11th Week- The Fat Report

For me, dieting is an interesting challenge. It's all a matter of establishing a routine... getting out for our daily walk, and refusing to put things into the hole in my face.

I've now lost 12 pounds since 1 January.

It's not easy. The temptations are everywhere.

In one of the first posts I wrote at "Pitchpull" I discussed how food and drugs can be compared. I really wanta eat! I have a tin on the end table next to my recliner that Sara Jean keeps filled with a mixture of roasted peanuts and cashews.

When my stomach is growling loud enough to be heard across the room- (2.5 on the Richter scale), it would be the easiest thing in the world to empty that tin, one handful of nuts at a time.

Merchandisers are evil. Last night I went to get groceries... the first thing inside the door?

Krispy Kreme donuts... one of my worst opponents!

For me, the difference between success and failure at this venture is my ability to remember how drugs and food are really two peas in a pod... and I think back when Nancy Reagan started her anti-drug campaign for kids... "JUST SAY NO!"

Sure, it'd be easy to just put a handful of nuts in my mouth... no one would know the difference.

A dozen of those Krispy Kremes in my shopping cart, and I'd have been pouring an ice-cold glass of milk to go along with them when I got home. Ummm, ummm! And who would've known?

I would have. The scale would have shown it this morning. And my heart, my joints, and all the rest of my body would not be getting the benefits I promised myself with my New Year's resolution to me, and to you.

I'm now at the point where subtle hints at my success make me smile. Wearing blue jeans sans-belt last night while shopping, my pants were trying to slide over my hips. I need to fetch my belt from the closet and cinch up my trousers!

Here's the math, VK's-

12 pounds of fat melted, 6 to go.

The next 6 may be hard, but I'm gonna make it.

To those of you emailing with encouragement...Thank you!

It helps keep me disciplined!

***

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Happy St. Patty's day, VK's!

Got any news to share with us on this wonderful day?

The Ol' Switcheroo

Driving by a house today brought back a pleasant memory to share-

A couple years ago we had a minor scandal in Greybeardville. Someone we are intimate with got involved with a married man. Eventually the man's wife divorced him, and he and our acquaintance got married. Oddly, the spurned spouses got together and also married. Everyone involved in this odd slice of life seems to be doin' fine in their new relationship.

It reminded me of something that happened long ago.
I was a Sophomore at CGHS. She was a Senior. She was in one of my study halls. I had a crush the size of Manhattan.
I'll call her "Karen".
Cute, petite, with an hourglass figure, "going steady" with "Jerry",
I figured I could only admire Karen from afar.
Jerry was a jerk. I think everyone thought she was too good for him... couldn't understand why she stayed with him.

Obviously not old enough to drive, I was still hitching a ride to and from school with Willy. One day after school, I was waiting in the parking lot when Willy came out and said Karen needed a ride home. We had a carload of guys, so Karen would need to borrow a lap to sit on. She said, "I'll sit on Greybeard's lap!"
My heart fluttered.
She scooted between the seats and took my lap. I put my arm around her waist to help stabilize her. She turned to me and smiled.
My heart soared.

It was if a dream had come true. Were it possible, I would have stopped time. I couldn't believe it... here was Karen, sitting on my lap, happy to be there!

The school year ended.
Jerry and Karen broke up.
My phone rang.
"Greybeard? This is Karen. Would you be interested in going to the movies with me tomorrow night?"

"I still can't drive, Karen. No license."
"I'll pick you up at 7:30."
My heart almost burst.

We went to our beloved Meridian drive-in.
What movie was showing? Who knows? Who cares?
I was 'way to busy getting face to face with Karen!
The only fly in the ointment was that Jerry found out Karen had asked me out, and he was driving the rows... in front of Karen's car, he would race his engine up, just to irritate us. For me, it was a small price to pay. I hoped he'd try and pick a fight.

He didn't.
The next day, he appeared on Karen's doorstep, begging her to take him back.
She did.
Soon, they were married. Shortly after that, she was pregnant. The last time I saw her she was tending to the baby, wondering where Jerry was.

