Jokie's Cafe

my wellness vision

2010-12-31T15:45:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year! It’s that time of year when we make resolutions that just don’t seem to turn out the way we planned. Gyms will be full this week. People will be eating healthy. Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones, and Healthy Choice meals will be on sale in the grocery ads. Come February 1, most of the life changes for the new year will be history with our resolutions sitting in the dust.

Resolutions are just hard to follow. You just can’t change your life over night without some major thought and effort. I mentioned in my last post that a fellow Lapband chat buddy told me he was going to create a wellness vision for 2011. I did some research and decided it was just what I was looking for myself.

If you have worked in corporate America during the past 10-15 years, you are familiar with the concept of total quality management, a process where you set a mission, vision and goals to make your organization or team a success. My take on a wellness vision is that it leverages the concepts of this business oriented process to create a personal vision for health and wellness. If you are looking for a place to start on a personal wellness vision, here is an excellent article to get you started.

Here's the process I used in a nutshell. I first wrote down everything I possibly wanted to achieve and what I needed to change in 2011. I then grouped them into broad categories such as diet, exercise, health, etc. For each of these categories, I took the categorized items and came up with a sentence or two of where I wanted to be in 2011 that supported them. Next, I took these sentences and looked at them together. I then combined the themes from these sentences to create my wellness vision.

Beyond the vision, I refined the brainstormed items into measurable goals. I chose to create 4 primary goals to make my wellness vision a success. The detail items became specific measurable goals to support these goals and will be the means by which I measure success.

This was a lot of effort and did not happen overnight. I’ve been working at it for the past 2 months at lunch and in the evening. I revisited and rewrote the vision and goals many times until I was satisfied. I am confident that the finished product is what I need to motivate and guide me in 2011. I see myself as a very goal oriented, organized person. I realize that an effort like this is not for everyone.

Here is my wellness vision and the four goals that support the vision. There is quite a bit of detail that supports these. I am sure that I will be sharing more of the details in the coming months.

My Wellness Vision

As a happy, successful, and active post-op bariatric patient, I draw on my talents, life experiences and passions to motivate myself and others to be mentally, emotionally and physically fit.

Goal #1: I will define my social networking presence by blogging weekly on health, fitness and wellness with an emphasis on cycling, healthy eating and support for weight loss surgery (WLS) patients.
Goal #2: I will enrich my life through interpersonal relationships; growing my bariatric support network; participating in fitness oriented activities; and enjoying my free time with friends and family.
Goal #3: I will live a healthy eating mentality that focuses on bariatric dietary principles, proper nutrition, and satiety rather than relying on restriction signals from my Lapband.
Goal #4: I will improve and share my cycling skills with frequent rides; participating in cycling events; being more involved in cycling organizations; and supporting others through the Spin-Offs.

a look back on 2010

2010-12-30T14:23:00.001-05:00

On January 1, I decided to try something new when setting goals for the New Year. I created a list of 30 things I wanted to accomplish in 2010. Looking back, I didn’t do too well; only completing 8 of the 30 items. It was really a list of places and things I wanted to experience during the year. The list had no focus or direction. It was just a list of want-do-do’s. In my next post on January 1, I'll talk about my 2011 goals and the method I used to build them and give them direction. I am pretty psyched on what is in store for me in 2011.

Cycling… That pretty much sums up the major focus of 2011. In 2009 I developed a love for cycling. 2010 was the year when I turned this love into a sport for me. Here are my cycling highlights for the year.

Formed the Spin-offs, a cycling club for weight loss surgery patients, with two other friends.
Spent my birthday weekend cycling the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail in Maryland with my pal Aaron.
Cycled trails in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts for a week with may pal Rich.
Rode in my first organized ride, the Sweet Corn Challenge in Richfield.
Completed all 150 miles of the MS Pedal to the Point in August in better time than I thought I could do.
Completed a metric century ride (63 miles) at the Hancock Horizontal Hundred. I so wanted to put my first century ride under my belt.
Cycled just about all of the Towpath Trail, Summit Hike and Bike, and Portage Hike and Bike numerous times on my twice weekly rides.
I met so many nice people and formed many numerous friendships with other cyclists.

Looking beyond cycling, my health improved as I cycled my summer away. My primary care physical and cardiologist are amazed at how much my health has improved. My cholesterol is at 130 and my blood pressure is 65/120. My weight has stayed consistent; actually dropping a bit as I enter 2011.

2010 had some sad moments. My mother passed away in late February at age 91. She suffered a long bout with Alzheimer's Disease. In October, my partner Brett’s mother passed away suddenly at age 63 as the result of a brain aneurism and stroke. Life is short. Value your parents while they are alive and treasure their memories when they are gone.

As a blog reader, you probably noticed more infrequent blog posts. Time just got away from me. I have actually become a very active technical blogger about data modeling and the data professional community at my CA Technologies Community Blog. 2011 will see a transformation of my personal blogs and websites into a unified website concentrating on wellness, cycling, exercise, diet and weight loss support.

a memorable year of cycling

2010-10-31T20:16:00.001-04:00

Saturday was the final bike ride of the season for our cycling club. It was fitting that we ended the season cycling the Towpath Trail, the location of our first ride of the season. It’s hard to believe that seven months have passed so quickly.

Last winter Christine, Susan and I put together a plan for a bicycle club for weight loss surgery patients, friends and anyone who wanted to cycle for health. We were on our way with our first ride on Easter weekend. We hosted 53 rides and met a nice group of people in the process. Our groups were as large as 12 and some times only 2.

People rode with us for many reasons. Some wanted a slower paced ride. Others wanted company on the trail and during our lunches and rest breaks. Others were looking for a way to exercise and enjoy the outdoors. About half of our cyclists are weight loss surgery patients. I think they enjoyed the support and common experiences of fellow cyclists.

While I was cycling yesterday, I realized that I was out and on the Towpath Trail at least once weekly. I’ve been on all the sections from Rockside Road south to Canal Fulton. I loved seeing the different seasons on the Towpath. It i s really a gem for the people of NE Ohio.

Here are my five favorite bike rides in Ohio. Most of the people who know me could easily figure out my favorite trails.

Little Beaver Greenway between Leetonia and Lisbon – I love this trail and enjoyed cycling it 3 times this year. The beauty never ceases to amaze me on this well maintained trail.
Towpath Trail between Cascade Locks and Peninsula – What can I say.? It is just a great ride. I love the ride between Cascade Locks and Portage Trail the best.
Towpath Trail from Wilbeth Road to Downtown Akron – I love this urban part of the Towpath, especially the boardwalk on the shores of Summit Lake. Interesting and diverse, the ride gives you a different perspective of Akron.
Holmes Trail – Cycling with Amish carts and buggies through Amish Country is a peaceful ride through a nice mixture of forests and fields.
Kokosing Gap Trail – I found this super gem of a trail this summer. I look forward to cycling it next year. The trail from Mt. Vernon to Howard is so well maintained and scenic. Add to that, it is super well maintained.

I know I may get some rides in during the coming weeks before snow sets in. I look forward to 2011 and new areas to cycle. I know we are going to spend a week of our vacation cycling New England again. I have already signed up for Pedal to the Point. I am going back to conquer the Hancock Horizontal Hundred. Plus, I plan on signing up for more charity and organized rides.

it’s time for a wellness vision

2010-10-14T09:57:00.003-04:00

This week is the fifth anniversary of my heart attack and triple bypass cardiac surgery. Over the past 5 years I have revisited these dates with a heart health scorecard that I update based on how well I maintain a heart healthy lifestyle. Although I like the accountability of evaluating my diet, exercise, stress level and overall quality of life, I think it’s time to move on to something more relevant to where I am today in relation to where I want to be in the future.

I have started to work on a wellness vision for myself. I got this idea from Mick, a WLS chat buddy. Mick is about a year out from me with his Lapband surgery and has been an important person on my weight loss journey. Earlier this summer he spoke about creating a wellness vision. I began researching it and determined that it is exactly what I needed.

So what is a wellness vision? It’s a big-picture view of where you want to be healthwise in the coming year and future years. You imagine an outcome in the vision that you then make come to life through the goals you set. What is important about this plan is that it ties measurable goals to the vision. Without these goals, you would most likely fail or minimally achieve your vision.

This wellness vision has lingered on my to-do list for the past month or so. It is a pretty difficult thing to create. I have been brainstorming a variety of visions; only to put them aside as being inadequate. I also realize that creating goals that are measurable, challenging and obtainable will be just as difficult. I updated my to-do task to be complete by November 1. Let’s see how well I will do on carrying through with creating the vision and goals. I’ll publish them here when I am finished.

Final comments on the heart health scorecards... In 2005 I was a solid “F” improving to an “A” in 2009. I have come a long way in 5 years. I am 80 pounds lighter and much more physically active. My cardiologist, primary care physician and bariatric surgeon tell me that I am in excellent health. Add to this, I am much happier with my life and where my life is going.

2010 was an amazing year for me in terms of physical exercise. Bicycling took me beyond the daily treadmill routine to a level I never could have even imagined in 2005. I cycle 2-3 times a week averaging about 60-80 miles. I completed 3 organized rides. The 2-day 150 mile Bike MS Pedal to the Point was my proudest achievement; not bad for a somewhat chubby guy in his mid 50s! My dream was to complete a 100 mile century ride. I completed a metric century (63 miles) at the Hancock Horizontal Hundred in Findlay. I am sure a century will be a goal supporting my wellness vision.

Over the past five years I learned a lot about health, diet and exercise. I can’t stress it enough that you have to make these three things a priority in your life. I ignored them far too long. My quality of life improved dramatically when I elevated them to the level of importance they needed to be. So, I encourage you today to improve your health, diet and exercise and not wait as long as I did. Live your life to its fullest and enjoy the journey that you are on! You never know where it will take you.

in remembrance of bonnie berger

2010-10-13T19:57:00.002-04:00

This past Friday my husband’s mother, Bonnie Berger, died unexpectedly at the age of 63. We never know when a loved one will pass away. In today’s world of advances in diagnosis and treatment, 63 is indeed an early age to die. I knew I wanted to blog about Bonnie’s life and death but found it to be a difficult task.

In February I faced a similar task when I spoke of my mother’s life and family on her passing. It seemed easier at that time. It wasn’t because I knew my mother better. It was because my family anticipated her passing was near at age 91 suffering from Alzheimer’s. She had lived a long life. Bonnie’s passing came way too early. She was just about to enter her golden years. I am happy to share my view of Bonnie’s life from my relationship with her from the past 21 years.

Bonnie’s life was defined by her love of the country and as a dairy farmer’s wife. Bob and Bonnie settled on the Berger homestead in central Ohio outside of Utica, Ohio milking a herd of Jersey cattle. One of my early remembrances of Bonnie was at the Ohio State Fair where the Berger family showed Jerseys for over 50 years. I knew nothing about cattle breeds other than some were white and black and others were brown. I was quickly educated on why Jerseys are superior, as well as, the people milking them.

Speaking of fairs, Bonnie took pride in showing cattle and draft ponies at fairs throughout Ohio. Bonnie was a take charge type of woman who organized the family’s presence at fairs. Her love for the traditions surrounding fair competitions was so evident. She was a true competitor. Many weekends from late July to mid-October found the family at competitions across the state. I have often heard of my husband Brett’s escapades at the fairs behind his mother’s back. I suspect she was aware of more than he ever expected.

When the Berger boys retired from dairy faming, draft ponies replaced cattle in county fair competitions. CarBon Farms was born as the alliance of Bonnie with her daughter Carol. In recent years, Brett took a special interest in showing the draft ponies with his mother, sister, family and extended family members. Without a doubt, CarBon Farms drew the family closer together. Bonnie chose to work behind the scenes. This summer Bonnie competed at the Hartford Fair. She was pretty proud of that moment. I know that the sweltering August heat of the Hartford Fair will always remind me of the good times at the fairs with Bonnie.

Bonnie’s spirit of competition went beyond the fairs. The Berger family loves to play cards. This was not the case in my family. At Christmas, I am dragged reluctantly into card games. Those who know me know that I do not care for competition and would just rather the game be over ASAP. That was not the case for Bonnie. Winning was very important to her. She was the enforcer of rules and called you out when you done something wrong. I think I frustrated her since I could care less if I won or lost and could care less if someone did something wrong.

I am especially proud of Bonnie’s acceptance of me early on as Brett’s partner. As with most new gay couples, families search for the right thing to do and the right thing to say. It took a few years for our relationship to be fully accepted. I became a part of the family and their holiday gatherings. She always welcomed me. One notable thing I recall about Bonnie was that she always looked for something a person really wanted for Christmas and made sure they got it.

Brett and I were fortunate to have Bonnie and Bob travel to Provincetown for our wedding. It meant a lot to us for them to be there. I never knew the extent of the significance of this until this past weekend. Many of Bonnie’s neighbors, coworkers and friends told me how proud she was of our relationship and how she spoke often about us.

Bonnie was fortunate to have Bob as a husband. Their relationship is one that is seen less in today’s society. They met as youth, showed cattle together, dated in high school, and married soon after. They spent 42 years as husband and wife. As with most Midwesterners, they were not much for personal displays of affection but their love for each other was evident. I would say that they defined each other’s life.

I’ll close by sharing a verse of a poem, Miss Me–But Let Me Go, the minister read at Bonnie’s funeral. I think it says it all. We may feel sorrow in a life cut short, but we need to remember the impact the person had on our lives. Most importantly, we need to live our lives to the fullest and do good deeds in the deceased remembrance.

Miss me a little–but not too long
And not with your head bowed low.
Remember the love that we once shared,
Miss me–but let me go.

rainy vacation

2010-10-03T20:49:00.001-04:00

The only thing worse than a rainy vacation is a rainy vacation at the beach. That about sums up my vacation this past week. Brett and I spent the week in the Outer Banks with friends and family. We had a super nice house on the beach in Corolla. It was the nicest we have rented to date with an in ground pool and nice amenities. We will likely return to it on a future visit.

Our first weekend was quite nice with sun and temps in the 80s. Rain rolled in late Sunday and more or less lingered for the week. There was a slight respite on Tuesday afternoon. We enjoyed an afternoon riding Jeeps in the off-road area of Corolla looking for wild horses. We were lucky enough to see about 2 dozen horses throughout the afternoon.

On Thursday, the remnants of tropical storm Nicole rolled through the Carolinas. The Outer Banks was spared the worst of the storm as it passed inland to the west. We did get the wind, high waves, cloudy skies and occasional showers. It poured buckets Thursday night as the tail of the storm passed over head.

The weather forecasters said that Friday would-be a perfect sunny day. Well, they lied. The cloudy skies lingered with occasional showers. We headed down the Banks to Hatteras. We were lucky that some sun passed by while we were at the Hatteras Lighthouse.

We could not go to Ocracoke Island since the ferry service was suspended due to the weather. It remained closed on Saturday. The Bodie Island Lighthouse, my favorite, was covered in scaffolding. It is being restored and will reopen in 2011. For the first time, you will be able to walk up this lighthouse.

Actually a rainy week is restful. I caught up on some projects. We played cards and games. We did more shopping than we usually would. I think we all had a good time. It was amusing that we drove home Saturday under sunny skies only to be welcomed to rain as we got 30 minutes from home and unpacked the car.

looking back to last year

2010-09-19T15:17:00.001-04:00

Today is Brett and my first anniversary. Well, that is our “official” anniversary. Of course there are the other 20 years that were unofficial. Up until this year, we have always celebrated November 17 as our anniversary since it was the day we met. The dilemma has been which one to celebrate. September 19 seems to be the most logical since it is official and recognized in many states. In the future should same sex marriage be recognized by the federal government then our Massachusetts wedding would be federally recognized. I personally think that will happen within the next 2-4 years.

Here are some of my favorite photos from our wedding weekend in Provincetown. It was a wonderful time with family and friends present. The weather was perfect and the wedding was perfect.

Provincetown at sunrise on the day before our wedding.
Such a beautiful town and harbor.

Group photo of our family and friends at our wedding
ceremony at in the garden of the Secret Garden Inn.

Brett and I with our great weight loss surgery fiends Aaron and Rich. We are so happy they are friends and attended our wedding!

Ready to cut the wedding cake. It was so beautiful; made by our friend Alton. Notice the custom wedding topper.

One of my favorite photos of all taken at the side gate to the
Secret Garden Inn by Brad of Song of Myself Photography.

My favorite beach photo taken at sunset by Brad
of Song of Myself Photography.

OMG! Miss Richfield 1985 is a Provincetown icon.
We loved her show on our wedding night.

hancock horizontal hundred

2010-09-13T21:35:00.001-04:00

This past Sunday I attempted my first century bike ride, the Hancock Horizontal Hundred (HHH) in Findlay and Hancock County Ohio wih my partner Brett, friend Susan and her Brother Keith. You will notice that I “attempted” the ride. I was unable to finish the century route. For those non-cyclists, a century is a 100 mile one day bike ride. Many cycling clubs host these events as a fundraiser, social activity with cyclists, and way to showcase their area.

I did complete a metric century. That is a 62 mile ride. According to my bike GPS, I cycled 63.4 miles. I was just wondering about one of these cycling events in Canada. The 62 miles would be the century. What would be 100 mile ride be? The imperial century? I guess I need to find out next year.

What stopped me from doing the 100 miles? I would like to blame it on the wind. There was a 20-25 mph NW wind throughout the day. The day started out very easy as we cycled east through Arcadia and then south through Vanlue and Mt. Blanchard. In late morning, I headed west and north to Arlington. The cycling became noticeably harder. The strong headwind really made me work for the miles. I was pushing as hard as I could and could barely make 10 mph.

At lunch in Arlington, I knew I had to make a choice. This is where the metric century and century turned opposite ways. My partner Brett was also torn but leaning on completing the century. My energy level was really on low. I had hoped the rest at lunch would give me the power I needed. The next century segment headed west to Bluffton for 14 miles into the wind. I took some real good inventory of my energy level, skills, and attitude.

Brett and I pedaled to the end of the Arlington High School drive where we had to make our choices. Turing left and you continued on the metric century; turning right you headed on to the full century. We both made quick decisions. I turned left and Brett turned right. I quickly learned that I made the correct choice. I had several miles west to travel immediately followed by many miles north. The wind continued to batter me constantly. It was the hardest cycling I have ever done. I was determined to finish the ride and plugged away to the finish line. I was so happy crossing that finish line. The Hancock Handlebar members, families and other folks cheered you on as you passed the line. What a finish!

Cycling has really taught me a lot this year, my first year of more ambitious cycling and participating in organized rides. It seems obvious that you need to physically prepare yourself for these physical challenges. I usually ride a few time each week totaling about 50-60 miles. I need to up that mileage to better prepare myself.

I can’t stress enough the importance of feeding your body for the journey. As a WLS patient, I tend to eat less and avoid sweets and carbs. A good ride starts with a good breakfast. Rest stops can’t be taken lightly. I do a couple of orange quarters and a Ho Ho or Hostess Cupcake offered by the ride sponsors. I know what you are thinking... “Hostess Cupcakes!” Believe me, I learned on Petal to the Point that that a cupcake gave me the energy I needed to keep going. I have also snuck in a Snickers bar. When you are burning up to an additional 5,000 calories in a day, you need that sugar to burn. Beyond the sugars, water and hydration is the #1 thing you need to pay attention to. I found that drinking on the quarter hour and when I am thirsty works the best.

