The heating element is supposed to come today. I removed the old element which seemed to be OK. I'm writing this after mowing the front lawn and the element still has not come. Tracking said it's on the truck, I'll be surprised if Fedex delivers on Saturday. I weighed 239 this morning. That's another half pound drop from yesterday. Little by little I'm getting healthier. Let's hope this continues although I know there will be periods of seemingly no progress in the future months. I did a lot of weather research on the net this morning looking at various hardware to collect weather data. I want to gather temp, humidity, etc and archive it on a website. I think I also will build a temperature logger. My device will collect one wire data and store it in an SD card.
The card did arrive on a Saturday, hooray Fedex. It arrived at 3 PM and I soon had it installed and the motor wired up before putting the covers on the motor and the control box. I put some water in the tub then tried the motor - Eureka! Filled it the rest of the way to the top and put the outside skirt back in and watched the temperature slowly rise at about 2 degrees per hour. I do believe it's fixed!!! Dinner was BLT and Bush's barbecue beans again. Yummy.

Returned to Tiger Direct to return the Compact Flash. while there I bought a keyboard and a DVD drive. The keyboard was what made the MSI take off. It would not boot without it. Used a USB stick and installed ?Ubuntu. It sucked big time. It was bloated, did not load as quick as I would like and worse, it would not stream with the existing MP3 player. I nuked it and installed Win XP. Had some trouble getting it to boot on it's own but after editing the boot.ini, all was well. I only had a cucumber for lunch today. Tried the watermelon that Lib bought but it was awful. It was white inside and not ripe. Had a peach instead. Dinner was crab cakes with baked beans, the Bush barbecue style which had peppers and a little bit of zing. I loved it. After dinner I worked on my XP installation some more. I need to get XP to start Firefox automatically with the Music server set as the home page. It seems to play music OK and work on the net just fine.

Went to Tiger Direct this morning to get a Compact Flash and LCD Monitor for my Atom Barebones PC that arrived via UPS this morning. It looks like a pretty nifty PC for $119. There wasn't much in the way of docs or anything else but I didn't expect it to be so barebones. The fire department was there when I got to TigerDirect - apparently the fire alarm went off so I waited for them to signal the all clear. I bought a 4 gig CF card for $48 with tax. I'll return it because CF cards on Newegg are less than $20. I took the 500 gig drive out of Mazeppa and put it into Manon2 to transfer all the files off the drive so I can format it for use by ubuntu in the new PC. Need a name for the PC. My weight this morning was 240 which is just under the obese label. Whoopee!!!! Dinner was pasta tortellini stuffed with pesto.

Weight still holding at 241, boooo! I had a panic moment when I discovered half of the AVSA pictures were not on the new PC. Looked at Manon and Mazeppa but no luck. Checked Traviata and had a real panic when I everywhere I looked I couldn't find the pictures. Finally I took the shoebox out of the closet and discovered that one of the CF cards was not downloaded. I downloaded the card and breathed a sigh of relief. I have also slowly been scanning and uploading the tour sheets to a web site for Nancy Carr. Dinner was a BLT and also roasted beets. I never thought I would like beets this much. What a treat. Stayed up late and finished scanning all the papers and postcards that Libbie has given me but there is still more to do.

Worked on the new PC today some more transferring the AVSA pictures over to the new PC. I did the 4 mile walk again today after the grocery store run. I also went to Trader Joes today - lots of little kids running around. Dinner was beanburger with fresh corn again.

Still holding at 241. Installed Photoshop CS2 on the new computer then found out how to save my old actions and load them into photoshop. Walked the full 4 miles today - it was overcast and only in the 80's. Dinner was fresh corn on the cob from the Farmers market with bean burger and vidalia onion.

Got the paper at 7 AM which was later than normal since I went to bed at 12:30 last night installing software on the new computer. It picked up a virus from an ISO which trashed the system causing it to play rap music and slow down inexplicably. I formatted the hard drive and stayed again this time with antiVirus software installed first.
Jumped on the scale this morning and was only at 241 but it was solid, possibly .2 of a pound under 241.
It was a rainy day so I chose not to walk. Worked a lot of today putting software on the new computer. I also diagnosed the hot tub. I found out that the element was leaking to ground which caused the GFI to trip. Ordered a new element from spa warehouse for $20. Dinner was a great pizza from Lib with her homemade salsa sauce. After dinner I worked some more on the computer and went to bed after 11.

