mountain bike. From Penrod we took 60 West up through town and turn onto Old Linden Road. Old Linden was used mostly for conversation as we could ride 2 abreast and not worry too much about traffic. We took Old Linden all the way through the Show Low Country Club then turned back toward Show Low on HWY 260. From there we detoured through Torreon and came out on US 60 heading toward Globe. It's rare that I ever get down into Show Low much less Torreon, but man it is gorgeous back there.

Once hitting US60 we turned right and headed towards Globe. Todd wanted to go up to the Mogollon Rim rd which I believe was only 3 or 4 miles. The wind was already starting to pick up and it was coming from the South. So we pushed hard into the wind for a few miles before turning back and heading toward Show Low. Now we had a tailwind. The best part about having a tailwind, minus the fact that you go much faster with greater ease, is the ability to really hear the tires whisping along the road. I love that sound. It just makes you want to go faster and faster.

Before getting back to Show Low, we opted to go through the Sierra Pines Subdivision then come out near the theater. In Sierra Pines, Todd and Seth decided to sprint up this one really steep climb, but knowing I had to get back, Katie and I took the short cut back to 260. We arrived at the theater about 9:05. This meant I had about 25 minutes to get home. As we pulled out onto 260, the wind had really picked up. I took the lead with Katie drafting behind me. We were pedaling pretty hard when I hear Katie say, "I'm already at 169". Meaning her heartrate was already maxxed out. I wasn't far behind at 160. Katie is a real stud on a bike and not once did she ever fall off my wheel. She was never more than a few inches from my back tire. My low back was already killing me and we still had the old Walmart hill to get up.

When someone is drafting behind you and you are the lead rider, it's important to know that you cannot unknowingly slow down. If you do, you risk the chance of causing the riders behind you to run into one another. Knowing this, it can be really dangerous going from a sitting position while pedaling to standing. I needed to give my back a break so I yelled back to Katie that I was going to stand up for a few. This allowed her the chance to drop back a few feet to avoid running into me. Standing up was just what I needed. It gave my back the break and it gave me the added power I needed to get up the last hill up to Pizza Hut. Just to emphasize the importance of drafting....this time Katies heart rate was only 153 while mine was 169. When your tired, drafting can make all the difference in the world, especially with a headwind. The lead rider breaks all the wind for the riders behind him allowing them to conserve energy. In a race, this can make all the difference in the world. If you don't utilize the draft at the right time, you may just be left behind while you watch the rest of the pack pedal away.

After almost 30 miles, it was an awesome way to start the day. I arrived home at 9:30 which gave me enough time for a quick bowl of Tuna (ya, for breakfast) and a quick shower. My family had already left for the basketball game, but I ended up making it in time to watch my 12 year old play.

The weight loss is still going very well. Between the cycling and my new love of sparring, I'm apparently burning enough calories to continue dropping the pounds. I'm going to shoot for another 2lbs this week and already have my bag/cardio workout scheduled for 10:30am.

Well I have some reports to write before work tomorrow so I best be going. Hope you all had a super weekend. Looks like this week is supposed to be pretty crappy as far as weather is concerned. I had to put in a new master cylinder on our liquid oxygen truck this weekend but I've yet to bleed the brakes, I'm hoping I won't be crawling in the snow tomorrow to finish the job. I'm thankful everyday for all the things my dad taught me as a kid....I never in a million years thought I would be putting in master cylinders and doing brake jobs.:) Ok, starting to mumble........gotta go.

Good Night.

PS: if you hear of an oxygen truck running a red light, don't blame the driver..............it'll be because my brake job failed:)

50 years old and 17 inch arms. Really???

2012-02-10T14:35:00.002-07:00

This is one of the arms that I'm up against. He is currently on pullup # 26!! Are u kidding me!! And the guy is 50 years old!

8.5lbs to go

2012-02-10T10:55:00.003-07:00

Just weighed in......173.5!! That's 14.5 lbs.
Rusty-------Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

JamaicaNJuly

2012-02-10T09:58:00.003-07:00

Hey Jamaica......do you mind if I ask how tall you are? I don't want anyone starving to death here:)

Whos your Daddy!!

2012-02-10T08:55:00.002-07:00

The most lost by one person so far.......................let's just say it's almost 20 lbs!!! Hint: It's one of the Wii's..............and it's not your mama!:)

The Wii's be chasin' The Hippos

2012-02-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

Will the Wii Team Catch the Hippo's?????

Very Impressive Folks

We go by percentages for a reason, but get this...........

The Wii Family has lost a total of 59.6 lbs so far.

The Hippo Gang has lost a total of 49.2 lbs.

Percentages change the whole picture.

You guys/gals are doing awesome!!!!

Who will be the first to hit double digits??

Young Married Chic

2012-02-09T15:14:00.000-07:00

For all you Fit Chics out there heres a cool site for both fitness and cooking.

http://youngmarriedchic.com/

For all you guys: here's the same site, only a different post.
http://youngmarriedchic.com/2012/02/fit-chic-leg-day/

Fighting..........what a fun workout.

2012-02-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

To all of you still hitting the challenge with all you've got......great job.   It's definitely not an easy task. I must say though, now that I'm starting to see results, the dieting as become so much easier. It's very rare that I ever crave the crappy foods now. Just in the last month, I've learned so much about the difference in good foods and bad foods. I don't think I've ever read so many food labels in my life. One thing that blew me away were crackers. I was blown away when I saw how many calories are in a simple cracker. Some crackers (I don't remember which ones) have 120 calories for only 3 crackers.

I've done really well with the "Vegan" thing. Sure a big ol juicy hamburger sounds really good at times, but for now I'm good with my Veggie burgers and Salads. It's been a good ride so far.   I don't think I'm going to have too hard of a time getting to 165, at least I hope not.

I used to feel guilty about not working out. Now I really miss it if I don't get to. I've really mixed it up just to keep it fun and to keep it from becoming to monotonous.   I'm riding about 3 days a week and going to the gym probably 5 times a week.   A friend of mine used to be an amateur boxer. He somehow got me interested in grappling (fighting but not really fighting) and working the bags (punching bags). When he first suggested it, I thought, not a chance. He's gonna beat the crap out of me.    I knew for sure that I was going to come home with a black eye or maybe even two. I wrestled in high school but that was what.....20 years ago. Realize now that this guy has arms bigger than my legs. When he hits..............it hurts.   Crazy though, I had a blast (I didn't get hit.......yet). What a workout  Working the bags came a lot more natural than I thought they would. He put me through this circuit that involved weights, plyometrics and the bags. By the time that we finished I was soaked with sweat and could hardly lift my arms.   I haven't had that much fun working out in a long time. It works every part of your body. Sore???? Oh my gosh, the next day I was extremely sore. Couldn't wait to do it again though.   I think tomorrow is the next workout.   I 'll continue to pray that he doesn't say, "hey, let's go full contact".

Bound 2 B

2012-02-09T12:31:00.000-07:00

Hey Bound 2 B Healthy great job. Proud of you!! Keep it up.

IMG-20120208-00034.jpg

2012-02-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

I promise I'll post soon. Another long night at the office. I'll be glad when we get thru this accreditation. In the mean time, here's what my desk looks like. I'm sure there is wood under there some where.

IMG-20120207-00032.jpg

2012-02-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

Had to come down to phx so why not bring the bike. South Mountain is gorgeous today.

Adherence

2012-02-03T13:03:00.000-07:00

Nutrition expert John Berardi, I think talks about compliance to a nutrition program best: "It never ceases to amaze me when clients, readers, and customers complain about lack of results, yet it's painfully clear that their lack of results come from their inability to stick with the program."

-Sam Visnic

Born to Be Somebody

2012-02-01T20:41:00.002-07:00

I think I have completely lost it. I worked late tonight and in an attempt to stay motivated I found myself on Itunes downloading some music. Not counting the good motivating stuff like Kutless and Red Rider, I also downloaded more Justin Bieber, some Barry Manilow, and some Conway Twitty. Where is my head? Barry Manilow and Justin Bieber? Now that's a combination!!! I'm like part teenage girl and part 70 year old man. Please tell me I'm not the only one out there with this wide range of music taste!! Tell me there are other weirdo's out there!!

I'm happy to report that I'm back down to 177lbs. Not eating after 6pm has been the key. My cycling coach sent me this, "Eat like a king for breakfast, a prince for lunch, and a peasant for dinner". This apparently works as I've lost what I gained in Tucson.

Oh and regarding yesterdays post on fear. And no I'm not going off on some weird Justin Bieber antics but I heard this song on the way home. I think we can apply this to ourselves if we look past our fears. We are all born to be somebody. You just can't be afraid to look deep inside and find that "somebody".

An Amazing Little Voice

2012-02-01T08:47:00.002-07:00

Fearing Fear or Embracing It?

2012-01-31T21:41:00.000-07:00

Have you ever stopped to think how many things you could accomplish if fear wasn't ever a factor? Our fear of failure is what keeps us from ever taking that very first step. How many times have you ever failed to even attempt something on the account that you may just not succeed?   When it comes down to it, what are we actually afraid of?   If nobody was around to see us fail, would we worry so much about failing? I think not. We put so much weight on what others might think or how others may see us, that our confidence in ourselves suffers.

This is not something we are born with, but rather something we learn as we grow.   Look at the bravery of a child. They could careless about what others think, there for they are always trying new things. We could all learn so much from just watching children. Their hearts and minds are so innocent and free of judgement. Isn't it possible for all of us to relearn some of that innocence? To be able to go through life not being judged, or better yet, not casting judgement.

Today, my cycling workout was supposed to be two different tests. I was supposed to ride at a cadence of 90 (90 rpm) while maintaining a heart rate of 140, then the second test was supposed to be ridden at the same cadence of 90, only this time I was supposed to maintain a heart rate of 165.   Each of these tests were supposed to be about 15-20 minutes each.

