No, not THOSE F-words! *geesh * : ) I’m talking about the other f words. You know, fairs, fried dough, and french fries. Yes, it’s that time of year. The rides, the exhibits, and all sorts of critters, both big and small.

If you ever want to feel like you’re surrounded by a sea of avoids, the fair is the place to be. I think the only items offered for sale that wouldn’t be considered an avoid would be bottled water, and the fresh-squeezed lemonade. Other than that, it’s eat at your own peril.

Some things that you see offered for sale at a fair leaves one to wonder who was so bored, that they came up with such a creation. Or abomination, as the case may be. Who was so bored one day, that they thought it would be a good idea to deep-fry a Twinkie? Then again, it may have been someone that was more inebriated, than bored. One of those, “Hey y’all, watch this ” moments. I had heard about deep-fried Twinkies, but had never actually seen one in my neck of the woods. Well, not until my Better Half and I walked past a vendor’s trailer at the fair last Friday night. You know, there are just some foods that you look at, and just say to yourself, “You couldn’t PAY me to eat that”. Even if I wasn’t on the BTD, I still wouldn’t be touching that. To spoil a good Twinkie like that is just wrong. I didn’t say it was good FOR you, I only said that they were good. : ) At least from what I can remember. I think it was before I started BTD in December of 2004 that I last had a Twinkie.

In spite of the thought of a deep-fried Twinkie making my stomach do a turn or two, I was more than happy to chew my way through a big ol’ chunk of fried dough. It’s been a few years since I’ve been to a fair, and fried dough was always a must. No fair experience was complete without it. And even though tempted, I was a good boy, and passed on the fudge. The usual tradition for me in the past was to walk out of the fair with a pound of both peanut butter, and chocolate fudge. Mmmm....talk about instant weight gain

But after all of the weight that I’ve managed to lose in the past by eating according to ER4YT, and the good weight that I’ve put on from weightlifting this year, I have no desire to lose the gains that I’ve made. Inhaling all of the delicious aromas that wafted their way around the fair was plenty enough to keep me content.



So if you had thoughts about going to a fair this year, whether it be for the food, the rides, to pat the animals, or to see the exhibits, there’s still time. If you don’t know where to look for fair information, just bring up your favorite internet search engine, and type in “[your state] state fairs”. Many fairs, and state fair associations are online these days.

Time for me to go work off that fried dough. : )

Until next time.

Ack! Has it really been 5 weeks since I last wrote? *sigh* Hang on a sec, while I hang my head in shame...............................................................................................................all right, I’m back. My goodness, where has the summer GONE?

Looking back, it appears that the summer has been one of work. Working on the house, working out, working, working on other peoples computers, as well as my own. I’ve had the subject of this entry bouncing around in my head for a bit, but finding the time to sit down and put it to keyboard has been a challenge. Even now, it’s 12:30 a.m., and I just got home from work. Mmmmm....guilt....what a wonderful thing! *chuckle*

All too often in todays world, people fail to consider what is beyond their immediate reach and gratification. Always a life of “Go! Go! Go!”, but never a moment to spend on introspection. It’s difficult for one to become a better person, if one does not have the time to reflect upon, and learn from the past.

Look at the monitor that you’re reading this on. A necessity on one hand, and yet also one of convenience. But how did it get to where it sits before you now? Who put it on the store shelf, so that you could purchase it? Who unloaded it from the truck when it arrived at the store? Who was the driver that delivered it to the store? Who was the person who loaded it on the truck? Who packaged the product so that it would safely arrive in your home? Who tested the product to make sure that it was o.k. to ship? Who assembled the product? How many different places did the various parts for the product come from, to finally be assembled into the monitor that sits before you now? Where were the materials mined from, or created, so that the individual parts could be made, and in turn that the monitor could be produced?

The world may seem big, but it is indeed very small, when you consider how many different hands from around the world were involved in creating, and getting your monitor to where it sits before you now. Unfortunately, too many people nowadays fail to take a moment to fully appreciate the time and effort put into any number of products that make our lives easier, or more enjoyable.

The next time you purchase something, take a moment to appreciate, and offer a silent ‘thank you’ to all of those who have made it possible for you to purchase that product, whether it be for necessity, convenience, or just simple enjoyment. While it may have been purchased by you for one of the aforementioned reasons, that purchase contributed to the livelihoods of many people.

So go ahead and give yourself a ‘thank you’. I’m sure that if all of those who contributed to the product that sits before you now thought about it, they’d realize that you are just as important to their livelihood, as they are to your convenience and enjoyment.

