Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Christmas Time

Well, Christmas is past. The return frenzy is on and shoppers are like sharks looking for post-christmas sales. But the reason for the season is still there. Jesus makes it all worthwhile. We went to Council Bluffs for the weekend, visiting with family and friends. It was a great time. It's good to be back too. Too much food and a long distance to drive with no speed control. You should try driving 250 miles with no cruise control, it sucks.

I did pretty good with my adhd. Didn't get lost once but I almost missed an exit. Couldn't sleep this morning so I got up around 5:30 and came in to work on the computer. Processed over 200 emails, did banking and researched getting a business off the ground. All in all, pretty good for not having taken my meds before I began. Going to be a busy day with an auction in Nebraska to attend and more research into getting my business going. Focus, Focus, Focus. I'll lose my focus around 7 so won't get much done after that. That's ok, though. I'll have made it through another day!

Friday, December 16, 2011

The Last Debate

Well, the last Iowa debate was last night. I watched the whole thing and was more than disgusted about the debatee's conduct. They just could not shut up when their time was up! Trying to make points or assasinate someones character took priority with them over knowing when to shut up. I wonder if this would carry over if and when one of them becomes president? Oh well. Electing a president is a little like buying a pig in a poke, you just really don't know what you're going to get until the pig is out of the poke.

How did they do? My impression is that the lower they are in the polls, the more they yap. Overall, this is how I see each of the candidates.

  • Rick Santorum - mild and meek like Clark Kent, but I'm not sure there's a Superman behind his front. 

  • Rick Perry - pushing hard for a lost cause. I definately think he doesn't have a clue about how things work at the Federal level. 
  •  
  • Mitt Romney - sauve, poised, fairly self confident. I think he could do the job, but I'm concerned about the commercial where he says he'll be faithful to his family, his religious beliefs and his country. In which order will he do that?

  • Newt Gingrich - he's like a dreadnaught of old, shrugging off attacks and pressing on towards his goal. I think he could beat Obama, but his past could hurt him.

  • Ron Paul - a perennial candidate but I fear he represents the isolationist politics of the 30's. His radical approach to handling crisis with Iran would only lead to many deaths.

  • Michele Bachmann - she's like that little yapping dog that nips at your ankles. She lost her #1 status and in desperation is attacking the frontrunners in a vain hope of regaining prominence.

  • Jon Huntsman Jr. - has political experience as ambassador to China, but is misguided in his approach to them. China is like a Sumo wrestler at a Jr. High wrestling meet and needs someone who is willing to stand up to them. I don't Huntsman will.
There you have it, may take on the debate. I'll keep following them as the debate moves to other states. The caucuses are coming!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Living forever

Anybody want to live forever? The news on the Today show today would make you think so. Scientists think that within 10 or 20 years aging will be able to be reversed and we'll live a really long time. Uh Hunh! It was exciting to hear, but what about the problems associated with it?

The first thing I thought of was "Where is everybody going to live?" At our current rate of population growth, it wont be long before there's not enough room for everybody to live if no one dies or people live for 5,000 years. And what about food? With all that room needed for people to live, we won't be able to grow enough food on the limited acreage available for everyone. And what if you have a non-lethal disease or physical disability? Would you want to live forever? How long could you take it?

And the biggest problem of all: Can Heaven wait? This will be quite the dilemma for Christians as well as people of other faiths as they struggle with whether they want to live forever, or will they want to go to their version of heaven or nirvana or whatever? As a Christian, I find this to be a real dilemma. Paul struggled with this in Philippians 1:21-26. His conclusion? It is better to remain and be profitable for the Lord. But sometimes I feel so weary, it would be better if it all ends. Peace at last.

As a person with ADHD I find it difficult to make choices, sometimes choices paralyze me and I can't do anything at all. I have a hard time imagining living for 5,000 years or more with ADHD. Maybe I'd get better at handling it. Then again it could be the same old story day after day. Time will tell. They don't have this figured out yet so I don't have to worry about it for 10 years or so. Or should I?


Monday, December 12, 2011

Been a long week

It's been a long week. Meetings and trying to get focused on what I want to do. Have you noticed that Christmas is coming? Time to get out Christmas cards for the few on my list. Won't take long to do. I just need to fit the time into the grand scheme of things. I'm still trying to get focused on weight loss. Having a hard time remembering to write down what I eat.