Knowing your body’s limits is the next import thing I have learned. There are those nagging aches and pains that remind you that you are pushing the limit. It’s good to press that limit. The challenge is knowing when to stop before you cause yourself physical hurt. Interesting enough I was in relatively good position on this ride. I did suspect that this would change on that 14 mile century death march west after lunch.

You also need to put your mental state in the right order. It’s important to psychologically know that you can do the ride. I did that well on Pedal to the Point. On this type of physically demanding exercises, metal state can bring you down if you are not in that right state of mind. As analytical as I am, I analyzed that map and possible outcomes. I focused on a lot of the bad outcomes. More than anything, I did not want to find myself in the back of a support van riding to the finish line. My mental state was definitely not as focused as it should have been.

Given the above four factors (physical preparedness, proper nutrition, knowing your body’s limits, and proper mental state), what factored the most in my final outcomes? I had proper nutrition down. The reality was that I was pretty physically prepared but could have been a little more prepared. I think the combination of proper mental state and knowing my body’s limits were the two main factors. I have no doubt that I could not have completed the century. Mentally, I knew my body was telling me to do the metric. It was the correct choice. I still feel a sense of accomplishment. I wish it was the century, but I’ll take the metric century. 63.4 miles is a hell of a good ride for me and I was done by 2:00 p.m. More than anything, I have learned a lot more about how Tom Bilcze ticks and that will serve me well in the future.

it’s fair time

2010-08-29T19:25:00.001-04:00

If you are or have been an Ohioan, you know that late July through mid September is county fair time. Brett and I attend a lot of fairs. His family shows draft ponies at many. We also like to spend a few hours at our local fairs. We spent Saturday evening at the Randolph Fair, our county fair. It’s only a few miles away and is a real nice fair. I love the people watching, bright lights, farm animals, bad-for-you but oh-so-good fair food, and commercial displays. Here is my visit to the Randolph Fair in photos.

photos from Pedal to the Point 2010

2010-08-17T09:55:00.006-04:00

2010 Pedal to the Point

Pedal to the Point 2010

2010-08-16T19:01:00.002-04:00

This past weekend I cycled in the MS Pedal to the Point charity bike ride from Cleveland to Sandusky. I rode 75 miles on Saturday and 75 on the Sunday return. My partner Brett cycled with me. It was a memorable event. More importantly, this was my big goal for 2010 to cycle in a long distance ride like this. Multiple Sclerosis is a great charity making this ride an easy choice.

I spent most of the spring and summer training for the ride. I regularly cycle 2 times a week, but I tried to add in a weekly third ride. I also tried to stretch the distance and speed on my extra ride. Brett and I spent my birthday weekend in May cycling the C&O Trail in Maryland with our friend Aaron. In early July, Brett and I cycled around New England with our pal Rich. I did the 25 mile ride for the Sweet Corn Challenge just a few weeks back. I am pretty consistent at 12 mph and can easily do 30-40 miles with no issues.

I was a bundle of nerves starting out on the ride. Seeing 2,400 cyclists in one spot; many of them being much more fit, much more professional, and much more prepared; was intimidating. Taking advice from my friends Adarsh and Michael who have cycled a lot, I went into this knowing that this was a ride and not a race. My goal was to finish. My biggest fear was being one the people they picked up at the end of the race who are still on the course.

Saturday: We were off at about 7:06 a.m. from Middleburg Heights and were in the midst of a pack of 30-40 cyclists. For the next 5-10 miles the pack started to stretch and thin out. After the first rest stop, the riders spaced out quite a bit. I was moving above my target speed and having no issues. At about 37 miles I hit a big hill and was too aggressive pumping up the hill. The result was a severe leg cramp on my left leg. I thought it would end my ride. I slowed and paced myself. The next 20 miles were the hardest for me. The 5 miles leading into Berlin Heights were killing me with heat, constant uphill grade, and my leg pain.

After a much needed rest stop in Berlin Heights, I was in much better shape. I cycled into Sandusky with relatively no problem. There was a pretty constant headwind and rain for about 10 minutes. That rain was so welcomed. After a cold shower and dinner at a sports pub, Brett and I called it a night watching a Hot in Cleveland Marathon on TV Land before we dozed off around 9:00 p.m.

Sunday: 4:30 a.m. came early, but I felt amazingly good with just some lower back pain. After the pancake breakfast at the high school, Brett and I headed out at 7:06 a.m. again. The weather looked ominous. I was sure we were going to get wet. The skies cleared within an hour. The hill back into Berlin heights was a killer. Add to that, the return route had us cycling south on a chip and seal road for several miles with a strong head wind. During that stretch, I had my second thought of the weekend that I might not finish. I will definitely remember Berlin Heights!

Soon we were heading east on nice flat country roads passing field after field of corn. The trip got easier for me. Unfortunately the heat really picked up. The open farm field with no shade only made it hotter. I was drinking 2 water bottles between rest stops. I knew the danger of heat stroke and exhaustion and was keeping myself hydrated since I felt it coming on. I took longer rest breaks and paced myself for the remainder of the afternoon.

The excitement of turning the corner seeing the finish line was very emotional fro me. I was in tears as I rode up that street. Brett had pulled aside and was waiting for me and joined me as we crossed the finish line. MS families and supporters had lined the driveway cheering you on as you passed under the big inflatable rainbow. It was an experience that will stay with me for a long time.

Here are my stats. I averaged 11.9 mph on Saturday and 11.8 mph on Sunday, just shy of my goal of 12.0 mph. I know this is so much lower than road cyclists, but it was fine for this older, fatter guy relatively new to cycling. It took us 8:40 to get to Sandusky and 9:00 to return to Cleveland. That time includes lunch and breaks. My cycling time was 6:22 on Saturday and 6:26 on Sunday. We finished with a large group of cyclists. I knew there were many more still on the course when I checked in.

I learned a lot about myself on this ride. I know I need to stop putting myself down. Looking around I saw many of the same road cyclists at each rest stop. My speed was acceptable. I learned to look for more short term goals. I noted the miles to the next rest stop and made it my goal, one stop at a time. When I started thinking of quitting, I kept telling myself I could go on. I always feared hills. Only once did I walk my bike. My friend Michael from California, an avid cyclist, reminds me that there is no shame in walking a bike up a hill. I knew that at that hill and that I did not have the energy and needed to conserve it to go forward. I now take hills slow and steady and reward myself with a big drink of water at the top. Most of all, I know I can do a ride terrain like this in future.

I can only say good things about the MS organization for this ride and the support they provided. I heard there were 15 support vehicles and almost the same number of medical emergency vans. They seemed to be everywhere. I often thought as the cruised slowly past me that they were putting bets on how long it would be before they had to pick this guy up. I also appreciated the Honda Gold Wing Club members who were our shepherds along the way.

The rest stop volunteers were some of the best people; friendly and encouraging. Fruits, cold drinks, and snacks were plentiful. My favorite was rest stop 5 on day 2 on the shady front lawn of a farm in rural Lorain County. They had plenty of ice and popsicles. The mid day sun was brutal and people were exhausted and dehydrated. A 12-13 year old boy made the rounds on the lawn with pitchers of ice cold water. That was so appreciated.

Thanks again to all who have supported me with donations and words of encouragement. Thanks to my partner Brett who although a faster cyclist waited at each rest stop for me. It was a life changing experience for me that I hope to do in the future. Think about riding with me next year!

East Bay Bicycle Path

2010-08-12T18:12:00.001-04:00

I blogged after my early July cycling vacation in New England that I would highlight some of the trails I rode that week. I just haven’t had much time to blog over the past few weeks. I had some time at lunch today and decided to blog about the East Bay Bike Trail in Rhode Island.

The East Bay trail gets a lot of publicity as one of the best cycling trails in the USA. USA Today featured it as one of the top 10 in the nation this summer. That drew my attention. My friend Rich’s beach house was a little more than an hour away. Given the review and proximately to our vacation home for the week, we set out to explore the trail one morning.

The trail starts just out of downtown Providence in India Point Park and heads east to Independence Park in Bristol. It pretty much hugs the shore of Narragansett Bay; wandering into wooded areas and small towns. We chose to start at India Point. Although this is a nice park, it is not a good starting point for your trip on this trail. The trail rises from India Point up a switchback ramp to the I-195 Bridge where you must cycle along a 3 foot wide chain linked corridor across the bridge. It was smelly, dirty, noisy and had very few places to let other cyclists pass. I would recommend that you use the trailhead on Veterans Memorial Parkway. It is a clean, shady park overlooking the city with ample parking. It was less than a mile from the India Point trailhead.

Leaving Providence the trail is pretty open and on the shore of the bay for several miles before it enters the woods for most of the remainder of the ride. When we reached Riverside, we came upon a free water stand run by the East Bay trail volunteer organization. They setup a tent and offer riders free cold bottled water during the summer months along with maps, tourist information and friendly chat. We were excited to ride off the trail and into town to see a restored carrousel in a beachfront park and a clam shack that was supposedly one of the best in Rhode Island. It was a mile detour but unfortunately the carrousel was closed for renovation and the adjoining clam shack also.

Continuing on we entered Barrington which appeared to be a somewhat upscale community. It was lunch and we set out to find a lunch spot. Alas, it was the Monday of Independence Day weekend and many local dining spots were closed. Residents told us the Thai restaurant here was excellent. It too was closed for the holiday. We’ll catch it on a return trip. We ended up eating at chain sandwich shop that was OK.

Just down the trail from Barrington was Warren, Rhode Island. As with many other New England towns, it had several empty imposing stone mill buildings along the trail and water. It appears that Samsonite was a major employer here at one time. There is an absolute required stop on this trail that you need to make in this town. The Fruity Cow made delicious smoothies with yogurt and fresh fruit. It was a perfect stop for a super hot day.

The trail ends another 4 or so miles east in Independence Park in Bristol. We did not explore Bristol much. It looked like a pretty interesting town with many shopping and dining options. There were several restaurants bordering the trail and the bay front park. We turned and headed back west to Providence. It was an enjoyable vacation day for sure. The ride with some of our detours added up to about 31 miles.

My final comments on this trail are that it is indeed one you need to put on your must-cycle list. It is asphalt paved and is expertly maintained. There were mile markers, directional signs, plenty of diversions, nice scenery, and nice small New England towns along the way. There was no elevation changes at all. It’s pretty flat. New England is just a beautiful place to cycle. I’ll give the trail a rating solid “A” for its grade. It goes on my personal top 10 trails list.

an open to letter to friends and family on same sex marriage

2010-08-06T07:45:00.007-04:00

Same sex marriage has been in the news quite a bit this summer. Most recently, a federal judge in California ruled Proposition 8 unconstitutional. This was the ballot initiative that banned same sex marriage by amending the California Constitution. Although this court action seems like a victory for same sex marriage, it is one step in a long process to marriage equality for gay people. The matter will most likely be settled by the Supreme Court.

I know that people sit on all sides of the fence in regards to this issue. I know that people I know, people I work with, people I attend church with, and people I chat with daily may not favor marriage equality. I.e. the right of gay people to marry the person they love and to have that marriage recognized by the State. Regardless of your stance, I ask that you spend a few minutes today thinking of the following items. I think these are the key items gay people need to be talking to with friends, family and co-workers.

1. Why marriage, why not civil unions? A common argument is to reserve civil unions for gay people and reserve marriage for opposite sex people. The fundamental issue with this is that you create a class of people who must settle for being second class. If you live and love faithfully with the partner of your choice, you have the right to have that relationship recognized on the same terms as straight couples. If you examine marriage in the USA today, you will find that the government does not recognize your church ceremony. It recognizes the papers that you filed with your local governing body. This is really a civil marriage (union), but is commonly termed “marriage” on all forms and documents. All gay people want is this type of recognition.

2. Is same sex marriage a civil right? A common thought of the anti-same sex marriage crowd is to flat out deny that marriage is a civil right. Look up the definition of civil rights in terms of American governing documents and bodies. Civil rights can be enumerated and can also be implied. Since the IRS, Social Security Administration and other governing agencies base many of their regulations and laws on marriage; this implies that our government has indeed bestowed civil right status to marriage. To deny a subset of our nation these benefits based on marriage, is indeed discriminatory and a violation of civil rights.

3. But gay people can not reproduce. This is such a weak argument that appears quite a bit in recent conservative circles. The answer to this is quite obvious. Marriage does not come with a contract that says that you must produce x offspring in x amount of years. Couples marry that are unable to conceive. Couples marry that chose to not conceive. Marriage is not about conception. It is about love, commitment and a lifelong pledge to be together.

4. Gay marriage violates my civil rights. I’ll inject bit of humor here. Wanda Sykes, the lesbian comedian, once said, something similar to” If you don’t approve of gay marriage, then don’t marry a person of the same sex.” This is such a fallacy thrown up as a tool of fear by anti-same sex marriage advocates. We will not be teaching children about gay sex. Churches will not be forced to marry gay people. (Remember that little thing called “Separate of Church and State” that I mentioned earlier.) Again, this is about civil marriage and nothing more.

5. But the Bible says… OK, this really opens a can of worms. Biblical scholars all pretty much agree that Biblical references to same sex activity is not written in terms of what we know of as loving, committed same sex couples. They are generally portions of stories where people were chastised for inhospitality and speak more of rape and humiliation. Add to this that the tradition of opposite sex marriage is not this 5,000 year plus tradition. Same sex relationships existed for many years and were acceptable. Our “Biblical” view on marriage is more about the definition of marriage over the past 200+ years.

6. Gay people will ruin marriage. I’ll just point you to infidelityfacts.com. Here are some highlights from their research. Does this indicate that same sex marriage is the primary threat to “traditional” marriage?

Percentage of marriages that end in divorce in America: 53%; Percentage of marriages where one or both spouses admit to infidelity, either physical or emotional: 41%; Percentage of men who say they would have an affair if they knew they would never get caught: 74%; Percentage of women who say they would have an affair if they knew they would never get caught: 68%

7. These activist judges are destroying the Constitution and trampling on citizens’ rights! Aren’t these judges really doing what our Constitution asks them to do? We have reduced the civil rights of gay people to a matter of public approval and vote. How sad is it that the validity of minority loving relationships can be voted by the majority and stripped away with a simple vote? This is definitely a matter for the judicial branch to protect the rights of citizens blindly and administer justice.

These are basic facts that I would like all my friends, family and coworkers to think about today. If you are a LGBT blogger or Facebook user, don't just post relevant articles on same sex marriage. Take a few minutes and compose a post similar to this one to let your friends and family know what marriage means to you and your relationship. It's your chance to educate people on the truth and the value of your relationship.

I’ll leave by saying that Brett and I are legally marries in the state of Massachusetts. This marriage is recognized by some states but not all states. Ohio is one of those states that does not. Federally, we have no recognition of our marriage. How strange is the fact that a person’s marriage is restricted as you cross a state’s border? If you are a married straight couple, I would ask you to think about how you would feel about moving to another state only to be told your marriage is not recognized.

Thanks for reading this long post.
Tom

kokosing gap trail

2010-07-31T20:20:00.001-04:00

When all the cyclists in my scheduled ride cancelled, I had an opportunity to take a ride of my choosing. The original ride was the Richland B&O Trail in Butler. I was in Mt. Vernon last night for the Knox County Fair where Brett’s family was showing draft ponies. I have been wanting to cycle the Kokosing Gap Trail that starts in Mt. Vernon and runs northeast to Danville. I had too much fair food last night and needed to cycle it off.

It was perfect cycling day with temps in the high 70s and sun. I was cycling the trail solo since Brett had a busy day at the fair. The trailhead was easy to find, had plenty of parking and was very clean. Actually, this trail is super clean and very well maintained. The surface is asphalt and the elevation hardly changes at all. I can see why I passed many inline skaters on the trail.

The trail is also quite cool. It is shaded almost its entire length. The first 4 miles parallel the Kokosing River which meandered across 3 times. Beautiful iron railroad bridges carried me across the water. If you plan to cycle this trail, watch for the sign for the Kenyon College Environmental Center at about 3.5 miles. The college has a huge perennial garden that cyclists are invited venture through. I did on my return trip and highly recommend it.

At about 5 miles I cycled in Gambier. The trailhead bordered the edge of the Kenyon College athletic complex and fields. This is a super nice trailhead. There were clean restrooms, a steam locomotive and cars that you are invited to explore. A shaded picnic area was a an inviting area to rest.

While resting in Gambier I chatted with an elderly gentlemen at the station. He gave me the low down on Gambier. Alas, I was not see the actual town unless I cycled off the trail and up a hill to the campus and village. I did not have the time to take this detour on this trip. He did give me some good tips on the trail east of Gambier.

Howard was the next village I crossed through. There was a very scenic barn along the trail. I am pretty certain it was most likely a feed mill and freight station for the rail line. My Gambier friend told me to exit the trail, cycle up the hill and visit the ice cream stand. I did on my return trip. Here’s my tip for Howard if you cycle this trail. At the top of the hill you will be on Route 36. There was a very tasty BBQ joint with smokers and cold beer. Adjacent to it is the Ice Cream Station, an old converted 60s gas station. I opted for ice cream. I had a slaw dog and an amazing red velvet cake hand dipped ice cream milkshake. Take my advice, stop in Howard for ice cream or BBQ.

Past Howard, the trail was pretty much standard Ohio trail trail. Most people opt to turn at Howard and return to Mt. Vernon. I ventured on to Danville which was probably about another 5 miles. This portion of the trail crosses farm land and is partially shaded. The landscape is pretty run of the mill. The trail ended at nice trail head in Danville just off of U.S. Route 62. I turned at the trailhead and cycled back to Mt. Vernon. Total distance was 27 miles of cycling.

I thoroughly enjoyed this trail. I highly recommend it for any rail trail cyclist. It is definitely one of the best maintained trails and has interesting scenery and attractions along the way.

i cycled 16 miles for thai

2010-07-29T21:55:00.001-04:00

Tonight was one of those perfect summer nights. The temps cooled to the low 80s and the humidly dropped to a comfortable level. I didn't have any plans for the evening. I knew I was going to go on a bike ride.

I had considered joining the Akron Bicycle Club on their Thursday night ride. I tried to get some of my cycling buddies to join me. Everyone had plans. I just felt awkward showing up to a ride where I didn’t know anyone. So I wimped out and didn’t go.

I opted to ride the Towpath from the Vanderhoof trailhead near Barberton to Canal Fulton. I knew the trail had been extended north to Snyder Road with this being the closest trailhead with parking. It was an easy drive and a very nice trailhead. The Summit Metro Parks does a nice job of building and maintaining these trailheads.

I cycled south 8 miles to canal Fulton. I planned to have dinner in town. There was a farmer’s market in the Heritage Park parking lot. I bought some onions and garlic and headed over to V Li’s for dinner .This little Thai restaurant really rocks. I had triple flavor fish which was very good.

