Goal Weight

"All men have to do is just think about losing weight. It's so much easier for them".

We all have our hot-buttons. That's one of mine. After struggling and losing the battle for the last nine months I finally got serious about dropping a few lbs. The trajectory of my weight was definitely going in the wrong direction, and had been basically since I started my new job. After the week-long debauchery of our Puerto Vallarta vacation, where my days consisted of unlimited food, free alcohol, and lots of Cuban cigars, I returned and had one of my "Oh Hell No" moments.

So for the last 5 weeks I've been following a pretty strict plan. Oatmeal for breakfast every day. 4-5 meals a day with portion control. No calories from liquids, other than the occasional cocktail. No dessert. Hit the gym hard 4-5 days a week during the week. A long mountain hike or long bike ride on the weekends. Or Both. It's not exactly a book-worthy plan. Diet and exercise. I know, it's revolutionary.

Anyway, after 5 weeks of this I've dropped the 8 pounds I wanted to lose and am back under 150 lbs, which is good for a short guy. I've considered celebrating by going to Outback Steakhouse and pounding down a Blooming Onion and a platter of Baby Back Ribs. I suppose I should. After all, losing weight is so easy for men...

Tanzania says "come for a visit"

Dropping my passport in the mail was a bit of an unnerving experience. I sent it UPS, but still, that's my identity and losing it wouldn't be fun. Nevertheless, if you want a Visa that's what you have to do. A Visa processing company in Texas handled all the details, and $140 and 10 days later I now have a Tanzania Visa stamp in my passport.

This was a first for me. I've done a fair amount of international travel, but Tanzania will be the first place I've visited that didn't just accept a passport. Yet another step in the process is complete. The butterflies have returned to my stomach for another brief flutter. This expedition becomes more real each day!

The Devil's Hole

Bev: I'm sweating so hard I have sweat running down my ass-crack
Me: Ladies don't "sweat". Ladies "glow"
Bev: OK, fine, my ass is glowing

That exchange from a couple of weeks ago was enough to make me go back to blogging. The adventure is in full swing. We're training like crazy. I'm whipping my sorry ass back into shape. The details are coming together. It just seemed like I should capture all of the fun as it's happening, so now I'm back to posting here. We'll see how regular it ends up being.

The Devil's Hole is yet another in the little hidden treasures available in the East Bay that I knew nothing about. We hiked to it in Las Trampas Open Space in the hills above San Ramon. There are some wonderful day hikes up here. This particular one really should only be attempted by skinny 4-legged animals with hooves. Our destination was at the bottom of a canyon hidden in a creek-side tree canopy. After hiking up and down through lots of scrub brush we found this little pocket of greenery, with a babbling brook, moss-covered rocks, and the feel of a rain forest. Quite a lovely spot.

Getting out of there was another story. We missed the trail marker because it was covered in overgrowth, and eventually found our way out via a single track trail so steep that steps had been carved into the hillside. Wonderful views on the way up, but I wouldn't want to slip. I also wouldn't want to try this on a hot summer day. What a nice day for the marine layer to cooperate!