Independence Day! Worked a little installing more software on my new computer, Manon2. The netwrok neighborhood is now working again after being missing in action yesterday. I need to put so much stuff on this machine. My weight was down to 241 this morning. Only one more pound and I'll be fat instead of obese. How did i get here? It was easier to get obese than to lose the lardness. Took a 4 mile walk, the weather is very dry and surprisingly not as humid. Did a little research on the Highwaymen this morning adding this category to my Art Server. Mixed a batch of Malathion but I think I overdid it because I didn't know the number of oz in a tsp. It's 0.16 so I should have used 4 x .16 = .64 ounces per 2 gallons which is the recommended 2 tsp per gallon. Took a shot at one of the fawns with my 22. Of course I missed but more importantly, I needed to bring the gun inside for reloading. Out of bullets. For dinner tonight we had grilling beans and a BLT. Afterwards we watched the fireworks on PBS then switched to Macys in NY. The NY music was trashy but the fireworks were over the top. At 10 PM the best music was Neil diamond with the Boston orchestra and Keith Lockhart. While waiting for the evenings performances I hooked up a 110v line directly to the hot tub bypassing the GFI. The pump ran OK.

Spent the day adapting the Waterway hot tub pump to the Jacuzzi plumbing. Everything went well after I made a run to Ace to pick up a can of PVC glue. When I plugged it in it tripped the GFI breaker which was a disappointment. Don't know what's wrong but it's not correct. Dinner was the Indian rice and chicken dish which was delicious. We watched Revolutionary Road which was a free rental from the Krogers machine. Had a little trouble getting the DVD player to go. It wouldn't respond to the remote. Need to replace this thing. Weight is still flat lined at 242. Finished the Daddys Girl book. It was quite a twisted turn of events, even in the end when her supposed boyfriend is arrested by a sting operation she set up.

I worked on assembling the new computer and also worked on the pool pump. The computer came right up so I installed Win XP while I went for my walk. I'm using the 500 GB drive from the defunct MyBook. I moved all the MyBook data to the data drive in Mazeppa for now. I looked at the amperage of the new hot tub pump and it is correct. The box also came with two unions. Dinner was a beanburger with vidalia and Bushs Grilling Beans, bourbon and sugar flavor. The weight has gone up a bit since eating at restaurants two days in a row. Went to the CU with Mom's estate check. Vicki said this is the last of them. After the CU I picked up all the plumbing parts I think I need to change the hot tub pump.

Jumped on the scale and was a little worried after the hush puppies and pretty full meal at the restaurant yesterday which included 2 glasses of iced tea. The good news was 241. If I can hit 240 I will move from the obese category to overweight although I did some online research and different web sites classify obese with different BMI's. One of them declares it at 260, I'm going for a BMI of less than 3.0. as the definition of Obese. It's a column on the fat ass chronicle spreadsheet I created on google docs. This afternoon we left at 12:04 for Asheboro. Got to the Heritage Diner at 1:40 and ordered a BLT. Our server was wearing a tght tee shirt and denim short shorts. She was very pretty. Most of the people in the diner were bubba and the boys. Afterwards we talked with the owner then went upstairs and peeked at the Motorcycle Museum whichi was getting a new floor. Pointed the GPS to the Petty Museum and drove over to it. Academy Street was torn up so we went around the block and found the museum. It was very bright and modern in an attractive brick building. The staff was friendly and let us see the movie and tour the museum for free. Afterwards I found some gas for 2.49 and set the GPS for the aviation museum. This was 2 hangars at the Asheboro airport. I didn't think it would be interesting but it was very good. Everything was well labeled and roomy. We went home via 64 and found a produce stand by Jordan Lake with tomatoes, plums, peaches and corn. Dinner was bean burger with vidalia onion and tomato and the fresh corn which was yummy.

When we got home the pump and the new computer parts had arrived.

In what's beginning to sound like a broken record, I got on the scale and lost 1.5 pounds last night. I'm now at 242.5 which is shocking because this is the weight where I started out in 2004 when the doctor said I was pre hypertensive. It's amazingly easy to gain weight, when you put it on it's permanent and becomes a part of you then it's really hard to lose it but I'm committed!!! I got on the Wii just to confirm it. Wii says I lost 2.5 pounds since 3 days ago. Whoopee! I did the 4 mile walk in the warm but not very humid air. Came back with lots of water left over. Checked my weight and it was down another pound. We left at 6 today for Willow Springs via I-40. Got off at hwy 42 and looked for Stephensons barbecue. It was an old fashioned country style barbecue joint with sweet tea, hush puppys and plywood tables. Cash only! Libbie had to come up with a $20 bill. We came home via 1010 - it didn't seem too far from Tony Avents for the tour next spring. At home I had some of my frozen Mango and then laid on the floor and read my book, Daddys Girl. I have become engrossed in it.

