BACK AT IT!

The weigh-in after the turkey day. As you know I weighed-in on Monday, just to see what the damage was and I had gained four pounds. So that morning I got right back into the workouts and back into my routine. This morning I not only lost the four but i lost an additional three pounds on top of that! That brings the new total to 58 pounds...it's all good.

Since Monday I have been doing two a day workouts, that was my penance you might say. Spent a lot of time on the cardio and it appears that it paid off. I think I have to get some new clothes again in the very near future...i just got some, but already their getting a little baggy.

I saw this quote from George W Bush and I thought I could relate to it..."In my sentences i go where no man has gone before". Thought that was rather true and funny at the same time.

My next big challenge will be Christmas...I think I'll have to refrain myself from celebrating for a whole month and reduce it to maybe 4 or 5 days. That will be hard!! I love short bread cookies and Christmas cake, love it, love it, love it!! That will be the hardest time of the year for me so I've set a new goal to have 80 pounds shed by then; that way I'll have some room to grow in the Christmas spirit...if you follow my drift.

I don't know what's happening at Bodilogix these days? For some reason people just keep on picking on me! I don't understand it, when other members come in I'm always very supportive and giving...I never harass anyone. I just wanted to clear the air on that one. People don't realize how very shy and sensitive I am...as I sit here, wiping the tears away, the screen is just a misty haze, I feel so abused.

Does anyone feel guilty yet?!

Remember..." Wisdom is knowing what to do next; Skill is knowing how to do it and Virtue is doing it." David Starr Jordan

Big sensitive Dave signing off!

GOBBLE, GOBBLE:

The turkey is dead and gone, and life returns to my new normal. I had a great weekend, too good i think. On Saturday we hosted the family Thanksgiving dinner, approximately 20 people came over to partake in the feast and have a few drinks. I made the dinner, which was turkey, stuffing, carrots, corn, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy and perogies with sour cream. It was a feast! For desert we had pumpkin and blueberry pie. I have to confess, I really didn't have much of the dinner..by the time it was being served I had already consumed to much of the Grey Goose!! I was in a happy place all evening, apparently I made some great speeches as well! i might have suffered some dain bramage. At least everyone else enjoyed the dinner. Having said that i still over indulged for a few days that weekend and so Monday morning I got on the scales to see what the damage was; I gained 4 pounds. Oh well, I was back in the gym yesterday and getting back into the game again.

I hope everyone took the time to enjoy the weekend and also reflect on what they should be thankful for. Over the last little while I have been told that I have been an inspiration to a few people to start their own weight loss journey which is terrific! But I have to tell you about a dear friend of mine, one of my best friends on the planet ( I have friends on various planets), who is truly an inspiration! I won't name him so as to protect his privacy, but this man has fought cancer for the last 18 months and is winning. He just got told that he has only one kidney functioning and that is at only 30% and other ailments that I won't list. He has been told that his latest problems are caused from the chemo and radiation treatment. This guy is unstoppable, he only looks at the positive of things and circumstances...everything that he has gone through and is still going through does not deter him on how he lives his life! I know he took the time this weekend to reflect on what to be thankful for. I'm thankful that I know him and call him my friend because he is truly an inspiration!

Big Dave signing off.

IT'S TURKEY TIME! (i don't mean Dave Hughes)

Thursday morning has arrived with the ritual weigh-in...I lost 1.5 pounds this week which brings the total to 55 so far. I was a little disappointed in the number as I had worked out usually twice a day. Having said that though I'm also relieved that it wasn't another zero! I was afraid I was going to enter into a long drawn out plateau, but so far I've been able to avoid that.

Dave Long and I had a meeting last Tuesday regarding the 100 km hike, I think we have a new name for it, the "Butterball Run" as opposed to the Cannonball Run. I like that name, brings back memories of Butterball Park. Anyways, Dave is working on a route, basically we will be walking from Bodilogix to Northumberland Forest which is approx. 32 kms. We then hike through the woods (tigers, lions and bears, oh my) for another 40 kms and then we trek back to Cobourg and we end up at (as opposed to in) Northumberland Hills Hospital. Hopefully none of us will have to try the new ECG machine! I've had some people willing to join the Sarge and I in this challenge which is terrific! The proposed date is June 26 to the 27th, 2010. So if your interested in completing the challenge or wish to help volunteer with water and stuff then let Dave Long, Andrea or myself know. We've obtained preliminary approval from the good folks at the County to use the woods but a further meeting needs to take place with more details being introduced.

Does anybody know what the speed of dark is???

Had a protein shake breakfast with a couple of lads earlier this week, Greg Kay and Robert Biron (the boss of bosses, Godfather of the hypodermic and surgical masks). Always a good way to start off a day with good guys and good conversation...I just wish we had beer!! I'm going to try and convince these guys to join me in the Butterball Run.

