Losing a part of me

Category: Weather

  • Day 807

    Thursday I spent most of the day relaxing. I do not think I even touched my computer, but I did post a quick blurb to my blog. Yesterday I did do some work on the computer (not a lot) but I forgot to post, so this morning I posted a one-liner to retain my streak.

    Saturday morning!

    Yesterday I was disappointed by the weight gain, if not surprised. Yes, Thursday evening I overindulged. Frankly, I did last night too… I ate half of my challah after class. If that is going to be the only cheat I have in a day then at least I should do it before 9:30pm. Nevertheless, this morning I was pleased to see a reversal of the gains from yesterday morning. If I can get through the rest of today with no more cheating then I have a chance to be back on track.

    Yes, I bought a challah yesterday. They did not have any of the small rolls, so I bought the regular sized one. It is not really big, but it is too much for me to eat in two sittings… which I did. Yes, between yesterday evening and this morning’s breakfast the challah is gone. I will try to not buy any more rolls for a few days.

    My new shirts and sports jacket arrived on Thursday, and I was happy to wear them (one shirt with the jacket) last night for class. The jacket might have been a bit tight, and I look forward to losing ten pounds so it will fit better.

    My plans for the day include a haircut at noon, and then after lunch Eduardo is coming over for a cigar. It will be great to sit with him. I think Lyle and I are getting together tomorrow, and it will be good to see him as well. The weather is really picking up, with highs through next Sunday ranging from 9° through 15°… and while the overnight lows are still cooler, they are not scheduled to drop to 0°, so things are really looking up for the end of winter.

    Have a great day folks!

  • Day 804

    Houston… what a terrible airport. United… what a terrible airline. I am looking forward to getting home, that’s all I can say.

    I was optimistic in my thinking when I said I would arrive in Houston by 5:30, be check into the hotel at 6:15, and would head to Blend Bar for the evening. It never occurred to me that I would not get out of the airport for over two hours, including a ridiculous ordeal trying to get an Uber. By the time I was settled into my room it was 9:00pm and I was hungry. I headed down to the restaurant, where I was planning to redeem both drink vouchers the manager of the hotel gave me.

    I was almost very bad. I almost ordered Buffalo wings… in fact I did, but immediately changed it to a hamburger. While that is not exactly a healthy meal, it could have been much worse. I cannot have Buffalo wings until I am sure that I can have a reasonable amount of them, and only occasionally. I had a beer with dinner, and a glass of red wine after dinner with a cigar outside. I got back to my room around 10:30. I reorganized my luggage (making sure to pack my Duty Free rum into my checked luggage), and then got into bed to wind down for a bit before sleeping.

    I slept well but not enough – I could have added 90 minutes to my total had I not opted for the cigar, but that was my choice. I was out of bed five minutes prior to my 6:00M alarm, and went about my morning bathroom rituals. Today was the first day in ten that I had Internet while sitting in the loo, and I checked my email and social media before taking a lovely shower. I closed my suitcases and took them down so that I would not need to return to the room after breakfast.

    The hotel itself was very comfortable, and the front desk staff last night (as well as the restaurant) were great. Their shuttle service, on the other hand, was lousy. I emailed the GM (with whom I made friends) and he apologized, telling me that yesterday they turned in their 15-seat van for a much smaller one in anticipation of a slower season… so when I got there in time the driver told me ‘too bad, so sad… o room.’ I had to either pay for my own taxi, or wait until the next one (30 minutes later). Grrr.

    Honestly, the hotel room and restaurant were great; everything else since I got to Houston was a shit show, up to and including the rude and dishonest service on the airplane out. I will not bore my readers with the details, but suffice it to say that I will be glad to be back in Canada. I should also mention that the CBP officers were very polite and efficient, and do not EVERYTHING in the Houston airport sucked… only most things.

