Sports Thoughts

The Boston Red Sox destroyed my love of baseball (for the time being).  They continue to stomp on my love of the team and the game.  Here are a few messages to people involved:

Terry Francona:  I respected you when you came, when you were here, and now that you are gone.  Do not think for 1 minute that any Red Sox fan blames you for what has happened.  Yes, it was your job to fix it, but you didnt cause the problem.  You were a top manager and a class act.  Marital problems or pain meds are not my concern.  Red Sox fans wish you luck in the future, you will always be a Red Sox Hall of Fame Manager!

Theo Epstein:  Good luck in Chicago.  May you lose 5 straight World Series to the Red Sox!  You did an amazing job rebuilding the team.  I wish you luck.

Ben Cherington:  Good luck.  You are inheriting a team with a ton of problems.  I expect it to take years to fix it!

David Ortiz:  You want to go play for the Yankees as you said in an interview?  Goodbye!  The Red Sox believed in you when you had done nothing, the fans supported yo when you couldnt catch up to a Tim Wakefield fastball, and now you are trying to use the Yankees to get more money?  You could have been a leader in that clubhouse.  You could have grabbed Crawford, Pedroia, and Paplebon and run that team.  Instaed of trying to start fixing the problems, you are courting the Yankees?  COMPLETE SELFISHNESS in a tough situation is so against everything Sox fans had thought you were.  Thanks for all your incredible moments, I hope you get paid a ton of  money on a losing team.  I wish you had remained the person we all admired and not an RBI and $$ focused athlete.   There is time for you to cement your image and retract what you said, take a leadership role, and bring the Red Sox back to glory!  Your choice!


Carl Crawford:  Red Sox fans owe you an apology.  By all accounts you work your tail off.  By all accounts you wanted to be a leader.  By all accounts you were stunned by the lack of professionalism.  With all that, the only thing you have said is that you blame yourself and you will work harder to turn it around.  You are a real man and I, for one, would rather have 25 players like you than most of the guys you shared a clubhouse with this year.  My hope is that with a new manager, you and Pedroia can get together with a few others and lead that clubhouse.

Larry Luccino:  Here are my choices for manager.  Martinez (TB), Pena (NY), Baylor, Sandberg, or Hale.  I know most are being talked about except Baylor.  What I like about Baylor was his ability as a player to run the clubhouse kangeroo court.  He also went to 3 straight World Series with 3 different teams.  He was a leader who might be able to empower some of the Red Sox to do as he did and unite this clubhouse.

John Lester and Clay Buchholtz:  Go apologize to the strength and conditioning coach.  Apologize to your teammates.  Apologize to your owners.  Then go out and do what made you both so darn good.  WORK HARD!!!  You both can make us all forget the junk by getting back to where you were!

Josh Beckett:  I dont know what to think about you.  I think you have it in you to turn around and be a leader for the BETTER.  I just don't know if you care about that now that you got paid.  I hope I am wrong about this, I just don't see that fire to dominate that the greats all have.  You have the stuff.  Is the desire there?

Dustin Pedroia:  With Tito gone, you have the numbers and work ethic to take a leadership role.  Embrace it!  Tito may have loved you, but you earned it too!

OK, I am done ranting.  I still love the Red Sox.  I just want to respect this team again!


Here's my message to the NBA:  LOLOLOL     Enjoy the time off!

Health Update and Call to Arms

Well folks, it has been forever since I have given a health update and I really appreciate the many of you who have inquired.  I NEED that accountability.

Although I continue to stay focused on my health, I have struggled to really get the train moving.  I have lost a total of around 40 lbs so far and I continue to make solid food choices, but I need to add exercise and counting calories to my routine.  I have a new goal and a new reason for my goal.

I am going to have to have surgery.  It is minor surgery but involves general anesthesia.  At my weight, general anesthesia has risks.  I have been told if I lost 100 pounds, I would reduced the risk a large amount.  Lori and I (barring last minute information) have decided to wait on the surgery for a year while I try to drop 100 (more) pounds. 

