Sunday, November 10, 2013
Race morning
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Saturday, November 9, 2013
Saturday at White Tank Mtns.
What a beautiful morning in the desert! I'll take 55 degrees over 32 anyday!! It's only 7am and the organizers are already blaring U2 on their overhead speakers.
While I can't race as much as I used to because of my back, watching my son do this and just being among the atmosphere of all the other racers, the families, all the cool bikes, the cool gear that you wish you had..........it's just awesome to be out here.
Pre-ride doesn't start until 1 so I think we're just going to enjoy the morning. The boys are already arguing over things that boys argue about......."He won't stop touching me", sounds like an old version of Bill Cosby.
Time to enjoy some morning camping coffee. Love it!!! Have a super day!!
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While I can't race as much as I used to because of my back, watching my son do this and just being among the atmosphere of all the other racers, the families, all the cool bikes, the cool gear that you wish you had..........it's just awesome to be out here.
Pre-ride doesn't start until 1 so I think we're just going to enjoy the morning. The boys are already arguing over things that boys argue about......."He won't stop touching me", sounds like an old version of Bill Cosby.
Time to enjoy some morning camping coffee. Love it!!! Have a super day!!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Friday, November 8, 2013
Roasting Marshmallows
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Thursday, November 7, 2013
Arizona High School Cycling
Getting ready to head down to Phoenix for the last high school race of 2013. The season flew by, but it was fun to see the kids develop as well as get some of their competitive juices flowing. You could tell a huge difference from the first race and the last race. The kids really seemed to want to improve their placings which was cool to see. If you have kids interested in racing mountain bikes, you should look to see if your high school offers a club/team. Here's the facebook page for AHSCL https://www.facebook.com/ArizonaHighSchoolCyclingLeague
I've been so impressed with the quality of races they have put on. The competition is huge and it seems to be growing. I've got some pictures from the last race that I'll post later. It's pretty cool to see so many young people out there.
The original plan was to take our trailer down and camp in the newly renovated rv sites at the park, but we just found out they won't be ready until Nov 22:( so it looks like everyone is camping in the track parking lot. Guess it will force everyone to get to know one another :) .
I'll try and post from the race. Hope you all have a great weekend. Mine is starting early............sort of...........gotta go home and pack real quick. Ugh!!!!
I've been so impressed with the quality of races they have put on. The competition is huge and it seems to be growing. I've got some pictures from the last race that I'll post later. It's pretty cool to see so many young people out there.
The original plan was to take our trailer down and camp in the newly renovated rv sites at the park, but we just found out they won't be ready until Nov 22:( so it looks like everyone is camping in the track parking lot. Guess it will force everyone to get to know one another :) .
I'll try and post from the race. Hope you all have a great weekend. Mine is starting early............sort of...........gotta go home and pack real quick. Ugh!!!!
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
2013 Challenge, before and after
At the end of last years (2013) Weight Loss Challenge, I pretty much dropped the ball when it came to giving the winner some major credit. Yes, she got her prize, but once you see the before and afters, she deserves some major kudos.
I'm always blown away when I see these pictures. I've been trying to lose a measly 10lbs for the last 2 months and I'm lucky to lose 2. So Ashley, sorry for the delay in posting these, but OSSM job on the weight loss. Very very impressive!!
I'm always blown away when I see these pictures. I've been trying to lose a measly 10lbs for the last 2 months and I'm lucky to lose 2. So Ashley, sorry for the delay in posting these, but OSSM job on the weight loss. Very very impressive!!
And she has kept it off!!!!!
60% Chance of Rain?
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Monday, November 4, 2013
NOW!!
Time and time again, I mention the idea of never taking NOW for granted. A couple of weeks ago, some friends of ours lost their mother to a sudden heart attack. My heart, my prayers, and my thoughts are with the family. Of course it is incidences like this that make you think more about the "NOW".
I had the opportunity last night to chat with an old friend from high school. We grew up together playing baseball and my last couple of years his dad was even my coach. About a year ago, he too lost his mom. I have no doubts that his mom is on his mind daily. To add to the pain, he has to do his best at helping his dad cope with the loss. I can't even imagine the pain. Dustin, your a great man and awesome son!!!
Working with Hospice patients, we see this pain of loss almost on a daily basis. While I think one has to put up some sort of wall in order to deal with this, I also want my staff to understand loss and the pain that comes with it. On the flip side though, I hope they will also learn from it. Cherish the moment and cherish those closest to us.
If you work in health care and make every opportunity to treat every individual as if they are family, then God Bless you!! I think the ability to lay your heart out there while knowing in the end it's gonna hurt like heck, you have given possibly the best gift to someone who otherwise may have no one. There is no greater gift than the giving of your time. Give a lonely person 10 minutes of your time and you will have made their day, quite possibly their year.
Wanna know where I fail most when it comes to my time................my kids. While I do my best to give them quality time, I can do better. Ronan Thompson changed my life. This little boy changed the way I view my time with my kids. If Keevan, my little 4 year old was diagnosed with a terminal disease, how much more special would I make the time we have together? Hellooooo!!!! Live NOW! Play tractors now! Play super heroes now! Take that bike ride now!!
We never know what tomorrow may bring. Make the most of today. What if tomorrow was your last day..... will those closest to you become even more important? I don't want to sound gloomy, in fact I want you to celebrate each moment, each day!! Why the heck not? Are today's problems really any worse than yesterdays? Didn't you get through today just fine? Why not get through it with a positive state of mind? Cherish it! Why do we hold ourselves back? Have you ever saw the movie "Coach Carter", I love this quote:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Don't Be Afraid to Shine!!
My wife has this quote on our wall, "Live, Laugh, and Love"
Shouldn't we all focus on this. Cherish the moment folks!!! All the shitty stuff will still be there tomorrow. Focus on the good!!
One more quote, ""The way to examine whether we are doing what Jesus Christ wants us to do is to look at the habits of our life in three domains—physical, emotional, and intellectual. The best scrutiny we can give ourselves is along this line: Are my bodily habits chaste? Is my emotional nature inordinate? Is my intellectual life insubordinate?" --Oswald Chambers, in Biblical Ethics from the Quotable Oswald Chambers
Have a great day!!!
I had the opportunity last night to chat with an old friend from high school. We grew up together playing baseball and my last couple of years his dad was even my coach. About a year ago, he too lost his mom. I have no doubts that his mom is on his mind daily. To add to the pain, he has to do his best at helping his dad cope with the loss. I can't even imagine the pain. Dustin, your a great man and awesome son!!!
Working with Hospice patients, we see this pain of loss almost on a daily basis. While I think one has to put up some sort of wall in order to deal with this, I also want my staff to understand loss and the pain that comes with it. On the flip side though, I hope they will also learn from it. Cherish the moment and cherish those closest to us.
If you work in health care and make every opportunity to treat every individual as if they are family, then God Bless you!! I think the ability to lay your heart out there while knowing in the end it's gonna hurt like heck, you have given possibly the best gift to someone who otherwise may have no one. There is no greater gift than the giving of your time. Give a lonely person 10 minutes of your time and you will have made their day, quite possibly their year.
Wanna know where I fail most when it comes to my time................my kids. While I do my best to give them quality time, I can do better. Ronan Thompson changed my life. This little boy changed the way I view my time with my kids. If Keevan, my little 4 year old was diagnosed with a terminal disease, how much more special would I make the time we have together? Hellooooo!!!! Live NOW! Play tractors now! Play super heroes now! Take that bike ride now!!
We never know what tomorrow may bring. Make the most of today. What if tomorrow was your last day..... will those closest to you become even more important? I don't want to sound gloomy, in fact I want you to celebrate each moment, each day!! Why the heck not? Are today's problems really any worse than yesterdays? Didn't you get through today just fine? Why not get through it with a positive state of mind? Cherish it! Why do we hold ourselves back? Have you ever saw the movie "Coach Carter", I love this quote:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Don't Be Afraid to Shine!!
My wife has this quote on our wall, "Live, Laugh, and Love"
Shouldn't we all focus on this. Cherish the moment folks!!! All the shitty stuff will still be there tomorrow. Focus on the good!!
One more quote, ""The way to examine whether we are doing what Jesus Christ wants us to do is to look at the habits of our life in three domains—physical, emotional, and intellectual. The best scrutiny we can give ourselves is along this line: Are my bodily habits chaste? Is my emotional nature inordinate? Is my intellectual life insubordinate?" --Oswald Chambers, in Biblical Ethics from the Quotable Oswald Chambers
Have a great day!!!
Holy Cow!!! Yes It's really a new post!!
Wow!! It's been a while since I sat foot on this blog page. Danielle asked me to look up some old blogs and dang if it didn't bring back some memories. I never realized I had been writing this blog since 2011. Lots of exciting changes going on right now. We've finally gone live on Facebook, we're getting an entirely new web page, we've got a new Marketing Director who is just outstanding, and my lazy butt is getting back blogging.
Since it has been like uhhhh forever since I wrote, it's going to take forever to get the same amount of people to visit this site, but heck, if we can do it once, we can do it all again. At the peak of the Weight Loss Challenge, we were getting 100 hits a day, which for a small town blog, is pretty darn good.
I've got lots to share so hopefully most of you will tune back in.