Things in my life are messed up, especially the financial. I need a new roof, but don't have the $6000 for it. I'm exploring my options on that. I think if I sold all my "treasurers" I could raise the money, but I'm not even sure that is accurate. I don't love money, but I have needs it meets.


Wednesday, December 7, 2011

A somber day

A somber day today for many. I don't know if they celebrate in Japan but over here we commemorate. Lots of lives lost, but in the end it was a hari-kari strike at themselves. Remember Pearl Harbor! Everyday! Let us not forget.

December 7th has another meaning for me though. It was my Mom's birthday. She was born in 1909 and had probably never heard of Pearl Harbor until that day. She would have been 43. She only mentioned that day and only when I asked her about her birthday. She said it wasn't a happy day.


Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Making progress

Victory! I kept on track yesterday and was able to get all my re-cabling done. In addition, I followed my lists and only didn't get one thing done - my sorting time. Pretty good for me though. Looking over my morning planning I have a bunch to do, but some of it is quick stuff. Nothing major like the cabling job. I plan what I need to do the evening before. Then the afternoon work in the morning and what evening things I need to get done in the afternoon. I've found if I limit my planning, it's a lot easier to get the jobs list done.

Attended several church meetings last night. One I'm chair of, so I could keep it under control to some degree. The second one, though, is another matter. It mostly went as expected, except the members were talking about our outreach committee projects for next year. The problem was that I will be the chair of that committee next year and I didn't want to be tied down by what they wanted to do. It was a combined committee meeting so most of those attending weren't from my committee. I'm trying to bring fresh ideas to the committee and all they want is the "we've always done it this way" mentality. We'll see how this goes.

Monday, December 5, 2011

What a Week!

Spent this last week trying to get better organized. A blog post from totallyadd.com and ADHD Man of Distraction were inspirational, especially the part about the jar and fillings. I've been able to get better prioritization of my tasks and I hope that will help me keep focused. If there are any ADD'ers out there who are reading this, check out this blog post. Very tempting. http://totallyadd.com/quiz-for-idiots/#more-4168

Oh, in my prioritizing, I've put my blog posting near the top of the list.I'm not guaranteeing every day posts, but a lot more frequently!

Not much to post on the weight side. I need to weigh myself today (forgot yesterday) and post it. I'll also be tracking my calories. I have decided that I'm going to go to a 1800 calorie day from a 2000. I just can't seem to lose weight at that level.

I'm planning a busy day today, at least in the morning. I'm going to switch out my power strip/surge protector for one that has switchable plug-ins so I can hopefully better control my power use. That'll take a while as I need to determine which plug on the old one goes to which piece of equipment. I'm also going to tie up the cables so it doesn't look like a deranged octopus is draped over my desk and printer table. After that I'm going to install a new wireless router with N capability. My old one was hit by lightning and needed to be replaced. After all of that I'm going to tie up all those USB cables that are loose that makes my desk look like a second deranged octopus in on it mating with the first one.

This afternoon is pretty much the usual. Family meeting, followed by packing pills and getting ready for my evening meetings. Sandy and Killer will have a break from me tonight for a while.

By the way, if you're deer hunting in Iowa, use your bullet-proof vest. Three hunters shot so far this first deer season.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Some times I feel like I am going backwards faster than I am going forwards. Sometimes I can't tell if I'm going forwards or backwards. Sigh! This past week or so has been that way. The more I try to get organized the more disorganized I am. I enjoy reading the blog at www.totallyadd.com. Today's post was really fun. I would like to try it with some people I know. But as the author said, it would just make people angry and that doesn't help them understand.

Of course, I also like the previous post there. I have trouble determining what the biggest rock is I need to get done. And there are so many rocks! And what about the gravel and sand and water? So I do the best I can and try to get to the rocks first and the rest in order. What's left over will be dealt with tomorrow. It's all a matter of perspective I suppose.

Still struggling with the weight though. I'm back to recording it on CalorieKing but I haven't been consistent enough to get a good grasp on how I'm doing. It's my intention (big rock) to keep the recording and weigh-in current. It's impossible to make progress if you don't know how you're doing. By the way, I weighed in at 382.3 last Sunday. I'll post on Sunday how I did this week.

These posts would be a great bit angrier if I wrote in the evening instead of in the morning. The frustrations of the day really push me over the edge. I need to find a way to express my anger then, maybe in a paper journal. It's so much less stressful to try to avoid those anger causing events, but they still put a nick in my self-esteem. I was supposed to be in Des Moines today to attend an Ingathering meeting. However, I am short of money this month so I didn't go. I can tell myself I didn't go because the cruise control on the truck isn't working and that strains my knee, but the reality is that the money just isn't there.