So here is where you come in!  I need my friends and family to keep me accountable.  Keep reminding me to make good decisions.  Question things that don't look right.  Folks, the responsibility to lose this weight is all mine.  I caused this problem, it is my job to fix it.  While I am asking you all to help me, in the end it is going to be about me trusting in God to give me the strength to lose this weight.  It will be tough, it will take every bit of my determination and faith.  I ask for you to continue to support me as you have in the past.  Keep asking me for updates, keep questioning my decisions, and keep supporting me!  It is a lot to ask, and I do not deserve it, but I have always been blessed with friends who have shown me love, grace and mercy.

I celebrated my 13th anniversary this week and I fully expect to celebrate my 14th anniversary a 100 lbs lighter and ready for my surgery.

Thanks!!

Edited to correct local anesthesia to general anesthesia.

NFL Preview!!

Here are my NFL picks for this year.  I will be way off because I am playing it to safe and injuries will make a huge difference.



AFC Division Winners Jets*, Ravens*, Texans, Chargers
AFC Wild Cards  Patriots, Steelers
NFC Division Winners: Eagles*, Saints, Packers*, Rams
NFC Wild Cards  Falcons,Bucs
Round 2 matchups:  Jets vs Patriots, Ravens vs Steelers, Eagles vs Falcons, Packers vs Rams
Conference Finals:  Patriots Over Ravens, Falcons over Packers
Super Bowl  Patriots over Falcons

My feeling is that the leagues 7 strongest teams overall are NE, NYJ, Pitt, Balt, Phil, GB, and Atl.  However, my feeling is that the Patriots will start off slower than normal and will not focus on winning the division but being playoff ready.  Like the Falcons, they wont even win their division but they will meet in the Super Bowl.  Due to the short offseason, it should be easier for already good teams to be better out of the gate than teams who added pieces.  Those early games make it harder to break the playoff tape.  Teams I like to make things interesting are Detroit, NYG, Chicago, KC, and Cleveland (dont ask me why).  I dont think any make the playoffs, but they should make things tough.

Come join my pick em league and whoop me!!! 

http://picked-off.com/13542   password :  bringit


A health update will be coming soon.  I am still on track despite being in a holding pattern.  Other medical issues have jumped to the forefront but I have not started to gain nor give up!!

Health Update

So, I went to weigh in on Saturday July 2nd for fun.  I had been eating well, went swimming, and thought I had done really well.  It was only 4 days from my last weigh in, so I wasn't expecting anything much coming off my 5 lb loss, but was excited to find out.

I weighed in...... up 2 pounds.  UP?  What?!?!?!?

I was really upset.  I was on a roll and doing very well.  I thought I would be down a bit and it would help me stay focused during the holiday, which was made harder by making homemade ice cream and working the booth selling it.  I know there are ups and downs on the scale.  I am aware that without consistent exercise there will come a day that I will not lose anymore until I add it in.  But 2 pounds????? Dang!

This was another stumbling block put in my way to test me.  Could I resist temptation to give up?  I had not blogged in a while anything substantial, so it would be easy just to have a bad week and then blog when things were good!!!  However, this time is going to be different.  I wont let minor setbacks derail the greater goal.  I will not fail as I have in the past by giving up.  Having this blog and those of you who have encouraged me and kept me accountable (yes, Jonny and others, I mean you!) was a great source of strength.

So I kept going forward.  I made the ice cream.  I refused to even taste it.  I refused to lick a drop off my finger.  In this time when I could easily slip up or give up, I held strong.  I kept the course.  I cleared the stumbling block and I am ready to continue moving forward.

So I weighed in on Wednesday (first time I could get to the scale).  The result was a 1 pound loss (3 pounds down from my unofficial weigh in midweek).  That 1 pound was huge for me.  It not only symbolized another successful week, but it symbolized my first real challenge.  I must admit that I am very excited.  So, to sum it up....  I am now down 30 pounds.  Not bad so far. 

