Continuing the Journey,...

On the way home from seeing my brother and Sister-in-Law this past month at the rehab hospital, I had to pull off the side of the road to take in the sunset.  It was just a short couple of minutes, but enough pause to have a moment of gratitude.  How wonderful it is to have the ability to see such sights, and to have the gift of health and mobility.  Every day is truly a gift.  At any moment, any of us could lose what we have.  We don't like to think that way, of course.  But in taking a moment to grasp that reality, one gains a sense of appreciation and respect.  When we work on improving our health, we are making a conscious choice to stick around in this world for a little longer, and savor the good things.  No, I am not talking about the "Famous Dave's" or "Golden Corral" good things.  I mean the good things in life ~ the things that are typically taken for granted  ~ in nature ~ our senses ~ and in our relationships and being human ~ those shared moments that make us laugh and smile ~ or blush ~ or those moments in which you think, "Yes, this is one for the books ~ one of those times I will never forget".  And sometimes we are faced with tough health issues: stroke, cancer, heart attack, virus, injury,...  Or a loved one is faced with such.  We often wonder "why"?  It may not seem fair.  But if there is anything positive that can be taken from these life-challenging obstacles, it is the gift of having a greater awareness of the preciousness of life and of each other, and in the strength of knowing that you can overcome.  If even in the moment, you can overcome.  You can choose to crumble under the pressure, or take a deep breath and say, "Okay, hold on!  Here we go!"  Life's hurdles challenge us to live much deeper, in a sense.
     

Photo credit: divemasterking2000

So I have a friend that keeps pestering me to go skydiving.  I have always wanted to go ~ or at least I did when I was younger.  But as I get older, I think I appreciate having my feet on the ground!  Yet, another part of me is intrigued, thinking maybe this is one of those self-inflicted obstacles where I could challenge myself to say, "Okay, hold on!  Here we go!"  (My pulse is increasing just thinking about it.)  I can imagine it is such an awesome experience to float peacefully through the sky under an opened parachute.  I am absolutely terrified about the idea of actually jumping from a plane and free falling, however!  I mean, I cannot possibly imagine loosening my grip enough to where I would actually let go.  It is a tandem jump, so I would be going with an experienced jumper.  I guess I will have to think about it.  I looked up statistics and there are roughly 30 annual deaths reported worldwide for an estimated 3 million jumps.  Not the worst record.  I have a doctor's appointment in a few weeks.  I will check in with him to see if he thinks my ticker could survive the jump (or if I can actually combat my nerves on this one).  The jump is tentatively set for March 2nd.  There's plenty of time to contemplate,...       

Photo Credit: http://themaintenancemanager.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/gavel.jpg

On another note, work has been quite busy but is going well.  I have had five opportunities to testify in court as an expert witness.  Three of those five experiences have occurred within a two-week period.  (My 3rd hearing in the 2-wk period is set for next week.)  Talk about tackling performance anxiety head on!  I always experience some level of anxiety prior to getting on the stand.  Granted, it is probably not the same level of anxiety as jumping out of a plane, but it is anxiety, nevertheless.  Preparation and experience certainly do help alleviate much of the stress.  I love the feeling I get when I have successfully tackled that anxiety, and I leave the court room knowing that I did my best, made a strong case presentation, and responded appropriately to cross examination.  Next week's hearing will be challenging, but I am up for that challenge!

And speaking of challenges,...
I had a successful week on the HMR diet program!  I am down another two pounds!  And that puts me into 170-land!  Yay!  I have earned another pair of slacks.  It really feels good!!

Tonight's HMR treat was a coconut banana cheesecake smoothie.  Ingredients: HMR shake, sugar-free coconut Torani syrup, sugar-free cheesecake and banana pudding (approx. 2 tablespoons pudding mix total), water, and ice.  It was very delicious!  In an effort to continue the weight loss momentum, I decided not to use the pudding mixes every day, but they add a nice treat to the shakes on the weekend!

Day/Date:	Weight (pounds):	Total Amount Lost:
Wednesday, 10/06/10	245.2	-
Thursday, 01/17/13	179.4	65.8

Day/Date:	Weight (pounds):	Amount Lost on HMR:	Total Amount Lost on HMR Program:
Monday, 10/08/12	213.9	n/a	n/a
Thursday, 10/11/12	211.0	2.9	2.9
Thursday, 10/18/12	209.2	1.8	4.7
Thursday, 10/25/12	204.0	5.2	9.9
Thursday, 11/01/12	203.4	0.6	10.5
Thursday, 11/08/12	198.4	5.0	15.5
Thursday, 11/15/12	197.6	0.8	16.3
Thursday, 11/22/12	194.6	3.0	19.3
Thursday, 11/29/12	194.0	0.6	19.9
Thursday, 12/06/12	192.2	1.8	21.7
Thursday, 12/13/12	190.6	1.6	23.3
Thursday, 12/20/12	188.8	1.8	25.1
Thursday, 12/27/12	185.4	3.4	28.5
Thursday, 01/03/13	185.4	0.0	28.5
Thursday, 01/10/13	182.4	3.0	31.5
Thursday, 01/17/13	181.4	1.0	32.5
Thursday, 01/24/13	179.4	2.0	34.5

Update:
Well, this is interesting.  Since I started composing this blog entry, I took a break and googled the company that my friend wants me to entrust my life with re: skydiving.  Turns out they have had 3 deaths with the company (2001, 2002, and in 2009).  My friend was not aware of this record.  The parents of the young lady who died in 2009 (who was employed by the company) sued the company in 2011, claiming the equipment was old and defective.  The lawsuit also apparently referenced known on-the-job drug and alcohol use amongst the employees who pack the chutes.  Apparently the company also lied about their safety record on its website.  The Fresno Bee article can be found here.  Hmmm,...  Guess who is once again content to have her feet on the ground (for the moment, anyhow)?!  One could say it pays to do your homework!  (Or perhaps I was better off completing the jump without knowing??)  I think I may never know the answer.      

Today I remind myself to honor life and take care of myself; body, mind, and spirit.
Have a great weekend!  
  
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