Belly full, I cycled back north to Barberton at a nice leisurely pace. There were so few people out and the trail was so pretty as the sun set. One thing to note is that the trail from Vanderhoof to Center Street in Clinton is quite scenic. I knew it was part of the former PPG lime lakes that are being reclaimed. I figured it would not have a lot of vegetation and might look somewhat industrial. That is not the case. I would recommend it as a ride for anyone.

sweet corn ride

2010-07-25T18:31:00.002-04:00

Today I cycled in my first organized bike ride. I’ve cycled for the past few years but haven’t ventured to one of these road rides. I ride mostly on trails and was leery of riding on the road. I must admit that road cyclists intimidate me with their speed that I know I can not match.

I chose Eddy’s Bike Shop Sweet Corn Ride in Richfield as my first road ride. It was close to home, had great support, a good reputation and several routes. I chose the 25 mile route. I was debating on the 50 mile but decided to play it safe for my first time on the road with a large group.

This morning I set out under cloudy skies and lower temps due to the cold front that roared through last night. It turned to a sprinkle as I arrived. Registration was quick and organized. I met up with Susan, Christine and Vanessa; fellow cyclists in our Spin-offs Cycling Club.

As we headed out, the sprinkles turned to a slow steady rain. It was no big deal. We cycled several miles through lovely neighborhoods of McMansions in Richfield. We did some country riding before taking a whirl through Brecksville.

Our mid-ride rest stop was on the edge of Brecksville in a small park. Giant Eagle sponsored the stop that had plenty of fruit, cereal bars, cookies, Gatorade and water. The rain really picked up at the rest stop. After about 15 minutes we set back out under an even harder rain.

We cycled south along the edge of Richfield and into Medina Country. Following Bath Road we entered Bath and cycled through and north out onto Cleveland Massillon Road. Wheatley Road took us back into Richfield where we enjoyed a pretty good lunch and free sweet corn.

I was pretty proud of myself on this ride. We had a few killer hills and 3-4 long steady hills. I cycled up the hills with no effort and did not have to walk my bike at all. I found this type of ride enjoyable and know I want to do more of it. I always seem to underestimate my abilities. I kept up with many of the road cyclists, passed some on hills and kept a steady pace. After 28 miles (the 25 mile ride was actually longer), I was not tired at all.

This was excellent training for my Pedal to the Point 150 mile 2-day ride in mid August. I think I have a pretty good chance of making it. I learned a lot. The road doesn’t intimidate me. Other riders do not intimidate me. The distance does not intimidate me. I am ready to ride that 150 miles. Now for my shameless plug… If you haven’t donated to MS through me, please consider doing it today. Here is a link to the donation form.

after the storm

2010-07-24T21:15:00.001-04:00

Another violet storm passed through this evening. After the rain, thunder and lightning cleared, there was the beautiful sunset.

scenes from the towpath

2010-07-21T21:51:00.001-04:00

It was a pleasant ride on the Towpath tonight. Here are some of my favorite pics from the trail.

Nesmeth Lake from the Manchester Road trailhead

The All-American house on the Canal south of Wilbeth Road

Approaching the boardwalk over Summit Lake

Summit Lake at twilight

Summit Lake boardwalk

my 2nd surgiversary… life is good!

2010-07-16T05:47:00.001-04:00

Today is the 2^nd anniversary of my Lapband weight loss surgery. Weight loss surgery (WLS) post-ops generally refer to these dates as surgiversaries. My cycling pal Chuck has what I think is a better term, “rebirthday”. I like that since it signifies that you made a change in your life and are given new birth as the result of the surgery. Plus, you can actually sing “Happy Rebirthday to Me!”

Most people like to see the facts. Today I weigh-in at 191 pounds. That’s a pound heavier than my last rebirthday. I weighed-in at about 270 on New Year’s Day 2008. 79 pounds gone is a good thing. I had approached this surgery from the point of making myself a healthier person. Sure, I wanted to be skinny and look better too. I must say that the health side of this story is pretty astounding. In February I had a large number of cardiac tests and a stress test. They all confirmed that my heart health is excellent. My cardiologist and primary care physician say that the tests and my blood work look like a person in their late 20s. It’s nice to hear that from people who I used to dread going to and listening to about how I need to loose weight and exercise.

Speaking of exercise, I have really made changes in that department. I still get up daily at 5 am to do the treadmill for 30 minutes. I would love to fit more time in but my schedule is just too full. I bicycle at least 2 times a week and try to cycle as much as 4 times a week. I confounded a cycling club for WLS patients and have met so many new friends on the rides. Looking back at my recent vacations, it tells the story. They all involve cycling or other physical activities. Even on our cruise I ziplined, hiked and tubed down a river in the jungle.

So, am I a WLS success? I am always reluctant to say that I am. I see many more people lose so much more. I am a lightweight when it comes to weight loss with my loss being less than 100 pounds. I also know I should be able to shed at least 10 more pounds. Looking back over two years, I can definitely call myself a success. I lost 58% of my excess body weight beating the average of 40-50% loss. More importantly, I have kept it off. I love cycling and exercising. I very much eat healthy and a lot less in quantity. Gone is my once steady diet of pasta, burgers, and fast wood. I am in a very happy place with my body, activity and life. Life is good!

I’ve given thought recently to where I should go from here. I am very goal focused and have set many around my weight loss. In the coming month I’ll be attempting to achieve a biggie for me. I am cycling the 25 mile course of Eddy’s Sweet Corn Challenge. In mid-August I am cycling the 150 mile MS Pedal to the Point. I’ve been cycling a lot to train and hope that I can make it to the end of each of these events. It will be a real achievement for me. Beyond that, my goals are to continue cycling and exercising. I really want to lose another 10 pounds. I plan on involving myself in more activities that I gave up for my surgery. I knew I wanted to spend a few years “working on me”. The time is now to return to activities I love doing.

Happy Rebirthday to Tom! Happy Rebirthday to Tom!

provincelands @ cape cod national seashore

2010-07-14T10:12:00.020-04:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am going to highlight some of the bike rides from our New England vacation last week. Our ride on the Provincelands Bike Trail in the Cape Cod National Seashore was by far the most scenic and enjoyable cycling I have done to date. This trail is phenomenal. It is well maintained and was completely overhauled in 2009.

Most people travel to Provincetown for the quaint shopping, whale watch and sightseeing excursions, great dining choices and the interesting nightlife. This LGBT artist colony is the Key West of the north. Like Key West, the diversity of the people and the tolerance for all people is their way of life. Gay couples walking hand in hand, street performers and drag queens share the streets with families, older heterosexual couples and people from all nations.

Most people do not venture much out of P’town and into the national seashore. I know we hadn’t before this trip. If you have not, you must on your next trip. There is so much to explore and the scenery is spectacular. The beaches are clean and convenient. One caution here is that the water temperature even in July is pretty cold. You don’t see many people in the water like you do in the Carolinas or Florida.

We started our cycling adventure in the morning from our bed and breakfast, the Secret Garden Inn on Commercial Street near McMillen Wharf, the center of P’town. Cycling down Commercial Street through heavy morning pedestrian and delivery truck traffic was both challenging and interesting. At the end of Commercial Street, we were greeted by salt marshes as we cycled toward Herring Cove Beach. This beach is interesting in that there is a huge almost ¼ mile long parking lot where RVs and cars backup to the beach for the day. The bike trail begins at the end of the parking lot.

The Provincelands Bike Trail is basically a loop with a leg off to Race Point Beach. We chose to cycle the loop clockwise heading into the dunes. This trail gives you a real workout. Even though you are at sea level, the dunes dip and roll. The trail was pretty clear of sand and nicely paved as we wound our way to the Provincelands Visitor Center. The center is located on a high spot with observation decks with commanding views of the seashore. It is a must-stop for cyclists.

After leaving the visitor’s center we headed to Race Point Beach passing the Provincetown Airport. Race Point Beach is a much nicer beach than Herring Cove. This area is also quite scenic. The Coast Card Station and old harbor life saving station provide interesting elements for photos of the beaches and dunes. This leg is well worth the ride off of the trail’s loop and maybe added a few miles to our ride.

Back onto the loop trail we passed the visitor’s center and headed into the beech forest. We were surprised by the change in terrain and vegetation on this segment of the trail. It was much more level and we cycled for about 3 miles in the woods. This shaded trail was welcomed since it was now after noon and the temperature was somewhere around the mid 90s. It made a much more leisurely return trip to P’town.

The ride was about 16 miles. You can check it out here. I so so highly recommend it to anyone vacationing on the Cape. It really gives you a complete tour of the dunes and beaches on the northernmost tip of Cape Cod. It’s definitely not a beginner’s trail. The elevation changes give you a good workout but are well worth the effort. I rate this trail an A++ and consider it the best trail I have ridden to date.

such a restful vacation week

2010-07-11T21:21:00.001-04:00

My vacation week comes to an end tonight. Brett and I had a wonderful sunny and hot week in New England. We spent the week with our pal Rich at his beach house in Old Lyme, Connecticut and two nights in Provincetown. The weather was perfect with no rain. The heat could have been turned down some but did not prevent us from having a great time. We did a good bit of cycling during the week. In the coming week, I’ll write some posts about the trails and roads we rode during the week. It was a perfect vacation. Here are my favorite memories from the week.

Independence Day: Our disappointing ride on the Moosup Trail that resulted in our trip to the Mohegan Sun Casino. We had a great lobster dinner, won some money and had a great time. We finished this day on the beach watching Rich’s neighbors celebrate the 4^th with fireworks. It was a fun filled day.

East Bay Bike Trail: This Rhode Island trail was recently rated one of the top 10 trails in the USA. It was a hot day and fun 32 mile ride! We rode through several small towns outside of Providence along Narragansett Bay. Well maintained with nice scenery; it is a must-do for avid cyclists.

Block Island: This resort island just north of Long Island was an hour ferry ride off of New London. What a fun day again! Record heat of 96 with a heat index of 109 shortened our planned ride to 8 miles. The Southeast Lighthouse and Mohegan Bluffs made this ride worth the effort. The local brewpub restaurant was a welcome sight during the hot post-ride afternoon.

P’town: What more can you say about this phenomenal destination on the tip of Cape Cod. This long time LGBT resort town is so diverse. Galleries, shopping, many dining and entertainment venues, and lovely bed and breakfasts make this Portuguese fishing village a favorite for anyone visiting the Cape.

Provincelands: Wow! Wow! Wow! The bicycle trail through the dunes of the Cape Cod National Seashore is by far the best trail I have ever ridden. It was a magnificent 16 mile ride. If you cycle, you must add this to your to-do list. You will not be disappointed.

Evenings in the backyard: It seemed like all of our fun packed days ended with cocktails and conversation in Rich’s backyard. The cool breezes off Long Island Sound made these warm evenings so much more enjoyable. Well... there was that one night when a skunk paid us a visit!

It’s back to work tomorrow morning. This ranks as one of my favorite vacations. The memories of the week will be with me for a long time. Thanks to Rich for putting up with Brett and me during the week. He was the perfect host and tour guide.

i cannot guarantee that she'll hold up

2010-06-11T15:34:00.004-04:00

The title of this post is a quote of Montgomery Scott from the original Star Trek series. If you are a Star Trek fan, you know that Scotty was constantly worried that the Enterprise would somehow fall apart when Kirk ordered him to “give it all we got” to escape from a nearly inescapable situation. This post is a somewhat long look back on my weight loss journey to date and a realization that it is up to me to take ownership of my weight and health. Scotty’s words seem pertinent to my journey over the past few years as I somehow try to keep it all together and keep it from falling apart.

My posts on weight loss have become less frequent over the past year. During my first year post-op I blogged pretty frequently on the subject. Let’s face it; the numbers on the scale were falling pretty consistently and my life was changing. It was a pretty exciting time.

Then I hit my plateau at about one year out. As I approach my two year bandiversary of my Lapband surgery, I have fallen into a pretty comfortable routine. The good news is that my weight has been very consistent over the past year hanging around 190+ pounds. I am pretty good with a healthy diet and my exercise level has increased. My surgeon, cardiologist and primary care physician are all extremely happy with my health.

A few weeks ago I had a quarterly Lapband surgeon appointment to check in on my health and progress. I had a very small unfill. I have really had a small number of fills. On a prior appointment I had asked for a fill thinking it could accelerate my weight loss and found over the last quarter that it was too aggressive. I had some acid reflux and had issues eating lean protein. With my unfill, I am back to normal and a happy camper.

Since I began my weight loss journey, I have friended a fellow Lapband patient in a weight loss forum who is about a year farther out than me. Mick is very successful in his weight loss. He blogs extensively about his journey and has inspired me so much. We email each other now and then. I check in on his blog and read about his life. I have found that Mick and I are now on the same plane in terms of weight loss and life as a Lapband patient. His posts seem to speak to me more than they ever have and are often exactly what I am personally experiencing.

As Mick has discovered before me, I have come to realize that maintaining a healthy weight is in my control. It’s not about the band making me skinnier. I have reached that point where the band helped me get to where I am where it’s up to me to go on from here. Let’s face it; I know the ins and outs of living with a Lapband. I know how to use it properly and more dangerously… how to work around it. So, it’s up to me on where to go from here.

Very early on when I began chatting with Mick, I remember him pounding into my head that it is not just about the weight loss. I was in that stage where I was frustrated with a slow weight loss and wanted to be “instantly” thin. It may have taken me over a year, but I now know how true Mick’s words were. It’s nice to be thinner and be able to walk into a store and find my shirt and jean size readily available. What is nicer is being able to bicycle as much as I do. It’s nice to be much more active and not laying around the house on weeknights and the weekend. It’s nice not hearing my doctor telling me I need to lose 50 pounds. It’s just nice feeling so much healthier.

I guess this post marks a point in my life where I acknowledge what my Lapband has done for me and recognize that it has turned control of my weight loss/gain over to me. Let’s face it; it has always been in my control. Sometimes it just takes almost two years to realize that you have more control over your life than you think. Weight loss surgery has taught me a lot of things. When a person considering surgery asks me about it, I tell them that it is not as easy a journey as many people think. It takes work and commitment to be a success. I now add that at some point you need to recognize that you control your personal weight. If you don’t recognize that soon after your surgery, you could find the scale moving upward and your success dwindling.

I’ll close with “Live well and prosper.” That seems to sum it up this long boring post in a short concise sentence.

covered bridges and maple leaves

2010-05-31T21:39:00.001-04:00

Brett and I had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. Friday afternoon and Saturday morning were busy times with us catching up on yard work and painting the deck. Oh how I hate that deck! I have about 70% completed; with just the bottom level sides to paint. We moved the deck furniture back Sunday evening and enjoyed a nice picnic this evening before the thunderstorms came.

We had decided ahead of time that we wanted to cycle by ourselves during the weekend. Our cycling club was doing a Towpath Trail ride, but we wanted to do something different. Sunday morning we headed out to my favorite trail, the Little Beaver Creek Greenway Trail in Columbiana County. I’ve ridden it several times, but Brett had never got to ride it.

It was a perfect day for cycling; sunny and in the 80s. This trail is very shady which makes it a cool ride on hot day. It was more crowded than I have ever seen it but still quiet with nowhere near the traffic that the Towpath Trail carries on a weekend. As usual,, we had lunch at the Steel Trolley Diner in Lisbon; one of my favorite dives that takes me back to my childhood trips to Lisbon.

I love the scenery along the trail, the well maintained trail and interesting stops we make a long the way. I can’t resist stopping at the White House Fruit Farm Market between Salem and Canfield. It has to be the nicest farm market in Ohio with undoubtedly the most amazing cake donuts and fresh cider! We also bought our annuals at a great family run nursery just north of the market. I love unique flowers, and they had a nice assortment at a good price. I will remember this for next year.

For Memorial Day, we headed out this morning to the Maple Highlands Trail just north of Middlefield. It runs north to Chardon. The trail is a standard rail trail with just run of the mill rural Ohio scenery. I was a little disappointed. I expected something a little more scenic considering the hills of Geauga County. The trail was in excellent shape. It was a smooth paved surface that identified all road crossings and had mile markers every 1/2 mile. A nice feature were the covered bridges that the park district built rather than just plain trestles.

It headed uphill for 4 miles out of the Headwaters Park trailhead which gave us a good workout and leveled for the last 4.5 miles. The trail was actually not very shady. The last mile or so into Chardon was the most shady. Once in Chardon it ends at State Route 44 about 1/2 mile south of the square. It is a very busy highway that climbs quite a bit to the square. We started to venture up but turned when we realized that the Memorial Day parade was in progress.

We finished the ride and had lunch at a Amish restaurant similar to the Hartville Kitchen in Middlefield. We also bought some cheese at the Middlefield Cheese Factory. I had forgotten that this was a fairly large Amish community. The rain pretty much held out until we were at the restaurant and was on and off as we headed home.

winding down in vegas

2010-05-20T11:09:00.004-04:00

I have been in Las Vegas for two CA software conferences since last Friday. I am pretty tired at this point. It has been a long week with long days. I hardly got to enjoy the 90 degree sunny weather that Vegas offers. Yesterday at lunch I ventured out of Mandalay Bay and had lunch at Chin Chin in NY NY, one of my favorite Chinese restaurants on the Strip.

Last night my friend and former coworker Deb and Dan, another fellow software user, explored the Strip for the evening. It was a fun time. We had a fantastic dinner at Wolfgang Puck's Spago in Caeser's Palace. It was exceptional. It was a pleasant walk back to Mandalay stopping to watch the Bellagio fountains and the "interesting" people on the Strip.

I fell into a normal routine here. The photo is of my "office" at the Starbucks at the convention center entrance. Even in Vegas, I was up at 5:30 a.m. and off to work by 6:30 a.m. This table became my work home away from home for a few hours each morning.

After another morning of conference sessions, Julie (another coworker) and I are off for an afternoon on the Strip. We both have red eye flights home and plan on a restful afternoon in Las Vegas after this busy week. I had planned on cycling but my ride was cancelled. Bummer :(

My Top 10 Techie Buzzwords for the Week

2010-05-17T18:48:00.002-04:00

I am at CA World, a large tech conference in Las Vegas, this week with about 8,500 geeks. It ain’t a pretty sight :) Anyway, after my first three days of keynotes, speeches and the such, I’ve come up with I believe are the top 10 buzzwords for the conference. I thought I would share them with you. I won’t give you the meanings. You will have to Google them if you don’t find yourself to be a tech guru. After each one, I put what I think of every time I hear the word. As you can see, I am often buzzed out and in another place.

10. Communities – Tie dyed shirts and hippies
9. Technologies – Bad memories of old jobs
8. Partners – Gay couples
7. Viral – Hmmm, STDs, swine flu?
6. Agility - Zzzzzzzzzzzz
5. Social Media – Who here should be my FaceBook friend?
4. Virtualization – My Wii Mii

3. My CA – Arnold and Maria’s California commercial
2. SAAS – Why use an acronym so close to SAS?

1. The Cloud – Beyonce and Halo

a little of the great alleghany passage

2010-05-10T20:44:00.001-04:00

Our weekend getaway came to an end today. It was a spectacular ending. The wind died, sun shone brightly and the temperature rebounded to the 60s. Our destination for the day was Cumberland, Maryland and the Great Alleghany Passage. On our way from Hagerstown we stopped at the Sideling Hill Pass visitor’s center in the Alleghany Mountains. The view was spectacular on this clear day.