So, what do I go do?  Well, I opened my mouth and put my foot in it.  I made a challenge I can't really win.  I challenged someone to race to a certain weight.  They need to lose 135 fewer pounds than I do to get to this weight.  However, I am going to give it my all.  I do hope to lose this bet because this person is my friend and I want that person to succeed.  However, I am going to try and get there.  My situation is much easier for me to lose weight than for my challenger.  Family situation, work, and current eating habits all favor me.  I am a very competitive person with too big a mouth (and stomach FOR NOW).  Wish me luck and hope I get there soon but lose by a lot!

Well, good day for now. 

Health Update

Well folks, it has been a crazy few weeks, but here is an update on my health focus!

Weighed in on day 43 and I have lost a total of 29 pounds.  I lost 5 pounds last week!

I am hoping to keep up a 2 pound a week pace.

I am feeling better (except for the headaches) and have yet to include exorcize.  Once I do, the weight will begin to come off even faster.

As for eating, I am still making solid choices and while I occasionally eat too much, I am doing better with that as well.


Ok, got to run..... catch you all later.  Please feel free to bug me for updates if I don't post.  If I struggle, i am worried I will try and stop blogging.  That is why I started using my (used to be sports) blog for this purpose.  Thanks to a ton of you for your support.  It has been invaluable.  I will try and be more detailed next entry. 

Putting THE Father in Father's Day

Yesterday was Father's Day and had me thinking a lot about a lot of things. As many of you might know, Lori's Grandpa Farrell has been in declining health.  He was put on hospice and then had to be moved to a nursing home as it was expected to be his final days.  This weekend was a crazy one as we were in and out of the nursing home, celebrated Alex's Birthday, and also father's day.  It was a true emotional roller coaster.

God was again there doing what he does best.  Multi-tasking!  He had a plan and it was good!  I wont be able to relay all the amazing details of how He awesome his plan was, but I will tell you a few awesome things He did:

• Alex did not want Grandpa to die on his birthday.  He may only be 7 but he is really sensitive and we were so thankful that God chose to honor Alex's request.  Alex had a decent birthday overall, thanks to a party last week that went so well!  So, happy birthday little man!!!  You are the pepper of my life.  With you, everything is going to be interesting.
• While I thought it would be appropriate for Grandpa to die on Father's Day, as there is no greater gift than getting to be home with Jesus, it was not the wish of his youngest child.  She didn't want it and I am very glad, yet again, that God chose to honor the request.
• My kids got a chance to see him and we got a chance to make sure they understood what was going on.  By being honest with them and upfront, I expect when we have to tell them he has passed, it will be much easier.
• I am generally a very self-centered person when it comes to things like Father's day.  This father's day was not very much about me.  This was His message to me.  It can't be about ME.  

In the end, a weekend which normally would have focused on Alex and I ended up being so much more.  For me, I got a great gift.  A clear and wonderful message from God; a lesson I wont soon forget.  See, this father's day, I was reminded that the best fathers on earth need to still focus on The Father even on father's day.  As for Grandpa Farrell, he spent father's day weekend being kept comfortable, listening to gospel music, and surrounded by family.  I can't help but think that there was no better way to spend father's day weekend for him.  Grandpa died at 1am the morning after father's day.

Saying goodbye

Sometimes God has single messages to tell me and sometimes he goes with a series of messages.  Recently, I have been faced with a series of messages on goodbyes.  Some have been happy, some sad, and some mixed emotions.  Either way, God is trying to teach me a lot about being able to say goodbye.  See, for me goodbyes meant new beginnings and new beginnings meant change and change meant trepidation.  However, God is trying to help me learn not to get that far.  He wants me to able to have joy in change as well as joy in status quo.  Goodbyes come in so many forms and we all have to say goodbye much more often than we realize.