Years later I saw Karen's brother's name on a mailbox. Surprised he was still in the neighborhood, I knocked on the door just to inquire about her.
"How's she doin'?"
He smiled relating the story...
Jerry was a terrible philanderer. For years Karen put up with his shenanigans. One day, a strange man appeared at her door...
"Your husband is fooling around with my wife, and we need to get our heads together and see what we should do about it." And he produced photos taken by a detective to show what he was saying was true.

At first the relationship was platonic... friends trying to help one another through a tough time. But gradually their bond grew stronger.
They fell in love, divorced their unfaithful mates, and married.

Jerry and the man's wife also married.
Cheaters bein' cheaters, it didn't last.

The last I heard, Karen and her new husband were living happily ever after.
I'm glad. She deserves better than she had.

13 March DDFF Update-

Not much to report in the way of changes from my last, except that Joker will be stopping by to meet and greet DDFF participants.
I've also invited Mommanurse to come by and visit with us, her schedule permitting.

So the updated list still looks like this-
Staying at Gulf Winds East:
Cinders and TwoDogs
Sharon and TC
Sara Jean and Greybeard
FlyGirl and HB.

Commuting/stoppin' by-
Carol and Harry
Joker and ?
and maybe Mommanurse.

Hey Fly-
any update on the possibility of me seeing Jackie for the first time since May of 1965? That would be fabulous!

I dug up some websites for you to peruse.
Some are good.
Some, like the one for Silver Sands Outlet Mall, are a little disappointing.

There is another site with somewhat redundant info about Gulf Winds East here.

One of the things I think we'd all enjoy is a Dolphin Cruise.
In addition to seeing lots of Dolphins, this cruise gives you a tour of the Destin Harbor, and includes some of the history of Destin and the surrounding area.

Twenty minutes West of Destin on Okaloosa Island is the Gulfarium. They have shows featuring several types of sea critters.

Eden Gardens State Park is a short drive East of Destin, where you can see many of the flowers/plants/trees indigenous to the area, along with a home that reminded me of "Tara" from "Gone With the Wind" that you can tour.

I like caves. My family was pleasantly surprised when, years ago, we stopped and walked through Florida Caverns. This might be a good activity on a rainy day?

For those with an interest in Military Aircraft and hardware,
The Air Force Armament Museum has lots of interesting aircraft on display, to include the SR-71 Blackbird, a B-52, and my beloved Huey helicopter. It's a short drive North from Destin.
Ninety minutes West in Pensacola, we could tour The Naval Aviation Museum. This would be an all-day affair because of the drive, and the fact that there are lots and lots of things to see here, along with an IMAX theatre presentation. But there are great places to eat in Pensacola, so if there's enough interest, we'll consider it.

Sara Jean LOVES... LOVES! the Silver Sands Outlet Mall.
Coach, Nautica, Eddie Bauer, Bose, Polo/Ralph Lauren, and other brand name manufacturers have stores in the mall. (We can go at night, after we have eaten too much... and walk the calories off!)

I've said before, my main fear at reunions is that we try to do too much. My perception of our minis is that they are wonderful because they have been low-key with smaller groups of people, and we have been able to move around and converse comfortably, making it easy for everyone to visit as much and with who(m?)ever ya want. There'll be plenty of time for visiting for everyone, but I sure want everyone to leave with a warm heart and a smile on their face.
I want your input, both now and in Destin!

One last thing-
It's not too late, you slaggards! C'mon now...
you know this is gonna be a ball. If you miss it-
YOU'LL BE SORRY!

reconnecting with classmates

I've spent the last couple of weeks reading the archived blogs and their comments posted to VK's and I've truly enjoy them. It has given me brief glimpses into some of your lives and thoughts and I must say, "why have I waited 42 years?" It has been fun to reconnect with those participating at VK's. Now I got the "bug" and I wish more of our '65 classmates would join in.