Most importantly I've got to post some before and after pics of the 2013's Weight Loss Challenge winner. Nothing short of impressive. It will have to wait until tomorrow though, as all of the pics are at work:)
As I mentioned earlier, we've finally got a facebook page. Check it out and give us a "like"!!!
Also for those who are wondering.....yes we're going to have another Weight Loss Challenge starting January 1. My chubby butt is back up to 180 and I've been busting my butt to lose the chub, but so far all I've gotten from going to the gym is SORE!!!
Any, I've got a thousand things to do before tomorrow so I've got to cut this one short. So for the one or two of you that my stroll to this site, thanks for reading.
Since it has been like uhhhh forever since I wrote, it's going to take forever to get the same amount of people to visit this site, but heck, if we can do it once, we can do it all again. At the peak of the Weight Loss Challenge, we were getting 100 hits a day, which for a small town blog, is pretty darn good.
I've got lots to share so hopefully most of you will tune back in.
Most importantly I've got to post some before and after pics of the 2013's Weight Loss Challenge winner. Nothing short of impressive. It will have to wait until tomorrow though, as all of the pics are at work:)
As I mentioned earlier, we've finally got a facebook page. Check it out and give us a "like"!!!
Also for those who are wondering.....yes we're going to have another Weight Loss Challenge starting January 1. My chubby butt is back up to 180 and I've been busting my butt to lose the chub, but so far all I've gotten from going to the gym is SORE!!!
Any, I've got a thousand things to do before tomorrow so I've got to cut this one short. So for the one or two of you that my stroll to this site, thanks for reading.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Ironhorse
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Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Edwin Nunez shows up for practice
It's been a really fun season so far. We're 2-1 so far with another game tonight. Last night we had a pretty cool practice. A friend of a friend of a friend (you know what I mean) arranged to have Edwin Nunez come to the practice to help out our pitchers. It was beyond great. Edwin (the enormous guy in the picture) was drafted to the pros at the age of 19 then played for 12 years before hanging it up. I'm not sure who learned more, me or the kids, but the smiles on the face of each kid after he worked with each one was priceless. He would notice little problems with their delivery, change it, and bham, the end result was a faster more accurate pitch. After each throw, the kids would just have a huge smile on their faces. I loved it. Afterwards, Edwin stayed around and signed just about everything the kids would bring up to him, balls, hats, gloves, and even the bats they use in a game.
I'm sure every kid will want to show off their new and improved skills tonight. I'm anxious to see the enthusiasm tonight. Which brings me to a new topic..............
At what point does it become more about the coaches than it does the kids? I'm just as guilty as anyone when I say I want to beat some coaches more than others. And you know what...............that's pathetic. When did the game become about me? Does any kid on my team or any other team for that matter really care which coach we beat or don't beat? Of course not.
I heard last nights games ended with a score of 30-10. In the end, from what I understand, it became coach against coach. Again, I'm not pointing fingers because I've been there. I've been on both sides.
Comments are made to one another, then suddenly both coaches just want to make the other suffer or threaten with paybacks.
Take the coaches out of the picture..................There's a kid on the pitchers mound, maybe 10-12 years old. Make that kid a priority, then everything changes. There's a 10 year old coming up to bat, make that kid a priority, then everything changes.
I prayed hard during our last game. I prayed that I would remember why I was out there. I prayed that I focused on each kid and not the game. And you know what, selfishly I had a blast. The game was over before I realized it. The kids were smiling, the parents seemed to be happy (that's a whole other subject), and yes we won. We won though because I think everyone was relaxed and having fun.
I hope and pray that I can continue to stay focused on what is important and to realize that each kid is an individual. That the sun will still come up tomorrow no matter the outcome of the game.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Were down here in the valley with our boys and a few of their friends. For his birthday, our oldest (Ryan) wanted to bring some friends down to goto Amazing Jakes. We also brought PJ, who is one of the kids on my baseball team and a kid that I have coached for a few years. I call him my 4th son:) as his parents are super busy so I'm usually picking him up and dropping him off to and from practice everyday. I could write an entire post on the joy he brings to every situation but I'll save that for later.
Today though I just wanted to mention something about the Special Olympics. Actually not even really about the Special Olympics, but those involved.
The hotel were staying at is obviously one of the host hotels for the Special Olympics. There are kids (and adults) everywhere. Those that are participating all have their uniforms on with the track number on their chest.
I don't know many kids that are special needs, but have enjoyed observing many of the kids that are staying here at the hotel. One of them even helped me prepare my coffee this morning in the lobby of the hotel.
I found myself thinking that most of us could really learn a lot from these young people. Whether many of them have the mental ability or not to give a crap about what others think about them, they don't seem to portray it or worry about it. I saw them hugging people they just met, talking loud, laughing louder, just being in their moment.
On the other hand, most of us that are deemed "normal" or without any handicap remain in our own little shell of comfort. Just keeping to ourselves and socializing with those that we know.
Can you imagine a world where we socialize more like those with a "mental handicap?". Talk about Christ like! These kids cast judgment on no one and accept everyone for who they are, loving all those around them, and not being afraid to let it show.
I could sit and watch these kids for hours. Jealous in many ways and noticing a desire to be more socially relaxed the way they are.
They bring a huge smile to someone who although states he doesn't care what anybody thinks, but obviously does. Don't most of us worry about that very thing? If we didn't, we would be more like these young people. More loving, more carefree, more socialable. In many way, who is more handicapped?
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Thursday, April 25, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
Relaxing Weekend.
Well our first little league of the season is tonight. It sure is good to finally get started. We had a small scrimmage on Saturday and if our performance on Saturday is any indication of how tonight is going to play out, we are in trouble. Nerves, nerves, nerves. It's amazing how good a kid can perform at practice and then forget everything when under pressure. I suppose even as adults we can fall apart the same way.
I've been trying to get my parent letter written, but for some reason I'm having a little harder time this year. Not sure why, this will be the 16th letter I've written over the last the 16 years, you would think I would just copy and paste it. Anybody that know's me, knows that I over analyze everything, even coaching.
This year I'm struggling with the fact that quite often Little League baseball is very little about the kids and very much about the coaches. Several of us have coached against each other for years now. Anytime I'm worried about losing to a certain team, I'm guilty of putting my own selfish interest above what I should really be focused on, the kids and teaching the game. I want to distant myself from the "coach battle" and give 100% of my efforts to teaching these kids. After all, if you teach the game, teach the fundamentals, all else will hopefully fall into place.
Equal playing time.......................Sorry but this only happens in very rare occasions. I'm not going to play a kid who spends most of his time playing x-box over a kid that spends extra time at the field. I want to see effort and I want to see the desire to improve and learn the game.
I've got a really fun group of boys this year. More fun then I've had in years. Maybe because they are older. This year I've got mostly 11 and 12 year olds and 2 ten year olds. For the most part they work well together and seem to get a lot pretty well.
Anyway, we'll see tonight if we can get the nerves under control. Gotta have fun, but also gotta take is seriously.
On a completely different note, I had a really good relaxing weekend and I so needed it!!! After the scrimmage on Saturday, my family and I went to have Pizza and Ice-Cream (yes the diet was put on hold). Then around 3:00, Coby my 10 year old, talked me into going fishing. We took a quick drive up to Horseshoe lake and pretty much just froze our finger off in the wind. We decided quickly to call it a day and try again the next morning.
So the next morning we headed up to Sunrise lake. I've never fished this early in the year and really had no idea what to expect...........that was good, because all we caught was one. The lake was gorgeous though. When the wind wasn't blowing, the lake was pristine.
Then came Hawley Lake. Still no fish, but what a relaxing way to spend the afternoon. Coby had never been there and for a ten year old, he was just amazed at how beautiful the scenery was. I think he wanted to hike more than he wanted to fish. As the saying goes, "a bad day fishing is better than a good day working". So very true.
I needed the break and actually can't wait to go back up as soon as possible. Hopefully soon the fish will start biting. We shall soon see.
Hope you all had a great weekend too.
Thanks for reading.
I've been trying to get my parent letter written, but for some reason I'm having a little harder time this year. Not sure why, this will be the 16th letter I've written over the last the 16 years, you would think I would just copy and paste it. Anybody that know's me, knows that I over analyze everything, even coaching.
This year I'm struggling with the fact that quite often Little League baseball is very little about the kids and very much about the coaches. Several of us have coached against each other for years now. Anytime I'm worried about losing to a certain team, I'm guilty of putting my own selfish interest above what I should really be focused on, the kids and teaching the game. I want to distant myself from the "coach battle" and give 100% of my efforts to teaching these kids. After all, if you teach the game, teach the fundamentals, all else will hopefully fall into place.
Equal playing time.......................Sorry but this only happens in very rare occasions. I'm not going to play a kid who spends most of his time playing x-box over a kid that spends extra time at the field. I want to see effort and I want to see the desire to improve and learn the game.
I've got a really fun group of boys this year. More fun then I've had in years. Maybe because they are older. This year I've got mostly 11 and 12 year olds and 2 ten year olds. For the most part they work well together and seem to get a lot pretty well.
Anyway, we'll see tonight if we can get the nerves under control. Gotta have fun, but also gotta take is seriously.
