Al Afirmar Que Soy Perdidor Es Algo Bueno--When Claiming Soy Perdidor Is A Good Thing

Entry 1

I am not that guy who takes before and after pictures when I am trying to lose weight. Truth is, I have rarely ever tried to lose weight. We didn't ever own a scale until Jenny had to try and put on weight because the cancer, taking all her caloric input, had turned her into Flat Stanley. When I started walking when Jenny was ill, it was to keep my sanity, to work off stress. I ended up working off 40 lbs in a few months and kept it off until Jenny was close to death--when the comfort food was everywhere and all I wanted, and when I honed my already supernatural ability to slack into a superpower.

   

Matt planting a Western Red Cedar in July.

I have had times in my life when I was over 190. I've had a time in my life when I was over 200 lbs. But mostly, I have a resting weight of around 180--well too heavy, rather unsurprising given the recalcitrance of my pancreas to process sugar. In general I shed weight quickly, but aside from exercise and caloric monitoring, I have to wonder what role the Jardiance is playing in preventing weight gain. 

The house/dog sitter comes over tonight. She is  the 18 or 19 year-old daughter of a friend I haven't seen since high school. Facebook serendipity is real, people. I logged on one day and saw this post from Nicole saying her daughter was looking for a dog sitting/house sitting gig in August through September 5. I am back the 6th. I have a relative minding the place and the dog the last day. Unbelievable how my luck turned in this instance.

My handyman, Matt, told me yesterday, after careful measurement, that I will need approximately 17

Book stamp found inside am old book at The Strand, 2022.

cubic yards of bark to replace the old. At 40 bucks a yard from the cheapest place around, well, that ain't cheap. Moreover, the most they haul is 10 cubic yards, and we will need more small loads, given my driveway, which holds 6 cars easily, won't be able to hold such a large amount of bark. 

I can't say this enough--this guy is a lifesaver. Yesterday he finished putting weed-block down on the fence line, built Abby's second raised garden bed--which will be handy next spring, finished prepping the wooden railing for staining on the lower patio, and measured the entire yard so I could get an idea of how much money I would be spending on bark. He offered to attack my blackberries this fall--which I will take him up on. This fall, after all the landscaping, he will fix the extensive damage Willow had done to the walls and trim as a teething puppy.

Thinking about Abby, we have lots to accomplish in the next 18 days. Lots. She needs a winter coat. I need to arrange her car to be shipped. She needs the passenger side mirror fixed--broken when she hit the frame to the garage door some months ago. Shopping for a winter's coat last weekend, I discovered that Burlington Coat Factory isn't

UW campus field of daisies, taken on a morning constitutional, 2014.

more than just coats, in fact it doesn't seem to sell coats on a regular basis at all--it is more like a low rent Ross or TJ Maxx. There was no coat section, no coats in men or women's clothing. I presume it is just Burlington now given no coats (and, not a change, but no factory either). I would name it Seconds from Chinese Clothing Manufacturing--I'm just sayin'. Abby also needs a meningitis vaccine, which I am insisting upon. I presume we are mailing things to school next week--this doesn't include the things already shipped to Amy's (Jenny's BFF) in Massachusetts and the things we include in the luggage we will be taking with us. Back-up glasses. Can't forget back-up glasses.

As I  sit here with a  snuggly Willow, rubbing her belly with the warm summer morning coming through the open door, I am feeling moments of bliss.