I headed out from my office and headed down toward Whiteriver. I figured I would use the Whiteriver Hill for both portions of the test. It was cold on the way down with a pretty good head wind. I didn't feel great, but I didn't feel too bad either. It took me 40 minutes just to ride to the bottom of the climb. Later I will find that this was way too much of a warm up.   My back was already starting to bother me so I figured I would start with the test requiring the higher heart rate of 165. This way my back would be just a tad bit fresher than if I waited to do this harder test last.

I pulled over at the bottom of the hill (some of you may know it as the Robert's Ranch Turn off) then started my run back up the hill. My average cadence is typically 97-100 so trying to ride with a cadence of 90 was a challenge in itself. Hitting and maintaining a heart rate of 165 was even a bigger challenge.   About 3 minutes after hitting 165, my legs were already fried and my lungs were on fire. There was no way I was going to maintain this for 15-20 minutes. So after 6 minutes, I said screw it. I wasn't going to make it.    I finished the other test with ease then had a good ride back to the office. Over all it was over a 90 minute ride which I needed, but I was frustrated with myself in that I couldn't complete the first test.

My reason for explaining this isn't to tell you about the test, but to tell you the response I got from my coach after sending him the data. In sending the 1st test, I gracefully titled it "Pathetic Attempt at 165 HR".

First, why did I title it this way? Probably because I wanted to belittle myself to my coach so he wouldn't have to do it. Second, the inability for a guy who has been riding as long as me not to be able to hold 165 is disheartening to say the least.  So I sent it and just expected in return, some statement like, "we have some work to do" or "we need to pick it up a little".

Here's the response I got, "Rusty, it is not pathetic, there is no need for judgement here. It is what it is. Not being able to hold a HR is usually fatigue or sometimes a lack of focus. We will simply retest next week".

I'm sharing this, because of what I mentioned above about judging. I'm hard enough on myself and know I need to work on things. My coach didn't need to say anything. He said exactly the right thing.

As a father, husband, friend, employer, and a coach, I learned more from this example then I ever thought possible.   The amazing power of a positive comment. The ability to have faith in the "unsaid".

I'm fairly hard on my boys when it comes to sports. I know this and I'm not always happy about it.   Coby loves sports as much as I did when I was a kid. Ryan on the other hand doesn't. He plays all the sports but he's not one to want to practice to become better. In my dream world I realize I should just let Ryan find his way and he will learn that through practice, no matter what you are practicing, one becomes better. I should say nothing. I should let him fail if that's what it takes. Tough love. "The Unsaid". I will be there to catch his fall, but falling is how we learn.

I don't do this though. I want him to succeed so I give him a hard time about not practicing. Honestly, it's pathetic on my part. As he grows older do I want him to remember that I was the dad that supported him no matter what, or do I want to be remembered as the dad that pushed and pushed something that really wasn't desired in the first place? Of course I know the answer and believe me I've been working on that.

I don't want my boys to fear failure. I want them to embrace it. I let fear hold me back from so much and a part of that I believe was I didn't want to let my dad down. So it was easier not to even try then to possibly fail and let my father see my failure.

If we fail to fail, then we fail to learn.  We fail to grow. What we do with each downfall is what makes all the difference in the world.   The saying, "it's not how many times you fall, but how many times you get back up", is oh so very true.

For 2012 make it point to do something you have feared doing. Take that first step and don't give a crap about the outcome. Don't let the possible thoughts of others hold you back.   Give it a shot. Either way, win or lose, successful or not, you will be glad you tried.

2012-01-30T22:20:00.002-07:00

What a waste of 4 good days!!!

2012-01-30T22:03:00.001-07:00

After the pretty lousy, let down of a weigh in, my day was pretty much shot. I couldn't believe I hadn't lost any weight.    I decided to go to the gym in hopes of working through the frustration, but that didn't work. I did about 15 minutes on the bike then my back therapy workout and that's it. I just wasn't feeling it today.

Once I got over my pouting session, I took a step back and reevaluated what the heck happened. After thinking about it, I realized I wasn't frustrated with my results, but frustrated with my inability to follow my plan.   I did good as far as the vegan thing, but eating times and eating amounts I think are what messed things up.

I'll use Thursday evening as an example. After a great day of riding, I had a good lunch. Nothing with ton of calories and it consisted of only vegetables and a small bit of bread. We didn't eat probably until 2:30-3:00 in the afternoon.   I was pretty full after this meal and should have just went with maybe a small snack before 6 pm. That didn't happen. Instead, once we were finished with our miniature golf outing, which must have been around 8pm, we opted to go to Village Inn. I had 2 pecan pancakes with maple syrup. Hellllooooo !!!! What was I thinking???

This kind of thinking, along with probably too much snacking (healthy foods) over the weekend, I should have known not to expect progress.   I feel like I wasted such a good opportunity to lose a few pounds and I shot that opportunity all to heck.

So I've pulled my head out of my rear and now I'm back on track. Today was much better and I've had nothing to eat since 5:30 this evening.   I've realized I need to put more calories into breakfast and taper down as the day goes on, with no calories after 6pm.   I'm planning on a good ride tomorrow so hopefully by Friday, I'll be back on course with a few pounds lost.

2012-01-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I had a blast in Tucson. Mt. Lemmon was by far the best part of the trip. I never thought Ry would be motivated enough to climb it two days in a row. Not once did he ever complain about how hard it was or how tired he felt. I was truly impressed with how well he did. As hard as I thought I was riding up that climb, Ryan was never very far behind me.

This is sort of the "warm up" portion of the ride. If you will look just above the stop sign, you can sort of make out the road that climbs along side of the mountain.

As I said before, we weren't the only ones climbing up. The mountain was full of riders.

The View from about 8 miles up.

Almost to the 10 mile mark.

We arrived back in Pinetop Friday night only to be reminded of how cold it is here.:(   There will be no riding in shorts for a while.

Saturday was filled with City League basketball for the two older boys. Other than that we really didn't much on Saturday. I was going to go for a ride, but after two days of climbing and 4 hours of driving and sitting, by back needed a break.

On Sunday, I took the 2 older boys out shooting. They had a blast. Coby had never shot anything bigger than a bb gun so it was fun to watch him try his hand at some larger caliber guns. My 30-30 and Ryans 243 was just a bit much for Coby so he pretty much enjoyed the .22 all afternoon.   Ryan was quite the trooper. The .243 was a gift to him for Christmas. It had a pretty good little kick to it, but he shot the entire box of bullets. Coby though is destined to be a marksman. The .22 he was shooting was shooting about 5 inches low and a little to the right, yet after a while he hit every target we put up.

And now it's Monday. Can you believe I gained weight? How am I supposed to enjoy Super Bowl Sunday, if my chubby ass can't drop weight?   I'm bringing my bike to work tomorrow in hopes of working off some of this chub.    The biggest problem with this Vegan trial.............I love carbs!! I could eat bread all day long!!     Why couldn't God make the crappy tasting food bad for you and all the yummy food really good for you?   Wouldn't it be awesome if a quarter pounder with cheese was actually healthy:)?!!

I gotta get out of here. Lots of work to get done at home tonight. Don't feel like I got much finished today.

No Way!!!!!!!

2012-01-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

2 Days of riding in Tucson.......................................And I gain 2 lbs. Are you kidding me!!!!!

HR Monitors

2012-01-29T15:19:00.001-07:00

Dana Poo is the winner of the HR monitor. In fact I enjoyed her reponse so much that I'm gonna send her 2. Thx for posting DP!
Rusty-------Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Going once, going twice.

2012-01-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

Anyone want a heart rate monitor? Got another one. 2nd one to send me an email (I don't care what the email says), I'll get it shipped out to ya.

JamaicaNJuly

2012-01-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

Hey JamaicaNJuly, coming from a guy who can't eat meat for a month, have a steak for me:)  .   You're gonna need a smaller bikini for Jamaica.

Skinny B, wow!!! Are you eating anything at all??    The Wii's are also making a comeback. I'm impressed people!!! Awesome Job!!!!

Where are the Sexy Mammas??

Oh and if any of you post a comment, just so you know, I'm unable to edit them so be sure you spell things correctly. Can get a little funny if you don't.
(http://www.alphaoxymed.blogspot.com/2012/01/hippos-are-still-kickin-tail.html"

Climbing Mt. Lemmon

2012-01-26T22:31:00.000-07:00

What an OSSM day!!! Ryan and I had a great time today. The weather was gorgeous here in Tucson and we sure made the most of it.

We took our time getting ready this morning and headed over to the base of Mt. Lemmon around 1pm.   I haven't ridden this highway for probably 20 years and it sure didn't let us down. What a beautiful ride. I knew the entire 25 miles was going to be asking a bit much from Ry so we were shooting for the first overlook which was about 8 miles up.

There's a little shopping center about 3 miles from the base of the climb so we parked the truck and left from there. These first 3 miles are uphill but only about 4 percent. It allows for a good warm up and with Ry today, it allowed for some good conversation. At about 2.5 miles, there's no question that the road starts upwards.   I thought for sure Ryan was going to wear himself out, as he was already breathing hard and not looking too excited. As the road turned upward, I told Ry I was going to head up about a mile then turn around and go back to him. So I turned up the gas a little. I finally got the power wheel on my working so I wanted to see what kind of power I could maintain on a climb. Seeing as how I've never used a power tap before, I don't have a clue as to what is good and what isn't. I think I averaged somewhere around 245 watts (Lance Armstrong could ride at 500 watts).   I maintained a heart rate of about 165 which was better than what I thought I could do, especially with what little I've been riding.

Anyway, I rode up for about a mile then turned around to go get Ry. Well once I turned around, I found that Ry was only about 50 yards behind me. Holy cow was I shocked. He was doing amazingly well. Not one complaint from him and not once did he ask to turn back.   There were quite a few cyclist on the mountain and one guy that we later talked to while taking a break at the turnaround, said that he's been riding this mountain for 15 years and has never seen someone as young as Ry ride this strong on the climb. I know he's my kid, but I really was impressed. I'm thinking by next year he may be dropping his dad in his wake.

