Dearest Rachel – Since my body and mind disagree – sometimes vehemently – on how to handle things, I wasn’t invited to last night’s discussion, preoccupied as I was with a handful of more or less forgettable dreams. But I’m assuming there must’ve been some coordination going on, so I’m gonna take my best guessContinue reading “Conspiracy Meeting”
Tag Archives: exercise
The Hundred Kilo Coup
Dearest Rachel – Another weekend, another day and a half of fasting, with all the attendant effects. Some of them are good – even intended, which I’ll get to eventually – but some of them can be a real test of willpower. I actually felt slightly bad on Saturday night when one of the guysContinue reading “The Hundred Kilo Coup”
Not Doing It For Me
Dearest Rachel – Fall is certainly making itself felt, with cooler temperatures and shorter days; indeed, that was just brought home yesterday when we had to set our clocks back. But at the same time, it’s not gotten so cold yet that I find myself having to wear the really bulky clothes that conceal theContinue reading “Not Doing It For Me”
It Seems I Don’t Get ‘Hangry’ – But I Probably Should
Dearest Rachel – The English language is a peculiar one, isn’t it? As I understand it, it’s the only one for which a thesaurus exists, but given that is does, it proves extremely necessary. We can use all manner of words to describe virtually every situation – although this appears to result in us AnglophonesContinue reading “It Seems I Don’t Get ‘Hangry’ – But I Probably Should”
Someone Else’s Story, For a Change
Dearest Rachel – I don’t know what it is about me, but I seem to be the opposite of the human stereotype, when it comes to time and energy. I used to consider myself a morning person only out of necessity (or by default, as it was fairly obvious that I was never a nightContinue reading “Someone Else’s Story, For a Change”
But Why Are They Starting to Notice?
Dearest Rachel – After nearly a year and a half of keeping track, and doing this thing or that to try to determine what might best assist me in my efforts to lose weight, it would seem that the process is starting to bear fruit. People are noticing. When I arrived at the folks’ lastContinue reading “But Why Are They Starting to Notice?”
Failed Discipline
Dearest Rachel – In the past few years – especially in the last thousand days, for fairly obvious reasons – I’ve been constantly trying to add this thing or that to my ‘routine,’ such as it is. Some have stuck, at least thus far – these letters in and of themselves, for example, but alsoContinue reading “Failed Discipline”
The Second Side of Solomon
Dearest Rachel – I wonder if, after my letter from just the other day touching on the subject, my change in attitude is likely to give you a touch of whiplash. At the same time, for all your own emotional stability in general, you were acquainted with the caprice of mood from time to time,Continue reading “The Second Side of Solomon”
Not Instant, But Gratifying
Dearest Rachel – Setting aside the fact that I’ve explicitly told you numerous times over the course of the last thousand days, I’m sure you could figure out on your own that I don’t enjoy any aspect involved in what I often refer to as my ‘weight loss journey.’ Between the exertions of my workoutContinue reading “Not Instant, But Gratifying”
(Not) In the Mood
Dearest Rachel – I woke up this morning to a bedroom as dark as it ever gets, given that it has three walls with windows on them, and the outside light (such as it is) can always seep in. It was earlier than I needed to be awake, that seemed certain; and sure enough, whenContinue reading “(Not) In the Mood”
As Long as I’m Up
Dearest Rachel – To be fair, I hadn’t planned for things to happen like this (gosh, that’s become a familiar refrain in my life, now, hasn’t it?). After all, I’d been up until what constituted a late hour for me – eleven o’clock, yes, now stop laughing – working on a new build that mayContinue reading “As Long as I’m Up”
Old Reliable?
Dearest Rachel – There are some days when I don’t have a whole lot to write you about, and way too much time to do so. So I’ll fill a lot of space just complaining about the fact that, for all the things that I may have done in the day, there’s nothing particularly specialContinue reading “Old Reliable?”
Laundry Morning
Dearest Rachel – As with a number of mornings, I don’t really have anything in the way of a coherent story to tell you about today. No weird dreams, apart from a scene or two of the two of us competing in a old-school video game tournament against a number of other individuals and teamsContinue reading “Laundry Morning”
Indulgences
Dearest Rachel – This past weekend has been the first – and consequently, the only – one this month in which I wasn’t working in the booth at church. This meant that Daniel and I could go to church together – and therefore, since I was the one responsible for getting him there and backContinue reading “Indulgences”
Six Pounds of Scattered Thoughts
Dearest Rachel – Once again, I begin a morning – and a week – with no single, coherent topic to discuss with you today. So I hope that you’ll forgive me for just throwing out a couple of paragraphs here and there as I splash through my stream of consciousness; try not to get tooContinue reading “Six Pounds of Scattered Thoughts”
Random Bits
Dearest Rachel – You know, I have a couple of letters that I’m currently working on to send you, but they aren’t exactly talking about things that are happening to me at any given moment; they’re more just ongoing stuff. So I’m carefully assembling those still, hoping to release them to you when I haveContinue reading “Random Bits”
Pound Foolish?
