Wednesday Miscellanea

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Just a few thoughts for the day, and a story.

Health

Wow, what a difference the past couple of weeks have been.  With the weather warming up, and the time change, I have been so much more energetic in the evenings.  The days of finishing dinner and then collapsing on the couch are over for this guy!  Last night for example I went out and spent 20 minutes moving the pavers from the front to a neater stacking in the back yard.  It is so nice to feel that energy in the evenings now.  And it keeps the normal chores and yard projects from stacking up till the weekend when they get overwhelming. 

iPhone

So on Sunday I had my phone in my back pocket while I was working on building the new wheelbarrow.  And after I took it out the LCD screen appeared to have died.  Not good.  No visible damage, it just wouldn't come on.  And after a little tersting and research I discovered that it was just the screen, I could call the phone and sync it to back it up.  So Monday I went to the Mac store, where they directed me to the AT&T store, where they told me the service guy wouldn't be in until Tuesday.  Meanwhile my research started giving me visions of 200$ repair bills, and other nightmare scenarios. 

So yesterday I went and saw the service guy, who told me to talk to the account guys to see what they could do.  Who then directed me to the Apple store.  Where I went, and boy am I glad I did.  It was a great experience!  The 'Genius' was professional, efficient, and best of all just swapped out my phone for a replacement free of charge!  So I am back with music at my desk and working iPhone again.  Restored and synched it from backup when I got home and all is good.  And I learned my lesson that, despite what my fave tech writer says, I do need a case to protect my phone, because with the improving weather etc I will not have pockets for the phone all the time.

Politics

Kind of a nice break from the craziness leading up to Health Care.  Financial Reform is next, and just like HCR the bill that is out there is not enough, but it's better than nothing.  And unlike HCR, the Republicans will look like real cazie to oppose it and have a much harder time framing it as government takeover when the unemployment rate sits at 10%.  Real hard to oppose anything that makes it harder for banks in the wake of what we saw 2 years ago.  But we will see what happens.  Politics in the era of Twitter and the 24x7 news cycle is an ever changing landscape, with no end to things to get upset about and/or get riled up about.

Weekend Recap

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

So it ended up being a really good weekend.  Despite Emily getting some bug, then Kim catching it too, and my somehow bustong my phone.  It was good because I was able to enjoy a nice evening at home with family Friday night.  Then got a lot done both inside and outside the house on Saturday and Sunday.  And did all that while avoiding backsliding on my major weight momentum change.

Family

So Satuday Emily was a little cranky in the morning, but otherwise fine while I worked on some cleaning.  Until around 1 when she started throwing up.  After cleaning up, she seemed fine, so we all went out to eat, after which she again threw up.  She seemed to last in the stores, but once we got home the bug caught up to her again.  So she ended up sleeping with us, which led to a restless night for me.  Sunday morning she was definitely still not feeling well, slept a lot, but once she got in a good 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon she seemed pretty much back to normal, so apparently just a 24 hour bug.  Which caught up to poor Kim yesterday afternoon.

Projects

The weekend was focused on 2 things: cleaning house in preparation for Daniel's birthday party on Sunday, and getting things for said birthday party.  Kim is finishing up the shopping today.  Yesterday we cleaned up the back yard, and ended up doing more than usual (our typical M.O. for most yard projects).  We ended up moving the trampoline to the upper yard corner, to open up some space for kids to play away from the patio, and if they want to set up a pool.  Here are some pictures:

Open space

New location

So I was pretty pleased with all of that.  Glad to get things done, even if a lot of the work included the distasteful process of cleaning up animal crap from the many neighborhood strays, and the dog.  But this was the first real clean up like that, and once we get into a weekly cleanup mode it won't be nearly as difficult to get done. 

So it felt good to get all that done.  Unfortunately I had to make a decision to hold off on getting and building new front steps until I can get someone to look at the area where the porch used to be because I am afraid to start ripping it up due to possible structural damage to the door frame.  Which means our front yard projects are on hold temporarily. 

Major milestone

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

This is what I have been working so hard on

I finally did it, crossed below that 200 pound mark, quite likely the lowest I have weighed since College.  I have been pushing pretty hard on this the last couple of weeks, having Kim working on her weight as well has really helped.  I am proud, but just like the President, I know I have more work to do.  My eventual goal is 180, hopefully by the end of the year. 

