A year and a half ago I weighed 240 pounds(i am 6' 1"). I didn't really think much about it and never saw myself as a fat ass. My knees and hips hurt all the time, but so did my shoulders and neck. Nothing surprising as I have lived a very action packed life and have worked and played hard over the years and have broken quite a few bones(16, to be exact), pulled more muscles than I can recall and blown out a few joints along the way. When I was racing motocross I weighed about 210 and was in very good shape, then in 2000, I was badly injured and spent over a year and two surgeries getting up to speed again. When I felt well enough, I tried riding again, but it was just too painful. I did get back in the gym for awhile, but without the motivation of racing, I just didn't feel like going anymore. I became more lethargic more often. I bought a harley and sold the YZ, but kept eating like I was still racing and working out, and it started to show. I didn't realize it at the time, but it is easy enough now to see what was happening then.

I was forty when I was injured and at 42, my doctor told me my cholesterol was high and had me do a full panel. My cholosterol was around 230 and my triglycerides were about 500(they're supposed to be about 190)so he put me on medication to combat the problems. I continued to eat very poorly and not exercise, justifying my health problems all the while with lame excuses like bad genes and such. Like George Costanza said, "It's not a lie if you believe it".

Then my feet started to hurt. I bought new boots for work. It did not help. I wore thicker socks, and it got worse as did my blood panel numbers. Then it happened..I saw a photo of myself at a ride I was on. It was pretty disgusting, my gut. I didn't realize it was so big. I don't drink so I couldn't blame it on a beer belly, it was simply the way I ate. Four meals a day plus snacks and sodas. If I ate tacos, I ate four or five of them. I would eat everything on my plate even if I was full. It was just a habit. I ate foods high in fats and carbs and sugars.

I was a mess and something had to change, and that something was my eating habits. I stopped the "fourth meal" which generally was eaten after dinner. I started cutting back my portions, two tacos instead of five..I stopped eating when I BEGAN to feel full. I cut back on sodas, but I was still eating ALL of the same things..Just not as much. I went from 240 to 225 in about a year, but that gut never seemed to get any smaller. My company pays for gym memberships and still I wouldn't go. I just didn't have time, or so I told myself.

I have had a bad left shoulder for years, and once in awhile, I would have to get a steriod injection to calm it down. Last summer it started hurting again, and in September, I got another shot. I did nothing. I still had trouble sleeping and working with the pain. I was taking vicodin regularly and it was losing it's effectiveness. Then my elbow started hurting, then my wrist and top of my hand. It got to the point that I could not sleep or even lie on my left side. I went back to my orthopedist(things are bad when you have your own orthopedist)and told him what was happening. He told me to look this way and that and, WOW! THAT HURT! I was informed that it was my neck, and not my arm that was the problem. A few specialists, MRIs, CTscans and a nerve conductance test later and I was scheduled for surgery to have three discs fused in my lower neck. At the hospital, I was poked, prodded and bled in pre-op testing. I went in for surgery the next day and was informed by the anasthesiologist that I was diabetic. I argued, but numbers don't lie. My blood sugar was 300(its not supposed to be over 120). I went to the doctor and got everything tested again after the surgery. I WAS diabetic(type II)and my cholesterol was now 276 and my triglycerides were over 2000! I weighed 225, my blood pressure was 180/110 and my pulse was 105 at rest. This was in late February 2006.

I was put on more powerful meds and told to get my shit together by my doctor, a friend who is a doctor and by my wife. I stalled, I procrastinated, I refused to not drink my beloved ginger ale. Then it hit me. I can't die just yet and I don't want to be sick and I dont want to have to take these meds forever. The side effects of some of them are life altering. So I did it. Sugar was virtually eliminated from my life, my beloved carbs were cut by two thirds, I watch my fat and type of fat intakes, my portions became even smaller and the weight started coming off quickly. I got back in the gym and remembered how much I enjoy working out. It's the IDEA of working out that is the hurdle!