I took some good pictures with my camera but like a dork, I brought the wrong cord to download the pictures. Instead I'll post a few that I took with my phone.

Almost to the 10th Mile

Now he's wore out.

Below are some of the cool things you can monitor with a Garmin. It's crazy what you can do with technology now. You will see that Ryan doesn't think too highly of going down hill. It's a completely psychological thing but he really hates going fast down hill. What he was shocked to see was that he pedaled faster on the flats coming back then he did coming down the mountain. Normally on a climb like this, you can hit around 40 mph coming down. Today that wasn't going to happen. I'm sure as Ryan grows and gets more used to the bike, he'll be flying down the mountain, but for now I'm happy just getting him to the bottom safely.

Click on Details at the bottom so see more info.

After getting back to the truck and getting cleaned up, we were ready to have some chow. There is this cool little place called Le Buzz which is a major cyclist hang out and the food was awesome!!! Sticking to my 4 week vegan plan, I had this sandwich called the Market Veggie and holy cow, it was soooo good. It had roasted sweet potatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, onions, and peppers with a guacomole spread on whole grain toasted bread, and a side of fruit. This was the best sandwhich I've had in a long time. The picture doesn't do it justice (how pathetic is it that I took a picture of my food).

After lunch, we went over to Barnes and Noble. I've got a Kindle, but sometimes you just can't beat reading the real thing. Get this.....they had some kind of sale where if you bought 2 cd's, you got a 3rd one for free. Here's the 3 I got....... Harry Connick Jr, Chris Tomlin, and here's the kicker.....Justin Bieber. I know I'm pretty behind the times, but whether you like him or not, this kid can sing. I had never heard him before, then the other night as were channel surfing, we came across the Justin Bieber movie. I have to admit, I was pretty impressed. I know I know, I'm a 40 year old guy with a Justin Bieber CD. I have no excuse. It was humbling to walk to the checkout counter with the thing, but now I can officially be a closet Justin Bieber fan:) .

After my brave purchase, we were still full from lunch and it was too early to head back to the hotel, so we opted for a quick game of miniature golf. I learned that going to play golf on a Thursday evening is the time to go. We were one of about 3 other families in the whole place. After 18 holes, I came to the conclusion that neither of us will ever be golfers. We pretty much uhhhh Suck! I think I would have more success using a baseball bat. Either way though, it was a good time and great way to finish the evening.

Getting back to the hotel, Ryan wasn't in the room for 30 minutes before I noticed he was already fast asleep. The kid was wore out. What a great day. Tomorrow, though he doesn't know it yet, we're going to shoot for 20 miles up the mountain (that's if we can move in the morning).

It's getting late so I'm gonna crash too. Nighty night.

IMG-20120126-00011.jpg

2012-01-26T14:15:00.000-07:00

10 miles up. I promised him we would turn around after 10. Maybe the full 20 tomorrow.

IMG-20120126-00008.jpg

2012-01-26T13:44:00.000-07:00

7.5 miles. 43:00 minutes. This kid Is doing awesome!!!

IMG-20120126-00007.jpg

2012-01-26T12:39:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to head up Mt. Lemmon. In about 8 miles and 1.5 hours later, we won't be smiling:).

Holstee LifeCycle Video

2012-01-25T14:14:00.000-07:00

The Hippos are Still Kickin' Tail!!!!!

2012-01-25T14:02:00.001-07:00

The Hippos have lost a combined total of 45.8 lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's Incredible!!!!!

Spuds isn't being very nice.

2012-01-25T10:17:00.000-07:00

So very not cool!!!! Spuds just dropped these off. Sabotage!!!

How Are You Living Your Life?

2012-01-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

I've had major writers block lately (not that I'm much of a writer, that's for sure). Throughout the day, I think about things I want to write about, but when I sit down to write, it all disappears. The problem is, I don't think you can set a specific time of day to sit down and write. You're either feeling it or your not, and when you are, you best sit down and start plugging away.

Just recently I came across this really cool mission statement. This statement has become so popular that now they are selling posters of it. (and yep, I've ordered not one, but two)

I don't think it can be put any better. 

Do you ever wonder what your purpose in life is? I'm not going to go of on some tangent, but really, what is our sole purpose? I'm sure if you ask a 1000 people this question, you're going to get 1000 different answers.

Are we meant to put our own lives aside to make the lives of those around us better? Is it even necessary to put your life aside to positively affect those around you? You can look at the life of say someone like Mother Theresa, her life was dedicated to others. Then on the flip side, you can look at the life of someone like Lance Armstrong. The guy has probably done half of the things on his bucket list and he's not going to stop until that list is completed. This of course (at least in my opinion) is at the cost of spending time with those closest to him.

I'm sure there's a happy medium to this question. I think as a dad, I want to pursue a life that makes my kids proud. I have major issues with what I will call the "selfish factor". To a point I think this is a good thing, because almost always, I will put others before myself. On the flip side though it can be a bad thing. Bad in the fact that I fail to do many things for myself because of it. One example,,,, I used to do this week long bike ride in Colorado every summer. You spend a week camping out with hundreds of others and everyday you tour through the mountains of Colorado, each day landing in another town. For the last few years though, I have chose not to go. One reason being, I miss my kids too much. There's a certain amount of guilt (not that there should be) for leaving your family behind while your "vacationing" somewhere for a week.

In many ways, I think absence can bring people closer and I suppose that's a good thing. This is something I've just realized that I need to work on. In fact, this little two day trip to Tucson is sort of a start. Normally I would never take an extra day off to just go do something by myself (granted, Ryan my 12yo is going). I'm going to make it a point to really enjoy the next two days without worrying about anything.

But back to the original question; what is our purpose? Is it to live a full life trying to obtain as much money and toys as possible? Or is it to live a life serving others? I honestly don't have an answer.

I'm not a good example of living life to the fullest, though I sure hope to improve. I just went back and read the Holsteen statement and this stuck out, "Don't over analyze". This is so me!! I need to put a little more weight on the Nike statement of "Just Do It", and just start living. After all, don't most of us make life harder than it really needs to be?

A friend of mine, Rick Hall is a true example in my opinion of living life to the fullest. I met Rick outside of my Gross Anatomy class and we've been friends ever since. Rick worked his tail off through college, sometimes working as many as 3 jobs at a time. I remember him putting gas in his car .65 cents at a time. Now he's a professor at ASU, owns 5 Subway restaurants, has a beautiful family, travels the country doing various types of speaking engagements, lives a good Christian life, and really is a good example of getting the most out of everyday. I always enjoy the time we spend together as I'm usually pretty pumped and focused after just being around the guy.

Life is truly a challenge. Isn't it up to us to make the most of that challenge? There's a book called Holy Sweat that a friend gave me in college. I think I've probably given 10 copies of this book away. The entire title is "Holy Sweat, The Remarkable Things Ordinary People Can Do When They Let God Use Them." Fear is the biggest factor holding most of us back. Fear of failure, fear of what others may think, fear of the unknown, whatever the fear may be, it's up to each of us to beat that fear and take that next step. Whether it's your faith in God, or some other higher power, have the faith to live a more deeper thought provoking life. Lets all step it up and put a bigger footprint on this path through life. Find the confidence to believe in yourself. I think it's this confidence that allows people like Rick to conquer whatever challenge is in front of them.

So however you live your life, whether its to gain as much crap as you can or to live a life making a difference in the life of others, live it with confidence and grace, with integrity and character, regretting nothing as you move forward. Life is short, make the most of every second.

Note: I've got two heart rate monitors give away. I'll send these to the first 2 people that email with their thoughts of how their living their lives. What's important? Are you living life to the fullest? Do you wish you were doing more? Email me.

If you have never exercised with a heart rate monitor, it makes all the difference in the world. When you can maintain 60-70% of your max heart rate over thirty minutes of exercise, you are burning fat. So if you don't win one here, I suggest ordering one (or Big 5 sells them). Super helpful.

IMG-20120124-00003.jpg

2012-01-24T18:36:00.001-07:00

How many of you are rolling skating in your underwear this evening:).

2012-01-24T16:16:00.001-07:00

Note to self: Super Bowl Sunday is not part of 4 week vegan diet:).
Rusty-------Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Major Change

2012-01-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

I'm having to make some major dietary changes. For some this may not be much of a big deal, but for me it could be a big challenge. Why am I changing? Well the neck pain and stiffness hasn't subsided much at all and its progressed to the shoulders and even my knees. It just so happens that I started a regimen of Pravastatin around the first of the month. I can only conclude that this is what is causing the neck pain. My cholesterol was 259 so I really wasn't going to argue with the doctor when he prescribed the medication. I guess, my naive self just thought, oh the miracle drug, now I can eat what I want.

Well that's pretty much an idiotic way to to look at it. I decided to look further into the medication and at the same time, a friend sent me a website of one of the side effects, "rhabdomyolysis". Now among the million other possible side effects, I didn't need much convincing that even following a strict diet is much better then any possible side effects of this drug. I was told when it I initially started the Pravastatin that muscle aches were the biggest side effect and that a supplement of CoQ10 would help. Well I've even double up on the CoQ10 and it's not helping much at all.

So after talking to a few professionals and doing a small bit of research, I've decided to go Vegan.  Only for a brief time initially though. My plan (and I've been told this will work) is to go the next 4 weeks on plant based foods while also supplementing with Red Yeast Rice and some other supplement but I forgot the name of it.   From what I understand, this is based on the research done by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn. I've read a few of his studies and it's pretty impressive.

