What's going on? three

There was a report out of England I read regarding one's environment and one's weight.

Nicer the neighborhood, green grass, trees, clean, the healther the residents.

The less nice, graffity, trash, little or no green, the more likely the obesity.


Would explane the "thin rich women" from the nicest neighborhoods in Dallas. It's not all plastic surgery and gym memberships...

They walk their neighborhoods and get out to exercise more.

To be in nature...

What's going on? two

Open letter to the restaurant industry.

Dear Restaurant Owners:

Please reduce your portion sizes, or offer 1/2 size portions of your regular meals.

Just because we may "want" large servings, doesn't mean they are good for us.
We come to your businesses to be served. Instead you market to us with gigantic plates.

"Look how much food you get at Our Place!"

This also means that the average meal in the Dallas area, at a service restaurant, now runs about $10.00 plus tip.

The less expensive alternative is Fast Food...

I realize you have a profit margin to make and bills to pay.

There is an independant restaurant here in town that offers good, healthy food for $5.00 at lunch and makes up for the difference at dinner.
They are doing very well.

Thank you, Karlthebunny

**************
I don't believe for one minute that the food industry will change until enough folks, Americans in this case, demand smaller portions.

We are spoiled here.

When I was in Italy, on weekends we had breakfast and dinner at the dining hall. But Lunch was on us. So we often ate at the local chain restaurant.
They catered to us students on tight budgets.
They offered paper napkins instead of the standard clothe, which reduced our price. And everything was portioned.

I am used to opening a can of ravioli and eating as much as I like.
It was a shock when I ordered Ravioli there and got exactly *6*.
And sodas were not "all you can drink". (which is probably a good thing)

Go to a store in America for icecream and you will get a scoop that on average, is about the size of a base ball.
Not so in Italy. A scoop of gelato there is golfball sized. Which allows for more choice of flavors at one sitting. And of course, less food.

And then the cities there where designed and built before the age of the car...

So... I must endevor to ask for smaller portions when I can, and if not, eat out less, and decide before I sit down to eat only the right amount...in this case, maybe 50% of what I will get. And the balance, will make a good lunch for the next day... (and in the end, I can *get* that lower priced lunch)

Gas prices affect the office

The higher gas prices are begining to cause concrete changes here in our office.

Superman traded his Pickup for a Civic this last weekend.
Reduced his expenses by $200.00 a month.
$100.00 in lower car payments, and
$100.00 in lower fuel costs.

I may talk to Zelda about switching out cars.
Mine gets better mileage than Betty...

(I cringe at the thought of my car sitting out unprotected all day though... Anyway. $$ talks)

And the Kid traded in his Land Rover for a Passat. Nice.
Better mileage, and less headaches...

I am always tempted when friends buy new cars to up grade.
J has an Audi A4 (program car) that made me jealouse, not to mention, he gets some measure of joy in pointing out how little research I did before buying my last car.

(I justify it as:
a) I had just purchaised the Harley not two months prior,
b) I didn't have much cash on hand,
c) my rental was due back,
d) my Honda will last for a long, long time, and lastly
e) I could not have affored any of the other cars I had been looking at...see "Harley" above)

J was right, I should have shopped around more...
but don't tell him that, I'll deny it!

I'll be prepared next time,
I hope...

What is going on?

Again today on the web news I read YET another article about how Fat, or should I say, "Obese", we Americans are becoming.

A few years back I saw the movie, "The Triplets of Bellville", which spoofs both the image of the French and the Americans.

We Americans are portrayed as ROUND, with food in our hands.

I was offended by it.

Seems it is becoming true.



What is going On?!

Is it because of larger portions?

Is it because we eat out more and more?

Is it because of additives to the food early in the food chain?

Is it because we sit in front of:

the TV,

our Desks at work,

the steering wheels of our Cars,

our Computers? (hmm, let me move my computer...)

Video games?

Probably a little of all of these, plus the fact that here in Dallas, we have, like today, "Unhealthy" air quality days, plus higher humidity as we build more and more lakes (trivia question: How many Naturally occuring lakes are there in the state of Texas? answer at the bottom).
And let's face it, it's just Damn Hot in the summer!!

Has the big box retail store surplanted the get out and walk to store mentality?

I'm not sure...

But it affects me, I am continuing to spread in the middle.

I often joke that the most exercise I get in a day is walking from my house to my car, from my car to my office, where I sit all day at a desk, and moving my mouse in circles as I draw. Then of course from the desk back to the car, and once home, to the couch...
Maybe I need more chores... (Zelda, don't answer that!)
***********
A side.
I am credited with having good genetics for my slimmer size.
At parties, I am always offered the left overs (well, at least when I was a bachelor),
"You are so thin, here, you take the left over, fill-in-the-blank. (usually desert)"
Most of the time I took it home, but never touched it.

