Greateight’s Posts
Good morning, everybody!
I had a good weekend, got most of what I wanted to do accomplished. There are always one or two things that slide into the next week though.
I told my son never to buy a discount tool that could injure you if it breaks. But I got a great deal on this wooden tool chest at Harbor Freight. I'm going to use it to store my fly tying materials . It was only $84, eight felt lined drawers, locking, and a perfect size.
I'm going to Florida on Friday, so this is a 4 day week.
QOTD: I prefer tomato juice. I was drinking some orange when I was sick. Generally, I only have juice at restaurants or hotels.
Breakfast: pastry
Lunch: catered
Dinner: chicken vesuvio
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
It's so much harder.
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everybody!
Those goats are pretty cute!
On our cruise, I won at Wheel of Fortune. They picked three people, at random, from the crowd to go up on stage and i was the first one picked. let me tell you, it is so much harder to guess the words when you are up on stage than when sitting at home alone. I was so nervous.
The first was a category called Set Sail. The answer was "Port or Starboard" and it took the three of us almost 10 minutes to solve it. Between spinning the wheel and deciding whether to by a vowel or spin, and just the nerves of being up in from of everybody (and this was just a lounge with 150 people, not National TV), we were all a little shook. I recovered after the first first game and won the next three plus the overall prize. All in, I took home $165, which at least. defrayed a little of our family's BINGO losses.
Happy for the weekend. Lots of working out and rest, some yard work and a bit of getting ready for a fishing trip that my son and I are taking in a couple of weeks.
Pictures are from the cruise.
QOTD: I can't say that I'm very well versed in this, but i'm going to go with sheep
Breakfast: Bagel
Lunch: Italian sandwich
Dinner: Pot Roast
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Did you watch the All Star game Tuesday? We missed it. Still getting used to being off of cable.
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning everybody!
Little Friday, I will take it. We got 3/4 couples on Happy Hour last night and it was great to see them. My son ended up making spaghetti and meatballs from the town butcher -yum! Of course I could not finish.
Today I am in the office and hopefully at the gym tonight. I'm feeling pretty good, but going to have to ease in for a few days.
This weekend, Marilyn is heading to Alabama with my youngest to move him out of his apartment since he is going to finish online. Then she is bringing a car down to Florida to keep it there. But she is bringing my son's back to Chicago, so we aren't gaining any space out of the deal.
QOTD: flip flops if I'm just swimming, but if I am wading to fish, I wear boots, light or heavy depending on the weather.
Breakfast: bagel
Lunch: catered
Dinner: meatballs
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good to see you!
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everyone!
We have Happy Hour tonight. I'm excited because it's been six weeks since we had our last call. Since Marilyn and I have both been sick, we will just have water.
Last night, I got out on my bicycle. It was a short ride, but felt good to move my body again. I'm planning to return to CrossFit tomorrow and hope to be back at full speed next week.
QOTD: Definitely sweet. Remember year one when we would never eat sweets again?
Breakfast: Bagel
Lunch: catered
Dinner: tenderloin
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everybody!
Apparently, the Greenland Shark has no kidneys. Consequently, when it filters its blood, it does so by sweating the Ammonia and Urea out through its skin. Basically, it sweats what we pee. Because of this , the Greenland shark meat had been considered inedible by humans for many years.
Greenland and Iceland can be harsh places to live, so you can imagine that if a 1,000 pound shark washed up on a settler's beach, that they would try and find ways to process that free protein. Various hanging and pounding techniques were tried but nothing seemed to work. One farmer gave up and decided to bury the stinky shark down by the beach, to at least get rid of the smell. To his surprise, 6 months later, his dogs dug it up and brought it home to eat. With some experimentation, the farmer learned that 6 months of burial followed by some farmhouse hanging led to a semi-edible shark product. Emphasize semi.
To this day, the Icelanders eat this rotten, fermented shark, along with a shot of flavored liquor. They claim that it is great for warding off colds. But let's be clear, it smells like a litter box. Anthony Bourdain described it as the worst thing that he ever ate.
On one of our excursions, they passed out the liquor and fermented shark. I took and overly aggressive sniff and decided, absolutely not. My older son said:
"C'mon Dad, it keeps you from getting colds."
and I said:
"I never get sick, I don't need to eat the smelly shark."
Uh-oh. Pride goeth before the fall.
Two days later I woke up with a sore throat. I'm now on day 12. The worst of chest congestion is over. My eyes are no longer crusted together in the mornings. But I still get tired easily, and there is a least some Coughin' O' The Green every day. Now Marilyn and my youngest have it.
I can't say that I am pining for the fermented shark , though.