The ride into Cumberland is some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen. Mountains, rolling farmlands with picturesque buildings dotted the landscape. We found the Cumberland trail visitor center with no problem; right at the foot of the expressway exit

Cumberland has a rich railway history. Trailwise it is the end of the C&O Canal Trail coming from Georgetown, Virginia and the beginning of the Great Alleghany Passage headed to Pittsburgh. We decided to cycle the Great Alleghany Passage mostly to ride through the first of many tunnels on the trail.

The ride west out of Cumberland was constantly uphill. It was gentle at about 1% but still an uphill cycle. Since we were anxious to return home we decided to cycle the 7 miles out and through the tunnel and turn back. The ride back was such a breeze… downhill all the way. This was nice trail to end our cycling weekend.

We spent some time exploring the area surrounding the visitor’s center. We had a late lunch at the Crabby Pig, a quite tasty BBQ and seafood restaurant. We shopped the bike shop where I bought a cool jersey with logos for both the trails. The GPS took us across I-68 and then on some state routes before we hooked up with the PA Turnpike in Somerset. We saw dozens of wind turbines on the ridges during this drive. It was pretty neat to see them up close.

our raid on harpers ferry

2010-05-09T22:35:00.001-04:00

Today we continued our weekend getaway in Western Maryland. We woke this morning to a sunny, cool and windy Sunday morning. After studying the C&O Canal Trail options, we selected a ride relatively close to Hagerstown. We decided to ride the trail starting just east of the Antietam Battlefield to Harpers Ferry.

The car ride to Antietam was quite beautiful. This area of the country is so scenic. Rolling rural roads passed many historic farms with the Blue Ridge Mountains as the backdrop. We crossed the battlefield but opted not to stop figuring our time on the trail would be short.

We had found a reference in a cycling web site that had mentioned a remote trailhead that was about 7 miles west of Harpers Ferry. We luckily found the trailhead without getting lost! We had opted for a shorter ride since the previous ride was just a little too long for our friend Aaron who is not a cyclist. Actually, yesterday’s ride was his first. I’ll hand it to him, he was ready to ride this morning again after 14 miles yesterday.

The trail is very wooded in this area as it was 30 miles further west yesterday. It very closely hugged the Potomac shoreline on the south with the canal on the north side. It was a very quiet ride for the first 4 miles with hardly another cyclist on the trail. We passed a canal keeper’s house, one of many we have seen on both of these rides. We briefly stopped for some pictures at the remnants of dam #3 just a few miles from Harpers Ferry.

Harpers Ferry was a quite an enjoyable excursion off the trail. The trail has many bike racks on the Maryland side to leave your bike. You then walk across the Potomac on a railroad bridge with a pedestrian walkway. It was a pretty cool and unique walk.

The town of Harpers Ferry hugs the mountain side. It is very historic with many old building. The town is full of boutiques, unique gift shops and many restaurants. You can tell this is a popular weekend day trip from D.C. and the surrounding area. We thoroughly enjoyed the few hours we spent exploring the town.

It was a relatively quick and uneventful ride back to the trailhead. The wind is still blowing hard here after two days. It really makes cycling a challenge and the wind chill can definitely be felt in the shade. Aaron made it with no issues. I am very proud of him to cycle 28 miles this weekend, his first time out.

We are planning to cycle the Great Alleghany Passage from Cumberland to Frostburg in the morning before we head home. It depends on the weather. We are just tired of this wind and are hoping the temps return to the 70s.

another year older

2010-05-08T20:49:00.001-04:00

Today was my birt day. Brett and I are spending the weekend in Hagerstown, Maryland visiting our friend Aaron. We had decided to take a spring weekend trip to celebrate the occasion. The weather was perfect today, sunny and 75.

We are cycling the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail that follows the Potomac River from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington D.C. Today we cycled the trail from Williamsport, a canal era town similar to Canal Fulton to Fort Frederick, a Civil War fort. It was a very enjoyable ride.

The trail is very similar to the Towpath Trail in Ohio. This section is pretty remote. We saw only a handful of houses and other cyclists along the trail. At about the mid-point, there was a large campground on the west Virginia side of the Potomac.

The highlight of the ride was dam 5 on the Potomac. Approaching the dam you could hear a roar. I thought it was a train or freeway traffic. I was surprised when I rounded a trail bend to be treated to a long dam with water flowing fast over the spillway. It was very scenic spot that was perfect for photo ops.

About 6 miles farther north was Fort Frederick. By this time, Aaron’s knees were giving out. He is not a cyclist and 13 miles was very admirable. I had forgotten the rule that you need to turn just when you are tiring since you have the same distance to cover on the return trip. I volunteered to cycle back to Williamsport while Brett and Aaron waited at Fr. Frederick. I actually enjoyed the ride. I ramped up the speed and made it back to Williamsport in less than an hour.

I celebrated with a prime rib dinner; something I just don’t do since my lapband surgery. Well, it was my birthday and I was in the celebrating mood. We had a delicious dinner and good time. Tomorrow we are heading out to another section of the trail; most likely around Harper’s Ferry. It was a wonderful birthday!

high tech pimping the bike

2010-05-01T21:55:00.002-04:00

This week I made a high tech purchase for my bike. I bought a Garmin Edge 305 GPS with a heart monitor and cadence tracking. My birthday is less than a week away, and I received an unexpected bonus at work; the perfect storm for making a luxury purchase. Brett is always the one to get a leg up on technology. Well, I did it this time. I suspect it will be short-lived. I expect to see a GPS on his bike within a month.

You may ask, “Why do you need a GPS on your bike?” It is a wonderful thing. It tacks my distance, elevation, speed, heart rate, and many other things. It downloads this information to my laptop where I can analyze my rides. The coolest thing is that it uploads the ride to Garmin Connect, a web-based interface that pairs the GPS data with Google Maps and adds a variety of charts and graphs to analyze the data.

Below is a portion of the on-line display from my Friday evening ride on the Portage Hike and Bike from Kent to Ravenna.

a matter of support

2010-04-30T13:14:00.003-04:00

It’s been some time since I’ve posted anything about weight loss. As I approach 2 years post-op Lapband surgery in July, I have realized that my perspective on what support I need for my weight loss journey has changed.

As a pre-op Lapband patient, I found the discussion forums at http://www.obesityhelp.com/ to be an extremely valuable thing as I prepared myself for surgery. It is such a large community with specialized forums to address many communities, types of surgeries, personal interests, etc.

As a post-op Lapband patient, my support needs changed. The http://www.obesityhelp.com/ forums remained my primary means of support. I had formed many friendships with chatters and had become so familiar with their lives and stories. It was this very personal connection that was so important for the first year post-op. I was fortunate to meet several of these fellow patients and continue top have a great friendship with them.

My surgeon has a support group that is very successful. I attend it faithfully but find it not so satisfying. It was after this week’s meeting that I asked myself why that is and has been that way for the past two years. I think it comes back to the personal connection that I experienced on-line. I have not formed a lot of personal connections within my support group. They are nice people. It is largely a RNY support group with a small Lapband contingent.

Through my cycling and formation of our bicycle club, http://www.spinoffcyclists.com/, I have found a great amount of support and friendship. Many of these cyclists are from my surgeon’s support group. Again, I note that this support is due to personal interaction with these people. I am very fortunate to have these fellow cyclists as friends.

The final piece of the support puzzle is how much support you personally need. Some people need a lot to be successful. I am not that type of person. I think it comes from my analytical nature. I would rather seek out support when I need it. I am definitely not the cheerleader for support.

From my personal experience, I think support is most successful when you form personal ties with others in similar situations. Throwing 60-70 people together in a room to hear about nutrition and food choices is a good thing. I don’t necessarily see it as support. I know others would not agree. Others would not agree that the close personal ties I made on-line is a personal sort of support. That’s the good thing about support. You should make it what you need it to be.

I also have learned that support changes as you move farther past surgery. What I have experienced is that life becomes so much more active. I just don’t have time to check-in on forums. I am out doing things and changing my life. Wasn’t that the purpose of having weight loss surgery?! I still attend my local support group. I know I liked to see successful post-op folks at a meeting when I was early on in the process. I also do get value out of them and like to meet new people and hear their stories.

Well folks, that’s my post on support. Just remember to support the people around you on whatever journey they are on. Never forget that you deserve support and feel free to make it what works best for you.

rainy weekend salvaged

2010-04-25T19:55:00.001-04:00

The forecast for this weekend was rain, rain and more rain. Friday evening was actually sunny and clear. Brett and I cycled the Towpath Trail from Mustill Store to Blimp City Bikes on Merriman. Brett had some minor tune-ups done on his bike. After returning to Akron, we had a delicious Thai dinner at Cilantro in Downtown Akron. The curry rocks there!

Saturday we were off to our annual visit to the Mt.. Hope Auction. They have their spring farm implement sale that literally has everything under the sun over 20 acres and in many barns and buildings. We picked-up some miscellaneous stuff in auction barn. The real deals were 5 trees and 6 French lilac bushes. Landscaping sells for rock-bottom prices at this sale. We load and left in the rain which continued through the night.

Sunday morning we awoke to an overcast sky sputtering rain. Our Spin-Offs ride was on for the day. We headed north to Peninsula where we were greeted with sunny skies for the ride north along the Towpath Trail to Alexander’s Mill where we had to turn around due to construction. Returning to Peninsula, we headed over to century Cycles and the Winking L:izzard. Leaving the Lizard we were greeted again with rain that is set to be around for a few days. Well, it’s spring in Ohio. Rain is welcomed as things green up for the season.

The Spin Offs, our weight loss support cycling club, is really shaping up nicely. We have met many nice folks and formed new friendships. Bike rides are so much more enjoyable with a group of friends. Join us some night or weekend for a ride. Visit our web site and join the club. We offer a variety of rides around the Akron-Canton area and Ohio.

i went the distance

2010-04-15T21:43:00.001-04:00

With the perfect weather today, I decided to cycle from Kent to Brandywine Falls in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park this evening. It is a 24 mile roundtrip ride on the Summit Bike and Hike Trail. I am stepping up my cycling to prepare for my Pedal to the Point MS ride this summer. I have ridden about 44 miles over the past 4 days.

This ride was quite an achievement for me. I wanted to see if I could go the distance with minimal stops. I made it to the falls in 1 hour. The return trip was 1 hour 10 minutes. I averaged a little less than 12 mph. That isn’t too bad, but I need to get it up to around 15 mph for the 75 mile ride from Cleveland to Sandusky. Regardless, this was the longest weeknight ride I have done so far. I rode each way without any rest stops. I had a few crossroad stops along the way.

southern ride on the canal

2010-04-11T21:08:00.001-04:00

Sunday morning Brett and I were off to Canal Fulton for our bike club, spinoffcyclists.com, weekend ride. We have a weeknight and weekend ride on the calendar alternating days and evening to accommodate the different schedules of our riders. Today’s ride started at St. Helena Park in downtown Canal Fulton and followed the Towpath Trail north to Eastern Road where the Towpath ends. This is one of the few remaining breaks in the trail through Summit County.

The trail traffic was very light during our ride. This is a pleasant ride through a very natural setting. We saw lot of turtles, muskrats, ducks and a blue heron. The temperature was perfect. We were joined by Susan and Christine on the ride. They are both such good company.

After our ride, we scouted out the pavilion in St. Helena Park. We have rented it in mid June for our club’s kick-off event. What a nice park right in the heart of activity along the Towpath. Since it was after Noon, we were ready for lunch. We had spotted a Thai restaurant along the Towpath. Christine says it is great. We were disappointed that it was closed on Sundays.

We ate at the Century House Restaurant along the Towpath. It was a small town bar/restaurant combo known for their burgers. I seldom eat burgers but ordered a cheeseburger and shared onion rings with Brett. OMG… The food was excellent. We sat on the outside deck overlooking the canal. It was very nice (except for the bird that relieved itself on my shoulder.) Another enjoyable weekend ride:)

urban explorers

2010-04-01T21:40:00.002-04:00

What a spectacular day! Temps in the 70s and pure sun. Brett and I took the bikes out again for a ride. Our destination was the Towpath Trail south of downtown Akron. We drove to the Manchester Road trailhead on the south shore of Nesmith Lake. We were heading north along the Ohio Erie Canal to see how far the trail would take us into Akron.

I drive over this section every day to and from work. I always figured it would be a pretty dismal ride since it travels through the heart of industrial south Akron and through a housing project. We were pleasantly surprised. The trail was in super condition with many sections asphalt. Surprisingly the industrial landscape blended well with nature. We saw a lot of waterfowl.

The most interesting feature of this part of the Towpath is the floating section that hugged the shore of Summit Lake. It was very scenic and had very nice observation deck at about midpoint. Immediately after we cycled through the housing project. If you are avoiding this trail section because of this, you don’t have to worry.

Hugging the shore of Summit Lake we soon were at its northern end and crossing under I-76/I-77. The trail returned to the canal and passed through an attractive condominium complex just south of downtown.

Probably the most confusing part of the ride is where the trail ends at Bartges Street and follows Bartges to a parking lot behind the Old BF Goodrich factory complex. You actually pedal through the lot and end up behind the Spaghetti Warehouse where the trail reappears. It was a short distance with no obstacles.

Once we rejoined the trail, we cycled under Exchange Street and along the Canal Park baseball stadium. We continued to State Street where the trail ended and appeared to use city streets. We looked at the time and knew we needed to head back south to beat the sun set.

This is an enjoyable easy ride. I would recommend it if you are looking for a close by ride. There was a nice mix of canal and lake scenery. You also get a dose of the urban industrial heyday of Akron. Finally, you cycle right into downtown Akron. I think it would make a nice ride to dinner or lunch at the Spaghetti Warehouse or Bricco.

Give this ride a try. I think you will like it. Total distance cycled was 11 miles; all very flat and on a very nicely maintained surface.

sunny spring saturday bike ride

2010-03-28T12:43:00.001-04:00

With temps in the high 40s and sunny skies, Brett and I decided to take our first weekend bike ride of the season. We decided to keep it local and explore some parts of the Summit Hike and Bike that we had never ridden on before. Our friend Susan joined us on this early spring ride.

We started at the trailhead at the Silver Lake Village Hall. We quickly came to a hill that provided a roller coaster-like introduction to the trail. The trail paralleled the Cuyahoga River most of the way. There was a connector early on that allowed you to cycle across he river to Waterworks Park. We stayed on the main trail and soon crossed under Route 91 in Munroe Falls.

The trail from Munroe Falls east towards Kent was gently rolling as it crossed a pretty wooded shoreline. The Pambi Farms golf course crosses the trail. The trail ended at Kent-Munroe Falls Road where it continues north using city streets through Stow.

We knew the Portage Hike and Bike had a small section completed just a short distance to the east. There were no signs or directions but we were confident that we could find it. Both trails run alongside the river. Logically, we figured that we could cycle as close to the river as possible and eventually find it.

It was a little more elusive than we thought it would be. We ended up at Fred Fuller Park in Kent, the eastern end of the Portage trail segment. After some searching (the trailhead is poorly marked), we found the trail and started back west to Munroe Falls. It’s a very nice trail that is pretty natural as it parallels the river. It ends at Middlebury Road. We quickly had our bearings at that point.

For those wanting to take this extension from the Summit Hike and Bike, make a right onto Munroe Falls Kent Road and cycle about 1/4 mile to Akron Road. Make a right and follow Akron Road until it ends at Middlebury Road. Take a right onto Middlebury. The Portage trailhead in on the left just over the bridge. It’s less than 1 mile of road riding.

It was nice to get out for the first time. We rode the 13 miles in less than 2 hours. The trail was hillier than expected but a good cardio workout. I’ll probably ride it more often using the Munroe Falls Kent Road trailhead that is closest to me as my starting point.

my life as an amiable analytical

2010-03-26T15:37:00.003-04:00

I attended a fascinating workshop at work this week called “Building Relationship Versatility”. Over the years, I’ve taken many personality tests and attended workshops on how to work with different personalities and difficult people. This class was by far the best class I’ve attended on this subject. What made it different from the others is that it came from the perspective of those who work with me. I did not complete any survey, but 5 coworkers I interact with daily did.

The results very closely align with my personality type of Analytical. My social style, the way I am perceived by coworkers, is indeed Analytical. More specifically it is Amiable Analytical. This description quite accurately defines how I work and interact with others. I’ll post 10 attributes below for those that know me. I think you will agree that it is quite accurate.

Perceived as being serious, disciplined and businesslike
Emphasizes data in problem solving and decision making
Keep risks at being wrong to a minimum
Focused and concerned about how people might feel
Supportive of others when they share their feelings
Willing to consider alternative ways to approach a problem
Approach a task with a focus on facts and logic
Accepts new ideas when their payoff has been identified
Makes use of existing ideas before going off to do something new
Approach people with caution and care

Some of the weaknesses of my social style…

My quiet businesslike approach may be considered as cool and unsociable
By not taking time to develop relationships, I may be seen as lacking interest in people
Emphasis on accuracy may be perceived as being too slow to act or being indecisive
Focusing on the task at hand may be perceived as lacking concern for others feelings.

The majority of this workshop focused on identifying others’ social styles. This is important since you can adapt your interactions with a person based on their style and how they perceive your style. This is the big payoff from the class. I am looking forward to employing these techniques. Now I am sorting and categorizing my coworkers, friends and family. It is quite an interesting exercise.

a new ride for this year

2010-03-07T13:24:00.001-05:00

The unrelenting winter weather is finally letting up in Northeast Ohio. It’s been in the 40s and sunny for 4 straight days and the forecast only gets better this coming week. Snow is slowly and steadily receding. We can actually see some grass and most of our shrubs.

For the past 2 months I’ve been researching and shopping for a new bike. Last year I began cycling on a regular basis. My 15 year only Sears mountain bike has served me well. but it was time to retire it. In addition to visiting these local bike shops, I took several bike maintenance classes. I knew I needed to learn the basics of tire repair and brake and gear adjustment. It was also a good way to learn more about the bike shops and their staff.

I ended up buying a Kona Dew Plus from Blimp City Bikes on Merriman Road in the valley. I had narrowed the search to a Fuji Absolute 2 or the Dew Plus. Both bikes are fitness hybrids. The Fuji tended to be a little more road bike-like. The Kona more mountain bike like. The geometries were almost identical. It came down to the final latest rides. Although the Fuji was definitely faster, I felt the Dew Plus was more in line with my current needs.

I have come to realize over the past few months that the bike shop and employees need to factor a lot into the selection. Andy, the owner of Blimp City, was very knowledgeable and accommodating. It’s a new bike shop, located conveniently to my week night rides. I think will grow in the coming years. Being a local owner also factored into my decision. Brett also decided to buy the Dew Plus. We now have matching bikes.

Today I took the bike out for a short 3 mile spin around the neighborhood to get a feel for the bike. It so outperforms my prior bike. I found myself averaging about 3 miles faster than my previous normal pace. It took hills so effortlessly. I had seen this on the test ride yesterday. It only performed better at home. I think it was an excellent choice for me. I hope to be out riding some this week. Next week for sure once the time change gives me more light after work.

on eagle wings

2010-02-22T14:57:00.001-05:00

Saturday night my mother passed way quietly in her sleep. It was 40 years on this day that my father died. At age 91, my mother had suffered the memory robbing Alzheimer's Disease for the past ten years. It is a cruel disease that is very hard on the caregivers for these patients.

