Walk This Way

It's been 150 days since Wii Fit has been my fitness coach. When I first started he would say, "That's obese", when I would step on the balance board which measures my weight, BMI (Body Mass Index based on weight and height) and my COB (Center of Balance). Wii would assist me by asking me what my goal in weight loss was and how long I wanted to achieve that goal. I started out simple and told it that I wanted to loose 1 lb. The minimum time frame to reach a goal is 2 weeks. That seems to have worked for me. Since I've started I've lost 12 lbs and now when I step on the balance board it says "That's Overweight".

In addition to performing the weight, BMI and COB measurements, it selects two other random tests to perform. They can be steadiness, agility, single leg balance or checking something or other in regards to walking. It's this last test that I find strange. I have to stand on the balance board which is approximately 1 ft x 2 ft. Then it tells me to walk as I normally would walk. I have no idea how I'm supposed to walk normally on a 1 x 2 ft balance board.

In The Bag

I'm asking myself why I feel it necessary to save and re-use plastic baggies. You know, the kind you put your sandwich in when you're packing your lunch.

The other day I found myself washing them to make them suitable for re-use. Barb has rightly pointed out that they are inexpensive and meant for one use. You probably haven't ever washed a baggie. They are not easy to wash. I'm not sure they get really clean.

So why do I hang on to them? It could be that I'm a miser and detest spending money. It could be that I'm concerned about the environment and want as few of these baggies floating around landfills. I'm not really sure what drives this quirk.

From this point forward I vow never to re-use baggies...uh, I vow never to wash them to make them suitable for re-use. If their used for something like...pretzels where the item itself does not remain with the baggie, I may re-use it. If what was in the bag still has it's DNA in the bag, it's gone.

Amazing New York Dogs

Not far from here the fame of the Chicago Dog is well known. It's an all beef hot dog on a poppy seed bun with mustard, onion, Nuclear Relish, dill pickle spear, tomato, sports peppers and a dash of celery salt. That's a lot on a dog and it's not easy to eat without getting some of it on you. I digress since the New York dog referred to in my title is not a hot dog, but an actual dog.

Although I actually never saw these amazing dogs in New York City, there was a sign that referred to their existence. Actually I didn't see many dogs in NYC. I did see one peeking out of a duffel bag in Grand Central Station.

Any way, these amazing dogs are able to ride bikes. I would imagine that the bikes would be small bikes built especially for dogs. You see, I actually didn't see these bikes or the dogs ridding them, but I did see a sign referring to them. Not only were these dogs able to ride bikes, they also fed pigeons. I did see some pigeons in NYC, and while I didn't see dogs feeding them, I did see some people feed them. I wonder though if the dogs feed the pigeons while they are riding the bikes or at a separate time. Since I didn't see them, I really don't know. What I do know though is that these dogs are not well liked. People don't want them on their property. I guess that's only natural since dogs and pigeons have a way of letting you know that they had been there.

I wish I would have seen one of these dogs riding a bike and feeding pigeons, but all I saw was this sign.

The Queen's Lilly

For years the Queen's Lilly has graced the kingdom. It's bloom is watchfully anticipated each summer. It is known to obey the wishes of the Queen. As the time approached for the royal family to travel from places as far away as the Land of the Rising Sun to meet here in the kingdom, the Queen instructed the lilly that it was to bloom on the day of the gathering. As the sun cast it's light over the kingdom on the morning the royal family gathered, the lilly slowly opened it's first bloom. Now as the kingdom celebrates the life of Lord Joshua, the lilly abounds with color. It's beauty is unrivaled among the other perennials.

Thus it is written in the annuls of the king.

Princess Ella And The Beautiful Flower

It was a beautiful day in the kingdom and the King, Queen, Princes and Princesses were enjoying the weather. While they conversed near the castle, Princess Ella wandered into the neighboring kingdom where an old fort intrigued her. It been years since the fort's inhabitants had occupied it, but it was in relatively good condition. Unfortunately, the fort was not under the watchful eye of the king. Having left the safety of the kingdom, Princess Ella was susceptible to the influence of evil forces that would do her harm.

As the King and his court enjoyed their conversation, Princess Ella returned to the kingdom proclaiming she had found a "beautiful flower". In reality, the 'beautiful flower' was a poisonous plant. The evil forces had transformed it's simple appearance of three green leaves into that of a beautiful flower. The King who saw with clarity that it was poisonous, revealed it for what it was. The ivy of poison was carefully removed from possession and she was whisked away and attended to. It was fortunate that the ivy of poison was identified as soon as it was, before it had a chance to poison the royal family.

Beer To Diet For?

Years ago I discovered a beverage out east not normally found in the midwest, Birch Beer. For those of you who might be concerned about my decline into alcoholism, not to worry. Birch Beer is similar to Root Beer. Many claim it tastes just like Root Beer. While it may be similar, there is a distinct difference. I've grown a liking for the beverage and when traveling out east, I attempt to purchase a few liters to bring back and enjoy here at home. My recent trip to Vermont was no exception. While there I went to the local grocery store with my cousin who, living in Vermont, was unfamiliar with Birch Beer. I wonder what beverages that are sold locally that are not sold in other geographic locations that I am unfamiliar with.

We found the soda aisle and wandered up and down it not spotting the desired Beer. Finally I spotted it and purchased three liters. Once back at my cousins, I chilled one for consumption later on. The other two were packed away for transportation back to Indiana.

Back in Indiana the Birch Beer was unpacked and as I was placing a liter in to the fridge, I noticed that the word Diet was on the bottle. Arrrggghhhh. One does not choose 'diet' on items that he considers an indulgence. Well, the bottle is still chilling waiting for that special moment when it will be poured into a glass and savored. The question is whether the diet version will live up to my expectations for an indulgence.

Birch Beer has been infrequently found in some local stores as a specialty soda with a price tag to match. It is also available in Shipshewana at Yoder's Red Barn Shoppes also at an price twice that out east.

Creemeed After Climbing Spruce Mountain

Spruce Mountain

Trail Length: 4.5 miles

Vertical rise: 1,340 feet

Difficulty: Moderate

For me, the hike up Spruce Mountain was a bit more than moderate and I've seen other posts on internet voicing the same sentiment. It was an enjoyable hike and the view from the fire tower at the top were excellent.

By the time we had completed the hike, my legs were moaning. On the way back from the hike we stopped at Bragg Farms and had a Maple Creemee. Creemee is the terminology used here to refer to soft serve ice cream. The maple flavor of the creemee came from 100% Vermont Maple Syrup. It was a delight.