And now, it being 1 a.m., I am going to fully appreciate all of those who made my bed possible. : ) Until next time.

Or, maybe this could also be titled, “Portions- Out of Control”. As each day passes by, a large segment of society (no pun intended) seems to continue to become more......robust. While the foods that we choose to eat play an important part in determining our current ‘size’, the portion size of those foods consumed has a large part to do with one’s increased girth as well.

In USA Today recently, there was an article about how most Americans check food labels. And yet, it also reported that 2/3's of Americans weigh too much. While it’s one thing to check fat, calories, and sugar, as stated in the article, many of us who have used ER4YT to great benefit in our own lives know that WHAT is in the product is just as important.

Several weeks ago, my girlfriend’s daughter (let’s call her Miss M) attended a week long writer’s day camp at an in-state university. The girlfriend would drop her off in the morning, and the grandparents or I would pick her up in the afternoon.

On our way home one day, we stopped at a place called Johnson’s Dairy Bar, on Route 4 in Northwood. Route 4 is the main road to the seacoast from much of New Hampshire, so it’s hard to miss Johnson’s. It was a hot day, so I figured it was a good day for an ice cream. I know, I know, I’m an O, what was I doing having an ice cream? The last time I had an ice cream cone was about this time last year, so I’ve been a pretty good boy! : )

We got up to the window, and I ordered a small black raspberry. The lady behind the counter asked me if I wanted it in a cone, or a cup? And I’m thinking, “It’s a small, why would I need a cup?”. Little did I know, but I was about to find out how important her question was. As Miss M and I are waiting for our items, I turn around, and see this woman with a H-U-G-E ice cream cone. So big, I figured that by law, each cone had to be stress-tested before it could be used! Allow me to paint a picture. You know how some mushrooms are really wide, and yet sit on a very thin stem? It was like that, but with ice cream just MOUNDED on top of the cone. There was so much ice cream on top of the cone, that if it rained, the woman’s hand and wrist would never get wet holding it, because it was underneath the mountain of ice cream!

Apparently, Miss M was the smart one, because she ordered a root beer float. Unbeknownst to either of us, I was about to become her entertainment. We received our items, and headed for a nearby picnic table. Johnson’s “small” would be considered a large or extra-large almost anywhere else. What sat on top of my cone was not a simple snack, but a meal unto itself. Was there a chance to enjoy the delicious black raspberry before it melted? Hardly. It had suddenly become a race, me against the clock. As the heat worked its magic on the ice cream, I was quickly chewing into the small mountain of ice cream on my cone. Would I make it to the cone first, or would Mother Nature’s warmth have me wearing a good part of my treat?

It was no contest. I was no challenge to Mother Nature. Black raspberry ice cream descended in little rivers down the length of my arm, and to my elbow. And Miss M, sitting across from me, continued to consume her root beer float, repeatedly chuckling as I wore more and more of my ice cream.

My only saving grace for the afternoon was the fact that I hadn’t had lunch. My thoughts of lunch took a back seat, as I wanted to make sure that I was where I needed to be to pick up Miss M., on time. Get on her bad side, by making her wait? Nope, not me. I value my life! *chuckle*

But our little incident together made me look at the larger picture about portions. How many people drink a 20 ounce bottle of soda in a single sitting? Many. Yet, if you look at the label, it says that there are two and a half servings per container. If you go out to eat at many of the restaurants, their portions are huge as well. What they bring you as a meal could often be considered as two large, or even three meals. So, I’ve started to become more aware of just how much I was consuming, whether it be food or liquid. After a few weeks, I no longer feel the need to consume everything before me in a single sitting. Did you have the kind of parents that always said, “Clean your plate” at the dinner table? Old habits die hard. Now, I don’t worry about finishing something off right away. I don’t think twice about drinking half of a bottle, and putting it back in the fridge for later. It just means I’m keeping the unnecessary girth in my waistline to a minimum, and the amount of money that I spend on my groceries. A win-win.

So the next time you sit down with food and drink before you, ask yourself, just how much do you really need?

Wow! Who knew that trying to find the time to write a new entry could be so gosh-darned difficult? I’ve had notes sitting on my desk for the last two weeks, and yet every time I wanted to sit down and type it out, something would come up, and I would be distracted from the task at hand. I know that everything happens for a reason, but Geesh! *chuckle*

First of all, would the person who has the direct line to Mother Nature please call, and ask her to shut off her water sprinklers? Beginning a few days before Mother’s Day, and for the next 30 days, my little neck of the woods received almost 15 inches of rain. I think the longest that we have gone without any rain is three days. Even this morning, we once again received yet more rain. The type of rain that comes down so heavily, that when you look out the door, it looks like you’re looking through a heavy fog? Yes, that kind of heavy. I was half expecting to see my car float away.