    I probably had slightly more breakfast that I normally would, but I don’t think it was a real cheat. The only real cheat in Houston was a bag of chips after my cigar. I am hoping that the disgusting g airline actually lets me purchase food on board, but I am not holding my breath. Judging from Little Miss Sunshine who ‘helped’ me before we took off, I rather suspect that I’ll be lucky to get a warm glass of spit. If they do actually have what is listed in the magazine, I will have a chicken wrap and a can of chips.

    It is presently 10:30am CDT, which means 11:30 in Toronto. We are scheduled to land around 2:15pm, and if all goes well I should be home by 4:15. I’ll run out to pick up a quick bite before class, and will be ready at my computer at 5:30pm. As I said to Leslie earlier, I am not expecting to be able to relax and breathe until a little after 9:00pm tonight. I am really hoping to get a good night sleep in my own bed; with Her Royal Floofness snuggled into my back.

    Tomorrow morning I will step onto the bathroom scale for the first time since March 23. I am hoping for a five-pound drop, but as long as I did not gain weight I will be happy. It is great that I am not expecting to gain weight after a vacation… that is usually when people do. My last weigh-in before leaving Canada was a relief for having dropped back below 280 lbs., and I really want to stay there… and then hopefully get below (and stay below) 270 before my upcoming trip to Dallas. I hope I can make it!

    I got notification yesterday that my new shirts and sports jacket are arriving tomorrow! It usually takes eight weeks from when I order them, and they have never come in 5 weeks. I am excited but also a little scared… on the 23rd I weighed 12 lbs. more than when I was fitted for them. I am hoping they fit well, and that I do not have to lose a few more pounds until I wear them. I am going to do my best.

    With spring coming I might not be using the treadmill very much, only because I want to walk outside. With that said, I have to remember that April in Canada is usually a wet month, and so I have to make sure that if I am not going out then at least I will not be stagnant. I texted my neighbour who is caring for Her Floofness and she told me that it is raining today and tomorrow, so while I might take Floof out for a bit, a power walk is unlikely… not that I would have the time to anyways.

    I will try to do some quick grocery shopping before my class so that I will be have food in the house for tomorrow morning. I think I still have enough eggs and milk, but I do not remember what else I might need. I have spent the last ten days eating in restaurants and i want to get off that cadence starting with dinner tonight. It is unlikely that I will have time to cook, but at least I can pick up something ready to eat from the supermarket deli counter.

    I am wearing long pants for the first time since I checked into my apartment in Havana on the 24th. It feels a bit weird, but in truth I should have put them on before smoking my cigar in Houston. It was a bit nippy out, at least compared to the weather in Havana. I am sure the 51 sunny degrees I experienced this morning will feel like heaven when I land in Toronto, but that’s life. I only wish I had thought to pack a warmer shirt than I did – I do have a long sleeve guayabera that I had I tended to have to change into when I was on the plane, but as I reorganized my bags to lighten my carry-on, I suspect I packed it into one of my suitcases. Oops! I’ll change at the airport in Toronto once I collect my luggage. I do have a sleeveless vest that I packed in my knapsack so even if my luggage is lost I’ll have SOME protection from the elements.

    What else is going on? I have a lot in my mind right now, and am trying to organize my thoughts. When I spoke with the young man from Chabad in Havana he told me they desperately need any Judaica, especially books, and that they do not even have a Torah. I am not sure what I can do about that but I know I am going to look into it and see what I can do to make that right. We will see.

    One week from tomorrow will be a special day for me, and I am looking forward to it. I am not talking about it now, but hopefully after Thursday next I’ll be able to say something. I honestly am not sure what I am getting into with it, but it is all about helping people and charities. How can that be bad, right?

    Okay, it’s 11:00am and I’m going to shut the phone and see if I can get that chicken wrap. Have a great day folks!

  • Day 800

    I had a great day yesterday but for whatever reason I did not sit down to write. Oops.

    I continue to sleep very little but am not at all tired throughout the day. That might have something to do with how much coffee I drink when I am here… or it might just be because of the air. Either way, I am relaxed and happy on four or five hours per night.