I asked the Sarge whether or not I could have Caesars during Thanksgiving? Her reply was very straight forward..."one, enjoy". Well let the celebrations begin! Party on dude! Watch out Cobourg a madman will be on the loose! OMG, one drink! I use that for mouth wash! This is going to be a long weekend and not in the good sense either. I know if i totally blow it I'll have to answer to the grim reaper, oops I mean the Sarge! I'll take the weekend a day at a time.

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

Remember...Be careful about the light at the end of the tunnel...it might be a train!

Big Dave signing off.

MUSIC IS IN MY SOUL:

Monday is here which means Thursday is just around the corner. Hopefully I'll have a better weigh-in this time especially with Thanksgiving on the horizon. Even though i warned the Sarge a few months ago about Thanksgiving she is still on my case about it! She's trying to convince me not to drink at all, but if I have too, then switch to vodka instead of beer as it's much cleaner. I asked what could I put in the vodka...the answer was nothing! Yuck! Apparently it goes down smoother if I put it in the freezer before drinking it (wise advise from Chris Littlechild).

Speaking of drinking i wish to quote another wise person by the name of Benjamin Franklin; "In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria". May I point out no mention of vodka!

In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 litre of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of poop! However, we do not run that risk with alcohol because it has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and or fermenting.
Remember:
water = poop
wine = health
Therefore it is better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of sh!t.

Last Saturday I had another fun morning with the Sarge; she was still being brutal about the four beers I had. At one point she wanted me to do something and I think I said "no". She looked at me and said " I didn't hear you say NO to me did I? There is no way you said NO to your trainer, did you?" I looked at her straight in the eye and said "no ma'am". My courage had been ripped from me and I even sounded like Mickey Mouse! Oh the shame!

During that particular workout I did a move on one of the benches that works on my core. I had to lay on my back and lift my legs and butt up into the air. After doing this several times I started to feel some stomach commotion... let's say. I was wary of it, but I kept on with the exercise. The pressure continued to build until the proverbial damn broke...I let lose with a loud, but harmonious fart. Unfortunately the fart wasn't just one, it was a farti, as in many! It actually sounded like the song "It's a Wonderful World"(where's a tape recorder when you need one). I could have "cut" a record...I kill myself. I was so proud of myself until I looked over and saw a man standing there! He was so polite, he acted like he didn't hear anything and walked over to another piece of equipment, but I think he started to whistle...the power of music people, the power of music.

I wish to thank a couple of friends of mine, Garry Gordon and Jan Menzies. They bought me a card with Rocky Balboa on the cover for making it halfway. It also played the music from Rocky...cool. Thanks folks!

Remember...The man who sneezes without a hanky takes matters into his own hands!

Big Dave...out!

AND NOW, APPEARING ON OUR STAGE...ANDREA AND DAVE!
(you have to read this with Ed Sullivan in mind to get the full effect)

No sense in delaying the news...I got the big goose egg this morning! I'm sure there are several possibilities why it happened, one of them being consuming a little too much over the weekend with the Wedding and all the other festivities that surround such an event. Also, I've had fifteen weeks of weight loss in a row. In reality that's pretty good, but it's still disappointing. So the weight remains the same at 53.5 pounds lost. I dealt with the news by just continuing along with my workout routine and will just keep plugging away...I will beat this thing.

Last night COGECO aired our interview on Municipal Matters; heck I think we did okay for a bunch of amateurs. Of course the Sarge hogged the show, what a drama queen! Also, without our knowledge Rhonda Cunningham had taped an earlier segment that went along with our piece. Of course Rhonda being the consummate professional brought her own props...the ECG machine. So there she was in her Gucci business suit looking like Vanna White and pointing at the machine and speaking so eloquently...whatever. The Sarge and I are down in the trenches with the everyday people, just sweating out life's problems and concerns...we spoke from the soul. We've travelled the road of despair and misery, not the road of light and sunshine like Vanna (Rhonda). We've kept ourselves grounded and don't aspire to be among the elite...what I'm trying to say is that I'm pissed that we didn't bring our own props! Watch out Rhonda we're coming prepared with props and power point for the next interview!

Did you know that Wilma Flintstones maiden name was "Shaghoople"? Did you really care?

Just going back to the COGECO interview/show, I have to say the Producer, Mark Rockburn and the Host, Dave Glover did a masterful job...thanks guys! Also, COGECO is donating a $1 a pound for the first 100 and $2 a pound for any loss after that! That was terrific news! The Sarge and I had a great time and hopefully we can do a follow up near Christmas.

During the interview the Sarge kept on referring to me as David...she has never called me David! What the heck was she on that day?! She normally refers to me as "hey you" or "lard butt" but never "David"! On a good day she just nods at me. I think the camera's were on and all of a sudden she thought she was Oprah or somebody...miss prim and proper. She could have one an Oscar for the performance! She also came out with some pretty profound statements, like this one..."a orange is not an apple". All I can say is wow! It took me a minute for me to really grasp what she was saying but I finally got it! It's like saying a "coconut is not a pineapple"...I feel so enlightened. How much do I pay her again?

The first workout after my confession to having a few beers on the weekend turned out to be brutal! She took out her anger on me...I did so many leg presses my legs felt like wet noodles! She even told me that was for having the beers. She then asked if I learned something from this experience? I said yes...to lie!