Thursday thoughts

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Just a few thoughts and items to share.  It's been a good week, despite the weather getting a little crazy.  The boys and grandparents have survived some serious immersion after 2 and a half months absence.  And Kim is enjoying her new iPhone and all of it's features.

Calendars

The one thing I am trying to figure out is how to get the calendars on the 2 phones in sync with each other.  I think I am close, but I am interested in anyone's input or ideas on this.  I think it would be very helpful if we could truly get our calendars in sync. 

Politics

So the Wingnuts are starting to respond in what was an almost predicatable fashion after the last years frenzied opposition to Health Care: there are some violent actions and real threats to politicians.  If anyone on the right didn't see this coming they need a real wake up call.  You can't feed a pack of dogs red meat for that long without expecting them to get hungry and violent. 

It does appear that the Senators are running out of steam for their stalling tactics and we might have everything reconciled and set by the end of this week.  It's amazing what power vacation has even over Senators.

Weekend Plans

Hoping to get some work done on the house, preparing for Daniel's party & Easter next weekend.  Maybe at least get some stairs attached to the front so we can use the front door.  We'll see if the weather cooperates so we can get it done.

Health Care

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

So, the big hurdle is finally passed.  There is still clean up with reconciliation bill, in the Senate, where all good bills go to get watered down or die in committee.  But the bottom line is what was signed today applies some very fundamental rules and rights changes that no matter how hard the Party of No works at it will become part of the fabric.

One of my FB Friends posted a comment: 'Equal Opportunity, not Equal Things' as a response to the passage.  And there has been a tremendous amount of responses along the lines of 'repeal it now, quick, before people learn what they really have' or 'this is a vast governmental intrusion into our lives, violating our constitutional rights'.  And here are my thoughts on those responses.

Constitutional Rights

I find it funny that the same political party that brought us governmentally sanctioned torture and illegal wire tapping should become so vocally concerned with people's individual Constitutional rights.  I guess in their minds it isn't a violation of the Constitution if it can be framed in the "you have 10 seconds to find the bomb" conundrum.  So my response is: "you lost your job and associated health care, your new born child has a congenital heart defect, and no insurance company will cover the immediately necessary surgery, what do you do?"  It's easy and fun to create no win scenarios that make your side look good.

Anyway, back to the Constitution.  I prefer to think that the Framers could have in no way envisioned a world where we had the technology to detect things like Cancer, heart disease etc.  And had they been able to envision that world I think they would have felt that equal access to quaility health care for all citizens would have qualified as one of the fundamental rights.  Technology has changed our world, and what we are able to do medically.  But that doesn't come free.  But a country that truly cares about it's citizens and believes all citizens are equal, gives them the equal access to everything: education, access to facilities, retirement, safety net, and yes health care.

Elections have Consequences

For 6 or 8 years depending on what you were dealing with the bottom line was we had a Republican government, and that meant dealing with what they passed.  If that meant tax cuts for the rich (passed via the big bad reconciliation), violation of constitutional rights in the name of the War on Terror, then we more or less had to deal with it. 

Well the shoe is on the other foot, and the Tea Baggers, Wignuts, Party of No etc. could learn a thing or two about how to deal with being the minority party.  And it doesn't mean: "I'm taking my ball and going home, because you won't play the way I want".

But beyond that, to put a not too fine a point on it: Obama and the Democrats did win in 2008, with a mandate to, among other things, improve and reform Health Care.  And they did just that.  Just like some people declared in 2000 or 2001 that Bush was elected to cut taxes (for the wealthy), and he did it using the same tools the Obama administration had to use for health care.

Weekend Recap

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

Leave politics aside for a different post. So unplanned but relaxing 3 day weekend. Also super productive as we achieved what I thought would be much harder process in getting the porch wholly removed. In fact we ended up removing the little rock patio I had built up as well, decided to start over from scratch. But we still had time for some fun over the course of the weekend.

Family

The boys ended up with a day early start on their Spring Break due to a Snow day on Friday, which is why I stayed home for the unplanned 3 day weekend. Which was fun for the boys to have a day of just hanging out, playing on the computer and playstation.

Saturday I got out of the house: YMCA for a workout, library for the kids to get some books for the week. Then we went to a Birthday party at my least favorite restaurant for 3 hours (Chuck E. Cheese).

Sunday was a work day. We first cleaned up the rubble we had placed in the empty lot next door. Then went to work on the porch and cleaning up what we had to clean up and remove. And we mostly got it done. It was a heavy work day, and I am a little sore, but it is done, which is what counts.

