It has been awhile since I posted. Much has happened, including that I once again have a brand new granddaughter. Theadora Harper Kensy was born on September 26th, 6 lbs 11oz and 21 inches long. She is a cute little baby.

This picture is Thea with her big sister, Tyler. They both seem tired!

















Other stuff that is going on is more prosaic. I have started another course (Marketing) as I pursue my graduate degree and Debbie is purchasing a business that she has been associated with for awhile. Debbie also has a few other business activiites going on, which is great. She is making money, but is swamped with work. Hopefully we can make enough money to hire someone to help her. My plan is to help her as much as possible with the time I have. This will be good for our company and also give me practice working a business as I pursue my MBA. Only four more classes to go, after this one!!!!

Cheers,

Jeff

Hmmmm...not sure why my last entry didn't make it, but I did post that life is better and I am less stressed. I'm always a little stressed, but deal with it. My stepdaughter is supposed to have a C-section on Tuesday, since her baby is breeched. So, she is very stressed!

But, we will get through it. Just a matter of keeping in mind that life is a blessing in itself and that worry is of little help.

Take care !

Jeff

I'm doing a lot better than I was before, both physically and mentally. My job is going pretty good and much of my worries were unfounded. Basically, after talking to a friend whom I trust and respect, I realized that I need to enjoy each day and stop worrying about the nonsense with my career. People care about me and even respect me at work, so I will always have contacts to do other things, if I have to. The problem with the world of government contracting is finding coverage for my time....when that runs out, life gets scary. I have at least two weeks of work and trust that more can be found for me.

I also am feeling better, after having a very large kidney stone. The doctor thought there was only a 50% chance it would pass and that I would need surgery. Fortunately, it passed last night and life is much better! Being pain free is pretty nice.

Have a wonderful and blessed day!

Jeff

I'm incredibly stressed out. I'm worried about my job, how I am performing and why I seem to be killing myself working, while only screwing up.

I am incredibly depressed, scared, and wondering how I let things get to this state.

Hopefully, things will get better soon, since I feel like my chest is in a vice grip and I wake up every morning panicked.

On a positive note, my blood sugar was 134 this morning, despite that I haven't worked out in over a week. I did go to the gym today and walked on a treadmill for 30 minutes. It helped the stress a little, but not completely. I also have lost some weight, from 359.7 to 352.8.

I'll post more when I can and hopefully, things will get better.

Jeff

Had a nice weekend. We got the house cleaned, with major help from Tammy and Ricky. It actually looks pretty good and I am thinking about hosting my very first poker night. The reason we got the house cleaned and organized was that Tammy had her baby shower Saturday and that seems to have been a success. Tyler had a great time, since she is really liking the idea of being a big sister to Theadora Harper Kensy, when she is born. What a name! But I like it.
I am responsible for Harper, since I have always loved Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird, as well as the movie.

Celebrated my friend's birthday with lunch at a Mexican restaurant on Sunday. I am really proud of myself. I had a very lean steak and with lettuce, tomatoes, and guacamole. Also, a very small portion of refried beans. So far, I am doing well on my WOE (way of eating). Went to the gym this morning and was down 3 pounds. Yeah!!

Watched Entourage last night. That is one GREAT series. Also, watched the first 10 minutes of Deadwood this morning, while I was getting ready for work. Except for the swear words, Deadwood is the closest thing to Shakespeare I have seen on television or the movies. The language is so complex and full of rhythm, that I often have to go back and replay. Very cool! People focus so much on the bad language that they miss the brilliant writing. Of course, that is just my opinion.

Until I post again....

Jeff

Ouch! Boy, am I sore!!! Went to the gym this morning....First time in months!!! Just did 30 minutes on the treadmill, but that was enough. Maybe tomorrow I will do some swimming/pool walking. I am also looking at adding weight training to my routine....as soon as I have a routine!

I've been on program as far as eating for going on three weeks. By that I mean, I have pretty much eliminated bread, rice, potatoes, etc from my diet. Now, I am concentrating on eating healthy fats and reducing cholesterol. I made George Stella's Chille Huevos Rellenos (eggs, sausage baked in a muffin tin) last night, but used egg beaters. I also used sweet Italian sausage, but will likely switch to turkey sausage soon. Also, I had oatmeal with blueberries.

I'll keep posting!

Jeff

Wow, last post was in April! What can I say? Maintaining a blog is like a job!

Not much going on. We love our kitchen although it is distressing that the bathroom above it started leaking into our brand new kitchen ceiling! Ah, the joys of owning your own home.

Spent a long weekend in NH over the July 4th weekend, visiting Debbie's sister and her husband. We took Tyler and had a very nice time. Ate lots of "off-program" food, which has continued into my post-vacation life. I have to get back on plan and to the gym, which is challenging since I am working long hours writing proposals. :0(

I will also try to post more often.

Jeff

As of Friday, April 21st, the kitchen is completely done. YEAH!!!!!!!!! Here are some pictures.

New cabinets and countertop. Also, little LCD television. The walls in the living room will be painted soon, as they clash with the color in the kitchen.




Balance above refrigerator makes a nice bookshelf.




Cute sign above the kitchen door.





Other side of kitchen. New stove, microwave, sink...etc.

The kitchen is blessedly almost done. We ran into a snag because of a last minute change to a corner cabinet and the addition of another 12 inch cabinet. There is currently a corner done with cabinets and counter. The fridge is in the room, as well as stove and microwave. A temp sink is in place. Hopefully, in a week or two, everything will be done.

Kitchen - During Construction






Granddaughter Tyler showing off the "big hole in her wall".

Kitchen - Before shots


Horrible horrible kitchen. These are images of our kitchen taken before work began. Don't ask me what Debbie and I were thinking when we decided on RED!