Have you ever felt physically fine after awaking from a good nights sleep and from that moment you began to deteriorate to a point where you said to yourself……Self, something’s wrong!

Well, I know why. Since I was a child, my favorite foods have been fatty, salt filled, process meats and the more the merrier. I’m not going to into why this is, but I will tell you that my confidence level for being brought down by this stuff was low. It’s FOOD! How can it hurt you? I even went to Golden Corral for my quarterly oil change on Sunday. That meant plenty of bacon, sausage links, sausage patties, coffee, orange juice, and an ice cream cone. Then I departed for church with my wife, sister-in-law, and nephew in tow.

Now, for the rest of the story. On Monday as I got to work, I felt light headed and my stomach started to become queezy. I chalked it up to head congestion and kept going. But, for some reason, I decided to go to the nurse. As she is taking my blood pressure I start getting a headache. A few seconds later came the news….210/118! Why am I standing? what’s going on? I have a blood pressure reading that could probably launch the space shuttle.

Anyway, the nurse made a copy of all my BP readings from the last one and a half months. My wife, Patty, came and drove me and the BP readings to the doctors office. When we arrived, Patty went to the window and gave the sheet to the nurse. In an instant I was whisked ahead of the people in the waiting room who had been there for at least an hour. Needless to say, they were pissed. After an hour of giving blood, peeing in a cup, chest X-ray, and an EKG they have me a BP pill and told me to come back later for a BP check to see if there was any difference. The answer was…..YES. The BP was much lower. Still high, but going in the right direction.

To make a long story short, this was the most physically uncomfortable day of my existance. When I got home my headache and stomach issues intensified and I became an absolute pain in the butt to my family. I tried not to complain but failed miserably.

It was the day of my wake-up call. I MUST GET HEALTHY!!! In November, our first grandchild was born and my daughter is going to have our second grandchild in May and I worry about them. My son, Sam, is in another part of the world fighting terrorism and I worry about him getting hurt. Joe is in D.C. busting his butt to make ends meet and I worry about him. Meridyth and Patrick are in California and I worry about them. Ryan and Kelly are here in town and I worry about them. Dan is here in town and I worry about him also. Then there is my wife Patty and my nephew Ethan, who can be a handful, and I worry about them. The only person I never seem to worry about is ME!

After getting through Monday, I began sifting through everything that my family has been warning me about for years concerning my eating habits and I just got angry. Now it’s is time to give up the non stop bologna and salami sandwiches, the Little Debbies, chips, etc., and take care of myself. Not just for me, but, for my family.

I have made this public making myself accountable and so that it may help some other dumba** like myself, get off his/her butt and do something about getting themselves healthy and prolonging their life for their loved ones and friends.

This is exam week. Every teacher (that I know) either loves or dreads this time.

I work as a teacher at one of the local high schools. This week, for me, is usually easy as I have small classes and block scheduling. The highlight was today when a young lady in one of my classes finished the practical part of her exam that she has labored over for a week. What was so great about this was the fact that she did the piece without any help, while I was busy answering questions of other students I thought would breeze through it.

She is a high maintenance student that has been in trouble all year, having been suspended 3 times. All year, this young lady has followed me around like a puppy, always needy, always wanting. Since it is my job to help students learn I have probably spent an inordinate amount of time working with her. Today, she showed herself, and me, that she IS capable of doing the work. I was very proud of her success and was pleased to let her know it.

Unfortunately, students in another class didn’t fare so well. I seem to be terminally depressed over the exam results from this class. Out of 8 students half of them failed. Is it lousy teaching? Am I not giving them enough information? Is it my fault they didn’t study? The answer is NO, NO, NO!!!!! This class is here for the ride. Work is a four letter word that means squat. I can’t make the work any easier. Homework is done in class, so I can answer questions. Handouts are thorouhly explained. Information is dispensed slowly in order for them to take notes and ask questions. In the end……failure. The best example of my disapointment and upset is in this simple question about rulers on the exam. Someone always gets it wrong! Ready?

How many sixteenths are there in an inch? (Hint: the answer is in the question!)
A. 4 B. 8 C. 12 D. 16

If you as a reader got this wrong then maybe you should sign up for my class, because obviously you also have issues.

Well, I need to go find something to calm me down.

I have to say, it is really cool to finally be a grandfather. In November, my son Ryan, and his wife Kelly became first time parents, with the birth of a georgeous girl named Chloe. That made my wife Patty and I first time grandparents. Now you have to understand that my children range in age from mid twenties to early thirties and I was beginning to think my social security checks would arive before a grandchild.

Anyway, around the same time my daughter Meridyth and her husband Patrick called from California to tell us she was in the family way and within weeks we went from famine to feast. Last week she called to tell us it will be a boy! WOW!

Well, I wouldn’t be a very good grandparent unless I showed you guys pics of the kids. So here they are.

This first post will be real simple.

Being technologically backward, compared to my children, I have been hesitant to attempt this. It is my hope that over time this will blossom into a place where people will learn about me and where I’ve been and where I’m going in my day to day battle called life. We may also talk about some of my favorite subjects, Boston sports teams, my children and grandchildren, etc.

I’m looking forward to hearing from all those who visit. So, as the title says “Let the Fun Begin!”.