Losing a part of me

As Leslie and I filed out of synagogue at the end of Sunday evening services the Rabbi told us that we, as newlyweds, are not permitted to fast for the first year of our marriage. That was certainly enlightening, and something we would keep in our back pockets. What it meant more than anything was that we could shower and brush our teeth the next morning. There are some prohibitions in my religion that I am not quite fond of; I have no problem fasting for twenty-six hours, and I do not mind the prohibition against smoking cigars. I really do not enjoy going through the day without brushing my teeth. Thank you, Rabbi! What about next year? We will jump off that bridge when we come to it. I have fasted on Yom Kippur for many years, and I will have no problem fasting again next year. Whether I will commit the forgivable sin of brushing my teeth is the question… but if history tells us anything it is that I will indeed.

I stepped onto the bathroom scale yesterday morning and was relieved to see that my weight was down over a pound. This was less because I was really good on Sunday, and more because I had been really bad on Saturday, and my body was simply righting itself. I stepped back onto the scale this morning and was down another .2 lb., which means that as of this morning I have gained three pounds on this trip. This bodes well for my hopes to stay under 250 lbs. for tomorrow morning (when I will be back in Canada). I am extremely pleased with that for many reasons, some of which I will go into later on when I continue writing (I expect to shut my laptop down in a few moments and will resume writing from the airplane).

It is always sad to leave Westlake Village, but it is even sadder to be parting with my wife for the next few weeks. It had been my intention to sit down at the airport and book that next flight, but airport aggravation prevented that. I was finally seated comfortably in the terminal when the airline announced a gate change… to a completely different terminal. The downside was that I had to pack everything up and get from the original terminal to the changed terminal. The upside was that Leslie was in that terminal so I got to spend another half hour with her.

I am now on the airplane and the masses are boarding. It feels like every second person passing my seat goes out of their way to smash their carryon luggage into my shoulder. Grrr.

I mentioned several hours (and two paragraphs) ago that I wanted to arrive back in Canada weighing under 250 lbs. and I was going to enumerate the reasons. Firstly and foremost I did not want to lose control during the trip – a very real possibility when I travel. The other two reasons were:

· I am seeing my doctor tomorrow which means an official weigh-in. I would love to see a drop from last month – even if it is just a small one. If today goes well then I will probably remain under 248 lbs. tomorrow morning which will mean about a 5 lbs. drop from last month. I will be very happy with that!

· After my doctor’s appointment I have my appointment with my tailor, and I will be measured for shirts and a sports jacket. The smaller I am the better I will look in new clothes… even though I will not have them for another two months.

I had thought about cheating at the airport in Los Angeles but then decided against it… even before I realized I had to change terminals and would be with my wife. I am hoping that at least one of these flights has snacks for sale because although I do have some almonds that Leslie gave me, I forgot to bring a shake with me. If I am in the terminal in Dallas, then I do not think there is anything smart to eat there… especially with my short layover.

Okay, it is time for me to get on with it. The doors are about to close so it is time for me to turn off.

Have a great day folks!