We checked Google Latitude this morning and saw that Joe is at June Lake in Yosemite. Yesterday we tracked him through Las Vegas. Tried bicycling this morning but my legs were so tired I turned around at the front entrance. Did lots of gardening next. Weeded and hoed the tomatoes, tied the tomatoes, moved the hibiscus, extended the cucumber trellis and did some light weeding. Took my 4 mile walk - it was difficult. I used almost all of the 33 ounces of water. Weighed myself at home and lost 1 pound on the walk. In the afternoon Lib and I did a Trader Joe's run but they were out of almonds. Dinner was pasta with mangos for desert. After dinner I really got into reading Daddys Girl. It's quite good.

I got up at 6 this morning and got on the scale. My weight was a disappointing 244. I'm getting obsessed with knocking this down. I was at McDonalds at 6:38 and the paper machine was empty. Had to go to Krogers and picked up a paper and also some cocoa powder to make some roach bait. Worked with Libbie on a tour timetable on google docs. I also had to water the grow boxes again today - one of them was completely dry and the squash and cucumbers were wilted. Did another complete 4 mile walk, Libbie joined me from Krogers. It doesn't seem as hot today although they said it was 94 on the news. Interesting, this morning Libbie and I talked about pitchman Billy May and this evening we found out he died overnight. I previously read the Playboy article profiling him. We had Libbies excellent pizza again. She had a frozen crust and spiced up the sauce with fresh tomato wedges.

Page views of my Gone Too Far story have reached 13,400 with an average rating of 3.24 out of 5. On the scale his morning I weighed in at 244. This is good, yesterday I cut back on iced tea. I only had one glass. We measured our standard glass and found it was 14 ounces. I did a full 4 miles today. Beforehand I bought a 33 ounce bottle of water. I'll use the bottle for future walks. After the walk Libbie and I went up the hill and walked through the lot 67 house. I then drove 10 foot poles into the ground to stake my tomatoes in the grow box which had overgrown the 5 foot poles. Dinner was excellent - we had fresh corn from Kroger's and bean burger with tomato and the last slice of Vidallia.

I got on the scale and was disappointed again as the balance beam showed 245.5. It's hard losing excess weight, it has become a permanent part of me. Need to keep trying.
I ordered the NewEgg computer - a quad core AMD with 4 gigs of memory. GMA this morning has devoted the whole show to Michael Jackson although they are running a concert with the cast of Hair as part of their summer Friday concert series. Last night Libbie and I wrote a sympathy card for Helen and also made a donation to the Tinari endowment fund.
Later in the day we got the Helen Mahr obituary and the family requested moneys go to the scholarship fund at TWU rather than flowers. We didn't mail the Tinari check. Dinner was blueberry pancakes again. We went to Walgreens to pick up 3 5x7's of copies of the Cortelyou house that Libbie photographed on the wall of her Mom's house.

Weight still holding at 246. Need a good kick in the ass. Walked the lake today from home. Also went to Lowes and picked up 3 bags of brick chips and one bag of mulch for our gardens. Fixed it all up nicely. I think I'll write another story but this time for the July monthly contest.
Walked to the lake and down this side of it from home, about 3 miles total. I want to lose weight. I think the iced tea is killing me. Checked the news to read about Farrah's death and found out Michael Jackson had died. some time later Janet Castiglione had sent an eMail announcing that Helen Mahr Nicholas had died. We talked to Anne and Richard yesterday about Helen's fall. This was a tragedy. When she fell she broke her nose and lost her vision in one eye because the lens was torn out. Earlier today Laura had sent her list of wedding pictures. Dinner tonight was blueberry pancakes again. Excellent!!!

I thought I was happy with my weight this morning at a nice solid 246 but when I looked back a few days ago I reported a weight of 245 so it would seem no progress but I don't think so. Will take a walk today to help.
Went to Walmart and K-Mart in Garner. Ended up buying a comfort bike in Walmart for $75. Just the basics, one speed with coaster brakes for Sarasota. Libbie and I tested it on Downing Place then took a walk around the lake from Krogers. Dinner was blueberry pancakes using the many blueberries that Joy gave us plus the ones I bought on Tuesday. My story was rejected today because of incorrect punctuation. I reformatted the quotes after reading the writers guide and resubmitted it.

After the grocery run this morning I went to Walmart in Holly Springs to look at bikes they didn't have. I did buy four Dahlias from their rescue table for $2 each, Submitted my Gone Too Far story to the Nude Day contest. I think it turned out well. Replaced the second rotted fence post on our property line this afternoon. It was easier than yesterday. Dinner was crab cakes with tomato and fresh corn from Krogers. Yummy.