If anyone has read my blog page about my Hawaiian adventure, let me tell you it's all true. Every vacation I've taken, there was always some fiasco or adventure awaiting us around the corner, and if not, I made my own adventure (or fiasco). I am not a "normal" vacation type of person. I take the high road when everyone else is taking the low road and vice versa. I'm sure if I were to go on a guided African Safari I would see some overgrown trail that nobody else had noticed and would follow that to. . . see what I could see . . . and probably be fighting for my life in a matter of minutes. But that's just me. In my younger days I would have signed up for the reality series "Survivor" in a heartbeat (my favorite show, by the way). But in my old age I am a lot wiser and definitely more cautious. Here I sit with my 30 yr old mind in a 60 yr old body. What happened? Age happened! I'm thankful that I still have my wits about me and can recall the good (and bad) times of my life. So bit-by-bit I will try to fill you in on what my life has been like. I hope you enjoy it and definitely want to hear more about you.

I'm planning on being in the Destin/Ft Walton Beach area the beginning of May and would like to stop by to say "hello" to those of you heading out to your 'fishing fiasco'. Where are you staying and when exactly will you be there.

Hawaiian Adventure

Hey, lookee here-
Some of us actually update our blogs now and then!
(VIP's should go and read.)

GBFR, Week Ten- Setback

See that look?
If there had been a mirror over my scale this morning, that's the reflection I'd have seen.

The number last week was 196.
But there were more obstacles along the way this week...
My student enjoyed taking the helicopter to "The Texas Roadhouse" so much, he wanted to do it again. Ribs, baked potato... delicious, and enough for two meals.

And then came the buffet.
Two days of company training, and my employer provided lunch both days- a wonderful buffet line. Those two days provided a double whammy: Two hours of driving to get to those meetings added up to a twelve-hour day, and exercise was the last thing I wanted to do.

So... this morning I approached the scale as if I was facing a coiled, ready-to-strike rattlesnake.
And my fears were realized...
The scale said 200 pounds.
200 pounds! How is that possible?

Last night was my first night back to work. This morning I got up and had two big cups of coffee, then I had another during my 45 minute drive home. But could that amount to 4 or five pounds?

Dismayed, I went to bed. I woke twice to go to the bathroom... my spirits brightened a little.

Back to the scale with interest... could I be back on track?
Well, almost...
I slid the little weight, and the scale said 196.
Unbelievable! Six hours of sleep. Two trips to the bathroom.
Four pounds of liquids gone!

So it's a minor miracle, and a victory of sorts-
The Texas Roadhouse and two days down the buffet line kept me from losing a pound, but at least my fears of this morning weren't realized.

It's SO much harder to lose weight now than it once was! It's hard to get myself motivated to get my buns moving and do the necessary exercise to burn this fat. But now I have two pounds to lose next week in order to stay on my schedule. Beam your good thoughts my way, please.

Now...
Open topic time. It's great to see Mr. Legan commenting.
Bill, if you're interested I'll work with you so you can contribute posts on your own. It's interesting to hear views of those days from the other side of the desk!
And Joker... I'm with PT. I want to hear more about your furballs!

Sara Jean and I have good things to look forward to... we're headed to Chicago in two weeks to attend her best friend's birthday party. Then the following week we're flying back to Mesa, Arizona to visit with Big Bubba. Returning from that trip, the DDFF will be just over the horizon!
Come on down, everyone!

(Don't forget your clocks tonight, VK's!)

Fillin' In Some Blanks

Again, from Mr. Legan:

Answers to some questions found on Vandy's Kids:
MR. SHOTT(SP) was the vice-principal before Vandy assumed that role.
MR. WOODROW WILSON was Principal and was over both the h.s. and elem. when I began teaching in 1957. Later he was elevated to Supervisor, and Vandy assumed principal, then when a superintendent was named, Mr. Schulte, the position Mr. Wilson had was no longer there, and he finally left CG. He was the best principal I had ever worked under in my 38 ½ years of teaching. You knew where you stood with him. He made me a teacher.
MR. CLASHMAN was the principal at the elem. school, and taught one class of senior civics at the high school. He was my principal when I began at CG, and a week before the 1958-59 school year he passed, and no one was sure why he died. I did go the funeral at Deputy, IN near Madison, IN. Mr. Clashman was a bachelor, and was a good principal. Mr. Otto J. Sloop, became principal of the elem. school after Mr. Clashman's death. Mr. Sloop was a teacher at the high school in Franklin at the time before he came to CG. He had taught me grades 7 and 9, and became my mentor, and made me appreciate the subject he taught, Mathematics, and that is why I became a math teacher. I taught elem. at CG on a permit for 4 years then to jr. hi teaching math and social studies.
MR. WILBUR HARDIN: Mr. Hardin was brought into the school system about my 5th year teaching at CG. He came from Morristown, IN, and became the jr. principal at CG. He began teaching in 1939 at CG and was relieved of his job because he was too strict. He was a good man too. He eventually became supt. of CG schools.
MR. ALVIE SURFACE: The custodians made me a teacher too. I would go to them before I went to the principal for items. Bob Scott and Basil Briggs were good custodians. Alvie always had a cigar in his mouth. The fire alarm in the middle building had to be pulled with a vertical rod for it to go off. One day we were to have a fire drill, and I saw Alvie about ready to pull the alarm, and I asked him to puff some of that cigar smoke in my room. When the alarm sounded the kids actually thought the building was on fire. I could be fired for that if I still taught today. Alvie was a wonderful man.
What ever happened to Mr. Buntin????
That is memory lane on March 8, 2007.
Hope to see you at the CG banquet on June 2nd. It will be my first time to attend.
Respectfully yours,
Mr. Legan

Thanks, Mr. Legan!
I bet your note instigates a few more questions.

Vandy News

I have visited Vandy a couple of times in the last two weeks. I have not seen him do his therapy on these last two visits, but he tells me the rehab ladies are making him do his physical therapy and evening walks with his walker. No info on medical stuff. He seems to be at a plateau as far as advancements. His mind is still sharp. We talk about old times, like Vickie I getting water on the gym floor at the senior prom (some things like that just never fade away do they Vickie!). We shared some candy that PT had sent him - coffee malted balls........ unlike sparkley balls Suzan. He talks about what a nice place he is in and how nice they treat him, but he wants to get back to Country Charm. We both have had trouble remembering people, (he is 89 and I am not) so next time I am bringing my yearbook. He talked of Kathy F. , Vickie I. , John T. , Barbara V. , Suzan H. , Marty U. , (called him the general), David R. , and others. He enjoys company, so if you have any time at all, stop in for a visit. You will enjoy the visits as much as he does.

Mrs. Hicks

I received this email from Mr. Legan a few days ago:

"I read in the DAILY JOURNAL today an obit of a teacher that I once taught with at Center Grove. Her name was Betty Hicks, taught the 6th grade. We both started at CG in 1957-58. The obit said that she died in Bloomington, IN. Some time ago former teacher at CG, Sue Morris, told me that Betty had Alzheimer's. She died at the age of 76 with a daughter, KarLisa. After her first divorce she married a CG resident, Mr. Cornelius, who passed away some years ago, and Sue told me that she had married again and moved to Texas. Then she married a Mr. Bailey. I lost track of Mrs. Hicks when i left CG and began teaching in Franklin, IN. Thought you might remember her.

Bill Legan
PS
I can't believe that it has been almost 50 years when I first began teaching, and that was at good ole CG. I will never forget those 7 years. One thing I regret is that I wished that I had bought some land in that area. I would now be a millionaire. ha."

If you've been back to our old stomping grounds and tried to stomp on the ground you once stomped on, you know that last comment is true!

GB

The More The Marren'er!

Ladies and Gents, a new addition to our family and our blogroll!
Go hence immediately... welcome her, and leave her a sage comment!

GBFR- Lying To Ourselves

Some of you may not have read this post from my blog.
I don't know if I was successful making my point there-
as a society we're never happy with anything anymore,
and our weight is one of the things we obsess about.
I'm not immune.

Pastry is my drug of choice.
I love donuts. Sara Jean makes a yellow cake and adds a banana to it, just to insure I never succeed in losing weight. She also makes absolutely the best peanut butter cookies in the world, (are they pastries?)
Fat pills... safe and effective when used as directed.