Today I work out five times a week unless something comes up, which rarely happens, I weigh 205, my blood pressure is 120/70 and I have been off that med for over two months, my at rest pulse is 80, my cholesterol is 170, triglycerides are 240 and my blood sugar rarely exceeds 100. I feel great, but do sometimes overdo it at the gym, but that's OK, the soreness and fatigue will pass with a day or two of taking it easy. My gut is gone, my joints and feet feel much better(I still hurt most of the time, but it's tolerable)and I rarely use pain meds anymore.

I should be an inspiration for anyone wanting to make such changes, because I am NOT a big motivation guy. I like to watch TV and read and just be lazy. Staying busy and motivated around the house is not like doing the same for racing! It's difficult, but if I can do it anyone can. I know that sounds cliche, but it is true. Please don't wait until you are diagnosed with something as serious as diabetes to make the change. Think about your life and the people in it. I want to see my kids all grow up. I want to hold my grandkids and I don't want my parents to have to put me in the ground before them. I am not afraid to die, but I am in no hurry just the same.

Pretend you have diabetes and hyper elevated lipids. Modify your diet accordingly. It's not magic. It's not a fad diet or Weight Watchers or something you will not be doing in two months. I still eat, with the exception of sugars, most of the things I have always eaten, I just monitor it all very closely. I even sneak in a Dryers ice cream dit or some home made vanilla or a garish desert after a fancy dinner out once in awhile. You don't have to be drastic, just be logical and methodical and please, don't wait to get sick. I may like to argue with some of you, but I don't want to see any of you sick or dead.

Poor Pluto

So, what's up with Pluto? More to the point, what's up with modern astronomers. Don't they have anything better to do than sit around re-writing the rules governing celestial objects? Well..In all fairness, I suppose that is their job, but it is still just wierd that the last planet in the solar system that I grew up in, is no longer a planet. All those school books are now going to have to be edited. I think the Royal Astronomical Societ should have to put up the cash for that change, but as usual, with the stroke of a pen, or key as it were, the taxpayer gets to buy the latest ideas. What about the Science, National Geographic and Discovery channels and magazines. All those incorrect back issues, shows, tapes and DVDs and possible retractions and lawsuits. My, my. Oh well..enough of the political and finacial ramifications of the decision.

I am an amateur astronomer and have been for many years. I own a very nice 8" Schmidt-Cassegranian telescope with all the bells and whistles. I have never pointed it at Pluto that I am aware of. A friend once showed me on his 14" Newtonian reflector, a very faint and distant pinpoint of light indiscernable from the stars around it and told me it was Pluto. I still don't know if I believe it really was. Maybe he was just trying to show off his skill. Pluto is not visible to the naked eye from Earth. Maybe THAT should be the criteria for planethood in the future!

What about things Plutonian? Will Pluto now be a lesser Disney character? Will he become one of the Dwarfs? If they can change the number of planets at will, why not the number of dwarfs? What about Plutonium? Pretty powerful stuff. Should it now be considered a dwarf element? Will it still be as deadly or will it just make you feel nauseated and feverish, then pass like a cold?

Man..Eight panets. I wonder if they just wanted to have an even number of planets again. They say thay found one even bigger than Pluto even further away, so I guess that's not the issue. I am told that Pluto was not a bad assed body. It couldn't even push it's own moon around and was so afraid of Neptune that it ran out of the plane of the solar system every time it came around. What a sissy! Maybe it doesn't deserve planetary status after all!

I dunno. It DID have a surface, as opposed to the gas giants in that outer realm that can't be walked or landed on. Something we could land on if we took a notion to do so. It IS spherical..mostly..or so I am told. Even the Hubble can't really get a good look at it and Voyager was too far away to do anything out of the ordinary for Pluto as it headed out of the solar system. I suppose I'll get used to it, but wow, poor,poor Pluto.

Help Cecil, HELP!

Emergency. The word even sounds urgent. It causes police to turn on their sirens, firemen to leap from a sound sleep and slide down a brass pole and the average person to go into panic mode. But what IS an emergency and who decides how big that emergency is. To an overprotective Mom it is a kid who is bleeding from a minor cut, to a cop it is a whacko walking around with a gun, to me it's running out of Propel.