I spent the morning recreating the withdrawals from our home equity loan. I'm pretty pissed off that Libbie has been using the house as a credit card and not paying the equity back. I may need to close the account which will hurt me because the reason I got this account was in case of emergencies but this can't continue. The balance owed by Bluebird is in the $7,000 category. Bad, bad news.
I finished the Literotica story late at night. Didn't lose any weight today - presently stuck. Late in the PM I replaced one fence post of the two I'm going to replace on the back line. Dinner was corn, bean burger and mango medley for dessert. Earlier we went to Trader Joe's for Mangoes but they were out. Stopped by Kroger's for a Watermelon and cucumber and discovered the corn which was delicious,

Went early for the paper. Noticed that the downstairs A/C is continuously running. Felt the vents and they were warm. This isn't good. Turned it off. I think it ran all night. Mixed up some malathion and did the backyard after I finished pruning the roses. Libbie saw bugs behind our headboard today so I sprayed te baseboards upstairs with Conquer. Some online research shows that for indoor pest control I want Demand CS instead of Conquer. It costs twice as much but seems to be more powerful according to reading the labels and marketing hype. Went to Home Depot and bought 2 4x4x8 posts to replace the fence posts on the barbed wire in the backyard. Pulled one post and re-dug the hole then installed a new post, leveled it and put the fence on it. I got my account at ASSTR today so I uploaded the first 4 parts of the Disney Story to it this morning. Got cleaned up and left by 2 for Cabaret. Walked a little in the Rose Garden before entering the theater for our 3 PM performance. Cabaret was dark and made you think after somberly leaving the theater. It starts out happy with singing and dancing but the mood turns somber and dark before the break as Nazis infiltrate. Libbie made an excellent pizza with fresh tomato. This was her best ever or I'm hungry. Weight this morning was a very satisfying 245. I still can't believe I'm this high and trying to come down from this level.

Weight is still holding at 247. Studied hot tub pumps. To replace the Jacuzzi with a Waterworks will take adding an adapter because the Jacuzzi has a custom connection. I have found much lower prices on non Jacuzzi pumps. Mowed the backyard and then Libbie and I took a walk in Seagrove Farm. We went as far as the pool. After returning I tried pruning the rose bushes. It was 100 today and I began hyperventilating. I had to crawl back to the porch and chill out. We then went to Home Depot looking for Dahlias. I had to return the GFI. Bought Malathion because whitefly and mealies are eating plants in the backyard. Will use it tomorrow. Dinner was quite bit of food - cucumbers, corn and tuna steak. The corn from Krogers was the best we've had this season so far.

Good news this morning, I am 247. It's amazing that when you gain a few pounds it becomes permanent and a part of you forever. I have gained over 10 pounds since the wedding and I have to work on getting rid of it one pound at a time. At least the weight is going in the correct direction. I spent most of the day working on the hot tub. Got themotor to start but it kept tripping the GFI. I bought a new external GFI in Home Depot to see if the GFI was bad. The new one tripped just like the current one. I'll take it back. Dinner was cucumber with bean burger. After dinner I started researching hot tub pumps. I sent an eMail to a guy with a $300 pump on eBay. He said it was a single speed but that's incorrect for that model number.

I stepped on the scale this morning and I'm still holding at 248 which is good considering I snacked a lot yesterday in between meals. Will do better today, may even take a walk if it's not raining. Tried pulling the pump this morning but I need a wrench with 3 1/2 inch jaws to get the pump intake loose. Visited Sears to look at tools. Bought an oil filter wrench which has large jaws. did not buy the socket set but I was tempted. Also stopped at K-Mart and looked at their tools and bikes but let empty handed. Surprisingly Ace hardware was gone. It's a hole next to K-Mart. Took the spa pump out - the filter wrench worked perfectly. This will be useful for oil changes. Tried repairing the starter mechanism in the motor but so far no love. I found a writers contest on Literotica with a nude theme. I started writing my entry which has a new couple moving to a housing development and the homeowners decides to have a nude welcome party. Worked outside a little on the grow boxes. I will need to put in the bigger stakes. Dinner was cucumber salad with bean burger and the dwindling Vidalia. After dinner I worked on my contest entry. Entries can begin June 20.

I'm recovering somewhat from our trip of overeating. When I got back I was over 250 but this morning the scale read 249. I'm getting back down and hopefully it will be 240 by the Gesneriad trip. I spent some time today reading some of the author writings on asstr. Because my own Disney Story was rated at 5th grade level I tried some of the other authors. They were in the 1st to 3rd grade levels so I don't feel too bad. I'll have to try some of the professional authors. I took the hot tube apart because the new 20 amp fuse I bought didn't do the trick. The motor is still stalled. Emptied it and it started working but as Libbie started filling it with our new cut off garden hose it stalled again. I'll have to pull the motor. Dinner was corn on the cob and bean burger with vidalia.