Day 22, 23, 24, 25 and the END!

I'm soooooooooooooooo glad this is over! The last few days were mostly a chore. Do I feel like I finished with flying colors? No, I don't-I fell off the wagon several times. Do I feel like that I accomplished something? Yes, I do - I was able to stay true to my goal more times than I thought I could...under duress....surrounded by tasty morsels....not falling into the ol' peer pressure trap. Did I learn something? Yes...Let's recount...

Day 18, 19, 20, 21 - I am now a vegetarian - for the most part anyway...

Well, it looks like I will be lumping days together from now on, since pesky little things seem to get in the way of 'blogging' (man - that word sounds goofy). Pesky little things like LIFE! Yes, family, work, play and a little sleep seem to take up a majority of time. And then there's the little guilty pleasure one is almost embarrassed to admit - which generally always seems more attractive than 'blogging' - for example HBO's series 'True Blood'. I watched the season finale instead of reporting what Day 18 through 21 was like. I was correct by the way, the finale was much more interesting than blabbing about oatmeal, tortilla's and eggs.

(Left - I think True Blood is better than Buffy was!)

So, last Friday was Day 18 and also September 11Th, which we all know is the date of the twin tower attacks. I pray that life has become easier for the families who lost someone...

Otherwise, my diet that day included oatmeal, ramen noodles and egg fortatas (sp?), which my gracious wife taught me to make. I still had a ton o' taters and new they had to be cooked soon - so, I made french fries, mashed potatoes and cut potato squares for the fortatas. The boring all-spice I had purchased in the beginning came in very handy with french fries - transforming them into very tasty treats. The mashed potatoes became my dinner the next evening following the usual oatmeal and something new and exciting!!! -a hard boiled egg.

Strangely, I still like oatmeal...

(I still like Potatoes too...)

Saturday, post oatmeal, was a fun day spent at the Germantown Festival which luckily is just a minute or two from our house. That reminds me what a pain it was to get to any festival in Atlanta, basically taking up the entire day - and how fortunate we are now living with less commuting time and much more convenience. The Germantown Festival was really no different than festivals we attended around Atlanta, except for maybe the Highland Festival, which has the funkiness Germantown will never have. I would have appreciated a bit more 'funkiness', but can't have everything, right? Right. Again, I am reminded of how good we have it here.

Another bit of importance I've notice lately is my wife's growing irritation with this 30 Day 'adventure.' It has been difficult for me to sit down and have dinner with the Family since my most powerful weapon against hunger has been to avoid the kitchen and a majority of the goodies it produces. Sitting at the dinner table makes it very difficult for me not to graze - and grazing has been one of my leading arch nemesis'. The Nut (Ben), eats soooooo slowly, like most kids his age, and it's all I can do not to reach over and grab something off of his plate... Of course, I understand Laura's argument and wouldn't love anything more RIGHT NOW than to screw this whole bag-o-fun in order to sit down and eat a properly cooked meal - this is one more thing I didn't take into account in the beginning....just another thing to think about.

To continue on, Sunday consisted of more of the same gourmet fare - and a short fall from grace - a Coke, or as they say up North - a Soda Pop. I'm completely okay with it, since I am very far from perfect and already struggling with the whole idea of what began this in the first place. So, in my mind, a small slip up here and there is not a failure, but another experience to learn from. What did I learn? Coke tastes damn good - better than it has in a long, long time... Also, when something one has every day becomes a treat, as it was originally intended, then it's much less likely taken for granted (did I mention it tastes damn good?).

Monday, Day 21, was a work day, which definitely makes this easier... I ate oatmeal for breakfast, ramen noodles with sides of cucumbers, carrots and tomatoes. That evening I munched on mashed potatoes and visions of ham and pineapple pizza floating around my head. Also, I finally looked at a calendar and figured out the date of my last day on this quest - Sept. 22nd? I think - I know it's around there but do not have the calendar in front of me - and since I'm not being very scientific, I just don't really care how accurate the date is.

Anyway - have a nice week.

Next time - How to yodel with your mouth full and other party tricks.

Day 14, 15, 16, 17 - Shrunken Stomach

I'm going to combine the last 4 days simply due to the fact that I have very little new information to share.

