My Weight Progress as of August 2008

So, I wanted to provide a visual for my friends and family on my progress. But, I need to do this as much for myself to give myself some encouragement since I've hit a short plateau.

Plateaus of course are natural. It levels off before some more weight loss, but you know how anxious I am! So, here's a visual reminder for myself and so that you can see too how far I've come, really in just a short time. It averages to just under a half a pound a day. Which, is pretty good!

There. I said it, "Pretty Good!".

Be well.

Bowlathon 2008

Good times
Originally uploaded by ChristopherSolis.

We had a great time this weekend bowling with friends. Here's a picture of our friend Eric and Rob.

Which one is the real blond huh?

Hmm.
www.everythingchristopher.blogspot.com

Just a Pretty Window

photo.jpg
Originally uploaded by ChristopherSolis.

Was in New Orleans and went into this hat shop. They do custom couture hats, that are - unbelievable. We had a good laugh, as everyone there was so nice.

I showed them princess la la's glowing shoe and they were mesmerized - as is everyone who sees it!

Another Fun Weekend In Austin - Blinding Performance

We had a wonderful weekend. Our friend Eric had his family visiting from West Virginia so we had a pool party at Janis' Dog House. There was swimming and Wii. We played Rock Band and it was great fun, including a fantastic rendition of Roxanne by Wishbone. Awesome.

Saturday was the Queer Idol show fund raiser. I sang with Eric accompanying on the piano. He was awesome! I, on the other hand, went completely blank in the bright lights. The spotlight was so blinding that I forgot what I was going to sing. It was really like that Brady Bunch episode where Cindy Brady goes blank looking at the camera light. Yikes.

It was also the weekend where Jon moved in, aka: Selena Medina our friend the Latina. We've been friends for a little while now so I think this should work out well. The only draw back is that I don't have a poor picture of him in all of my gallery of photos. I mean - WHO takes a perfect picture everytime? Never one with the eyes closed, or mouth contorted. Wow. Like a freak of nature. I'm determined to get a seriously ugly picture of him. We'll see if I'm successful or not.

I hope you all are doing well. I'm currently 246 from a start weight of 280. So, plugging along! Slowly but surely!

Take care and keep us updated on what's going on with you!

So pictures from top to bottom:

1. Our friend Felony Conviction aka Jeremy. I prefer to call him Miss Demeanor.

2. Rob and Jon, painting Jon's room on move in day (August 2, 2008)

3. Jon, trying to catch him spontaneously in an ugly pose. Nope.

4. Princess Ethel Karen, Desha and Linda at Q.I. 2008.

5. Our friends Heidi Ho and Miss Monique at Q.I. 2008.

6. Janis working the camera at Q.I. 2008.

The Weekend of So Much Fun

Well, I lost more weight this week. Now, it's 246 from a start of 280. So, slowly but surely. We had our Idol weekend last Saturday. Where I sang (or attempted to, no really - attempted) and Eric played the piano. He did such a good job! I wish I'd practiced more because he worked so hard and when the lights hit me it was like that episode of when Cindy Brady goes on TV. I was all .. what? duh.

Eric was so sweet and played a few extra stanzas until I could remember what the damn words were! It was horrible and we didn't make it even into the top 7. Sorry Eric! I'll try harder next time! If there ever is one.

We worked to clean up the hall on Sunday as we have been for a few weeks now. And, Friday was Eric's pool party. His family came to visit from West Virginia so we were over at Janis' playing the Wii and having a great time.

I hope you're doing well! If you haven't checked out facebook lately, I've been uploading pictures and stuff - so check it out at facebook.com

Take care!

This I Believe - Essay

Alright Rob.. stop nagging! ...or, the next essay of "This I Believe" I write will be .. "I Believe in the Lethality of Whining". LOL.

I wrote an essay for NPR's series of "This I believe". After several months, still no word.

We were driving in the car the other day listening to a podcast of the NPR program and I mentioned, off-the-cuff, "Oh. I wrote an essay and sent it in sometime ago but haven't heard from KUT the local NPR affiliate". He was all.. "what?"

So after Rob read it he insisted I post it on here and even instituted a deadline. So, here it is....

This I Believe. I Believe in Matrimony:

At an alter two years ago I stood surrounded by my friends and family. I resisted this day. Not because I didn’t love the man I was about to give my vow to, not because I had any particular fear, or cold feet about it. It was a decision we made, together, years before based on testimony from those who had ventured down the isle before us – many who found themselves disillusioned by ugly divorces and broken hearts. “Unnecessary”, or some variation, some had called it. And up until the moment I looked around, accompanied by those who had brought me life and through it I couldn’t deny that my non-belief in matrimony was being dispelled.

I arrived at this day, not because I’d had a sudden nuptial-epiphany. It occurred to me in Christmas 2005 that my parents were aging. For years my Mother and family had inquired if we were ever going to get married. “Unnecessary” or some variation of the answer I’d respond. I was delicate – not wanting to appear uncaring for their belief in a tradition that they nearly all had taken part in.

It was encouraging that they held such a high regard for an institution so many of my friends disparaged. But as I watched my Mother standing over a steaming pot of Tamales, as she had for a multitude of Christmas eves and my Father appearing non-phased by the overexcited grand children asking if they could open their gifts – that all of a sudden tradition seemed to be something impermanent. It would require successive generations to carry on these tasks and to reinvest in their importance for them to continue. It was in that moment that I realized if I changed my mind about the “necessity” of matrimony those that I would want most with me on that day, might not be here.

