Problems are for Solving

Now that I can post while mobile, I’m going to try to post a little more often, including occasional posts about family news.

Last night I got back from Chicago, where I spent most of the week hobknobbing with the rich & famous, by which I mean elected officials and people who make more than I do. It is very good to be home. Despite the close location of the conference, this is the longest I’ve been away from my family this year. And for that I am thankful. Later this month, dv, I’ll post a summary of this year’s travels and a comparison to last year.

I’ve been exercising again, getting 10 cardio workouts in last month (compared to 7 for the previous 3 months combined) and I already hit the fitness center at the hotel yesterday, starting August out right. Lord willing, I will see some increase in healthiness and energy levels over the next few months if I can continue forming this habit.

The children are growing. I’m amazed at how grown up they’re getting. We talk about the Bill of Rights, taxes, future plans. I am thankful that my children will be spared from some of my mistakes because I see them learning what I didn’t.

Later this month, Toby and I will be headed to GenConIndy, for his 10 year old trip. I’m looking forward to the time with Toby, and his enjoyment of the gaming environment.

If you’re on facebook, look me up. I’ve been uploading photos there from my blackberry and you’ll get to see a bit more since I haven’t figured out a quick way to do photos here.

More later!

I haven’t posted in a week, so if you haven’t read all the posts on spiritual warfare, do so now here. I’ll get the next post out, which is mostly done, soon.

My parents visited last week and that was really nice. I don’t get to see them very often, so when we do we try to enjoy it. We may see them a little more often now that Allegiant Air has a non-stop from Phoenix to Peoria.

While mom & dad were here, Margary begin walking some. She’s up to 10-15 steps at a time now, and soon will be walking a lot and we’ll find all the stuff we thought we put where she couldn’t get into it.

Theresa took three children to the eye doctor today. Peter, much to his delight, does not need glasses. Elsie’s two broken pair are handled now (yes, she broke both pairs in quick succession–praise God for warranties) and Moriah will be the newest in the house to get the specs on. Like her papa, she is very far-sighted.

No news yet on the major decision, but since I’ve been asked by at least one of the four faithful readers: no, Theresa isn’t expecting (at least as far as we know). More about this when we can talk about it.

Our church switched meeting locations. You can find out more on the church web site. Outgrowing our space is a nice problem to have.

I had my first 30 minute 300+ calorie workout this week. It ought to be regular soon, but I’m glad to finally be feeling like I can handle a decent workout. Haven’t lost much weight–but we’re getting into better habits.

That’s the news from Orange St.

Today is Thursday. It marks two things this week.

First, it marks the fourth straight day that I’ve been to the gym in the morning. Yes, I haven’t mentioned exercise in a while. A couple of weeks ago we joined the Riverplex. And while we got started late (joined 14th) we were able to get eight workouts in during the month of October and started November out with 1 today.

I’m really liking working out in the mornings. We’re still working on a morning routine and I feel like I’m constantly messing up and getting out late, but I’m getting out late having had a workout, some personal Bible study time, and something resembling a family breakfast. Next week when we get “our hour back” we’ll step things up another notch. I’m also finding I have more energy during the day on less sleep from getting my heart rate up in the morning and actually eating breakfast.

This week Thursday also marks the near end (of course I’m taking tomorrow off) of my second straight week without travel. As of now I have no travel scheduled until November 14th, and that will be an overnight, driving trip and TC is coming with me. Sure I have to go back to the east coast in December, but three weeks straight during this kind of year is just wonderful.

So I’m feeling great. Work is going well and has been peaceful (but busy) of late, and I’m finally getting some routine in the exercise department. And working out in the mornings fits my style much better than the evenings.

If you’ll excuse me now, I need to dig into the Word for a bit before the day gets going.

Yesterday’s post was long and kind of heavy, so today I’ll lighten it up: I’ll post random news from my life that hasn’t made it to the blog yet. In no particular order:

** I’m still exercising. It’s been up and down for a good part of the year, but the last two months have been greatly improved. I’m feeling better than I have in a while.

** We survived a trip to the south, another to Michigan (the U.P.) and we’re going east again next week. We’ll see (hopefully) on this trip (at least briefly) my sister Sandy, TC’s sister Donna, Theresa’s grandparents and my Aunt Janet. We also hope to see the Liberty Bell, Gettysburg, and some sights in DC. We’ll be back in two weeks, and this should be the last major trek for the year.

** We’ve been getting more disciplined as a family and have been enjoying it. We’re doing more singing together and we’ve actually been all getting up for breakfast and having it together before I leave for work every day and that’s been really nice.

** It’s hot here and we don’t have air conditioning so the trips in the summer have been welcome.

** We’re getting some work done around the house as soon as I can get somebody over here to pick up the slack from my travelling. My wife is looking forward to the list getting shorter, as am I. If he can fit us in a friend will be doing the work.

** I’m writing on my blog again, and enjoying it. This month has more posts already than the previous four months combined. If you’re reading this, you know that already though. And I’m discovering features my blog has that I didn’t know existed. Yay.