On a completely different note, I had a really good relaxing weekend and I so needed it!!! After the scrimmage on Saturday, my family and I went to have Pizza and Ice-Cream (yes the diet was put on hold). Then around 3:00, Coby my 10 year old, talked me into going fishing. We took a quick drive up to Horseshoe lake and pretty much just froze our finger off in the wind. We decided quickly to call it a day and try again the next morning.
So the next morning we headed up to Sunrise lake. I've never fished this early in the year and really had no idea what to expect...........that was good, because all we caught was one. The lake was gorgeous though. When the wind wasn't blowing, the lake was pristine.
I needed the break and actually can't wait to go back up as soon as possible. Hopefully soon the fish will start biting. We shall soon see.
Hope you all had a great weekend too.
Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
You Watch Over Me
by Aaron Shust
by Aaron Shust
I was lonely
You came waltzing over to me
And Your eyes they saw right through me
And You heard each one of my cries for help
And You came to rescue me
I was broken
Every prayer that I had spoken
Reached Your ears and all my tears weren't cried in vain
You carried all my pain
And put me back together again
You watch over me in the darkest valleys
You watch over me when the night seems long
You help me to see the way before me
You watch over me; You watch over me
Always faithful
To be leading, at this moment
Interceding for Your children
Though I've wandered astray from Your infinite ways
You've never left me alone -[to chorus]
Take my frozen heart; awaken me
Never once have You forsaken me
Even though I walk through this shadow of death
You will guide and defend me
You'll guard and protect me
Even though I walk through this shadow of death
You will lead me home
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
I'm thinking about starting a different blog. I think it would be easier to write about certain things if it wasn't connected to the company. While were still a small town company, I think it wise to keep business separate and write the more personal stuff on a different site.
With that said, have you ever wanted to forgive someone for something yet struggled like crazy from within to whole heartily forgive that person? Even more difficult, a parent or step parent? Will expand on that later, likely in a different blog, but I'll give you the new blog site when it's up and ready.
All I know is that life is full of challenges. So many ups and downs, so many trials. When your trying to live the life of a good Christian person, sometimes these challenges can really weigh on you. Lots and lots of prayer and hopefully answers.
With that said, have you ever wanted to forgive someone for something yet struggled like crazy from within to whole heartily forgive that person? Even more difficult, a parent or step parent? Will expand on that later, likely in a different blog, but I'll give you the new blog site when it's up and ready.
All I know is that life is full of challenges. So many ups and downs, so many trials. When your trying to live the life of a good Christian person, sometimes these challenges can really weigh on you. Lots and lots of prayer and hopefully answers.
Growth.................equals more challenges
I'm fried!!! Not in the sunburn kind of way, but in the mental psychological kind of way. Work, personal, etc, I'm just fried, burned out, tired. I'm not even sure why.
I started AOM 9 years ago. First employee was a very part time respiratory therapist. Now we have 9 employees. With growth comes many more challenges. My goal has never been for AOM to be ran like a corporate company. This too can cause a whole new level of challenges. Corporate companies have rules/regulations, policies, that have no gray area. Every patient, every client is treated the same. The patient per se becomes a number, an invoice, a quota. In many ways this makes it much easier for employees to follow the "ground rules".
At AOM, I refuse to let the company go there. Every patient is an individual with their own individual needs. This becomes difficult when say the customer speaks to Employee A then calls back and speaks to Employee B. When treating each patient/client differently, it is immensely important to keep notes about all communication made with clients. This way each employee knows what were doing to help meet that patients needs. It may be financial, extra products, special equipment, etc, but again, each patient is treated individually.
The can cause problems when all of your staff isn't on the same page. Then you throw in the excessive audits that Medicare is performing. Who's job is it to gather all the paperwork to meet the deadline of the audit? Is it the intake coordinators? Is it the collections staff, or the billing staff? Some DME companies now pay a staff member just to deal with the audits, that's how overwhelming Medicare has become. No longer is a prescription all you need. Now you need face to face clinical notes, history and physicals, ortho evaluations, etc. it's never ending. It's not that medicare is combating fraud among DME companies, but they are just making it harder to justify payment.
I had a great meeting with our pharmacy rep today. I don't have to deal very much with medications, but did you know that Medicare recipients have to buy into Part D? Did you know that there is a whole separate deductible for Part D? Did you know that it capped out at $2700.00? I didn't. I would guess that most seniors hit that 2700.00 mark pretty easily. I guess what I don't understand is how is a 70 year old senior, on a fixed income, is supposed to afford all of this?
Sorry, there was such a delay in posts. I wanted to make sure all the Weightloss Challengers saw the results. I still haven't heard from a few of you and if you haven't received your prize, it will arrive this week.
Thanks for reading.
I started AOM 9 years ago. First employee was a very part time respiratory therapist. Now we have 9 employees. With growth comes many more challenges. My goal has never been for AOM to be ran like a corporate company. This too can cause a whole new level of challenges. Corporate companies have rules/regulations, policies, that have no gray area. Every patient, every client is treated the same. The patient per se becomes a number, an invoice, a quota. In many ways this makes it much easier for employees to follow the "ground rules".
At AOM, I refuse to let the company go there. Every patient is an individual with their own individual needs. This becomes difficult when say the customer speaks to Employee A then calls back and speaks to Employee B. When treating each patient/client differently, it is immensely important to keep notes about all communication made with clients. This way each employee knows what were doing to help meet that patients needs. It may be financial, extra products, special equipment, etc, but again, each patient is treated individually.
The can cause problems when all of your staff isn't on the same page. Then you throw in the excessive audits that Medicare is performing. Who's job is it to gather all the paperwork to meet the deadline of the audit? Is it the intake coordinators? Is it the collections staff, or the billing staff? Some DME companies now pay a staff member just to deal with the audits, that's how overwhelming Medicare has become. No longer is a prescription all you need. Now you need face to face clinical notes, history and physicals, ortho evaluations, etc. it's never ending. It's not that medicare is combating fraud among DME companies, but they are just making it harder to justify payment.
I had a great meeting with our pharmacy rep today. I don't have to deal very much with medications, but did you know that Medicare recipients have to buy into Part D? Did you know that there is a whole separate deductible for Part D? Did you know that it capped out at $2700.00? I didn't. I would guess that most seniors hit that 2700.00 mark pretty easily. I guess what I don't understand is how is a 70 year old senior, on a fixed income, is supposed to afford all of this?
Sorry, there was such a delay in posts. I wanted to make sure all the Weightloss Challengers saw the results. I still haven't heard from a few of you and if you haven't received your prize, it will arrive this week.
Thanks for reading.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Titleless
Well now that the weight loss challenge is over (by the way, if you want your prizes, you better email me) I've decided to try the same diet my wife is on. I'm only doing it temporarily, just to get a jump start on things. It's the BodHD diet. I started it last night and right now, I'M HUNGRY!!! Smoothie for dinner and a smoothie for breakfast. I'm not sure if it's a sugar thing or what, but my hands are shaking like crazy. While I really want to eat, I'm going to push through the shakes (I get to eat a hard boiled egg as a snack, yummy:) ) and wait for my mid morning snack. I rarely do things like this with my wife, so I figured it was time for me to step up and work on doing more little things together....you know, things like starving each other.
Back to the baseball grind today. Now that we've had two days of cancellations because of the weather, it's time to catch back up. I think I posted a while back that I was really having to talk myself into coaching this year, but so far I'm having a great time. I've got a great little team who really seems to want to learn the game.
Not much time to write this morning, but wanted to leave you with this. If you're like me (I pitty you if you are) when youre hungry and in a hurry, you think the Taco Bell taco is the closest thing to somewhat healthy. Well here ya go.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/1001083-whats-really-inside-taco-bell-crunchy-beef-taco/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=april10
To bad Safeway doesn't have a drive thru produce department. "Yes, I would like to order 2 apples and a banana please". :)
Have a great morning.
note: My wife has my boiled egg snack and she's still not here. Shakes are pretty much gone though.
Back to the baseball grind today. Now that we've had two days of cancellations because of the weather, it's time to catch back up. I think I posted a while back that I was really having to talk myself into coaching this year, but so far I'm having a great time. I've got a great little team who really seems to want to learn the game.
Not much time to write this morning, but wanted to leave you with this. If you're like me (I pitty you if you are) when youre hungry and in a hurry, you think the Taco Bell taco is the closest thing to somewhat healthy. Well here ya go.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/1001083-whats-really-inside-taco-bell-crunchy-beef-taco/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=april10
To bad Safeway doesn't have a drive thru produce department. "Yes, I would like to order 2 apples and a banana please". :)
Have a great morning.
note: My wife has my boiled egg snack and she's still not here. Shakes are pretty much gone though.
Monday, April 8, 2013
And the Winners Are:
We always start with more people then what we end up with:) . Dieting is not an easy task. Changing one's lifestyle is not an easy task either. For those of you that are still striving towards your goals, keep it up.