My mother lived a very full and active life. She was the model of the post-war bride and housewife through the 50s and 60s. In 1970 her life changed dramatically with my father's death. With three teenagers she became a working mother as a school cafeteria cook. This job gave her new life and purpose. The close friendships of these cooks carried her through the grieving of my father’s death and in 1975 my sisters death in a car-train wreck.

As the sole survivor of her five siblings, my mother witnessed the declining health of her brothers and sisters. She had many times said that she would never want to live if she was stricken by Alzheimer’s. I remember the day at University Hospitals when she was diagnosed. The doctor gave her the diagnosis; she gasped; and minutes later was unaware of what had transpired. So, the journey began on this new chapter of her life.

Aside from the symptoms of Alzheimer's, my mother enjoyed a good life over the past 10 years. She suffered no major illnesses and was seldom ill with even a cold or flu. She was able to stay at home under the excellent care of Nancy her caregiver and my brother. They always made sure she got out of the house whenever possible to enjoy life. They truly made her life worth living.

Sunday evening we met with my mother’s pastor and the funeral director planning her visitation hours and funeral. We had preplanned as much as possible, but there is still plenty to do. Her pastor is a wonderful person. Her funeral service will include communion as a celebration of her life on earth and her new life in heaven.

My brother and I are partial to “On Eagle Wings”. We chose Isaiah 40:31 as the Bible verse on her memorial card. This is the verse that inspired this song. Although there is sadness mixed with a sense of relief in our family, we know that she is a much better place, living a life where she will walk and never be weary.

Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

the illusion of spring

2010-02-13T22:08:00.001-05:00

Today Brett and I went to the Great Big Home and Garden Show in Cleveland. For many years we have been going to the show with our friends Vic and Jamie. It’s one of those traditions that we all enjoy.

This show is always one of the signs that winter is soon to be on its the way out. As usual, it was cold and snowy outside. The gardens were especially nice this year. Actually, the show was much better than it has been for years. A new promoter took over the management of the show. It really showed. The gardens were bigger, the show space bigger and there was a nice balance of vendors. It was a very enjoyable day.

I love watching the gadget demos. There were the usual; Sham Wows, dicers and slicers, magic mops and massaging showerheads. There were these cool polymer bowl toppers that vacuumed sealed any container with a gentle press. I liked the demo but thought that $29.99 was a little high. Of course, the demo guy pointed out they were $50 on TV.

We bypassed the tours of the houses. The lines were pretty long. I especially liked the new area where they had the gardens. It was an area of the IX Center I have never been in. The ceilings were a little lower and the room finished a little nicer than the exhibition hall. It gave it a very peaceful feel with the quieter space separated from the hectic areas of the home show.

Here are some pictures of some of the gardens. It will help you forget the cold, ice and snow of February.Think spring!

snow, snow, snow

2010-02-06T12:14:00.001-05:00

Last night was like a scene from white Christmas. Snow started falling in the afternoon. There as only a few inches when I got home from work. We headed out to dinner and grocery shopping. It was quite beautiful and not that bad on the road. During the few hours we ere out, snow started speeding up to about 1 1/2” an hour. We woke this morning with about 15” on the ground. It’s that sticky, fluffy snow. After breakfast we shoveled and snow-blowed the drive and walks clear.

It’s going to be a quiet day at home. It’s that perfect winter storm coming on a weekend. So, we’re in for a day of movies and catching up on things we’ve been putting off doing. It’s also comfort food time. I’m making a pot of white chicken chili for lunch. Dinner will be baked stuffed peppers with mashed potatoes. There will be plenty of leftovers for the week. Tomorrow we are off to a lesbian Super Bowl party. It will be a great time as always with these girls!

Here are some pics from this morning. We finally got Emily to wear her winter parka she got for Christmas! For some reason she did not mind it at all. Up to now, she thought it was a chew toy to play with. Anyway, she does look pretty cute in it, don’t you think?

the bounce

2010-02-04T09:30:00.002-05:00

It’s the reality. Somewhere around 18-24 months post-op, bariatric surgery patients experience a bounce in their weight. Everyone loves seeing that scale go down month after month. And… then it stops. And... then it goes up a little. And… then a little more. And… then people go crazy! I see it happening in the fellow Lapbanders and RNY folks that I chat with and see in my local support group.

It’s been some time since I have given an update on my progress after weight loss surgery. I would like to report that it is because I have little to say. It’s mostly because I’ve experienced some of that “bounce” over the past few months. We all know the culprits: the cruise, the holidays and just plain laziness during the winter. It’s easy to blame these so called out-of-my-control things, but the reality is that it is under my control. I’ve just been plain lax in eating properly.

In late October I hit 186 pounds, my lowest weight in probably 21 years. In early January I was up to 194 pounds. Today, I’m on my way back down and am about 191. 191 was that magic number for me during weight loss. It was when my BMI said I was “overweight” as opposed to “obese”. There is just something more palatable to being overweight than obese.

A common theme of Weight Watchers and bariatric centers is, “It’s not just about the weight.” That is a very true statement that is hard to grasp since both Weight Watchers and bariatric centers measure your progress by the scale. What they are really saying that long term success is defined by how well you adapt your lifestyle to remain in good health and maintain a healthy diet. The scale is one of the best indicators of that.

Yesterday I had my scheduled check-up with my primary care physician. I worried about what his scale would say. It turned out I weighed in at the identical weight I had weighed in early October. I expected some disappointment from him but instead he commented on how well all my blood work looked, my low cholesterol, and the lowest blood pressure I have had in years. He said my test results looked like a person in their 20s. He congratulated me on making such a dramatic transformation. I realized that life was not so bad after all. I am always so critical of my progress.

So, I’ll continue battling that “bounce” in the coming months and years. After yesterday, I realize even more how far I have come. I am not perfect and know I could do better. For me “the bounce” has become a motivator to be more vigilant and stay on the right track. Before I looked at it as a sign that I was going to slowly spiral upwards in weight. I know I felt that way because it was the reality in the diets I tried over the years. The bottom line is that I am much healthier and happy at my current weight. I am comfortable at my weight but have a personal goal to shed another 10 pounds. In 2010 I am exercising more and really going to step up my cycling.

If you are experiencing “the bounce”, my advice to you is not to get emotionally out of control. What good does that do you or the people around you? What you need to do is take inventory of how far you have come, where you are today and where you need to be in the next 6 months. Good luck!

Holding Families Together

2010-01-24T10:28:00.003-05:00

Here's a pretty good 4 part video released on YouTube by PFLAG about GLBT teens rejected by their families and PFLAG's role in the reconciliation process.

From the video's post...
Holding Families Together looks at social problems that result when parents reject their LGBT sons and daughters. Teens that come out are more likely to become homeless and turn to drugs, prostitution and crime. When rejected, these gay, lesbian and transgender teens become depressed and suicidal. Many problems are avoided, however, when young people receive the support they need.Holding Families Together introduces viewers to three young people and their families.
One became homeless and turned to prostitution and drugs. Another young person and his family survived the news through the help of PFLAG (Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians And Gays). A third is transgender female-to-male, and the viewer gets an intimate glimpse of a family struggling to cope. Holding Families Together shares intimate moments with young people and their parents.
It provides guidance from experts in the field and offers concrete solutions to the problems of families in crisis.

wintering over and gearing up

2010-01-21T21:25:00.001-05:00

We’re in the midst of winter here in Ohio. I always make sure I have a winter project to keep me busy. This time of year affords me with extra time to do these projects. This winter I am working on organizing a cycling club for weight loss patients, their friends and families. I asked my weight loss surgery buddies Susan and Chris who are also avid cyclists if they would help. They loved the idea and the three of us are off and running with the planning.

We met this past Sunday to get the ball rolling. It turned out to be a great meeting. We discussed a lot of the logistics, how we are going to launch the club and encourage people to join us. There is a special challenge with this club in that we have to encourage people of varying abilities to cycle and have a good time.

Most area cycling clubs are road based; cycle at speeds around 12-16 mph; and cover a distance of 20-30 miles a ride. That is just too aggressive for our WLS patients. We decided to base our weekly rides on the Towpath and local rail trails, cycle at speeds of 8 mph, and cover a distance of 5-10 miles. We are going to offer the option for those of higher abilities to continue on after the initial distance is covered.

We are going to round our ride schedule out with special rides several times a month. These will tend to be longer, 15 – 25 miles and less than 2 hours from Akron. That would give people the ability to travel; see new sights; and enjoy the benefits of cycling.

Cycling is a great form of exercise. It is a low impact form of aerobic exercise that’s easy to incorporate into your life. You enjoy increased joint movement and less pounding reducing the risk of arthritis. Cycling helps the large muscles in the back develop and become stronger and strengthen the small muscles that support individual vertebrae. A nice bike ride reduces stress, which leads to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

Stay tuned. Look for updates over the next few months and an early April announcement about the club’s schedules, rides and events. We will be welcoming anyone who wants to join us on a ride.

why we must work for justice

2010-01-18T08:43:00.001-05:00

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"
-- Martin Luther King in a Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963

happy 91st birthday, mom

2010-01-14T06:08:00.001-05:00

Today is my mother’s 91st birthday. I am heading to Alliance this evening for dinner to celebrate her special day with my her and my brother. My mother suffers from advanced Alzheimer's, a disease she has lived with for about 10 years. It’s a cruel condition, she is healthy otherwise but unable to communicate much with the outside world today. In recent years her body has weakened and she is very much confined to a chair.

Kudos go out to my brother who takes expert care of her and tends to all of her needs. He has given selfishly of himself over these past years. I do not believe my mother knows who I, my brother or most people are. However, it is obvious in her eyes that she knows that my brother is someone who cares dearly for her and a person she loves. I believe the same can be said about Nancy, my mother’s day caregiver. She has been by her side during most of this illness and takes extraordinary care of her.

The following poem comes from Poems from the heart by Caregivers, Family Members and Alzheimer's Victims. I think it’s very appropriate for this day. Happy Birthday, Mom!

She’s Still my Mother
Jerry Ham

She's still my mother, who's standing there.
It's still her eyes, her face, her hair.
It's still her body, but it's just a shell,
Of the mother that I once knew so well.

She's still my mother, who looks at me,
Then asks the question, "Who might you be?"
Her memory's fleeting, her gait is weak.
Loved ones long gone are those she seeks.

She's still my mother, whose angry words,
Like a sharpened sword, my soul can hurt.
She's still my mother, who shares our home,
This one we dress, whose hair we comb.

She's still my mother...I know tis true.
And so dear God, I turn to You.
Please give me patience, wisdom, and love,
Til the day that You take her to heaven above.

Let me return...if even through tears,
The love she gave me through all these years.
Though she often thinks that I'm her brother,
I'll love her yet...she's still my mother.

it's a dog's life

2010-01-08T21:23:00.001-05:00

resolutions

2010-01-01T12:38:00.004-05:00

Welcome to 2010! 2009 has come and gone. It actually was a pretty good year. I looked back in this blog to see what resolutions I made for 2009. Actually did pretty good in meeting them. Here they are.

Learn how to swim before our cruise in November. – I took adult swim classes at the Kent Rec Center and learned to swim; although pretty poorly. I actually swam in the ocean in Cozumel just to see if I could.
Reach my goal weight of 180 with a stretch goal of 175. – I came close at 185 but just couldn’t shed that extra 5 pounds. I have hovered at 186-190 for the past 6 months; 70 pounds lighter.
Get an armband tattoo when I reach my goal weight. – Check that one off. Brett and I got matching tribal arm band tattoos while in P’town for our wedding.

2009 was a very good year for me. Brett and I got married and celebrated 20 years together in September. We had an outrageously fabulous wedding reception back in Ohio in November. I lost weight. I really developed a love or cycling. We cycled almost every summer weekend and I generally cycled a few weeknights each week. I rode almost all the coasters at Cedar Point. It was a much more active me than I have seen in years.

2010 resolutions. I liked the post that my friend Mike made on his blog. He listed the 37 things that he wants to do before he turns 38. I like that idea of listing things you wan to do in the coming year. So, here is my list.

Cycle in a 50 or 100 mile bicycle ride.
Stand under the Roanoke Star.
Eat Indian food.
Return to worship on a regular basis.
See a play in Toronto.
Eat a slice of NYC coal fired oven pizza.
Buy a Speedo.
See 180 on my scale; even briefly would be nice.
Do a sleep study to see if I can get rid of my CPAP.
Attend a fitness class regularly.
Try a new cuisine.
Bike the Little Miami rail trail.
Bike a rail trail in 3 states other than Ohio.
Spookybear 2010 in P’town.
Redecorate our dining room.
Read a NY Times best seller.
Paint or stain the deck a different color.
Get a piercing.
Build a snowman.
Organize a bicycle club for bariatric patients.
Ride the coasters at Cedar Point for a 2nd year in a row.
Post to by recipe blogs at least monthly.
Ride the Maid of the Mist.
Plant a garden; even a small one.
Discard the boxes and boxes of unused Christmas decorations.
Wear cowboy boots.
Put $50 in a $1 slot machine.
Re-landscape our back deck.
Prepare paella.
Ride the Goodtime in Cleveland.

30 is enough… 55 items before I turn 56 would be undoable. Now I need to figure a way to track these of a semi-regular basis. Happy New Year to All!

christmas vacation is the pitts

2009-12-30T19:28:00.009-05:00

Brett and I are enjoying our Christmas holiday at home doing just about nothing. We had a full Christmas weekend with family and friends across the state. I haven’t gotten on a scale since this past weekend of almost non-stop eating and celebrations. This week we are just bumming around. We’ve caught up on the Tivo and several DVDs that were gifts.

Each year we like to take a short one day road trip on one of these holiday days. The weather finally broke today. We have a nice coating of snow on the ground but none on the road. We headed out to our destination, Pittsburgh, under clear but chilly skies.

Our first stop was The Strip District, just outside of downtown. We didn’t know what to expect. It was a pleasant experience and a place we want to return to in the future. It is an old warehousing district that has been transformed into an eclectic collection of restaurants, retail, ethnic groceries and curbside vendors in a still active warehouse district. We had a delicious lunch at a nice pizzeria. We bypassed the most famous restaurant of all, Primanti Brothers. It is featured often on the Travel Channel and Food Network. They have humongous sandwiches overflowing with meat, slaw, French fries and such. They are definitely not on our diet.

The highlight for us was a visit to the Pennsylvania Macaroni Company. This was the largest Italian market I have ever seen. It snaked through 4 storefronts with rooms of pastas, breads, olive oils and balsamic vinegars and many, many Italian specialties. Their cheese room was amazing with most likely 100s of cheeses on display. A large neighboring Italian market was also quite nice. Spices and rice were sold in bulk at low prices. I bought some jasmine rice and spicy feta cheese dip. We also shopped some oriental markets. I bought some tasty homemade black bean salsa and blue corn chips from a street vendor.

Our next stop was the downtown Macy’s (Kauffman’s flagship store). It is the typical 8 story downtown store. We didn’t find it particularly appealing. It pales in comparison to Marshall Field’s in downtown Chicago. We ended our road trip with a stop at IKEA on our way home. IKEA always has good deals. Today, it was overflowing with families.

It was an enjoyable trip. We wanted to experience something other than the typical big box chain stores and restaurants. The Strip District was just what we were looking for. Pittsburgh is similar to Cleveland with a large ethnic base that immigrated to work in the steel mills and heavy industries that dominated the Midwest in the 1900s. We are definitely returning on a summer road trip. Tomorrow we are hosting about a dozen friends for our annual New Years Eve party.

the true meaning of christmas

2009-12-23T12:47:00.006-05:00

Earlier this week I experienced what the true meaning of Christmas really is. I was on a committee for our department’s annual holiday charity giving. We had selected a local special needs agency. They provide housing for 43 adults with special needs. Our department provided gifts for all the residents and hosted a holiday party.

It was at the party that I experienced the Christmas spirit in full force. These individuals were the friendliest and happiest people I have been around. Their disabilities did not limit them from enjoying life to the fullest. I personally believe that they have no preconceived notions and prejudices. They see the good side of people and bring out the best in people. I saw nothing but happy smiling faces in the room.

We ate, socialized and caroled with a room overflowing with happy people parting to the max. When Santa made an appearance, the room just erupted in joy, laughter and clapping. He did a great job of making the giving of each gift something special for everyone. I was happy to serve as his assistant. My co-workers and I left with high spirits and feeling blessed to have experienced the evening.

I’ll footnote this by saying this agency and their director have done a phenomenal job of instilling pride and a great deal of self worth into these individuals. Prior to the party, we toured two of the apartments in the complex. Two brothers sharing a two bedroom apartment were so excited to show us their apartment. It was very evident that this sense of independent living has made life so much more livable. It is a shame that this country can not provide all people with these needs this type of arrangement. In Medina County alone over 160 people remain on a waiting list to have their own apartment.

Merry Christmas to my new friends Matt, Casey, Adam, Ashley and all of the other folks in Medina! May you grow and continue to flourish in 2010.

on our way back to reality

2009-12-06T13:17:00.001-05:00

We are waiting for our flight in the Miami Delta Sky Club, a nice perk Brett gets for all his travels. Vacation is coming to an end. Debarkation took several hours since everyone had to go through US Immigration and Customs.

Last night was super nice. We did the premium steakhouse on the ship. It was so so good. The service is a step up from the normal dining room. Our waitress was so concerned we were only eating half our food. We both got 7 ounce filets and left about 1/2. We also did French onion soup and a salad. That filled us up. She was trying everything to get us to do a dessert. They were spectacular but we passed. She was insisting we get them to go since they are signature items from their menu. All I can say is that my lap band was working well.

Our Pied Piper group had a final event right before dinner, the Rainbow Family Feud. It was GLBT trivia combined with Family Feud. The seven of us who have been hanging around together during the cruise formed a team. Teams were of 10 and we rounded out ours with some other folks. The surprising thing was that our team beat the other five teams and were the winners! It was a blast and although some of our friends had to be coerced, they all had a fun time playing. This was a nice evening to end our vacation.

relaxing day at sea

2009-12-05T11:19:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was a very relaxing day at sea. I was up early for spinning class and breakfast. Brett had too good a time the night before and was up at 1:30 p.m. to join me for lunch. I had a quiet morning writing our wedding thank you cards in the Starbuck’s-like coffee shop on the promenade. They are taking me longer than expected. I am only 1/2 way through them. It’s my task on the pool deck this afternoon.

Brett and I did little organized activity during the day; just lounged by the pool and sat at the pool bar. Brett and Randy the bartender are well acquainted. He is a good bartender and knows our drinks.

Last night was our 2nd formal evening and the captain’s dinner. I actually passed on the lobster tail and went for prime rib instead. Cruise ship lobster tail is generally not the best. Brett’s was actually perfectly done. After dinner we went to our special Pied Piper comedy show which was just so-so.

Late night we gambled a little and then headed to the spa pool deck for a disco under the stars. Man, it was a super fun dance. It was a mixed crowd but mostly our cruise group. We closed down the disco and were back in our room around 3:00 a.m.