I love beef. I love hamburger, I love steaks. We buy a black angus steer every year from Rominger Beef so we currently have a freezer full of naturally grown, yummy beef.   I guess it comes down to weighing the consequences. I don't want to be the 50 yo guy that dies of a heart attack.  Heck, I've got a 3 year old that I have to get through little league.   So, this change isn't only for me, but for those that depend on me.   My dad has had 2 heart attacks and he hasn't changed one single thing. He still eats like crap and smokes like a chimney. To me, that's just selfish. Nothing wrong with killing yourself slowly, but first take a look at those it's really going to affect.

So moving forward, I'm anxious to see how this goes. The only down side is just the psychological part of missing eating meat. Other than that, everything leans on the upside. My first goal is to get rid of the neck pain and headaches. Hopefully everything else will follow.   We shall soon see. Today I brought sugar snap peas for snack, and salad with a veggie burger patty for lunch. Yum Yum:) . I shall keep you posted with my progress.

No clue what to call this post

2012-01-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

It's already started out to be very busy week. From preparing my guys (and gals) for accreditation, to my staff and myself going to seminars out of town. There are a few seminars in Phoenix and Tucson this week that look to be beneficial. Denice and Patti will be heading to Phoenix tonight for a seminar on Billing and Coding, then Keith and I will be heading to Tucson on Wednesday evening. Our seminar is going to cover a ton of things from audits, collections, accreditation and so on. Being that I haven't been to Tuscon is several years, Ryan (my 12yo) is going with me and Friday were going to ride Mt. Lemmon on our bikes.

I don't think I've ridden this road since visiting a friend in college. All I remember is that it goes up and up and it's a kick in the butt when coming down. The weather is supposed to be beautiful so I'm really looking forward to a good day riding with Ry.

I mentioned last week how some of our surveys have started to arrive. Just wanted to share a few of the comments sent, remember these are all sent without patient names so we have no clue who returns them to us.

"You've done a great job! Everyone on your staff has always been helpful and pleasant. I hope I haven't been discharged as I see myself continuing to need your services"

"I wish all the companies we deal with were as good as you."

"Excellent Company"

"Each of you are true health care professionals. Your service impeccable!!"

"If a patient is a long time customer, concentrators and cpap should be written off after a certain time span. Insurances pay off several times over. "

So of course I feel the need to address that final comment. Oxygen Concentrators and CPAP do actually cap. With Medicare, a patient owns their cpap machine after 13 months of rental payments. With Oxygen, we are paid a monthly rental for 3 years and then for two more years we are required to care for the patient and the machine at no cost.   Now I'm sure there are those that think DME companies are a fleecing of the system. Used to maybe. In the 90's, DME companies were making money hand over fist. There was no cap on oxygen.  You could bill for oxygen forever. But in today's world of almost constant medicare cuts, for what we are required to do, we are reimbursed very little.   When a Blue Cross patient gets a cpap machine. It takes 9 months worth of payments just to pay for the machine.

In an effort to keep up on service, my drivers are in almost every town in two counties twice a week. This includes Cibecue, Holbrook, and Concho as well.   No other company up here can guarantee a St Johns patient two oxygen deliveries a week. Sure we lose money when it comes to driving and delivering, but our patients rarely have to wait very long for any product.   So when it comes to reimbursement........after filling our tanks (oxygen and vehicle), vehicle wear and tear, buying the product, paying my staff.......we make very little.   On top of that, never will one of our patients have to decide between paying their utilities or paying for their oxygen. We make it work.   There's no way I'm going to ask someone on a fixed income, to go broke in order to breathe.

Finally, here's one thing to think about. Thanks to HIPPA I can't use any names but I was fortunate to do an oxygen set up this past weekend on a physician. I say fortunate because the talk we had was so meaningful. This guy has one of the biggest hearts (no physically) I 've ever seen.  We talked about the importance of listening, raising kids, treating patients, work ethic and so on. I loved listening to this guy. He had so much to share and sure seemed willing to talk so I soaked it all in.

He asked me, "Do you know the average time a doctor listens to his patients then finally interrupts and starts writing?"
I had no idea what the answer was. He told me that he once had a patient bring him a reader's digest article on the very subject. The article stated that on average, a patient gets to talk to a doctor for 18 seconds before the doctor starts writing.   From that day on, he said he never had a pen in hand while talking to his patients. Isn't that just friggin awesome!!!

Ok, now to the Challenge. I'm still holding at 177 and had a pretty decent weekend. I rode the trainer for an hour on Sunday and did ok with the diet. I had hoped to be a little more strict, but when you have two really close football games, ya gotta eat a little:).

I see the lovely Farrah Fawcett has finally blessed us with a number. And look at Super X!! 8.42%!! Dang!! I'm impressed

My goal for the week is to be 174 by Friday. We shall see. I'll be in Tucson so I won't be able to weigh in until Saturday, but I of course will let you know.

So for now. You all have a super day. It's gosh darn cold outside!!!

Must be Friday

2012-01-20T14:14:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting here riding the bike at the gym. Looking out the window, the parking lot is half full. In the gym is me and 4 other people. Why is the parking lot half full, where are the people?.................at the friggin liquor store next door.
Rusty-------Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Step it UP!!!!!!

2012-01-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

What motivates people? Does it have to come from within to really make a difference? Or does it come from an external source? I think the best answer is probably both.

I'm asking this for a reason and mostly because of the Challenge. Everyone has their good days and bad days, their motivated days and their not so motivated days. Why though do the "not so motivated" days really seem to impact people, sometimes to the point of actually giving up on the goal?

An example comes to mind and I'm sure everyone has seen or experienced it. Why is it, when a couple goes through either a divorce or separation, they suddenly become motivated to better themselves (mostly physically)?    Suddenly now, their appearance seems a bit more important. The wife starts dieting and loses a ton of weight and looks absolutely great, the hubby gets rid of the beer gut that has been growing since the day of the wedding. Is it to put it in the face of the other person or to become more attractive to someone else?   Does life just get in the way of being healthy? If so, it shouldn't.

I'm not really looking for an answer, but why do people wait for some "reason" to start working on their appearance? Is it a self esteem thing?     All day long a person can say "well he/she loves me for me not my body". Well of course they do, otherwise they wouldn't be with you. But the question remains, why do we need outside motivation to actually get off our butts and change some things?

More importantly, how many of us want that person in the mirror to look just a bit thinner, a bit younger? I would say more than 75% of us.   We all know how much better we would feel by hitting our goals yet we fail to act upon it.

Whether it's looking for improved health, an improved body, whatever it may be, does it really have to be that difficult? Absolutely not.

Eating crap has become the norm here in our country. Our office is right next to Bobbi Jo's restaurant and it's amazing to walk by and see what people are eating. Even worse, most people don't even think twice about it. Fitness is so far in the back of our minds that most people don't even consider it. How many times do you look for a hotel and wonder, "do they have a workout room"?   Most of us wonder if they offer breakfast or if there is a restaurant nearby.

We need to change our entire way of thinking. If you work at a place with an elevator, how often do you take the stairs?   For lunch, how often do you take a walk?   Our vices........is it the coffee with a ton of creamer, the bag of chips at your desk, the jug of soda on the way to work, whatever it may be, our you committed enough to beat the urge?

What does it take for you to want to lose that beer gut? To fit into that bathing suit? To feel confident with your body?   Does food really have the much control over people?   Do we really lack that much self control?    It all comes down to how much you want it! Are you going to whine and cry over the problems you may have, or are you gonna step up and do something about it?   Don't pout about needing to lose weight, if you don't want to sacrifice a little to see such big gains later. And by big gains I mean more self confidence, more energy, the ability to fit in clothes that haven't fit in years.

So if your struggling, start fresh.   You have to WRITE your goals!!!!   WRITE THEM!!!!   Then design a plan.   If your gaining weight with your current diet, hmmmm maybe just maybe you need to do a bit more. If your dieting and not exercising..........it's going to be an uphill battle.    Walk, Run, do whatever, but do something.    If you think "oh I'll just have one bite of ice cream" and not expect negative results cmon, are you kidding me.

Dig deep and get moving!! You gotta want it!!    Just picture yourself reaching your goal weight. Find tricks that work. Look at before and afters on the internet. Buy some clothes that you don't fit into now but can strive to work towards.    Most importantly...........bust your ass!!    Sweat a little. Hurt a little!! Don't whine!! Just do it!!!  Let's see some progress!!!

It was a slow weight loss week for me, so if your struggling your not alone. I'm still at 177 but by next week my goal is 175. Don't let slow progress get you down, but don't start slacking.   Nothing worth doing is ever easy. Plan to have a good next week starting today. Don't slide over the weekend. Feel like chowing down, go for a walk. Who cares if it's cold, that's why God gave us clothes.

So there you have it. Get it done people:)   Take the stairs today. Go for that lunch time or dinner time walk. Change the attitude.    Have a super weekend.   I'm on call this weekend, so looking forward to meeting new people this weekend.   Hasta!!

Lunch time ride.

2012-01-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a 20 mile bike ride. I needed a break from the office so I grabbed the road bike and headed down towards White River. I'm so dang out of shape, but it felt good to get out. Plus yesterday just felt like a bad diet day (it really wasn't but it could have been better) so the ride took a little of the guilt away. I'm feeling really good being 10 lbs lighter and don't want to lose what ground I've gained. I'm determined to hit my 165 lb mark.

Oh ya, have any of you thought about Super Bowl Sunday??? I want some of those sauceless hot wings that KFC is selling. The entire box is 400 calories. And yes I plan on eating some. On another commercial they showed the Rotel Queso Dip, yep I plan on having some of that too. So if I'm going to enjoy Super Bowl Sunday (Feb 5th), I want to get a head of the game so that I have so room to splurge a little. Always thinking ahead:)

Hope everyone is having a good day. One more thing,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,when you have a crick in your neck....it adds a whole new challenge to riding a bike on the highway. Just wanted to throw that out there.

Where be ith the fo phat chicks?