Here are the winners of this years challenge. Very impressive. I'm hoping some will send some after pics. Sizzlean, I'm not sure if you will, but hope you send some as well. You guys/gals kicked some major butt and at times it was you guys that kept me motivated.
| Individual | Percent Lost | |
| 1st Place | Someday Skinny | 16.77 |
| 2nd Place | CantW82BSkinny | 11.36 |
| 3rd Place | Andibean | 7.72 |
| Team | Team Avg | |
| 1st Place | Fit Quest | 7.95 |
| 2nd Place | Thin it 2 Win It | 2.55 |
I tried to center the above chart, but no luck. So here's the prizes this year:
Individual Prizes:
1st Place: $300.00
2nd Place: $200.00
3rd Place: $100.00
Team Prizes:
1st Place: $250.00
2nd Place: $150.00
If you're one of the winners, email me (don't forget to include your real name) your mailing address and I'll get your prizes out asap!!! Again, congrats to all. If you haven't reaching your goal weight by January 1, 2014, we will hope to see you again next year:).
Sunday, April 7, 2013
One more day
Only a little more than 24 hours left in the challenge. Unless someone posts some super incredible numbers, it looks as though Someday Skinny and CantW82BSkinny will be going 1,2. I'm hoping Someday has taken some before and after shots because her numbers are incredible.
I've sort of decided to keep the challenge going for one more month. I say sort of because I'm going to give the monetary prizes to those that place in the first half of the contest (ending tomorrow night at Midnight), but I'm going to try and come up with some cool prizes for those that stay involved through the second half. So for the 2nd half, the end of the contest will be May 10th at Midnight.
For those of you that have stuck with us through these torturous few months, thanks and good job. It's not easy to eat well and exercise through the winter months. I'm hoping that now with the warmer weather, this month long extension may be beneficial to some of you.
I apologize for the lack of posts lately. Between family, work, gym, and little league, it's tough to find any downtime. I've got a few things that I really want to write about it, but I don't want to be rushed when putting it into words.
One of the posts has something to do with the question "what is your purpose". I was watching a special on ESPN this weekend about Chris Spielman, who was a linebacker for the Detroit Lions. I won't go into detail right now, but he's a prime example of following your dream and understanding your purpose in life, even when that "purpose" isn't what you had originally planned.
The other post sort of goes hand in hand with the "what is your purpose" one, but it has a bit more to do with the sermon at church this weekend. I may in fact combine the two, but I'm not sure yet. Hopefully I'll be able to post it either tomorrow or Tuesday. I'll also be posting the winners of the challenge first thing Tuesday morning.
It's getting late so I gotta get ready for tomorrow.
I've sort of decided to keep the challenge going for one more month. I say sort of because I'm going to give the monetary prizes to those that place in the first half of the contest (ending tomorrow night at Midnight), but I'm going to try and come up with some cool prizes for those that stay involved through the second half. So for the 2nd half, the end of the contest will be May 10th at Midnight.
For those of you that have stuck with us through these torturous few months, thanks and good job. It's not easy to eat well and exercise through the winter months. I'm hoping that now with the warmer weather, this month long extension may be beneficial to some of you.
I apologize for the lack of posts lately. Between family, work, gym, and little league, it's tough to find any downtime. I've got a few things that I really want to write about it, but I don't want to be rushed when putting it into words.
One of the posts has something to do with the question "what is your purpose". I was watching a special on ESPN this weekend about Chris Spielman, who was a linebacker for the Detroit Lions. I won't go into detail right now, but he's a prime example of following your dream and understanding your purpose in life, even when that "purpose" isn't what you had originally planned.
The other post sort of goes hand in hand with the "what is your purpose" one, but it has a bit more to do with the sermon at church this weekend. I may in fact combine the two, but I'm not sure yet. Hopefully I'll be able to post it either tomorrow or Tuesday. I'll also be posting the winners of the challenge first thing Tuesday morning.
It's getting late so I gotta get ready for tomorrow.
Friday, April 5, 2013
No Excuses
Ok, I promise I'm not on a YouTube kick this morning. Just have one more: If you're filling yourself with excuses not to get outside and do something active this weekend. Here ya go: Quit your whining, quit your excuses. We are all so blessed in a million ways. Make the most of it.
I don't understand spanish or whatever language this is in, but it's inspiring nonetheless.
I don't understand spanish or whatever language this is in, but it's inspiring nonetheless.
Making Christ Cool
I started a post last night, but as most of them are it was quite boring.
Last night before falling off to sleep, I was watching an old fight between Victor Ortiz and Josesito Lopez. I was too tired to watch the entire thing so I hit the good ol record button so that I could watch it later. The fight was on Showtime so wouldn't it be common sense to think that when I turned the TV back on this morning, the TV would still be on the Showtime channel, right?
Nope. Instead I hear a guy reciting a poem. First all I could think of was wow, is this on a cable channel? What cable organization stepped up and allowed this? Of course though, once I hit the guide button, it wasn't on the Showtime channel. I guess that would be like NBC allowing something positive to be said about Christianity. Somehow though, my TV ended up on the ABCFamily channel. I can't find the actual poem that was being read, but it was Jeff Bethke who has some pretty good stuff on you tube. Here's a pretty cool one.
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SkZg1ZflpJs?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
This next one was played at church the other night. This one got me thinking about all the young people that so desperately need some moral direction. How do you make Christ cool? Sure to all of us "old" people, it's easier to see the importance of having Him in your life, but to our young people, it rates up there with carrots for dinner or having to watch the 700 Club on primetime. Now imagine this guy sharing his story with young people. I'm thinking they would at least be partly interested, "wow, you can believe and be cool".
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/K48-Li7lIfA?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Most importantly though, is just laying the seed. As parents, as mentors, as friends........living by example is probably the most powerful tool we have. It can be frustrating sometime as you don't see instant results, but that's where God comes in. You do your part, He'll do his. Let's all step up, don't be a part of the crowd, but be something more. Take the hard road. Be the example your meant to be.
Last night before falling off to sleep, I was watching an old fight between Victor Ortiz and Josesito Lopez. I was too tired to watch the entire thing so I hit the good ol record button so that I could watch it later. The fight was on Showtime so wouldn't it be common sense to think that when I turned the TV back on this morning, the TV would still be on the Showtime channel, right?
Nope. Instead I hear a guy reciting a poem. First all I could think of was wow, is this on a cable channel? What cable organization stepped up and allowed this? Of course though, once I hit the guide button, it wasn't on the Showtime channel. I guess that would be like NBC allowing something positive to be said about Christianity. Somehow though, my TV ended up on the ABCFamily channel. I can't find the actual poem that was being read, but it was Jeff Bethke who has some pretty good stuff on you tube. Here's a pretty cool one.
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SkZg1ZflpJs?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
This next one was played at church the other night. This one got me thinking about all the young people that so desperately need some moral direction. How do you make Christ cool? Sure to all of us "old" people, it's easier to see the importance of having Him in your life, but to our young people, it rates up there with carrots for dinner or having to watch the 700 Club on primetime. Now imagine this guy sharing his story with young people. I'm thinking they would at least be partly interested, "wow, you can believe and be cool".
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/K48-Li7lIfA?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Most importantly though, is just laying the seed. As parents, as mentors, as friends........living by example is probably the most powerful tool we have. It can be frustrating sometime as you don't see instant results, but that's where God comes in. You do your part, He'll do his. Let's all step up, don't be a part of the crowd, but be something more. Take the hard road. Be the example your meant to be.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
It's Baseball Time
Little League season has arrived. We had the draft last night and will have our first practice tomorrow. We ended up with a fairly young team, but I'm really looking forward to having a lot of fun. I met a few of the boys at the field today just to throw the ball around and get a few hits in.
I thought this was my 14th year coaching, but I found an old picture of a minor league team that I had coached back in 97 and I've been coaching ever since. 16 years!!! I'm old!!!
Shouldn't I be the perfect coach by now? There are times when I still feel like I'm fumbling around with trying to teach the basics. While I think form is super important, repetition is ranked just as high. You can't beat just going outside and throwing a baseball around for an hour. I realize they are just kids, but I think striving for perfection with everything you teach only makes for better young ball players. The goal isn't to create robot like players who all play just alike, but to work on a players current skills and improve upon them. No throw is going to be alike and no swing is going to be alike. I think that's where some coaches fail. They try to make every kid swing just like the last book they read, or the last video they watched. At this age and with what little time we have to teach, those things just aren't going to happen. Little League lasts on average about 11 weeks (if you don't count all star season). It's a real challenge to change a kids habits in that amount of time. Repetition, repetition, repetition. This is the only way to make something become habit.
In years past, we've always had at least 12 kids per team. Numbers are so low this year that we each only have 11 kids. This is good and bad. It's good because you only have to substitute two players. It's bad because once summer gets here, it's much more likely to have only 8 kids show up for a game therefor having to forfeit. I've never had to forfeit a game and I definitely don't want to start now.
It's going to be a fun season. For a change, I'm really looking forward to the season this year. I was really starting to feel burned out and even this year I was worried I wasn't going to feel like coaching, but now that we have started, I'm confident were going to have fun.
Only 6 days left in the challenge. I'm hoping everyone sticks with it even after the 8th. A few of you have asked me to keep posting and to keep the challenge going, unofficially of course. I'm game for that if enough people are interested. With the weather warming up, I'm thinking it will be easier for people to start dropping the weight. After seeing the success that Someday Skinny is having with Mydietitian.com, I'm thinking about signing up. While I don't think eating good is rocket science, I do think that being accountable to someone who is going to evaluate your food habits can be beneficial. I'd like to start riding my bike to work, but I have all my baseball gear to haul so I'm not sure how to make that work. I could use the added miles though.
