Monday, December 31, 2007
Reboxing the T-Amp: Setback
I've come across a setback. It seems that in my quest to re-box the Podzuma, I've managed to either damage the contacts for the headphone port, or somehow fry the input stage of the T-Amp board. With genuine 5066's being rare and expensive now, in order to finish the Podzuma, I may have to cannibalize my remaining "virgin" 5066 for its main board, which means I won't have it to finish out this reboxing project. I'm still thinking I may acquire a kit from 41Hz, and "re-box" it, but I'm still hoping I can resurrect the Podzuma's board and proceed with re-boxing the remaining virgin T-Amp.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Reboxing the T-Amp: Somebody Stop Me!
An idle brain is the Devil's workshop, so they say (well, okay, specifically, H.G. Bohn said it in 1855 in the Hand-Book of Proverbs).
Not that I've felt particularly idle, but I've found another(!) potentially useful feature to add to the T-Amp, and it's all my sister M's fault. See, she's getting married next weekend, and I'm DJ'ing the reception. I'm not a professional DJ, I just have a decent MP3 collection and an inability to say no. As I think I covered elsewhere in this blog, I DJ'ed my friends S & J's wedding, and used an older amplifier that I have to drive the speakers, along with the two Sony subwoofers I had in the house. In the intervening time, I've built a pair of subwoofers, and they're currently doing duty upstairs in the bedroom while the two Sony subs are downstairs with the big-screen. The problem is that the amplifier is a 1989 vintage (last year in college), so it doesn't have a dedicated subwoofer output. Both the Sonys and the Triskas can either take in line-level input, or speaker-level input, and I've had to use the speaker-level input as a pass-thru to the mains, which seems wasteful, since the subs are active (have their own internal amps). The signal path looks something like this:
Diagram #2 adds the subwoofer ports and the switchable 200 Hz high-pass. Of course, this design relies on the subwoofer being A) active and B) capable of accepting full-spectrum signal and internally low-pass filtering it at least 200 Hz (wouldn't want a frequency gap), but since I'm building it for me, and all of my subwoofers are capable of that, it's not much of a hurdle.
Not that I've felt particularly idle, but I've found another(!) potentially useful feature to add to the T-Amp, and it's all my sister M's fault. See, she's getting married next weekend, and I'm DJ'ing the reception. I'm not a professional DJ, I just have a decent MP3 collection and an inability to say no. As I think I covered elsewhere in this blog, I DJ'ed my friends S & J's wedding, and used an older amplifier that I have to drive the speakers, along with the two Sony subwoofers I had in the house. In the intervening time, I've built a pair of subwoofers, and they're currently doing duty upstairs in the bedroom while the two Sony subs are downstairs with the big-screen. The problem is that the amplifier is a 1989 vintage (last year in college), so it doesn't have a dedicated subwoofer output. Both the Sonys and the Triskas can either take in line-level input, or speaker-level input, and I've had to use the speaker-level input as a pass-thru to the mains, which seems wasteful, since the subs are active (have their own internal amps). The signal path looks something like this:
Source - Mixer - Amp - Sub - Mains
I want to use the Triskas because I don't want to tear down my home theater setup, and they have plenty of power to do the job. They have an adjustable low-pass built-in so that the sub only reproduces the lows, but unfortunately the full-spectrum signal gets passed on to the mains. I want the bass to thump and the mids and highs to be unmuddied, so letting the subs be solely responsible for the low end seems like the best solution.
Being a fan of Parts Express, I looked, and lo and behold!, a solution. They sell a pair of 200 Hz high-pass line-level crossovers designed to be put between the source and the amplifier. Since the Triska subs are active (have their own power supply and amplification), I can split the signal out of the mixer with a Y-cable, plug the unaltered signal into the subwoofer's line-level input directly, plug the crossovers in just before the amp, and hook the mains up to the amp directly,where they'll only reproduce anything 200Hz and above.
I want to use the Triskas because I don't want to tear down my home theater setup, and they have plenty of power to do the job. They have an adjustable low-pass built-in so that the sub only reproduces the lows, but unfortunately the full-spectrum signal gets passed on to the mains. I want the bass to thump and the mids and highs to be unmuddied, so letting the subs be solely responsible for the low end seems like the best solution.
Being a fan of Parts Express, I looked, and lo and behold!, a solution. They sell a pair of 200 Hz high-pass line-level crossovers designed to be put between the source and the amplifier. Since the Triska subs are active (have their own power supply and amplification), I can split the signal out of the mixer with a Y-cable, plug the unaltered signal into the subwoofer's line-level input directly, plug the crossovers in just before the amp, and hook the mains up to the amp directly,where they'll only reproduce anything 200Hz and above.
The mains will be happier with less low-end work to do, and the subs will be more or less independent. The downside is that I won't be able to adjust the volume from the amp, but since I'm using a mixer anyway, that's not a big deal.
Okay, I told you that story to tell you this one. Naturally, since I ordered the high-pass filters, I got to thinking that the reboxed T-Amp might benefit from the same kinda setup. Or put another way, I wondered how hard it would be to give the T-Amp subwoofer output ports. So, of course, that led to another switch, another set of RCA jacks, and the filters. Since I've reached the point where keeping the connections in my head is getting hard, I produced two block diagrams detailing the internal circuitry.
Diagram #1 is the rebox project I'd more or less settled on in the last post. Independent power, left and right volume, three selectable inputs, spiffy blue LEDs for everything.
Diagram #2 adds the subwoofer ports and the switchable 200 Hz high-pass. Of course, this design relies on the subwoofer being A) active and B) capable of accepting full-spectrum signal and internally low-pass filtering it at least 200 Hz (wouldn't want a frequency gap), but since I'm building it for me, and all of my subwoofers are capable of that, it's not much of a hurdle.
Requirements creep is going to end up killing me, but I think this is a good addition. I'll make my final decision after I get my Parts Express order in and test the wedding setup. If the filters do good there, I'll definitely have to score another pair and add them to the rebox.
And finally, yes, of course, I'm tossing around the idea of building another Triska sub with the same walnut veneer that I'm using for the amp, which of course leads me to think about reboxing the speakers I'm using with it, to also have that same walnut finish...seriously folks, it's a sickness with me. I like to tinker, and I like things to match.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Reboxing the T-Amp: Parts List Changes and Design Decisions
I've made a few design decisions about how I want the box to look. I'll be using 1/4" MDF as the main construction material, but I'll add several layers of walnut veneer to give it a nice wood grain. I'll probably stain the walnut relatively dark, to complement the aluminum knobs I'm using. Speaking of knobs, the left and right channel volume controls will be independent, so the dual-gang 50K pot I mentioned in the previous post is out, and two single-gang 50K audio-taper pots I picked up at Fry's are in. I'll re-purpose the dual-gang pot and use it to replace the stock volume control on the orignal Podzuma, which I will be also reboxing (re-reboxing?).
