Back to Basics

I've had a ton of great days the past few months.
Today was not one of them.
Today was the day I was presented my most recent blood work results. It was just over two years ago I was informed I had Diabetes Type 1, which led to a revamping of how I approached what and how I ate, along with how much and how I worked out, after something like 40 years of poor choices.
Since then, I had made a concerted effort to change my ways. I started strong, but as is wont to happen with how I approach things at times, I got complacent and lazy, choosing to not be as aggressive over the past year, taking things for granted.
The numbers don't lie (although I did have the physician's office re-do my weight, since their scales recorded me at seven pounds lower than my morning bathroom weigh-in): I've fallen, but unlike the elderly LifeAlert woman, I can and will get back up.

Like that day in 2011, I did quite a bit of personal reflection in the aftermath of being presented less than stelar news, and chose to refocus on making a positive impact on my personal health.
Unlike two years ago, I didn't have to go through my cupboards or refrigerator and toss or exchange food items. But I do need to be more proactive in terms of what I eat when at restaurants, and I do need to ensure I am working out - primarily doing cardio through walking miles at The Mall at Wellington Green - more religiously.
I'm also on a (hopefully) temporary prescription of Crestor, designed to lower high cholesterol and to slow the buildup of plaque in arteries as part of a treatment plan to lower cholesterol.
I'm also going to use this as a personal challenge to personally focus on the positives that are happening to me on a daily basis. I've decided to start what I posting five things that were good in my life on a daily basis, along with a few other health- and news-related standards. So, without further ado ...
The Fine Five - August 1, 2013
(1) Received a wonderful debate wall hanging for the Wellington Debate room from Barbara Dale Lauder McCall.
(2) Treated myself to a much-needed pedicure (you know it's needed when they pull out the cheese grater for the dead skin on the heels).
(3) Upgraded to a iPhone 4S (with Siri! Yay Siri!).
(4) Registered a pair of Wellington Public Forum Debate teams for the Yale Debate Tournament in September.
(5) Received wonderful kudos from former student Melissa LaForce, who is currently a reading teacher in Ft. Myers, Florida: "As I sat in a class yesterday, the group was asked who or what inspired us to become a teacher. Although I hated school, I can honestly say there were only 2 teachers who made a lasting impression. A former English teacher who's wit and humor gives me a story to tell every year and a cheerleading coach and ESE teacher who was my back bone. Thank you! You both are continuing to inspire me!"
Foodercize
WEIGHT: 242
STEPS TAKEN: 12,175
MILES WALKED: 6.16
CALORIES CONSUMED: 1,924
DAILY CALORIE GOAL: 2,828 (1,890 + 938 earned through exercise)
Stupid News of the Day
From The Daily Beast: "‘The Man With the 132 Lb. Scrotum’: TLC’s Lowest Show Yet?" - Really? Has our need for "entertainment" really sunk this low? It's shit like this that makes fucking Honey Boo Boo look like Ivy League intellectualism.
Hopeful News of the Day
From The Washington Post: "The biggest loser in the Tony Bennett resignation" - Maybe there's hope for Florida's educational future? We will see. Meanwhile, I'm preparing my resume ...
Video of the Day
From January 1974, Mel Blanc and Jack Benny on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson: classic old-time radio remembered!