Project

So we have almost completely cleaned up the front of the house, removing the porch, and also the planter/patio that I had constructed a few years back. Here is what it looks like now:

So now we need to take some measurements and stock of what we have and what we want to do. We have already decided to just put in a basic set of stairs for the door, with a railing. It is the simplest solution, and to be honest we need that railing as we have a number of aging family members who will need that railing as the years go by. After that it will be some combination of patio and planters in the front yard, made primarily of pavers.

It's been a lot of work, but one thing we have discovered over the years is that Kim & I work very well together, and these projects are actually fun for the 2 of us. And it is really good exercise as well.

Health

Well all that work has helped a lot, if I have another good week like last one I should be able to progress past a major barrier, not a plateau so much as a milestone. One of the things I have noticed is how all this weight loss and exercise has become like a stone moving downhill. As I work hard to lose weight, I gain more energy, which makes it easier to work harder, which leads to more weight loss, which leads to more energy. It's a fun revelation.

Sports

As a result of the snow day I got to watch a considerable amount of the NCAA basketball. Which was fun. I always enjoy March Madness, especially when the underdogs come close or pull off upsets. Because it is so much fun to watch these kids who have no hope of playing beyond this level just put in their all and really leave all that on the floor. And basketball is still a team game at this level, without the star game that the NBA is.

Making Government Transparent

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

This is part of the Sunlight Foundation BlogSwarm on Open Government Week

This is more to reiterate a point I already made once: Opening the doors of government will help chase out the roaches.

One of the great achievements of the original Progressive Movement was the Civil Service Act, and similar actions. Making government work a profession instead of leaving it in the hands of political cronies and appointees. And this went a long way towards restoring people's faith in government.

Well we have reached another crucial point in our nation's politics where government is in danger of falling into the hands of corrupt politicians instaed of we the people. This time it is not the day to day civil servants who are the problem. Instead it is the elected officials. And it is the way these elected officials inevitably fall under the sway of lobbyists and corporate interests.

Here is where we the people, and organizations like the Sunlight Foundation come in. Demand open government, demand access to information like who the lobbyists are, what are they doing, what are they actually doing. Demand to know where your elected officials funding really comes from. In the era of the Internet and gradually accpeted standards for accessing any data there is no reason why this information is not readily available at a moments notice.

Because when we the voters need to know that while politician A claims to want a smaller, more efficient government that is responsive to the people, that same politician may also receive vast sums of money from developers, bankers and other industry leaders. So we voters can realize what the politician really means is: elect me so I can guarantee my good friends in Industry X can continue to receive their fat contracts.

Opening the curtains and letting the Sunlight in in this case means getting that information out there so we as voters can be more educated and realize who we are electing. And maybe the time will come when we do not have elected officials telling bankers they need to keep up the fight to stop regulation that will protect the people from those same big predatory banks and corporations.

Wednesday Miscellanea

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

A variety of topics and thoughts after returning to work from a day off for Baby Em's illness.

Family Updates

Emily is fine now, Monday she had a Fever and cough, wouldn't keep anything down. Doctor said she had an ear infection, prescribed antibiotics. So she had a rough afternoon and night. But I stayed home with her yesterday since she couldn't go to Day Care yet. And she was already feeling fine.

Kim has joined the Internet! That is we picked up an iPhone for her, and set up her own e-mail account, so now she can and will do e-mail and instant messaging etc. Which is all very cool, since it will make her more confident about technology, and improve our communication. If you want her address let me know and I can have her e-mail you (I figure that's the most conservative way to approach it).

Football

I figured I would chime in my $.02 on the Broncos offseason moves. I have been pleased so far that they clearly have a plan, and are sticking to it. I figure the Brady Quinn trade is a no brainer. Worst case scenario is we traded a running back we don't use and a low draft pick for a backup QB who is an improvement over what we had. Best case scenario is Quinn lives up to his draft hype, takes over the starting job and gets us into the playoffs.

Another plus for the Quinn trade was that the Rams didn't trade for him to be their QB of the future. Which is all to the good, I think the Rams have to continue to be realistic and stick to their building plans and not fall for big name veteran free agents.

Basketball

I haven't totally stopped reading the sports sections, but I have done a good job of separating myslef from the NBA and impending March Madness. It has made the weekends much nicer and productive to not be huddled in front of the TV. And I haven't really missed anything yet.