The news is rife with stories of emergencies, some very real and others a matter of opinion. Katrina's aftermath was an emergency, 9/11 was too, Brad and Jenn's breakup was not. It seems that someone is always in the middle of, or facing, an emergency of some sort. People go to the emergency room with a cold or the flu, neither of which are emergencies. I have been to the emergency room a few times with what I deemed to be emergencies, but the only time the hospital agreed with with me was when I had a broken femur. The other emergencies, such as a kidney stone(I didn't know that was the problem at the time)or my child's injured shoulder were only emergencies to me, not to the hospital. They couldn't have been as we were left smarting in the waiting room for hours, the kidney stone leaving me lying in the floor in a fetal ball yelping like an injured puppy. Nobody died, so I guess their lack of urgency was justified.

I work for the Railroad, which falls under the boot of the Federal Railroad Administration(contrary to popular belief we are NOT federally regulated). We in the signal department are covered by the "Hours of Service Act", which states that we may not work over twelve hours in any twenty-four hour period without eight hours of rest for broken service and ten hours of rest for continious service, except in the event of an emergency, at which time we may work up to sixteen hours. Emergency. There it is again. The definition of that word varies wildy in this business. From boss to boss and problem to problem, but most agree that an emergency is anytime trains have to slow down(the system tries to maintian an average speed of 17.5 mph) or stop for a problem such as an unusual signal occurrence, a signal red for no apparent reason or a problem with a crossing. The FRA, however, takes the term more literally. It is only an emergency if public safety is involved, such as in the event of a crossing problem, or possibly, a derailment. Willful violation of the "HOS" can result in fines to the employee of up to $2,500 and dismissal and up to $10,000 to the company per infraction.

Another word that causes us, as workers, to interpret emergencies differently is "Greed". We make good money to start with and a check stuffed with OT(I have had as much as 100 hrs of OT in two weeks)looks really good on payday. What constitutes an emergency at work may vary for me personally depending on my plans. A month with no plans will cause a finer definition of the word than say, a month with a trip to Vegas in it. A family vacation will certainly relax the meaning of an emergency as will needing some new chrome for the Harley.

I guess I am as guilty as the newsies who decide what is and isn't an emergency and expect us, the public, to take tham all at face value. I always try and read between the lines in "emergency" stories(except obvious ones). Many "human interest" stories of families in crisis(another word for emergency)are poorly, if at all, researched and many turn out to be hoaxes and scams. I am not saying I don't hear the emergencies, I just make sure I LISTEN to them because I know how sloppy that term can be in my own life. How about you? I san emergency as widely interpreted to you as it is to me and the railroad?

Time: Who has some to loan me?

Mom told me the other day that a few people had commented on one of my posts and that there were some lively comments going on in the blogs. I was getting ready to go to bed at the time after having worn out another day without doing anything relaxing. I know that I have time to do certain things I need to do, but getting on the computer to write blogs and comment on others and respond to mine don't seem to be one of those things. Pounding my opinions and ideas out in cyberspace just isn't the priority to me that it seems to be for others. I have(right here I was called to dinner..I am back!)a very busy life, and I'm not even a soccer dad. My job can be very demanding of my time, as I remembered at about 10pm last night as we rebulit and crossing warning system that hed been destroyed by a truck. I was there from noon till about 11pm. I spend a couple of hours a day in the gym(when I'm not working over), and a lot of time doing Family stuff, Harley stuff and resting. I also like to read and watch TV when I am not humping it around four counties and here in town.

I have been accused of being a "hit and run" blogger by those who seem to have more time than I to sit at a terminal. That's not the case. I simply have better things to do than see if someone is pissed at me evry day. Hell, I don't really need to get online to find that out anyway, somebody is always pissed at me for something. I don't set out to piss people off or offend anyone, but I know I seem gruff in life at times because I just don't have the time or patience to explain every decision I make to everyone who is affected by them, and as father, a husband and a boss, I make decisions all the time that affect people in different ways. Those are people I see face to face, or at least, talk with on the phone, so you can see that I REALLY don't have the time to be more thorough online.

