Do You Feel the Same?

Quick question:

If you are on a road trip, and you stop at a McDonald's or QT, or maybe even a generic Chevron, just to use their restroom, do you feel any onus to purchase something?

I do. Every time. I've tried to even convince myself, "Hey, I eat at 'McDonalds' all the time," but I know they are mostly franchises and the Mickey D's that I eat at in Smyrna doesn't send any money to Monroe, Louisiana, so I can't completely convince myself it is okay.

Am I strange? Insane? Have an over-developed sense of responsibility?

How about you, has the thought ever even crossed your mind?

Wow! A First...

Well, for the first time I'm actually blogging from a Starbuck's...am I finally hip now or what? Blogging, AND doing it in PUBLIC. Man, I am cool.

So...what to blog about...let's see...something profound...life-changing...

Oh! I know!

Now, that's a porta-potty!

Not That Scary

The other day I posted about my then upcoming employee physical. I was a little concerned about my health stats since it's been a long time since I've had them done.

Well, I had it today, and...not too bad.

My LDL and cholesterol were a little high, but my triglycerides were fine and my HDL was just a point off. Not bad for a fat guy. It still motivated me to want to get all my stats down within range.

At least she didn't call 911 when she saw my readings and start yelling things like "We need a CBC and chem 7 stat! Hang 2 more liters of O-!!" like they always do on TV.

Thanks to those of you that were concerned with me!

Body Image Part II

I while back I wrote about how we sometimes get an image of ourselves locked in our mind, and when we change (gain weight, grey hair, etc.) we end up in a situation where our inward image and outward image don't jive. Of course, I can't speak for everyone, but it has happened to me.

I just wanted to expand the idea a little and let you fill in the holes.

On a personal level, I'm talking about moral drift. The person that compromises just a little at work. The first time it is tough, the next time easier, etc., etc.

Organizations can do that, too. Our government, for example. How about a church? How about The Church?

Just something to think about.

Body Image

I'm forty. 40. The big four-oh. The interesting thing to me is that I still feel 18. Maybe 21. I definitely don't feel 40. Heck, most of the time I don't even feel like an adult. (Shhh!! Don't tell my son.)

Recently, my friend Chris has posted a bunch of pictures from high school. In my mind's eye, that's still how I see myself. I forget I have lots of gray hair until I look in a mirror. I don't realize how my waistline has increased until I until I get into a Hyundai. (More like "put on" a Hyundai.)

My body image is trapped in 1987...along with my taste in music. At least my hairstyle got free.

There's a bigger point to this, but I think I will save it for next time...

A Scary Day

Next week, I'm scheduled to do my yearly pseudo-physical for work. This year, we're being required to have a lipid panel and blood sugar checked. It's just a finger stick. No big deal, right?

I'm not worried about the stick. I have a pretty high pain tolerance.

The scary part is that I haven't had my lipids checked in a long time. I'm afraid that I might get my results back and they will just say:

Chol = cheeseburger

HDL = french fries

LDL = sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit

I guess we'll see next week!

Oh, and let me clarify. We're not really being "required" to have our lipids and blood sugar done. But if we don't get it done our insurance will cost us $2o more per pay period.

What's your cholesterol?

Ready for Additional Help

Okay, the other day I posted about a tree that I had seen, hoping to get some help figuring out what kind of tree it is. I went back to the tree and took some more pictures. Any ideas anyone?