"Spank me and call me Shirley"

My weigh in last night was FANTASTIC. I went in there expecting the worst, I had a number in my head that I was sure I'd hit, so I was ready. I was ready to face the fact that I most likely was looking at losing 25-30 lbs and I was up for it, man.

I hopped on the scale and was shocked. Happy shocked. Since my last visit to Weight Watchers at the end of January, I have lost 1/2 a pound. Not up 10 like I was expecting. I was so surprised. The ladies working there were impressed that I hadn't gained more for not going in 4-5 months. I have been so bad these last few months. Well, not so much been bad as much as making poor choices. Like, eating everything and anything and not caring, drinking beer in retarded quantities, and just not caring at all. I did not deserve to have lost 1/2 a pound.

However, that cranked my motivation WAY up. It was already up when I woke up yesterday and just decided that that was the day I was going to do it again. When I realized that I'm "there". That place where you really need to be to make the change. I was "there" in January of 2003 when I started and pretty much was there for two years. I'm back, and I know I'm going to do it this time. I have 18 pounds to lose to get back to goal and I'm projecting Labor Day as the time when I hit it. That gives me, what, 10 weeks-ish? Plenty of time.

I want to get out and do some serious walking, too. There's a road around the corner from here that is not populated much and is all uphill. I want to start taking walks up it in the morning before everyone wakes up. If I could do that three or four times a week, I could drop weight much quicker. The one thing that makes me nervous about all this, walking up that road (aside from the challenge of being up and out at 5:00 am which is way easier said than done), is being alone outside at that time of day. Not so much about people (although that's a concern) but animals. We've got coyotes out here, no bout a doubt it. From what I understand, there have been no reported coyote attacks on people in NH like ever, but I'd rather not take a chance. Oh, also, bears. We have black bears which I think are like big dogs on steriods, and for the most part won't attack people, unless they're sick. I've heard about two black bear attacks in the past months, not around here, but still. So, I'm thinking maybe getting myself some pepper spray, just in case.

Anyway, first I'm going to work on the eating thing, and probably start walking next week. And then you all have to be subjected to my writing about losing weight. It's more interesting than the gaining part, I think.

So. Yesterday, I got another bomb dropped on me by my dad. This bomb from the past. Tons of backstory.

It started with this entry by Zonoria . I recognized John Hall as the name of a guy that my dad had an album by in the very late 70's. My dad used to buy albums and listen to the shit out of them when I was a kid. Bruce Springsteen's "Darkness on the Edge of Town", anything by Linda Ronstandt (who to this day, whenever I hear her, all I can think is, "Dad's fantasy woman"), Eric Clapton "Slowhand", etc, etc, etc. I know them all by heart and if I hear them now, I feel like a kid again, listening to my dad's tunes over and over and over. John Hall's "Power" was one, and I really liked that one.

So, anyway. Evidently, John Hall was in the group Orleans, and they did that song "Still The One" (ABC's theme song in the 80's, 'memba?), which Bush used in one of his campaigns and Orleans did not appreciate it none too much since they are all liberals. Also, John Hall is now running for Congress against a Republican five term incumbent. This all peaked my interest seeing as my dad is Mr. Republican.

So, I clicked over to Mr. Hall's website and read his bio. It said that the album "Power" was all about alternative energy sources. And I'm all, My dad? The Reagan Conservative? Listening to liberal-type music? WTF, did he not know or something?

So, I called him. I, like, never call my dad. He calls me. But this was killing me. So, I told him all this. I was like, "Did you know dat? Did you know dat?".

He said, "I knew that. I bought that album when I was a liberal".

He might as well have told me that I wasn't really his kid. I was fucking floored. I never, ever knew that my dad was a liberal. I know he voted for McGovern in 1972 instead of Nixon because he was pissed that Nixon didn't get us out of Vietnam, and trust me when he told me that nugget a few years ago I was surprised.

Yeah. He went on to tell me that Jimmy Carter was the last Democrat he ever voted for and that's when he changed. I remember the 1976 election, I remember rooting for Carter, and now it makes sense, my dad was behind him. I was six, okay?

Because the first conscious memories I had of my dad's political leanings were in the 1980 election and he was all about Reagan. He loved the man. He was all over it. So, as far as I was concerned, up until yesterday, my dad was always my very, extremely, never-ever-vote-for-a-Republican Democratic grandparents's Alex P. Keaton child.

He fucking quoted Winston Churchill about an old liberal being a fool and that he grew out of it and he said I will too. Oh, isn't he funny? I did the math. In 1980, he turned 34 in November. A year plus younger than I am now. So, I told him, "Well, already I'm almost two years older than you were then and I feel more strongly liberal than I ever did. So, nah".

The things you learn. I'm still in shock. It would be like me waking up some morning and being Bush's newest and biggest supporter. Which just ain't never, ever gonna happen.

Anyway, that's all I got for now. I've got to get Mickey to school in 20 minutes. Then I've got to prepare a nice salad for lunch, with chicken breast and light honey mustard dressing.

See ya.

Listening to: "Feeling Satisfied" Boston. I want to marry this station.

Currently reading: "The Innocent" Harlan Coben. I'll be finishing it today.

Thinking about: Bad things. Bad, bad things.