    My fitness watch battery is at 5% and I will be happy if it makes it through one more day. If not, then I will have a couple of days without measurements in the app… but I will still be walking and aiming for 15,000 steps per day. I will continue to eat smartly. I am still hoping to be very happy with my weight when I step onto the bathroom scale Wednesday morning. As it is, the Hawaiian shirt that I could not wear Monday seems to be a bit more comfortable today. I promised someone I would send them a picture of myself in it, which I was able to do this morning, so I see that as an indicator that I’m doing well. The scale will tell the numbers, but more importantly the way my shirts and sports jackets fit is more important.

    I am meeting my steps goal every day without a problem. As was the case on my last visit here, the only vehicles I have been in are taxis to and from the Hotel Nacional with friends. To be honest, I did take a cab back alone that night, but it was late and I wanted to see a friend before their shift ended. I made up for it by walking another few thousand steps before turning in.

    It is amazing how many Jews I have met on this trip, which is to say that I have met at least six of them… including one native Cubans who is with the local Chabad house. I confess it never occurred to me that there would be one! Last night at dinner the guys at the next table were from Tel Aviv and we had a great conversation. They asked me why I wear my kippa here instead of a hat. I told them that had I been wearing a hat then I would never have met most of the Jews that I have met. Havana is a very safe city and Cuba is very accepting of all religions (while not condoning any one of them), but if someone does not like the fact that I am Jewish (and Israeli) then I like knowing… and if they confront me then I’ll happily handle that situation. In the meantime, I was able to light my Shabbat candles in my apartment last night. I was alone, but as I lit them I know that I was with all of the people I pray for, and with the whole Jewish nation. There is n irony to being able to do this freely in a country that is so poor and the people are oppressed… just like we have been so many times.

    It is another gorgeous day and I am enjoying my second day cup of coffee at my buddy‘s bistro. In a little while I will head out for my day. I have to stop by my apartment because I took my laptop bag to bring him some things, and do not want to have to carry it all day. I will then set out to enjoy the rest of my day. It is the Sabbath, and I will take it easy… but if that were the only definition of the day then this entire week has been Sabbath!

    Have a great day folks!

  • Day 798

    It is going to rain soon so I am sitting comfortably in the upstairs lounge of Johnny’s bistro. In a little while I’ll head out to go replenish my cigar stock, and then will go hunting vittels for lunch. I have a phone call to make around 2:15 so I will make my way to my friend Gloria’s hotel (even though she is not working until later) because it is traditionally the place with the most reliable Internet.

    I was disappointed to realize that I did not bring a charging cable for my fitness watch, which means that either today or possibly tomorrow will be my last day tracking steps until I am back home. Oh well… I will still do a lot of walking!

    I slept slightly more last night than the previous two… but not by much. I find that I can go longer here than I usually do in Canada… despite the walking. That might have something to do with how much coffee I drink here!

    Johnny and I will have lunch and then another friend and I are hopefully going to have dinner this evening. We have missed each other twice, and if it does not work out then it will just not happen this trip because of work schedules. What can you do?

    I am feeling good about my food intake and choices this week, and hope that when I finally step onto the bathroom scale next Wednesday I should be pleased with the number.

    Have a great day folks!

  • Day 725

    I was neither upset nor surprised yesterday morning when I stepped onto the scale to find my weight had jumped three pounds in a day; aside from the fact that Saturday was a travel day, it was also a day replete with flight delays and cancellations which had me sitting in the American Airlines lounge for several hours… before getting onto a flight where the flight attendant was distributing meals and snacks and drinks. I remember writing that I hoped that at least a couple of those pounds would come off before I fly back home Wednesday evening. I was definitely surprised (and not at all upset) this morning to find that I had not only lost all of that weight in a single day, but another pound to boot! We did not eat particularly well yesterday, but we also did not eat particularly much.

