No posts since January 2nd? What the heck have I been up to?
Been busy at work, some things never change. Business still sucks but there’s a few bright lights on the horizon and I have a big project that’s taking all my time. Looks like I’ve got a couple of trips down to Southaven Mississippi next month. Southaven is just outside Memphis TN for those who are wondering. Looking at flight schedules and they all suck – why can’t the US see that the hub and spoke method of air travel just makes for terrible connection times. I can go through Detroit, Atlanta, Newark and those are the good ones. I was looking at one Continental schedule that included 3 stops!! I could probably drive there quicker.
The second trip looks to be interesting. I’ll be going down to the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station on the 19th to attend the Northeast Council of Air Shows meetings to try and drum up some interest in Wings and Wheels. On the Sunday afternoon I’ll fly out of Buffalo to Memphis.
Speaking of Wings & Wheels, next week we start contract negotiations with Downsview Park to see how much they’ll charge for rental of the big hanger and tarmac. Hopefully it’s less than last year. The Festival itself is coming along very well. Hope to start selling advance tickets over at the website real soon (hint, hint). Private pilots are already starting to sign up to attend and quite a few people have requested volunteer information.
The other thing that has kept me busy is my New Year’s resolution – my body. Over the holidays I tipped the scales at 231 pounds which, unfortunately, was an all time high. Something had to be done. What’s a nerd to do? Technology to the rescue!
First thing to do was to start tracking what I was eating and how much exercise I was getting. The exercise part was easy – nothing! I set up an account at a website called Daily Burn. Great site that allows you to track everything and provides motivation and tips. You set your goals – weight, nutrition and workouts – and update them religiously. Next, picked up a digital scale because the old one was inaccurate and I had trouble reading it first thing in the morning.
The weather is still sucky so it was off to Best Buy to pick up a Nintendo Wii and the Wii Fit balance board. I’m not into video games but as an exercise aid this thing is fantastic! Who thought running in place could be so much fun! Running for cardio and yoga for flexibility and strength. It also does a good job of measuring weight and BMI and I’m happy to say that, so far, I’ve been able to bring the BMI down from obese to *merely* overweight.
Of course exercise without changes to diet is useless. I’m rediscovering how good food can taste when you think about what you’re cooking and eating. Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and smaller meat portions. Breakfast and lunch everyday. No fast food. I feel great!
The last piece of ammunition in my new arsenal is an Apple iPhone. Why you ask? The company cracked down on what we could access with our BlackBerries so I needed something to act as a personal communication and data device. Of course, the big thing with the iPhone is the number of apps that are available. I’ve found apps that link to Daily Burn so I can track my nutrition and workouts even when I’m away from the computer. Also a very accurate pedometer plus some fun stuff and a lot of travel apps. Right now I’m listening to live air traffic control from Pearson Airport. You got to love the WiFi feature that allows me to link to the home wireless network and avoid those terrible Rogers data charges.
Now the answer to the burning question, “Have you lost any weight? Yes, as of this morning I’m down 8.6 pounds for the month. The goal is to lose 10 pounds per month. I’ve set a personal goal of 180 but I’ll probably level off before then. Then the task of maintenance begins.
