And the big day finally gets here!

Sitting on the back deck, watching the sunrise, drinking coffee and being introspective this morning. I remember all the years that I wished I had gotten an education, now I am on that road. I graduate with a bachelors degree today! I am not done, but it is a huuuuuuuge step. I have to admit, this big step has opened up worlds of opportunity for me. I never really could wrap my head around the idea of Shane as a professional, but now I am. Now I am headed to law school for an even more lucrative profession and I am excited ya'll! I am bedded abundantly and even though I am not sure I deserve it, I am extremely grateful.

I am especially excited to see my pictures this time around. I was ginormous last time, this picture should be more flattering. We shall see. I am looking forward to my get together after too. It is supposed to be a gorgeous day today and perfect for a cookout.


Ya'll have a great day and I will see ya tomorrow!

Not That I Didn't See That Coming

SWell my poor eating this past two weeks, it caught up to me in a big big way this morning. I put on 4.6 pounds folks. That sucks. But here is the good news. All the emotion is over with now! I am done done done and done. I took my last final last night. I realized something about an hour before the final. I am a guy that needs a challenge in front of me. I have to be moving forward in some aspect of my life. I was wondering what my challenge was going to be for this summer and it came to me out of the clear blue. I am going to take aim at 180 pounds with a ferocity now! I don't have law school for three more months, I don't have undergrad for the rest of my life, and I really really was headed down the scale fast, so that goal made a lot of sense! So tallyho!

I am starting off that mission with a run in the park this morning. I love when it is sunny and warm and I can just jog my path down there. I stick my earphones in, I hit the trail and just get all chilled out and calm. It really is sweet, no kiddin'. And today I have to get to gettin' to finish all the stuff on my agenda. I have to clean up the back yard, get it mowed, hopefully get the front yard mowed, though it is less critical, I am selling my last book back, going to the records office to request a copy of my final transcript be sent to law school when it is ready and do some banking. My in laws are heading this way and should be here this evening and I am ready for some yee haw city! Tomorrow is my graduation day, the day I worked so hard for all those years. I did a bit of a not like me thing last night. It so happened that I took my last test in the same building as my first class was in. My first class was American Government, and it was in the lecture hall that has those seats, you know the ones. They have the little desk thing that folds up and down. I remember being hugely embarrassed that I couldn't make it work cause I was so fat. I had to use the one for the chair next to me to write on. So I stopped by that lecture hall on the way out and sat down in one of those chairs and folded the desk up for it and sure enough, bam it fit!! So I was excited about that. I hate to admit this, but I found it hard to get myself to leave campus last night. I kept kinda moping and looking and reminiscing. I finally did get out of there, but it took longer than it should have.

Ok folks, I am off of here, and fixing to head back down south on the scale numbers. Be keeping an eye out, cause it's on like Donkey Kong!!

Squats Are Evil!

Yeah just what the heading says. I am trying to mix my workouts up a little here lately make them fresh and new to me. I added weight training back in last month and have been messing with my treadmill routine too. So yesterday, I decided to replace a good run with some squats. I did a total of 100 non weighted squats. WOW!! I am in a lot better shape than the last time I did squats, but it still has torn me up! I got deep muscles soreness in my quads, hams and glutes and can even tell a little in my lower abs! So those will be a part of my routine at least once a week now. I love a good challenge like I said. So today is gonna be interesting during the jog, cause I am hurting for realz!

I am so ready to get this school over with. Today is my last day. I did a bad bad thing yesterday. I pizza buffeted for lunch! I just keep giving in to the stress of this week and I am tired of it! Once today is over with, I am done. I am goal setting and I am achieving them. No going to law school a lard butt for me!

Never More Evident

Wow, I just can't believe I had such a struggle with my eating based solely on the stress of my upcoming finals and graduation. I just discovered, by way of contrast and comparison between a 16 hour period, how huge of a role stress can play in your resolve! I kid you not, I have been fighting a huge fight with my eating for the last 4-5 days. I had hell to pay every night when I got home trying to not snack my life away. I took my final in the hardest class I have last night, and it was literally like rock had been lifted off me. I came home and was fine! Not one uncontrollable snack urge at all! I just was happy to be. that is it, just be. I even managed to watch a movie, Unstoppable, on a weekday evening, which is not something that happens for me. It felt good too.