    It has been much colder in Dallas than one would expect when thinking of what the weather should be in Texas. We woke up this morning to find it had snowed, and it even continued to snow on and off throughout the morning. I estimate there was nearly a centimetre of snow on the ground. In Canada that would be called Monday. In Dallas, where cars do not have snow tyres and most drivers have little experience and no training in winter driving, it is a day where most people will stay close to home. School and many businesses are not affected as they were last year when I was here for the ice storm because it is a national holiday today, but I suspect many would be closed due to weather. I am going to phone a couple of businesses to see if they are open, but I am not holding my breath. There is enough food in the house for us (I prepared grilled chicken and rice for lunch, and we can find what to eat for dinner), so even if the businesses are open I do not expect we will be leaving the comfort of the apartment… except to walk the dog, which Leslie did alone this morning.

    I suspect many will think me crazy, but I am probably going to sit on the balcony and enjoy a cigar this afternoon. The forecast high is -4°C (25°F), but the sun is out, and the wind seems to have died down. I am not going to do much else aside from that today. Leslie and I have been talking a lot and that is more important. We do not need to be out and about that to talk and spend time together.

    I’ll see you tomorrow.

  • Day 724

    Had yesterday gone according to plan I would have been at the airport by 3:45am for a 6:30am flight, and after spending a couple of idle hours at the airport I would have been in Dallas by 9:00am for a full day with Leslie. With the flight cancellation and delays the day went very differently than planned. I was at the airport at 1:30pm for a 5:15pm flight which ended up being delayed by a few hours, which means I landed before 11:00pm. By the time we got to the apartment it was time for bed. Thus, our first actual day together will be today.

    It did not surprise me one bit that my weight jumped up three pounds this morning. Travel days are always bad; travel days that have be sitting in the airport lounge for five hours with diminished self-control and an endless supply of cookies and other snacks will never end well. While I will not be strict with my diet this week, I do not plan to let myself go like I did yesterday. Hopefully a couple of those pounds will come off before I fly home Wednesday evening.

    When most people think of the weather in Texas, we do not expect cold and blustery. The fact that it is currently colder here than it is in Toronto, and that the temperatures are not predicted to rise above the freezing point until Wednesday, makes me wonder what exactly the 1400 miles of latitude are good for. There is little chance that Leslie and I will sit outside to enjoy a cigar at any point this trip, and the only place we will actually smoke is at my lounge. Okay, I can live with that. I am relieved though that there is no snow or ice forecast these next few days. I remember when I was here a year ago for the ice storm when everything shut down for three days – stores, restaurants, everything – and we were sequestered in the apartment with whatever supplies we had. At least if things are open we can get out… beyond walking the dog, which will be a cold endeavour that is no different than what Princess Sophie and I go through on a daily basis in the winter in Canada.

    I started my day with a cup of coffee, but I plan to make the same sort of breakfast that I would if I was at home. Hopefully that will be a good way to get back on track. Start with the basics, and a healthy breakfast.

  • Day 714

    It felt good to see my weight drop a couple of pounds after the last few days of ‘up, up, and stay same.’ If I can repeat everything that I did yesterday, then I should be able to shed a few more pounds this week. It was just a few days ago that I wrote that I hoped to get back to the weight I was when I came back from Dallas in November for my upcoming trip. That is no longer realistic, as I am 20 lbs. up from when I got home, and I am flying out in nine days. I have to stay on track, keep exercising, and stop cheating. That is what I did yesterday; I will try to do that again today.

    Last night I took a sleeping pill for the first time. I told my doctor that I had been having a lot of trouble sleeping and she suggested an antidepressant, but until they kicked in she also gave me sleeping pills. It was a relief to put my head down and fall asleep… and stay asleep all night. I might have even slept longer had I not forgotten to disable my alarm, but I suppose Her Royal Floofness wanted to go out, and it is a bad idea to stay in bed all day anyways… especially when I know that I am fighting depression, and that it would be so easy to wallow in it. No, I will not let the sadness encroach on my life!

    Today is a cold day indeed. I took The Princess out for her walk this morning wearing a sweater under my new winter jacket (and not the sleeveless vest I have been wearing most of the last couple of months. Even with that I was still cold – mostly owing to my not thinking to wear a scarf. I’ll pay closer attention to that on our next outing.