And I gotta tell ya’, it’s getting really tiring, assembling and disassembling the ark every single time! It starts raining, I assemble the ark. It stops raining for a couple of days, so I disassemble. As soon as I start disassembling, it’s starts to rain again! Good thing I numbered all the planks and beams! And let me tell you, all of the animals aren’t too happy either! On the ark, off the ark, on the ark, off the ark. I think the elephants are conspiring with the skunks. And the Clan O’Kitties aren’t all that happy with the new houseguests. So I hope the rain ends soon, or I may end up getting it! *chuckle*

On to the obvious. In the news recently, there was an article discussing a study about women who gained weight having an increased risk for heartburn. Well, pardon the bluntness, but No S**t, Sherlock! Wait! Wait! Let me get Captain Obvious in here, and we’ll just make it a big ol’ party! I don’t know how much it cost to do this ‘study’, but allow me to introduce the ryan Cheney money-saving way:

Where does most fat deposit itself? That’s right, around the waist and abdomen. Very good. Now, since most weight accumulates there, what does all that extra weight do? Apply pressure to the internal organs. Now, what is the state of matter that would easily be displaced by such weight and subsequent pressure? Liquid! And what does liquid do when pressure is applied to it? It seeks the path of least resistance. What is stomach acid? That’s right, a liquid. Welcome to the one paragraph answer to the physical reasoning behind acid reflux disease. Foods that cause such symptoms, are a whole ‘nother issue. Food products with nitrates, and orange juice seem to be common causes for heartburn in us O’s. (Wow, I feel like I’m on a Peppermint Twist rant. LOL)

Now, let’s deal with the other BS of the day. Intermittent Explosive Disorder, or IED. Of course, my first thought was, whether the IED comes out of your mouth or backside, neither is a very pleasant matter. : ) Allow me to present you with the given definition for IED.

“Intermittent Explosive Disorder is where a person has defined episodes of violence precipitated by little provocation. These episodes begin and end very abruptly, but may last for hours. During and episode, the person experiences urges to break objects, feel confusion or suffer from amnesia. After the act however, they do display remorse and assume responsibility, generally.”

Hmmm....I’m no scientist, don’t play one on TV, and I’ve never stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, but I’m gonna take a guess on this one. So let me offer up my two cents on this one. (It’s o.k., I got paid today. I can afford it. *chuckle*)

Why does “IED” exist? Well, let’s look at the past, before we discuss the present. Years ago, did you ever hear of such occurrences? Nope. And if you did, it was usually a rare happening, because someone had snapped from longstanding issues. So, why did we never hear much of it before, and so much more now? Well, I’m gonna venture a guess, and say that modern civilization is to blame. In almost equal parts, modern technology, poor dietary habits, and a sedentary lifestyle. We are all created of energy, and that energy must be released through appropriate avenues. If not, it becomes pent up, and we have a catalyst for the outbursts noted above. Without physical labor or activity, that energy is not expended. As has been stated in the past, “Idle hands are the devil’s playground”.

I also believe that how the current, and past generations were/are raised has a part in IED as well. As children, many were not clearly taught what is and is not acceptable behavior. Parents tolerated, or ignored such outbursts from their children, more concerned with being their child’s friend, rather than a parent. Far too much of spoil the child, and spare the rod. IED’s seem to be the adult version of a child’s temper tantrum.

Another possible reason, in conjunction with one or both of the above, could be the amount of stress that people possess on any given day. Oftentimes, people try to squeeze far too much into their day, always on the run, and never taking time either for themselves, or to think matters through. All stress is self-imposed. Whether consciously realized or not, it is a choice. When we allow the negative thoughts or actions of those around us to control our own thoughts and actions, we have given up our own personal power to them. Why? Are you in control of your life, or are you allowing those around you to control it, instead?

The next time that an issues arises, ask yourself one question. “Is this a problem, or an inconvenience?”. If it’s an inconvenience, why waste time mulling over the matter? There are better things that you could be doing with your time. If it’s a problem, deal with it right then and there, and keep on truckin’. It’s your life. Don’t let those around you run it for you!