I rarely feel the need to explain myself in any case. I have grown accustomed to giving orders even though I am not big on being in control, but it IS my job to make decisions and see that they are carried out in most areas of my life. It really feels good when I don't have to make them, and it feels good not to have to argue or explain things which is why the Harley is such a pleasant distraction. I can't talk to anyone while I am riding(my wife has her own bike)and the only decisions I have to make concern paying attention to traffic and the road. Playing my guitars isn't really relaxing, but it is fun and time flies when I am doing it, and again, I dont have to make decisions, I already know what to do.

I love the song "Time" by Pink Floyd. It is so true. The line that says, "And then one day you find ten years have got behind you" is the story of my(and many others, I am sure)life. It feels like I just graduated from high scholl, but my 30 year reunion is next year. It seems like I was just holding my first daughter for the first time, but she is almost 24 and will have her first child in December. I remember my first day at work for the Railroad, digging ditches outside of Palmdale as a 19 year old kid, and I just passed the 27 year mark with them. I first got online in 1997 and remember staying up all night chatting. It was great fun and a totally new adventure, but I just don't have the time to stay, or even get, online like that anymore. And THAT is a good thing.

So, the next time you think someone is "hitting and running" or doesn't reply to a comment you or they made in what you consider to be a timely fashion, just remember that life can be a very busy place and not everyone thinks posting is a big deal.

I don't like In n Out Burger and I am glad there isn't one in the vicinity. My family, however, does like them, and once in awhile, asks me to get them some. The closest one to me is on Stockdale Hwy and that takes me past "protesters patch", better known as Stockdale Hwy and New Stine Rd. For anyone not from Bakersfield, that is the busiest intersection in town. They are always there. The anti Bush crowd, and it seems, they have been there since Jan. 21st 2001, the day after the innaguration. It has always been something from stealing the election to the War. It's OK. I think it's cool to see Americans exercising their right to dissent and voice or show their opinions, even when I disagree. The most common theme since 2003 has been "Impeach Bush". OK..I get it. They don't like or trust the president and it's good that they know their rights, but it's unfortunate that they don't seem to understand the succession of leadership in the federal government.

Do they think that by Bush stepping down or being impeached that they will be able to slip one of their guys into the breach? Or that Cheney will succumb to their relentless pursuit of their hatred of the other side? What about Speaker Hastert and the cabinet members, the least senior being Michael Chertoff, Director of Homeland Security? That is, by my count, eighteen people to get rid of. I am certain that, by then, the 2008 elections will be upon us. Actually, in the evnt of impeachment, I am not sure how far down the list they have to go.

In all reality, an impeachment is as unlikely as anyone stepping down. I remember when President Clinton was on trial in the Senate. I was terrified to think that Al Gore might become the nations leader by default and was glad to see Slick Willy aquitted. If the anti-Bush crowd thinks the country is distracted now, wait till we are putting priorities aside on articles of impeachment that will tell our enemies that we are more concerned with the hatred of an individual than we are about dealing with them!

If I were the one of the protesters, I think I might be compelled to protest the liberals(and I am not saying these folks are all democrats)for not coming up with some sort of plan to take the White House in 2008. Complaining about the perceived injustices of the past and dissent of the present will not insure thier victoty in the future. They need a plan and I have yet to hear one. There is a difference between being politically active and just being pissed and they don't seem to realze that.

I will say, in their defense, that they seem to be peaceful and are usually smiling. That's good. We should be able to disagree without incident. I do not shout at them or make silly gestures and I never will. I admire their tenacity, I just think it is misplaced. Bush will not be running again and it seems to me that they are wasting their time and resources by calling for his head on a platter and that their time would be better spent building up a viable candidate to carry out their wishes.

*SIGH*...All this just so I can go get food from a place I don't even like. I wish they'd just build an In n Out over here