Recent Student Grad

Hey Storm you and I are about the same as far as height, weight and have the same goals concerning our health. I am also still losing with a goal to get down to my ideal weight and BMI. I have about 20# more to go. In actuality it is not really about the weight; that falls off in and of its own accord as I work out and become more fit and healthy. I define health as a lack of illness and so far strengthening and increasing endurance has paid off wonderfully. I don't know where you are in the process but I definitely concur that the experience with Maverick is very professional. * sidebar I just read your account of passing and obtaining your CDL - ^5 to you brother! I hope you get your medical release and get started soon. From what I read taking Metformin is not a disqualifying condition. But I did not go to school for years and obtain a sheep skin; just felt skinned alive a time or two on the journey.

 

We speak the same language mi amigo. I hope you get into orientation soon and we meet up. I have been tweaking my packing. Food in a day pack and cloths, boots, personal gear in a backpack. I am debating if I want to bring my laptop in its case along with notebook paper and writing supplies. I have the backpack right at 40# and the day pack at 30# They could just meet me at the bus and take pictures and weigh the packs and I would pass the weight lifting portion of the physical ( :

 

70 lbs of stuff packed into bags? And you don't have a laptop in there? What all did you pack?

 

Repacked, got the backpack at 45# and the daypack at 28# with the laptop and peripherals and telemetry all neat and tidy. I think I sweated and lowered my BMI 2% on that packing job. It is humid and sweltering hot right now. That twister came within a mile of the house last night. I knew before the sirens went off it was a nasty one by how much noise it was making and the dead calm on my side of the cloud it was. Our Lab was panting and fidgeting all around the house as well. I saw a picture of a ABF truck/trailer tipped over onto a parked car on the internet. I am not sure if it was in Cleburne or Granbury.

 

I have clothing for 6 days, (6 pairs pants, underwear socks, 6 short sleeved shirts, 1 Long sleeve shirt, 2 T Shirts, 1 pair shorts for sleeping) pillow, sleeping bag, 1 pair steel toe boots, shower shoes, extra belt, rain suit, Towel and washcloth, laundry bag, 2 empty 2 liter water bottles for carrying water, first aid kit. That is the backpack. In the Day Pack, food for two weeks minus fresh veggies-water-dairy, flashlight, headlamp laptop, chargers, 25' tape, spiral notebook, Binder with dividers for paperwork, Documents for Orientation, extra reading glasses, extra pair sunglasses, The Good Book, Camera, Garmin ETrex, Road Atlas, pocket knives, extra pair of laces for boots, extra ball cap. Did I forget anything?

 

I hope you made it out ok. It looks like it was a bad one. I went through the edge of it on the way to Laredo. I got into some bad rain, but I missed the wind thankfully.

 

The only thing I can tell that you might have missed is the kitchen sink.

I say that in jest, but I'm a light packer. I showed up to meet my trainer with the clothes and boots I was wearing, one extra pair of jeans, two pairs of extra drawers, one extra shirt, an ink pen, toiletries, a folded blanket, and a pair of leather work gloves. I figured I would get anything else I needed as we went along. I used up my drawers and went commando after that, and when my jeans and socks stood up and walked by themselves, I bought a new pair when we stopped at Wal mart. As far as office supplies, I brought an ink pen.

Im going to go out on a limb here and say that your trainer might take issue with everything you brought. Depending on your trainer, your allotted space is going to be your bunk and maybe one little cubby hole. The point is make it through your time with a trainer, then get your own truck and put whatever you want in it.

 

Hey thanks for the well wishes Jak. I was grateful for the rains we received, glad the big winds and hail stayed away. I did have to go down a few rows of corn in the garden and straighten up a few that got blown flat. I did not lose any Pecan limbs in my trees which when the sirens went off was one of the things I was worried about. Last year I lost two huge main beams in 80 year old paper shells due to a heavy crop and high winds. The storm that tore up Granbury crossed I-35 a little north of Hillsboro I imagine. I hope you were past that by the time it did. Yesterday I was sickened when I had to drive up to Ft. Worth and went thru Granbury. It was like a free for all all the Fly-by-nite Roofers that had their magnetic signs stuck to the doors and ladders strapped to the roof running around town like chickens after a grasshopper. The news hounds were a pain as well, but I guess getting all that dirty laundry out and on the air has its price. On the good side of it I was almost choked to tears when I witnessed an act of kindness. I was in a snarling mess of traffic heading up US 377 in Granbury wondering if all of it was associated with the disaster. After grinding to a stop at every light as I made my way north, I finally saw what he grind was about; 4 State Troopers were relaying thru the intersections holding traffic up as two bus loads of victims of the disaster were being bussed to a local restaurant. As I prayed for those folks I was almost overwhelmed and was humbled at the sight of such generosity and caring by those that were helping to ease the pain of their losses. The fact I had a garden unscathed was not lost on me.