Something In The Water At Hilton Head Health?

I know my time at Hilton Head Health (H3i) was life changing. I know that the change in me is likely related to the fact that 1) I was there for 28 days 2) It is a very well rounded program focusing on diet, nutrition education, fitness and mental wellness and 3) The people there were amazing and inspirational. That was my theory up until today.

Today, I decided to not pack a lunch. That also meant no metabo-meals to snack on. I had my Breakfast Whack as usual and then for lunch, I went to Subway with Spiffy. Safe there with a footlong turkey on wheat, no cheese, tons of veggies and just mustard for sauce. 560 calories.

On the way home....well, I got hungry. I stopped for fuel and smelled a nearby Burger King.

--->Uh-oh<---

I started driving and soon found myself at Wal-Mart buying carrots and an apple. Slip, lapse and collape averted.

Now, the theory I posted above certainly was not the only factors at work. I have since given this some additional thought and have arrived at a few more ideas.

1) As the title suggests, there is something in the water. I Sure drank enough of it while I was there!
2) The reflector on the 'reflector tree', turning point for all of our after meal thermal-walks may actually be emitting some kind of mind-altering ray.
3) The pool at H3i was reported to us as being a saline pool. Perhaps that is a cover-up for some other kind of salt in the pool that enters you via osmosis (or via choking from Katie pushing you to do one more lap when you cannot swim well).
4) Could it be the Balsamic Pepper sauce that we became so addicted to?
5) Perhaps Chef Jen is behind this! She is such an amzing chef and extremely friendly that we'd never suspect her of being behind something like this!

I don't know the reason but I can say this....prior to my visit to H3i, even if I was doing well on a 'diet', I would not have avoided eating something bad. It might not have been fast food but probably would not have been 'best' or even 'better'.

No matter their tricks, I hope it never wears off because tonight when I felt better having had something healthy, I felt fantastic knowing I made the best choice I could have.

A New Fan?

I looked at the computer this morning and saw my shadow (2/2 for those of you that don't get it)...looks like I can blog again.

After some requests from Paul (Mr. Baseball) to start blogging again and then today with a loose comment from my bossman about my blog, I had to come out and dust off the old keys. First of all, to the bossman, I cannot find ANY post related to work. I generally do not post about work so I think you were making it up just to get me concerned. If you are actually reading this, I am sure this post will get a mention...

So long since my last post....yet not much has changed. Same project at work...the one that does not seem to die but actually might! Rumor has it that Spiffy and I will be working together on the next one. If you remember, he is the one that likes to counterfeit money. I just hope he does not try to take me down with him. He and I have not worked directly on the same project in a while and so I am really looking forward to it.

The weather...what is to say there except IT SUCKS! I am really tired of winter. As I type this, my house is popping and creaking over by Ashlie's room. I am sure it is just the frigid temps but I am concerned about the damm ice dams. I am going to have to try to do something about those this weekend. One by my pool room is at least 10" thick. I have not been over by Ashlie's room as the snow is just too deep to get around the house.

Vacations....we love vacations. Nothing planned officially. We are thinking of taking a cruise or something around spring break which is very early for our kids this year but am waiting on a few 'things' before I can book. We have decided to plan our dream vacation though. I should make a post entirely about it....a teaser is fair though, don't you think? We are fortunate that my work travel has enriched my Hilton account with lots of points. I need some more but am in a position to do 2 full weeks at a category 7 resort. SO....we are planning to do a trip to Bora Bora and Moorea in French Polynesia. Hotel (which would be covered by points) is about $5000 per week there. If you've never seen pics, just google it. It is amazing. The trip would have us fly to Tahiti and then hop to Bora Bora. From Bora Bora, we'd fly back to Tahiti and then take a boat/ferry to Moorea as it is the next island to Tahiti. More to come on this. It could happen as soon as this fall but expect it to be the spring of 2012.

I am thinking of getting a new phone with a camera. I think having that to take a picture of something that prompts a blog in my head will help facilitate actually getting it to the page for all 3-5 of my fans.

Anyway - take care. To the boss - I hope you read this. Al - I hope you come back even though you are full blown on Facebook now. Paul....well.....this is for you I guess.

Over and out....The Orracle.

Newest Bunch of BS

At work, Spiffy and I were coming back from lunch in my truck. My F-150 Supercrew, 5.4L Triton V8 with 222,000 miles on it. The truck facts have NOTHING to do with the story but it is impressive nonetheless.

He asked if I had seen the new parking signs up front for "Fuel Efficient Vehicles Only".

WTF? Are we serious?

I am OK with front parking for pregnant ladies.....take out at restaurants, etc. But fuel efficient vehicles? Is this a new class system we have? What is next? Daughters cannot marry a man because he drives a non fuel efficient truck?

The word that comes to mind when I think of stupid BS like this does rhyme with truck.

The way I see it, they should put the fuel efficient spots near the back of the lot. People like me need the front spots saved for us because if we do not find a close spot right away, we drive around until we find one which further creates emissions and wasted fuel. My carbon footprint only grows because of their hasty decision to play favorites to the wind-up cars.

We'll see who is the favorite in 20 years when my truck has been 100% recylcled and their batteries are polluting the landfills. From then on, it is front row....movie star parking for me and my truck!

Old Money....You Don't Know Me!

An intriguing thing happened to someone I might know. This person, we'll call him "Spiffy", showed me a fistful of sequential, crisp, freshly printed-smelling old-style $20 bills. Innocent enough I guess.

These bills were from 1969.

Alegedly, Spiffy received them from a Wells Fargo cash machine.

Now, I have a few theories about the source of this old money. Let's just hope this guy is on the level and not some 2009 Bonnie and Clyde.

1) We'll go with his thoughts first. Someone found a stack in grandma's sewing machine and brought them to the bank. I guess that is possible but would they still have that freshly printed smell?

2) Maybe this is bailout money from the Feds. Could it be that the bank bailout money sent to the banks was just old cash that the Reserve had in the back corners of the warehouse?

3) Recently, I received some crisp, smelly $20 bills (legitimately of course) from a Wells Fargo machine but they were 1989. A mere 20 years old vs Spiffy's bills that are 40 years old. I am almost 40 and while I have not been circulated or washed, I don't smell very new. Perhaps Wells Fargo found them in an old Stagecoach somewhere and decided to put them into circulation.

4) Maybe Wachovia is the culprit. Wells Fargo after all did just acquire them. Perhaps Wachovia had the old money stashed.

5) Lastly, and I did not want to go here....maybe our guy Spiffy is up to no good.

Closed circuit to Spiffy....you don't know me when they strap you to the polygraph machine and make you explain yourself. Hopefully, you have spent them. Perhaps you'll finally get the flat screen you have been longing for. No matter what, get rid of those bills. I think they are highly suspect.