QOTD: nothing comes to mind, but your looks great. And of course Emeipie Egg Salad.
Breakfast: Bagel
Lunch: Roast Beef
Dinner: Pasta
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everybody!
We are back to Chicago. I will post more tomorrow when I am WFH. Hopefully, everyone is doing well.
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
I just looked up Silent Hill. It's based on Centralia Pennsylvania, but actually filmed in Toronto.
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everyone!
I didn't get to post yesterday because I had a dentist appointment in the morning and then had to scurry to CrossFit and then into the office.
But I made it to Friday and my vacation the next two weeks. Unfortunately, I may start my vacation by working on Sunday before we head to the airport. No problem though.
The last time that I was out of the country, I was able to post on OH, but the few times before that I wasn't. So, I'm not sure if I will be able to post for the next few days. If I can't, I wish everyone a great holiday and summer! I am sure that I will be reading even if not posting.
QOTD: I don't know of any movies, but Stella and Severide's honeymoon cabin from Chicago Fire was filmed right down the street. I posted a picture for Mike Duffman because he and his wife watch.
Breakfast: Bagel
Lunch: chicken sandwich
Dinner: TBD
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Congrats on the 20 pounds!
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Train commuter.
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everybody!
Halfway through the week and just a few days until vacation. It's going to be a busy few though.
We are in that stage where we don't want to buy a lot of food because we are going to be away, but still have to get through a number of meals. Probably time to raid the freezer.
Things went pretty well yesterday, my car didn't need any work, just the oil changed. I had traditionally thought that I would get a new car in 2026, but I have been having second thoughts. Even though my car is 9 years old, it only has about 85,000 miles on it.
Plus, we will probably take Marilyn's Bronco down to Florida and leave mine in Illinois for half of the year. So I may only be putting a couple of thousand miles a year on it. That's all making me think that I should just keep it for a few more years.
QOTD: I don't take anything, really. It's quite possible that I am simply oblivious to how I feel.
Breakfast: Bagel
Lunch: catered
Dinner: Bratwurst
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everyone!
I don't remember whether I said this, but we are going on a cruise leaving Sunday evening. The itinerary is that we fly to Iceland, sail to Greenland, down through the Maritime provinces of Canada and wind up in New York City. All of our kids are coming.
Because of this, I have a bunch of stuff I need to take care of: work client stuff, non-client stuff that is time sensitive, errands and packing. Right now, I am at the car dealership getting my oil changed. After, I am headed to Barnes and Noble to get some books for the plane rides.
So far, so good with my meds: of the 5, 2 were eligible for refills, 2 are $20 a month prescriptions, and 1 is going to require an approval from my insurance because it's an expensive prescription. Even if I have to self pay that , it will be cheaper than a flight and car rental.
QOTD: I love those, including the obscure ones that Mary mentioned.
Breakfast: Bagel
Lunch: turkey
Dinner: hamburgers
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Thanks, fingers crossed. All the apricot stuff sounds so good.
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everyone!
I had a great trip to Florida: did some fishing swam in the newly renovated pool, bought a bicycle (and took a few rides) went out for a lobster boil and actually got some work done. It went by way too fast.
The boil was lobster (Maine), snow crab, mussels, clams, shrimp, corn and potatoes. Washed it down with a Modelo for a great dinner.
The bad news? I left almost all of my medication in Florida. Over the next day or so, I have to figure out what to do about that. We are leaving for a cruise on Sunday, so going back down isn't really an option.
QOTD: I love stuff like that!
Breakfast: bagel
Lunch: catered
Dinner: meatballs
Have a great day all!
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Humpty Hump!
It feels a bit like Friday because I am heading to Florida tonight. I will go straight from work to the airport and land at about 10:45. Marilyn is picking me up at the airport.
We have tomorrow off, but if our clients are working, they will expect attention.
I had been on a streak of being early to work, but I didn't sleep well last night, so the streak is over.
QOTD: Fishing, hiking, swimming and biking.
Breakfast: bagel
Lunch: steak
Dinner: airport food
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everyone!
I wonder if QJB is on top of this Karen Read murder trial? I haven't really been following it, but my brother in law is following it closely and has been texting us information about the case. It seems like something from a movie.
Marilyn and my youngest are heading to Florida this morning. I dropped them at the airport and made it into the office by 7:30. I am heading down tomorrow evening and will stay through Sunday. I have a few errands to do down there but, mostly going to relax and enjoy the refurbished pool.
We have a crockpot full of chili, so I can have that for dinner tonight. Otherwise, CrossFit tonight. I don't need to pack very much because I have clothes, toiletries and vitamins in Florida. Mostly just meds and electronics.