Well it's getting late and tomorrow is going to be a long day. Hope you all are doing well. Good night.
I thought this was my 14th year coaching, but I found an old picture of a minor league team that I had coached back in 97 and I've been coaching ever since. 16 years!!! I'm old!!!
Shouldn't I be the perfect coach by now? There are times when I still feel like I'm fumbling around with trying to teach the basics. While I think form is super important, repetition is ranked just as high. You can't beat just going outside and throwing a baseball around for an hour. I realize they are just kids, but I think striving for perfection with everything you teach only makes for better young ball players. The goal isn't to create robot like players who all play just alike, but to work on a players current skills and improve upon them. No throw is going to be alike and no swing is going to be alike. I think that's where some coaches fail. They try to make every kid swing just like the last book they read, or the last video they watched. At this age and with what little time we have to teach, those things just aren't going to happen. Little League lasts on average about 11 weeks (if you don't count all star season). It's a real challenge to change a kids habits in that amount of time. Repetition, repetition, repetition. This is the only way to make something become habit.
In years past, we've always had at least 12 kids per team. Numbers are so low this year that we each only have 11 kids. This is good and bad. It's good because you only have to substitute two players. It's bad because once summer gets here, it's much more likely to have only 8 kids show up for a game therefor having to forfeit. I've never had to forfeit a game and I definitely don't want to start now.
It's going to be a fun season. For a change, I'm really looking forward to the season this year. I was really starting to feel burned out and even this year I was worried I wasn't going to feel like coaching, but now that we have started, I'm confident were going to have fun.
Only 6 days left in the challenge. I'm hoping everyone sticks with it even after the 8th. A few of you have asked me to keep posting and to keep the challenge going, unofficially of course. I'm game for that if enough people are interested. With the weather warming up, I'm thinking it will be easier for people to start dropping the weight. After seeing the success that Someday Skinny is having with Mydietitian.com, I'm thinking about signing up. While I don't think eating good is rocket science, I do think that being accountable to someone who is going to evaluate your food habits can be beneficial. I'd like to start riding my bike to work, but I have all my baseball gear to haul so I'm not sure how to make that work. I could use the added miles though.
Well it's getting late and tomorrow is going to be a long day. Hope you all are doing well. Good night.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Awesome Weekend
What an awesome weekend. Super busy, but had a great time. My brother and his family had come over from Cottonwood to spend the weekend while also celebrating his 11 year old son's birthday.
There was no downtime on Saturday. The day began with a little bit of yard work, then off to the last Saturday of Little League tryouts. I thought that being the last day that there would be a million kids there, but there weren't. The numbers sure have been way down over the last couple of years. This was also the first year that I can remember that both tryouts were sunny and warm. When is that last freak storm going to hit?
After tryouts, we all met up with my brothers family at the bowling alley. What a blast. Much better then the Wii, but I think most of us have much better luck playing on the Wii then we did playing the real thing. I do have to brag a little though, in one game I completely had luck on my side and bowled 5 strikes in a row (then I completely sank after that).
It was about 4:00 when we finished bowling. It was going to be a rushed evening as we were going to have a birthday spaghetti dinner at my brothers then Christy and I wanted to make it to the Easter Eve service at church. So that's what we did. While the boys stayed at my brothers house to play, Christy and I headed to The Church. Couldn't ask for a better way to end the evening.
Then came Easter!!! I don't think Easter has ever meant so much to me as it has this year. I've never really taken the time to think about the Miracle that happened on this day. How a perfect God in human form could give His life for so many of us who hardly deserve it. Would you ever even offer to give the life of any of your children for any of those around you? I can flat out say, I wouldn't.
To make dad happy, everyone was dressed and ready on time for church. This was our Church's inaugural Sunday service so we really had no idea what to expect as far as turn out. I had hoped and prayed that the turnout would be outstanding and it was excellent. Church was awesome. The music was awesome, the message was awesome, the people were awesome. I'm glad the dim the lights during the music because the tears can certainly fall. Music sure is a powerful tool when it comes to bringing out the emotions. Everything in life is good and I'm so thankful for all of it. Work, Family, Friends, I'm blessed all around.
There was no downtime on Saturday. The day began with a little bit of yard work, then off to the last Saturday of Little League tryouts. I thought that being the last day that there would be a million kids there, but there weren't. The numbers sure have been way down over the last couple of years. This was also the first year that I can remember that both tryouts were sunny and warm. When is that last freak storm going to hit?
After tryouts, we all met up with my brothers family at the bowling alley. What a blast. Much better then the Wii, but I think most of us have much better luck playing on the Wii then we did playing the real thing. I do have to brag a little though, in one game I completely had luck on my side and bowled 5 strikes in a row (then I completely sank after that).
It was about 4:00 when we finished bowling. It was going to be a rushed evening as we were going to have a birthday spaghetti dinner at my brothers then Christy and I wanted to make it to the Easter Eve service at church. So that's what we did. While the boys stayed at my brothers house to play, Christy and I headed to The Church. Couldn't ask for a better way to end the evening.
Then came Easter!!! I don't think Easter has ever meant so much to me as it has this year. I've never really taken the time to think about the Miracle that happened on this day. How a perfect God in human form could give His life for so many of us who hardly deserve it. Would you ever even offer to give the life of any of your children for any of those around you? I can flat out say, I wouldn't.
To make dad happy, everyone was dressed and ready on time for church. This was our Church's inaugural Sunday service so we really had no idea what to expect as far as turn out. I had hoped and prayed that the turnout would be outstanding and it was excellent. Church was awesome. The music was awesome, the message was awesome, the people were awesome. I'm glad the dim the lights during the music because the tears can certainly fall. Music sure is a powerful tool when it comes to bringing out the emotions. Everything in life is good and I'm so thankful for all of it. Work, Family, Friends, I'm blessed all around.
This was supposed to be our gangster look:) Not too good at looking "Bad"! I think my wife looks the toughest (in her dress and all) :)
After church, we headed to my brothers to join family and friends for our annual Easter Fest. Food and Games and Friends. Frisbee, KanJam, baseball, etc, and lots of food. I couldn't have asked for a better day.
Hoping everyone else had just as much fun this weekend. While back to the grind, let us walk the walk we are meant to. Keeping God out front and trusting Him to guide our every step.
Have a great day!!!!
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Happy Easter
Happy Easter!!!!!
Let us not forget the Ultimate Sacrifice.
I fall so short of His Glory but I'm thankful to be forgiven.
"A life of true worship will find Jesus at the center of every thought and action. An impossible possibility."
Friday, March 29, 2013
Spandex...................tooooo tight!!!!
Doug (the head chef at Chalet) talked me into going for a little bike ride today. What I thought was just going to be a casual calorie burner turned into a brutal, burn up the lungs fest. For some reason, Doug had every intent on making this ride hurt............he succeeded. I felt like I was going to puke up every bit of food I ate while in Phoenix.
The worst part though,,,,,,,,,I accidentally put my 13 year olds cycling shorts in my bag. Yes I wore them. And yes it was an awful site, but there was no way I was going to miss out on a such a beautiful afternoon. I learned a couple of things about wearing spandex a size too small.............Wanna feel fatter, put on a tight pair of spandex shorts. These things created the most disgusting muffin top you can imagine. Also, apparently the ass end of these shorts were cut lower because I had to keep pulling my jersey down in order to keep from mooning the cars behind me. Just a complete grotesque and humbling ride. So if any of you poor souls saw me out riding today, I apologize now for the nightmares that are bound to occur. Ugh, I make myself nauseous just thinking about it.
Well it's almost quitting time, at least for now. I'll post more this weekend. For all you Blue Ridge parents, the last day of Little League tryouts are tomorrow. If your kid is so blessed to have this spandex wearing, shaved leg pathetic excuse of a bike rider for a coach, plan on a week of evening practices. :) Baseball season has arrived.
Have a super good (that's just a good word) night. Happy Good Friday.
The worst part though,,,,,,,,,I accidentally put my 13 year olds cycling shorts in my bag. Yes I wore them. And yes it was an awful site, but there was no way I was going to miss out on a such a beautiful afternoon. I learned a couple of things about wearing spandex a size too small.............Wanna feel fatter, put on a tight pair of spandex shorts. These things created the most disgusting muffin top you can imagine. Also, apparently the ass end of these shorts were cut lower because I had to keep pulling my jersey down in order to keep from mooning the cars behind me. Just a complete grotesque and humbling ride. So if any of you poor souls saw me out riding today, I apologize now for the nightmares that are bound to occur. Ugh, I make myself nauseous just thinking about it.
Well it's almost quitting time, at least for now. I'll post more this weekend. For all you Blue Ridge parents, the last day of Little League tryouts are tomorrow. If your kid is so blessed to have this spandex wearing, shaved leg pathetic excuse of a bike rider for a coach, plan on a week of evening practices. :) Baseball season has arrived.
Have a super good (that's just a good word) night. Happy Good Friday.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Almost 17%%%
I'm feeling like quite the pansy weight loser today. I haven't weighed in since being back from the valley and I'm not sure I want to. The woman in me say's "I feel fat today".
