Today I went to the optometrist to get my eyes checked for the 1st time in 33 years. I was surprised to find out I could read the smallest type presented with minimal difficulty. I almost broke out laughing during part of the examination, as my doctor looked into my eyes with the flashlight on a stick thing. This part of the examination felt like an alien abduction brain probe the way she rapidly changed her view of my eyeball all the while maintaining a distance of 2 cm from my face.
I also got to look into the “metal face frame eyeball lens thing”. I can't decide which motion picture best abuses this technology in the name of Science Fiction "Minority Report, The 6th day or
A ClockWork Orange" Last but not least she put urine yellow drops of thick goo in my eyes for no apparent reason.
I was diagnosed as being far sighted and given a prescription for reading glasses. I decided to go the cheap route (only the best for my eyes) and drove to the Mecca of cheap "Walmart" where I proceeded to spend $20.00 on new specs.
I am typing this article while wearing my new Yahoo computer glasses" yes that’s right Yahoo makes glasses.
Talk about diversification.
So in closing "I can see clearly now the blur has gone..."

Today I ventured into the dark, dank, recesses of my basement and fished out the box of Christmas lights.
It's funny how the memories of taking them down come back in a rush when faced with the daunting task of untangling 8 separate 25-foot strings of them clumped together in a massive ball. My favorite part is trying to take the broken bulbs out of the sockets. I think these light bulbs are manufactured a special way so they don't last more than 45 days to begin with and if you even look at them funny they disintegrate. But as fragile as they are they always have the ability to draw blood if your not careful. The sockets are another story. Noma should offer courses on how to screw the little fuckers suckers in. But what can you expect for 5 bucks?
Anyway I did manage to get them untangled and all the burnt out bulbs are now replaced. All that remains to be done is affix them to my humble abode. This is no easy feat either as it involves a 40-foot ladder, a schematic, 100 twist ties, a hammer and a bunch of nails. I often wonder why I go through this pain in the ass ritual every year and the answer is simple. I love the way the lights light up my children’s faces when I plug them in:)
34 shopping days left and counting.

I thought it would be a good idea to provide myself with a physical point of reference since I’m doing all this exercise.
So I posted a couple of past/present photos. As far as the scale goes there is about a 5-pound difference in weight between past/present. I will add updates in mid January and just after the triathlon in April. My wife says I've got guts for posting these photos of myself. I have to disagree with her, as I just have one gut, as large as it is, its still only one. I haven't heard back from the YMCA yet so I will talk to them tomorrow when I go for my workout.
A couple of choice quotes on exercising.

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.
~ Fred A. Allen ~
Exercise: you don't have time not to.
~ Source Unknown ~

Exercise
Swim 1k (I tried to fake an open water swim by not touching the ends of the pool or doing the kick turn)
Today was an active rest day.

Diet
Breakfast
Cereal, with skim milk
Snack
None
Lunch
Ham and cheese on white with lettuce tomato and Mayo, Macaroni salad, 3 cookies
Snack
V8, V8
Dinner
Pizza 4 Slices and 5 chicken nuggets & V8
Snack
Popcorn, Ice cream, chocolate pudding, apple, pear, coffee, rice crispy square, chocolate bar. (I’m still hungry)