When I quit drinking back in 2004, I was told that every action I took would either lead me toward a drink or away from a drink. To keep things simple, I took this to heart. Especially in the first year. I stayed out of bars & liquor stores. I actively participated in a program….
Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind
I don’t have many “acquired tastes”. I think it is because I grew up poor. We didn’t have a color TV or cable for most of my childhood. We didn’t own a computer. Our cars were used. We rented shitty houses and apartments. We didn’t have nice clothes. We almost never ate out. I learned…
How I Fell In Love With Raleigh
The first time I visited Raleigh was in April 2012 for a job interview.On the drive to my hotel from the airport, I noticed how light the traffic was on the highway. The hills were covered in trees and reminded me of Pennsylvania. I saw groups of deer running parallel to the treeline. As we…
Chasing The Dragon With Food
I was fat for most of my life. Until the age of 5, I was an average skinny kid. I was fat from 2nd grade until 9th grade. I was never the fattest kid in school but I had a fat belly, a double chin, and big flabby love handles. From 14 to 20, I…
Everything Ends
Someday, every one of my concerns will be gone. Nothing is permanent. I have to remind myself about this when I get too wrapped up in my head.
That Day Will Come
I spent much of my life waiting for something better. In preschool, I couldn’t wait until I was a first-grader. After Sunday family dinners at my Grandmother’s house, I couldn’t wait until an hour had passed so we could go swimming. In high school, I couldn’t;t wait until I graduated and went to college. In…
If It Doesn’t Work I’m Sending It Back
I buy almost everything from Amazon. While I despise some of its business practices, I am enthralled with its logistical superiority, its broad inventory, and its convenience. When possible, prudent and practical, I prefer to buy from specialty shops that offer great customer service like REI, Marmot and Sweetwater. In general, though, I hate buying…
You Can Commiserate Or You Can Plow Forward
Sometimes I want to wallow in self-pity and victimhood. When I feel this way, I know what to do. I keep moving forward. Usually, within a few minutes or a few hours, I feel better. But there are days when that bad feeling is inescapable. I had one of these a few weeks ago: Whenever…
Why Did I Wait So Long
As soon as I was on the other side of my 2nd hernia surgery, I thought “Why did I wait so long?” The surgery took less than 4 hours total and my hernia is gone. Of course I know why I delayed this for months : I was loving my extreme fitness and knew my…
How To Lose Weight
As a former fat kid who struggled with his weight for most of his life, I’ve found my answer to weight loss. Exercise a lot. Eat less. I used to control my weight by exercising more and more. But I could never outrun a bad diet. Here’s why I stayed fat: I wanted to drink…