o/` Climb..... every....... mountain........ o/`

I've just returned from Crested Butte South, Colorado....... the family's little slice of paradise. No, I did not climb every mountain, but I am more able to climb now than previously, and in that higher altitude with less oxygen, it really is beneficial to my losing weight. Of course, I stuck to the eating plan totally, and drank lots of water, which both help. Then again, I have to drink lots of water up there, or I could edge towards dehydration.

The family house is nearly all put together, after what seems like a long 6 months since we bought it. It will be my destination of choice for sometime now, except of course the weekend trips to Grand Lake, an annual trip to Lake Tahoe, and a few other sidetrips now and then. It's a 14 hour drive, but it's well worth it upon arrival. Summer and Fall are my favorite times up there, since I really don't ski anymore due to the knee problems.

All friends are welcome to join me up there sometime for a week in paradise.

My last weigh in was 389# on September 2nd. 17 days ago. At that time I had lost 105 pounds since February, and 70 since surgery. In the last 17 days, largely due to the higher altitude vacation I am sure, I lost another 24#, for a total of 129 since February, and 94# since the 6-13-05 gastric bypass surgery. WOW. That is 94# in 98 days. No wonder I feel dizzy at times, as my body has to keep readjusting. Yeah, yeah, I was always a bit light headed. heheh.

I erred and took a number of shirts with me without thinking that were now too big !!! I felt like I was wearing a tent at times. Now, especially in light of the hurricane devestation across the country so far, with more likely to come in this hurricane season, all those now too large clothing items are headed to GoodWill for those in need. They are still clothes in very good shape, just now too large for me. And some of them I did not like to wear at a point, since they were too tight for me !!

I have been through a lot with this process, but it still pales in relationship to the people of Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. I feel so fortunate to have been even able to choose to do such a surgery, when there are those without good drinking water, electricity, a roof, and those with family / friends location still unknown. Having gone to Ole Miss for Graduate School 9-76 to 9-77, I know a bit about the people of Mississippi. However, Oxford is way north of the major damage area. Still, I knew people from the areas that were hit, and over the years have lost contact with them, so I have no idea if they even lived in those areas anymore, or how they or their family / friends have fared. However, my memories of Ole Miss do bring about a slight craving for some homemade cheese grits........ and those Sunday Brunches we used to do in the apartment complex. That was a good time in my life, and I learned a lot about people at Ole Miss, knowing no one when I went there, and having to grow up a bit being further away from home than I had been in undergraduate school at Oklahoma State University.