I've become much less scientific in my quest and therefore, rarely plan my meals beforehand. I simply prepare/cook a cornucopia of blandness and scoop up a cup here and there as I rush in and out of the door. My mind is much less consumed with food as before, when all I could think of was some juicy morsel of sustenance. This tells me that my stomach has shrunk and no longer thinks it needs the same large portions as before!!! I have noticed, though, that my weight has evened off after the dramatic drop the first week. I plan on doing a couple of miles on my road bike this weekend, which, if I continue steadily, will push my weight down another 5 to 10 lbs. My ideal would be around 170 to 175 lbs, and I'm approx 189 to 193 at this point (it fluctuates). But as I said before - I carry the weight well (ha).

Do I crave any food item in particular? Not too much, unless I see it - that is why I stay out of kitchens in general.

Am I worried about running out of supplies? - not really - I'm kinda winging it at this point.

Any other questions rolling around in your head? Anyone? Anyone? Oh yeah, it's just me.

On another note, the picture below is my favorite billboard I pass on the way home from work everyday. Billy Dee Wms is telling me that Colt 45 "Works Every Time", this makes me feel so much better about the duration of this 30 Day thing, and life in general - now I have a back up plan! No matter what happens, all I have to do is go to my local Quickie Mart and pick up some Colt 45 - WHICH WORKS EVERY TIME! That's right, with a guarantee like that, any plan I have is full-proof!!! Man, I love you Billy Dee Williams - you are my sensei and guru all wrapped up in a little tin package full of mouth watering Colt 45!

On a more serious note, the picture above is common scenery around the same area - trash, trash and more trash. The river which runs into the Mississippi is so disgusting, I'm surprised some horrible mutant fish hasn't been found swimming around snacking on semi-trucks. When this rivers banks subside, it leaves a large variety of trash ranging from footballs to refrigerators!

Stay tuned for next times episode - Have I become a vegitarian?!?!? Oh my God!!!

DAY 9 THROUGH 13 - Labor Day Weekend and Bama Football

Since the Holiday Weekend flew past me much too quickly, I will combine Day 9 through 13 to make things easier on myself, since I am very likely the only person who reads this blog...

Friday (or Day 9), proved to be a bit easier than the previous few days - I think my stomach has shrunk - although my body is still having itself for daily meals. I ate oatmeal, beans and "fried rice" covered in barbecue sauce and a bag of trusty ol' ramen noodles. Otherwise, I drank water, water and more water making my visits to the porcelain god more frequent than usual. The excitement of a three day weekend made Friday a breeze - plus the Benster had his first soccer practice of the season...Oh yes, 3 and 4 year old soccer is sports action at it's best, "Kick the ball...come on, kick the ball...no, there's the goal....don't kick it out...the goal is over there...stop kicking your team mates...pay attention..." Honestly, it's pretty entertaining to watch for those of you who do not have children.

The true test of my manly prowess would come on Saturday, or Day 10, which was the day we were having a party with food, beverages galore and college football! My wonderful wife cooked up a very appetizing menu of Mexican delights, beer, wine and soft drinks. In order to be prepared, I wolfed down a bag of ramen noodles and several cups of water. I also stayed the hell out of the kitchen and spent most of the evening on our screened-in porch, where I had set up a second football viewing spectacular. Obviously, that made me a sorry host - which apparently meant that this 30 Day thing is more important to me than a party (in other words, I'm absolutely no fun). I managed to stay away from the food the entire night, but did partake in a coke Zero which was 'donated' to my cause. My sister-in-law adamantly suggested that I mention my weakness in this blog - so, Julia, here ya go - I DRANK A FRICKIN' COKE! Is that good enough for ya? Regardless, the evening was still a success as far as I am concerned especially since Bama beat Virginia Tech in their very first game of the season. Other games that were viewed - Auburn (I'm trying not to choke) vs. Louisiana Tech - Auburn being my wife's university and La Tech being my mother-in-law's...and LSU vs. ??? (I forgot) which was viewed by my father-in-law.

(I like the old Bama Logo better, BTW, regardless - probably the greatest team in history)

Regardless, I still viewed Saturday as a personal victory...

Day 11 came and went like a fighter jet in flight- leaving only traces of the day - I still wonder if I was somehow robbed of a day by some unseen force (I've seen too many movies.) Anyway, I spent the day with my son, his cousin Sam and my brother-in-law Drew, while my wife, her sister, niece Abbey and a friend went to see 'The Sound of Music' at some local play house. Although, the day is a bit of a blur, I know I had eggs and a tortilla for breakfast, a bag of Ramen noodles for lunch and a potato with margarine drippings - 'mmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm', as the little overweight Campbell Soup kids used to say.