Recently, if you remember, I had to say goodbye to my old eating habits.  I have had to say goodbye to cookies, cakes, and just about anything with sugar.  My doctors told me I was either pre-diabetic or diabetic and that I needed to do something right away.  So, bye bye sugars and hello better eating habits.  This was a tougher goodbye than I thought.  I didn't realize how much poor eating was part of my lifestyle and how much comfort I found in food.  God has helped me though and I have lost 22.5 lbs and although I have more work and changes to make.... I feel like I have said goodbye the right way.

Meanwhile, our family has had to prepare to say goodbye to Lori's grandfather.  While we are unsure how long it will be, we are having to prepare for it.  My kids are at a tough age in that they understand death enough to be sad but they aren't old enough to have experience in dealing with it.  Ryan seems to be handling it well, Katie may not fully understand, but we had to talk with Alex last night as he was the one who got  very emotional about it.  I could go on for years about the psychology of children dealing with death, but I am really wanting to focus more on being introspective here.  I have found myself having a hard time with this goodbye.  Grandpa is Lori's grandfather and I always consider my in-laws as my own family.  The relationships are very different but emotionally, I care the same for them all.  He is going to be missed by a lot of people including a wife, 3 children (and their spouses), 8 grandchildren (and the 7 spouses), and many great grandchildren (I AM too lazy to count).  His illness and decline has been very tough for everyone involved.  He has always been a strong independent man and watching his decline has been tough.  Emotions have run high.  I honestly didn't think saying goodbye to him would be so tough for me, but it is.

In other goodbyes, I have said goodbye to my mom in a much less permanent way.  I dropped her off at the airport in Kansas City after a 20 day, or so, stay.  This goodbye was easier for me because she is planning to return soon.  I think it is obvious, but I will say it anyway.... the more permanent, the more emotional a goodbye is for me.  We miss having Aiya visit us, but it wont be long before she returns:)

I said goodbye this month to the 2010-2011 NBA and NHL seasons.  Both ended on a good note with the Bruins winning the Stanley Cup for the first time I can remember (I was only months old the last time) and the Heat losing.  Congrats to all involved on the Mavericks and Bruins for your success.

In May I said goodbye to many students.  This was tough for me as some of the students will not be returning.  The thing I enjoy most about working in schools is seeing kids grow up.  I look forward to see what is in store for these students.  The ones who wont be back will be missed next year.  I wish them all the best in the various things that await them in the future.  While our school isn't perfect, I am excited to see the direction it is going to move.  To me, it is still far and away the best education for my children.  So, goodbye to 2010-2011 school year is also hello to 2011-2012 school year.  Because I have difficulty with goodbyes, I am going to focus on the hello here and get excited for the new things on the horizon for my kids, our students, and His plan for it all! (Note: we are saying goodbye to some teachers as well, and I wish them ALL the best)

Today we spent some time saying goodbye to our next door neighbors.  In the short time they have lived next door, they have become an important part of our lives because my kids have always had other kids to play with almost anytime they wanted.  Even Lori and I have had the chance to spend a little time socializing with them.  I wish them a safe trip to California and my intense prayers that they sell their house quickly to some more great neighbors with kids!!!  Our neighbors are all really great right now, I just wish some of them would stick around!

Last week I said hello and goodbye to VBS.  VBS is a ton of fun for me.  I never had VBS when I was a kid, so I get to experience it as an adult where I can enjoy all the fun and really appreciate the learning aspect as well.  Thank you so much to all those involved in VBS planning... they are AMAZING and I had a blast.  Someone once told me VBS was geared towards the kids...... I'm not so sure!  I am very sad though to say goodbye again.  It is a very fun week!

I am hoping to say goodbye to the upswing in headaches.  My Cluster Headaches have been worse the last few days and I hope they settle back down to the much more manageable pattern they had been in.

Well, it looks like I am having a hard time saying goodbye to this blog entry.  I am very emotional these last few days for so many different reasons.  Change is everywhere and, if you know me, it means a massive uneasiness...... USUALLY.  Not this time folks, God is in control and He is going to help me get over it, grieve for the losses, and be joyfully ready for whatever is next!