Losing Weight, Not Complaint...

Today is a day of mixed blessings. Long story short, my pants kept falling off all day.

Since I started WiiFit, I have now lost over 20 lbs. And with that came an inch or two off my belly. I do like that, but with that comes the need for new clothes. I hate having to buy new clothes, even if it is because of a good thing.

Today at work, I had a "sweaty day." Every so often, I have a day where that I call a "sweaty day." Yeah, it's pretty self explanatory. Most people who work in my office sit at desk jobs, so they don't mind the white shirt and tie so much. And those who have physical labor duties get to wear church t-shirts. I fall into that slim majority that does quite a bit of crawling on floors and whatnot but still is required to wear church clothes while I do it.

Sweaty days like today usually involve a lot of walking around, and often with my arms full of computer stuff, cables, parts and my trusty Leatherman on my belt. With my arms full, my belt loose and my Leatherman weighing it down, you can imagine how that went. I had to wear my mesh see-through garments that day, didn't I?

Half way through the day I couldn't take it any more. I went to a close-by office supply shop, took off my belt right in front of them and asked them if they could punch a new hole in my belt - and in the "I'm getting skinnier" direction. I had them punch in a few, and it's a good thing. I'm already using the second new hole in. At the rate I'm going, my belt will wrap around to the middle of my back by the summer. I just got that belt 9 months ago... *sigh*

When I was 19 and about to go serve my mission, my mom got me pure white pants for the temple or to baptize people in. She knew I'd gain weight, so she got a gargantuan one. It never fit me my whole mission. I thought I'd never use it, then, this last year, it was just starting to fit, and now, back to being a tent.

I know what you are thinking right about now. "He just lost some weight and he still can only find things to complain about." And you are right...

Urim and ThumbTube...

So, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has now joined the ranks of YouTubers. Check out their new YouTube page. I think this is a good technological step forward for the Church to help get out uplifting and spiritual content on an increasingly sinful platform. At the same time, it also makes it seem like the Church is giving a big "thumbs up" to YouTube and perhaps it content, which can be quite unwholesome at times. I use YouTube for my videos, so obviously, it is not as if I have major problems with YouTube myself.

Debate aside, check out the Church's official YouTube page.

The Eyes of the Beholder...

I think one of the things I liked best about Anna when we were dating is that she thought I was cute. I'll be the first to admit that I'm no Brad Pitt. So when a girl thinks I'm cute, she's a keeper.

But, alas, I gained weight once I got married and when you live with someone and see them first thing in the morning you really start to see the flaws. Anna's never been rude to me, but I think it's fair to say she has found me a bit less attractive than when we were dating. And I don't blame her. Anna on the other hand is still just as beautiful as the day we we met.

Something odd has been happening in the last month or so. Sometimes, just out of the blue, she'll look over at me and say, "Oh, you are just soo cute right now." It is truly sincere. I try to be coy but am secretly thrilled to hear it.

I have been using WiiFit a bit lately and have lost 15 lbs, but I doubt that's what changed. Rather than look a gift horse in the mouth, I tried to just happily accepted this. But, being the pessimist that I am, I couldn't let it sit. What is going on?

I finally and sadly figured it out. Also a month or so ago Anna has been complaining about her glasses. Her eye sight has been changing and her prescription glasses are insufficient now. She can't see anything further than 3 feet away clearly. And come to think of it, I have noticed she comments on my cuteness when I am across the room.

So now the quandary is whether or not to get her new glasses. I have a feeling that the "new and improved" Jared will disappear when the "new and acute" glasses appear.

*Sigh*

I think we'll have to get her new glasses. After all, she does drive. But we will have a new house rule. When Anna is home, she must wear her old glasses. Or better yet, none at all.

Chimmi-Chunkies and Mashidodos...

My wife has been encouraging me to blog more. And frankly, I have had problems with motivation. And when I do think of good things, I often forget them before I get a chance to blog. So, at the risk of getting to know my couch better, I'm going to blog about Anna. :)

I don't think I've gone one whole day with Anna where she hasn't made me laugh. Her humor is not like mine at all. She's funniest when she doesn't want to be. It's not that I'm laughing at her, but that she is just a funny person.

Since English is her second language, she sees the language in a new light. One of my favorite moments was when she wanted to say that something sucked, but she was confused on the syntax. "Man, those guys are suck."

When she wants to find a way to describe someone who is grumpy and easily agitated she will say they are being all "grumbly."

When we are going to eat a chimichanga its actually a "chimmi-chunkie." My sister, Lacey, has a thing in her house where they call mashed potatoes "mashidodos," which Anna and I have adopted.

Fortunately I am the one known living person to speak Annaiese, a rare Anna-based dialect. Had I not shared this insight with you, you would most certainly be lost in our home. Nowhere else would you hear a sentence like, "Honey, don't be all grumbly, but these chimmi-chunkies and mashidodos are suck." And no where else would you find someone that completely understands.

Please, Wait A Minute Mr. Postman...

The Postman has halted all my mail! And it is pending a federal investigation. Fun times...

The apartment I live in does not have mailboxes. The post offices on Guam are always full of long lines, open till close, and there isn't any that are all that convenient for me to go to. For this reason, I started using a mailbox store that is in the building I work in, PostNet.

Yesterday, a co-worker of mine who also uses this place asked me what I thought of the federal investigation. I had no idea what he was talking about. It turns out that the store is now under federal investigation and any mail sent there will be automatically returned to sender, no questions asked. Bummer.

I'm frankly not surprised. I've had a hunch something unscrupulous was going down for a while. For instance, one time I tried to buy a single $0.42 stamp. He rang me up at $0.64. I was a bit confused. Also, I only had $0.53 on me. I argued with the guy for a few minutes about the legality of selling postal stamps at such an inflated rate as well as the ethical and karmic aspects of it. He wouldn't relent. I told him what he could do with his $0.64 postal stamp and checked my mail as I left. Once he realized I was a paying mailbox customer he caught me leaving and said that since I was a customer he'd go ahead and "discount" my stamp. And he didn't just charge the regular rate, he charged me the $0.53 I had left. I kept the box, but never mailed a packed out from there again.

Now that this federal investigation is under way, you think they'd at least let us know about is as we are checking our mailboxes in futility. Nope. Not a word. I sat there for a while watching customers go in and out empty handed just thinking that there was no mail that day. The ONLY way to find out is to ask them directly, which will incur a short, almost scripted answer or to read a very nonchalant letter posted on the side of the door through the glass.

If I wasn't loosing my mailbox as a result of this, I'd be happy to see this happen to them. But, as I'm now stuck declaring P.O. Bankruptcy, it's less amusing than it ought to be. At least I still have email...