Let food go to waste, lest it go to your waist

I would credit some of my thinness, not on genetics, but to picky eating.

I am usually the last to finish.
I eat slow.
This means I fill up, and, until recently,
never finished my plate.

Mom told me how as a little child she would chase me around the house stuffing beans in my mouth because I was finished. Though I am sure this is probably true of many children and green beans.

We were also always outside running around and playing.
**********
Back to the rant...

I'd climb the stairs to the office (all 16 flights), but due to Life Safety, they are classified as an "Exit Egress" which by code requires that once I enter the stair, I can not exit until I get to the "Exit" to the outside. Which is the ground floor, going down. Not as strenuous as going up...

I might try phoning from the landing *once I catch my breath*, and hope the signal gets through.

Or, I'll continue to park on the upper floors of the garage and take the stairs (to my car) at least three times a day.

Anyway...


There is exactly:

One
naturally occuring lake in Texas,
all the rest are thanks to the Government.

New Living Room

We got the old tv consol that mom bought and left to me out of the house!

I had my eye on a black armoire at Crate and Barrel, not to mention a couch and book shelves back last fall. Take up the carpet, put in new flooring, get rid of most everything and make the place "mine". (And no longer "Moms".)

Things changed while I was making plans.

I fell in love and got married.

Now it's 'our house'.
Well...
at least we are attempting to make it "Our House".

We are waiting on the carpet.
I bought new couches, though not the ones I had had my eye on.
We do have the black tv armoire, thanks to Zelda.
She had one very similar, and a whole lot less expensive.
And she also contributed her open shelving on which we have placed many books and some of the new art/crafts.

The surround system is hooked up and her tv is SO much nicer on the eyes.

Things are coming along nicely.
Things are moving along.

Football Season!!!! WHOOP!!!!

College football, and for that matter, 'pro' football season is begining next month.

J and I have been going to Texas Aggie Football games since '96.
We have, up until now, for the most part, been Single. Which means we have not had many problems with the schedules other than being exhausted by the end of the season. College Station is about 3 hours south of Dallas, which means a game is an all day affair. Red is not a football fan. Zelda could care less about Aggie football, unless they are playing Kansas State, which we do this October.

If I choose to go all the home games, as well as the two away games to Colorado and Kansas, we won't have a Saturday off in October this year. My body can't handle it like it used too. Not too mention it puts a wrench in the running of the house.

I'm not sure how Zelda is going to like it.
"Sorry dear, I'm going to leave you alone all day, every Saturday, *a day off*, for a month. Love you, bye!"

I look forward to Football season each year for a number of reasons.
I enjoy returning to Texas A&M.
The coeds are as sexy as ever, though they seem to get younger and younger each year...( look forward to harnessing that sexual tension for use on Zelda, tee hee)
I enjoy the yelling and emotion, ups and downs, that happen with college ball.
We visit old haunts, (Cafe Excell, the Chicken Oil, and Los Nortenos. We now exclude Double Daves and Freebirds which have franchied into the "big time" and can be found in Dallas and Austin)
I love my team.
And maybe most importantly, I look forward to spending a day with my buddy J.
He and Red now do the things he and I use to do. Road trips, vacations, Christmas shopping. And this is as it should be, but part of me still is sad and misses it.
Football season gives us the opportunity to catch up. Talk shop, vent about our "significant others" when we have had them. And to hang out.

First home game is in a couple of weeks!!

I'm looking forward to it!

Gig'em Aggies! WHOOP!

Zelda doesn't know this

but when I use her computer, as I do now, and I forget to 'sign off' like she reminds me, she can get access to my home page.

Beware of Zelda's posing as bunnys!!!

Remember to always insist on 100% authentic Karlthebunny! blogs!

More cleaning

Zelda and I took a four day weekend to clean house.
It has been productive, but it has been more "run errands" than "clean out".

We now have the joint checking account checks.
Zelda shared with me that she now feels married, not good in this particular instance, because of previous debts and feeling the need to ask me, "Can we do X, Y, or I need money for Z this week", she feels like she has no control over her life, no independance. 1950s here we go again!!

This is not what I want,
this is not what she wants.
But we are both struggling with, "how do you make this work?".
She now makes close to what I do, so it's not a case of "I'm supporting her", but since we still haven't figured (pardon the pun) this system out yet, she still feels this way.

We will keep working and talking about it till we do.

