Body Fat

The contest at work started early last year.  It was a contest started by an aspiring salesman to see who could lose the most body fat in a specific time period.  It was supposed to end in November.  I was has my body fat measured at the beginning of it, in the 18% range.  Okay, not great.

Certainly not considering the fact that at one point in my life, I was at 4.9% body fat.  I had so little fat on my body that I had people asking: "Do you feel good?".  Why, I would ask?  "Because you have no fat!".

Those days are gone - although I maintained that kind of body fat until my late 30's.

Well, I got a call from that salesman today: "Hey bro (younger guy, early 20's, usually pretty cool, but we won't go into the "uncool" times), wassup?".  If nothing else, it is always good to try and maintain as good a relationship with the people at your employment as you possibly can, even if they are arrogant, condescending, snooty, high-minded. god-like in their own eyes - you get the picture.  I am actually not referring to this dude in that context, though.  Just saying.  I could go into another associate who had an attitude that would take a jackhammer to break today.

Nothing, dude, what's going on?  I thought he was going to throw a late delivery at me - which usually doesn't bother me, either, it's all OT for me.  "Hey man, I heard you took out that delivery today for me to *****?"  I won't name the names of the contractors we deal with, not a good idea, really.  Yes, I replied, I am there right now, waiting for them to come unload the truck.  "Cool man, thanks!".  Okay.  "I need to get all of the measurements done for the final tally for the body fat contest, I need to get yours taken today".

Okay.  No problem.  When I get back, of course.  We end that call, he is going to show up and get it over with.  I didn't want to be measured, to be honest, looking at myself in the mirror, it seems that I have gained fat, not lost it.  I figured I had only increased in my fat content, not lost any.  I had brought that up to him that conversation.  His reply: "EVERYONE says that, dude, but it's never the case.  Everyone has actually increased muscle mass and lost body fat!".

I still didn't believe it, not from appearances.  But whatever.  I get back to the yard and end up having to go right back out to get a part for someone that needs it immediately.  Back again - time to get off the clock.  I clock out and go into the room this salesman is in.  A large number of people are suddenly using our new facility, lol, it's pretty nice, has plug-ins to access the company intranet in every room (lots of empty rooms in there) and lots of places for privacy to shut doors for those that need it when talking with contractors and such.

I go into the kitchen - this is this guy's preferred room to do his business, lol.  I weigh myself, 2 pounds heavier than when I weighed in last year.  My weight is up and down but, unfortunately, pretty much stays at the same weight.  I say unfortunately because I would like to get it to the low 180's, not the mid 190's.  He gets out the calibers and starts taking the measurements.  Nothing.  Nothing.  Referring to my biceps and triceps - lean parts of my body that show no fat.  Nothing referring to nothing, not really measurable amounts of body fat there.  You pinch the skin and that's what you get, skin.  Which I really like considering I am 48 years old.

My stomach? He takes several measurements and then gets to the upper and lower back and then the thigh and then the calf area.  He starts telling me I have lost body fat and increased muscle mass.

Noooo, I still don't believe it.  He inputs all the measurements into the required fields - lots of them - and then it comes back.  My once 18%? Now 14%.

I had to start thinking.  Of course.  All of that heavy, heavy material that has come in for 2 huge jobs.  It isn't like lifting  a piece of paper out of a ream.  Most of it is large diameter material and is VERY heavy.  I force myself, for the most part, to lift it out physically instead of using the forklift to lift it out of there.  Not always - if it's jammed into a crate or otherwise an impossible situation, then yes, I let hydraulics take over.  But I consider it a workout and that, it is.

So I'm not losing weight because I have been increasing muscle mass.  Okay, I can accept that. : )

Bills

I had completely forgotten about the new Verizon Wireless account for mobile broadband.  I paid the first month plus the next month plus the activation fee.  But, I haven't had the laptop in a week now and the bill went into the cobweb sector of my brain.

I don't really know what brought it up in my mind, I didn't receive a notice or a phone call or anything.  It just popped up: uh-ohhhh, you have a bill you forgot about.  So, finding the paperwork, I call their 800 number and go through the automated system.  Turns out it's only 1 day late and also turns out that I am not going to be hit with some sort of outrageous late fee, such as you definitely expect to get hit with with credit card payments that are late.