Day 12 was Labor Day Monday! Oh yeah - a day off! I ate basically the same crap I ate the day before (yippee.) I still like potatoes, but still have trouble smelling my fragrant rice. I think the rice thing will pass though, since I've been avoiding it for the past few days. And Day 13, I had oatmeal, raw cabbage, 1/2 a cucumber and eggs with (2) tortillas for dinner. Man, how everyone must envy me...

What have I learned so far? Well, I've learned that this diet affects my family - my wife cooks less (she loves to cook, BTW) - going out to dinner has become a thing of the past for now anyway. I've also learned that this is a very tough diet to stick to especially with all the temptations everywhere. A diet that everyone around me has said they will absolutely never partake in. I'm also learning how incredibly fortunate I am in every sense of the word - We have plenty of food to eat, a very comfortable roof over our heads, extra money for extra curricular activities...etc., etc... I feel terribly for those people who have to live with the $30.00 for 30 days out of necessity and for survivals sake. I am only a 'tourist' in their world at this point and am able to live with the comfort of knowing this will end for me after 30 days...Will this be a life-changing event for me? I would be lying if I said 'yes'... it will be so easy to fall back into the same old pattern of excess and self-indulgence, just like everyone around me...in my community. A place where it is so easy to forget how the rest of the world lives...

NEXT TIME - Day 14 - contemplating on adding exercise...

Day #8 - Less exciting than Day#7

Well, Day#8 came and went and I'm back on the wagon. I started with oatmeal in the a.m., ate 'fried rice' and pinto beans with (2) corn tortilla's for lunch - which proved to be more of a chore than anything else. I guess the smell of it is pretty much making me physically ill - nothing a dollop of barbecue sauce won't fix I guess. It reminds me of liver night at the Pickett Household back when I was a kid - I'd douse the liver with lobs of ketchup and still have to choke it down....come to find out later in life that liver is not even all that good for you and iron can be sucked out of a multitude of other food items which taste a whole lot better. Makes me wonder what moronic things we are doing now, which we'll all laugh at 20 years down the road...

Regardless, that evening I ate (2) eggs sunny side up with (2) corn tortilla's slightly warmed in the microwave. The eggs were tasty and enjoyable, but the rest of the dull food is making Alex feel like a dull boy - at this point anyway.

I weighed myself this morning and it looks like I'm still about 12 lbs down but haven't melted further fat - assuming it was Day 7's extra calories consumed. I've noticed my shirts stay tucked in my pants a bit better than before, which tells me my gut has shrunk a bit - which feels good. Soon, though, I'll throw in exercise which should send the scale into a tail-spin of weight loss. My biggest fear, though, is to be able to maintain my newly discovered weight after the 30 Day 'torture session' is over. Also, I'm beginning to realize I like being less chunky - who'd a thunk it?!?!? No really, I've been missing my former, pre-Ben in shape self over the past year when everything seemed easier - for example, getting in and out of my truck...I've noticed my excitement and energy towards this adventure itself has been a bit deflated - and is becoming more of a punishment. An attitude which came apparent to my gorgeous wife on Day #8 in the evening, when I mistook her interest and support in this venture as meddling and policing. I apologize profusely Honey!!!! I believe this moodiness is irritability caused by lack of snacks and seeing everyone gorge themselves on various yummy delights all around me. It must really be tough for the folks who don't have an extra 20 bones burning in their pockets ready for a trip to Dairy Queen. Oh well, now I think I'll head down to Wendy's and stare at grease dripping patrons inside through the window. Anyone want to join me? Also, I've never really noticed how many scrumptious food commercials there are on television - or I guess I'm more aware of it. In the past, the commercials must have unknowingly convinced me to buy food items I didn't need - I can't tell you how many times I've ended up at a Quickie Mart counter with some drink in my hand I'd never had before - Yes, advertisement has become more than just a source of information and now is a manipulative science planting subliminal messages of ridiculous items I have to have (but don't need) in my little brain.

(Otherwise, I've been told I need to pick up a hobby - a it'll probably be something musical - so, I thought maybe I'd learn the banjo - thoughts?)

Hey! DAY#9 is in progress right now as I press the 'save' button - more will follow.

डे #७ और "आईटी'स अ डार्क डे इन मुद्विल्ले" OR Day #7 "It's a dark day in Mudville"

Day #7 proved to be an interesting day to say the least (that's 'foreshadowing' for you biz graduates who shamefully slept through English lit)...