For the current rebox, I've also decided to go with 2 RCA inputs and a headphone input, which will work nicely with the 4P3T rotary switch I found at Fry's (replacing the DPDT switch I'd originally listed). Each input will have an LED indicator activated by the switch and powered by the same circuit that the Power LED is on. My hope (assuming the experiments go well) is to create cutouts in the walnut veneer for the power indicator and source indicators and illuminate them with the LEDs from behind. I'm also planning to recess the knobs into the faceplate, so it looks a little more "polished".
Basically, for the LEDs, I'm planning to cut icons into the top layer of the veneer, then sandwich a diffusing material between the top layer and lower layers, so that the light from the LEDs "fills" the icon evenly. Here's a picture of the notion:
Aaaaaand the icons:
I am not going to try to implement VU meters, nor am I adding a karaoke circuit. And even though it probably doesn't need it, I have a small (1.75") 12v computer fan that I'll mount in the back panel, and I'll rout some ventilation channels in the bottom panel of the box so the fan has air to move. So, what we're left with is:
- independent power switch with LED indicator
- independent left/right volume
- 3 input sources with LED indicators
- one headphone jack
- two sets of stereo RCA jacks
- high-quality speaker binding posts
- fan
- walnut finish
- chrome knobs (volume, source)
Once the knobs arrive from Mouser, I should be able to begin.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
I See Motorcycles
A couple of months ago, I was in traffic behind a guy pulling a trailer. It was that standard "I'm hauling motorcycles, or a 4-wheeler, or maybe a Legends car" kinda enclosed trailer, with stickers all over it. One of the stickers was "Start Seeing Motorcycles" or "Start Seeing Motorcyclists" (honestly, I forget). Turns out, this is part of some campaign by the National Association of State Motorcycle Safety Administrators, and on the surface it seems like a good idea. The problem I have with it is that it seems to place the blame for all of the bad things that happen to motorcyclists on automobile drivers.
To be fair, motorcycle versus car almost never comes out in the favor of the motorcycle. But...
I see motorcycles. I see motorcycle riders. Oh, the things I see. I see them whipping in and out of traffic, splitting lanes, passing on the shoulder, travelling significantly faster than traffic, not wearing helmets, and just generally being asshats.
And I've heard all the arguments, and they're usually the ones that justify some particularly unsafe behavior by motorcyclists. "I can't wear a helmet because it restricts my vision or hearing". You know, I'm pretty sure that's a simple matter of helmet design. There's no helmet design that will give you that "wind rushing through your hair" feeling, which is of course, the real issue. When I see a helmetless motorcyclist, my first thought is, "I hope they're an organ donor". As for the actual splitting lanes, speeding and creative passing, those of course are the reasons why you get a motorcycle. Sure, you tell your wife you're getting it for the fuel economy, but really, it's just because by doing those anti-social things, you can get down the road faster than the poor cattle in cars. But you're doing it on a vehicle that offers you absolutely zero protection in the event of a wreck. Nimble or safe. When it comes to motorized transportation, you really can't have both.
So, since I already see motorcycles, I'm thinking of my own bumper sticker. How does "Stop Being a Motorcycle Asshat" sound?
To be fair, motorcycle versus car almost never comes out in the favor of the motorcycle. But...
I see motorcycles. I see motorcycle riders. Oh, the things I see. I see them whipping in and out of traffic, splitting lanes, passing on the shoulder, travelling significantly faster than traffic, not wearing helmets, and just generally being asshats.
And I've heard all the arguments, and they're usually the ones that justify some particularly unsafe behavior by motorcyclists. "I can't wear a helmet because it restricts my vision or hearing". You know, I'm pretty sure that's a simple matter of helmet design. There's no helmet design that will give you that "wind rushing through your hair" feeling, which is of course, the real issue. When I see a helmetless motorcyclist, my first thought is, "I hope they're an organ donor". As for the actual splitting lanes, speeding and creative passing, those of course are the reasons why you get a motorcycle. Sure, you tell your wife you're getting it for the fuel economy, but really, it's just because by doing those anti-social things, you can get down the road faster than the poor cattle in cars. But you're doing it on a vehicle that offers you absolutely zero protection in the event of a wreck. Nimble or safe. When it comes to motorized transportation, you really can't have both.
So, since I already see motorcycles, I'm thinking of my own bumper sticker. How does "Stop Being a Motorcycle Asshat" sound?
Monday, October 22, 2007
Reboxing the T-Amp: The Parts
The parts list so far:
Parts Express:
Elsewhere:
This pretty much covers the basics. With the above parts, you could re-host the T-Amp into any sort of enclosure with higher-quality parts, and even add the ability to use line-level RCA inputs that most audio components use.
I'm rarely content to leave well-enough alone, so there are some elements of the design that are still in flux. For example, the dual-gang pot pretty much ensures that both channels are always at the same volume level. Instead of a single, dual-gang pot, you could easily use two 50K audio-taper pots to control the left and right channel volume independently.
In like fashion, you wouldn't have to stop at a single RCA input. With a 3P4T (3-pole, 4-throw**) switch, you could easily have 3 RCA inputs and the headphone input. With a 4P4T, you could add an LED for each input that would light when that input was selected. Obviously, the number of inputs would be limited only by the highest-throw switch you could find that could handle all the necessary poles.
No audiophile amp would be complete without some sort of VU meter for the audio channels. With this circuit and the right panel-mount meters, you could easily add VU-meters to your amp, enhancing the face appeal (at least to me...there are also LED-based designs).
Of course, you could search the web and find ways to add tone control, or graphic equalizers, but if you're driving this with an iPod primarily, you already have a pretty wide selection of EQ settings to play with. With the right crossover network before the amplifier stage, you could set up an output to a powered subwoofer. But if you wanted to get really squirrely, why not rig in a karaoke circuit? If you did, you'd want to wire in a switch that would either apply the karaoke effects or not, and you'd probably want to wire it between the input stage of the T-Amp and the output stage of your multi-input selector (so that you could karaokify anything coming from any of your sources.