But there are all sorts of ways to cheat on a diet, and there are as many ways to lie to yourself about how successful/unsuccessful you are at it. Karen Carpenter and the anorexic teens I refer to in my blog link have convinced themselves they'd be more attractive if they'd "just lose a couple more pounds", and in doing so deny their bodies the nutrients it/they need(s) to sustain a healthy heartbeat. What sort of mental trick do these people play on themselves, screwing up their self-image to the point where they look at the emaciated reflection in the mirror and still see a person that needs to lose weight?

Confession time for Greybeard:
It's Lent.
Our local Catholic Church prepares fish dinners for sale to our community all during Lent. The fish is great. Cole slaw, baked beans, hush puppies, onion rings, and baked potatoe (Quayle) all included.
All this at a price you can't refuse.
I ate it. I ate it late last night. I was afraid it would show up on the scale at my Saturday morning weigh-in. So when I got home from work this morning, I convinced myself it would be okay to skip the weigh-in and go to bed, then get on the scale when I got up this afternoon.
And that's exactly what I did. Is that cheating? It's certainly a game I decided to play with myself.


And another confession:
I took off my watch before getting on the scale... after all, it weighs three-or-so ounces, right?!
See what I mean? This self-image business makes us more than a little crazy.

Now, the GBFR results:
Last week, 198.
This week-
Dut duh duh dut, duh duh DAAAAAAAAH!
196.

So I'm back on my schedule, although I'm ashamed of myself.
The whole idea of this stupid diet was to lose the weight nice and easy, so I don't damage anything, and to slowly get to where I have established habits to help me MAINTAIN.
Please, help me! Comment and tell me if I'm seeing something in the mirror that's not there.

Off topic, and to start you commenting on ANYTHING you damn well please:
A few of us got a very nice note from Marren S. this week. She came to VK and started reading, and was delighted to have some memory sparks prodded.
Welcome Marren, and thanks for your comments!
Now dear, please click the word "comments" below and tell us what memories you have to share!

To close... an enticement.
Those of you coming to the DDFF will be able to sample Sara Jeans "world's best" peanut butter cookies. We'll go for a walk afterwards to work them off.
It'll be a gas!

DDFF Update:

Harry, leader of the Chipley Mafia emailed with the following:

(Greybeard),
I know a captain in Destin that can take out up to 8 people. Only 6 can
fish at a time if the water is rough. It is a 40 footer. If it is too
rough he will not take us out and not charge us. The cost is $150 a
head and we have to have our own licenses and plus deck hand tip. This is for an all day trip and we WILL catch fish. I will need to know so we can book.
Harry

My response:

Hey Pal!
Well, sounds like you've got the plan! I know for sure there'll be me,
you, TC, (TwoDogs), and probably (FlyGirl) and her Hoosier Boy on the boat now.
There may be more, but I can't be sure.
Does the $150 per head fee still stand if there are only 4-6 of us?
My gut tells me you ought to go ahead and make the arrangements. I'd like everyone to have a great time in Destin and establish the DDFF as an annual thing. Thanks for the help Harry... I think it's gonna be a ball!
Let me know what I need to do to help.
(Greybeard)

So it sounds as if the Chipley Godfather has saved the day...
Life is grand!
Are ya gonna be there?

Taking the FF Outta the DDFF?

Good news and bad news, folks.
I've done some checkin' on fishing charters.
We have two, actually three choices:

1. We can fish in the Choctawhatchee bay.
These boats rent for about $600. There is a problem...
they are limited to use by no more than four fisherpersons. If more than four folks want to fish, we have to fish the Gulf.

2. We can fish in the Gulf.
The boat I checked on charged $200 an hour for a party of six.

3. We can go out on a "party boat".
These are large boats that cruise out to where you can no longer see land, then drop anchor and allow 40 or so folks to bottom fish. They charge a per-head fee, and I have not yet checked to see what that fee is, but I'm guessing it'll be $50 or less.