I became emboldened through my melancholy and before I knew the words were coming out of my mouth, I asked my family “What do you think about a wedding?” My sister in law Gina stopped stirring the beans, my Sister Rocki looked up from the table, and my mother, who is a stroke-survivor, did her unsuccessful best to not contort her face before she began to cry.

I recall these memories now that I live in Texas, far from my family in Sacramento.

I remember the lovely April day - rainy on the outside - sunny on the inside. We decided to make it a surprise wedding – another story in itself. But after 16 years, I was fairly assured that Rob wouldn’t decline the proposal.

In the moments before our walk began, I peered down from the balcony at the gathered guests, array of family-favorite wedding cakes and Mariachi musicians and I was assured I was doing the right thing.

And in that moment, when I said “I do”, it was though I was responding to the question, “Do you believe in marriage?” “I do.”

Christopher lives in Austin, Texas with his Husband Rob. They celebrate their wedding Anniversary, April 2nd. They've been together since October, 1989.

The Most Awesome July Ever

So we're recovering from our 4th of July weekend, that was packed with so much fun. We enjoyed spending time with friends and enjoying the fireworks. Our friend David TMT hosted a wonderful rooftop party to watch the fireworks over downtown. I made a 4-layer berry biegnet. It was tasty and tall. Then we celebrated our friend Rob's birthday at the Romeos restaurant on Barton Springs. It was good food and great fun. Earlier that morning we had taken our aim at trying disc-golf for the first time. We went to Zilker Park to meet with Mike and Jeff and throw the disc around. It was a good time. Then that evening we were back at Zilker Park at the theatre to see Beauty and the Beast. Our friend Leslie was onstage as Lumier the candelabra. What fun that was! We had a dessert picnic and it was a lovely evening. On the weight loss front it hadn't been going well. I began to refer to my lapband as the hoola-hoop because it was about as big and about as effective at stopping/slowing food into the stomach. Holy jamoly. All that money, time and effort - and nothing. But, that was just me being discouraged and not getting results from the scale as fast as I'd like. I've now gone to the Drs. office and had a new saline fill. This time they added some more at my request - and I can already tell the difference, and it's only been 48 hours. I'm hardly eating but don't feel like I'm suffering so much. I don't know if I feel "full" as much as I feel nauseous at the thought of eating. But hey, I'm not starving - and that was what I most feared. I hate feeling deprived and hungry and I haven't felt either of those things. Let's see how it goes. Starting weight: 280 - Today: 253.

Mom and Rock Visit Austin

Mom and Rocki came to Austin last week and we had a great time. The weather was warm and sunny (ok, blazing hot and sunny) but we did get a thunderous shower with Texas-size hail while they were here and that broke up the weather for just an afternoon. Thank goodness it wasn't that pelting hail that dents cars, that we've heard so much about.

We did so much over the weekend they were here it's really amazing. I told my co-workers when I returned to work and they were stunned that I dragged my poor mother all over the tourist guide when she was here, but it was all fun fun fun.

Last weekend was fun too. We went to the movies to see Mary Poppins. I don't know that I've every really watched the whole movie from beginning to end, so that was fun. The film even broke in the middle of the showing which made us all laugh and remember that's what it used to be like going to the movies.

This weekend is the 4th of July and it will be my first in Texas. I'm not sure what they do around here for the holiday itself. I'm sure there's fireworks or something. We'll be going on Sunday to the Zilker Theatre in the Barton Springs park to see Beauty and the Beast. Our friend Leslie is playing the role of Lumiere and we're anxious to spend the day with Aunt Bea and celebrate his birthday.

I hope this writing finds you well. I'm doing pretty good. I'm 254 today down from 280 on May 20th. So, let's see that makes an average of just over 4 lbs a week. So, pretty good. I'm feeling better and although I don't really "see" any changes yet, folks around me say they do. So, I haven't had to buy any new clothes yet, we'll see if that changes soon too.

A Hopeful Story - Edith Macefield

Here's a story.. about a stubborn old woman who refused to sell her home worth $120k for even a million dollars. She only wanted to die on the couch that her mother died on, in the home she bought for her in 1955. So, while the rest of the world built up around her, she remained steadfast and in her modest home, and her old blue car.

Here's the original story, the most recent story can be found by clicking on the title of the blogpost: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/333917_macefield02.html

It's a wonderful story I came across a few months ago, and now she's passed away. But, she died exactly as she wanted. In her little home, on the same couch in the same way her mother passed away.

Oh No. In Memoriam

I only really have one source of political news that I trusted.. and that was Tim Russert. I'm so saddened by his passing. From his weekly Meet the Press show where we got to watch him grill politicians and others with questions no one else seemed to be asking, to his daily appearances on the Today show - I always looked to Tim for the "True" perspective of things.

I didn't really trust anyone else because Tim always seemed to boil it down and provide the big picture in all his assessments. And, he was excited about the process of elections and it made me excited too. I record the Today show, mostly so when I come home rather than watching the current line-up of pathetic newscasters - I could catch up with just a few-minute segment with Tim instead.

This is such a great loss - and really - at this point - I don't know where I'll get the straight scoop anymore.