I picked up my honor stole yesterday from the school. It looks pretty cool if I do say so myself! I can't wait until Saturday and all the Pomp and Circumstance!! I participated in the graduation ceremony for my Associates Degree, but it was at the behest of my wife and Mom, I wasn't really into it. This time around, you can bet, I will be stoked! I don't know why I am so amped about this, but I find it cool that as an honors graduate, I get to go ahead of everyone else at graduation. I know I am ultra competitive, but c'mon, really? That makes me excited?

Oh and I discovered a new trick to make my jogging more interesting for awhile. I started jacking with the speed and incline on the treadmill instead of leaving it on uphill and one speed. I started going 1 mile an hour faster for a few minutes on little incline, then I went faster uphill than usual, etc. It was a great workout and I enjoyed trying new challenges. I am gonna keep on doing the faster thing cause it really pushed me!

Holy Crap, There Were Muscles Under There!

I had a huge discovery yesterday! It turns out, under all that fat, there were some muscles!! This is crazy!!

Seriously, I was doing some curls yesterday morning and I just happened to look down and notice that I had this round bicep poking out pretty prominently, and I had huge forearm muscles with veins. So further inspection showed that I have very nice shoulder muscles, my triceps are starting to show up even when I am at rest, and I see my pecs on top, but my man boob skin needs to shrink some more before I can brag that I have good pecs. the saggy skin kinda ruins the pecs on the bottom. Oh and the legs, wow. All I can say. I think that if I get lucky and get some good skin shrinkage, I will eventually have the flat belly I seek, but I think that will be far into the future most likely. But for now, I will take the muscles that are looking so good! I can honestly say, I never imagined that my muscles would ever be this evident! I am a stoked feller! Yeeee haaaaaawwww!!

Have Them In The House, And You Will Eat Them

So in retaliation of all the crappy snacking I did Saturday, I went to Wal Mart and over loaded on veggies and fruits. I am on a mission now. Not sure how we got all those crappy snacks around the place, but that is gonna change. Well I know how most of them got here. It was Easter candy. And after this little debacle, I am making a decree for the Griffin household. No more mass inventory of candy. The occasional little bit is ok, but that junk is the enemy of all of us, not just me. Kathy is in agreement with that, so candy=not in this house!

I have a much better attitude today too. I had cucumbers lightly spread with hummus, I had bananas, I had carrots, I steamed a couple of sprouts of broccoli and some carrots. I mean it was a veggie kind of day fo' sho' and it made me feel better not just physically but mentally.

Speaking of mentally, I am a little disappointed. I get that we all live busy lives, but I am starting to have some close friends who were all about you can count on me being there, wouldn't miss it for the world!! that are starting to drop off about coming to my graduation this Saturday and the party after it. I guess I am a little hurt by it, but I am also even more thankful for those who said they would come and are. I have folks in Texas that are heading this way and I am glad for them for sure, and I have some local family that are coming too that I haven't seen in quite some time. My mom is having her friends over too, all of whom I love dearly and will be glad to see on such a special occasion to me. I do know this one thing. I am ready for this week to be over and I also am very introspective about it too. I guess the reality has set in that I am on to the next challenge. I loved this challenge. I am a little scared. I have the undergrad life figured out and now on to graduate school and having to start from scratch figuring it out. But like I have said many times, I live for the challenge, and typically rise to the occassion.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Monday morning. If you don't mind, tell me what it was like for you when you graduated college. I suspect my perception as an old man graduating is different from that of a young person graduating, and I would be interested to know if I am right.

A Whole New Battle Now

I have never been a big fan of sweets. Not opposed to them either. I just never sought them out or gorged myself before. My weakness was always fatty meats and chips. For some odd reason, for two days now, I have been gorging myself on sweets. I mean that literally, this is not an over reaction, I have had more sweets in two days than I have since the day I started this journey. So in response to that. I am shooting for a sweet free week and, ultimately, a sweets free month of May. I cannot let that habit get set in!