Obviously, I have some thinking and planning to do, to figure out just what I want my FrankenAmp to be. But I have options, and the basic parts list is pretty static. As I make decisions, I'll add a post.
* This switch is only necessary if you want both RCA and headphone inputs. In a one-input application, this switch is unnecessary. See text for possible replacement/repurpose of this part (if a different input selector is used, and a karaoke circuit is included, this switch could be used to control whether the karaoke circuit is on or not)
** "Poles" on a switch refer to the number of independent lines the switch can handle. "Throw" on a switch refers to how many different positions those lines can be switched to. For example, a 3-pole, 4-throw switch would be able to accept 3 input lines (ground, left, right) from up to 4 sources and switch between them.
*** Type K is a 5mm outer-diameter, 2.1mm inner-diameter power plug. Most "adapta-plug" wall-warts come with this size plug, and will let you choose whether the center is positive or negative. Obviously, since you're also replacing the DC power input jack from the stock T-Amp, if you have a wall-wart available with a different size/orientation plug, you could simply purchase the correct DC input jack to mate to your transformer.
Parts Express:
- 060-315 SPDT Mini Rocker Switch (power switch)
- 060-322 DPDT Mini Rocker Switch (source select switch*)
- 090-278 Gold RCA Jack Solder-type w/Nut Pair (RCA inputs)
- 090-317 3.5mm Stereo Panel-mount Jack (MP3-player input)
- 090-475 Dual Binding Post (speaker terminals, 2 needed)
- 090-488 Panel-mount DC Jack
- 070-008 Ultra-bright Blue 5mm LED 1500 mcd (power indicator)
Elsewhere:
- 50K-ohm Audio-taper Dual-gang potentiometer (I've found this on eBay, from West Florida Components)
- Silvertone Knurled Knob (Radio Shack) [any knob that will fit on your pot's shaft will do, I happened to see the silver one in my local 'Shack and liked it, so I bought it]
- 3-12V 1300 mA Universal Digital AC Adapter (Wal-Mart) [really, any 12V wall-wart with a type-K center-positive plug*** that can deliver over 1000 mA should work fine, but this one looks like it could charge/power your iPod/MP3 player at the same time via its USB power port.]
This pretty much covers the basics. With the above parts, you could re-host the T-Amp into any sort of enclosure with higher-quality parts, and even add the ability to use line-level RCA inputs that most audio components use.
I'm rarely content to leave well-enough alone, so there are some elements of the design that are still in flux. For example, the dual-gang pot pretty much ensures that both channels are always at the same volume level. Instead of a single, dual-gang pot, you could easily use two 50K audio-taper pots to control the left and right channel volume independently.
In like fashion, you wouldn't have to stop at a single RCA input. With a 3P4T (3-pole, 4-throw**) switch, you could easily have 3 RCA inputs and the headphone input. With a 4P4T, you could add an LED for each input that would light when that input was selected. Obviously, the number of inputs would be limited only by the highest-throw switch you could find that could handle all the necessary poles.
No audiophile amp would be complete without some sort of VU meter for the audio channels. With this circuit and the right panel-mount meters, you could easily add VU-meters to your amp, enhancing the face appeal (at least to me...there are also LED-based designs).
Of course, you could search the web and find ways to add tone control, or graphic equalizers, but if you're driving this with an iPod primarily, you already have a pretty wide selection of EQ settings to play with. With the right crossover network before the amplifier stage, you could set up an output to a powered subwoofer. But if you wanted to get really squirrely, why not rig in a karaoke circuit? If you did, you'd want to wire in a switch that would either apply the karaoke effects or not, and you'd probably want to wire it between the input stage of the T-Amp and the output stage of your multi-input selector (so that you could karaokify anything coming from any of your sources.
Obviously, I have some thinking and planning to do, to figure out just what I want my FrankenAmp to be. But I have options, and the basic parts list is pretty static. As I make decisions, I'll add a post.
* This switch is only necessary if you want both RCA and headphone inputs. In a one-input application, this switch is unnecessary. See text for possible replacement/repurpose of this part (if a different input selector is used, and a karaoke circuit is included, this switch could be used to control whether the karaoke circuit is on or not)
** "Poles" on a switch refer to the number of independent lines the switch can handle. "Throw" on a switch refers to how many different positions those lines can be switched to. For example, a 3-pole, 4-throw switch would be able to accept 3 input lines (ground, left, right) from up to 4 sources and switch between them.
*** Type K is a 5mm outer-diameter, 2.1mm inner-diameter power plug. Most "adapta-plug" wall-warts come with this size plug, and will let you choose whether the center is positive or negative. Obviously, since you're also replacing the DC power input jack from the stock T-Amp, if you have a wall-wart available with a different size/orientation plug, you could simply purchase the correct DC input jack to mate to your transformer.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Reboxing the Sonic Impact 5066 T-Amp
Inspired by this site, I've decided to re-box my stock Sonic Impact T-Amp that runs the speakers in my garage. I've already built two portable speaker units: a Podzuma powered by a sealed lead-acid battery with audiophile quality speakers, and its ne'er-do-well brother from the poor end of town, the Cheapzuma, powered by D batteries and OEM-surplus Ford car speakers. These experiences have given me enough confidence to move the remaining T-Amp's guts from its cheapo plastic housing to something a little classier.
I'll be posting progress in this blog, with photos. Hopefully, my procedural documentation will help someone else. Unfortunately, the 5066 T-Amp has been discontinued, and while it can be found on Ebay, it seems the formerly ridiculously cheap price has pretty much doubled (before shipping). Otherwise, I'd be tempted to create a cottage industry in reboxing these.
I haven't decided just yet on the exact look, but it's down to either a walnut-wood enclosure, or a faux-leather finish MDF enclosure. Keep reading to see what I end up with!
By the way, any DIYers with a hankering to put together a Tripath-based amp on the cheap should check out 41hz.com. The site creator is an audio enthusiast, and he's created kits for amplifier designs he's created. For those nervous about dealing with surface-mount components, the AMP-6 would be the best choice, and can be had for about US$40.
Coming up next, the parts list!
I'll be posting progress in this blog, with photos. Hopefully, my procedural documentation will help someone else. Unfortunately, the 5066 T-Amp has been discontinued, and while it can be found on Ebay, it seems the formerly ridiculously cheap price has pretty much doubled (before shipping). Otherwise, I'd be tempted to create a cottage industry in reboxing these.
I haven't decided just yet on the exact look, but it's down to either a walnut-wood enclosure, or a faux-leather finish MDF enclosure. Keep reading to see what I end up with!