2012-01-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

Does Marilyn need to fire the rest of her team?? Where are the 3 of 4 Phat Chicks??? Cmon ladies!! Let's pick it up a little!!

Gotta Love Frankenstein

2012-01-19T09:10:00.000-07:00

This is how I feel today. Rather than getting any better, with the exception of just holding my head on, my neck has become pretty useless. To turn left or right is pretty painful and up or down is out of the question. Pretty pathetic if I do say so myself. What's worse is I don't even know how the heck it happened.

Someone commented on the post yesterday and mentioned being joyous from the heart. That comment has been on my mind all morning. With my neck causing a major headache (I know, poor me), I've had to dig deep to find that joy this morning. Slowly but surely though, I'm uncovering my happy joyous self:).

There's another giveway coming up so be ready. I've got a couple of heart rate monitors and another gym membership so you all best be paying attention:)

On a much brighter note, I finished my final policy last night at about 8pm. It was approved this morning by our accreditation agency. This means that now we are in waiting mode. Waiting for our unannounced surveyor to come and torture us for two days:) . I'll explain more about this later, but just having the policies done is on huge hurdle out of the way. Yesterday was spent trying to compile a years worth of Quality and Performance reports, this is what my desk looked like:

It doesn't look a whole lot better today, but by the end of the day it should be better.

Just got off the phone with HQAA (accreditors) and our 90 day window starts February 6. This means that from Feb6, they have a 90 day window to complete our unannounced survey. This is a 2 day survey in which they go through all of policies and make sure were doing what we say were doing. You would think, "ah not a big deal", but it is.  When you have over 300 oxygen concentrators, 300 hospital beds, I have no idea how many wheelchairs, you have to be able to account for every one of those. Sound easy?? Have you ever been to Whiteriver?   Trying to find our equipment down there can be a full time task.   Then of course we have to be compliant in all other areas as well. From the way we clean our equipment to the way our drivers load their vans.   It's a lot of little things that can really add up.  And being that you have no idea when their going to show up, nobody can take a day off.   It's a stressful time for all, but the process can really make you a better company.   So for now, I'm just trying to make the most of it and learn as much as I can.

Finally, I'm going to take a second to toot our own horn.   Now I don't want to jinx anything, but our latest batch of Satisfaction Surveys have started to arrive, and so far we're ranging in the 97% satisfaction range. Some people have also written some very nice compliments as well.   I couldn't be more proud of the team I have.  They have done a great job with customer service.

Gotta go heat up my little microwaveable heating pad.  Hope you all have a super day.

To be grouchy or not grouchy................that is the question.

2012-01-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

How much of your mood do you think you can control? Is your mood a completely conscious choice?

Yesterday as I was pulling out onto the highway heading for the office, I realized (at least mentally) that I needed a major attitude change. I wasn't grouchy, but I definitely had room for improvement. As a guy, I probably really can't use hormones as an excuse (though I do think they play a role in some way or another). But when you can't find a reason for not being cheerful..........it all sounds really pathetic.

I've analyzed and over analyzed this. If you workout in the morning, is your mood better in the morning? I happen to think it is. At the moment though I don't have the time to work out in the morning. But even then, I don't want to rely on a workout to make me cheery when I'm not feeling....well...so cheery.    Nothing bad has happened, work is good, family is good, so why be so "blah"?

Every morning (it's about to happen) at about 8 am, Steven (one of my drivers) walks through the door just singing away. Good day or bad day, the guy makes a conscious choice to be cheerful, at least that's what he leads us all to believe. He could be having a really crappy day, but he sure does a good job at hiding it.

I've had employees that I never knew what mood they were going to be in when they walked through the door. Believe me, they had no problem showing it either. These people drive me crazy!! Which leads me back to the original question.............Is your mood a conscious choice?    I'd like to think that at least a portion of it is. You have complete control over your attitude and I think with a good attitude, you're more likely to have positive control over your mood. On the flip side, if you have a crappy attitude.................you're pretty much just an ass to be around.   People with crappy attitudes can just take the life right out of you. So what do you do with crappy attitude people..................short of beating the crap out of them........keep them away!!!!

So why not, when were all having a grouchy sort of day, just change our attitudes?? Life is too short to be so miserable.   Attitude is a conscious choice. You either run at life with a positive kick ass attitude, or you can spend your life looking like Eeyore (this is a whole other subject).

So good mood or bad mood, this may not be controllable, but the attitude in which you approach it is.

I'm writing this from a very personal perspective today. I pulled a muscle (no clue how) in my neck so today I'm walking around like Frankenstein unable to turn my head. Which in turn puts me in a crappy mood. Within myself, I hate being grouchy. I don't like being around grouchy people and I know people don't want to be around me when I'm grouchy. Heck, I don't even like being around myself when I'm grouchy.

I've realized though that I'm not going to let a stiff neck, work issues, people issues, whatever issues, dictate the attitude in which I approach the day.
So with that said, I hope you guys have a great friggin day:)

Side note.........Steven just walked through the door.............and he's singing:)

2012-01-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

Wow!! The Hippo's are bringin' it!!!

At least one of them posts a loss every single day.

Can they maintain this momentum??? We shall see.

Morning Supplements

2012-01-17T07:49:00.000-07:00

Do ya think the morning pill routine is a bit much??

No, I don't take all of these at once. It's sort of a gradual thing throughout the morning. Let's see, first is the Ginseng, this one comes before any food. Then once I eat breakfast, I start popping the rest of them. Two CoQ-10 (these recommended by Dr. R), 3 Multivitamins (it takes 3 to make one serving), 2 Garlics (ya never know when you may encounter your next vampire), 1 Fish oil (don't want a heart attack at 40), 2 Vitamin B (supposedly they help with stress, I've yet to feel that affect), and finally 3 good ol Vitamin C (I'm not a believer that Vit C causes Kidney Stones, though I should be after by first experience with one last year).

Do ya think it's over the top? I don't. With what little I'm eating and who is to say that what I'm eating has a day's supply of vitamins and minerals, I think everyone could benefit from a little extra letters in their diet (ya know, vit A, B, C, and so on, in case you were a bit slow).

I don't have a clue as to if it makes much of a difference, but whats it gonna hurt?? Honestly I think the FDA and the drug companies have us all buffalo'd as to the real benefits of supplements. I'm sure we could all over do a good thing, but in common sense moderation (I use that term loosely) I think supplements can be a good thing. I say "loosely" because I think even the USRDA values are low. Who is to say 60mg of Vitamin C is a good dose? Heck I just took 3000mg. I'm willing to bet (and Dear God I hope I'm not wrong) I see no side effects. Now, just so some Bozo doesn't quote me on any of this, remember my degree is in biology, not nutrition, so take what I say with a grain of salt. But do your own research (not one paid for by a drug company), and I think you will find that supplements surely have their benefits.

One thing I do think that is very important if your taking supplements, is water. Your body is going to excrete any excess so it's best to be as hydrated as possible to help with the process. Ya gotta love that bright yellow pee:) .

Well it's time to go eat my breakfast so I can choke down all these pills. Hope you all have a super day.

Where is ya'll???

2012-01-17T07:24:00.000-07:00

What happened to the 4 Phat Chicks?? Is Marilyn the only committed one???

What about the "Wii not fit" folks? Are they not spending enough time with their Wii's??

And we can't forget the Sexy Mamas.

With names like "Chubby White Girl", ya gotta be tough.

Cmon Folks, let's see some numbers!!!

178!!

2012-01-16T09:59:00.000-07:00

I've restarted this post about 20 times. Initially I was a bit frustrated with my weigh in of 178lbs. It's 3 lbs less than I was on Thursday, but I honestly had hoped for a bit more of a loss.  I keep telling myself though that I don't want to just eat well for this challenge, but I want it to become "the norm" for me.

Last night as our family was watching tv, I see Coby (my 9yo) eating a piece of celery. This is totally the norm for Coby. He will take a salad over a hamburger any day of the week. The kid lives for fruits and vegetables. And of course the kid doesn't have an ounce of fat on him. He's got the 6 pack that I never had.   I want my dietary habits to be the same. I don't want to crave the burger, or the cake. I don't even want it to be an issue.

Is this something that is learned? Is it something that you can trick your mind into believing?? I sure hope so. I honestly feel better when I'm eating well, yet so far that doesn't help with the cravings. Once I get down to my target weight, I'm hoping that portion size will be the key to staying at my desired weight.

Sugar is what kicks my butt. Not soda but candy. I got a box of See's suckers for Christmas and each sucker is 80 calories. 80 calories of what??? Why sugar of course.

I think the key to this challenge and every day after, is just take it slow and steady. Monitor the calories and exercise your butt off.   Common sense just says it's a healthier way of living anyway.

So now I need to get off of my little pouty horse and get with the program. I didn't gain 10 lbs over night so how can I expect to lose 10 lbs over night?  What a cry baby!   Step it up Church!! Quit being a whiny ass and get with the program.

Time to get my butt in gear. Day by day!!!

Two Weeks down.

2012-01-15T22:20:00.000-07:00

Wow!!! I think Skinny B just went and had an arm cut off. Skinny has taken a major lead with a loss of 7.52% so far.   Motiv8d, Super X, Wannabslim, and Harry have all broke the 5% mark.   I'm so impressed with how many people posted losses this weekend. Great Job

It was a good weekend for me but I've yet to weigh it. After Friday's frustration of gaining 2 lbs, I was determined to make it a good weekend. I did great with the diet. We had my in laws over for dinner on Saturday and cooked hamburgers, sweet potato fries, and a salad. All I ate was a veggie burger and some salad. Talk about tough to do, those hamburgers looked so good!!! Then everyone but me had ice cream and brownies for dinner. Torture!!!