Dearest Rachel – I’m sure this is something that, under other circumstances, one might actually expect of a man my age. After all, isn’t it almost cliché for a man in his fifties to deal with a midlife crisis by quitting his job, finding himself a new woman, and getting himself a sporty new setContinue reading “Pound Foolish?”
Six-and-a-Half
The race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself. Mary Schmich, “Advice, like youth, is wasted on the young,” Chicago Tribune, June 1, 1997 Dearest Rachel – In this case, the epigraph is only half right. Sure, the race that is life is a bit of a marathon, but in the incrementContinue reading “Six-and-a-Half”
The Deals I Make with Myself
Dearest Rachel – It’s still pitch black when I open my eyes this morning for the first time. Without even looking at the clock on my nightstand, my superego points out that I probably have just enough time to throw on shorts and a t-shirt, and head out to the fitness center for a workout.Continue reading “The Deals I Make with Myself”
“Let’s Just Get This Over With”
Dearest Rachel – It probably wasn’t the best idea for me to totter off to bed by nine-thirty, but by the time Logan realized we were home from having dinner at the folks’ and joined Daniel to watch anime with him, I was barely able to keep my eyes open. If it weren’t for theContinue reading ““Let’s Just Get This Over With””
Greetings From the Robinsons
Dearest Rachel – Well, it seems as though my subconscious decided to take the night off last night; I guess I can’t expect it to come up with something to tell you about every night. After all, there are plenty of real-life things I could be telling you about. It’s just that none of themContinue reading “Greetings From the Robinsons”
An Exercise in Willpower
Dearest Rachel – So, after a day of trying to get Daniel to eat a little more (which turned out to be less than necessary, as he’s more than capable of doing so, if he wants to, and there’s something in front of him) by setting more of an example than I probably ought toContinue reading “An Exercise in Willpower”
Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Dearest Rachel – Lewis Carroll’s Red Queen claimed that she prided herself on believing “six impossible things before breakfast.” I’m not nearly so ambitious, honey – indeed, I rarely bother to try to believe the impossible at all, let alone so many such things at once – but just for today, it seemed like IContinue reading “Impossible Things Before Breakfast”
Penance
Dearest Rachel – I’m not entirely sure why l’m coming to you with this, as if I was confessing to a priest or something. It’s not that you ever concerned yourself with nagging me about my weight, even though I was twice the individual you were. You probably looked on it as a sort ofContinue reading “Penance”
To Frame the Events of the Day
Dearest Rachel – You might think that, after a day as unusual as yesterday (even for a Sunday), I would have so much to tell you about. And yet, I was dismayed to wake up this morning without a thought in my mind as to what to say to you – or really, to sayContinue reading “To Frame the Events of the Day”
Trudging the Trudge
Dearest Rachel – Last night I went to bed early; before ten, so I could wake up a little after five and get to the gym more or less when it opened. I didn’t bother to shower yesterday, so I figured I’d get my second workout of the week in before taking one this morning.Continue reading “Trudging the Trudge”
I Can Only Be ‘Good’ for So Long
Dearest Rachel – Since I can’t quite tell you a success story about my drawn-out battle with weight loss – at least, not until I can prove to myself that I’ve attained a measure of lasting success – allow me to regale you with… well, would it count as a failure story? It’s not allContinue reading “I Can Only Be ‘Good’ for So Long”
Overclocking the Mind
Dearest Rachel – I probably did myself no favors by stepping on the scale last night. Ever since pulling that calf muscle on Friday, I’ve been relatively indolent, at least on a physical level. In a way, that’s to be expected; I don’t make a habit of working out over the weekends as a generalContinue reading “Overclocking the Mind”
Hamstrung
Dearest Rachel – I’m hoping it hasn’t come to this; since I’ve never really experienced an injury like this before, I don’t know what it feels like. I don’t want to claim I’m suffering something that’s so much worse in reality than what I’m dealing with. For all I know, this could be nothing moreContinue reading “Hamstrung”
Not There Yet
Dearest Rachel – I keep hearing from people that one of these days, working out will be second nature to me. There will come a point in time, or so I’m told, in which I can’t go a day or two without exercising like I do at the gym. Not so much out of guiltContinue reading “Not There Yet”
My Timeline and Its Alternatives
Dearest Rachel – It probably doesn’t come as any surprise to you, but I often find myself wondering how different things would be if you were still here. Not just the big, obvious things; even the incremental pieces of a single day’s timeline might be altered in ways I can barely imagine. Still, I’m aboutContinue reading “My Timeline and Its Alternatives”
Too Distracted to Care
Dearest Rachel – I couldn’t speak for you, but it’s customary for a guy preparing to go on a date to get a slight case of the jitters beforehand. Maybe it’s out of concern for the plans he’s made; he’s hoping they don’t fall through somehow. That certainly seems reasonable, but I think it goesContinue reading “Too Distracted to Care”
Moving Toward São Paulo
Dearest Rachel – I’m going to start with a few apologies with this letter, honey. First of all, this one is going to be a little rambly, compared to most of the things I write to you. I know I try to keep a consistent theme with each of these letters, but it’s not goingContinue reading “Moving Toward São Paulo”