So we do have choices, but they are not what I expected.
I think we'll choose up sides and decide what to do when we get to Destin. Personally, I'm not much of a fisherman, so it won't break my heart if all we do is work sand up between our toes and see who can tell the biggest whopper!

It'll still be fun.

Vandy

VANDY UPDATE – I AM SMILING AS I WRITE THIS!!

Mr. Vandemeer is doing much better. No longer in the hospital, he is now at The Villages Rehabilitation Center in Greenwood. (Across from K-Mart on 31 near Smith Valley Road.) He has received many cards and PT’s care package. He loved it…you all made him smile and he remembers each of you. Lots of Center Grove alumni have been visiting him.

As I got there, Vandy was not in his room. Instead I saw his son Bill in the hall. I would never have known Bill, except that he now looks so much like Vandy, only more hair. Bill has picked up some weight and I had not seen him since high school. Bill flies out tomorrow (2-21-07) at 11:00 AM to go back home. His wife will be here next weekend. Mr. & Mrs. Tumey was also there.

Vandy was in physical therapy. He had told the physical therapist he was sleepy, but the whip was cracked and he was soon walking with a walker. He had two young good- looking girls working with him. I saw them walking with him and later playing volleyball with a balloon with him. The girls rubbed lotion on his arms as he told them stories about fishing in Canada. The story was about his being trapped in an outhouse by a black bear. The bear was finally shot in order for Vandy to be rescued.

Medical news: No conclusions for the internal bleeding from the doctors as yet. I did notice butterfly bandages on two places on his arms. Someone assisting him had damaged his skin.

New address: Village Pavilion Health Care Center
Melvin A Vandermeer, Room 109
283 S. Smock Dr.
Greenwood, IN 46143

His phone number is the same as when he was at Country Charm

Bill Vandermeer’s E-Mail address: vandermeer@sugar-land.oilfield.slb.com
On other news, OJ has gotten a pace maker and his wife Lorene has fallen and fractured three ribs.

Week 8, The Fat Report

Last week I was lookin' at 199 for the second week in a row, so this week I was hopin' for 197.
No joy.
This morning the scale reads 198 pounds. It's just tough... too easy to sit and watch TV... too easy to stuff an apple fritter in my pie hole.

Spring is on the way, so "walkin' with Sara Jean" weather is just around the corner. We walk a little over two miles a day when the weather permits. I also use my bicycle instead of the car to run errands around town. I'm hopeful that will make the forthcoming struggle against those last few pounds easier.

So I'm still a pound behind on my schedule. But I'm glad there's one less mile of blood vessels my heart has to struggle to pump blood through.
This week, more exercise and fewer calories, I promise!

Open topic time. Give us your news!

Stairway to... ?

You'll have to excuse me...
I'm sometimes given praise here for the help I have given others with computers and blogging, but I'm unworthy of that-
Hawkeye sent me this pic months ago, and I'm just getting around to figuring out how to post it here.
By my count, that's 19 smiling VK's on Indy Echo's stairway.
(Thank God Shifty built a strong one!)

Thinking of Vandy

(I moved this topic so it didn't get lost)

Thinking of a Vandy memorial and all the great suggestions from everyone, I had a couple of ideas

1. I wonder if the current CG principal would have any ideas on a way to donate to the school but make it special for Vandy

2. Maybe the Clements' or the Tumeys know of a CG artist who could paint an oil painting of Mr. and Mrs. V. ?? Or maybe someone from Butler, Purdue or IU? There are lots of artists in Brown County (I don't know any of them but my brother might)- if they couldn't do it they might know someone who could.

3. What was the name of that trophy place we used back in the day? I wonder if they have a way on making a bronze bust or maybe a 3D plaque?

4. I understand Bill is visiting Franklin this weekend; maybe someone could call the hospital and
A) Ask him for a photo of Mr. and Mrs. V.
B) Get his current email
C) Ask him if there is something he knows Vandy would really like.
(Please don't mention to Bill what a fashion plate I turned out to be. It will hurt his feelings to remember how cruelly he dumped me so he could have more study time! Like a 4.0 in Engineering wasn't going to happen anyway!!)
**** Remember, being Reality Based was NEVER in my Skill Set.

