It was one year ago...

That I packed up the Jeep (which is still running beautifully, by the way) and said goodbye to New Jersey and the East Coast and started the trek across these here United States to my present location in sunny Arizona... A lot has gone on in that year...(all chronicled for eternity in the blogger archives) and I can say without regret that I made the right move. As fall is in the air finally (still wonderfully warm and window open cool at night), I have survived my first summer in the desert with some lessons learned (see references to the "human cheeto") and knowing that surviving those months of extreme heat is worth every minute of the present fall/winter weather. The golf courses are finishing up with the overseeding program and I will be on them shortly...

I have left my job at the food service company... it was great working nights but the job became too demanding physically for this "not yet active " adult. The days (nights) were getting longer (worked til 5-5:30 am) every week and it got to the point where all I was doing was working and sleeping and all of you know THAT wasn't the plan when I came out here... (I did that in New Jersey, which is why I left in the first place). So I quit this week and will go back to security for now (enjoying the non-cheeto part of the schedule). There are still football games to secure and two bowl games at the end of the year (Insight Bowl on New Years Eve and Fiesta Bowl in January), The FBR Open returns in February, so there are plenty of gigs to keep me busy. And the substitute teaching thing should be up and running by the first of the Craig the other day, it was like surviving boot camp. I lost a total of 27 lbs. (I now weigh 190) and am probably in the best shape of my adult life, but I was constantly nicked up and sore. I also think the weight loss was too fast, too much, because I tire easily now and am still sore (getting older sure has its perks, don't it?). How come your mind doesn't age along with your body? I still think I can go full out in my head, but the body is about 2 blocks behind...

No worries, though, I'll be fine. Taking this time for fall cleaning (it's so great to be able to open the windows) and getting back to a normal sleep cycle. I'm looking forward to losing the vampire schedule and getting back together with my E&A peeps for some hikes and stuff. I have taken the bicycle out of mothballs and will begin to ride every morning... (I want to keep this "new" body and remain on good terms with the scale). But, in the meantime, I am enjoying the baseball playoffs (East Coast rules! Go Phillies and Yankees!). My Jets are playing like my Jets again... (the newness has worn off and the same old team is underneath) but the Giants are doing well (except against New Orleans) and they look to crush the Cardinals this week...(will be nice to watch Sunday Night and Monday Night football again).

Really looking forward to Aruba this year because not only will I see Bob and Toni Ann, but Cathy and Billy and John and Denise will also be there... (New York reunion). The last time we were all there together was a blast so it should be again... Looking forward to having my toes in the water, my ass in the sand, sunset in my eyes, and a Cuban cigar in my hand...