This morning I slept past my spinning class and joined our friend Fidel for breakfast and some bargain shopping. If you have never been on a cruise, the ships put out odds and ends on the last day at sea at low prices. It’s their final attempt to get you to part with more money. I picked up a few to-shirts.It’s 11:00 a.m. and I am on the veranda. It sounds like Brett is almost ready to get up.

Tonight, Brett and I are dining in Chops, the specialty steak house. We hear that it is quite nice. Late this afternoon we will be packing to leave the luggage in the hall before we leave for dinner. I think we will most likely gamble a little, take in the final show and maybe have a few drinks with friends. It has to be a early night since debarkation is around 9:00 a.m.

the beach and deals in cozumel

2009-12-04T10:54:00.001-05:00

Last night we set sail from Cozumel and began our return voyage to Miami. It’s a pretty peaceful morning on the ship with temps in the 80s with pretty high humidity. I started the day with an early morning spinning class and quick breakfast before returning to my room to write this post on the veranda. Cozumel is a major party port. I think a lot of the ship is still recovering. I know Brett is. He is still asleep. Too many mandarin vodka and pineapple juices. Hehehe ;)

I enjoyed Cozumel. There were some great shopping bargains to be had. I love the bartering and Brett detests it with a passion. I picked up some super nice Mexican .925 silver yesterday. I think I am pretty good at the “deal”. I was able to generally get the merchant down to about 1/3 - 1/2 of their stating price. I bought a heavy bracelet, necklace and a very nice silver and onyx ring for about a total of $100. Our fun purchase were Mexican wrestler masks. They will be great Halloween outfits. After negotiating my bracelet price, I got the merchant to throw two of them into the deal.

Most of our day was spent at a beach bash. Our Pied Piper group was at a private beach resort. It was super nice with a wide beach, good restaurant, infinity pool and a nice size shopping village on site. The food was excellent. I had the best ship tacos with fresh salsa I think I have ever had. I think everyone got a little too much sun. It was about 95 and very sunny. It was just a nice place to relax and have a good time.

Today is a sea day. I plan on writing our wedding thank-you cards and relaxing by the pool. The ship also has special sales and events going on throughout the day. I plan on just taking things as they come. I would love to ice-skate today. I need to check the rink’s hours.

As you can tell, I am blogging fairly regular. Brett and I got a lot of free Internet credits I plan on using up. So, maybe I’ll post something later today. It will most likely be tomorrow which will be out last full sea day.

mid-week midnight poolside costume party

2009-12-03T09:47:00.001-05:00

Not many words needed to explain this post! Brett and I were surgeons and we met fellow surgeon and his naughty nurse. It was too too much fun. Well, we are in Cozumel and off to a beach bash and some shopping for the day.

butts up, Belize!

2009-12-03T08:53:00.001-05:00

Brett and I had a great time in Belize. If you are as old as I am, you will remember Belize as British Honduras from grade school. It received its independence in the late 70s or early 80s. It was a pleasant country; not quite as impoverished as Costa Maya. It was still pretty poor with a low cost of living. Our tour guide explained that a new house would cost $20,000 and most apartments are around $75 a month.

We spent most of the day on a cave tubing excursion. We travelled by bus about 1 hour outside of Belize City into the jungle. After arriving at our base camp, we hiked about 2 miles up the river. We put our inner tubes in the river just above the caves we would travel through. We floated about 30 minutes through a large cave. The current was pretty gentle and we had lights on our heads to see our surroundings. After about a mile, we were in the open jungle where we tubed for another mile. We had a really good time. It was so relaxing.

We returned to Belize City but did not shop much. The deals were not the best and most of the stuff was cheap trinkets. I bought a few Belize handmade wood Christmas ornaments. At the tubing camp, we also bought bottle of cashew wine. That’s right… cashew wine! We were curious of the taste. Our tour guide told us it can give person a 3 day buzz. We shall see.

About the post’s title… “Butts up!” is what the cave tubing tour guides yell as you approach shallow water. If you don’t get your butt up, I can tell you it does indeed hurt dragging the river’s rocky bottom.

buenas tardes from costa maya

2009-12-01T18:24:00.002-05:00

Hello from Mexico! I am relaxing on our veranda watching the afternoon sun set on the port of Costa Maya. I have some internet credit to use on the ship. So, I thought I would write a post to the blog.

It was a beautiful day; sunny with temps in the 90s. Brett and I zip lined over the jungle canopy today. It was a lot of fun. I would have never imagined myself being lifted in a harness 150 feet above the jungle floor and fastened to a cable and sail across the jungle. It was exhilarating. We soared about a 1/2 mile total.

Costa Maya itself is not the most interesting port. It is still largely being developed as a tourist destination. We found a few bargains but it is largely a self contained cruise ship port. I wonder about the security of the area too. After departing the ship we passed several machine gun armed Mexican soldiers who were patrolling the port. On the hour bus ride into the jungle, we had to pass through a heavily armed checkpoint.

Yesterday was a pretty restful day. I started early with a morning spinning class. Wow, does that give you a workout. I singed up for the sessions all week. Brett and I did a couples hot rock massage in the ship’s spa. It was extremely relaxing. We mostly spent the day around the pool and pool bar. On the cruise we are travelling with 2 couples we have cruised with before. Larry and Brian from Wisconsin and Fidel and George from New Jersey. They are also our dinner table mates .

Well, I m off to relax a little before tonight’s entertainment and dinner. It’s nice having wireless on this veranda. I just need to find time to write an blog entry; maybe in a few days. Tomorrow we dock in Belize where we are tubing down a river and through some caves.

sightseeing miami neighborhoods

2009-11-29T10:33:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was just a lazy day for us. We started the morning riding the people mover downtown. The downtown monorail is free… what a deal! We ended up at Bayside Marketplace where we ate on Thanksgiving. Almost nothing was open then. Yesterday it was alive and a pretty nice place to shop. We picked up a few to-shirts and some sandals for the cruise. We spent a few hours walking the Riverwalk and enjoying the beautiful condos, water views and spectacular skyline of Miami.

After relaxing a bit in the hotel we decided to go to the famous Versailles Cuban Restaurant in Little Havana. It was a short drive and a nice experience. You are totally immersed in Cuban culture in that neighborhood. Again, we had another excellent Cuban lunch.

Alton wanted a book to read on the cruise. I used my Blackberry and found a Borders close by. We drove to Coral Gables and on of the most beautiful shopping experiences I have been to. It was sort of a Legacy Village on steroids with a Nieman Marcus and Nordstrom. The Borders was double the size of most of the ones I have been in.

We finished the day at a meet and greet with about 20 of our fellow cruisers. We lucked out and it was in the hotel next to ours at another locals style restaurant with great prices. After a good meal and a few hours of chatting we were off to our hotel and bed.

Later this morning we board the ship for a week in the Caribbean. My posts will be much less frequent. Internet charges are pretty steep on cruise ships. We are looking forward to a relaxing week at sea. Bon voyage!

it was black Friday?

2009-11-28T08:51:00.001-05:00

It was Black Friday and I almost made it without shopping all day. Brett and I are still in Miami until Sunday afternoon when we board our ship and begin our cruise. The weather here has been in the low 70s and sunny. I think it is going to warm a bit today to close to 80. I am sure it is nowhere near 80 at home!

We started the day with a trip to the Everglades. It’s one of those things I have always wanted to see. We’re spending our time in Miami with Alton, our pal from Boston. He also wanted to go. Off we headed into the South Florida swamplands. It’s a lot closer to Miami than I imagined. Within 30 minutes or so we were traveling across a desolate road with just about nothing on it.

Checking out the road signs and advertisements, I could see the Everglades had the potential of having a lot of cheesy Florida tourist traps. I was actually looking forward to them. They make a trip memorable. Our first stop was an Indian village that was a total bust; cheap Hong Kong made souvenirs that included fake gator heads for your desk. I regret passing them by.

The national park parking was full, and we passed on just driving through. After checking out the airboat rides on our way to the Indian reservation, we chose Everglades Safari Park. It did not disappoint me. It was full of German and Japanese tourists with a super cheesy gift shop. We did enjoy the airboat ride but were quite cold since we were wearing t-shirts and shorts.

After a day in the wilderness, we did the logical thing and headed to South Beach for the evening. It was really shaking last night. The crowds were out. We walked about 20 blocks on Ocean Boulevard. We found the hotel used to film The Bird Cage and Something about Mary. Did you know it was the same hotel in both movies?

After being accosted by the restaurant folks as we passed the 50 or so restaurants, we chose a nice Italian spot. It was excellent. We got toasted on their super-sized Caipirinhas as we passed the night watching the passing parade on the sidewalk cafe.

We ended the night a little bit tippy and shopping in the South Beach Best Buy. Alton needed a new camera. So, you see we got some Black Friday shopping in after all.

our vacation begins

2009-11-26T22:06:00.001-05:00

Hello Miami! We began our vacation early this morning with our flight to Miami. It was relatively without issues. The airports were pretty busy with holiday travelers. Once we got to Miami, we were only 15 minutes from our Hotel, Marriott's Biscayne Bay. Brett’s constant travelling got us the room and rental car free for three nights. The front desk clerk upgraded us to the concierge level. We have an excellent view of the bay from our 26th floor room.

This afternoon we took a cab to South Beach to get our rental car. The airport did not have any available rentals. It is also only 15 minutes away. After picking up the rental we were ready for lunch. The rental agency clerk recommended restaurants on Collins Avenue.

I remembered our friend Mike from NYC had highly recommended a Cuban restaurant at 7th and Collins. We ventured down to Puerto Sagua for a delicious authentic Cuban meal. Mike was right as he usually is. It was a very Cuban experience with mostly locals and great low cost Cuban cuisine. Mike really knows how to spot the hole in a wall locals type restaurant with reasonable home-style cooking. We walked Collins Avenue and down the beach before heading back to the hotel.

Late this afternoon our pal Alton from Boston arrived and we spent the evening with him. Bayside Marketplace is only 10 blocks down the beach from our hotel. It’s sort of like Legacy Village or Easton in Ohio with an assortment of shops and dining. We had yet another Cuban meal tonight. Oh, can you tell I love Cuban cuisine!? It was a pleasant evening in the 60s to walk the waterfront and enjoy the music and sights at the Marketplace.

Happy Anniversary!

2009-11-17T09:01:00.003-05:00

Happy Anniversary, Brett! Today is Brett's and my 20th anniversary of our first date. We met for lunch at the Sports Page on Vine Street in Downtown Cincinnati. Time passes so fast. We have had a wonderful life together filled with many memories. This past weekend we celebrated with a wonderful reception. It was so nice to have almost 150 of our friends and family members join us for this celebration.

what's with support for same sex marriage?

2009-11-05T12:56:00.003-05:00

It was truly a disappointing defeat in Maine. Voters repealed the legislature-passed same sex marriage law. I think we have all come to see New England as that independent progressive region of the USA where Yankee mentality favors individualism and freedom above all. The passage of Issue 1 seems to fly in the face of this.

In the back of my mind, I knew that the results of ballot initiatives related to same sex marriage have never favored same sex marriage in 30 other states. I also truly believe that issues of civil rights have no place on the ballot. Yes, this is a matter of civil rights. Civil marriage does indeed bestow special rights and privileges. Denying a group of citizens this right, does discriminate against them. Time and time again I tell people that this has nothing to do with the church secular rites of marriage.

As I have read GLBT and progressive blog entries over the past few days, there is a definite tone of accusing voters as being bigoted and haters. Before you rush off and do that, remember that the majority did vote to repeal the law in Maine and California. Can we call them all bigots and haters? I say not. The reality is that the majority of Americans support equal rights for GLBT people. Many polls support that as a fact. However, the majority does not support same sex marriage. So, it is not a gay hating issue, it is a marriage issue.

So why do non-GLBT people not support same sex marriage? I think it is a combination of religion and perception. Many people still harbor the image of gay people as being promiscuous and unable to maintain a monogamous relationship. A large portion of people do think that allowing gays to marry somehow degrades the institution of marriage. These are the two issues that GLBT people need to educate society on for society to speak on behalf of gay people.

Let’s face it; it’s easier to enact laws that do not impact you personally. Gay people are easy faceless targets. If we are to protect marriage, where are the ballot initiatives to outlaw divorce and infidelity? Is monogamy a requirement to obtain a marriage license? There are a myriad of issues that impact the institution of marriage. Two men or two women getting married have nothing to do with them.

It is a matter of time before same sex marriage initiatives will pass. Younger voters favor same sex marriage at a much higher rate that older voters. Societal acceptance of GLBT people has come a long way. Gay people are coming out and becoming more visible. This is so important since they put a face to that faceless target. I believe the US Supreme Court will eventually address the issue of same sex marriage. I suspect they will do so favorably. I also suspect that the electorate will vote to defeat these anti-same sex marriage initiatives by 2012. That 53%-47% vote will turn to at 47%-53%.

We are in that painful stage of an equal rights movement where the prize is within reach. Unfortunately, those who seek to preserve the status quo and defeat these rights are also aware of that. They are stepping up their actions to push back the progress. As with women’s’ and racial oriented civil rights movements, they ultimately will not prevail.

autumn splendor in columbiana county

2009-10-22T21:29:00.001-04:00

It was an unexpected perfect fall day for the second day in a row. These days have been rare over the past two rainy weeks. With the temperature approaching 70 and sun coming through the window, I decided to take a half day vacation and go for a bike ride.

My choice was obvious. I love the Ohio Greenway Trail that hugs the Little Beaver Creek between Leetonia and Lisbon. I had biked it this summer when it was a very lush green. This trail is almost completely covered by a canopy of trees its whole length. I knew that it would be the perfect spot for that fall foliage ride.

I didn’t have time to recruit a friend to ride with me. I opted to go it solo today. It was a very relaxing experience.I had stopped at Giant Eagle and made a salad at their salad bar. I packed it and ate it about 45 minutes into the ride. I love this trail because it has picnic tables placed along the route. The chose one under a canopy of yellow and orange leaves. It was just perfect.

I opted to turn around at the 2 mile marker and did not go into Lisbon. The final leg is the least interesting and also shares a road for about 1/2 mile. I did the 16 miles in about 2 hours including lunch and occasional stops for photos.

On my way home I stopped at White House Fruit Farm south of Canfield. I love that place. It has to be the #1 farm market in Ohio. It’s beautiful with plenty of apples, fall stuff, a deli, bakery and many interesting kitchen gadgets and food stuff. I celebrated the day with one of their apple cider cake donuts iced in a cinnamon glaze. This is the best!

I am so happy I took the afternoon off to enjoy our beautiful Ohio fall colors. Ugh, in a few weeks it will all be dull browns and grays for many months.

beautiful fall evening ride

2009-10-21T21:50:00.001-04:00

Today was a spectacular autumn day! After a week of cold and mostly rainy weather, we were treated to 70 degrees and sun. Add to this the fact that the trees are in full color right now.

I decided to take a short bike ride down the road to the Mogadore Reservoir. It was a short 5 mile ride, most likely one of the last for this year. It ws especcially beautiful tonight. That fall aroma of fallen leaves and a hint of the crisp evening air made it a very nice ride. It’s a shame the photos could not capture the vibrant colors on the trees.

a very moving video from maine

2009-10-20T23:00:00.003-04:00

I follow the blogActive blog. Today's post was very moving. blogActive shared a video of a Maine WWII veteren testifying on behalf of marriage equality. I hopethat you will take a few minutesto watch this emaotional personal story.

Heart Health Report Card for 2009

2009-10-14T13:17:00.003-04:00

The 12th was the fourth anniversary of my heart attack that led to my triple bypass and 17 day hospital stay. I completely forgot about it until Brett reminded me the other night. On the first anniversary of the heart attack, I made a goal to make myself accountable in this blog for my overall health and wellbeing. I put together a report card to track my progress yearly on moving to a healthier lifestyle. I believe it accounts for the major factors that determine how heart healthy I am. I am going to do this year’s update in a single shorter post. Here are the scores I came up with this year.

2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005

Heart Friendly Diet A, B+, B+, B, F

Regular Aerobic Exercise B, B+, F, D, F

Lower Stress Level A-, B+, B-, B, C

Taking Time for Myself A,B, C, C, D

Prevention of Future Attack A, B+, B, B, F

Overall Health Grade A, B+, C, C+, F

Looking back I am amazed at the changes I have made in the past 4 years. This year I rated myself with 5 A’s and a B. On the day of my heart attack I rated myself 4 F’s, a C and a D. During my cardiac rehab I recall the repeated importance to change your lifestyle to save your life. For me the journey was off to a slow but gradual improvement. It wasn’t until I had my lapband bariatric surgery that the changes became more prevalent.

Bariatric surgery has saved my life. I am happy to say that I have been able to transform myself over the past 15 months. Losing over 70 pounds enabled me to pursue a more active and enjoyable life. My cardiac rehab taught me the principles of a healthy diet and how to mange stress. My surgery along with the on-line and local support groups has helped me make an even bigger transformation that involves exercise. I have heard people say that bariatric surgery is the easy way out. For those who have been through it, you know that it is hard work with success determined how well you can change your habits. I think I have been pretty successful in establishing a healthy life for myself.

Some things of note for this year: I developed a love for bicycling, particularly the rail trails. This winter I will miss the weekend rides exploring Ohio. I look forward to expanding these rides in 2010. A big goal for me was to learn to swim. I took lessons with mixed results. I improved considerably but alas I still can not swim very well. Daily exercise has become such a routine and not a chore. I can’t image a day starting without my run on the treadmill or ride on the bike. In September, Bret and I married in Massachusetts with a beautiful ceremony with friends and family present. Bottom line for 2009 – Life is good!

no hair cuts

2009-10-12T19:04:00.004-04:00

This past Sunday was the National Equality March in Washington D.C. It was a march for GLBT equality in all matters of civil law including same sex marriage. Locally, four of our friends marched. Dante, one of my weight loss pals from North Carolina, marched and took some amazing photos. He posted 76 photos on Facebook. It really gives you a feel for the energy of the march.

My favorite photo was one of a sign that read “Leviticus also said, “No hair cuts”, but I guess we are skipping that one.” If you have ever spoken to a church group on homosexuality, this is one of the first passages thrown back at you. So many conservative folks see the Holiness Codes as a critical Biblical verses. Biblical educated folks know that these codes are cleanliness codes that need to be put in context of the time, culture and people. We routinely cut our hair, mix wool and cotton in garments, eat shrimp and shellfish, and the list goes on. You most likely have seen the infamous Letter to Dr. Laura before. If not check it out. I suspect it is not for real, but the author really spells out the applicability of the Cleanliness Code.

I am proud of those who marched, most notably our friends. Dante’s photo of the sign made my day. It’s a shame so many Biblical conservative folks fail to READ the Bible, put the text into societal context of the day, take into account the author and the author’s motives, and continue to cherry pick verses from chapters out of context. This is just my every-so-often reminder here to actually read, study and understand Biblical verses before we open our mouths.

fall colors and brandywine falls

2009-10-11T21:16:00.002-04:00

After a rainy start on Friday, this weekend turned into a beautiful autumn weekend. We spent Saturday decorating for Halloween and yard clean up. Today, Brett had to go to his parents for their final pony show tomorrow. I called my friend Susan and asked her if she wanted to take a bike ride on Sunday. She was up for it. We chose the Portage-Summit Hike and Bike Trail to Brandywine Falls in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It was about 12 miles from the trailhead off Hudson Road just north of Kent.

