Back in the Saddle

Spring is just around the corner and I have a spare tire wrapped around my waist. What a waste *bad joke chuckle*. So I've decided to get it all going again and start to shed the weight off for the up coming season. Easier said than done, as usual.

My wife and I are at the brink of an up-tick in our entire life situation... we just need to sell our house... in Michigan where unemployment is in the double digits and uncertainty runs rampant. Hmmm. Truly the timing is very askew in regards to selling a home, but in reality it has to be done. Fortunately (or unfortunately) we are pretty much over the fact that we are letting what we put 6+ years of toil and care go for what we know is a bargain. A bargain, I tell you!

A few down sides I've found where we are destined versus where we are leaving though. First and foremost... the options for shopping are very limited. Within an hour are plenty of places to go including posh downtown shops, regular malls, small town charms and the coveted outlet malls! Why am I so excited about outlet malls? Since the majority of the Midwest has the fashion sense of a heard of cattle, what makes it to the outlets is the good stuff. Tack on that I am thinner than the average Midwesterner and BAM! Great bargain finds! OK... next would be there is a lot of bad food to be had... really. This is the home of plentiful beer, cheese, brats and over sized indulgences (explains the spare tire). Next is the lack of ridable roads... at least near where I have a (hopefully) temporary apartment. The nice thing though is that I've met enough people that have promised to show me where to ride... road and dirt... when the temps are consistently in the warmer shade of gray. That's over 50 degrees. The last is the lack of home choices. Not the same cruddy market we are leaving but a much more stable area which means our dollars will not go quite as far. One other thing that you may find positive but isn't is the lower sales tax. The difference? They tax everything, including food. So when I am used to shelling out $.99 for a box of Little Debbies... they are $1.04 here. I guess a light bulb will cost less.

So how about some positives? The people around here don't have a concept of waterfront property. The coast is virtually undeveloped and very, very cheap... I mean reasonable. A block off the beach?! Cheap! There is also a town that acts like a "Stepford Wives" community. It's a tempting proposition just to try it. The crazy part is the average income in that little Village? $90K. Just imagine the pressure to keep that lawn green and weed free?! How about my new job? Simple... they're awesome. I don't think I tell them that enough. So... Kohler... you're an awesome company :D .

On a tangent, I found out Trek and Kohler are associated at a high level regarding business practices. In the mix is also Anderson Windows. They are all within an hour or so of one another. My plans are to see if a few of us can go for a field trip to the new Trek design facility. It would be cool on several levels for me!!

OK, so back in the saddle... I'm back on the trainer and plan to shed 25 pounds in the next couple of months. I will kick in running this weekend and weight-training next week. I just have to stay in control as the normal added food consumption and nominal weight-gain just as one starts to work out again rears it's ugly head. It should subside by the end of next week... then it's all downhill from there!