Kind of a slow month...

For Paradise, written anyway.  I've been finding myself quite busy off-line though, although, Facebook has made keeping up with old friends and family much easier... so much easier that I've not been updating here... but such is life.  Anyway, speaking of life... Larenda and I were lying on the roof of my building a few weeks back getting some sun by the pool, when the thought occurred to me that I was ready to lose some weight... well... I decided right then and there that I was going to drink water only for one month and see what happens... well... I did, or I should say, I am... I think it was like the 13th or 14th of July when I decided, and tomorrow is the 3rd of August, so it's been nearly three weeks.  No beer, no wine, no sodas, heck, not even drinking Gatorade... just water.  I am drinking coffee with no cream or sugar in the mornings at work, and I'll also drink an unsweetened iced green tea from Starbucks when Larenda brings me one (green tea is supposed to be pretty good for you) but other than that all water... well... what motivated me to do only water was the fact that I had a cousin who I was talking to at our family reunion back in June and he had lost like 20 lbs just drinking water... well, as we were sitting there on the roof in the sun, I was looking at my belly thinking, I really need to do something about this... I remembered my cousin's water-trick, I thought, why not?  So I committed to it.  And I've stuck to it as well- it's been about 20 days so far... and it's actually done pretty well for me.  My skin, in some areas has improved, which a waitress, who was also a skin specialist, asked me if it had improved, and I hadn't even thought about that, but it in fact has, and I also have lost some weight... but I must add... once I decided that I was going to do this water thing for a month, I thought, why not work in a decent work-out program and see how that plays out?  Well... I bought the 'Body-for-Life' book waaaay back in 2000... my buddy Scotty and I started it out and did it for about 2 weeks or so, but I wasn't committed to it.  Well, I had found the book recently, and decided to give that a go as well... before you know it, I was on a full-up diet and exercise program.  Well, the first night I started this program, I was 190 lbs.  The lowest I've seen so far since then is 183... 184-185 is about the norm for me.... but I can say that my waist is shrinking and I'm getting a little more lean and shaped up top, which is always good... and get this- I had my flight physical done in June- I've historically always had borderline high blood-pressure, well, last time I had it checked in June for my annual flight physical, it was like 132/87 or something like that.  Not so great honestly.  Well, with Body-for-Life, not only am I working out 6 days a week, but I'm also on a much healthier meal-plan (low-fat, lot's of protein, 6 small meals a day)... well, I went to the dentist this last Friday, and they took my blood pressure, and it was down to a svelte 110/71!!  I couldn't believe it- the dental tech was like "That's a really good reading..." I was pretty happy about it... all from just changing up my diet really... I've actually been running fairly regularly this year, so I don't think it was from any changes in exercise... just from changing up my diet... so anyway- needless to say, I haven't been writing much this month, but I've sure been active.  I work out about 45 minutes each day except Sundays, which are may day off of both working out, as well as dieting, and it's been going fairly well.  That is one of the great parts of the Body for Life program, is one day a week, you get to eat whatever you want.  That gives me something to look forward to each week... last week I had some pizza and wings... along with some of my favorite guava-filled french toast at Wailana Cafe...  I've been happy with the results, and I feel a lot better too.  Those that know me also know I've never really been into working out much, but for some reason, I'm just really enjoying this... maybe it's Hawaii... who knows.  All I know is that I'm glad I'm doing it.

In other news, I'm looking at buying a house here in Hawaii in the next 6 months... if I've got the guts for it, that is.  The prices are coming down out here as well, although not as much as on the mainland, but I feel like it's time I owned my own place.  The scary part, is the bank just approved me for over half a million dollars in debt... and the median price of homes here on Oahu is $620,000.... isn't that crazy?  I've been looking at trying to swing a deal on a foreclosed home... we shall see... I've got a lot of learning to do, that's for sure... but I'm ready to move into the burbs.  This year has been good living in Waikiki, but I'm kind of ready to move into a bigger place with a yard... I think.  Who knows.  Anyway- that's what's been going on in my life this month.  Among a lot of other things...  Cheers and Aloha from Paradise.