April 6, 2013

Got a lot done today.  Nice having some sunny weather before several days of storms.   Walked 47   min. with a few short runs mixed in.  Felt great.  Then worked in the yard and did some more clean  up in the house. 

Weatherwise, looks pretty active for the next 3 days.  Likely going to see some severe weather. 

A new beginning.

A great day.  Got 7 hours of sleep, ate well this morning, then walked 3 miles.  Had a salad for lunch with a friend who is starting a new business, then worked.  Good healthy dinner with the wife and no snacking today. 

Going to start logging my sleep, along with my BP and weight.  Was reading something on the Mayo Clinic web site on # of hours of sleep you need to be healthy.  It recommends 8 hours.  I'm getting closer to 6-7 hours, and plan to work on this.

I found this informaiton on WebMD pretty interesting:
     Leptin and ghrelin work in a kind of "checks and balances" system to control feelings of hunger and fullness, explains Michael Breus, PhD, a faculty member of the Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine and director of The Sleep Disorders Centers of Southeastern Lung Care in Atlanta.   Ghrelin, which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates appetite, while leptin, produced in fat cells, sends a signal to the brain when you are full.
     So what's the connection to sleep? "When you don't get enough sleep, it drives leptin levels down, which means you don't feel as satisfied after you eat. Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you want more food," Breus tells WebMD.
The two combined, he says, can set the stage for overeating, which in turn may lead to weight gain.
Bottom Line:  Watch your sleep!  A morning swim would be great, but that would mean 6.5 hours of sleep, so I will not swim in the morning.  I'll work in the yard/garden and ask the little wife if she wants to take a morning walk.  That's better than floundering in the pool at 6:30am!

April 2, 2013

Hit the treadmill about 7:30am and did 3.1 miles in 1 hour.  Nothing too intense, and for a large dude, I felt pretty good.  Had a lunch meeting, then off to work.  A cloudy and wet day.  Afternoon high only 42, where our average high is 68. 

I expect one more wet day tomorrow, then a nice warmup for Fri-Sun. 

March 29, 2013

Hit the pool again.  Was tired and slow.  Did 30 laps in 41 minutes.   Went into work early because I expected severe storms.  Had 2.5" hail near El Reno.  For the Tulsa metro the storms didn't fire until later in the evening.  We had 2.9" of rain reported in Bixby at the Okalhoma Mesonet automated site.  Numerous reports of lightning, hail, and flooding.


My favorite shot of the day was taken by Scott Kindred.  This is a picture of his 3 year old seeing hail for the very first time.  Notice the ear protection they put on the little guy because of the loud thunder.   

Will sleep in tomorrow and not swim.  I'm tired.



Did you ever have one of those days where you get up before the alarm clock?  I did and though why not hit the pool a little earlier than normal.  This is what the Y looked like a little after 6am. 

Did a total of 25 laps.  Here is the sequence: 5 freestyle, 5 kickboard, 5 "fast", then repeat the sequence until exhausted.  

On the way home I took this picture of the sun coming up behind the skyline.   Took a nap, painted a closet and got a few things done around the house.  Met a buddy for lunch and headed into work.  It was a great day.  May try to swim again tomorrow.  Feeling a little stronger!

Had a good day.  Knocked out 3 miles on the treadmill this morning.  A few short runs in there, but mostly walking. Anxious to get in the pool later this week.  A person can burn more calories in an hour swimming than just about anything.  I am actually looking forward to getting wet.



Our 2nd nights with robots.  Actually it is non-manned studio cameras that fill our studio.  This means some changes in how we do things during newscasts.  After working 30 years with a floor crew it is a lot different.  Our control room crews have been working hard for months to get ready for this, and have done a great job.

The huge downside is that it caused several great people to loose their jobs.  Many were not just co-workers , they were friends.  It happens in all types of industry everyday.  Television is no different.  Sometimes progress has a downside.  I wish them all well.  Job hunting is not easy and many of them are very talented folks.

I have gotten behind in my blogging.  I have a lot going on behind the scenes.  More on that in a few months.

Got up this morning and it was 22 degrees.  Winter forgot to check the calendar.  Fortunately my wife had covered the vegetable gardens so we had no damage. 

Greenhouses always put out tomato plans in February and March, and that causes folks to believe it's time to plant.  It's not, and many are tempted when temperatures bump the 70s and get anxious and put warm weather crops in the ground. 

My wife and I use April 15th as the date for planting tomato plants.  We plan to add a few more 'maters this year.  The kale grew well, but honestly we didn't eat much of it.

Miss Emma did not want to go outside this morning.  Neither did I, so I walked on the treadmill at the Y.  Did 3.01 miles in 1 hour at 2 degree elevation.   Should have done more, but was happy with that.  Plan to eat light for lunch and continue drinking a ton of water.  Have dropped a few lbs. but a long way to go.....