The day began just like the last three - again, I woke up too late to make my oatmeal. I didn't care though, since taking it to work the past two days worked out just fine - little did I know how much I actually needed that early breakfast (again with the "foreshadowing?!?!" Jeez!). I made it to the trailer after dropping off the Nut and making a detour at our main offices; ate my 'mouth-watering' oatmeal and felt just OK. It didn't take very long for the oatmeal to wear off this morning though, leaving me with my new friend, ol' hunger pang herself (yes, it is female.) It reminded me of my charity trip to Brazil again, standing in 500 degree Africa-hot weather digging up rudimentary clay stairs by heaving a hoe over my head - "what the hell am I doing?" That's about where many so-called adventures suddenly lose that glimmering sheen of when the idea was still stronger than the act itself - when one comes so close to packing up and high-tailing it to the nearest mode of transportation, a one-way ticket out of Dodge, so quickly that the door comes no where near to hitting you in the hind regions. That is right about the time my before mentioned kindly co-worker offered me a small tupper wear container full of spaghetti she had made just for me. Her arguments to why I should eat the intoxicating pasta were the kind of powerful and sound words one would expect to find on a massive historical monument somewhere in Washington DC..."It's made with turkey meat, fiber-filled pasta, sugar free sauce and should be healthy...plus it's free!" she said. How could I resist that combination of wisdom and wholesomeness?!?!? My co-worker poked her head in my office an hour later to hand me some bread to go with my spaghetti, "You already ate it?!" she said surprised. I not only ate the flavorful goodness - I inhaled it! I was still hungry but strangely pacified and did not feel the need to rush home that evening to eat.

(How can anyone resist comfort food like this? See left photo)

Am I still on the wagon you might wonder? Save that question for later...'cause the day ain't over yet, my friend!

That evening, me, Laura and Ben were planning on visiting my Brother-in-Law's Church for what they called an

'Ice Cream Social' which would benefit mission work to Brazil. I didn't eat any ice cream even though it was Ben and Jerry's - AND, even though it was free! "I will not stray that far to the 'dark side'", I maintained, as my brother-in-law waved a beautifully enticing cup of ice cream at me from across the Fellowship Hall, "NO!" I mouthed defiantly,"Uncle Alex, you wanna taste my ice cream?" came the sweet, innocent voice of my 6 year old niece Abby,"No thank you Abbey," I retorted,"Although it looks mighty delicious, I am on a diet which prohibits me from such pleasures..." I said in that 'holier than thou' tone ready to cast the first stone,"What a tool." my niece Abbey very likely thought in 6 year old language (see photo on right of a 6 year old's opinion). Strangely still, I was not hungry and hadn't eaten anything for dinner regardless of my wife's insistence. We then headed home - it was approximately 7:53 p.m.... and no, the 7th day is not over yet...

(I was able to resist this enticingly scrumptious sweetness - see photo on right - which proves my manly might, right?)

The evening of Day#7, I threw the Nut into the bathtub and gave him a good scrubbing, since he and his cousin Sam had somersaulted repeatedly down a grass hill during the Ice Cream Social. I read Ben two books, the number which I justified because of the time being well past his bedtime. I walked into our bedroom, where my beautiful, understanding wife was already adorned with her finest evening sleeping garb (old t-shirt and pajama bottoms); About then I remember telling Laura that I needed to go into the kitchen to eat something. The rest is kind of hazy or as my wife would refer to as 'selective memory'...All I can tell you is the three leftover pieces of frozen pizza (small pieces) my wife and son had for dinner the same night were now a distant memory with only a crumpled chunk of aluminum foil left behind.

(Come ON! No one could resist this luscious combo of nature's finest gifts! If you disagree, you're either lying or a vegan - which does not count!)

Again, you may ask if I've abandoned my quest because of this little chink in my armor of purity? AM I NOT HUMAN?!?!? Should this adventure be officially over only because I barely fell off of the 30 Day Wagon after almost 7 days of manly discipline!?!? Did the Coyote give up on his dream of eating the Roadrunner just because the ol' 'coyote in a cannon ploy' blasted him to China instead of the dinner table!?!? Does Sarah Palin have any chance in hell of ever convincing me she is fit to lead the most powerful country in the world?!?!? Did the Allies stop at Normandy just because the sky was black with machine gun fire?!?!? (OK, the Normandy thing is very likely in bad taste, so I revoke the comparison)...anyway, does a bear sh*t in the woods??? OF COURSE I WILL CONTINUE!!! and YES, I WILL PREVAIL!!!

Tomorrow I begin again with my oatmeal - see you then??????

Day #5 & Day#6 or Stay out of the frickin' Kitchen!!!