GB's Email to Mr. Shockley:

Mr Shockley:
You may or may not be reading at Vandy's Kids and know about our concerns that Mr. Vandermeer is in the hospital. Discussion lately has been that although we are hopeful Mr V. will return to his home, at some point we will lose him. We are discussing a memorial in the form of a painting, bronze sculpture, or memorial plaque... and where such a memorial would be placed after we have it at hand.

We would appreciate your input sir. What form do you think the memorial should take? Would there be a proper place in the school for such a memorial?

We are also discussing founding a scholarship so kids that are being denied access to extra-curricular activities because of lack of funds could be granted the necessary monies to participate. We are in the very early "chatting" stages about this, so any advice you might give would certainly be appreciated.
Thanks in advance for your help.

Vandy's Kids

Snow in Paradise? I don't think so!

As I watch the snow fall in Indiana, adding four inches to the fourteen inches already on the ground, I am inspired to move forward with our VIP planning. I have found several lodging alternatives to Hotels on the Islands. It is all about location and price. I have found beachfront properties that accommodate up to 14 people. Some of these homes are estate type w/ all of the niceties. The costs per person compare favorably to beachfront Hotels. I have found prices that range from $65. - $95. per person per night. There are several on the North Shore/Sunset Beach area that would fit. The one in Ewa Beach that would fit may or may not be available as it is currently for sale. Some of the places that we are currently considering are #’s - 68236, 109663, 9475, and 39353. If you are interested, go to the link below to view these listings.

There would be some particulars to work out and I am willing to coordinate this to make it happen. One important key here is timing. Some of the properties are booking up quickly. In order to reserve our dates, we would need to make a deposit with full payment due in September. One question sure to come up is "What happens if I need to cancel?” You may want to consider ‘Trip Cancellation Insurance’. The main website that I am looking at is here and this link deals with trip cancellation insurance. Check it out. I would like to hold to the core dates - Nov.1 thru Nov.8 - for the VIP 2007 regardless of lodging preference. Please continue to consider this, but with some sense of urgency - if this type of accommodation will suit your needs. Questions/Comments?

As Golden Girl would say,

Mahalo

GBFR, Week Seven

Well, I hafta provide a couple excuses!
I'm still lookin' at 199 this morning.
My excuse, and I'm stickin' with it, is Valentine's day...
Sara Jean and I went out to dinner, and we all know, dieting is tough when you are eating out.
So no loss this week. I think I'm gonna have to add a little exercise to my program in order to stay on my "pound-a-week" schedule. It's been tough to exercise the last couple weeks, what with the trip to Arizona, and the weather has just been horrible here lately.

Anyway, my goal next week just got kicked up a notch... I'm shooting for 197.

On other topics... I've made the initial inquiries about chartering a boat for the DDFF.
TwoDogs will be posting about lodging for the VIP.
We both are hoping more of you will decide you want to attend, and will declare your hopes to do just that.

Got something to share with the rest of us? Push the "comment" button!

Vandy Update

I went to see Mr. Vandermeer today, unfortunately it was not at Country Charm where he lives. He is at Johnson County Hospital. He has been there 2 1/2 or 3 weeks.

When I got to the hospital, Dorothy Clemmens and Bill Vandermeer's wife (I think her name is Carol) were there. Bill is to be in next weekend. They caught me up on what is going on. Vandy has been given 4 units of blood so far for bleeding internally. The surgeon hopes the bleeding will take care of itself without surgery. Gallstones were also found, but the doctors feel they are not giving him pain. No surgery is planned for anything due to his heart condition.

Mr. Vandermeer knows everyone who is there, but he was very sleepy. He apologized for being grumpy. I stayed about 45 minutes and told him I would see him in a couple of days. He thanked me for coming.

I do not see Mr. Vandermeer moving back to his room at Country Charm any time soon. I know Mr. Vandermeer can sure use our thoughts, prayers and maybe a card.

His address is: Johnson County Hospital
1125 Jefferson Street
Franklin, Indiana 46131
Melvin Vandermeer Room 283A

Hawkeye