By the way, any DIYers with a hankering to put together a Tripath-based amp on the cheap should check out 41hz.com. The site creator is an audio enthusiast, and he's created kits for amplifier designs he's created. For those nervous about dealing with surface-mount components, the AMP-6 would be the best choice, and can be had for about US$40.
Coming up next, the parts list!
Thursday, August 02, 2007
What a nightmare!
Minneapolis. Jeez.
As disasters go (and I'm sure if anyone actually read this, I'd start catching flak [by the way, newsies, "flak" is airborne shrapnel or excessive criticism, a "flack" is a hapless spokesperson for a celebrity] for my excessive pragmatism), the death toll is surprisingly low. It'll definitely be more than 4 by the time it's all said and done, but honestly, it could have been far worse.
As for the whys and wherefores, those will come out on their own, and there's no point in me speculating. I will say that I'm surprised by the number of quotes that go along this line: "It's just unthinkable that something this massive could fall down." Uhhhh. No. It's not unthinkable. Many engineers train for years thinking about that very question, and how to make it very unlikely, but it's still possible. Maybe, having gone to an engineering school, I'm more open to the possibility. When I was in college, the 1981 Hyatt Regency skywalk collapse (billed here as the largest U.S. structural failure) and the 1986 Challenger explosion were big engineering failures that still quieted a room when they came up. The public kind of forgets (it's interesting...this collapse has more in common with the Hyatt than 9/11, yet everyone's rushing to make the 9/11 comparisons), but I think that's becuase by and large, engineers are damned good at their jobs. Mistakes happen, materials fail, and sometimes, you don't catch them in time. This will get (more) politicized, and there will be (more) finger-pointing, and there will even be conspiracy nutjobs claiming that George W. Bush personally melted the bridge supports with a beam from space.
But it doesn't change the fact that at some point in the not-too-distant future, one of my recurring nightmares will probably haunt me. It's the one where I'm driving, with family or friends (sometimes in my underwear, just to add a little extra kick to the horror) usually to some incredibly distant place or over some incredibly difficult terrain, and the vehicle I'm driving plunges off of a bridge. Sometimes the bridge is incomplete, sometime it's in the process of being repaired and the remaining surface is ridiculously inadequate for my car, or what have you, but in the end, there's always that pitching-forward-falling-toward-the-water feeling.
Thank God I always wake up before that one finishes. My heart and prayers go out to the people who had to go through that in reality this week, and to their families...particularly the ones who won't be waking up again.
As disasters go (and I'm sure if anyone actually read this, I'd start catching flak [by the way, newsies, "flak" is airborne shrapnel or excessive criticism, a "flack" is a hapless spokesperson for a celebrity] for my excessive pragmatism), the death toll is surprisingly low. It'll definitely be more than 4 by the time it's all said and done, but honestly, it could have been far worse.
As for the whys and wherefores, those will come out on their own, and there's no point in me speculating. I will say that I'm surprised by the number of quotes that go along this line: "It's just unthinkable that something this massive could fall down." Uhhhh. No. It's not unthinkable. Many engineers train for years thinking about that very question, and how to make it very unlikely, but it's still possible. Maybe, having gone to an engineering school, I'm more open to the possibility. When I was in college, the 1981 Hyatt Regency skywalk collapse (billed here as the largest U.S. structural failure) and the 1986 Challenger explosion were big engineering failures that still quieted a room when they came up. The public kind of forgets (it's interesting...this collapse has more in common with the Hyatt than 9/11, yet everyone's rushing to make the 9/11 comparisons), but I think that's becuase by and large, engineers are damned good at their jobs. Mistakes happen, materials fail, and sometimes, you don't catch them in time. This will get (more) politicized, and there will be (more) finger-pointing, and there will even be conspiracy nutjobs claiming that George W. Bush personally melted the bridge supports with a beam from space.
But it doesn't change the fact that at some point in the not-too-distant future, one of my recurring nightmares will probably haunt me. It's the one where I'm driving, with family or friends (sometimes in my underwear, just to add a little extra kick to the horror) usually to some incredibly distant place or over some incredibly difficult terrain, and the vehicle I'm driving plunges off of a bridge. Sometimes the bridge is incomplete, sometime it's in the process of being repaired and the remaining surface is ridiculously inadequate for my car, or what have you, but in the end, there's always that pitching-forward-falling-toward-the-water feeling.
Thank God I always wake up before that one finishes. My heart and prayers go out to the people who had to go through that in reality this week, and to their families...particularly the ones who won't be waking up again.
Kowtowing to Muslim sensibilities
I'm in no way a Gwen Stefani fan, but this article caught my eye, particular coming a day after reading this article by Christopher Hitchens. I find myself agreeing with Hitchens. Why should we worry about offending these folks? Your gods (God, Yahweh, Jehovah, Allah, or Flying Spaghetti Monster) and prophets are sacred to you, not necessarily to me. I was raised Christian (Catholic, actually), but I like to feel that I retain my sense of humor. Ralphie May does a hilarious comedy bit about Jesus and marijuana, and I laugh every time I hear it. But then, I can distinguish between humor and hate. Many fundamental (insert religion here)'s seem to have had a humorectomy. Or worse, they're just hypocrites. It's always interesting to turn the hidden video onto the supposedly "devout". My dad was raised Southern Baptist in Tennessee (he converted to Catholic when he married my mom). He always told me that the Baptist kids did everything that the non-Baptist kids did...they just hid it better.
Now, I'll grant that for her own safety, Ms. Stefani should probably refrain from doing anything that will get her arrested in a foreign country. But really, if the downside is that people won't come to her show, who cares? Okay, plenty of people with a financial interest in the show may care, but in the end, the reason a Gwen Stefani show would play (and sell tickets) in Malaysia is because she's Gwen-freakin'-Stefani! She's exporting the particular look and sound of a specific part of American culture. To change her show to avoid pissing off people who are likely enjoined from listening to her music anyway is just stupid.
Put another way, Ms. Stefani is directly aiding those who would decide what Malaysians may enjoy and what Malaysians may see. If it were Fort Wayne, IN instead of Kuala Lumpur, would she cave?
Now, before you get the idea that I'm one of those who wants to be able to yell "Fuck!" in a preschool, I am not. There should be certain standards for public behavior and decency. By public, I mean freely and openly available. Cable is not public. Satellite radio is not public (unless you're blasting it out your windows while you go through the McDonald's drive-thru). A concert that you have to pay admission to is not public. If you drag your children to an R-rated movie, or to a Gwen Stefani concert, you have no leg to stand on. Part of adhering to a moral code is to deny yourself access to those voluntary parts of the greater society which do not subscribe to your morals. If you choose to view them, and then choose to become offended, I have ZERO sympathy for you or your cause.
