Well, well, well, I bet you all thought I had given up a few weeks short of finishing the year didn't you?


Well, after a weekend and a couple of nights of children demanding that I lay with them, I finally have a chance to get back to TheThankYouYear.


I needed to look back at some of my older posts and it brought back some memories. Some are pretty cool, and some are pretty scary.


In looking back, I noticed that I am coming up on another 1 year anniversary. Can you remember what it is? It will be on December 16/17. It is sort of a two part celebration.


Anyone that wants to guess, send me a message.


Today wasn't anything special, but yesterday was cool because I did some resistance training for the first time in WEEKS. I had to cut back some of the weight, but that is a pretty normal occurrence when you skip lifting days.


What was cool, was that I had no concern for my cardiac health. I cut back on the weight because I didn't want to damage any of the muscles I was using to lift the weights. But...my heart never really entered the conversation.


I was really happy when I realized that fact.
I am really happy with where I have been able to bring my physical health over this last year.


Thanks for coming along on this ride with me.


Good night & God bless.

Today has been a pretty regular day. Worked out at rehab, worked and then got to hang with my kids.
The nice part about today is I set my treadmill at 6 MPH for the whole 30 minutes.


What is nice about that workout is that I set the treadmill at 6 MPH because I wanted to take it easy today. I have been pushing and pushing to keep doing better each week and today, I just needed a bit of a break.


SO, with a treadmill set at 6 MPH for 30 minutes, that means I ran....


...let's see....


...6x30.....


....carry the two.....


....YES! You got it, that means I did 3 miles (okay a LITTLE less since I warmed up the first couple of minutes) in 30 minutes and considered it a "break day".


That makes me feel really good. It makes all the work seem like it did something.
I still feel a little afraid that I am not really working hard enough, and that I should be even FURTHER along. But, I guess when it is all said and done, the fact that I can run 3 miles and call it taking a break, I shouldn't feel too bad.


I hope I am giving you all something worth reading still.
Remember, this blog has about 5 weeks left before I shut it down. If you want to read about anything particular, drop me a comment here & I'll do my best to fulfill your request.


Good night & God bless.

Wow...so cool for YOU GUYS....a two-fer today since my last post was so late.
Tonight was another one of those, "so happy to be alive" moments.


I got to have a "boys night out" with BOTH of my sons. We went to Arigato, a hibachi table restaurant where they cook at the table.




I know, I know.....I probably shouldn't be going anywhere NEAR a place like that, but ya know WHAT.....if I can't ever enjoy LIFE, why be so happy that I am alive?


I am happy I am alive & I plan on making sure God knows that, and I am going to be as much of a "good boy" as I can be....but I also need to remember to ENJOY the life God has seen fit to give me.


I don't have a lot to tell you about tonight....just that I was a bad boy tonight & that I am glad about it....at least a little bit.


<< SMILEY FACE>>


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             ....


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As I write this I am trying to help my youngest son with this CCD work for 1st Confession. It is S-L-O-W to say the least and I am getting FAR too confounded....to frustrated. I am quickly being reminded that I have NOT gotten to that magical place where "the little things" don't bother me anymore....at least not totally.


I guess being a year out has made me forget a little what I almost lost & made me forget what is TRULY important. We want our kids to be perfect, our lives to be "storybook". But don't a whole lot of storybooks end with someone being eaten, or melting?


Life is not all good, life is FULL of "the little things" that frustrate us and ruin a day. But life is also full of the little things that "make our day"; and life is full of big things, good and bad. The trick isn't to ignore the "little things". We'd be ignoring 1/2 the life God gave us....the trick is to APPRECIATE it all. We need to appreciate the little things, the big things, the good and the bad.


Maybe, JUST MAYBE I'll learn that trick.


Good night & God bless.

Sorry, a little late with this post.....just call it a "time lapse" post.
I  apparently can't lay with my kids till AFTER I post, 'cause once I snuggle up with them, it is literally lights out.


All both of my boys wanted me to lay with them last night; how COOL is that?
The challenge was that they were in different beds.


So I laid with them in succession, in age order and THANKFULLY, they fell asleep in that order as well. The little one hit the pillow & in less than 5 minutes was DONE. The older one was what did me in.


He takes longer to fall asleep & I think I actually dozed off before he did.
Once that happened, there was nothing left in me to post for you all.


Suffice to say, that I cherish those moments since (especially for the big one) there won't be many of them left.....but at least it won't be because I am dead.