Bunny Sister's birthday is Monday. She'll be 44.
We spent the afternoon yesterday at their house with their 'broken' families.
Some more than others.

Something bad, very bad, happened to bunny's sister's husband's mother somewhere along the line. She can not handle money. She calls bunny's sister's husband EVERY Day. And they don't want her to call them EVERY Day.
Bunny's sister's husband's father has lived with bshm for 40 years now.
She has diabetes, could loose the weight, in theory, (she's not that overweight) and needs to stop smoking. But she won't or can't. And they will continue to love her as best they can.

Zelda's favorite movie of all time.
"Lilo and Stitch".

"Pudge controls the weather..."

Back to cleaning!!!

Saturday Cleaning

Zelda and Zelda Mommy cleaned house on Saturday.
Concerned about her daughter, she did what every self respecting, Zelda daughter loving mommy would do, told Mr. Pinwheel, "we're heading up to Dallas, staying with son number one, so we can help our Zelda clean up her kitchen!!! And thus, start the domino effect for the rest of the house. We must get that guest room cleaned out so I can visit!"(bunny paraphrase)

The place looks(ed) wonderful! (we have since opened additional boxes and do not have 'homes' for the unboxed stuff yet...)

Mr. Pinwheel barbequed on the Zelda grill, a gift from same said father.
And we invited Zelda brother, and the Bunny sister's family over for fajitas, beer, and cake.

We used the new gazebo! Though we ended up sitting outside of it, as it was filled with food and there were too many of us.

Much yard work was done leading up to same said party and a good time was had by all.

Happy cooking y'all!

For all to know...

I have stayed in some wonderful B&Bs from the little old lady in Insverness, Scotland, to the beautifuly restored mansion with its beautiful gardens in Georgetown, Texas.

If you are looking for a Great Bed and Breakfast in Fredricksburg, Texas, where you get to meet the owners as well as their other guests, stay in a fabulous room, and all for a great price, DON'T visit any of the "Absolute Charm" properties.

Absolute Charm is anything but.

Zelda and I were both taken in by their lovely web site showing the family and the house.
These folks are interested in the dead presidents in your back pocket, not you.

We were not told that we were to pick up the key to the B&B, (a converted garage with about as much "charm"), with the Booking Agent on Main Street and so tried for 20 minutes to find the place. Zelda remembered the address, *but the owners had removed the street number and sign so as to not be bothered by guests trying to get the key.*

The web site said the home was only two blocks from Main street and the shopping district. It is two blocks off Main, but the shopping is at the other end of the street.

Once inside we were disappointed with the finishes and comments left for the guests regarding the hot tub and check out time by the owners.

Turns out they own a shop on Main street, well, make that *three* shops on main street, all named the same thing, all selling the same kitch that was used to !Decorate the Room!

Did I mention it was a converted garage?

They did put down vinyl "wood" flooring... directly on the concrete.

The two tables provided inside were covered in that same kitch, conveniently with price tags, in case you should want to take a little something with you, with a 10% discount of course. We didn't have any place to put our things...

I thought they had let the battery in the clock on the fake mantel (used to "hide" the 2'x2' air conditioning return vent which they had not bothered to paint a dark color as to continue the 'illusion') run down, but when I checked it, there was no battery, because it was for sale. Along with the butter knives in the cup board, a set of 6 for only $15.00.

The reason we rented this particular B&B was it touted a hot tub and was on the owner's main property, a restored 1910 victorian. We could meet the owners, but still have the privacy of a separate building. The note about *remove all makeup before getting in the hot tub, 'cause our cleaning staff will know* (paraphrased) was condiscending.

Back behind the fence of the 1910 house, seen through the gaps in the "privacy fence" for the hot tub, we could see the full size basket ball court, as well as the slip and slide for the kids. Monday morning we had breakfast at the Wal Mart patio table, complete with mildew, as was the porch, because, as I mentioned, there was no place to eat inside. And about 10 minutes into breakfast, the yard guy showed up to cut the owner's lawn. This was about 9:00am...

All the main house windows on the street side, by our front door, were shuttered so as to avoid seeing any of the guests.

There was also a long note about how we needed to leave by 11:00am because the cleaning staff "has only 4 hours to clean 13 units" (at $155.00 a night you can run the numbers...).

Folks, a good Bread and Breakfast has a number of things that make it worth your time.
Even if it's a simple home where the owner is making some extra income by letting rooms, it has:
1) the opportunity to meet the owners.
2) getting to know the best places in town to eat, or shop, or visit, with the intimacy of staying in someone's home.
3) a wonderful breakfast.
4) meeting the other guests, if there should be any.
and
5) a reasonable price.

