Weight tracking

I've been walking for my exercise for the last week. It feels a bit like cheating, compared to the exertion I put into bike riding. If the weather holds good as it has been, I'll ride again. I have less than four weeks to finish, and that rebate will be mine!

On the Finally! side of life, I'm back under 230 again, at least briefly. Ever since late summer, probably about the time that I was rolled off of CADE, I've been riding a pound or two above 230, sometimes as high at 233. (Keep in mind that I'm 6'1" or 6'2", depending on which shoes I'm wearing. Would anyone like to provide a link to reasonable height/weight charts?)

In spite of the exercise, my weight stayed above 230. It was getting insanely frustrating! But this morning I saw 229.5, which I take as a sign of encouragement.

Endangering the Public Liberty

The following quote came to me in today's AWAD:

The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty. —John Adams, 2nd US president (1735-1826)

Please Give

The Norm has been one of my favorite comic strips for several years. The strip's author recently decided to break with the syndication industry, and is testing the self-supporting waters. Because I like what he writes and want to see him continue to write, I've made a donation. Please consider joining me.

Family bike riding

for Sunday, 10/17/04: 4.38 miles, 11.08 mph average, 23:47 minutes, 20 mph max

Weight tracking

Rode to IBM and back. In a bit of a hurry this time. This should complete my IBM Rebate requirements for this week.

Saw a groundhog not three feet away from me. On my way back I slowed down to watch him, but he noticed me slowing down and scurried away. I could see the pads on the bottoms of his feet as he ran.

• Distance: 4.45 miles
• Time: 24 minutes 1 second
• Average Velocity: 11.15 mph
• Max Velocity: 31 mph

Weight after showering: 2??.? lbs

I'm on a project!

God moves in mysterious ways!

This morning I got a call from my manager: he reported that a team working for the U. S. Mint had my resume' in hand and wanted to interview me. We set up a time for the team to call me.

When I got the call, whom should I hear but my friend Mike Plants from Atlanta days! He had seen my name go by and basically sold the team on my qualifications. (THANK YOU, Michael!)

This team is supporting an old Net.Commerce application that was written in 2001, probably including http://catalog.usmint.gov/. They work in IBM's Gaithersburg office. This project is likely to last through April of '05.

I don't know how my resume' came to their attention: as far as I know, I had not applied for this opening.

Because it involves the government, I will have to pass another MBI (minimum background investigation) before I can see some parts of the system. Still, there may be aspects of the architecture or other more general things that I can learn while waiting the three or more weeks it will probably take to complete this security check.

Weight tracking

Rode to IBM and back. Average day, average ride, except that this time Vicki rode too.

• Distance: 4.48 miles
• Time: 28 minutes 16 seconds
• Average Velocity: 9.52 mph
• Max Velocity: 28 mph

Weight after showering: 231.5 lbs

Day of Denial and Disappointment

Today was the day we found out what is not in our immediate future. I received formal notice that the excellent job with the San Jose team is not being offered to me. And we saw three specific indications that we are not to purchase the house where Vicki and the kids stripped wallpaper. We are content with this news, but we're also feeling disappointment.

Weight tracking

Rode to IBM and back. Average day, average ride.

• Distance: 4.44 miles
• Time: 25 minutes 39 seconds
• Average Velocity: 10.40 mph
• Max Velocity: 32 mph

Weight tracking

Rode to IBM and back. Average day, average ride. This should complete my IBM Rebate requirements for this week.

• Distance: 4.44 miles
• Time: 25 minutes 28 seconds
• Average Velocity: 10.49 mph
• Max Velocity: 31 mph

Weight after showering: 231.0 lbs