Now, I'll grant that for her own safety, Ms. Stefani should probably refrain from doing anything that will get her arrested in a foreign country. But really, if the downside is that people won't come to her show, who cares? Okay, plenty of people with a financial interest in the show may care, but in the end, the reason a Gwen Stefani show would play (and sell tickets) in Malaysia is because she's Gwen-freakin'-Stefani! She's exporting the particular look and sound of a specific part of American culture. To change her show to avoid pissing off people who are likely enjoined from listening to her music anyway is just stupid.
Put another way, Ms. Stefani is directly aiding those who would decide what Malaysians may enjoy and what Malaysians may see. If it were Fort Wayne, IN instead of Kuala Lumpur, would she cave?
Now, before you get the idea that I'm one of those who wants to be able to yell "Fuck!" in a preschool, I am not. There should be certain standards for public behavior and decency. By public, I mean freely and openly available. Cable is not public. Satellite radio is not public (unless you're blasting it out your windows while you go through the McDonald's drive-thru). A concert that you have to pay admission to is not public. If you drag your children to an R-rated movie, or to a Gwen Stefani concert, you have no leg to stand on. Part of adhering to a moral code is to deny yourself access to those voluntary parts of the greater society which do not subscribe to your morals. If you choose to view them, and then choose to become offended, I have ZERO sympathy for you or your cause.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Interesting weekend
Friday night, I finally made good on a promise to L, to attend a meeting for her business. It's a network marketing business, and I'm a potential part of her network. Because of my feelings for her, I agreed to give it a fair listen, and I did. I'm still not sure I'd want to start a business of my own, subordinate to hers, but I don't see much problem with using equivalent products from her business to replace things I already buy.
Saturday evening, I went to a silent and live auction for a local charity as my friend J's (female friend J, not Medifast J) date. Apparently, I was something of a minor hit, as J has been told that I'm welcome anytime. This wouldn't be unusual, except that it is unusual. Not all of J's companions to such functions seem to have made a positive impression. Of course, me being a graduate of her dad's alma mater might have something to do with it too.
Saturday evening, I went to a silent and live auction for a local charity as my friend J's (female friend J, not Medifast J) date. Apparently, I was something of a minor hit, as J has been told that I'm welcome anytime. This wouldn't be unusual, except that it is unusual. Not all of J's companions to such functions seem to have made a positive impression. Of course, me being a graduate of her dad's alma mater might have something to do with it too.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
I hate being the buzzkill brother
Yesterday, my sister B sent me (and about 100 other people, looking at the To: list) a pretty cool-sounding email:
I suppose in retrospect, I should have guessed what I'd find. "Share this with your friends" should have been a big clue, and the breathless (and all-caps) admonition that "NO ONE ALIVE TODAY" would ever see this event should have thrown up red flags. But it still took me by mild surprise when a snopes entry for it came up. And of course, if I were as big an astronomy buff as I made myself out to be, the inclusion of the time (12:30 AM) without a time zone (e.g. 12:30 AM GMT) or a location (12:30 AM in the Central U.S.), or information about where it will be best viewed from should have been the final nail.
So naturally, I had to send mail back to my sister, telling her that it was untrue. In the past, I've been an asshole and replied back to her and everyone she sent it to, but she ripped me a new one the last time I did that, so I just sent her the link and told her that I was only sending the information to her, and she should do with it whatever she wanted. She sent out the retraction, "My brother brought it to my attention that the 2 moons message I forwarded is an internet hoax" to the entire To: list of her original message.
The weird part is that I feel bad about it. I can comfort myself knowing that no one will be looking at the sky on August 27, expecting to see a big-ass Mars (turns out the whole "two moons" illusion is a misrepresentation of how Mars would appear if you used a 75x telescope to look at it at that 34M mile distance...it would look as big in the telescope as the Moon looks to the naked eye, as I understand it). But, I know most of the people on that To: list, and I'm probably the only one who'd actually mark his calendar and try to see it, and I already knew it was crap. I feel like I just pissed in everyone's Wheaties, because thanks to me debunking B's message, the world is a slightly less-wondrous place.
So, the question to my imaginary readers is this: should I have just sat on the information, maybe use it as interesting dinner conversation at Thanksgiving (the next time I'm home), or did I do the "right thing?
Now, I'm a pretty big sucker for cool space news. I've woken my daughter up at 3:30 in the morning to go out onto a near-freezing patio to lie on sleeping bags and watch for meteor showers, so this sounded interesting. I Googled it, hoping that Space.com or someplace similar would have specifics about the best viewing time for my part of the country.Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky starting August.It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. This will maximize on Aug. 27 when Mars comes within 34.65M miles of earth. Be sure to watch the sky on Aug. 27 12:30 am. It will look like the earth has 2 moons. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. Share this with your friends as NO ONE ALIVE TODAY will ever see it again.
I suppose in retrospect, I should have guessed what I'd find. "Share this with your friends" should have been a big clue, and the breathless (and all-caps) admonition that "NO ONE ALIVE TODAY" would ever see this event should have thrown up red flags. But it still took me by mild surprise when a snopes entry for it came up. And of course, if I were as big an astronomy buff as I made myself out to be, the inclusion of the time (12:30 AM) without a time zone (e.g. 12:30 AM GMT) or a location (12:30 AM in the Central U.S.), or information about where it will be best viewed from should have been the final nail.
So naturally, I had to send mail back to my sister, telling her that it was untrue. In the past, I've been an asshole and replied back to her and everyone she sent it to, but she ripped me a new one the last time I did that, so I just sent her the link and told her that I was only sending the information to her, and she should do with it whatever she wanted. She sent out the retraction, "My brother brought it to my attention that the 2 moons message I forwarded is an internet hoax" to the entire To: list of her original message.
The weird part is that I feel bad about it. I can comfort myself knowing that no one will be looking at the sky on August 27, expecting to see a big-ass Mars (turns out the whole "two moons" illusion is a misrepresentation of how Mars would appear if you used a 75x telescope to look at it at that 34M mile distance...it would look as big in the telescope as the Moon looks to the naked eye, as I understand it). But, I know most of the people on that To: list, and I'm probably the only one who'd actually mark his calendar and try to see it, and I already knew it was crap. I feel like I just pissed in everyone's Wheaties, because thanks to me debunking B's message, the world is a slightly less-wondrous place.
