You fat fuck you...

So where were we? that's right I was a fat guy losing weight, a Dad taking care of the small herd of children that have amassed in my house and someone that was putting it all out there for the world to see in the name of accountability via this blog. I am not limited to any of those titles but as far as whats on the surface those are up there, I have over the last few years dropped more than 200 pounds and kept most of it off for the entire time BUT I am going to admit something that I was none too happy nor proud of. In April I began to notice that some of my clothes were snugging up...ok lets just call it what it was, shit stopped fitting and I hadn't been on the scale in quite some time so it was in fact the right time for a reality check. On April 28th I decided to see what I weighed, the dim blue light lit the dark kitchen as a zero flashed across the display signaling that she was indeed ready to ruin my evening. My feet made contact with the cool unforgiving black plastic that makes up the platform of my scale as the digital dots danced around in a circle where she would stop nobody knows and bamn! 370.4 flashed onto the display.... what the shit?!

I had not seen a number that high since October of 2008! which was 10 months into my weight loss, to say that I was and am disappointed in myself is an understatement, the word failure comes to mind. There is a lot that goes on in my life which does not make the blog, some of those things keep me from making me the most important thing in my life and it is what it is, with that said I do need to keep an eye on myself and my health. That night I got Pissed, upset, and as I mentioned disappointed with myself, so I decided that enough of the bullshit and doing what I need to do must be a big part of my life and must remain a big part and since that day I have been on point with my intake. In the beginning of April a 10 mile ride just about killed my legs and ass, I am happy to say that I am back up to 25 mile trail rides on my newly upgraded with a new and improved bottom bracket and crankset bicycle. My calories are as I said on point while getting in loads of veggies and whole foods, oh I have also dropped 31...yes Thirty one pounds in the last 56 days aka since that night when I stepped on the scale.

Learning to balance all that life has to throw at us with the hardest thing that I have had to face all at the same time is just a part of the game that needs to be dealt with, making an excuse is just that an excuse...to fail. Sure I have a shit ton of other fires burning that need attention but without handling the fire that is me the rest will burn out of control without me here planted with my feet on this planet. Finding time to do what I do is a priority, there will be times when it slips, there will be times when a workout is just not a possibility but if I let myself to slip back into the abyss that was my life at 534 pounds I will have let every single person in my life down including myself and that I will not allow.

Oh yeah...and those shirts that were snug? yep they fit again..

I am making every effort to get posting more regular like but time is at a premium these days, so don't be shy, drop a comment I am not so proud to not admit they help...

As Ever
Me

Grenading a Bottom bracket and some work on an old friend.

A little more than a year ago I picked up a little project that I have been playing around with when I have time in the way of a 1988 Specialized Rockhopper Comp. It is kind of the bike that started me in on my "Buy fix sell at a profit" thing that I do from time to time with bicycles but there is something about this one that I liked so I could never bring myself to sell it. The frame is an 18 inch and I can ride comfortably on a 19 to 21 inch frame depending on the bike so it is a tad small but with the stem up as high as it can go and the seat is up almost as high as it can go I can ride the bike comfortably. Whats your point Mister Meatball? I'm gettin' there, I'm gettin' there, Last weekend I grenaded the bottom bracket on my K2 AKA my main bike and I ordered a new BB/Crankset but the catch is that it will not be here until Monday the 13th and there ain't no way I'm going to not ride until I get the BB and get it installed. I suppose a 300 plus pound fellow Hammerin' on a bike for the past two years warrants the equipment failure, especially as it appears that the BB that was on the bike when I bought it was not of the highest quality so onto an upgrade it is.

Here is the Rockhopper the day I brought it home mangled and forgotten.... until that day.

So I looked to the Rockhopper with soulful eyes and requested its help, it looked at me as if to say that there were some conditions to this arrangement and I listened. I did an initial clean up and rust scrubbing a while back and got the bike looking decent but never finished the job to a point where I would call the bike perfectly ride-able. This time around she ended up with a new pair of shoes even if they are only 26 x 1.95 instead of the 26 x 2.2 that I normally like, some Brandy spankin' new grips and I cannibalized a seat and post from an old Trek that I have just sitting there doing nothing in particular. I figured that since She was getting a make over and going into temporary service I may as well pull out some touch up paint and hit the spots that were chipped up. Since the bike was going to be in service for a bit I may as well give it a proper tune up while I was at it right? so that I did, out came the tri flow and the tool bag and 15 minutes later she was right as rain.

This is what it looked like after my first go at it to get the heavy rust and grime off.

New grips, new/old tires, cannibalized seat and post, changed out the bottle cage, touch up paint and a tune up this is as she sits right now, sorry for the cell pic.

New/old seat, its pretty comfy I do have to admit

New grips, no more styrofoam these are knock off Oury grips I think, Origin 8 is the brand, knock off or not they are comfortable and very grippy.

After the tune up I took the bike for a quick ride around the lake and I have to admit it rides really nice for a 23 year old bike that a novice like myself had a whack at fixing up, I like it. It is a tad too small like I mentioned but it is honestly comfortable enough that I believe I can make a 20 mile ride without issue on my body and plan on testing that theory out on the weekend! I have exactly $22 into this bike and some of my time and am very pleased with how it has come out so far, I may just keep going with it and make it "nice" I think right now as it sits it looks pretty cool and is a good solid road ready Vintage mountain bike, not bad for $22!

The K2 will be fixed sometime next week after I take possession of the new crankset and the repair is not exactly a surprise. I knew the BB was going because of a noise it has been making and I am looking at it as a chance to upgrade something rather than "damn I have to fix my bike", gotta look on the bright side sometimes. If the Specialized ends up being a good rider on longer rides for me I will very likely upgrade the pedals to a set of Odyssey Trail Mix pedals like I have on the K2 but otherwise I like the fact that this old bike is what it is, an old, well used vintage mountain bike that is still bringing enjoyment to someone riding down a trail on it and won't change too much more.

I have been more than busy with the new addition to the Fam and trying to stay on my bike as much as possible (I almost have my 2010 legs back) but am trying to get back to daily blogs again, I promise! Putting my time where it is needed most is what I am doing and I love writing this blog but it is just not possible for me to find enough time in every day to get here and post up my thoughts. I am on track with my calories, I am riding my bike LOTS! and I am in fact down 26 pounds from where I was just a tad over a month ago so trust that I am doin' what I do where my health is concerned.

Until next time..

That's all I got for tonight...

As Ever
Me