Day 5 started off like any other day - alarm goes off...we ignore it....alarm continues...Laura (my wife) hits snooze....alarm goes off - snooze again and then, "Holy Crap! We gotta get up!"..."What? Already?". Unfortunately, I didn't have time to sit down and eat my precious oatmeal, tortilla and egg, so the uncooked oatmeal was thrown into a sandwich bag and lugged along with the remainder of my lintel/rice mix and two cold but cooked potatoes with some margarine. My stomach protested at it's empty state, as I dragged my 4 year old, also protesting, out to my truck for the usual week day commute.

(to the right is a pic of a project we're working on - this is for the boy in you that still thinks big equipment is cool...AND, the contents of this picture does not make me hungry.)

I get to the job site trailer and quickly eat my now microwaved oatmeal which seems to satisfy me for a while. Three hours later I ate 1/2 cup of lintels and 1/2 cup of jasmine rice mixed with barbecue sauce I pilfered from the trailer's refrigerator. The sauce made the meal fairly decent and a bit different than the three days prior. Next, I had an already cooked potato with margarine to top all this wonder off. Later that afternoon on my way home I began to get irritable and felt starvation coming on (my definition of starving anyway - which is more than some twit complaining about hunger pangs arising between an all-you-can-eat buffet and dinner at Outback Steakhouse - but much less than some poor man who lives in an Indian shanty town). I couldn't wait to get home and devour some more of them dee-licious lintels or maybe another tater...

(Below is a picture of my cool boots I get to wear because I'm in construction - for your enjoyment, envy and to keep my mind off of food...)I arrived home in a fit with one thing on my mind only - FOOOOOOOD!!! Similar to a vampire desperately hunting blood to ease it's pain. I shoveled down a portion of 'fried rice' my wonderful and understanding wife taught me to make and immediately felt a little better. EVERYTHING around me in the kitchen looked incredibly savory, so I had to remove myself from the room entirely in order to control the ravenous beast I had become (and still am.) Later in the evening I ate another potato and gulped down the remainder of my green ice tea I made several days previously... Man, I really came close to scrapping the entire 30 day thing - and almost stuck my head in the garbage can to extract anything edible - okay, I'm being a bit dramatic, but I really did think about falling off the wagon.

The 6th morning left me rushing out the door with 4 year old in tow again - only this time, I forgot my oatmeal and my lunch! Since food is one of the top 10 things on my mind at all times now, it didn't take very long for me to realize my mistake. Another thought crossed my mind which I quickly squelched - "oh darn, I have no food and eating is essential to surviving....hmmmm, guess I'll have to go somewhere and get lunch." Instead, I ate two bags of instant oatmeal I had left in my desk a few weeks back, a few grapes and some watermelon given to me by a very kind co-worker who insisted I had to eat. Am I still on the $30.00 for 30 days track one may ask? Why, yes I am, thank you very much. Since then, I've placed an equal amount of my oatmeal in a plastic bag and removed it from my food reserves and will eat two cups of dirt to rid my taste buds of the grape and watermelon exquisiteness - then I'll lay down under a bee hive covered in honey for a complete hour and walk to work barefoot in the snow with a backpack full of hungry wolverines. No really, the oatmeal in a bag thing is about all I can think of - feel free to give me other ideas of reasonable punishment...

(Above is a picture of me in my on-site trailer office pointing out something I know which is obviously very important. I know this has nothing to do with this adventure except that it is me, and I enjoyed myself doing it...)

That afternoon I started feeling a bit off physically. Actually, I felt a little sick and began to smell the scent of jasmine rice everywhere - which is definitely not become a positive thing for me. At home I saw a drink from Zaxby's sitting on the kitchen counter and nearly went through the trash can for leftovers AGAIN! I quickly extracted myself from that evil room of cookery with a bowl of pasta mixed with cucumbers and tomatoes from our garden. I felt better but was still hungry. I decided now was a good time to get out of the house and complete a task off our home 'to do' list - especially after Laura told me, she and Ben were having pizza for dinner. I honestly didn't know if I could contain myself if I stuck around. Also, did I mention that fatigue is part of the mix now?

Later that night after completing my 'to do' task, I had a tortilla with a dabble of pinto beans. I felt a little sick and wondered if I'd have enough protein in my diet. I still felt sick with a little discomfort in my intestines, as I layed down in bed to sleep....slept pretty well regardless.

(To the right is a picture of Ben's Club House, which I placed on concrete blocks and an OSB Board the evening of Day#6 to keep my mind off of food...I still have some work to do on it, BTW - right now it reminds me of a Louisiana fish camp...)

Next: It's only noon and Day #7 has already proved to be a challenge to say the least...