Good night (morning) and God bless.

Folks, as it turns out, we are coming up on the end of The Thank You Year.
It has been a wonderful year & I am truly grateful for those who have been reading so far.


There are about 5 weeks left (I am writing for the whole of 2016, no just for a year after my heart attack). There are few new things I can tell you. So, if anyone wants to see a particular topic, please....let me know. I can answer questions, or I can research a topic for you all.


For tonight, I will just remind you al how hard it is to keep at it after a year. It is getting harder with each day to make SURE I get a workout in. It is getting harder and harder to make sure that I eat within the range of salt and fat.


I have basically been "on a diet" for a year & I am VERY happy that I have been successful so far, but MAN with the holidays here and parties/dinners....it is TOUGH not to eat all that good food.


If you recall, I was not given a list of acceptable foods, I was given a set of targets for things like salt, fat, cholesterol. So, I can eat whatever I want as long as I stay under the targets for a day. Well, ya know....it gets a little tiring to read every label & to try to find an online nutritional information page for every place you eat.


The other thing that causes trouble is giving yourself a break. "Oh, I'll just cheat today." Yeah, today becomes tomorrow & tomorrow becomes a week, and suddenly you are almost 10 pounds heavier than your target. Normally, that would not bother me, but so far it SEEMS that my blood pressure is rising along with the weight. SO....back to the drawing board.


Hopefully, by the time we get through the next 5 weeks, I can tell you that I am back doen in weight & BP. Wish me luck.


Good night & God bless.

Another day, more friends visiting for the holidays.....more joy.
Friends of ours visited for the first time in quite some time from Concord, NC and it was a wonderful time.


We built a fire, made some slow-cooker chili, and watched White Christmas. Just a simple day, with simple food and good friends. I am not sure it really could have been a much better conclusion to the holiday weekend.


Now we need to get back to "reality" tomorrow. The kids return to school for the first time since last Tuesday while Ashley & I return to work. Normally, I would not want to return to "reality", but since last November....since my heart attack....




.........I STILL don't want to return to "reality".


Nope; I'll be honest, I think I have a healthier outlook on life now. You know, little things don't bother me, spilled milk doesn't draw tears. But, let's be real; there is a limit to having a sunny disposition and that limit lies directly at the end of a near perfect holiday weekend.


I would love to tell you that this was another time where I was "just happy to be hear" (remember yesterday's post?). Sadly, I can not use that line this time. While I AM ecstatic that I am still around and alive TO return to work, I just can't tell you that I am sooooo happy to be going back to work, and the pitfalls of "real life".


So, gang, I hope you all don't think less of me, but tonight, I am not sunny, I am not satisfied with just being here, I am not excited to return to reality......I don't want this weekend to end, I am tired and I am not looking forward to waking 3 tired children up in the morning.


That's all I got for ya tonight.....reality.


Good night & God bless.

Okay, okay, okay.....yes....I took the holiday off.
Honestly, I was just enjoying my life too much these last couple of days.




Tuesday was awesome. Wednesday brought me back down to earth a bit, but then Thursday was another wonderful day....Friday & today, I got to spend with my kids. WE had the most AWESOME tickle fight on Friday night & then spent today getting stuff to begin our preparations for Christmas & a ski trip in February.


I am so excited to be celebrating what I consider my first "normal" holiday season since the heart attack. Well, okay, let's not call it normal YET, but it certainly feels more normal that the last one did.


In all honesty, I don't know if ANY Christmas, Thanksgiving, or challenging day will ever pass without someone saying, "At least you are here to celebrate it". I mean, that sentiment even passed a few lips when I was working though my dad's passing in June; "Well, at least he had you here in his final days".


Now, don't get me wrong. Every time someone SAYS those things, they are 100% correct and justified in saying them. It just strikes me that this is yet one more way in which my life is forever changed. That phrase, "at least you are here for it," will forever (or at least for the foreseeable future) be a part of my life. It will be part of the good days and the bad. It is as much a part of me now as the stint they put in, and the need to watch my diet and exercise.


...and you know....




At least I am here to talk about that fact, huh?




<<Anyone not see THAT coming?>>


Well, that is about it for today. Remember to keep an eye out for me on Facebook doing silly variations on the 22 Push-up for 22 Day Challenge. That challenge is in support of Veterans who try to commit suicide and I have 2 days left to do...wonder what it'll be tonight.


Good night & God bless.