It was a bit chilly but sunny as we headed out in late morning. The sun warmed us as we made our may north and west. The leaves were still mostly green but there were yellow, red and orange highlights. It was a very uncrowded ride. I figured folks would be out for a ride on one of our last sunny and somewhat warm Sundays.

This is a very nice trail. It is asphalt and very well maintained. The ride is pretty level to Hudson. Almost all of the intersections on the trail involve a small hill. The hills on both sides of Route 8 are killers. They are steep and long. I have to confess I only made it half way up and had to walk the bike the remainder. The trail is quite scenic and peaceful from Route 8 to Highland Road.

At Brandywine Road we had to turn west onto Highland for about ½ mile to Brandywine Falls. This road is somewhat busy, especially today with people heading to see the falls. The parking lot was overflowing and the falls area trails had a good size crowd. I had never been to the falls. If you haven’t, I highly recommend a visit. It is a beautiful work of nature. We enjoyed walking around the falls and taking in the colors and sun. The day had warmed quite nicely.

We had an uneventful return trip. Our legs were definitely feeling the hills. Both of us routinely ride 20-25 miles on a trip, but this trip really had us feeling the hurt as we pulled into Kent. This may be the last weekend ride of the year for me. You never know about Ohio weather, Brett and I hope to get another ride in a few weeks.

adoption of the report and recommendation on ministry policies

2009-10-08T19:43:00.002-04:00

As I stated in my post earlier in the week, I am sharing my personal thoughts on the actions of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly related to sexuality. I was a voting member at the 2007 assembly where the resolution was passed calling for a review of the ELCA ministry policies and a recommendation to be presented at this summer’s assembly. This resolution was targetting the issue of allowing GLBT persons to serve as ELCA pastors. Until the actions of this year’s assembly, non-celibate GLBT people were excluded from serving as pastors. This exclusion was based on a document referred to as “Visions and Expectations”. It basically said that a person who is unmarried must remain celibate. I they choose not to be, they can not serve as a pastor.

“Visions and Expectations” is an interesting document. It spells out so many characteristics that a pastor must uphold. The problem that I have with the document is that here are so many of these characteristics that many pastors ignore routinely or do not possess. Have they been expelled from the ministry? How about a straight pastor who cohabitates or has sex while unmarried? Have they been asked to leave the ministry? The obvious answer is “no”. The document was the only document that could exclude a gay pastor. It was sad to see it used selectively to deny GLBT pastors while the blind eye was turned to heterosexual pastors not adhering to many of these guidelines.

This changed with the passage of 4 resolutions that spelled out the basis on which the ELCA will consider GLBT people in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as a rostered leader. I must admit that I personally gave this change little chance for approval. The action was tied to 4 resolutions. Those who attend church conferences know that the chance of 4 resolutions being passed can often be a monumental hurtle to overcome. Nevertheless, they did and policy change is now in progress.

Over the years I often felt that the issues surrounding GLBT pastors had little to do with my church life. I know many closeted and somewhat closeted pastors who seem to do just well with the pre-2009 policies. As an analytical person, I just thought if you are a gay pastor and have issues with these policies then just quit and get another profession.

Just a few weeks ago I attended a meeting where a gay pastor spoke about the change in the ministry policies. I greatly admire him and the actions he took as of the result of the Churchwide actions. He wrote a letter to his parishioners explaining that he is gay. He has received tremendous support and life goes on at this church with little disruption. As he described how his life was transformed by the Churchwide actions, I have come to realize that these resolutions and changes do indeed impact my church life. Faithful GLBT pastors who are in loving and monogamous relationships can now fully live the life that Christ meant for them to live. They are free to openly live their lives and demonstrate to their congregations that same sex couples do have normal lives and do serve the Church. This is a very healthy thing that these resolutions have enabled. It’s good for the pastors and good for all of us in the ELCA and in our society.

This past weekend, the ELCA Bishops met to determine how the changes in ministry policies will be implemented. There are many pastors who have been expelled from the Church, denied becoming a rostered leader, or left for a “friendlier” denomination. It’s refreshing to see that I now belong to one of the “friendlier” denominations. It will be interesting to see how this inclusion takes shape in the coming year.

publicly accountable lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships

2009-10-05T21:05:00.004-04:00

This week I thought I would give my take on some of the actions of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly related to sexuality. I thought I would begin with implementing resolution 1 for the Sexuality Statement.

Resolution 1: Adopted by a vote of 619-402: “Resolved, that the ELCA commit itself to finding ways to allow congregations that choose to do so to recognize, support and hold publicly accountable lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships.”

Two weeks ago my partner 20 years Brett and I were wed in Provincetown, Massachusetts. This past weekend, we were honored to attend our friends Steve and Shannon’s commitment ceremony in Covington, Kentucky. These two events illustrate why society must step forward and recognize same gender relationships. Brett and I are friends with numerous monogamous gay and lesbian couples who have been together 5, 10, 15 or more than 20 years. These couples only want to have their relationships recognized and live out their life with the person they love. The above ELCA resolution is a welcome step forward in my eyes.

The ELCA resolution is carefully worded and sensitive to the differing views towards homosexuality in the ELCA. Read it again. You will see that it dictates nothing. It merely allows congregations who wish to recognize and support same sex relationships if they chose to. Those congregations who do not wish to do so are free to not embrace this ministry. If you read this blog, you know I am a big fan of local option on these matters which is what this action is. It frees congregations who want to expand their ministry to GLBT people to do so with the blessing of the ELCA.

It is important to note here that an accompanying resolution was also passed that asked ELCA members to respect the bound conscience of others. I’ll speak to that resolution later this week. It basically says that there is no right or wrong view in these matters. Each person lives according to their conscience and beliefs and respects how others view the actions. In simple words, “We agree to disagree.”

A few weeks ago Brett and I attended a synod meeting where the sexuality actions were discussed. It was an open forum. The majority present were outraged at the assembly actions. They seem to have missed the bound conscience resolution. I realize that when you open the floor to discussion on a particular action that you will mostly get folks who are opposed to the action. Seldom do those pleased with or neutral to the action attend these meetings and voice their support or pleasure. It was personally a very difficult meeting to attend and sad to see folks acting in such un-Christianlike ways.

After a week of pondering this meeting and coming to terms with my emotions surrounding it, I understand that I need to go back to one of the primary beliefs of Lutheranism: justification by grace through faith. The bound conscience spoken of in the Churchwide resolutions is indeed living grace out in our lives. It’s through this grace that allows me to continue my work in the Church and respect the difference of opinion that I have with many of these people.

our wedding weekend in review

2009-09-21T21:19:00.001-04:00

Brett and I have had quite an exciting weekend. Things could not have turned out better for our wedding. The weather cooperated so nicely. Things just went smoothly. Here’s a very long post with the details of our wedding weekend.

After several flight delays Wednesday evening, we arrived in Providence at 1:30 a.m. Thursday. We drove 45 minutes to New Bedford for the night and were on the road by 7:30 a.m. to the Cape. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we got through all the paperwork and had our marriage license by 10:00 a.m. That left us a day to explore the lower Cape and have a leisurely drive to P’town.

Brett and I have looked back and appreciate the time we had on Thursday to ourselves. We casually shopped and dined on our way up the coast. After settling into our room, we took a whirlwind tour of Commercial Street and had a nice dinner at Mayflower Café, a Portuguese family restaurant next to our B&B. We spent the evening getting to know our inn keepers Tom and Abe. These two run a fantastic B&B and are super nice guys. We strongly recommend the Secret Garden Inn to anyone contemplating a trip to Provincetown.

It was a sunny, warm Friday when our guests arrived around the same time in mid afternoon. It was so nice to greet family and new and old friends. The group was so diverse but just all came together. They got to know each other during the weekend. We all headed for a late lunch at the Post Office Café just across the street. It’s kind of funny when you are involved in a big event that you forget when it’s time to eat.

Our wedding rehearsal in the garden went smoothly later that afternoon. We were then off to Bayside Betsy’s for our rehearsal dinner. This place was amazing. They knew we were there for a rehearsal dinner. The staff personally greeted us. Betsy stopped by numerous times to make sure things were going smoothly. The staff really made our group feel special and gave us so much attention. This restaurant needs to be on your list of places to eat in P’town. Good food, excellent service and a super nice location.

Friday night was a late night out with the boys. We visited clubs, walked Commercial Street and had an all-around fun time. By 1:00 a.m. we were all laughing with several in our group stumbling back to the inn in a very good mood.

Saturday morning seemed to disappear in a blur. Eight of us took a morning drive to the nearby Turo Vineyards of Cape Code for a tasting and to buy wine for the wedding dinner. It was a fun and very scenic excursion. We stopped at the Atlantic Spice Company. Oh my… A warehouse sized store that is a chef’s dream. Spices and kitchen goods sold retail at wholesale prices. I bought a large assortment of harder to find and pricier spices for a bargain. The place was huge with just about anything you need in spices.

We finished the morning with a drive down old Route 6 into P’town. Lunch was at Fanizzi’s by the Sea. The waitress over heard that we were getting married and was so excited for us. Other diners heard and joined in on the congratulations. The food was super, view perfect and the people were so nice. I then realized that it was almost 2:00 p.m. and I had forgotten the boutonnières. My friends Rich, Al and I were off to the florist to pick them up. Jeff at Wild Flower of Provincetown did a super job with a very natural spray of pink and white phlox.

It was nearing wedding time and I was doing fine. Brett surprised me and was a nervous wreck. The wedding was so beautiful. Abe and Tom had transformed the garden into a wedding chapel. The cellist and violinist sounded perfect. Pastor Cynthia was just super. Her homily was touching. We so appreciate her making the trip to Massachusetts for us. Our service was very Lutheran but yet contemporary.

After the service the photographer took posed pictures and some shots around town and through the neighborhood as the garden was transformed for dining. The result was a very elegant setting. I can’t describe how nicely it was setup and how good the food was. Our friend Alton had baked our wedding cake. It was delicious; a white genoise cake with a white chocolate ganache and strawberry filling iced in wedding cake white butter cream. Brett and I were off for about an hour to take sunset photos on the beach and on Commercial Street. You can imagine the reaction a tuxedoed couple gets walking down the middle of Commercial Street on a Saturday evening. It was too cool.

Saturday night was another night out on the town for us and our friends. The Art House Theatre had a comic drag entertainer, Miss Richfield 1981. Oh my gosh… we laughed so much we were almost all peeing our pants. Her show, “Asians, Homos and Jews, Oh My!” was too too funny. That’s her photo attached to this post. Our friends had told her it was our wedding day after 20 years. She made such a scene and insisted on the photo that is to the side. Believe it or not, the group was so beat we just stopped at Spiritus Pizza for a slice and returned to the inn for a few hours of chatting and drinking on the porch. It was a perfect ending for a perfect day.

Sunday morning we tied up loose ends with the photographer and our inn keepers before saying goodbye to our guests as thy headed back home. Aaron, Rich Al and Keith, Brett and I decided to walk to the top of the Pilgrim Monument. It was a perfect day for it. The skies were pure blue with no clouds and the temp was around 70. It was a nice good bye to P’town.

I can’t even describe how happy we were this weekend. From the Town Clerk in Hyannis to the waitress at Fanizzi’s, everyone was so affirming to us. We were treated so nicely. The attitude of folks in Massachusetts is so different than that of people in Ohio. Never once were we made to feel awkward including the courthouse, town hall, florist, restaurants, etc… As the weekend progressed, I realized even more how important it is that all people be afforded the opportunity to marry the person they love. You personally have to experience a wedding day to know the feeling that it gives and leaves with you.

a few wedding pics

2009-09-20T09:30:00.001-04:00

good morning from p’town

2009-09-18T10:59:00.001-04:00

A beautiful morning in Provincetown… As we get ready for the day, I thought I would write a quick post of the happenings of the past two days. Wednesday night our flight had several delays of about 2 hours due to storms in Atlanta. In the end, we got to Providence at 1:30 a.m. and drove into Massachusetts to New Bedford for the night. Thursday morning we were up and on the road by 7:30 a.m. to get our marriage license.

Our first stop was the Hyannis Town Hall where we got our intention for marriage document. We were then off to the Barnstable Courthouse to get a waiver of the 3 day waiting period. The judge signed the wavier quickly and we were back to Hyannis where we had our license issued. It took less than 2 hours and we were able to spend the rest of the day sightseeing on the Cape. It was an enjoyable day.

The Secret Garden Inn is a perfect bed and breakfast right in the middle of P’town off Commercial Street. It is a secret, hidden off a back alley and very peaceful and relaxing. Tom and Abe are the perfect hosts. We spent hours around the kitchen table last night chatting.

Today we are waiting for our family and friends to arrive in about 2- 4 hours. We have planned an afternoon of sightseeing with our friends Al, Keith, Aaron and Rich. This evening we are having a rehearsal in garden followed by dinner at Bayside Betsy’s. We are then off to a boys night out on the town.

another beautiful weekend

2009-09-13T22:00:00.001-04:00

Wow! What a wonderful summer we have had. The weather this weekend did not disappoint us. We spent Saturday morning and afternoon running errands and doing some last minute shopping for our wedding trip this week. On Saturday night we went to Northfield Park with 9 of our friends for our bachelor party. It was an enjoyable night. None of us were big winners.

This afternoon we decided the weather was too nice not to get in a nice bike ride. we decided to cycle close to home. We ventured to Hudson Road north of Kent and cycled the short 1 1/2 mile Portage Hike and Bike Trail connector to the Summit Hike and Bike Trail. We cycled 7 1/2 miles to the Route 8 overpass at the Rout 303 Hudson exit.

On the way back, we stopped at Bow Wow Beach, the Stow dog park. It was a lot of fun watching the dogs play on the beach and in the water. We are going to take our hound Wyllie up there some time. He would have a ball. It was a quick 15 mile ride in perfect weather.

2 weeks and counting

2009-09-04T11:29:00.002-04:00

Wow! It’s hard to believe that our wedding will take place in two weeks. Things have come together nicely after months of planning. Last night we finalized the catering of our wedding dinner in Provincetown. We are fortunate that Tom and Abe, our inn keepers at the Secret Garden Inn, happen to also be NYC caterers.

Today, I am ordering the boutonnières from the florist. If you have visited our wedding website, http://www.brettandtom.com/, you had a chance to vote on the style of boutonnières we will wear. Natural coastal wildflowers were the overwhelmingly winner. Jeff at Wild Flower of Provincetown is known for his innovative and beautiful floral designs. We’ll be relying on Jeff to create boutonnières that reflect the natural coastal theme.

Since most of our friends and family will not be joining us in Provincetown, I thought I would share some of our wedding details in posts over the coming weeks. Here are some details about our wedding dinner.

Dinner will be served in the garden of the Secret Garden Inn. Our 14 guests will dine at a long banquet table topped with a dark brown table cloth accented by fuchsia organza. Formal place settings surround groupings of white candles with greenery and flowers woven through them.

Our menu for the evening starts with assorted appetizers of baked brie with raspberry and pecans in a puff pastry, small fresh vegetable crudités and dip, and marinated cherry tomatoes with basil and fresh mozzarella on skewers. After a fresh green salad with orange vinaigrette, our guests will dine on penne ala vodka, juniper berry brined center cut pork chops with spaetzle, marinated grilled vegetables and fingerling potatoes roasted with garlic, onions and olive oil. We will finish the evening with a traditional white wedding cake prepared by our friend Alton from Boston, who happens to be a trained pastry chef.

portage hike and bike trail… just up the road

2009-09-02T21:31:00.002-04:00

Today was another outstanding weather day here in NE Ohio. Pure sun, mid 70s and a light breeze. After getting home from work I decided I wanted a longer ride then my nightly laps through the neighborhood.

I was set-to head to my regular local destination on the Towpath Trail. I had read that Portage County has been working on extending their rail trail and that a relatively new extension opened it up to over 7 miles. I set out for the Crain Avenue Bridge just north of downtown Kent and the trailhead closest to me.

The first mile of this trail is kind of boring. You are along the river but can't see it because of foliage. It then opens up to a more rural setting as it passes Beckwith’s Orchard where the surface changes from paved asphalt to a fine gravel. The trail is more scenic as it heads through Towner’s Woods Park.

I rode a little over 5 miles to the edge of Ravenna and turned around. I had never ridden the trail and wasn’t sure how soon darkness would come and how challenging the return trip would be. It was pretty fast being downhill into Kent most of the way. I did 10 miles in a little under 1 hour. I plan on returning next week and cycling to the trail’s end in Ravenna. I just need to get a little earlier start.

The surface of this trail is pretty smooth,. It has some grass and debris on it. I suspect this is from a small amount of traffic. I only saw one jogger on the segment closest to Ravenna. It’s a good trail if you want quiet and solitude.

a ride through richland county

2009-08-30T20:35:00.001-04:00

This weekend’s bike ride was on the Richland B&O Rail Trail. We met our friends Vic and Jamie in a cool overcast morning at the trailhead in Butler. We headed northwest to our destination of Lexington about 11 miles away.

After 5 miles we cycled into Bellville, a typical rural Ohio small town. Bellville is pretty scenic with the Clear Fork River running along the trail. A feed mill greeted us in all the towns we visited. Both Bellville and Butler had very nice parks at their trailheads. There were clean restrooms and plenty of parking.

The overcast skies turned to a very gentle rain as we entered Lexington. We stopped to look around the bicycle shop. There was little development around the trail in Lexington. We opted to turn around and head back.

We passed under I-71 near the Lexington exit. We travel that highway a lot but this gave us a completely different view. We took a 1/4 mile detour to have lunch at the Dutch Heritage Restaurant. It’s a typical Amish restaurant with a large salad bar and plenty of down-home dishes. We gave it just a so-so review.

The trip back to Butler was downhill, a welcome sight for us. We stopped in Bellville at the rest area. Adjacent to it was a very nice antique mall, restaurant, coffee shop, and ice cream parlor. This is a very nice stop to make if you ride or hike this trail.

During the last 5 miles the sun came out and the temps rose. It was a very enjoyable ride all-around. The incline was pretty gentle, the temps were low and the scenery interesting. I think this trail’s strong points are the rest areas with clean restrooms, villages spread about 5-6 mile apart and a nice selection of places to dine.

a kent type of saturday morning

2009-08-29T17:21:00.001-04:00

After our morning rain, the skies cleared and gave us a beautiful day. I decided to venture to Downtown Kent and the Haymaker Farmer’s Market. It is the best community farmer’s market in the area. There are usually 20 or 30 vendors selling a variety of goods.

Being Kent, it sort of has that earthy flair. There are plenty of veggies and fruits along with handmade soaps, baked goods, herbs, and perennials. Today, a steel drum band played along the road. Petitioners for more liberal ballot initiatives were also on-site. It really captures the hippie, university flavor of the city.

After shopping, I decided to explore the trail on the west side of the Cuyahoga River. It is a very scenic and peaceful trail that hugs the river. I even came across a man playing the bagpipes on a deck along the path. This looks like a real nice trail to take an evening walk. It appears to go some distance north and south of Main Street.

