After struggling to find meaning in my newly acquired post-employment existence, I’ve arrived at the possibly the best solution going forward. I’ve decided my job will be to stay in the best shape possible and made exercise a requisite part of every day. This is a bit of a throwback to my Army days where conditioning was literally a condition of employment. I’ve found retired life offers a great deal of distractions which can possibly dilute determination and then there are whoopie pies. Since the distractions will remain and I have no hope whatsoever of beating my addiction to the whoopie pies I’ve decided to stay the course with exercising.
It's already paid benefits, especially post-surgery.
My nadir was a few years ago when I really let myself go and found it increasingly
hard to feel good about myself, not to mention the huffing and puffing while
doing simple things. While I told myself at the time this was just a symptom of
getting old, I knew better. I’m down thirty pounds from that low point and feel
better than I have since I left the Army. I figure I’ve worked through the
shape I was when I was a colonel and am now at my lieutenant colonel level. I
have no illusions of ever being able to achieve captain or much less lieutenant
levels but I hold out hope I can reach major. 
Daughter and FBR, Dynamic Duo
This time, as I’ve taken some weight off,
I’ve made the effort to maintain strength as well. A few years ago, when I
started the keto diet, I dropped a lot of weight but felt I ended up too skinny
and lost a lot of power. The big difference this time is having access to the Y
pool and swimming, which was always my go to form of exercising when available.
I’ve noticed the difference in the way I feel doing daily chores. I saw the prostate
doc today and she remarked that I was in very good shape, but she added, of
course the codicil, “for someone my age”. Undeterred, no less personage than my
Favorite Panamanian complimented me on trimming away the excess pounds too many
Atlas beers and those delicious Panamanian cookies I chugged down during the
first part of the year. Through this whole effort a constant voice in the back
of my head echoes one of the last pieces of advice my mother gave me before
passing on, “Don’t ever get fat”. She told me this when she was at about the
same age I am now as she dealt with numerous health issues. Thanks Mom.
Heading to School with her Watch on in Tribute to Dad
FBR Weekending in the Poconos 
Hanging with her Second Gen Curbsider Buddy
We spoke last night with my daughter and
the FBR. They were still bubbling from a weekend well spent (see attached
photos) although the FBR was a little subdued. She’s missing Wingman who is
back out of tour for the next couple months. He reportedly can still do his
trademark keyboard handstand which he performed during their first show of their
reunion tour last night in Chicago. The FBR, in tribute to her watch obsessed
dad, took to wearing a watch to school because she wanted him to be proud of
her. She has such a very good heart. 
FBR Remains a Fashion Explosion
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Back Home with Pee Wee
RECURRING CHARACTERS:
ABFA – Amazing Best Family
Athlete - my daughter
in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter
#3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel -
second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue
about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Curbside Girls – close friends of my
daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions
once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite
Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR
- First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since
high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited
with after many years; Maine and
Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my
wife is the 3rd musquetera (musketeer); Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia
member; PanaGals – female relatives /friends
of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin
Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we
have lived & their spouses; Pittsburgh
College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in
Pittsburgh; Riggins - also known as
the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather
- my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my
son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s
mom, of course
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