    I am teaching this evening but unless the wind dies down, I do not think I’ll be sitting on the balcony today. If it does abate then I will change that plan because my heater can protect me from the cold, it is just the wind that makes it unpleasant. I will also make a point to spend some time on the treadmill… I did a 5km workout yesterday and would like to improve on that today. It will give me the chance to finish the movie I started watching yesterday.

    I still cannot believe that I am now struggling to drop my weight below 265 lbs.; It was October 15 (less than three months ago) that I registered on my fridge that I had dropped below 240 lbs. and then… well, when I came home from Dallas at the beginning of November my world fell apart. All of a sudden the last two days I was 29 lbs. higher than that weight. I am glad I was able to rein that in this morning, but I really do hate knowing how easy it was to fall off. I have done that before. I have to stay strong because there is a difference between falling off and picking myself back up again… and falling off and six months from now realizing I weigh what I weighed 713 days ago. I cannot let myself fall like that!

    See you all tomorrow.

  • Day 632

    It was a week ago this morning that I woke up to a series of messages telling me that Israel was under attack. It took me about three hours to get off my duff and realize that I had to do something about it… I mean, aside from praying. For the last week I have been completely unsuccessful at what I have been trying to do, but I am not going to stop trying.

    This morning’s .4 lb. drop was a welcome sight. I am going to try to keep going today with no changes to the food plan. I am now only .2 lb. from my best weight ever, and I plan to be there within a day or two.

    I was both hungry and craving yesterday. I decided that if I was going to go to the supermarket to pick up some peanuts then I was going to walk there so that I could at least balance the cheat with exercise. It is a 5km round trip which I did pretty well, averaging 9m03s per kilometre. It was my first power walk in eight days, and nowhere near as long as most of my outings. With that said, it was also the first time I needed to wear long pants and long sleeves for my outing. It was a good reminder that the summer is behind us. My shorts and t-shirts can go away for the season… or at least they can come with me to Dallas for the winter.

    Of course that is not entirely true. I going to start going back to the gym shortly so that I will be able to keep up my progress. I thought about going yesterday and donning my IDF shirt, but my day was busier than I had anticipated and so that did not happen.

    As I walked back from the supermarket yesterday, I passed a group of girls who were probably in their mid- to late-teens. One of them waved and gave me a big thumbs up and I couldn’t figure out what for until I realized I was wearing an IDF t-shirt. It is nice to know that people around here are supporting us. After my walk with Her Floofness yesterday morning I hung the Israeli flag (which I had previously draped over my shoulders) from the balcony. As I sat outside smoking yesterday a couple of people looked up and smiled. So far it has not been vandalized, which is a good sign.

    My plan for today is to stay home for most of it. I have some work to do but not much, and I have chicken and salad to prepare for a late lunch. Yesterday’s peanuts took the place of a meal replacement, and while there are a few peanuts left over, I might leave them where they are and have my first meal replacement in a couple of days in the early evening. There is rain in the forecast until at least 5:00pm, so if I do plan to exercise then it will likely be at the gym. We will see. Maybe I will bundle up and walk outside after the rain stops. I am hoping to continue my weight loss these next few days… there is a decade milestone that is less than a pound away, not to mention that it is nearly two weeks since I crossed off the last number on my refrigerator chart, and it would be nice to be able to do so tomorrow or Monday.

    Have a great day folks!

  • Day 625

    This morning was an extremely bittersweet one. It was nice to see my weight was down from yesterday of course, and I am now within .6 lb. from dropping below 240. That is great, but for the moment not relevant.

    On Day 2 of my journey I wrote an entry called ‘My Weight Loss Goals.’ The last item on that list was this: “When I have lost 170lbs I want to take pictures of myself… wearing my Army uniform!” It was copied word for word from my original weight loss journal that I wrote during my first go at it in 2017… and again from my second journal from 2019-20.