Time to start filling that jar. Let's see -- identify and sort out the rocks and put them in the jar, then the gravel...

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Thanksgiving is coming! Fast!

Where did the year go? I can't say I have any great achievements or even moderate progress in dealing with my situation. And in some ways I didn't even see it passing. Thanksgiving is in two days and I'll be ready for it. Some family get together's and an early Christmas party. I'm not really enthused about them but I'll participate.

Got up at 4:15am today. Couldn't sleep so I worked on the computer for a couple of hours before breakfast. I'm doing OK energy wise but we'll see how the afternoon goes.

I have to say that I'm getting tired of all the politics on TV. Our caucuses are coming up in January and some of the candidates are hitting the airways very hard. And, of course, it's all over the news. Just think, we've got about twelve more months of this!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Bleah!

Still having problems writing this blog. The ADHD can be so debilitating at times. Most of the time I get the urge to write late at night, after I've had some sleep. 4am writing for sure.

Starting to record my foods again. I quit Weight Watchers because of the cost. I'm using Calorie King to record my data and track my weight. Haven't weighed in lately so I need to do so. Tracking will be erratic until after the holidays. I'll do the best I can but won't be accurate at a family get-together.

I guess I should go to work. Not that I am going somewhere, but I do need to get some things done. Here's hoping for the best.

Have a blessed day today.

My God, I am thine; What a comfort divine,
What a blessing to know that my Jesus is Mine!
In the heavenly Lamb Thrice happy I am,
And my heart it doth dance at the sound of his name.
                  by Charles Wesley

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Been a busy week!

Spent a lot of time this week working on evaluation form analysis from our Laity Summit. It was well received by all the attendees. Next step will be contacting the attendees a month from now and in about six months to see how they have been using what they learned. The Summit, by the way, used a video from Mike Slaughter to encourage and guide laity in being active in their churches and community.

I also attended a number of genealogy events at the Waterloo library. Very interesting. They have a number of databases that are accessible for free at the library as well as some that can be accessed from home. I'm looking forwards to using the databases as well as the knowledge I gained from the events. I was even able to track my father's side of the family back to the town they came from in Germany.

Things are about the same with the ADD. I deal with it on a daily basis, it's a fact of life. I get a lot of help and insight from totallyadd.com, a website devoted to adult ADD with blogs and videos and other helpful features.

Take care, don't let the bedbugs bite!

Monday, October 24, 2011

On the road againAD

Well, this time I am determined to write more in my blog. My ADHD is affecting how often I write, but I will be doing my best to write every other day, weekly at worst.

It's been a frustrating time lately. I tried stopping my ADHD med for a few days as I was thinking it wasn't helping. Boy was I wrong. I got off it for 3 days and could barely function while I was off it. What a pain.

Sandy's been having more troubles with the shaking and dealing with the cold weather. She is wearing more clothes, therefore taking longer to get dressed. I help as best I can, but there is a limit to what she'll let me do.

Had a good day yesterday. Thought the church was having a meal after church but it turns out it is next week. Since Sandy had her pills all packed and her water, we splurged and went to Red Lobster to eat. I had a chicken breast sandwich, but brought half of it home for today. Sandy had her usual Popcorn Shrimp, which she loves. Spent the rest of the day reading the paper and doing small things.

Going to Weight Watchers didn't work out. It helped, but I simply don't have the money to continue. I guess I'll be trying it on my own again. Wish me the best!

Oh, have you seen anything as ridiculous as this? https://www.biditbob.com/lotdetail.php?page=4&LotNumber=111&SelectLotAuctionDate=2011-10-25 Training wheels on a tricycle!


Wednesday, June 15, 2011

New Weight Challenge

Well, it's been a while since I posted again. I'll try to post more often now that I've enrolled in WeightWatchers. I did that Tuesday before last. My starting weight was 388.2 lbs. That gave me a 71 points plus daily allowance. It's hard to eat that much unless your eating fast food and ice cream. Anyway, yesterday at weigh-in, I weighed 385 lbs. A loss of 3.2 lbs, a good start. Now that I'm tracking my PointsPlus, it helps me get a grip on my eating. Also, my daily allowance dropped to 70 PointsPlus.