And....your computer tip for the day. No matter how well your anti-virus, or anti-spyware programs work, they may not always get everything. I de-virused two computers in the past couple of weeks. Even when all of my various software programs said that one computer was clean, it wasn’t. The virus that had made it’s way to the computer had installed itself in numerous areas of the computer. I had to use the search function, and find all of the files that were created within a certain window of time, and delete them. And even then, I had to dig deeper, because the time shown was not always the actual time that the file was created. With another virus, it had named files that were not to be found in any anti-virus/spyware database. Fortunately, stubbornness is one of a Cheney’s greatest traits. *chuckle* But at least I use that stubbornness for good. : ) So after more than a few Stare and Swear sessions, I have two computer users that are happy that they can once again use their computers.

May you all have a wonderful weekend. It’s time for me to go pound the weights, and be abused by my weightlifting partner.

May all that is yours by Divine Right find it’s way to you, under Grace, in Miraculous ways.

Glub-glub....gasp....paddle-paddle.....gasp....glub. Greetings from America’s newest, and largest lake, the state of New Hampshire. At least it certainly feels that way. After a week of rain, the sun finally decided to make an appearance once again in our part of the world yesterday. Over 700 roads in N.H. have either been damaged or destroyed, and many people have lost their vehicles, their possessions, and their living space. Some waterways have also decided to change their paths, and find new ways which to flow. I guess some people now have waterfront property that they didn’t have before!

On my way to work during the worst of it, I was fortunate to only have to make one detour. The main intersection where I enter the interstate highway was completely under water for several days. Water could also be seen cascading down the hills next to the highway during my hour long commute. One of the wood mills that I pass during my commute has a dock out on the water. Well......did. I drove by Monday, and I couldn’t see it at all. One of the major rivers through the state, the Merrimack River, was more than 9 feet above flood level. While we could certainly use the rain due to the mild winter this past year, this wasn’t quite the way that we might have liked to have received it.

Life has seen fit to throw me a few curveballs in the past month or so, and yet I’m still not quite sure why. There is an ebb and flow to life, and when we try to fight it, it only makes things worse. It is sometimes best to merely be non-resistant, and yet at the same time, doing so is often a difficult thing to do. It is hard, to just sit back and wait, rather than try to change things at the first chance.

For the past month or so, I guess you could say that I’ve withdrawn from the world for a bit. I’ve left the phone unanswered, messages unreturned, and haven’t had the usual enthusiasm of responding to my e-mails. I’ve kept thinking week after week that I needed to write a new blog, but the energy and enthusiasm just weren’t there. Behavior that is very much unlike me. I can’t attribute it to my health, as I’ve been eating well, working out, and have done a fair amount of spring cleaning about the house. I guess that sometimes, silence is a necessary thing in our lives. Not so much complete silence, but silence from others, in order to regain some balance and perspective into our lives. The world can be very much in your face, when it’s trying to tell you that you need to stop, and take a break.

Even now, there is a great deal of things that I want to get done, but know well enough not to try and fight my own personal rhythms. But the world made it clear that I needed a break. On Sunday, we had a complete failure at the Data Center that I work in, due to mechanical issues outside of the Data Center. This resulted in a 16 hour work day for me, and tack on an hours commute each way as well. Not only was I extremely tired by the end of my work day, I also had to drive home through the constant rain of the weekend. Even now, I sit here with heavy eyes, and a sore throat. A clear sign that I need to slow down.

But while I have withdrawn socially, my sense of humor has not. My girlfriend’s young daughter is like a mother hen to her younger brother. And being that it was Mother’s Day this past Sunday, how could I pass up such an opportunity? *smirk* While I bought a card and flowers for my girlfriend, I also bought some bright yellow mums, and a card for her daughter. (Mums for Moms? I hear a great name for an organization! *chuckle*) However, I altered her daughter’s card, so that it read “Happy Mother Hen’s Day”. LOL I also included a note, saying that it was admirable, how well she looked after her little brother, but that it didn’t give her a free pass to torture the boy! (And she does at times) *grin* I’m told that it went over well, and that I wasn’t in trouble. *Phew!* Well, not in trouble THIS time. : )

Well, it’s time for me to go rest some more. The Clan O’Kitties have taken good care of me during my personal down time, so it’s only right that I spoil them in return. : )

So the next time that you feel the world pressing in upon you, don’t get upset, and don’t get frustrated. It may just be the worlds way of saying that you need to take some time to take care of YOU. The longer it takes for you to listen, the harder the world will bang on your door to get your attention. It is only when we become non-resistant, that the issues at hand no longer control us.

May all that is yours by Divine Right find its way into your life, under Grace, in miraculous ways.