That’s it for now–expect another post tomorrow that is less newsy but hopefully worth reading.

In the evenings it is a goal I have to go to the gym and work out. Many evenings I just don’t feel like it. Sometimes I give in to the feeling and don’t go. But when I push past being tired or drug out or whatever and go work out anyway, I always feel better when I’m done than I did when I started. But then the next time I don’t feel like going I have the exact same discussion with myself about how I feel–and it’s so easy to disregard the memory of feeling better when I’m done. But after several months, most times I say “I’ll just go for 10 minutes. If I still feel this bad after that–I may be sick and I’ll quit.” And I always put in more than 10 minutes because I feel better once my heart rate get up and I am moving.

Yesterday I posted a few notes from Psalm 43. I had a truly enjoyable time reading those Words from God and applying them to particular trials in my life and we even able to send some thoughts on to encourage some others facing similar trials.

Sometimes I skip over spending time with God because I’m tired or depressed or whatever. But when I dig into the Word and come away with God’s blessing from my time I always come away energized by it.

I want to learn to do the same thing with my studies and writing that I have just started learning with respect to exercising. Push past the feelings and get over the avoidance–I’ll feel better when it’s done. And not just for it being done–but strengthened by the effort and time. And isn’t my soul more important than my body?

Here it is, an actual blog post.

When I joined the gym last summer and chose the nighttime hours membership (half the price of the unrestricted) it was mostly so I could work out with Theresa. I was concerned about whether I’d be able to get right to sleep after exercising.

It worked out that when we both went she was so tired when we got back that most nights she got right to sleep and that I was a bit wound up. I found, though, that I was wound up in a “I can actually do something”? way as opposed to “I can’t get to sleep but I don’t feel like doing anything productive”? way.

Because of health (birth, appendectomy) and the nursing baby (you know, Margary) TC hasn’t been able to come with me very often. A few times I’ve gotten out pretty late (Monday in particular) but the gym is open until midnight. I was recounting to a friend today that it was nice before that I could be productive in the evenings after working out but that I hadn’t been lately–slipping into a bad habit of messing around and playing games rather than doing something like writing when I’m up late.

And so, tonight, a blog post.

I did 40 minutes of cardio tonight–despite not feeling like working out at all. It felt pretty good actually. I’m going to try to do more of this where I write in the evenings if I’m up past when TC goes to sleep so hopefully you’ll see more regular blog posts (of course I type that as if there were people actually reading my blog).

I’m pretty wound up tonight so I’ll probably write a few posts and have them stagger in for the rest of the week. So if I keep exercising (December I hit the gym 6 times) I should both get healthier and get more writing done.

…but I’m pretty sure that no one but my mom has noticed.

There’s been a lot going on in my life, some of which will have to wait for later to tell the story, but here’s a few bullet points:

• Theresa is now 23 weeks along and both she and the baby are doing well. We are concerned that the baby may be settling into a breech position so please pray that he’ll keep his head down and we’ll avoid a c-section. Lots of time for repositioning yet, but after two breech babies in five births, we get concerned early.
• I’m still working out regularly. I’ve worked my way up to 35 minutes of cardio this week, and tonight I finished my 35 with enough energy to sprint once around the indoor track. (it’s only 1/13 of a mile so don’t worry about my heart failing)
• I got an Ipod Nano. I really like it—it’s much easier to use than the Palm Tungsten was for playing mp3s and audio books, and it’s way light. Only 1.5 oz. I cheaped out and only got the 1G model (you can get the Nano with up to 4) but it’s black and I got $100 off for renewing my audible.com membership. It holds 240 songs or the equivalent in audio books, etc. I already found several podcasts that I’ll be listening to frequently, and getting stuff onto the Ipod is so much easier than getting it onto my Palm.

That’s it for tonight. I’ll try to post more later this week.

I’m still out of shape.

Tonight I spent 25 minutes on a recumbent bike—which wasn’t as hard as 20 minutes was just a few weeks ago. Saturday, though, I did the rowing machine thing for 20 minutes and felt like I was about to die. Must be something with the diaphragm or my abs. Anyway, things are improving and I’m getting into a good routine. I’m glad for the time I can spend with my wife exercising—and I’m glad that it is bearing fruit in my body being slightly less overweight and slightly less out of shape.

More later on this of course.

Week two has begun. We worked out for 20 minutes of cardio again tonight, 10 minutes each one two machines.

We’re using the book Workouts for Working People by Mark Allen and Julie Moss. We’re starting out with the “Lifestyles Basic� plan (an 18 week course) but we’re going to repeat week 1 without weights until we get done with our next trip.

We’ll try to work out in hotel exercise rooms while we travel, but it’ll be a bit more tricky.

TC and I had to work out separately today since Raquel went over to a friend’s house to play a game tonight.

 I got 20 minutes of cardio in plus a short swim and short sauna.  Feels good to be tired and I’ll sleep well tonight.

 We joined Landmark today.  We’re stuck with them until September 2007.  I doubt I’ll post every workout but as I get started I’ll post something to let my readers know if exercising regularly actually sticks this time.