Caleb informed me that he put in his 2 week notice.  Notice to quit work, that is.  I mean, he had informed me a few days before that that he was going to quit - in a month or two.  Suddenly that is ratcheted up to 2 weeks from now.  I didn't say anything to him at the git-go, there are times I tend to speak my mind about things and in this kind of scenario, that probably isn't going to come out sounding like a walk in the park and the person it is intended for probably is going to be offended.

The reason I wasn't happy about this is that I wanted him to sit on it for a month - at least - think about it and perhaps think through all the little paths of "potential consequences" that it can take you through.  Otherwise known as analytical thinking.  You know, you think things through - well through - and do so for a while - before you make a decision about something as important as quitting your job?  Yeah, that little tidbit.

I then asked how much volunteering he was going to be doing at the church - the alleged reason he was quitting his job.  Fridays.  I bit my tongue. At his age, I was working 2 jobs and burning the midnight oil. Many days would start at 6 am and end at 12 midnight.  Now, he's apparently going to go to school, yes, but replace his job with 1 day a week volunteering?

I was good with him replacing the hours he was working to volunteering, yes, I was.  I dunno what's going through that boy's head, but I am going to chalk this one up to a learning experience - for him, not me.  He is going to find out that being broke and having no money isn't exactly a fun thing.  It may also be that if he decides after a bout of being broke that he wants to go find another job, it may not be all that easy to do so.  I'm not feeling really compelled to pay his insurance on my other car plus pump gasoline into it for him to drive around.  I'll feed him and continue to pay his health care coverage as I have been doing for his entire life, but the rest of it?

Yes, life can smack you in the face and when it does, especially at that age?  Look out.  He sort of dealt me a hand that I wasn't expecting after he made his initial intentions known.  I am not going to hold his hand and lead him through life.  At his age, better learn quickly.  He already stated his intentions of getting a bicycle and the fact that he won't be able to do Muay Thai anymore.  No, I am not paying for his Muay Thai.  I had thought this scenario was going to be a weeeee bit different than what is unfolding.  I am going to continue to keep my mouth shut about it - but my wallet will also stay shut.  The only caveat is that I want to go "sport fishing", they call it, again this year and if he wants to go - providing I am able to save up enough money for such a trip - then I will pay his way for that as I did last year.

Well whatever.  I am not going to lose sleep over it.  I do think he should have followed the course that he had originally pronounced in stating that it would be a month or two, at least, before he quit.

Moving on?  What am I going to move onto.  Oh, yes, the initial plan/goal of building a casita.  Thank you for reminding me of that, I need to go out and take some measurements, be right back! ROFL!!

Hmmm.  I think I could so a 15x20 unit.  300 square feet of space.  The design is already in my head.  Front door leads into a living/bedroom situation.  At the other end is a small kitchen.  It does have a microwave, oven with stovetop, refrigerator and sink, just isn't huge.  It has cabinet space as well.  Small closet to the right upon entry.  Bathroom is aligned with the kitchen at the far end.  One window, next to the door.  Large window, though.

That's it.  But plenty and considering a private residence in this location? Should be easily rentable.

That's it.

2/9/2012 Thursday

Not a heckuvalot going on right now.
Not that there always needs to be, lol.
No new news on any tenants - just that one broke the knob off the hot water valve for the shower in the bathroom and left an apologetic message this morning.
Nice.  A tenant finally takes responsibility for something.  Not that I hold it against that person, I will replace whatever needs to be replaced and that will be the end of that.
Was going to take some measurements yesterday and see how much space I would have for building a casita - but I totally spaced it out.  I think  I was a bit tired yesterday and just wanted to relax after a long day at work.

Gilbert - the 21 year old tenant - was out on the side of my house taking pics and videos of my ponds yesterday.
He stated he was going to send them to his mother and try to convince her to do her own pond.  These small ponds are incredibly easy care/maintenance.  Clean out the filters every 2 to 3 weeks or even a month and that's about it besides feeding the fish.  Occasionally you have to go through and trim down the plants - I try to give them away whenever anyone wants some - keep the water level up, that's about it.

One of my ponds has a very nice mixture of plants that looks really nice.  I do hope we don't get another freeze like last year which about wiped them all out.  They eventually grew back but it took 8 months for that to happen.

Anyway, time to be off to work.

G'day.
ben