What really makes me feel wimpy is the numbers being posted by a few of you. Someday Skinny is almost at 17%!! I'm struggling to get back to 4%. Personally, I'm telling myself that my numbers are completely unacceptable. I know for a fact that I can do better. I feel better, both psychologically and physically when I'm eating better and feeling thinner. I just want to kick myself in the butt sometimes.
So for what it's worth, Someday Skinny, you motivate me to want to do better. Your numbers are quite impressive.
Can'tw8, Andi, Toots, Chubby, you guys are all kicking some major butt. Keep it up!!!!
What really makes me feel wimpy is the numbers being posted by a few of you. Someday Skinny is almost at 17%!! I'm struggling to get back to 4%. Personally, I'm telling myself that my numbers are completely unacceptable. I know for a fact that I can do better. I feel better, both psychologically and physically when I'm eating better and feeling thinner. I just want to kick myself in the butt sometimes.
So for what it's worth, Someday Skinny, you motivate me to want to do better. Your numbers are quite impressive.
Can'tw8, Andi, Toots, Chubby, you guys are all kicking some major butt. Keep it up!!!!
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Spring Break 2013
I've written several drafts while being down here in Phoenix, but just never finished any of them. So I guess I'll just compile everything into this one.
I'm sad to say that today is our last day of vacation. Our few days of warmth and relaxation have come to an end. I can't wait for summer vacation this year. It's going to be a fun one.
So we arrived here about midnight last Thursday. Christy found this super cheap little house (cheaper then any decent hotel) over in East Mesa. It has been the perfect little place. It had a "community" pool, but the thing was so cold we never spent any time in it.
The subdivision is across the highway from Dana Park so we never really had to go far to shop,eat, or just walk around. It's rare that we ever stay this far East, but it's been really nice over here.
Our first full day here was spent relaxing and visiting a few "touristy" places. We spent most of the early afternoon at TumbleWeed park in South Mesa (at least I think that's where we were). If you have little kids, this park is great. Lots of playground equipment, lots of grass, and lots of sidewalks. While Keevan played on all the toys, Coby and I decided to throw the baseball around a little, Ryan rode his longboard around, and Christy split time chasing Keev and relaxing. Funny, it was only about 75 degrees, yet the kids were complaining that it was hot.
After the park we decided to head to the other side of Mesa and visit the Air Museum at Falcon Field. I hadn't been there since I was a little kid, but it was something that I had always remembered. I'm hoping my boys will always remember a small part of it as well. It's just always an incredible feeling to realize what our countrymen have been through in order to provide the freedoms we so often take for granted (ie, me typing in a public place on a public forum for example).
As soon as you walk in the hangar, you're in awe at all the amazing aircraft. From the little bi-planes of World War I, to the jets of the Vietnam Era, and of course the amazing B-17. Sentimental Journey never saw Europe during the confines of World War II, but if you have ever seen the movie "Memphis Belle", it will give you a sense of the beatings these planes took. Until you climb aboard one of these giant pieces of steel, it's hard to understand what these guys must have felt while in the air (not that we would ever understand). To be sitting in that ball turret while the enemy planes were attempting to shoot you out of the air......uhhhh no thanks!!!
As we get older and as our kids grow up, I think its so important for them to learn as much as we can teach them about our country's history, the principles in which it was founded, and the importance of staying true to your beliefs. Like my kids, I had no idea when I was here as a kid, the importance of what I was looking at. I can only hope that when my kids are older, they too will understand.
Saturday was pretty much a day of relaxing. We spent almost the entire morning and afternoon hanging out around the house. Christy had bought a brutally tough puzzle for us all to work on throughout the break, but I think in the end, she ended up putting most of it together by herself, though I did find a few a pieces that fit. We had found a small park just on the opposite side of the road where we were staying so that afternoon we all headed over there to mess around. We threw the football and frisbee around while trying to soak up as much sun as possible. After that we headed to Five Guys for dinner:) Ryan had been craving it and you just can't beat their burgers. After chowing down on the Five Guy feast, we walked to other side of the shopping center to end the day with some tasty frozen yogurt. What better way to end a really good day?
What's a trip to the valley without South Mountain:). Sunday just happened to be Silent Sunday at South Mountain park. If you don't know about Silent Sunday, the park is closed once a month (usually the last Sunday) to all motorized vehicles. It's a great time to bring your family and not worry about getting ran over.:) We loaded up the bikes, some chairs, and some snacks and headed over to South Mountain. The weather was beautiful. Christy hadn't planned on riding, so she stayed in the parking lot and played around with Keevan (I must say though, she made the most of her time, while Keevan was riding around his little bike, she learned to ride the long board). Ryan, Coby, and I headed up towards the towers. It was getting warm and if you have ever been here, parts of the climb can't get pretty hot and steep. Ryan rode up like a champ. Coby......well he didn't like it so much. It was his really first introduction pain on the bike. He is not one to push it very hard. While I would never compare one brother to another (they each have their own individual gifts) Ryan has always been pretty good on a bike. He's ridden Colorado, he's ridden Mount Lemmon, he's just been all over, and not once (as he should be proud to say) has he ever walked his bike. For a 13 year old kid who has been riding for a long time, that pretty impressive. Most kids would be like Coby was on Sunday and just say, I'm tired I need a break. It took a lot longer then planned to get to the top. In fact, Ryan had already started his second trek to the top when Coby and I passed him going down. Fast or slow, the day was great. Even better, the day ended at Red Lobster:).
Ahhh Monday. Monday morning was again spent just chilling out around the house. A friend of ours had invited us to join her son's birthday party at K1 Racing. Who am I to turn down an opportunity to drive fast, even if it's in a little go kart? What a blast. These little karts rock!! It's all electric, so you're not gagging on fumes, plus it's indoors so the temp is perfect. If you ever have a chance to go, I highly recommend it.
I'm sad to say that today is our last day of vacation. Our few days of warmth and relaxation have come to an end. I can't wait for summer vacation this year. It's going to be a fun one.
So we arrived here about midnight last Thursday. Christy found this super cheap little house (cheaper then any decent hotel) over in East Mesa. It has been the perfect little place. It had a "community" pool, but the thing was so cold we never spent any time in it.
The subdivision is across the highway from Dana Park so we never really had to go far to shop,eat, or just walk around. It's rare that we ever stay this far East, but it's been really nice over here.
Our first full day here was spent relaxing and visiting a few "touristy" places. We spent most of the early afternoon at TumbleWeed park in South Mesa (at least I think that's where we were). If you have little kids, this park is great. Lots of playground equipment, lots of grass, and lots of sidewalks. While Keevan played on all the toys, Coby and I decided to throw the baseball around a little, Ryan rode his longboard around, and Christy split time chasing Keev and relaxing. Funny, it was only about 75 degrees, yet the kids were complaining that it was hot.
After the park we decided to head to the other side of Mesa and visit the Air Museum at Falcon Field. I hadn't been there since I was a little kid, but it was something that I had always remembered. I'm hoping my boys will always remember a small part of it as well. It's just always an incredible feeling to realize what our countrymen have been through in order to provide the freedoms we so often take for granted (ie, me typing in a public place on a public forum for example).
As soon as you walk in the hangar, you're in awe at all the amazing aircraft. From the little bi-planes of World War I, to the jets of the Vietnam Era, and of course the amazing B-17. Sentimental Journey never saw Europe during the confines of World War II, but if you have ever seen the movie "Memphis Belle", it will give you a sense of the beatings these planes took. Until you climb aboard one of these giant pieces of steel, it's hard to understand what these guys must have felt while in the air (not that we would ever understand). To be sitting in that ball turret while the enemy planes were attempting to shoot you out of the air......uhhhh no thanks!!!
Ball Turret Under B-17
The biggest plane they would let Keevan fly.
The F-4 Phantom
My dad's favorites, the P-51 Mustang
"Sentimental Journey" beautifully restored B-17
Logo painted on a Vietnam Era helicopter
Can't imagine ever receiving one of these. Millions were sent.
As we get older and as our kids grow up, I think its so important for them to learn as much as we can teach them about our country's history, the principles in which it was founded, and the importance of staying true to your beliefs. Like my kids, I had no idea when I was here as a kid, the importance of what I was looking at. I can only hope that when my kids are older, they too will understand.
Saturday was pretty much a day of relaxing. We spent almost the entire morning and afternoon hanging out around the house. Christy had bought a brutally tough puzzle for us all to work on throughout the break, but I think in the end, she ended up putting most of it together by herself, though I did find a few a pieces that fit. We had found a small park just on the opposite side of the road where we were staying so that afternoon we all headed over there to mess around. We threw the football and frisbee around while trying to soak up as much sun as possible. After that we headed to Five Guys for dinner:) Ryan had been craving it and you just can't beat their burgers. After chowing down on the Five Guy feast, we walked to other side of the shopping center to end the day with some tasty frozen yogurt. What better way to end a really good day?