    In April 2020 I moved to Westlake Village. This was the very height of the pandemic where almost everything was shut down. A group of us would sit in the park smoking cigars and we had a great time. During my recent trip a few of us were sitting around chatting and one of them said that the group was the best thing that happened because of the pandemic. I resumed my weight loss program at this time, and I made a bet with one of the boys that by New Years’ Day I would be able to fit into my uniform. Of course that did not happen.

    My phone started dinging earlier than it normally would on a Saturday. Israel was at war with Gaza. The Hamas-led government launched the largest ground and air assault into Israel that we have ever seen. Of course my first thought was that I wish I could be there and join the fight. I went about my morning bathroom routine, after which I stepped onto the bathroom scale (and was pleased to see a slight drop from the status quo of the last few days). I was about to get dressed but I decided to take a slight detour. I opened the bottom drawer of my armoire and pulled out my Army uniform. I decided to give it a shot.

    It fit.

    I do not mean that I as able to squeeze into it… I mean I was able to comfortably put on the shirt and pants! I took a picture – I did not tuck in or put on the belt, but I went to the bathroom and took a picture so that I can send it to my wife… and probably to The Westlake Cigar Boys (and especially Orrin).

    This is going to be a challenging weekend for my program. This evening I am going to a birthday party at a restaurant. I wish I could say no to the invitation, but I cannot. I will do my level best to be good. Tomorrow I am going to Thanksgiving dinner at my buddy’s house… or rather at his parents’ house. It has been a longstanding tradition that I join them for both Thanksgiving and Christmas (when I am in town), and it gives me the opportunity to see my godson and goddaughter. I plan for both days to go for a long walk/jog before the festivities and only hope that will negate the effects. I am going to do my best.

    Autumn is upon us and so is the autumn weather. The forecast high temperatures for the week to come are steady between 12-14°, which means that t-shirt weather is behind us… as is the certainty of being able to comfortably sit outside with a cigar. I have sweatpants and long sleeved t-shirts so I am not concerned that I will need to abate my outdoor exercises just yet, but in anticipation of that time I am glad I did not cancel my gym membership. I am going to take a drive down to The Running Room to see if I can replace the running gloves that I bought there twenty years ago… and which are ready to fall apart.

    Have a great day folks!

  • Day 595

    And then there were three.

    As I went to bed last night, I did so knowing that any day now, as long as I stay on track and true to the program, I am going to wake up and step onto the bathroom scale at or beyond the next milestone. I am now within ounces of reaching my best weight ever; it could have been today, but it was not. My weight did drop a little, and I am now 250.2 lbs., the same as I weighed May 26. The next time my weight drops it will tie or break that milestone.

    It was hot out there on my walk yesterday afternoon. I jogged the first 1.25km and then walked the rest of the way. It was a shorter outing than the previous few only because I took a different route, and by the time I had to decide whether to extend my route I was hot and tired and decided to take the most direct route home. The total route was 9.6km, which may be shorter than the usual but is still pretty respectable considering it was 32° and sunny the whole time. I did stop at Fortino’s to rehydrate. I am quite proud that I did not cheat, despite sitting in close proximity to the peanuts (bulk foods) aisle!

    I am in class for a training organization that I have never taught for today. It should be an easy introduction to them as the technology I am covering is very high-level. I am dressed appropriately, my slides are loaded, and I am logged on (and was over an hour early). I am really hoping to leave a good impression.

    It seems the heatwave has broken. The forecast high temperature for today is 27°; tomorrow that drops to 24°. The weatherman is predicting rain for today, but only in the middle of the day during my class. I have no doubt that by the end of class the balcony will be dry, and the smoking lamp will be lit. It is somewhat funny that when thinking about the rain this is what comes to mind first, and walking Princess Sophie is almost an afterthought. She hates walking in the rain but will grudgingly do so if she needs to do her business. If all goes well, Her Floofness will not be getting wet today. I do have to remember to change my shoes though… I am wearing my nice loafers, and they got wet enough this morning when we were out. If it does rain, then I’d rather get a pair of sneakers wet.

    Okay, it’s time to work. Have a great day folks!