So, the question to my imaginary readers is this: should I have just sat on the information, maybe use it as interesting dinner conversation at Thanksgiving (the next time I'm home), or did I do the "right thing?
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Public Service Announcement
Over the years, as my life has become increasingly digital, I've wondered what would happen if I died suddenly. Who would suddenly get no answer to an email or an IM? I mean, I know who those people are, but very few other people in my life do. Would they (or could they) access my accounts, and notify the people I stay in contact with?
The answer to that is probably "no". Think about it yourself. How many people would you be giving the cosmic dial-tone to if you passed?
I don't have the answer, short of updating my will to include all my online friends' contact information. I wonder if there's some way to escrow that sort of information...a single place to aggregate all of my contacts, that I could "permalink" (as it were) in my will? Am I six years too late with this sort of existential navel-gazing? Some research may be in order.
The answer to that is probably "no". Think about it yourself. How many people would you be giving the cosmic dial-tone to if you passed?
I don't have the answer, short of updating my will to include all my online friends' contact information. I wonder if there's some way to escrow that sort of information...a single place to aggregate all of my contacts, that I could "permalink" (as it were) in my will? Am I six years too late with this sort of existential navel-gazing? Some research may be in order.
Funny ol' thing, life...
Loreene, I miss you.
I found out about your death today, almost a month and a half after. I Google'd your name, and there was the obituary I copied in the previous post. You might ask why I'd copy it, and I'd answer:
Because newspaper obituaries come and go. If I'd waited a few more days, I might not have found it. And I want people to find it. People who knew you. People who loved you. People who might have fallen out of close contact with you. People who went on about their lives, assuming that because you were so young, they had plenty of time to write or call and see what you were up to.
People like me.
People who other people might not know to notify.
We had always done the "you dead?" emails, usually when I got busy at work and didn't have time to check my e-mail. The last time I got mail from you was in May, and ironically, it still had the "you dead?" subject line. I've replied to that email twice since then, checking on you. I can't begin to imagine what kind of sick joke the poor guys at your company thought I was pulling, if they saw that mail. I think you'd think that was hilarious, and if I wasn't missing you so much, I'd probably agree.
I don't know what made me pick today to check. I don't know what thought process said, "hey, she hasn't emailed back in a really long time, maybe you should google her and see if something happened." That's a joke. We both know what I was googling for. Hospital admissions don't show up that way. But obituaries do.
You know, the sack of hammers that hits you when you read a memorial for someone you love doesn't get any softer when you know you're half-expecting it.
You were my only fan here. You kept coming back, day after day, checking to see if I'd updated this piss-poor window on my life. You were my sounding board, my voice of reason, my cheerleader and my confessor. While there may be things I didn't tell you, there wasn't anything I couldn't tell you.
I don't pray alot anymore, but I pray you've gone to the reward you deserve. Life might have knocked you around, but you took it all with a grin, and a belief in better tomorrows that never failed to inspire me.
Damn, I'm going to miss you, darlin'.
I found out about your death today, almost a month and a half after. I Google'd your name, and there was the obituary I copied in the previous post. You might ask why I'd copy it, and I'd answer:
Because newspaper obituaries come and go. If I'd waited a few more days, I might not have found it. And I want people to find it. People who knew you. People who loved you. People who might have fallen out of close contact with you. People who went on about their lives, assuming that because you were so young, they had plenty of time to write or call and see what you were up to.
People like me.
People who other people might not know to notify.
We had always done the "you dead?" emails, usually when I got busy at work and didn't have time to check my e-mail. The last time I got mail from you was in May, and ironically, it still had the "you dead?" subject line. I've replied to that email twice since then, checking on you. I can't begin to imagine what kind of sick joke the poor guys at your company thought I was pulling, if they saw that mail. I think you'd think that was hilarious, and if I wasn't missing you so much, I'd probably agree.
I don't know what made me pick today to check. I don't know what thought process said, "hey, she hasn't emailed back in a really long time, maybe you should google her and see if something happened." That's a joke. We both know what I was googling for. Hospital admissions don't show up that way. But obituaries do.
You know, the sack of hammers that hits you when you read a memorial for someone you love doesn't get any softer when you know you're half-expecting it.
You were my only fan here. You kept coming back, day after day, checking to see if I'd updated this piss-poor window on my life. You were my sounding board, my voice of reason, my cheerleader and my confessor. While there may be things I didn't tell you, there wasn't anything I couldn't tell you.
I don't pray alot anymore, but I pray you've gone to the reward you deserve. Life might have knocked you around, but you took it all with a grin, and a belief in better tomorrows that never failed to inspire me.
Damn, I'm going to miss you, darlin'.
Goodbye, Loreene
From the Denton Record-Chronicle:
Loreene Anderson-Stoker
Loreene Anderson-Stoker
Loreene Anderson-Stoker, 41, of Denton, TX passed away Wednesday, June 6, 2007. She was born January 24, 1966 in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Mrs. Stoker married Neal Stoker on March 1, 2003 in Denton. She was a former volunteer for Festival Ballet of North Central Texas.
A memorial service will be held Monday, June 11, 2007, at 1 p.m. at Denton Funeral Home Chapel.
Loreene is lovingly remembered by her parents Stuart and Patricia Kerr; husband, Neal Stoker; her two sons, Kyle, and James Anderson; sister, Maggie Akhavan of Coon Rapids, MN; four brothers, James Sipp and family of Rochester, NH, John Sipp and family of Somersworth, NH, David Sipp and family of Lewisville, TX, and Andrew Sipp and family of Nyack, NY. She also leaves behind numerous nephews, nieces, and friends.
Memorial donations can be given to the American Cancer Society.
Services are under the direction of Denton Funeral Home and Cremation Services.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Let myself go? Hell, I threw myself off the frakkin' cliff!
This morning's weigh-in: 335 lb.
