Catwalker

The heat that is, according to my monitoring tool, the Nanaimo Airport (about 35 minutes drive north of us) is sitting at 31 Degrees (Celsius). Ick, 私はとても熱い天気が大嫌いです! It's a good thing there's a beach or two real close by! じゃまた。

Well, it's here at last, I know I don't earn any cash while laid off, but man, a month free to breathe and catch up on sleep, visiting and more Japanese studies. And also to watch this visitor from Next door:

あっ! 猫がいますね。

Technically there aren't supposed to be any of these creatures in the building, but hey, as long as it doesn't come INTO our apartment, we don't mind. (we have friends and reletives so alergic to animal dander, that they wouldn't be able to come and visit us if there were ANY cat hair in our place)

Back to the layoff, time to sit back and think. Lots I want to do, and lots I want to NOT do. Still plodding along with Japanese. まだ日本語 を勉強しますが、言葉の勉強するのが大変ですよ。 今私は日本語を話すのがとても上手です。 Still losing weight, I haven't lost much more, but 2.5 pounds is still a drop. I hope to be below 300 by the end of July. ではまた。

Jeff Foxworthy made this comment (among others) about Rednecks: Ya know what kinda things Rednecks like? Fishin Lures, beer cans, U.F.O.s Shiny stuff, which explains why most of the people who see U.F.O.s are using fishing lures and holding beer cans. :-D Computer Geeks are similar; you know what kind of things computer geeks like? Digital cameras, Coke Cans, mp3 players, U.F.O.s Shiny stuff, which explains why a lot of people who see U.F.O.s are using cheap digital cameras which make poor photos of said U.F.O.s and listening to expensive MP3 Players with blinking lights on them. ;-D I broke down a couple of days ago and bought the MP3 player, (not the most expensive model, I'm not that much of a gadget freak ;-)) I have the cheap digital camera, I sometimes have been seen with a coke can (that is rare these days, I have to be real thirsty before I drink pop now - too much sugar, and I need to lose weight badly) but have yet to see a U.F.O. ;-D Here is a snap: 

This thing is great, supports open formats (Ogg, Flac) and I can access it with my Linux box (I despise M$ Windows products) - But it can be fussy - once you have copied the files over that you want, make sure you unmount the drive, and wait for it to finish... If you don't wait for Linux to properly unmount the unit, you could wind up with corrupt or partially corrupt files, and they will skip, or hiccup. Worse is apparently the probability of causing file system corruption, in which case you have to re - format the X5's hard drive.

So why did I use an old photo of myself and not a newer one? Simple: vanity. The reality: Between June of 1992, when that picture was taken, and May of 2004, I ballooned to 350 pounds (about 158.75 Kilograms!) Although I am currently working at getting back to my ideal weight of 210 pounds, (about 95.25 Kilograms) - BMI says I should be about 195 pounds, but my bone structure is such that 210 is better - I now weigh in at about 310 pounds - a drop of 40 pounds (about 18 Kilograms). Only 100 (about 45.35 Kilograms) to go...... So how did I get from this (picture taken in May of 1992):

 

 

 

 

 

To this (Picture taken in May of 2004 - almost 12 years to the day after):[[ Image missing - replace]]

 

Heart attack fodder, scale tipping weight of 350 Pounds (158.75 Kilograms) with a 54 inch waist size???? (** I haven't had a heart attack -- Yet -- thankfully, and I am working at getting to a healthier weight so that it doesn't happen, in addition, our diet has changed, we eat a lot of Japanese style meals - much healthier) So the how: Well, when I left full - time ministry, I got a job, a car, and more computer and electronics gadgetry. Every work night, on my way home, I would grab about $20.00 worth of junk food, and sit in front of my computers and electronic gadgets, eating, and not doing much physical exercise at all (moving the jaw & swallowing do not count). Now I am paying for the junk food diet and the subsequent sit and not move jobs. Do yourself a very large favour: Skip the junk food, eat yer veggies, and try Sushi, (Trust me sushi is good for you and tastes great - we eat other foods than Sushi of course, that is just one example). And at the very least, take a quickly paced 10 to 15 minute walk every day, the fresh air will do you wonders.... and the exercise is great for you and your heart. Oh, and walk quickly (not slowly) past the ice cream parlours and fast food places on your walks. 日本の料理がとても美味しいですよ。 寿司やすき焼きが食べてみてください。 じゃ、また。

I don't know how many of you have studied a foreign language, but for me, it was an interesting experience to watch a short video with Japanese being spoken in it, and I could understand 90% of what was being said, now everything was relatively simple (今、私はとても簡単な日本語で話しますけど) but still it was a rush being able to understand it. My teacher has the patience of Job and has actually agreed to help me continue with further studies (we don't have a third year where I am going to school, so I am going to continue, to be become more able to comprehend - and she is helping me, it's cool). I guess I couldn't have been that bad a student. ;-) じゃ、また。