Absolutely AVOID Absolute charm properties.

In finishing up, and Zelda may add some comments to the list,
we must say,
A)the bed was comfortable.
B)The catered breakfast was wonderful.
C)And the hot tub was nice.
But not $155.00 nice.

Holiday Inn provides a room, many times a suite, and complementary breakfast in mornings,
but they would never attempt to call themselves a
Bed and Breakfast...

And Yes, Zelda and I did send a "love letter" to the booking agent as well as left our comments in the room's comment book letting them know our disappointment.

Don't get burned.

Time is amazing...

"Time is amazingly fair and forgiving.
No matter how much time you've wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow. Success depends upon using it wisely--by planning and setting priorities."

A quote from my Date Timer
by Denis Waitely

It's been a month

now since Woody passed.
Almost as if he was never here...

Gaea has taken over as "head cat" and seems to enjoy it.

Zelda and I watched the tribute to Peter Jennings last night on ABC.
I was impressed that the network devoted two, commercial free, hours to this man. He was my favorite, and I recall being put off on those nights when I could get home early enough to catch World News and he was not on.
Something about him, his personality, the way he aproached things that drew me in. I will miss him.

Zelda and I made up Tuesday. Misunderstanding and some personal demons.
We all have them.

Anything I can due to help *purge* them my dar-leen?
******
For those who have stopped by, or stop by to visit from Real Live Preacher, you may have noticed the "herpes help" link, it's a Public Service Anouncement of sorts.
Zelda is actually reluctant to be associated with the stigma.
I can't say that I run down the halls at work yelling at the top of my lungs that "I met my wife because I have Herpes!!!"

But I leave it there, not because it is the center of my life, which at one time it was, but because it ISN'T the center of my life. Just a facet. And with out it, I'd have never met Zelda.

Neither of us caught it being promiscuous.
We both caught it from people we Loved.
It's a heads up that:
A) It's not the end of the world should you contract it.
And B) that we are not sick, ugly, horrible people, but your neighbors, friends, and business partners.
One out of 4 people have the virus that causes genital sores. (It's actually a normal way of life. Just as close to 100% of the population have the virus, from the same family, that causes Chicken Pox.)
Virgins can contract Herpes with out ever having had sex.
It's that kind of bug.

And it's no big deal.

And now to get off my soap box, work is calling.
ktb

Bunny in da dog house

Yes, I'm back in the dog house.

Though Zelda is not a complainer, I know when I'm in trouble.
She kisses me on the forhead, rather than the lips before she leaves in the morning.
And any little thing that usually is forgiven that I may have done or not done, is brought up for critique.
And she can keep a list.

I love her still.
Makes it more of a challenge, but it can be done.

I wonder how I show my displeasures?

We joked about how she wanted me for my wallet and my ... , yeah.
And she reasured me that it was for the later.

I am now trying to ballance out the wallet part and not paying (opps) enough attention to her.
We have spent a large amount of borrowed money in the last three months and I am nervous to say the least.
It has been WAY TOO much FUN.
And there seems no end in site with out becoming a *bad guy* and saying, "No more".

So, here I am, move over Rover.
***********
Put up the gazebo we got as a wedding present. We will put it to use when Mr and Mrs. Pinwheel, along with Zelda's brother and my family come to visit.
The Pinwheels are helping with House Cleaning. (aka. throwing shit out, Goodwill, here we come!!)
Brother and my family are coming for the cookout afterwards!

Financials and $$$

If you have read Zelda's blog today, you will know that we are dealing with the financial aspect of marriage.

We talked about it before hand, months ago.
But we didn't work out all the details...

And the Devil is in the....

I am what J calls "cheep" and I call "frugal". (I have always thought of J as cheep, since he used to never cover any of my meals, and always looked for a sale. In college I never thought twice about buying my buddy lunch, and he would pick up the next tab. J only recently has adopted this attitude. Red has been good for him)
J also has large credit card debt, and the Bunny Man does not.

J gets out and travels more. Historically, I have not...

So...

Zelda has been helping me learn to spend. She likes Date night, and so do I.
She likes to rent movies and buy clothes, and shoes. I like to eat out.
She insists on Fresh Food.
I cannot say that this has been a bunny priority.

When I am with Zelda, I want to do things with her and for her. I want to buy her the world.

And I have...
Not taking into account that we now have some larger regular bills, ie. Big Fancy Cell Phones. Larger grocery bills.

It has also made me aware of my lack of disciple when it comes to the card...
Last fall I adopted a habit of the Rich. Pay yourself First.
30% of my paycheck went into savings.
I also made my lunch and paid myself for each empty brown bag I brought back home. This too when into savings.