Goal for March 19: 315 lb. (again)
Discrete projects to finish:
Finish Daughter's dresser (20 hrs)
Setup TiVo for cable box feed (2 hrs)
Reorganize/clean home office (4 hrs)
Scan remaining photos (8 hrs)
Edit/burn camcorder video (8 hrs)
Build subwoofers (12 hrs)
Rebuild/repaint guitar (8 hrs)
Daily goals:
Exercise each morning (cardio burndown, situps, pushups)
Get 7+ hours sleep
Arrive at work by 7:00 AM
TKD at least 4 days/week
Monday 1815 - 2045
Tuesday 1945 - 2115
Thursday 2000 - 2045
Saturday 0845 - 1315
Keep in mind that my unfulfilled project list is only those things I can do right now, without requiring additional expenditures (since I'm putting my finances on a diet too). To accomplish the first 3 daily goals, I need to be in bed by 10:00 PM. Getting to work by 7:00 AM (and not having to worry about making it to Daughter's TKD classes during the week), I could in theory put in 9-10 hours per day and still be home before 5:30 PM. Monday evenings would be shot, Tuesday evenings I would have about an hour and a half open, Wednesdays are D&D nights and Thursdays I'd have a good solid two hours. Fridays would be a wildcard, because if I get enough hours in before then, I can take the day (or at least the afternoon off).
I went into that little analysis thinking I'd be saying how little time I had to get my projects done, but a quick back-of-the-envelope calculation says that I have 28.5 hours per week when I'm not sleeping, working or TKDing (even with a full workday on Fridays). That should be plenty to knock off my big project list by the time I'm 39 on March 19. Perhaps I'll even get around to learning German and the guitar this year (also things I can do without further expenditures).
Goal for March 19: 315 lb. (again)
Discrete projects to finish:
Finish Daughter's dresser (20 hrs)
Setup TiVo for cable box feed (2 hrs)
Reorganize/clean home office (4 hrs)
Scan remaining photos (8 hrs)
Edit/burn camcorder video (8 hrs)
Build subwoofers (12 hrs)
Rebuild/repaint guitar (8 hrs)
Daily goals:
Exercise each morning (cardio burndown, situps, pushups)
Get 7+ hours sleep
Arrive at work by 7:00 AM
TKD at least 4 days/week
Monday 1815 - 2045
Tuesday 1945 - 2115
Thursday 2000 - 2045
Saturday 0845 - 1315
Keep in mind that my unfulfilled project list is only those things I can do right now, without requiring additional expenditures (since I'm putting my finances on a diet too). To accomplish the first 3 daily goals, I need to be in bed by 10:00 PM. Getting to work by 7:00 AM (and not having to worry about making it to Daughter's TKD classes during the week), I could in theory put in 9-10 hours per day and still be home before 5:30 PM. Monday evenings would be shot, Tuesday evenings I would have about an hour and a half open, Wednesdays are D&D nights and Thursdays I'd have a good solid two hours. Fridays would be a wildcard, because if I get enough hours in before then, I can take the day (or at least the afternoon off).
I went into that little analysis thinking I'd be saying how little time I had to get my projects done, but a quick back-of-the-envelope calculation says that I have 28.5 hours per week when I'm not sleeping, working or TKDing (even with a full workday on Fridays). That should be plenty to knock off my big project list by the time I'm 39 on March 19. Perhaps I'll even get around to learning German and the guitar this year (also things I can do without further expenditures).
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Three weeks
In 21 days, I turn 39. Tonight, I test for my purple belt. And later this week, I'm 99.99% sure I'm going to join the ATA Leadership program. If things proceed as they should, I'll become a black belt shortly after I turn 40.
So is it any surprise, really, that I'm turning to Medifast again? While I was nursing my broken toe, I let myself go. I effectively stopped dieting, and since I couldn't participate 100% in class workouts, my caloric output suffered too.
The leadership program allows me to train and compete in eXtreme Martial Arts (XMA), which is basically a very flashy, showy version of Taekwondo, set to music, and combining modified TKD techniques with gymnastics and choreography. While I'm encouraged by seeing much fatter men compete in this, I don't want to limit myself to that.
Also, the leadership program starts training its members as instructors. Whether it's just to to bolster my existing desire to help other students, or it perhaps turns into a second income, this appeals to me a lot. But I've always told myself that I didn't want to be one of those people who earns a bullshit black belt.
I'm torn on this, because I know a lot of people who bust their ass to earn their belt, and don't have the physical ability to really make the forms look good. And I know people with a lot of talent who just coast through. It doesn't seem fair to penalize the person who's working hard, but neither does it seem fair to just give a person a belt (of any color) just because they're naturally flexible and balanced. If I teach the techniques, I want to be able to demonstrate the techniques. And there may come a point where my natural flexibility and balance reach their limits, but I don't think I can credibly say that at 330 pounds, I've found those absolute limits.
I'm also putting my finances on a diet. I've been on a spending binge. Yesterday was the end of that. I've decided that even though my birthday is 21 days away, what I bought yesterday (parts to restore a cheapo electric guitar, parts to build dual subwoofers for the bedroom, and an iPod interface for my Trailblazer) will constitute my "birthday presents to myself".
With Daughter's TKD classes being restructured to weekends only (the instructor's going to let her train with the adults on Saturdays on a trial basis, to make up for her not being in weekday classes with her age/belt group), I should be able to avoid the recent glut of eating out. When Daughter's class was 2-3 hours before mine, and she and her mother were facing a 75-minute drive back home, it was all too easy to go out to eat with them between her class and my class, and thus, not eat healthily.
Also driving some of this is that Ex-Wife has had lap-band surgery. Part of me just can't stand the idea that she'll get skinny before I will. I can do this without rearranging my insides. I will do this without rearranging my insides.
So is it any surprise, really, that I'm turning to Medifast again? While I was nursing my broken toe, I let myself go. I effectively stopped dieting, and since I couldn't participate 100% in class workouts, my caloric output suffered too.
The leadership program allows me to train and compete in eXtreme Martial Arts (XMA), which is basically a very flashy, showy version of Taekwondo, set to music, and combining modified TKD techniques with gymnastics and choreography. While I'm encouraged by seeing much fatter men compete in this, I don't want to limit myself to that.
Also, the leadership program starts training its members as instructors. Whether it's just to to bolster my existing desire to help other students, or it perhaps turns into a second income, this appeals to me a lot. But I've always told myself that I didn't want to be one of those people who earns a bullshit black belt.
I'm torn on this, because I know a lot of people who bust their ass to earn their belt, and don't have the physical ability to really make the forms look good. And I know people with a lot of talent who just coast through. It doesn't seem fair to penalize the person who's working hard, but neither does it seem fair to just give a person a belt (of any color) just because they're naturally flexible and balanced. If I teach the techniques, I want to be able to demonstrate the techniques. And there may come a point where my natural flexibility and balance reach their limits, but I don't think I can credibly say that at 330 pounds, I've found those absolute limits.
