Hearts Torn In Every Way

The towels were so thick there I could hardly close my suitcase.
—    Yogi Berra
[Today my wife will be boarding a jet to go visit her family back in Liverpool.  Her mum isn’t doing too well these days and this may be Hil’s last chance to be with her before her mum passes.  The trip will be sad for Hil and lonely for me as she will be away for seven weeks.  As with every separation, I miss her before she has even gone.  Sometimes, I’m just silly that way…
PS:  Today’s post title is a line from the song:  “Ferry Cross The Mersey“, by Gerry and the Pacemakers.  Liverpool sits on the north shore of the River Mersey estuary.  LOL  …And so ends the combo musical lyrics and geography lesson for today.    —    KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2018	Recently Seen On A T-shirt:
2017	Rhythmical Creation
2016	In The Beginning
2015	False Gods
2014	But Sometimes Careers Choose People
2013	Pretty Sure Of Uncertainty
2012	Face Reality
2011	Intelligent Luck

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Looking Forward to Tomorrow

One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas Day.  Don’t clean it up too quickly.
—    Andy Rooney
[With our own children all grown up and no grand-children to bless us (yet), our living room is much less messy than in past years.  As we host the family for Christmas dinner, the same cannot be said for our kitchen and dining room table come the evening.  But we love it so and would not have it any other way…
Merry Christmas to all!!  Be safe!  And, if you are so inclined, say a prayer of thanks for those in harm’s way (and their families) who keep us safe.
—    KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2017	Make Glad The Heart Of Childhood
2016	Sincerest Flattery
	The President-elect: Making Spirits Bright
2015	What Are You Looking At?
2014	Ite, Missa Est
2013	I Hear Voices
2012	Positive Thoughts
	Hope Works
2011	Look! Up In The Sky…
	Humility Before The Unknowable

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Happy 34th Anniversary, Hil!!

When in a relationship, a real man doesn’t make his woman jealous of others, he makes others jealous of his woman.
―    Steve Maraboli
From:  “Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience“
[Happy 34th Anniversary, Hil
You are still everything which is precious to me…
Love Always, Your Kev XXX 00 X
—    KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2017	Happy 33rd Anniversary, Hil!!
2016	Happy 32nd Anniversary, Hil!!
2015	Happy Anniversary Hil!!
2014	30th Wedding Anniversary
2013	Number 29 (And Counting)
2012	Hammer ‘N Roses
	Happy Anniversary
2011	I Can Hear It Now

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Forever

Forever & Ever, Amen
[Happy Birthday, Hil !!
All my love,
— ALWAYS —
Your Kev
(XXX – OOO – XXX) ]
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On This Day In:
2017	Too Good To Be True
	Plain Speaking
2016	She Is Still Singing
2015	Don’t Complain
2014	Nothing Is The Same
	Orange October (XII) – Giants Win Game 7 (3 To 2) And World Series (4 To 3)
2013	Hours, Days, And Years
2012	In Kev Are In Hil
2011	No Game, Didn’t Really Happen
	A Good Post

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Day 17: Fit In 48’s

The end of day seventeen and the start of day eighteen…
Morning weight:  347lbs.
The scale is bouncing between 347 and 345, so I am being conservative (again).  I am now down “26/33”.  As in, 26lbs down from my fasting start weight: 373lbs, and 33lbs down from my highest weight ever (two days before I started the fast): 380lbs.  Today’s loss is a 2lb loss, down from 349lbs yesterday.
I had a rough night for some reason.  We went to bed early – just after 11pm and I woke up at 3am and couldn’t go back to sleep.  I laid in bed until 3:45am, and then just went ahead and got up.  …And stayed up.  The problem then is I was sleepy (and nodding off) for the whole rest of the day.  Because I was tired (sleepy) today, I didn’t make my new batch of veggie juice / blend.  Instead, I made up a batch of ginger / mint / apple juice “tea”.  I’ll make up the juice / blend tomorrow.
Just out of curiosity I tried on some of my “smaller” pants.  For about the last three years up to and including my retirement, I wore size 50inch waist in my pants.  Today, I am able to fit into size 48inch waist.  They would not be super comfortable, but I can button them easily and sit without them pinching / binding too much.  So, more progress!!
My son (James) came over to visit today.  It was his day off.  He stayed for about 4 hours, so we had a chance to have a nice long chat (even though I felt rude yawning all the time).  I really enjoy the visits from the kids.
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On This Day In:
2017	Too Soon We Part…
	Rigorous And Difficult
2016	Where And Why
2015	The Beauty Of Thy Voice
2014	Faith In Men
2013	An Average Verge
2012	Dew Drop Secrets
2011	Champion Freedom

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Day 7: Oh, Yeah!