Pressure Release
Dearest Rachel – I honestly thought that Lars would be more pleased when I told him. Oh, he was pleased enough to hear that I’d finally managed to drop below 250 and stay there for more than a twenty-four hour period (although I warned him that I’d probably bob up above it again the nextContinue reading “Pressure Release”
Seven Minutes
Dearest Rachel – If you choose your activity carefully, and put your mind to it, you can accomplish a lot in seven minutes. I can get my point across in that amount of time, for instance. Oh, I don’t mean that I can write these letters anywhere near that quickly; I consider myself fortunate ifContinue reading “Seven Minutes”
When He Gives A Sign…
Dearest Rachel – There’s something mildly ironic about the fact that I just put out a study that you did (like I do most Sundays), and in my comments about it, questioned how we can know whether our choices glorify God. Most of the time, it’s because the decisions we face appear, even to ourselves,Continue reading “When He Gives A Sign…”
Testosterone Blues
Dearest Rachel – There’s an old joke that I remember only vaguely – I’m probably going to get most of the details wrong, but as long as the setup and punchline are intact it shouldn’t matter – about a fellow my age or maybe older, who’s worried about feeling his age. He tells his friend,Continue reading “Testosterone Blues”
Gym Opinions
Dearest Rachel – Unlike you, with your collection so vast that I now have three separate quilts commemorating you and your opinions, friendships and travels, I never put a whole lot of thought into my T-shirts. I had very few things I was suitably passionate about to wear them on my chest, and I despisedContinue reading “Gym Opinions”
Just Enough That It Hurts
Dearest Rachel – They say that a single hour of working out every week can make a big difference in one’s life, health-wise. That may or may not be true – I do see the results after each visit, even if they are only temporary in effect – but they also suggest that the processContinue reading “Just Enough That It Hurts”
A Week of Weight Loss Whiplash
Dearest Rachel – Not that I’m anywhere close to my goal, but I figure I might as well fill you in on how things are going with regard to my attempts to get myself in shape. I feel a little apologetic about never making a point of doing this when you were around, but it’sContinue reading “A Week of Weight Loss Whiplash”
Preparations, Questions and Imaginations
Dearest Rachel – There’s something strange about driving back from a workout, and needing to stop and prepare for the next one before going home. It’s not unlike finishing up lunch, complementing the chef, and wondering immediately thereafter where and what one would be having for supper that night – a scenario that I’m muchContinue reading “Preparations, Questions and Imaginations”
The Gym Can Wait (But Not for Long)
Dearest Rachel – January is the month for resolutions, and as everybody know, although in all honesty, we were never much for them ourselves. Not because we thought we had everything together – far from it – but that we were realistic enough to know that we’d end up breaking them in the same monthContinue reading “The Gym Can Wait (But Not for Long)”
Another Regular Commitment
Dearest Rachel – I mentioned to you right after Christmas that the folks had gotten me a gift certificate to renew my membership at the Arlington Ridge Center that you and I had bought together when the place opened up at the beginning of 2020. To be sure, it had been more for you thanContinue reading “Another Regular Commitment”
Slacking Off
Dearest Rachel – I have often commented, when we would visit Kevin or vice versa, that we aren’t exactly the best influences on him. You know that he’s been trying to watch his weight; keeping tabs on calories consumed, sodium intake and the like at various time in the past few years. And you, inContinue reading “Slacking Off”
Knowing Your Limits
Dearest Rachel – So the better part of today was spent hiking one of the trails up here in the Rocky Mountains. We started in Glacier Gorge, with the intent of going to Sky Pond. Sounds like a plan. The only thing is, that plan involves hiking 4 1/2 miles in either direction, and toContinue reading “Knowing Your Limits”
Losing Track
Dearest Rachel – It was probably a bad call on my part, but I decided not to walk to the ‘office’ this morning. Well, there was a reason behind it: I had assumed I’d be walking this evening with Erin at Melas Park. But you know that old saying about what happens when you assumeContinue reading “Losing Track”
Belt Tightening
Dearest Rachel – It’s not something I really feel like checking very often. Mostly because, like most people, I’m not sure I’d like what I find out. But I know where I was barely 6 months ago, and I know things have improved since then. So the question is, by how much? So, for theContinue reading “Belt Tightening”
As Far as the East is From the West
Dearest Rachel – As much as we grew up with pastors and Sunday School teachers reminding us that “the Bible is not a science textbook” with regard to poetic turns of phrase like references to the sun rising or the four corners of the earth, sometimes it’s amazing to note the choice of words thatContinue reading “As Far as the East is From the West”
More Than I Can Chew
Dearest Rachel – I think I may have lost my mind. You see, it’s that time of year at church, when various groups come and pitch their programs to us, asking for our support, either financially or in terms of participation. Last week, it was Compassion International, which they’re marketing as something for the wholeContinue reading “More Than I Can Chew”
Letters to Rachel 