I even got in two bike rides over the weekend. On Saturday, I wanted to go outside, so I took the mtn bike out and cruised all around Lakeside. I left my house then cruised all around the Blue Spruce area then went back behind Rim Road, over near Rainbow Lake, and took several dirt roads that I've never ridden before. Total ride time was only about 70 minutes, but it sure beat riding indoors.

Sunday, Ryan (my 12yo) and I went up to the office and rode the trainers for 75 minutes. Not your usual ride as I told him to pick a movie and we would ride and watch the movie. The goal of this ride was just to stay as aerobic as possible and just burn off some fat.

I knew he would pick some sort of war movie and sure enough, Rambo it was. Typically I wouldn't advise this movie for any kids, but for a boring darn trainer ride, I was open to anything. The movie thing sure worked because the time flew by. I was wore out and soaked with sweat by the time the movie was over. Ry on the other hand had a fan blowing on him the entire time so the kid looked like he wasn't even struggling. Note: Ryan's goal this year is to beat his mom at the Quarter Horse race in Colorado.

I will be so pissed if I find that I haven't lost any weight this weekend. I know it's not good to get frustrated with this whole process, but dang....I've been pretty darn good. All fruits and veggies, with a handful of nuts this weekend (and the veggie burger), I'm praying for at least a couple of pounds.

We shall soon see. I'll post as soon as I weigh in.   Hoping to see more losses posted from the rest of you.

Tebow again

2012-01-13T16:50:00.000-07:00

I have to be honest, I haven't watched a Bronco's game all season. Actually I haven't watched an NFL game all season. But Tim Tebow has my attention. This guy is the real deal. Read this article by Rick Reily from ESPN.

Archive

Tim Tebow Foundation: Tim Tebow with Jacob Rainey, one of the many people dealing with health problems Tebow hosted at Broncos games this season.

I've come to believe in Tim Tebow, but not for what he does on a football field, which is still three parts Dr. Jekyll and two parts Mr. Hyde.

No, I've come to believe in Tim Tebow for what he does off a football field, which is represent the best parts of us, the parts I want to be and so rarely am.

Who among us is this selfless?

Every week, Tebow picks out someone who is suffering, or who is dying, or who is injured. He flies these people and their families to the Broncos game, rents them a car, puts them up in a nice hotel, buys them dinner (usually at a Dave & Buster's), gets them and their families pregame passes, visits with them just before kickoff (!), gets them 30-yard-line tickets down low, visits with them after the game (sometimes for an hour), has them walk him to his car, and sends them off with a basket of gifts.

Home or road, win or lose, hero or goat.

Remember last week, when the world was pulling its hair out in the hour after Tebow had stunned the Pittsburgh Steelers with an 80-yard OT touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas in the playoffs? And Twitter was exploding with 9,420 tweets about Tebow per second? When an ESPN poll was naming him the most popular athlete in America? Tebow was spending that hour talking to 16-year-old Bailey Knaub about her 73 surgeries so far and what TV shows she likes.

"Here he'd just played the game of his life," recalls Bailey's mother, Kathy, of Loveland, Colo., "and the first thing he does after his press conference is come find Bailey and ask, 'Did you get anything to eat?' He acted like what he'd just done wasn't anything, like it was all about Bailey."

More than that, Tebow kept corralling people into the room for Bailey to meet. Hey, Demaryius, come in here a minute. Hey, Mr. Elway. Hey, Coach Fox.

Even though sometimes-fatal Wegener's granulomatosis has left Bailey with only one lung, the attention took her breath away.

"It was the best day of my life," she emailed. "It was a bright star among very gloomy and difficult days. Tim Tebow gave me the greatest gift I could ever imagine. He gave me the strength for the future. I know now that I can face any obstacle placed in front of me. Tim taught me to never give up because at the end of the day, today might seem bleak but it can't rain forever and tomorrow is a new day, with new promises."

I read that email to Tebow, and he was honestly floored.

"Why me? Why should I inspire her?" he said. "I just don't feel, I don't know, adequate. Really, hearing her story inspires me."

It's not just NFL defenses that get Tebowed. It's high school girls who don't know whether they'll ever go to a prom. It's adults who can hardly stand. It's kids who will die soon.

For the game at Buffalo, it was Charlottesville, Va., blue-chip high school QB Jacob Rainey, who lost his leg after a freak tackle in a scrimmage. Tebow threw three interceptions in that Buffalo game and the Broncos were crushed 40-14.
"He walked in and took a big sigh and said, 'Well, that didn't go as planned,'" Rainey remembers. "Where I'm from, people wonder how sincere and genuine he is. But I think he's the most genuine person I've ever met."
There's not an ounce of artifice or phoniness or Hollywood in this kid Tebow, and I've looked everywhere for it.

Take 9-year-old Zac Taylor, a child who lives in constant pain. Immediately after Tebow shocked the Chicago Bears with a 13-10 comeback win, Tebow spent an hour with Zac and his family. At one point, Zac, who has 10 doctors, asked Tebow whether he has a secret prayer for hospital visits. Tebow whispered it in his ear. And because Tebow still needed to be checked out by the Broncos' team doctor, he took Zac in with him, but only after they had whispered it together.
And it's not always kids. Tom Driscoll, a 55-year-old who is dying of brain cancer at a hospice in Denver, was Tebow's guest for the Cincinnati game. "The doctors took some of my brain," Driscoll says, "so my short-term memory is kind of shot. But that day I'll never forget. Tim is such a good man."
This whole thing makes no football sense, of course. Most NFL players hardly talk to teammates before a game, much less visit with the sick and dying.Isn't that a huge distraction?

Stephanie Taylor Not everything Tim Tebow does on one knee is controversial. Ask Zac Taylor.

Just the opposite," Tebow says. "It's by far the best thing I do to get myself ready. Here you are, about to play a game that the world says is the most important thing in the world. Win and they praise you. Lose and they crush you. And here I have a chance to talk to the coolest, most courageous people. It puts it all into perspective. The game doesn't really matter. I mean, I'll give 100 percent of my heart to win it, but in the end, the thing I most want to do is not win championships or make a lot of money, it's to invest in people's lives, to make a difference."

So that's it. I've given up giving up on him. I'm a 100 percent believer. Not in his arm. Not in his skills. I believe in his heart, his there-will-definitely-be-a-pony-under-the-tree optimism, the way his love pours into people, right up to their eyeballs, until they believe they can master the hopeless comeback, too.

Remember the QB who lost his leg, Jacob Rainey? He got his prosthetic leg a few weeks ago, and he wants to play high school football next season. Yes, tackle football. He'd be the first to do that on an above-the-knee amputation.
Hmmm. Wonder where he got that crazy idea?

"Tim told me to keep fighting, no matter what," Rainey says. "I am."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Follow Rick on Twitter @ReillyRick

DVD's have been sent.

2012-01-13T10:22:00.000-07:00

The DVD's have been sent out to all who sent me goals and addresses. I may have missplaced them but I don't have addresses for:

Skinny B and Disappearing Woman

and last but surely not least: Duds............ I mean Spuds.

So send me those addresses and I'll get the video out to ya.

Apache Da Eshkeen

2012-01-12T17:36:00.000-07:00

Hey Tortilla Lady!!! I want to see some numbers posted!!!!!

(Only the Tortilla Lady is going to get the title of this so don't bother:) ) I'm sure I spelled it wrong, but I don't believe an Apache dictionary even exists.

Forum Update

2012-01-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

Update: Hey All, Happy Hippo informed me that if you were on the forum last year, you will need to sign in with your nickname from last year, then you can change it to your current Challenger name.

Weight Loss Jar

2012-01-12T16:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Hippo posted this on the forum so I hope she doesn't mind if I share it here.

"So I wanted to share a picture with this post, but I can't figure out how to! :( Anyways I want to share the details on my "Weight Loss Jar." It's very simple and extremely motivating!!! I took a vase (you can use a mason jar) and labeled it "WEIGHT LOST." Then I filled a cup with marbles. Each marble represents 0.1 pound, as I lose weight I move the marbles into the jar labeled "Weight Lost." I just thought is was a great way to visualize my progress."

Happy Hippo :)

That is just the coolest idea!!

Tebow

2012-01-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

I'm sure everyone has heard this by now, but did you happen to see Tim Tebow's stats from this weekends game? In college, Tebow notoriously had a scripture written in his eye black (NFL doesn't allow it). Quite frequently it was John 3:16.

Against the Steelers this past weekend Tebow passed for 316 yards (3:16). He completed 10 of 21 passes for an average of 31.6 yards (3:16) per completion.

That's just friggin cool!!!!

2012-01-12T15:40:00.002-07:00

Just got back to the office and looked at what I posted. Dear Lord!! I look old!!!!!

Hey Doc!! I need some botox!!

IMG-20120112-00009.jpg

2012-01-12T14:27:00.000-07:00

Humbling! Only 30 minutes to go.

time.jpg

2012-01-12T13:56:00.000-07:00

Only 59 minutes and 9 seconds to go

2012-01-12T13:30:00.002-07:00

Heading to the gym. Gonna shoot for an hour on the spinning bike. Just pure torture.

IMG00066-20110608-1846.jpg

2012-01-12T12:35:00.000-07:00

Isn't he just the cutest darn kid!!!

The Forum

2012-01-12T10:18:00.000-07:00

Good Morning All!!! It's day #11 of the challenge. I really hope everyone is continuing to move forward (more on this in a later post).

I wanted to ask something of everyone. We need to liven this thing up a little. From the people I 've spoken to and those of you that have either emailed or text me, you seem pretty feisty:).    It would be cool to get people talking on the forum (you can access it from the web page plus I'll put a link on the blog). Feel free to start your own discussion or join one of the few that I've already started. It's easy and it can be a lot of fun. I really believe so many could benefit from other peoples ideas or plans or goals or whatever else. Happy Hippo's marble idea (she hasn't given me permission to share yet) is one great example.