This year I have struggled to make that lunch. And when I have, it has many times gone uneaten. I have found I enjoy going out to eat with my coworkers. I am disappointed at how easily I am swayed when they ask, "Did you bring lunch?".
"Yes, but..."

A number of years ago, I ran the numbers and found I was spending $1,000.00 a year just on lunch at $5-10 a day...
Now lunches are $8-12...

This weekend only high lighted an existing problem, not a new one in the realm of expenses.

I still bought Opera tickets this season. (Two seats same section...)
I still bought Aggie Football Tickets. (Zelda's not *gasp* an Aggie Fan)
I ordered a HoneyMoon package to Colorado for New Years.
And we are buying Art work when we travel...

The spending will have to stop for a while.
Maybe we use only our check cards, which will limit spending.
And I picked up a Monopoly game yesterday to make use of the paper money to see where everything is going each month...

We will work this out.
We will have to be more creative with date night, join Costco, and rethink our priorities...

Looking forward to school

As a kid, in elementary, I looked forward to school begining.

There is something special about those first years that dissapeared after 5th grade.

Books in the library had pictures to go along with the words. And those that didn't were fun to read.
We had recess and the play ground equipment.
Field day and Christmas movies before the break.

And the teachers posted fun stuff on the boards.

We celebrated Valentines and Halloween and even Ground Hog's Day.

We memorised poetry and got to color on special occations.

Things changed in 6th grade.

As a child this struck me as strange.
As an adult, I understand it was because we were growing from Children, into being able to Make Children.

I wish they would have been more upfront with us and said this.
Mom would only say,
"Your body is going through changes".
"What changes?"
"Changes".
"huh?"

"Well son, you are changing from being a Child, into being able to Make Children."
May not have been anymore understandable to me, but it would have been a better answer.

I tutor.
4th graders.
This will be my 7 year.
I stopped mid term last year because my work schedule got busy.
They also spend a large amount of time each spring taking tests so they can take THE test that proves they know what they know for the State.

I also don't interact with the classes as I use to.
For the first 5 years, there was a different tutor rep, and I would meet the students at the class room door. We would then make our way down to the library, or hall table, where ever there was space for us.

Even though I worked with the same grade year after year, I never worked with the same teacher. They "graduated" out of the Dallas schools for the better paying suburbs, started families, or quit teaching. (If you are Really Good at Teaching, they promote you into a desk/administrative job...)

Now I work with the librarian. He arranges the children and the classes.
I show up and the kids are usually waiting for me.

We work on reading, math, writing.

In the end we usually end up focusing on reading.
Many, well, 90% of the children I have tutored have been English as a second language.
There have been kids from Sudan, Korea, East Germany, South America, Mexico, and of course, the USA.

If I work with them, it's pretty sure bet the parents either don't, or can't.
Kind of difficult to read to the kids if you don't have the time or money to buy the paper.
Some is cultural. Time with family is social, not focused towards study time.
And then there are the parents who simply never learned to read themselves.

I feel that way when I drive by the more and more numerous Spanish billboards.
Fortunately for me, Zelda has some Spanish.

I look forward to working with the children again this year.
It makes it all worth while. And there is nothing as challenging as figuring out how to present information to a child in such a way that they will "get it".

Zelda calls, time for bed!

The schools need tutors.
And lunch is an hour long...
What are you waiting for?

How to Live Life

I am to a point where the office is now toxic.
I have been in some crazy offices, but the dynamics of this place... incredible.

There is, of course, nothing I can do or say to change anyone there.

Boss'es wife will continue to be, dispite her husband's fortune, unhappy and angry with the world..

Boss will not shape up and get his act together so he can make a profit and stop living off of his inheritance.

Senior Architect will not wake up one day and decied not to be a racist bigot.

So...
the question for me is...
What do I want to do with this situation?

And how do I survive it without it poisoning me?

We have the ability to continue to live a positive self described destiny even though the world and everyone around us is falling apart.
Ie. The survivors of the holocost who went on to do great things in the world with themselves.
vs. those survivers who went on to continue the hatred...

Let's start with focusing on what I need to do, amoungst them, updating my resume, finishing my exams, and continuing my education...

And then we can stop passively participating in this mess.

(Not that I have. I was trying Really hard to get fired earlier this week. Just to see how far I could go and if they would do it. Yesterday was my one year anniversary. I promised myself when I interviewed I'd only stay a max of two years.)

Zelda and I talked about it tonight. She's got her feelers out job leads and I will talk with J.

Then I need to continue to define what kind of company I DO want to work for...

Hmmm....