Politics

So I have refrained from rising to the bait of a FB Friend's hysterically Liberatarian posts about Health Care Reform. I am trying to train myself to post links etc. but not try to criticize other peoples posts, when it is clear the argument is futile.

I am cautiously optimistic that HCR will pass at this point. Although I have a fear that Congress will still blow it somehow. I am of the Kos/Krugman school that at this bill may not be everything we want, but it is the absolutely dead seriously needed foot in the door that has to be passed.

Weekend Recap

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

Had a nice, relaxing fun, family focused 3 day weekend. Had Friday off to spend some time with Kim. Then Friday night was a school dance for the boys. Saturday was a very busy family day: basketball, Parade, team party. Sunday ended up being a relaxing day at home with the kids.

BV Barn Dance

This was a fun, albeit very hectic evening. Notable for Kim finding a spectacluar dress for Emily at Goodwill that afternoon:

From BV Barn Dance 2010

It was so darling that it almost brought a tear to my eye at the dance watching her with Daniel. What a heartbreaker I have on my hands!

James Basketball

Well his team flip flopped the double header: got trounced in the first game and then won the second game. Overall I think it was a good season for James, he got a taste of the game, had fun. I am not certain if he will want to play again or play for the same team. But it was a good experience, and worth all the early mornings.

Health

Friday morning weigh in had me finally below the plateau I had been stuck at for a godd month. I could have gotten more exercise over the weekend, so it remains to be seen if I will make more progress this week. But just busting pas that point was a great feeling, and gives me hope of being able to reach my goal if I just keep up my current practices, and eventually start upping the ante with some evening runs instead of just walks. I think I have the eating under control for the most part, at least the will power part of it.

Resisting Change, Reform or Revolt

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

For the majority of our history the United States has been unique amongst nations in that it handled needed reforms and changes peacefully. With the exception of the Civil War and some sporadic labor clashes we have always adapted and made necessary changes before we crossed the brink. It has always been a part of our national DNA to do so. Which gives me hope. Because right now we are fast approaching one of those moments where changes have to be made peacefully or violence may occur.

Health Care

Here's the best philosophical argument for why we need to improve the system that I have encountered, it comes from Gregg Easterbrook's Sonic Boom. Our world is going faster, people need to be flexible, companies may change, the days of working the same place for years is going away. And yet the one thing that paralyzes people, makes them stick to dead end jobs, not take the chance to go elsewhere, or strike out on their own is insurance. If they knew with 100% certainty that they (and their families) would be provided for with health care people might be more willing to take that leap. And taking that leap is a part of the engine that drives the economy: innovation. Again, this is a philosophical point, it doesn't address they myriad details that have to be covered in providing that coverage. But those can be addressed. The bottom line is that we are definitely at the precipice of this issue and this may be the last chance to peacefully return from the brink.

Income inequality

We are slowly becoming a nation of have's and have nots. There is some level of flixibility, it isn't a rigid caste system, or even as closed as many european countries. But the bottom line is we are developing a hereditary underclass. Poor people whose expectations are set low, and where the chances of economic success are small and getting smaller. And the great dream of America: the Middle Class, is where the losses are being felt.

Understand I am not talking standard of living. I realize that what the poor person in the U.S. can expect is still dramatically better than people in other countries: TV's, Cell Phones, computers etc. What I am talking about is the future: education and educational opportunities, a feeling that your children can expect to live better than you.

And no Democracy can handle a permanent underclass forever. Eventually the rising tide recedes. And what gets left behind has to be dealt with. If we as a country do not address this eventually that group of people will get larger and more desparate, and all it will take is a spark to ignite them.

Progressive Movement

What historically was referred to as the Progressive Movement was one of the cases where this nation avoided that spark. And the resulting changes: Income Tax, Labor Unions, Government Reform, Trust Busting, all pulled us back from that brink. The New Deal was another example of the Progressives saving Capitalism from itself: Social Security, FDIC, SEC, NLRB.

Once again we are facing that brink, and if the powers that be are smart they will recognize that it is far better business in the long run to pull us back from the brink, than continue to conduct business as usual. It simply is not good long term business to spend money subverting Envrinomentalist groups, cashing out huge bonuses, and fighting inevitable reform. And yet that is what our modern Coporations and the Party of No are doing. They fear change, but don't realize that change is inevitable and they can make that change smooth and profitable, or fight it and pay the consequences.