I'm also putting my finances on a diet. I've been on a spending binge. Yesterday was the end of that. I've decided that even though my birthday is 21 days away, what I bought yesterday (parts to restore a cheapo electric guitar, parts to build dual subwoofers for the bedroom, and an iPod interface for my Trailblazer) will constitute my "birthday presents to myself".
With Daughter's TKD classes being restructured to weekends only (the instructor's going to let her train with the adults on Saturdays on a trial basis, to make up for her not being in weekday classes with her age/belt group), I should be able to avoid the recent glut of eating out. When Daughter's class was 2-3 hours before mine, and she and her mother were facing a 75-minute drive back home, it was all too easy to go out to eat with them between her class and my class, and thus, not eat healthily.
Also driving some of this is that Ex-Wife has had lap-band surgery. Part of me just can't stand the idea that she'll get skinny before I will. I can do this without rearranging my insides. I will do this without rearranging my insides.
Friday, January 19, 2007
Hey, wait a second!!!!
I was reading this article today, and almost let it slip by.
I almost was okay with it.
I almost thought there was a valid point.
Then the quote from the spokesperson for the Council on American-Islamic Relations hit me between the eyes:
"After watching the premiere, I was afraid to go to the grocery store because I wasn't sure the person next to me would be able to differentiate between fiction and reality."
Oh, really, Rabiah Ahmed? So you were afraid that the other patrons of your grocery store, sight unseen, as a group, were incapable of that distinction. What a broad, racist brush to paint with, my friend. Let's break this down for the slow kids:
You're afraid that you, as a presumably Middle Eastern Muslim, would be judged unfairly for the actions of a handful of fictional characters because you share a religion or ethnicity with those characters. You base this fear on relatively rare incidents of stereotypically Middle Eastern Muslims being singled out for harrassment as a result of 9/11, Al Qaeda, the Taliban, etc. So, you're prepared to judge pretty much the entirety of the non-Middle-Eastern-Muslim population of the United States on the actions of that handful of people, and further assume that that same non-Middle-Eastern-Muslim population is too stupid to tell the difference between a TV show and real terrorism.
I guess when you can play the put-upon minority card, you can get away with crap like that and no one will call you on it.
Shame on you, sir.
I will be waiting by the phone for your apology.
I almost was okay with it.
I almost thought there was a valid point.
Then the quote from the spokesperson for the Council on American-Islamic Relations hit me between the eyes:
"After watching the premiere, I was afraid to go to the grocery store because I wasn't sure the person next to me would be able to differentiate between fiction and reality."
Oh, really, Rabiah Ahmed? So you were afraid that the other patrons of your grocery store, sight unseen, as a group, were incapable of that distinction. What a broad, racist brush to paint with, my friend. Let's break this down for the slow kids:
You're afraid that you, as a presumably Middle Eastern Muslim, would be judged unfairly for the actions of a handful of fictional characters because you share a religion or ethnicity with those characters. You base this fear on relatively rare incidents of stereotypically Middle Eastern Muslims being singled out for harrassment as a result of 9/11, Al Qaeda, the Taliban, etc. So, you're prepared to judge pretty much the entirety of the non-Middle-Eastern-Muslim population of the United States on the actions of that handful of people, and further assume that that same non-Middle-Eastern-Muslim population is too stupid to tell the difference between a TV show and real terrorism.
I guess when you can play the put-upon minority card, you can get away with crap like that and no one will call you on it.
Shame on you, sir.
I will be waiting by the phone for your apology.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
And yet, the holidays weren't a total loss
Although I can probably attribute 100% of it to the past 4 days, if you do the math between the last two posts, I did manage to lose 6 pounds between December 19 and this morning. Not quite the almost-a-pound-a-day I'd need to average to make my latest goal, but given the quantities I consumed (and the egregious lack of exercise), losing at even close to half that rate is a flat miracle.
69 pounds, 79 days
Official start weight, as of this morning: 319 lb.
Goal date: March 19.
Goal weight: 250 lb.
Skewed view of reality: check.
I actually took sufficient MediFast with me to be good, and a couple of mornings, I even had the oatmeal (shudder) for breakfast. I need to figure out some other way of dealing when I'm at home. Everyone wants to cook, and there's ALWAYS food in the house. And it's GOOD food. My sister B makes these sweet stuffed sausage rolls (basically little smokies wrapped in crescent dough, baked in a honey/brown sugar glaze), and my sister L makes mac & cheese that Daughter calls "Aunt L Macaroni" (which she requests whenever we visit). Plus, Mom's gotten it into her head that she needs to get up and cook us breakfast several days while we're there (bacon or sausage, scrambled eggs, toast...) At home, I can just not buy/not stock the ingredients and the problem is more or less solved by out of sight/out of mind. Clearly, if I'm going to maintain a healthy weight once I get there, I need a strategy for dealing with family food. Lucky for me, the next time I'm planning to be up home is after my latest goal date, so maybe I can let success speak for me. I just don't want to hurt anyone's feelings by snubbing their work. But I guess there's a reason that there are only three or four of us (including in-laws) who could be said to be in "good" shape, and mostly, they're the ones who are known to have some peculiar (if not healthy) eating habits.
I may have to break out a Dr. Phil "food-is-not-love" speech.
Goal date: March 19.
Goal weight: 250 lb.
Skewed view of reality: check.
I actually took sufficient MediFast with me to be good, and a couple of mornings, I even had the oatmeal (shudder) for breakfast. I need to figure out some other way of dealing when I'm at home. Everyone wants to cook, and there's ALWAYS food in the house. And it's GOOD food. My sister B makes these sweet stuffed sausage rolls (basically little smokies wrapped in crescent dough, baked in a honey/brown sugar glaze), and my sister L makes mac & cheese that Daughter calls "Aunt L Macaroni" (which she requests whenever we visit). Plus, Mom's gotten it into her head that she needs to get up and cook us breakfast several days while we're there (bacon or sausage, scrambled eggs, toast...) At home, I can just not buy/not stock the ingredients and the problem is more or less solved by out of sight/out of mind. Clearly, if I'm going to maintain a healthy weight once I get there, I need a strategy for dealing with family food. Lucky for me, the next time I'm planning to be up home is after my latest goal date, so maybe I can let success speak for me. I just don't want to hurt anyone's feelings by snubbing their work. But I guess there's a reason that there are only three or four of us (including in-laws) who could be said to be in "good" shape, and mostly, they're the ones who are known to have some peculiar (if not healthy) eating habits.
I may have to break out a Dr. Phil "food-is-not-love" speech.
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