What's a trip to the valley without South Mountain:). Sunday just happened to be Silent Sunday at South Mountain park. If you don't know about Silent Sunday, the park is closed once a month (usually the last Sunday) to all motorized vehicles. It's a great time to bring your family and not worry about getting ran over.:) We loaded up the bikes, some chairs, and some snacks and headed over to South Mountain. The weather was beautiful. Christy hadn't planned on riding, so she stayed in the parking lot and played around with Keevan (I must say though, she made the most of her time, while Keevan was riding around his little bike, she learned to ride the long board). Ryan, Coby, and I headed up towards the towers. It was getting warm and if you have ever been here, parts of the climb can't get pretty hot and steep. Ryan rode up like a champ. Coby......well he didn't like it so much. It was his really first introduction pain on the bike. He is not one to push it very hard. While I would never compare one brother to another (they each have their own individual gifts) Ryan has always been pretty good on a bike. He's ridden Colorado, he's ridden Mount Lemmon, he's just been all over, and not once (as he should be proud to say) has he ever walked his bike. For a 13 year old kid who has been riding for a long time, that pretty impressive. Most kids would be like Coby was on Sunday and just say, I'm tired I need a break. It took a lot longer then planned to get to the top. In fact, Ryan had already started his second trek to the top when Coby and I passed him going down. Fast or slow, the day was great. Even better, the day ended at Red Lobster:).
Ahhh Monday. Monday morning was again spent just chilling out around the house. A friend of ours had invited us to join her son's birthday party at K1 Racing. Who am I to turn down an opportunity to drive fast, even if it's in a little go kart? What a blast. These little karts rock!! It's all electric, so you're not gagging on fumes, plus it's indoors so the temp is perfect. If you ever have a chance to go, I highly recommend it.
Coby getting ready for his race.
Our last full day here was spent at the Phoenix Zoo. Holy cow, I think the entire state was at the zoo. I have never seen such long lines. It was crazy. After getting in though, it didn't seem so crowded. I had to laugh though, if you're ever feeling down about yourself, just go sit at the zoo for a while. It's almost as entertaining as sitting at the mall. There are people of all types. The TV show "What Not to Wear" could be busy full time!!
Keevan's only desire was to see the lions and tigers and to pet the goats:). All of which we accomplished. No matter how many times I've been to the zoo, I'm always amazed at the big cats. Tigers are such a majestically cool animal.
Which brings me to today :( My last morning at Starbucks. I'm not ready to go back to the real world. I would love a few more day to just sit and read a book. This weekend is the last weekend of baseball tryouts then we pick our teams on Monday night. Little League is then on, full bore. 3 weeks of practice then 2 games a week with at least 2 practices. Every year, little league seems to dominate my entire Spring and Early Summer schedule, as well as my family's. This year I'm not going to let that happen. While I will give my team everything I've got, I'm going to spend some time working on the yard, spending it with my wife and kids, and just having a good time.
Well, I guess I better finish up this Cappuccino and get back to the house. Hope everyone has had a great week. I don't think my goal of coming home a little lighter is going to be reached, but I don't think I've gained any either. One more week for the weight loss challenge. Dig deep people!!!
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
There's no I in Team
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
1st Day of Spring Break
Ahhhhh, my first day of vacation. We didn't get out of town until late last night and finally arrived in Mesa at around midnight. I figure my only quiet time is going to be in the morning before everyone gets up, so here I am, 6:30 am at the nearest Starbucks. Honestly, I'd probably much rather be sleeping, but it's pretty nice being out and about with the rest of the coffee drinking world.
Other than relaxing, we don't have a whole lot planned. In fact, I don't think we have a single thing planned for today. I'm guessing the boys will want to hit the pool (no matter what the temperature is). We're down here until Wednesday, so it's going to be some good down time, at least that's what I'm hoping for.
While I'm away, I'll do my best at posting all the updated weigh ins as they come in. Only two weeks left!!! I'm praying that everyone still has some motivation left. I'm planning on losing a few pounds while I'm down here. In fact, I even ordered a coffee without all the sugar. It's not quite as enjoyable, but I want to see some good numbers on the scale when I get back.
If any of you are heading down this way over the weekend, just a heads up, this weekend is Silent Sunday at South Mountain. That means no cars allowed. Bring your bike, bring your running shoes. It's a beautiful ride/run and it's even more enjoyable on days where there are no cars. We brought our little box trailer down full of bikes, skateboards, baseballs, and frisbees so our Sunday will most likely be spent in the huge South Mountain parking lot. These white little legs expect to absorb lots of sun over the next few days. My heart goes out to any and all poor souls that have to see them "pre-tan".
Ugh, the internet is brutally slow here. I've been trying to look at the current weight loss standings, but I keep getting kicked off. How many of you are going to hit double digits? With only a couple of weeks left, are you finding extra motivation? Let's see someone give Someday a run for her money:). Scalecrusher, I'll post your new numbers as soon as I log on to my work computer. I hear you're going to sunny California for spring break so I'll be praying that you return with some good numbers as well.
On a completely different note, a while back I saw Ashley's post about keeping lists of things to do. I was told about a book called "Getting Things Done-The Art of Stress Free Productivity". Of course I bought it:). Not only did I buy it, but over the past two weeks I've been implementing it. I love it!!! My desk is almost completely cleaned off, almost all of my paperwork has been filed away, and my email is neatly organized. Speaking of email...............over the last 2 days, I have deleted over 8000 emails, 8000!!!! Most of it was just crap, you know those advertisements that you don't remember signing up for, well they have all be "unsubscribed" and deleted. Of course, now my goal is to stick with it. If you have the desire to organize, I highly suggest the book. I have it on my Kindle, but just by chance, there's a Barnes and Noble across the street from where we are staying, so I'm going to get the paper version while I'm here.
Well I guess I better get back to see who is among the living. Nobody was in bed before 1am so I'm not sure when everyone be up and going. I'm sure I'll be ready for another coffee by the time they get moving. Hope you all have a super day.
Note: There is no WiFi where we are staying, so StarBucks and Barnes and Noble will be frequented. Can you imagine.......a world with no internet service:) Isn't it crazy, I remember when this is what my cell phone looked like:
Have a great day:)
Other than relaxing, we don't have a whole lot planned. In fact, I don't think we have a single thing planned for today. I'm guessing the boys will want to hit the pool (no matter what the temperature is). We're down here until Wednesday, so it's going to be some good down time, at least that's what I'm hoping for.
While I'm away, I'll do my best at posting all the updated weigh ins as they come in. Only two weeks left!!! I'm praying that everyone still has some motivation left. I'm planning on losing a few pounds while I'm down here. In fact, I even ordered a coffee without all the sugar. It's not quite as enjoyable, but I want to see some good numbers on the scale when I get back.
If any of you are heading down this way over the weekend, just a heads up, this weekend is Silent Sunday at South Mountain. That means no cars allowed. Bring your bike, bring your running shoes. It's a beautiful ride/run and it's even more enjoyable on days where there are no cars. We brought our little box trailer down full of bikes, skateboards, baseballs, and frisbees so our Sunday will most likely be spent in the huge South Mountain parking lot. These white little legs expect to absorb lots of sun over the next few days. My heart goes out to any and all poor souls that have to see them "pre-tan".
Ugh, the internet is brutally slow here. I've been trying to look at the current weight loss standings, but I keep getting kicked off. How many of you are going to hit double digits? With only a couple of weeks left, are you finding extra motivation? Let's see someone give Someday a run for her money:). Scalecrusher, I'll post your new numbers as soon as I log on to my work computer. I hear you're going to sunny California for spring break so I'll be praying that you return with some good numbers as well.
On a completely different note, a while back I saw Ashley's post about keeping lists of things to do. I was told about a book called "Getting Things Done-The Art of Stress Free Productivity". Of course I bought it:). Not only did I buy it, but over the past two weeks I've been implementing it. I love it!!! My desk is almost completely cleaned off, almost all of my paperwork has been filed away, and my email is neatly organized. Speaking of email...............over the last 2 days, I have deleted over 8000 emails, 8000!!!! Most of it was just crap, you know those advertisements that you don't remember signing up for, well they have all be "unsubscribed" and deleted. Of course, now my goal is to stick with it. If you have the desire to organize, I highly suggest the book. I have it on my Kindle, but just by chance, there's a Barnes and Noble across the street from where we are staying, so I'm going to get the paper version while I'm here.
Well I guess I better get back to see who is among the living. Nobody was in bed before 1am so I'm not sure when everyone be up and going. I'm sure I'll be ready for another coffee by the time they get moving. Hope you all have a super day.
Note: There is no WiFi where we are staying, so StarBucks and Barnes and Noble will be frequented. Can you imagine.......a world with no internet service:) Isn't it crazy, I remember when this is what my cell phone looked like:
Have a great day:)
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Belonging
I'm not really sure what made me think to write this post with the exception of one of the kids I spoke with at Little League Tryouts this weekend. He's a good looking kid with everything going for him. He's funny, athletic, and I'm sure the girls think he a good catch. He's just an all-around fun kid.
Him and I were standing next to the fence talking about everything from how school was going to how much he was looking forward to playing this summer. Then a few of his friends walked up. It was as if you had turned on a switch. His demeanor completely changed. He went from being this mature, well spoken young man, to this little punk kid with nothing good to say about anything. I couldn't believe it. Little does he know is that if he ends up on my team, I'm going to talk to him about it.
This got me to thinking of how important it is for people to "Belong". Belonging to something seems to give people more meaning, more self assurance. Is this a self esteem thing? I think maybe a little, but I also think we all have a yearning to be a part of something.