Weekend Update

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

It turned into a really nice weekend, productive, with some fun mixed in. Although I did reach a limit on time for being alone with the kids. Looking forward to next weekend being a 3 day one, with my getting a day with Kim and no kids.

No basketball for James this weekend, at least no game, so Saturday was a day to actually 'sleep in' (which means sleeping until 6:30 or 7 instead of 5:30). I took advantage of the nice weather to attack the front porch, beginning to get serious about the demolition as a precursor to building a nice replacement. Kim went out with her Mom, which meant I ended up with the kids all day. I still managed to get in a walk, and enjoyed the weather. I also organized all of the CD's so we can actually find them now, and also recorded a few more onto the computer as part of that ongoing project. So overall a good day.

Sunday Kim had to work, so I did start to hit the proverbial wall as far as being able to cope with the kids and their various demands, especially Emily, who is having a real hard time cutting her lower molars, making her a constant and insufferable grouch for the last week. I reached a breaking point, threw the kids in the car (not literally) and went to McDonalds to let them run around in the play ground happily for an hour. Soon after we got back Emily did finally collapse so I was able to enjoy some quiet time playing on the computer leading up to Kim getting home and after that for a while.

Then Kim & I got ambitious and took up the entire front sidewalk (just in time for rain and snow all week). All of this demolition kind of forces us to actually do something now in the front, we can't just leave it a mud pit with no sidewalk or porch. Which is part of my plan, sometimes Kim & I have to do things like this to get us to undertake a major project. Now we can at least have a better idea of where we really are when we plan the construction of the porch.

So it was the a good weekend, enjoyed the precursor to real spring weather. And looking forward to more working weekends like this as we continue the project of shaping and reshaping the yard and house.

Family weekend

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

So, quiet weekend this week. Kim has to work both days (so she can have a 4 day weekend next week). No basketball for James, so relaxing morning for me. My plan or goal is to actually begin work on a major outside project. Unfortunately I also over indulged in rich, fatty foods yesterday so I have a gippy tummy. which means taking it easy, and watching my eating habits, go with my variant B.R.A.T. diet.

Starting the day getting some music onto iTunes, maybe organizing the CD's, cleaning up song lists etc. Probably also get the pictures up to date as well. Just some puttering around to begin the day.

When it warms up I will head outside to begin some demolition. I have come up with a new plan for the porch, and before we go out and spend money etc. on it the first step will be to knock down and remove what we currently have. So it will be sledge hammer, pry bar, shovel time this weekend. Which should go a long way towards my daily exercise.

So that's the plan, hopefully children and tummy will cooperate.

My anger boiled into a nutshell

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Have to get this quasi-political screed off my chest this AM. Family stuff later today ina different post.

Corruption

Defined:
1.the act of corrupting or state of being corrupt.
2.moral perversion; depravity.
3.perversion of integrity.
4.corrupt or dishonest proceedings.
5.bribery.
6.debasement or alteration, as of language or a text.
7.a debased form of a word.
8.putrefactive decay; rottenness.
9.any corrupting influence or agency.

After reading the beginnings of this article yesteday this was the word that came to mind, and really this is what I see in our politics and is the cause of pretty much everything that bothers me in the public arena.

Yesterday I was in a Twitter and Facebook link frenzy (I love the Internet sometimes). And pretty much every link I posted had at it's core some level of corrupt action. At one time in my life I was pretty much a Liberatarian. But that has changed and I think the reason for that is that as I grow older I have determined that what I fear more than any government action and infringement on my liberty is the capriciousness of a government that is wholly bought by various corrupt business interests.

And it really permeates our society at this point, just a huge amount of influence. I wrote a couple of weeks ago about how the Right Wingnuts had won the propaganda war against the government. Well the problem is not that their motives are pure. If they were pure Liberatarians who truly believed that less government is best they wouldn't be selling off government functions, properties and privileges out the back door. What has killed the Colorado Springs economy isn't the less government is more people, it is the corrupt council handing out tax cuts and flat bribes to bring employers to town, who then cut & run a couple of years later, or basically hold the city hostage. If the Council had not been engaged in those types of action the people might have been more willing to agree to new or different taxes.