The end of day seven and the start of day eight…
One week done!!  Yippie!  Goal accomplished!
Yesterday evening was difficult, but only from a self-discipline perspective.  The thing about juice fasting is if you do it for any length of time, you are bound to run into a “LIFE” event.  Usually, it’s holidays and birthdays, but sometimes it’s something else.  Last evening was something else…
My eldest daughter has decided to run for a political office (non-partisan, but she still has to get elected).  Last evening was her campaign kick-off event held at a bar(!).  Technically, it was at a brewery, but I’m not sure that’s any better.  So, there was lots of socializing and everyone was having a beer or glass of wine and the event hosted a taco buffet (with a plate of cookies at each table).  Anyway, I toughed it out.  My wife and I are so proud of our little girl (not so little anymore), you know we just couldn’t miss it.  And, yes, my wife was very sympathetic to my fasting – as she sent me to the bar to get her a pint of beer.
I have enough veggie juice to make it through the weekend, if I choose to continue.  So far I am doing just that.  Drum roll please…  Morning weight: 362lbs.  That’s down from 380lbs on 20 July 2018.  Again, discounting stomach and extra water weight (10lbs), that’s 8lbs lost in 7 days!  In case, you’re wondering why I am always using 380lbs as the starting weight even though it wasn’t the actual start date of the fast, it’s because that’s the date I hit the (my) personal worst.  Between then and 27 July (mid-morning) when I started the fast, that is the weight I was bouncing around.  378 to 380.  The “actual” weight on the start day was 380lbs.
Impressions:  at the end of 7 days, my muffin top and my saddle bags are smaller, my stomach looks a bit flatter and I’ve lost some of the puffiness under my eyes.  I’m not deluding myself.  I’m still 360lbs+ and still morbidly obese.  But…  The main thing is:  I feel terrific for having met a goal.  This doesn’t mean I’m done.  It does mean I’m proud of myself for having stuck it out.  The doubt (“Can I do this?“) from eight days, seven days and six days ago seems a long ways away right now.  So, I am happily half-way through day eight and I know I can stop any time / any day because I’ve completed the first step to getting started on my food / lifestyle-change journey.  I did it!
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On This Day In:
2017	A Good Habit
2016	The Minds Of Trumpism
2015	Expressing Nonsense
2014	A Real Fight
2013	Unravelling
2012	I Resolve
2011	Practice, Practice, Practice
2009	Phoenix Trip (July ’09)

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Easter In Liverpool

Because one can never have enough pictures of your spouse on the internet, here are a few pics of my Hil visiting her mum over Easter during her visit to Liverpool in March / April…
Hil in her Easter hat
Hil in her Easter hat (2)
Hil and Lynn with mum on her mum’s Birthday
It is kind of a tradition for the staff and visitors to don “Easter hats” to give the “old dears” a bit of a chuckle…
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On This Day In:
2017	Decisions
2016	Along The Path
2015	Make Mine Rare, Please
2014	Passion Flooding
2013	On Purpose
2012	Sans Gall Bladder, Day 4
	How Did You Spend Your Day?
2011	It’s Hammerin’ Time!!
	Convenient Auxiliaries

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Enjoy The Sunsets As Well As The Sunrises

Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way, and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever.
—    Isak Denison
(The pen name for Baroness Karen Christenze von Blixen-Finecke)
[Happy Birthday, James!  Life is short and we can never tell you enough times how proud of you we are and that we love you!    —    Mum and Dad]
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On This Day In:
2017	Enjoy
2016	I Got A Feeling
2015	Fiction Leading To History
2014	A Self-Correcting Process
2013	None But He Knows
2012	99% Are Demanding
2011	All In The Family
	Take Your Pick

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Happy Birthday, Bro!