I had a tooth pulled yesterday too, so I'm not eating crackers and stuff like that that leave a lot of crumbs in my mouth. Have to chew on the right side of my mouth until the hole heals over. I was really a hassle to get the tooth out. I thought he was going to extract my skull.

Now that summer is here (Meteorological Summer, anyway) I now have to keep on top of the yard, especially the grass. Mowing is not a problem, as I have a lawn tractor for that, but the trimming is a pain. I have to use the rollator to push the push mower to where I need to trim, and I usually have to sit down after I get there and after the mowing is done just to rest.

Time to get off the computer for a while. Check back!

Thursday, March 31, 2011

March 31st

Well, it's been two weeks since I last posted. I don't know if anyone is reading this so it probably doesn't matter. Have done a few things on the food side. Started eating a hard boiled egg at breakfast for some protein. It seems to help me keep moving better. Haven't gotten back into recording my food yet. I plan to start tomorrow (I know, "Manana").

The ADHD is still giving me fits. I read an article in a blog about a study done that shows living in a cluttered environment inhibits your mind's ability to focus. That is the truth! I've got so many areas I want to work in but I can't decide where to start. I just do little bits here and there and never really get anything done.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Tax time

Well, I finally did my taxes. After much apprehension I actually am receiving state and fed refunds. That will sure come in handy when I get them. All the new stuff with the Disability pay and IPERS retirement left me wondering if I would owe or not. It all worked out fine and it's done! Now to be better organized with receipts for next year.

I purchased a walker with a seat on it but I haven't got it together yet. It came by FedEx and is all in pieces. This will really help me get some exercise in as I can't walk very far without having to sit down for a while.

I've been doing more reading in "Is it You, Me or Adult ADD?" The book's really intended more for the spouse or significant other of someone with ADHD but I am finding useful stuff in it for me to. My biggest frustration with having Adult ADHD is in finding a support group for us. There's a support group for parents of children with ADHD locally but nothing for Adults with ADHD! And trying to find a psychologist or psychiatrist with adult ADHD experience or training is futile here. I may have to go to Des Moines or Iowa City.

Enough of that rant. It's a beautiful day outside so I shall enjoy it and relax.

Monday, March 14, 2011

How time flies!

It takes a lot of concentration to put together a blog on a continuing basis. It doesn't help that I have Adult ADHD. Concentration is definately a problem for me. Oh well. Making a new start today (again!)

My goals for this week are to record what I eat and to eat healthy as best I can. Need to shop some to get the right foods, but I'll do what I can with what I've got. That scale I have really helps.

Still trying to declutter. There's so much to do and where do I start? I'm going to try a suggestion I read to declutter a little wherever you're at. Still requires good organization skills, which aren't my high point, but I will make it work. I'm also going to try the Fly Lady idea of spending 15 minutes a day working on one area of the house. It'll be a small area and if I can avoid distractions I'll get it done.

Have to run out and get ink for the printer sometime today also. Just need one color so that'll help with cost. Also have to get ready for church meetings tonight, which is why I need the ink to print some information I need for the meetings.

Time to close for today. I'll try to be back tomorrow.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Time to post again.

Well, it's been a bit again. Haven't been working at Liberty Tax Service much. They're past the first rush and the second won't start until later in March. So no extra money coming in, but too much going out. I have to have an ingrown toenail treated and that won't be cheap.

I did open a store on www.playle.com to sell postcards and pinbacks. Haven't loaded much yet but will be loading more this week. If you're interested in seeing my listings go to http://www.playle.com/dealer.php?d=BISYNC to view them. I don't specialize in anything in particular but I have a variety of items to post. Check back often.

Trash day today to I took the trash to the curb. Have to put the bin back later.

Not much else today, so I'll close here. Until next time.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Back in the saddle

Been awhile again since I last posted. Can't seem to keep focused on doing it. I'll try to be better in the future.

The Ingathering processing went well, I'm happy to say. It's coming again though. First Saturday in November.

Went to a seminar in Des Moines on Saturday on using social media in the church. Very good information. I felt like someone had stuck a sausage stuffer in my ear and pumped in a lot of information. It's going to take a while for me to analyze it. More information is coming by email so I have that to look forward to. I'll keep you informed as to how this goes.

Nothing to report on the weight side, except I haven't been doing any work on it at all. Probably in March.

By the way, the company that put on the seminar on Saturday was M2Live. Very good people that really connected with us.

Enough for today. More later.