You would be amazed at some of the emails I've received. This weight thing is such an emotional subject for so many. People need to know they are not alone. They live with this weight issue, this self esteem issue every day of their life.

So I ask you, step out of your shell and share a little. You may not realize it, but you could make a world of difference in the life of someone else

Trash talking: I did start a thread about trash talking. Anyone that knows me, knows that if I like you, I will give you a hard time. The trash talking thread is meant to be fun. If you choose to join us trashers:) please keep it clean, keep it fun, and never make it personal. Feel free to bash me all you want. I'm sure once I get to know how tuff some of you are, I'll give it right back.   Blue Ridge Walk In, I'm sure we'll go round and round, they seem like a tough group. Red and Spuds, you can count on them bringing some trash.   I'm thinking Dana Poo can bring it too. It's still all anonymous so feel free to join.

I think the more of us that post on the forum, the more fun it can be. So cruise on over to the forum and take a look. You will have to choose a user name and password, but from there it's a piece of cake. Either click on the thread you want to read or start a new discussion.   Step up people, who knows, maybe I'll start some giveaways over on the forum as well.

Ok I just put a link on the upper right side of the blog page.   Use it people!!!

Back to the Blackberry

2012-01-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh!!! Look what I just got in the mail!!!!!

I have learned the hard way that a Droid is not in my immediate future. The thing was going to give me a stroke! Anytime I tried responding to an email or text, my fingers would hit some unknown key and send me far away from whatever it was I was working on. I've missed my Blackberry for the past month now, but no more. I'm back among the living!!! I love my Blackberry.

To you Droid users........More power to ya.

Wiiiiiiiiiiii

2012-01-11T12:31:00.002-07:00

Wii "not" fit. Now that's a good one!!! Very Creative!
Dana Poo.............It's about time you get on board!!!

Indoor Training

2012-01-11T08:58:00.000-07:00

The only way I can think to describe yesterday is, frustrating. Between dealing with computers, some employee related issues, accreditation stuff, and lack of motivation to work out, I was pretty uh, ya frustrated. It took all I had to talk myself into going next door and riding the trainer for a whole 20 minutes.

I did fine as far as eating though. Breakfast was celery and peanut butter, for lunch I had grilled up a chicken breast before work and mixed that into a salad (no dressing), and for dinner (you will love this), I had a banana and an apple with peanut butter:). I know, I know, not the best choice of food, but after the sort of crappy day, I wasn't going to ruin it even more with a ton of calories.

For those that didn't participate in the challenge last year, I wanted to explain what I'm talking about when I mention riding an indoor trainer.

This is an indoor trainer. Also known as a wind trainer.

It is the most boring form of exercise on the planet. You sit there, pedal your butt off (no pun intended), and go no where. In an effort to keep cyclist from going nuts from boredom, some companies have developed some pretty good videos to watch while riding.

These videos can take the rider through a variety of different workouts. From interval training to endurance training, they can really take the monotony out of riding indoors. It's that or set a gun next to you, because if you spend too much time on the trainer, you may want to use it.

They make these same kind of videos for treadmills as well, but I have no idea how good they are. I think Spuds bought one last year but I haven't heard how good it is.

The most difficult thing riding indoors is dealing with the boredom. Some will read a book, but I think you get a much better workout when your watching some sort of bike video. Fatty has come up with a cool little challenge called the the 100 miles to nowhere. People from all over the globe compete in this little friendly battle from the luxury of their own homes. You pretty much set up your trainer, then pedal away for a 100 miles. The cool thing though is your not limited to just the trainer, I've seen some people go round and round in a cult a sac:). Now that would be brutal. At least indoors you could watch a few movies:). I believe 100 miles takes around 5 hours so that's a long time to not only sit on a bike, but to sit on a bike and go nowhere:).

So now that your all educated on indoor bike trainers, go out and buy one (you get what you pay for) and join me in the suite next door. We have a big TV set up as well as plenty of videos. My wife and another gal meet up here at 5:30 am on Mondays and Wednesdays and my 12yo son and I are going to start doing Wednesdays and Fridays in the evenings. Anybody is welcome to join us, all you need is a bike and a trainer.
Its a great workout.

Check Out the Hippo's

2012-01-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

Wow!! The Hippos are really bringin' it!!!! Super impressive for the first week! They have lost almost 30lbs combined so far. That's gotta be some kind of record for this challenge. Hey Happy Hippo, you keep going like this and you will need more marbles for the jar. I've got 3 other Hippo's right on my tail with Harry only .03% behind me. Looks like Motiv8d and Harry are running neck and neck. I tell you what though, last year Frenchie came from behind to beat all of us. Is Frenchie with us this year? Only under a different name??

For everyone who sent me their goals for 2012 and their addresses, the DVD's arrive here tomorrow so I'll get them in the mail on Friday.

:) Ha Ha , I should have known............I just went back and looked at names/emails from last year:) Frenchie Frenchie Frenchie!!! I know your new name!!! :) Darn you!!! Back for more huh?:)

Want the DVD?? Email me

2012-01-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

Hey you motivated ones:) If you have sent me your goals and plans for 2012, email me your mailing address. I'll get the Food Inc dvd out to you asap.

I'm super impressed with everyones plans for 2012. Some of them have actually motivated me. You guys have some really great ideas. Keep on sending them!!

Full Cup

2012-01-09T22:02:00.000-07:00

Another OSSM post by Kristin Armstrong.

http://milemarkers.runnersworld.com/2012/01/full-cup/

2012-01-09T21:15:00.000-07:00

And he comes away with a just a small scratch on the nose. 3 year olds and Treadmills just don't mix. Took 2 years off of dad's life though. Scared the heck out of me.

Stay Committed

2012-01-09T21:08:00.000-07:00

Sitting here watching the BCS Game and can barely keep my eyes open. It's only Monday and I'm wore out already.

It was another good day as far as diet and exercise are concerned. Oatmeal for breakfast, tuna for lunch, some tortilla chips (homemade) and salsa for snack, and fajitas without the tortilla for dinner. As for working out, I got in 25 minutes on the bike, then about 45 minutes of weights. Not a bad day.

I understand quite a few from the Blue Ridge Walk In Clinic and Dr. Paxmans offices are part of the challenge. Because we use "nicknames" I don't have a clue as to who you are, but here's a deal for ya. If anyone, either from the Clinic or Dr. P's office loses a higher percentage than me, I'll bring lunch for the entire office. Sound like a deal? Also, I ran into one of you while checking out at Safeway, tell me you only ate half of that Dark Chocolate Bar:)

I've been trying to figure out a way to keep people motivated. It can be so easy to get discouraged and just go back to eating crappy food. Really people, you've got to want to lose weight, you've got to want to feel and look better, you really need to dig deep and commit. It's not easy. But I have found that once you start losing and seeing you're clothes start to fit more loosely, you will find the motivation comes with greater ease. You have to get there first though. Of course you're going to feel hungry, but I promise, you will survive. Take fruit and veggies to work, no soda, no candy. If it's not grown by the sun, don't eat it. Just try it for 4 weeks and see how much you lose. You can't cheat. Wanna snack? Grab a carrot or apple. In 4 weeks time you will find that you just want to keep going.

One thing that has really helped me has been educating myself about what is in our food. Don't read too much though, it'll scare the crap out of you. I've mentioned in the past about the documentary called "Food Inc". I just finished the book that was written after the movie and what an eye opener. It's sad to see what our government allows to be done to the food we eat. This movie alone has made it so much easier for me to be picky about what I eat. I refuse to support such heartless and careless acts committed by corporate companies that care only about profits.

I'm not sure if any of you would be interested in watching the video, but here's a deal for you. The first ten people that email me with their weight loss goals of 2012, I'll send you a copy of Food Inc. Email me at mail@alphaoxymed.com. And I want more than just a number. I want to know how you plan on reaching your goal. How will you feel about yourself when you reach it? C'mon, share a little something about yourself.

I realize that the ability to exercise is a little harder this time of year. You've got to be creative. For example, if you work at that hospital, tell yourself you're going to walk/run the stairs 5 times at lunch time. Then the next day shoot for 6. Challenge yourself. If you're butt is sitting at the desk all day and you can't figure out why the pounds aren't coming off, get your bootie up and do something.

I have realized that I need very few calories to get through the day. I honestly don't feel like I'm missing out when I don't eat that snickers bar. I tell myself all the negative affects of sugar and so far I've beaten the urge every time.

One more thing; I have to contradict my earlier post about focusing on process rather than the product. Imagine yourself reaching your goal. Imagine yourself proud to look in the mirror. Imagine people saying "wow have you lost weight". Imagine going to buy smaller clothes. Use whatever it takes to stay the course. Read a book about all the negative affects of sugar. Find some sort of motivation and use it to it's potential.

Welp, my 3 year old just crashed on the treadmill. Gotta go.

Missin' some Folks

2012-01-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

Hey I was just looking through the roster...............

Where are the rest of the Chunky Dunkers? How about the Dream Team?? There are supposed to be 4 Dunkers and 3 Dreamers?? Where are ya'll???????

C'mon, quit Dreamin and Dunkin and get your names on the list and your bodies on the trail (or the treadmill:) ) .

One Week Down

2012-01-09T09:05:00.000-07:00

OK Just updated the roster and the Hungry Hippos are really starting to bring it. Very impressive.

I've yet to weigh today and not sure I will.   I'm not sure I feel to secure in my progress over the weekend. Don't get me wrong, I did great as far as eating is concerned, but on Sunday I was invited to a surprise party for one of my very first patent's 82nd birthday. Realize now that the family is entirely Hispanic (I was the only gringo there) so I knew there was going to be lots of food. And sure enough..........there was. I did good though. I had a very small piece of ham, some red chili, and this yummy jello looking dessert.   It wasn't a huge meal but I wasn't sure what calories I had just ingested so I decided to fore go dinner.

