I blame classical music

I was having such a good week recently. I had been running and eating healthier and I was on target for yet another stellar drop in pounds for my weekly weigh-in. And then came last night.

Last night Cara and I attended the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Opening Gala. A truly wonderful event meant to debut the upcoming season as well as the new music director, Krzysztof Urbanski. I'm sure I'll have a post later on regarding my thoughts of an orchestra having a music director who only works there a few weeks during the year and isn't music directing it up at just the ISO. But I digress.

After the concert (which had a truly wonderful second half) we went to meet up with some of the ISO staff and the ISO group Forte at Morton's Steakhouse. Everyone was lounging in the bar and we were set to enjoy some drinks and light eating.

I had three old fashioned's and a manhattan. I think they they all combined for a shot's worth of bourbon. It had to be the most blatant happening of watering down drinks since the kool-aid incident of Johnny Staton's birthday in 1986.

Cara was hungry and I was not (a classic mistake of mine). We ordered chicken tenders and crab cake BLTs. The chicken tenders came out about 20 minutes after ordering and they were pretty good. However, an hour later we still did not have our crab cake BLTs despite the constant promising of the wait staff that they were "on their way out." We ended up deciding to leave and finish our dining elsewhere so I went up to the bar and asked for our check, minus the crab cake BLTs. The server again said they would be coming out soon and that it was hard because there were so many ISO people there. Still, it had been an hour, I reminded her, and we paid our bill and left (including one of the worst tips I've ever given).

So we went to Scotty's Brewhouse and ordered loaded waffle fries and chicken nachos around 10:30PM last night. And at 6:15AM I woke up today and took my weekly stand. I already knew it was going to be not so great after such a night but to hit 250 again, damn.

I think I need Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory to put me on a strict schedule of food consumption and bathroom activities.

But in the end I blame classical music.

Run Fatboy Run Part II: Even Runnier

In December of 2009 I proclaimed a goal leading up to our wedding. I was disappointed that I weighed 270 pounds and said that I would lose 20 pounds before the wedding. Well I ended up losing 31 pounds in the 8 months leading up to the wedding and it felt so amazing.

Now, just over a year later since we got married I am at 248. That mean's I've gained 9 pounds since then. I know that's not a huge amount, but for a guy who just dropped 31 and saw what more he could do it really feels like my body has been on spring break for a year.

So I start the sequel to the hit movie that was my weight-loss and running success. The goal I have is to lose 20 pounds by Christmas. When Santa drops his beer belly down our chimney I want to have less jiggle to my wiggle, as it were.

Let the games begin.

Vacation Crawl 2011

What do you think is in the spittoon? If you guessed nothing give yourself a pat on the back.


Delicious Southern Pecan Pie at Hank's Seafood in Charleston, South Carolina


Cara and I like to take trips to different places. Far away places, weekend getaways, weekly drives to the grocery store. Ok, that last one isn't really a top three pick on types of trips we like to take.

This year we planned a few adventures and the bulk of them just so happen to be during the last 1/3 of the year or so. It essentially makes the year look chubby around the butt and I wouldn't tell the year that if I were you. The year doesn't take that kind of comment well at all.

Our year's jiggly butt events are:

• July: Chicago (long weekend trip), Cara in Oregon, KJ work trip in Chicago
  
• August: Tennessee and South Carolina (1 Year Wedding Anniversary)
• September: Nashville (long weekend trip)
• October: U of I Homecoming
• November: Florida (my sister's wedding)

Next up is our Nashville trip and we are bouncing with excitement (editors note: bouncing can hurt if not done right). Last year when we stayed in Nashville during our minimoon we did so at The Hutton Hotel. It is such an amazing place and has the best rainfall shower.

I also purchased tickets for us to attend a Vanderbilt football game while we are there. We both love football and are looking forward to seeing how they do such things down there.

So rainfall showers, college football and, of course, great food. These are the main things we are looking forward to doing. It should be a good time and a fun reminder of what things could have been (flashback to September 2010 when I was offered a job in Nashville).

For now we prepare for next adventure on our quest to give this year a fat ass and come December maybe a good old-fashioned wedgie.

Oh hey there!

October. That is the last post we did on this blog. I must first apologize because you, our loyal reader and avid stalker, must have been left wanting. So much has happened since October of this past year. Let's do a quick recap:

• Cara interviewed, was offered and accepted the post of headmistress at hogwart's school of witchcraft and wizardry.
  
• KJ quit his job at DeVry to achieve his dream of following the band Wilson Phillips around on tour.
  
• Cara and KJ moved to a strange land where most things were backwards and smaller. Their adjustment has been coming along steadily.
  
• KJ interviewed, was offered and accepted the designation of Bill Paxton's assistant in a direct-to-video sequel to the 90's hit movie "Twister," titled : Twister: Even More Cows

In all actually, we said SO LONG to our mustached and sports-drenched chicago peeps and moved to the very new and interesting land of the hoosiers.

Cara now works at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra as their Marketing Manager. It's a great place and such an amazing opportunity for her to grow.

I, on the other hand, being the dedicated husband I am, quit my job at DeVry so we could come to Indy. But let's be honest, I can't take all the credit for doing such a thing for my wife, I have to thank the management I worked with at DeVry for squandering hopes and dreams of those who work for them.

So, as of November 2010 we were in Indy. Let's fast forward a few months because I didn't have a job most of the winter and I don't have much to write about that.

February 2011: A dream came true and that is no joke. I started my new career with John Wiley and Sons Publishing, one of the leading publishers and in existence for over 200 years.

You could call me a sales person because I do sell stuff, but I feel that term cheapens what I really do. I work with corporations in an effort to help them assess their development needs and align the best program for them. It's quite amazing and this is a great thing to be learning right now.

Truth be told, I'm actually writing this blog from 41,000 feet in the air and currently over Georgia on my way to Orlando for an expo with my company.

Cheers.