Big Dave signing off.

A CHALLENGING WEEKEND:

Well, i survived the weekend, but barely. Hopefully I'll be able to fix the damage I've done by Thursday's weigh-in! This past weekend we attended a Rehearsal Dinner and a Wedding Reception for the newly married couple...Kyle and Amy Curtis. They make a great couple and I know they have the love and support of their families and friends! It was a terrific time. Anyways, I think i had a little too much off the "NO" side of the menu. I confess, I had a total of four beers over the weekend, but they were lite beers! That should count for something...I hope! I also had a little too much on my dinner plate at the wedding, having a couple of beers does that to me. This morning I was up bright and early and did my workout with the Sarge, back on track.

The Sarge introduced a new variation to my push ups this morning. Remember I'm now doing my push ups on a "Bosu ball", I now have my feet balanced on a bosu ball as well. It was a little more challenging for me but I was still able to get it done. It's all about winning the little challenges, even if you don't succeed at first.
Speaking of Bosu balls, the Sarge had to correct my spelling last week. I said Buso instead of Bosu...well whoop-tee-do! You say bosu, i say buso, you say TO-mato I say to-Mato, you say Po-tato and I say po-TAto...you know what I'm say'in.

A couple of reminders, the Sarge and I are on Municipal Matters this Wednesday night on COGECO. Also, keep in mind the 100 km challenge next year...we're hoping for a good turn out and it should be a lot of fun. I promise, nobody will be left behind! I told the Sarge that I really want to make this a challenge, if you have ever watched the "Eco Challenge" on TV then you'll know what I mean. I don't want to take nights off and do this in increments, let's do this right and get it done. But, we will go as slow as our slowest member ( probably me)...it's about challenging ourselves but also sharing in the challenge with other folks, teamwork.

Last week "Producer Mark" from COGECO was in filming one of my workout days. For some reason the gym was rather shy of it's usual members in the "Breakfast Club"...WIMPS! I can only imagine how it's going to look, sometimes the camera felt like it was right in my face. Geez with all the camera's recently I'm starting to feel like Brad Pitt...okay I'm a little shorter, a little fatter, a little older. Alright, I'm sure John Candy felt this way too!

Did you know that a cubic mile of ordinary fog (as opposed to extraordinary fog?!) contains less then a gallon of water? Now you know.

Big Dave signing off!

I CAN SEE THE LIGHT!:

Today is Thursday...I had a hard time sleeping last night thinking about the 50 mark, did I break it or not? The 50 pound mark is the second biggest milestone in my Challenge. So i got on the scale and I had dropped another 5.5 pounds! This now brings the total to 53.5 pounds in three months. Needless to say I did a little happy dance...i probably have to replace a few floor tiles but it was worth it! Only 46.5 pounds left to go, I'm astounded.

On the weekend Rosie and I helped out with the Bodilogix booth for Ladies Night at Canadian Tire. A lady that I have known for years and her adult daughter were walking by the booth and of course I had to harass them, but in a very supportive fashion of course. They both looked at each other and they couldn't figure out who I was! Then they saw Rosie and put everything together, now that was funny! It was a good feeling having confirmation of how much I've changed.

Yesterday i had to go to Toronto to get my uniform altered because of my weight loss. The tailor (Joe) couldn't believe the difference. He said I was at the max for being able to do an alteration, the next time it will have to be a whole new uniform. Again a good feeling. I have to relay a story to you about this uniform that I got altered, it is actually a "Dress Uniform" very spiffy. About three years ago the Chief and I attended a funeral in Ottawa for another police officer. Of course we had to wear our "Dress Uniforms". Anyways we get out of the car beside the Church and we were getting our jackets on which also come with a waist belt that fits on the outside of the jacket. That day I almost became Chief...as i was getting my belt done up, which took all the strength I had, I could feel the enormous tension and strain on the belt to keep my luggage intact. We were just about to walk across the street, I'm turning blue because I can't breath, and my belt buckle sprung like a ballistic missile through the air almost striking the Chief! If that thing had hit him in the forehead he would have been a goner!! Fortunately it missed him but it took us almost 15 minutes to find it! Needless to say I didn't try to put the belt back on...that was a decision that probably saved a few life's that day!

It's amazing what you see at Bodilogix these days...Dave the Dragon Slayer is now the Birdman of Bodilogix. The Sarge's husband, Dave, had to catch a bird that was in the gym, very entertaining indeed. I have to give the guy credit though, he caught it with a plastic bag which he turned into a net and placed it on the end of a pole. After about 30 minutes he was able to catch the little guy without any harm to it and was able to set it free. It was like watching an episode of "Wild Kingdom", of course they caught Lions and Rhinos but why bust Dave's bubble.

Did you know that the average elephant produces (nice word for it) 50lbs of dung (nice word for it) a day! In the words of a famous super hero..."holy bat shit, Batman!" "To the scoopmobile Robin!"

Anyways I got to go...Big Dave signing off!