We must take care to live not merely a long life, but a full one;  for living a long life requires only good fortune, but living a full life requires character.
—    Lucius Annaeus Seneca
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On This Day In:
2017	Love Can Change The World In A Minute
2016	60, Little Bro!
2015	Vision and Courage
2014	58 – Little Bro
2013	New Adventures And Old Hopes
	Caving In
2012	Bits And Bobs And Birthdays
	Always Hope
2011	Wet Snow And Long Hills

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Happy Valentine’s Day – 2018!!

“I’m in love with you,” he said quietly.
“Augustus,” I said.
“I am,” he said.  He was staring at me, and I could see the corners of his eyes crinkling.  “I’m in love with you, and I’m not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things.  I’m in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we’re all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we’ll ever have, and I am in love with you.”
―    John Green,
From his book:  “The Fault In Our Stars“
[Happy Valentine’s Day, Hil!!  Just sayin’ something true…
All my love, Always, Your Kev XXX 00 X]
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On This Day In:
2017	Happy Valentine’s Day – 2017!!
2016	Happy Valentine’s Day – 2016!!
2015	To My Special Lady
2014	Awakening
2013	Drowsy In Comfort
2012	Happy Valentine’s Day
2011	Own Your Bible

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Happy Thanksgiving – 2017 !!

There is nothing like having your heart re-booted to remind you how lucky you are to be alive…  and how precious each day is.
I am grateful for another opportunity to spend time with my family and people I love.  Please reach out to those you care about and tell them.  If they are close enough, reach out and hug them.  LOVE IS the answer.
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On This Day In:
2016	Overtaken
2015	Alone Praying
2014	A Full Man
2013	Off Defending The Universe
	Taking Precautions
2012	Never, Never, Never
2011	Testing 1, 2, 3

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More Pictures From My (Family) Retirement Party

As promised, more pictures…
Art, Patrice and Me
Carm, Mom, Hil and Me
Family Photo
James
James and Me
Mom
Hil, Mom and me
Sarah, James, Carm and me
Sarah, Shiva and me
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On This Day In:
2016	Are You Waiting?
2015	The Future Myth
2014	Hands
2013	Because You Have Lived
2012	47%
2011	Conservative Values: Low And Lax
2010	A Non-Zero Sum Game
	What If “c” Isn’t A Constant?
2009	Pictures from UCLA trip…

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Happy BD, Bec!

Hi Princess,
Here’s a quote for your birthday:
You have to accept whatever comes, and the only important thing is that you meet it with the best you have to give.
—     Eleanor Roosevelt
Happy Birthday!
We love you always,
Mum and Dad
XXX 00 X
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On This Day In:
2016	BD Quotes
2015	Princess
2014	Optional
2013	Happy Birthday, Rebecca
2012	Be Not Old
	2012 National League Western Division Champions!!!
2011	What Kind Of Work Do You Do?
2010	Another Loser… And Come November

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Tonight

If you dream tonight,
Will I come to you?
Will you share my smile,
My Heart,
The joy of my spirit?
If I dream tonight,
Will you come to me?
Will your arms
Ease my loneliness?
Your touch
Smooth my brow?
If we dream tonight
Can we be together?
Can we dance a waltz together?
In great lighted halls,
Or under twinkling stars?
My Love,
I will dream of you
Tonight.
[If you enjoyed this poem, please visit my “Poems” page to see others of mine, as well as some or my favorite poems, speeches and song lyrics.     —     KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2016	Conscientious Courage
	Speaking Of Which…
2015	The Beautiful Snow
2014	Nurtured By The Voices
2013	Précis
2012	Fear And Understanding
2011	Just Being Human

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Good News!

When the night is at its darkest,
When the wind is at its coldest,
When I am feeling most alone and afraid,
I remember that Christ is risen!
And I am comforted
In the light,
By the warmth,
Through the intimacy,
Of my faith.
Happy Easter to all!!
—    KMAB
25  And one day an authority on the law stood up to put Jesus to the test. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to receive eternal life?”
26  “What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied.  “How do you understand it?” 27  He answered, ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.  Love him with all your strength and with all your mind.’  And, ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ ”  28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied.  “Do that, and you will live.“
—    Luke 10:25-28
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On This Day In:
2016	At This Moment
2015	Still Dreaming
2014	Good Wins
2013	Before
2012	Look To This Day
2011	One View Of Man

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