I remember when I first started racing bikes. A friend of mine who was much faster on a bike then I ever was, belonged to a team called Team Suisse down in Phoenix. To be a member of the team, all you had to do was pay your dues and get in on some races. The best part though was the cool jacket that you got that said "Team Suisse" on the back and your name on the front. Walking around as a 9th grader in a school that knew nothing of cycling, I felt like quite the stud with my jacket on. Guess how many races I participated in that year.............ONE!!!! and when your a young rookie on a bike team that has lots of fast people, guess what your job is as the rookie................you become the windbreak and the bottle fetcher for the fast guys. Any idea how many people at my school knew of my "slave" duties on the bike......not a single one:) . All my classmates knew was that I was part of a kick ass bike team down in the valley. That's all they would ever know. I belonged.......though it was very little, I belonged to something cool.
I believe that at a certain level, belonging to something makes one feel just a little more "complete". Whether it's a church group, an athletic team, extracurricular club, or even just a group of friends, belonging makes one feel a little more secure about themselves.
The battle comes when belonging to something adds or takes away from ones self esteem. One does not have to belong to anything at all to "be someone". "Being someone" comes from within and cannot or should not be taken away from anyone no matter what. Finding the strength to be strong in your own skin is something we should all be able to do.
As I've gotten older, I've realized that we all have our own little hidden fears, self esteem issues, etc. There is no need to put others on a pedestal, because all of us have our little "skeletons" that we battle everyday. You have to believe that you are just as good as the next guy or girl. I realize that for many, this is easier said than done, but you really are.
There's nothing wrong with "belonging" to something. More importantly though, I think there is nothing wrong with "not belonging". As a young person this fact can be very hard to accept. When you are young, belonging is everything. Chess club, dance team, football team, everyone young person wants to belong to some sort of group. If only we knew then what we realize as we grow older.
I'm not saying being a "loner" is cool and fun. I'm sure it would suck. What I am saying, is that even if you are a loner, you're really not. Everyone feels alone at some point. Heck, there are people that have a million so called "friends" but at the end of the day, they feel just as alone.
Everyone one has value. Everyone has a heart. It just takes special people to see those things sometimes. Someones "worth" should never be dependent on anyone else. Having high self-esteem or just feeling secure in your own skin is huge. You can see it in someones walk, the way they talk, they way they present themselves. Believing in yourself is huge!!
And since were putting on the weightloss challenge, I'll venture down that road.
What drives me crazy is when people say "I'm fine being big". Because you know they aren't. We all want to belong to the "thin" crowd, we all want to feel "beautiful". Who wouldn't want the bodies of Jennifer Anniston and Ryan Reynolds?
Tough love maybe, but it's a cop out. It's something you tell yourself to justify either how you eat, how you look, etc. I say this because there is absolutely nothing wrong with admitting to yourself that you want to do better. You don't have to create some fake security blanket to justify things to the rest of the world.
I could say to myself, "I'm completely happy being my chubby hairy self". I'm sure if I said it long enough, I could convince myself of it. But I'm not. I'm not happy with it at all. So I try to do something about it. It's not a self esteem issue, I just want to look and feel better.
Another example. Let's say your a guy and your 300+ lbs. Possibly a little uncomfortable to go to the gym. When I'm at the gym, do you know who I admire most? That's right, the 300+ guy who is busting his ass to lose the weight that he someone gained over the years. Since starting this blog, I've tried to practice what I preach. In highschool (long time ago) I could bench 220 and squat almost 350. I can't come even close to either of those numbers now. Either of those weights would squish me like a bug. To be honest, that bugged me for a while. So much that if there was someone stronger than me in the gym (not hard to do) I would avoid the bench press and the squat rack. Now though, I don't care. Well I do, but I don't let it stop me. In fact one of the guys that now spots me (keeps the weights from crashing down on me), is one of my old students and has arms 3 times the size of mine. I've accepted the fact that trying is more important than avoiding.
Focus on the end goal. Not the NOW. I will never bench press 200#'s if I don't start bench pressing 135. You can't immediately go from a weight of 200lbs to 140. You're going to have to hit 199, 198, 197 etc. but focus on the 140!!!
Back to belonging...........believe in yourself. People of any worth will put more value in that then they will anything else. Don't let others dictate your worth, your heart, your desires. It's all up to you. You have a starting point and a goal to reach, usually with a whole lot of middle ground. Baby steps, but just keep stepping.
More important then belonging to something.................make others feel like they belong. It's how we all want to feel.
Him and I were standing next to the fence talking about everything from how school was going to how much he was looking forward to playing this summer. Then a few of his friends walked up. It was as if you had turned on a switch. His demeanor completely changed. He went from being this mature, well spoken young man, to this little punk kid with nothing good to say about anything. I couldn't believe it. Little does he know is that if he ends up on my team, I'm going to talk to him about it.
This got me to thinking of how important it is for people to "Belong". Belonging to something seems to give people more meaning, more self assurance. Is this a self esteem thing? I think maybe a little, but I also think we all have a yearning to be a part of something.
I remember when I first started racing bikes. A friend of mine who was much faster on a bike then I ever was, belonged to a team called Team Suisse down in Phoenix. To be a member of the team, all you had to do was pay your dues and get in on some races. The best part though was the cool jacket that you got that said "Team Suisse" on the back and your name on the front. Walking around as a 9th grader in a school that knew nothing of cycling, I felt like quite the stud with my jacket on. Guess how many races I participated in that year.............ONE!!!! and when your a young rookie on a bike team that has lots of fast people, guess what your job is as the rookie................you become the windbreak and the bottle fetcher for the fast guys. Any idea how many people at my school knew of my "slave" duties on the bike......not a single one:) . All my classmates knew was that I was part of a kick ass bike team down in the valley. That's all they would ever know. I belonged.......though it was very little, I belonged to something cool.
I believe that at a certain level, belonging to something makes one feel just a little more "complete". Whether it's a church group, an athletic team, extracurricular club, or even just a group of friends, belonging makes one feel a little more secure about themselves.
The battle comes when belonging to something adds or takes away from ones self esteem. One does not have to belong to anything at all to "be someone". "Being someone" comes from within and cannot or should not be taken away from anyone no matter what. Finding the strength to be strong in your own skin is something we should all be able to do.
As I've gotten older, I've realized that we all have our own little hidden fears, self esteem issues, etc. There is no need to put others on a pedestal, because all of us have our little "skeletons" that we battle everyday. You have to believe that you are just as good as the next guy or girl. I realize that for many, this is easier said than done, but you really are.
There's nothing wrong with "belonging" to something. More importantly though, I think there is nothing wrong with "not belonging". As a young person this fact can be very hard to accept. When you are young, belonging is everything. Chess club, dance team, football team, everyone young person wants to belong to some sort of group. If only we knew then what we realize as we grow older.
I'm not saying being a "loner" is cool and fun. I'm sure it would suck. What I am saying, is that even if you are a loner, you're really not. Everyone feels alone at some point. Heck, there are people that have a million so called "friends" but at the end of the day, they feel just as alone.
Everyone one has value. Everyone has a heart. It just takes special people to see those things sometimes. Someones "worth" should never be dependent on anyone else. Having high self-esteem or just feeling secure in your own skin is huge. You can see it in someones walk, the way they talk, they way they present themselves. Believing in yourself is huge!!
And since were putting on the weightloss challenge, I'll venture down that road.
What drives me crazy is when people say "I'm fine being big". Because you know they aren't. We all want to belong to the "thin" crowd, we all want to feel "beautiful". Who wouldn't want the bodies of Jennifer Anniston and Ryan Reynolds?
Tough love maybe, but it's a cop out. It's something you tell yourself to justify either how you eat, how you look, etc. I say this because there is absolutely nothing wrong with admitting to yourself that you want to do better. You don't have to create some fake security blanket to justify things to the rest of the world.
I could say to myself, "I'm completely happy being my chubby hairy self". I'm sure if I said it long enough, I could convince myself of it. But I'm not. I'm not happy with it at all. So I try to do something about it. It's not a self esteem issue, I just want to look and feel better.
Another example. Let's say your a guy and your 300+ lbs. Possibly a little uncomfortable to go to the gym. When I'm at the gym, do you know who I admire most? That's right, the 300+ guy who is busting his ass to lose the weight that he someone gained over the years. Since starting this blog, I've tried to practice what I preach. In highschool (long time ago) I could bench 220 and squat almost 350. I can't come even close to either of those numbers now. Either of those weights would squish me like a bug. To be honest, that bugged me for a while. So much that if there was someone stronger than me in the gym (not hard to do) I would avoid the bench press and the squat rack. Now though, I don't care. Well I do, but I don't let it stop me. In fact one of the guys that now spots me (keeps the weights from crashing down on me), is one of my old students and has arms 3 times the size of mine. I've accepted the fact that trying is more important than avoiding.
Focus on the end goal. Not the NOW. I will never bench press 200#'s if I don't start bench pressing 135. You can't immediately go from a weight of 200lbs to 140. You're going to have to hit 199, 198, 197 etc. but focus on the 140!!!
Back to belonging...........believe in yourself. People of any worth will put more value in that then they will anything else. Don't let others dictate your worth, your heart, your desires. It's all up to you. You have a starting point and a goal to reach, usually with a whole lot of middle ground. Baby steps, but just keep stepping.
More important then belonging to something.................make others feel like they belong. It's how we all want to feel.
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