And businesses have discovered that they can pretty much buy anything they want. Need some Environmental activists to back that plan to destroy the water? Hand them some money. Need to justify selling cheap handguns, liquor, cigarettes etc. to poor people? Hide behind the Bill of Rights and buy some politicians who will support that stance. Need to justify outrageous bonuses for ruining the economy with your failed financial gambles? Claim taxes will prevent you from doing your part and destroy the economy even more. Everywhere you look in current political discourse you can find corporate backing behind the opposition to any and every 'Progressive' proposal.

Don't get me wrong, I support and believe in a Free Market. But not when that Market isn't truly free, but instead bought and paid for at the expense of: poor & middle class workers, foreign countries, the environment, smaller businesses. And that is what we are veering towards.

So I say Open up government, let in some Sunlight, make politicians accountable to We the People, not We the Coporations. We have had to do this before in this country, the original Progressive Movement, and again with the New Deal. Both times governmenat had gradually fallen under the sway of the moneyed interests, and the people suffered as a result. We can do it again, it just takes some nerve and the will and leadership.

Politics of No & Guns (2 fine American traditions)

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Thoughts on a wide range of topics today so be prepared, I will try to use subject headers so if there is one you don't care about you can just skip it.

Senate Filibusters & politics of No

So 1 man held up business in the Senate for 5 days over the last week. Which resulted in over 200,000 people being delayed in receiving unemployment benefits, plus a whole host of other things. In the grand scheme of things this may not seem like much, just 5 days right? Wrong, for some people that delayed check could mean the final missed house payment to avoid foreclosure, or delayed medical payment etc. This economy is no time to play games with people's welfare. And when it comes down to it, that's all this was, the Senator got the exact same thing that was offered to him last week. So it was all gamesmanship. This is just the highlight of a year in which the sore loser Party of No is doing everything in their power to keep the majority party from accomplishing what they were elected to do. Which is wrong by pretty much any measure.

I agree with the general structure of the House & Senate, and I do feel that there is a place for true filibusters. But what happened this week was not a filibuster, it was 1 man saying, "I don't want to vote on this" and that was it, no true filibuster. I think that if they don't get rid of the filibuster the Senate ought to at least get back to the old way of making Senators stand up on the floor and do a real filibuster. The current easy filibuster is just too easy to be abused, so you get what we saw this week.

Guns

So a bit of a perfect storm of sorts this week for me to think about guns. First, my old high school friend's trial start jury selection today. Second, the Supreme's begin consideration on another major handgun ban case. Third, a week after some spirited discussion last week on this issue.

First, while I personally see no reason or justificiation for the massive handgun industry and think it is partly responsible for the wide spread violence in our culture, I understand the counter argument about constitutional rights etc. And I don't want to get into repeating that discussion/argument.

What I want to know is why all of the 'responsible gun owners' refuse to accept stricter laws? Not bans, just stricter laws. Why is it easier to get a gun than drive a car? I don't buy the whole 'if we register our guns and make it harder to get them then the government will have an easier time rounding up gun owners'. That is liberatarian crap in my opinion, and is part of a fear of government pathology that has no place in reasonable discussions.

Stricter laws, with waiting periods, background checks etc. might have kept some of the terrible events and shootings that have happened from occurring. People worry about the government? I worry about a government that lets the gun lobby write it's gun laws.

Successfully had an Active weekend

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

My goal was not to spend the weekend sitting around playing computer games, and I succeeded. I intentionally made certain I had a full weekend, and I felt good about it. James' game went well, we had some fun as well. But we also got a lot of good work done.

James' basketball

I guess all of his time taking shots in our driveway have made a difference because he ended up making 6 baskets. Of course I missed 4 of them while taking Daniel & Emily to the bathroom, but oh well. We are coming to the end of the season, and I think it was a good experience for James, and he will probably want to keep playing basketball. He just needs to keep practicing, especially his ball handling and shooting.

Projects

So we gutted the back storage room of the basement. Pulling a bunch of stuff out, and only putting it back if it was in an organized fashion. And just flat getting rid of some stuff. We decided on getting rid of a number of stored toys as they just hadn't been in demand, and there was likely not to be any demand any time soon either. It was well worth the work though. And we also went ahead and cleaned up the rest of the basement at the same time. And established a new order that it must be cleaned before any cartoons or video games every Sunday.

Health

My reason for working so hard on things was to keep myself busy and away from just sitting and snacking, which I realized was a big reason why I was at a plateau. And that appears to have been a success, of course I won't really know until my normal wiegh in, but I certainly feel like it.