I'm looking forward to another good week but I do expect the weight loss to slow down a little. The first 5-10 usually seems to be the easiest. From there, it's a little more work.

So how the heck is everyone else's diet going? Let me know!!!   Gonna be another giveaway soon so stay tuned.

Corn Syrup

2012-01-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

I apologize for giving Spuds such a hard time. In posting the picture of his drink, I was a bit motivated to look at the ingredients of Powerade. The second ingredient is of course High Fructose Corn Syrup.  Unless you're in denial, I think most of us realize that HFCS is not a good thing. Sure, it's made from corn, but the advantages stop there.

Here's a short brief from Diabetes.com http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2011/02/17/7057/how-high-fructose-corn-syrup-hfcs-is-made/ on how HFCS is made:

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is, as the name implies, corn syrup whose glucose has been partially changed into a different sugar, fructose. To make HFCS, you start with corn, then mill it to produce starch -corn starch. Starch, the most important carbohydrate in the human diet, consists of long chains of glucose. To make corn syrup, you mix the corn starch with water and then add an enzyme, produced by a bacterium, that breaks the starch down into shorter chains of glucose. Then you add another enzyme, produced by a fungus, that breaks the short chains down into glucose molecules. At that point, you have regular corn syrup.

To make the corn syrup into high fructose corn syrup, you turn some of its glucose molecules into fructose molecules by exposing the syrup to yet another enzyme, again produced by bacteria. This enzyme converts the glucose to a mixture of about 42 percent fructose and 53 percent glucose, with some other sugars as well. This syrup, called HFCS 42, is about as sweet as natural sugar (sucrose) and is used in foods and bakery items. HFCS 55, which contains approximately 55 percent fructose and 42 percent glucose, is sweeter than sucrose and is used mostly in soft drinks.

I'm thinking anything subsidized by the US Government should make you question any health benefits whatsoever.

Then I found this great article written by Princeton University. It's too long to post it here, but take a look at it. Click Here for Article. The obesity effects of HFCS are drastic. It's sort of funny that the First Lady's great idea of battling Childhood Obesity doesn't even touch on decreasing the amount of HFCS in our food and drinks. What do kids drink most? Oh and do you know who owns Powerade and Gatorade? Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola respectfully.

Spud's comment is something I used to hear from my wife. "Why be miserable?"   Honestly for some reason I'm not. Eating less and eating better this year has not been much of a challenge at all. I feel good and my stomach issues have pretty much disappeared. To top it off, there is no better feeling of getting on the scale and getting to move the slide a little to left each time.

The idea of my pants becoming more loose or hitting that 4th belt loop motivates me when I'm fighting the urge to "cheat".   The thought of pedaling uphill with 20lbs less fat this summer is more than enticing.   Most of all though, the health benefits are the biggest motivator. I'll touch on this in my next post, but eating better quality food just makes you feel better. There's no downside, in my opinion to eating better.

I believe it helps to know what your eating. Use the fear factor if it helps. Do you really want to be eating sodium nitrite, disodium guanylate, etc.........or is just easier to eat a banana, apple, salad, or anything else that doesn't contain a million different ingredients produced mostly in a laboratory?

Anyway, those are my thoughts. Once again, sorry Spuds for picking on you. Your comment actually force me to do quite a bit of research:) . Thanks

Spuds...............never a threat.

2012-01-07T19:55:00.001-07:00

This is why Spuds is never a threat. He sent me this picture from the movies. No drive whatsoever. I'm sure there is a box of Milk Duds somewhere out of sight. And I'm sure his wife "Red" is hiding Taco Bell in her purse:) .

Motiv8d

2012-01-07T19:50:00.000-07:00

Dang "Motiv8d" won't give up!!! Now she's 3 one hundredths of a percent ahead of me!!!

Another long day at work, going on 12 hrs now and it looks to be a couple more. Did well with the diet so far though. Oatmeal (the real thing) for bfast, chips and salsa for lunch, and a bowl of fruit for dinner (I did steal a bit of my sons pancake though).

Hopefully this coming week will be a bit less hectic than last week and allow me to get to the gym. I think my body needed the break though. I was getting pretty tired. I'll be ready to hit it again on Monday though.

Well gotta finish up here. Hope this weekend has been a good one.

A Slammed Friday.

2012-01-06T19:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry for no post today folks. It's almost 7:30 on Friday night and I'm still at work and I have to be back here again at 6:30 am tomorrow. I'm already feeling guilty for not being home with my family so I will do my best to post later.

It's been a good week as far as the diet is concerned. No cheating whatsoever. Lost 8lbs and feel pretty good. No workout for the last two days so that sucks, but I haven't had any time. Maybe tomorrow. We shall see. Hope you all have a great weekend.

180!

2012-01-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

Eight pounds since Monday!!!! 15 to go!!

Were slammed today, so I'll have to post later.

No cheating or falling off the wagon this weekend people!!!! Go for a walk, a jog, jump up and down, just do something (besides eat).

Focus, Focus, Focus!!!!! Drink a ton of water throughout the day. Graze on fruit and vege's if you feel the need to snack all day.

We're short handed today so I need to go clean some equipment. Hope everyone is having a great day. Sunday is supposed to be colder so make the most of tomorrow.

The Daily Poo

2012-01-05T15:14:00.000-07:00

Ok here's my delay in weighing in today...............The daily poo. Now don't tell me you don't consider this as well. You have to figure, the colon is what, somewhere near 5 ft long. Get a 5ft long balloon and fill it with water, how much is that gonna weigh?? Easily a couple of pounds. So in my tiny little mind, doesn't it make sense to have your daily poo, before you weigh in??? I know your saying, "ooh gross". But c'mon, it makes perfect sense, "no weighing until done pooing" :) That could lower your weight by a at least a pound. Now I'm not saying run out and grab the prune juice, but in my opinion, it pays not to include your poo in your weight:) .

Eat your fiber baby!!!!

Budster!! Welcome aboard!!!

2012-01-05T14:25:00.000-07:00

Budster!!! Super glad to have you on board!!!

Also, someone sent in an updated weight without a name on it. So if you see that I didn't update your percentage, feel free to let me know. Shoot me an email or resend the update form.

I'll update my gain or loss here in a bit. Maybe add a little comedy into the mix. :)

Fit Day.com

2012-01-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

Here's another cool weight loss site.

http://www.fitday.com/webfit/Index7a.html

Russia??? Really???

2012-01-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

This may sound weird, but I notice from the Google Stats page that several readers are from Russia. So if this is true, can someone from Russia post a comment? I do know the blog is transribed in Russian, but really found it hard to believe someone in Russia, much less America would read this boring thing.

The internet can be a cool thing.

Past the Exterior

2012-01-05T10:35:00.000-07:00

Great meeting with my staff this morning. I know I go on and on about how much I love these guys, but they really are the best.

In talking about our customer service, Keith made a grade a point. It must have been a quote from somewhere, and it's being said as elderly person, but goes something like this, "don't see me for the food that's dribbling down my face, but see through that and see the real me".

If you work with the elderly, in nursing home, or even in a hospital or rehab center then you know what I'm talking about. It's our responsibility to see past the disability or the frailty.  It's our responsibility to make those people feel like they are the most important people in the world. They still have minds and they still have hearts and more often then not, they have some amazing stories.

So often in the health business, we get so busy with all the logistics, that we forget why were really there.   I have a quote in my office that says, "They don't care how much you know, till they know how much care".    That is so unbelievably true. Isn't it the best feeling when you find a nurse or doctor with a ton of knowledge, yet they also have a heart as well?

We all know the health care system is broken. I don't have a clue as to what the fix is, but it sucks that most of it revolves around profits. I realize without profits we would all be out of business, but our Western society puts such an emphasis on the almighty dollar, that if we weren't so selfish we could realize we could care for people and still all live very satisfying lives.   But no, we all want the world at the cost, many times, of others.

Do nursing homes care for the elderly because they care for people or because theyre looking for big profits? Now I don't want to confuse the employees with corporate ownership. I believe employees are there of course for a paycheck, but they also care for the people. The people writing the checks on the other hand..................

The world would be such a better place if we could all just give a crap about others. Something I'm going to write about later, our ability as people to judge what we see, but never to consider what is behind the scenes. We are so quick to judge others that we fail in trying to understand them.

Ok I'm done rambling, I'm not even sure what all I just said, but my point is this..............Try to see past the exterior. Everyone has something to offer.

Note: I just went back a re read what I wrote.......I sure hope it makes sense, because it sure sounds like a bunch of rambling to me.:) Have a great day.

My Staff

2012-01-04T17:40:00.000-07:00

Crazy as it seems, I'm not sure much of my staff reads this blog. I realize it's not Thanksgiving, but I want to say that I really couldn't ask for a better staff.

Steven and Michael, you care for the patients better than I could ever ask. Patti, unbelievable job at learning all the ropes when it comes to the billing of DME products, Keith your integrity with working with the patients and dealing with insurance companies is like no other. Tracy, welcome aboard and thanks for all the work you do, even when your off the clock. Mr. Schimmel, we've been through a lot, glad your back. I appreciate the organization and of course the humor. Paula, I couldn't ask more from a Respiratory Therapist. Thanks for going above and beyond, even after a 12 hour day. Denice......ah Denice... You crack me up. The relationships you have built with the patients is incredible. Your laugh and smile are contagious. And finally my wife, thanks for all the work both here and at home. Thanks for always understanding all the long hours I put in.

I had some pretty heart to heart talks today with some of my staff. It means the world to me that they feel comfortable talking to me. They say to never hire friends or family...............well I've shot the rule all to heck. I have no doubts, that any member of my team would be there in a heart beat if I needed them. Ya know..........that's a pretty darn nice feeling.

I'm really proud of how our crew has come together. Everyone is really busting their butts to make our company the best it could possibly be. I truly appreciate it.

Ok I'm already late getting out of here. Hope you all have a good evening.