Happy 2009! Resolution time...

It's a new year full of possibilities, opportunities, excitement of what may be - and the pain of dropping the 20 pounds I regained. About four years ago I dropped 40 pounds and felt fantastic! I did it by eating better - LOTS less junk - and exercising. Since then I have not kept up the exercising regularly. I'd go 3-4 weeks of doing it regularly, then something would cause me to not get to it for a month or more. Each time just as I was getting my body used to exercising, I'd stop.

One thing I have learned over the last five years is if I don't exercise, I have to eat really small portions, and I can't eat much snack stuff - cookies, candy, chips, ice cream, etc. that also includes beer. :( BUT, when I DO exercise, I can eat more and more snack stuff without gaining a pound. Plus there's the added bonus of 1) feeling better physically, 2) looking better which causes 3) feeling better mentally, and that's a BIG win!

We've got an elliptical trainer at home for those days when it's too cold or wet to go outside. Starting today I am going to eat better, drink more water, less soda, less beer, and exercise at least every other day. That's what I did before. I'll just keep asking myself the same questions I did before: Do I want that or want to feel better? Do I want that or do I want to be able to play with Riley? Do I want that or do I want to take a chance at diabetes? I ask that one because my Dad got it from being overweight. I'm 45, will be 46 in March. Riley is 6. I'll be in my 50's when he's in high school. I won't be able to keep up with him like I could if I were in my 30's or 40's, but I don't want to be sitting in a chair because I can't do it at all.

I WILL drop these 20 pounds I put back on!

My other big resolution is my trumpet. Each year I say I'm going to practice, be in shape for the Rose Parade, and I never am. Last year was the worst! Then after the parade when I'm in ok shape, I say I'm going to keep it up, and never do.

This year I have decided if I want to play trumpet, I WILL practice. Even if it's just in my car at lunch, that's better than nothing. It'll take me longer to get in the shape I want, but I CAN get there. I AM a good player and could be a REALLY good player. But I've gotta do what it takes to get there. I want to be in shape enough that if someone calls asking me to play a gig or something quick, I can.

I WILL be buzzing my mouthpiece in my car. I WILL practice in my car at lunch and I WILL practice correctly! Not just playing songs (which is better than nothing), but actually practicing the way I should to improve my overall playing.

This other one isn't really a resolution, rather something I'm working all the time: Being a better father and husband. Sometimes I do really well, sometimes I fail big time. Mostly it's because I get frustrated and mad too fast. Well, I had pretty much two weeks off over Christmas and today I feel fantastic! In fact, at an intersection where cars cut me off all the time, when it happened again today, I didn't get upset or anything. I didn't even think about it until a few seconds later when I realized I was ok with letting them go first! All day today the things that really pissed me off before my vacation haven't been bothering me at all! I guess I needed that more than I thought. So now I'm in a MUCH better frame of mind and will work hard to stay that way so I don't blow up at my family for something they didn't deserve.

So there are my two big ones. I have a lot of other ones but these are the two I say I am going to do every year and I fail at horribly. I am going to concentrate on these. Instead of picking a ton, I have just picked two so I can focus more attention on them. I will be checking in at least once a month to share how I'm doing.

To begin with, today I DID buzz my mouthpiece on the way to work and I HAVE been drinking more water and eating better. So far so good! Now, let's see if I can keep it up for more than two days. ;)