I was looking for lettuce, garlic and eggplant at the market. Check out the eggplant I bought. I pulled it out of the basked and turned it around only to see it’s extra appendage. Leave it to your imagination. Is it a nose or…

marshes, sweet corn, a river and locks along the trail

2009-08-23T18:24:00.002-04:00

For a welcome change, it was in the 50s when we left Mustill Store and Cascade Locks for a day of cycling in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Today, Brett and I were joined by Susan and Chris who attend our weight loss support group. Brett and I were doing a round trip to Peninsula. Susan and Chris were going to continue north to the Canal Visitors Center and catch the CVSR train back to Akron.

I bike at least once a week in the evening on our first leg to Portage Trail. It is a pleasant shaded section with little traffic. I have never ventured north of Portage Trail. The first few miles past Portage Trail was very nice. Until… we passed the Akron sewage treatment plant. We picked up more traffic on the trail once we hit the Ira and Bath Roads area.

The Beaver Marsh is a popular stop on the trail just above Ira Road. A boardwalk with lookouts cross the marsh. The blue skies reflected beautifully in the water. This area has some very photogenic wetlands in the canal, locks and marsh. It’s a nice midpoint rest area on your way to Peninsula.

Our friend Dave talks a lot about Szalay’s Farm Market. It sits along the trail and was mobbed with people. The market was full of local produce at good prices. We would have loved to pickup some stuff but decided it was too much of a hassle. Checkout the wagon of corn. The pickers had just finished and filled 3 of them for the day. It's also a nice place to grab a drink and a snack.

Traffic on the trail was very heavy from this point on to Peninsula, about 3 miles. If you want to ride the trail on weekends, be prepared for a lot of families with small children on the Towpath for the few miles north or south of Peninsula. Outside of that area, the crowd dissipates considerably.

As usual, we ate at the Winking Lizard. It’s the best choice for food in Peninsula and adjacent to the trail and Century Cycles. We parted ways with Susan and Chris who headed north. Brett and I headed back south to Akron. It was very quiet and the crowds were noticeably less in the afternoon. The ride back had slight incline up. Why is it that I can’t have a downhill return leg on my ride? I guess I need to plan better.

It was our longest ride yet, 28 miles. It was pretty easy. The cooler weather made it very enjoyable. We like riding with a group. We talk and stop to take photos. Although we average around 10 mph, these rides take us 5-6 hours. We enjoy nature, socializing and having a fun lunch at our midpoint. The question is, "Where to go next week?" We have some ideas. Stay tuned.

a most monumental day

2009-08-21T21:08:00.004-04:00

Nineteen years ago on a cold late October night Brett and I and a handful of gay Lutherans huddled in the living room of the Christ Lutheran parsonage in Cuyahoga Falls. Little did those present know how our lives would be transformed by this meeting. Lutherans Concerned became an integral part of our lives.

As our lives changed, so did Lutherans Concerned. Initially we were a place where people of faith came to worship and socialize. As society became more welcoming for GLBT people, the work of Lutherans Concerned turned toward advocacy in the Church. Sadly, the Church remained an unfriendly place for GLBT people. Many left rather than feel the coldness and isolation as a gay person in the Church.

Today, the ELCA Churchwide Assembly opened the doors fully to GLBT people. They recognized the validity of committed same sex relationships. They permitted partnered same sex pastors and candidates for ministry to be pastors within the Church. Finally, they directed the development of resources and ceremonies to implement these changes. What an amazing day!

During my work day, I checked the progress on my BlackBerry. I was fortunate to catch many of the votes on the live webcast. Tonight when I got home, I was able to watch the vote to allow partnered same sex clergy to serve the Church. It was a very emotional day for me. I have to admit I have been in tears of joy several times throughout the day. As a gay member of the ELCA, I prayed so hard as that countdown timer during the votes moved. I rejoiced in the outcomes.

Over the past two years I have been lost in the Church. My faith has been tested. I felt unwelcome in my church home. I looked to other faiths for answers. I questioned my work and the work of other allies over the past 19 years. I wondered if after 55 years it was time to part ways with the Lutherans and find a faith that welcomed me with no boundaries.

After listening to speakers at the assembly this week and witnessing the work of the Churchwide assembly delegates, I now know that my home remains within the ELCA. I can not begin to tell you how monumental theses votes were for me this week. I have high hope that I can restore my faith and find a place in the Church for myself knowing that ELCA doctrine and teachings will support my journey.

grace upon grace

2009-08-20T08:20:00.002-04:00

From Christ’s fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known. -- John 1:16-18

Yesterday The ELCA Churchwide Assembly adopted the sexuality social statement. This Bible passage above comes from today’s Liberating Word daily devotion. What a coincidence. The passage of this social statement is all about grace. Below is an excerpt from today’s devotion that just sums it all up for me.

… How tragic it is that the Church has spent so much time and energy putting up fences and deciding who is in and who is out when the Bible says through Jesus came grace for all—grace upon grace; no conditions, no limits, no exclusions, noexceptions. It has always been my suspicion that disciples of Jesus are so prone to placing limits on the grace of God because we have such limited experience of that grace ourselves…

What does the passage of this social statement mean? Perhaps the most important thing for me is the validation that gay people can live in loving, committed relationships. Attempts to weaken the statement by limiting marriage to a man and a woman were repeatedly struck down during debate. The delegates held firm to an inclusive stance toward marriage and love. Unable to watch the webcast, I read numerous reports. I was moved when I read Bishop’s Eaton’s support at the microphone. Thank you Bishop Eaton.

For those unfamiliar with church proceedings, this is the first step to LGBT inclusiveness. Now that the statement has been adopted, it will be implemented through resolutions on Friday. The one of the most interest to me is the sanctioning of same sex marriage by the ELCA. Also on Friday, there will be a vote on whether to recognize non-celibate monogamous same sex partnered pastors as pastors in the ELCA.

Pray that grace upon grace will be on those in assembly.

god’s work, our hands

2009-08-19T15:19:00.001-04:00

This afternoon the ELCA Churchwide Assembly continues its discussion on the proposed sexuality social statement. As a delegate to the previous Churchwide Assembly in Chicago, I am comforted in knowing that Bishop Hanson continues to lead the ELCA. He did an extraordinary job in managing difficult discussions and decisions at the 2007 assembly. I saw his leadership in action Monday night as I watched the live webcast of the first plenary session. I truly admire him as a leader.

I believe this assembly will finally make a decision on the inclusion of GLBT people in the Church. Over the past 10 years, that was supposed to have happened but did not. I think the Church has come to a crossroads where our beliefs, faith and culture necessitate that we make the decision. I have seen that at our local synod assembly.

I spend my spare time reading web sites and blogs with content about the assembly and the sexuality topic. You can sense a definite fear in the writings of more conservative bloggers and leaders. It’s interesting to see that we have come to a point where GLBT rights may be supported by the majority of the ELCA.

I try to understand the thought process of those who do not believe in full inclusion. Their writings all seem to point to fear. They see pro-GLBT decisions dismantling the Church and destroying the ELCA. Their arguments are few; primarily that the Bible does not approve of homosexuality. They then tie this argument with the loss of membership, relationships with worldwide communion partners and other faiths in the USA. I find that interesting since many of these folks have adamantly opposed joint communion with other denominations. The Biblical message on homosexuality is highly subject to the time, message and translation of the Biblical passages. Nowhere does it speak for or against committed same sex couples in monogamous relationships.

Fear is strong tool to wield but weak in substance. I believe the shift in support for GLBT inclusion is due to people seeing beyond that fear and realizing that the issue is about a basic message found throughout the Bible; to love and respect one another treating everyone fairly.

As several news reports have mentioned, “By the end of the week, there will be a group of people unhappy with the ELCA while another is happy with the actions.” We can’t control what happens in Minneapolis this afternoon and tomorrow. We can only pray that the outcome lives up to the assembly’s motto: God’s Work, Our Hands.

lutherans heat up minneapolis

2009-08-17T08:34:00.004-04:00

Today the ELCA begins their 2009 Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis, the holy city of American Lutheranism. Over 1,000 delegates from across the USA will meet as this weeklong biennial meeting and make a variety of decisions on the life of the denomination.

This year the ELCA is adopting a sexuality statement. It’s a pretty broad statement addressing many issues of sexuality. Of course the most controversial topics center on GLBT issues of inclusivity, recognition and support by the Church. The two items in this debate that will be the most visible are the rostering of GLBT pastors in committed relationships and the recognition of same sex couple marriages by the Church.

This past weekend NPR on “All Things Considered” alluded to the fact that they thought that it was inevitable that the assembly delegates adopt the statements supporting GLBT people as clergy and recognize their relationships. Goodsoil, the GLBT supportive advocacy group is also reporting support by the majority of synods across the USA. Locally at our synod assembly, we adopted two GLBT supportive resolutions not related to these issues.

I think there is change in the air. I tend to be more conservative in my analysis of these discussions. Recently Lutheran Concerned published what I see as a map of GLBT inclusivity in the USA. It color coded synods according to their action and results on resolutions calling for GLBT inclusion in the Church. What is evident from this map is that the “core” Lutheran Midwest states are less apt to vote for inclusion. I think it will be difficult to pass GLBT inclusive resolutions at Churchwide without the support of these synods.

Here’s my prediction for the week’s activities in Minneapolis. I think the Church will make steps closer to GLBT inclusion. The acceptance of GLBT clergy is just a step too far at this time. I think that it will not pass all the political hoops that it has to pass to become a reality. I do think the ELCA will pass some sort of resolution that will allow synods to recognize same sex marriages. This seems like a natural given the fact that several states now allow same sex marriage.

I hope that the week will be a week of good discussion and progress for GLBT inclusion in the ELCA. I hope that both sides on this issue listen to each other and come to a fair compromise. The time has come to move on from this division. As the NPR story implied, if change does not happen this year, it will definitely happen in 2011.

a ride through holmes county

2009-08-15T21:33:00.001-04:00

The heat is on. Hot August days have arrived in Ohio. This morning we met our friends Mike, Greg and Bill for a bicycle ride through Ohio’s Amish country. It was a beautiful drive through the country with clear blue skies as we headed to Fredericksburg.

Our route for the day was 10 miles south from Fredericksburg on the Holmes County Trail to Hipp Station in downtown Millersburg. This trail is unique in that it is two-laned; one lane for hikers and bikes and another for Amish buggies. The trail was partially funded as a means for Amish to travel to Millersburg, the county seat, without encountering traffic on busy state highways.

This trail is another of the rails to trails trail. It follows the path of an abandoned railroad line. It traverses Ohio farmland and was mostly shaded. This was welcome given the near 90 degree heat. The grade was gentle as we headed to Millersburg. As you know you pay the price for that downhill slope on the uphill return leg.

After lunch at a sports bar in Millersburg, we retuned to Fredericksburg. We passed a good bit of Amish on this ride. They were in buggies and carts, walking and riding bikes. It definitely made this ride interesting. You had to look down quite a bit to avoid the road apples!

It was an enjoyable trail. There were not many crossings. In Holmesville we rode village streets for about ½ mile. The surface was well maintained. At times it was confusing as the horse and bike trails switched sides. The traffic was fairly light which allowed us to ride across both lanes most times. Looking for a new way to see Amish country? This is a nice alternative with a completely different point of view.

a summer evening ride

2009-08-12T20:40:00.001-04:00

The storm the other night took out our Internet, cable and phone. I took a half day vacation today to meet the cable guy. He got us partially up and running. The cable and Internet are up and running. Unfortunately the network and phone are still down. The lightning fried the router and Vonage box. At least I have one Internet connection and cable TV for now.

I spent the afternoon running some errands and catching up on miscellaneous things I needed to do for our wedding. By 4:30 p.m. I was done and caught up. The weather was perfect outside, and I decided to take an evening bike ride.

I loaded up the bike and headed to the Towpath Trail at Mustill Store near downtown Akron. I biked north to Liberty Commons just above Portage Trail. I like this ride a lot. It’s shady with some interesting sights and an easy evening ride.

You pass near and through several old canal locks. My favorite part is a large serpentine wooden bridge over wetlands. It is a lot of fun coming back south from Portage Trail where the ride is downhill. I coast though it at about 20 mph.

It was an enjoyable 9 mile ride taking me about 1 hour. I made several stops for water and to take some pictures. This summer has been perfect for getting outdoors and having fun.

off to the fair

2009-08-09T21:36:00.001-04:00

It was a weekend at the fairs for Brett and me. Brett’s family show draft ponies at several fairs during the summer and fall. Fairs are all about tradition, family and the roots of Ohio. On Saturday we went with Brett’s parents to the Ohio State Fair. It has been several years since Brett and I have been. It was an annual tradition for years for us when his family showed Jerseys at the fair.

Along with the normal fair doings, we attended the the 50th Annual Ohio Jersey Futurity completion. It was pretty interesting; a contest of 2 year old Jersey cows for a championship crown. It was interesting to see the coliseum filled with 70 cows. This event is all about tradition. Families who have raised Jerseys for years visit and reminisce during the evening. Hey, we even got free chugs of milk!

Sunday morning came early and we were off to the Hartford Fair at 6:30 a.m. We arrived at the fairgrounds as dawn broke. This fairground is beautiful and extremely well maintained. It literally sits in the middle of farm fields. I like this fair. It is what a fair really is. Churches, booster clubs and community organizations run food booths with homemade food. Farm implement displays are plenty. It just feels like a fair.

Brett and his family showed draft ponies in the draft horse and pony show. They did extremely well this year with multiple first and second place ribbons. This fair is always hotter than hell and this year proved to carry on that tradition. A strong breeze cooled us somewhat during the day.

I blew my Weightwatchers diet for sure. I hate the thought of the scale tomorrow morning. A highlight of my eating this weekend includes a Schmidt’s Bahama Mama dinner, kettle corn ice cream (a new Velvet flavor), chicke n and noodles, beef and noodles, and a shredded chicken sandwich. It was worth the gain. It’s my once a year gorging on fair food. This was a real Ohio summer weekend; heat, humidity and fairs.

little beaver creek greenway trail

2009-08-02T22:37:00.002-04:00

The forecast was for rain clearing by noon when I left for a day of biking. I was spending the day on the Little Beaver Creek Greenway Trail in Columbiana County with my friends Jamie, Vic and Susan. We arrived at the trailhead in Leetonia to a light misty rain.

After sitting out a short shower we saddled up and headed south in misty rain to Lisbon, our destination 10 miles away. This trail is built on an abandoned rail line. It is relatively flat and a very well maintained ribbon of asphalt.

We passed through wetlands and farm fields for the first couple of miles. The trail then entered a shady canopy of green that was with us for the remainder of the ride. The rain was light and stayed with us through the morning. The plus of this was that the shade offered some protection from the elements.

At about the halfway point, we took a 500 foot detour to see a 133 year old covered bridge. It was down a steep hill but well worth the extra effort coming back up the hill. We continued on to Lisbon after exploring the bridge and creek below.

Lisbon was an unexpected pleasure along the way. We had lunch at a classic diner, the Steel Trolley Diner. The food here was just all around fabulous. Servings were way too big but oh so tasty. The meatloaf dinner was just perfect home-style food. Considering we were slightly damp and cold from the rain, the food was just the ticket. After spending some time walking the town square, we returned to the trail. It was sunny, clear skies for the return trip north.

Another great find in Lisbon was Donna’s Bicycle Shop at mile marker 0. The prices were very reasonable and the owner helpful and knowledgeable. We each shopped and pimped our ride with some nice finds. The ride back to Leetonia was pretty much uphill. The first 5 miles were a little more work than the last 5 miles.

This trail is a real find. I saw it highlighted in the Akron Beacon Journal travel section last week. It would be spectacular in fall with autumn leaves surrounding you during the ride. The grade change is pretty gradual and easy to handle even for a beginner like me. I found this trail much more enjoyable than the Towpath Trail, popular to most bikers in this area. Judging by the number of folks on the trail, it is still largely undiscovered.

I am definitely building some stamina on these rides. This ride was not really that much of a challenge. I was not tired or sore after the 22 mile ride. If you are looking for a casual ride through some beautiful Ohio countryside, this trail is for you.

extravagant grace and unimaginable possibilities

2009-07-22T08:08:00.004-04:00

I subscribe to several daily devotions. I find them inspirational. They often set the tone of my day. I especially like the Cathedral of Hope’s daily devotion. The Cathedral of Hope is a largely LGBT UCC congregation of 4,000 members in Dallas. Their devotions come from a variety of pastors on their staff. They are not generally LGBT focused, but at times do speak to issues of the LGBT community.

Today’s devotion by Pastor Jo Hudson, the Senior Pastor, really spoke to me. She talked a lot about how their church of 4,000 began with 12 people 39 years ago. She used two terms that I found very insightful, extravagant grace and unimaginable possibilities, as she spoke about their humble beginnings.

“…Still, they believed in a God of extravagant grace and unimaginable possibilities. They trusted in God, so they dared to dream of a church where all might be welcomed and all might find safety. A church where all might meet the God they know and love, the God who welcomes all to the table...”

Those sentences sum up what it really means to be Church. This is what I believe Church should be to us. As the ELCA continues its discussion on sexuality, primarily LGBT inclusion, I think these words are key things to keep in our minds. Voting members to the ELCA Churchwide Assembly will answer the question on how our church defines grace and inclusion of all in the Church.

I know I will spend the day contemplating the questions she wrote in her parting thoughts. I challenge you to also reflect on these questions as you go through the day.

“…I wonder if we can be that faithful. Can we dream that big? Can we be a church that continues to believe in a God of extravagant grace and relentless compassion? Who knows what God will do next among us?...”

the perfect summer sunday ride

2009-07-19T21:17:00.009-04:00

This morning Brett and I met our friends Vic and Jamie at the Canal Visitors’ Center of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park just south of Cleveland. We rode the Towpath Trail to Peninsula with them. It was the most amazing Sunday! I never dreamed that I could bicycle 23 miles in a day.

It was pretty much a breeze. The trail is pretty flat as it was an old canal towpath, the trail where horses and mules pulled canal boats down the canal in areas where the river was un-navigatable. Through most of the journey today, the Cuyahoga River was on one side and the Ohio and Erie Canal on the other.

It was such a peaceful ride. We crossed fields, wetlands and forests on our journey. We were treated to amazing views of the Ohio Turnpike and I-271 bridges from many hundred feet beneath them. Nature wise, we saw a group of three deer, many turtles sunning themselves in the canal and an assortment of ducks and water birds.

Our turnaround point was Peninsula, a quaint like village that is inundated by visitors of the national park. It was lunch time and we ate at the Winking Lizard and had an ice cream cone before we headed back north.

We had initially decided to ride the train back to Cleveland. They offer a nice service to bikers where they only charge them $2 for the trip. A storekeeper in Peninsula actually had free passes to give us. We were enjoying the day so much that we opted to ride the 11.5 miles back to Cleveland.

To me this was an amazing experience. I could have never done this ride before my weight loss. I really feel a sense of accomplishment. Even more, I now know I want to continue these bike excursions on the weekend. The trail is long and there are many other areas to explore. Sundays don’t get any better then this one was.