QOTD: for immediate family, definitely yes. Most of our extended family is a plane ride away though.
Breakfast: bagel
Lunch: stuffed shells
Dinner: chili
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everyone!
I had a great weekend! It rained during the race but no lightning, no problems. Friday afternoon we headed downstate for the race, it was about 3 1/2 hours. We went to an Italian place for dinner, and it was $40 including tax and tips!!
The race started at 9:00 on Saturday. Really small compared to the Chicago race. I swam the 500 in about 15 minutes, biked the 12 miles in about 57 minutes (including a stop for a freight train) and ran the 5-k in about 40 minutes. After the race I ate a donut and two pieces of pizza, I was pretty hungry between the race and the rain.
Drove home and jus****ched TV Saturday night. Yesterday I went fishing with my older son and he made pasta for dinner.
But now it's Monday and back to work.
QOTD: Mango.
Breakfast: bagel
Luunch: catered
Dinner: chili
Have a great, day, all!
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everyone!
Another Friday in the books. Nothing like the feeling of a summer Friday! I have a number of calls in the morning, but the afternoon is wide open.
I am signed up for a Sprint Triathlon in downstate Illinois tomorrow. It's several hours drive to get there, but if I wanted to do something before the 2 in August, it really needs to be this weekend because I am going to Florida next weekend and then we have a two week cruise that knocks out at least three weekends.
The issue is that it's going to be raining this weekend. They will have the race as long as it's not lightening outside. Fingers crossed because it's a lot of unnecessary driving if the race is canceled. BTW, check the map Illinois is a very long state. As for the race: 500 swim, 12 mile bicycle and 5K run. Should be fun weather permitting.
Other than that, driving Marilyn and my younger son to the airport on Sunday morning and fishing with my older son Sunday afternoon.
QOTD: Yes!
Breakfast: corned beef hash
Lunch: chicken
Dinner: TBD in downstate
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everybody!
Early day today, I'm already in the office waiting for my 9:00 call. I think this is my second week of switching from Thursday to Friday.
So, I got this ultraviolet light for my fly tying. Basically, it causes glue to activate. Instead of putting it on gloopy, it goes on as a liquid and the light activates the glue in seconds. Anyways, I can't get the light to charge. After continuing to switch battery orientations and trying different outlets, I finally gave up. Sent my son a text asking him to look at it for me.
A couple of hours later, I took one last look. Sure enough, the battery was wrapped in cellophane. Oops!
Speaking of new contraptions, has anyone tried the sunscreen that goes on like stick deodorant? I just saw it for the first time, but haven't tried it out.
QOTD: Not sure what I would do with the cash, but sure scarf down the outputs from your cheese machine.
Breakfast: bagel
Lunch: Catered
Dinner: Bratwurst
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Kelly, our schedules are unsynced lately but I've wanted to hear about your trip - hope you had a great time!
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everybody!
Ha on the tapestry! It's been beautiful in Chicago this week, but my son's are keeping the house so cold that I keep thinking that it's chilly out. At least until I walk outside.
Last summer I went to lane swimming at 5:30, and the last two times, I have tried the 12:00. Our pool is shaped like an L, so the 5:30 swim uses the longer lanes (50 meters). But I love the 12:00, it's not crowded and the sun is at its peak. I think I'm all in on 12:00.
The Orvis location in downtown Chicago is closing, so they are having a closing sale. I think that I will walk down at lunchtime and see if they have any great deals. All that I actually need are a few tungsten beads and some thread, but I could still return with a full bag, we'll see.
Marilyn asked if I could be home by 5:00, so that she could leave for tennis after she picks me up. Hopefully, I can make 5:30 CrossFit.
QOTD: Yes, mostly tools for projects that never got started.
Breakfast: bagel
Lunch: hot dog
Dinner: hopefully some meatballs are left
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
Good morning, everybody!
I never got a Peony picture for Chrissy. I went out one day and the petals had already started dropping. Sorry about that. We do have roses blooming, so they look beautiful. Marilyn decided that she wants to wait until we return from our cruise in July before we get hanging baskets, so we are way behind on flowers.
Today I am working from home, so I will go to 12:00 swimming. I like the noon swimming because it's nice and warm outside. I will go to CrossFit this evening.
QOTD: I did as a teenager, but I wouldn't now.
Breakfast: bagel
Lunch: jambalaya (didn't have it last night)
Dinner: Spaghetti and meatballs
Have a great day, all!
Jim Age 59 Height 6 Feet Consult Weight 344 SW 289 Pre-Surgery -55, M1 -25, M2 -16, M3 -21, M4 -10, M5 -5, M6 -1, M7 -4, M8 0, M9 +4, M10 -4
