I am Insane!!

Can't believe I just did this. I just registered to run a half marathon. Crazy!! I must be losing it. It will be on February 28 in my old stomping grounds of Hyannis. I am rooting for an early spring I guess. As long as it is above freezing I will be fine, or maybe just no wind and I will live. I want to have a goal so I do not get fat this winter and maintain the weight loss that I started last January. But, a half marathon? The training alone is going to be a nightmare. I am feeling really comfortable with my 3 miles right now and could do 5 miles if I had to, or if I had the time or daylight to do so. 13 miles!! I am so stupid and possibly just pissed away $50. The $50 is a great motivation for me to get my act together and get ready for this thing though. As a direct descendant of "Mr. Cheapo" I cannot see myself not going to a race that I paid that much to enter. "Tom's Fishing Blog" will most likely turn into "Tom's Training Blog" over the next few months, but that works too. Not like I am going fishing anytime soon.

" I Got You Mother F#$%^& "

Tuesday I called in sick to work in order to get one more shot at the tuna. Word has it that they were still around in Cape Cod Bay and up to Race Point at P-town. Went through the canal and ran into a bird and fish frenzy at the East End of the canal. Most of the action was outside of the range of a boat and by the jetty fishermen. I managed to get a few hits on the bone Double Wide Hogy, but I think the fish were really on the small side. I left the frenzy and headed NE towards the P-town monument. I did not see much in terms of fish, but i did see a lot of cool looking birds that only looked familiar from when I went out on the boat a few Thanksgivings ago. I also saw what I believe are Gannets. As I turned the corner around the tip of P-town I saw a couple of whales and was surprised that they were only about a quarter mile off the beach. I saw some bird action ahead and checked it out. A few different kinds of birds were in the mix, but I did not see fish underneath. However, I knew that when the birds started going crazy it was because something was scaring the bait up to the surface. So, I kept following the birds and bait and sure enough I spotted a few tuna backs surfacing among the birds. It can be frustrating trying to run around and anticipate the action, but I managed a handful of decent shots at the fish. It was sometimes hard to keep my lure away from the birds which would literally walk on water to chase after it. Ended up getting my line wrapped around one of the birds, but it was easily untangled and the bird flew off fine. I came upon a school and this one was immediately different. A lot more fish were in the mix and it stayed up on top for a long time in comparison to the others. I managed 6 or 7 casts into the craziness and on my final cast I hooked up. When I set the hook and felt the fish start to peel line off of my reel I shouted, " I got you mother fucker!!!" I have no idea why that came out and I have chuckled at myself a few times since when thinking about it. After fighting the fish for 10 minutes or so I decided to try and gain a little of my line back that I had lost and put the boat in gear. Not 2 seconds after I did this the fish turned and swam right at me. I reeled as fast as I could and took the boat out of gear with my elbow, but by the time I got the slack out of the line there was no fish. Bummer! Amazing time, simply incredible to be honest. I will land one of these fish someday and it will feel so amazing I am sure that I will be brought nearly to tears. The Double Wide Hogy was awesome. Strong and durable and with the glue that I put on it, it stayed tight to the hook through repeated hard casts.

Fall is Here

There is always a few things in every season that marks the true beginning of it. A couple weeks ago Christine made her chili and the Patriots began their season. If that wasn't enough I went to Parker's and the big bluefish have invaded. Coincidentally, the big blues also mark the beginning of spring. Anyway, only about a month of spotty fishing left. I am sure that the canal will be hot, but I still just can't get into fishing that place on a regular basis. The guys that have success there are borderline psycho. More power to them, I just can't bring myself to rig up a bike and deal with theft and muggings etc. I will stick to Parker's, my bluefish and the occasional bass that show up this fall. If mother nature is so kind as to give me one more nice day I will be pumped to take advantage of it and get out a couple more times to the Elizabeths.

Striper Cup

Went to the Striper Cup again this year and had a fun time. Didn't win the boat, shucks! On the Water did a fabulous job as always. It was nice to have it so close to home and the food and drink were very good. Black Dog made some pretty nice lobster rolls which I got two for one towards the end of the event. I have to admit, Narragansett is a fine beer and is really trying to reinvent themselves. Should be tough, but their beer is a lot better than what I hear from the old timers. Tastes a lot like Budweiser to me.

Angler of the year had a 40lb. average from the shore and from the boat a 50lb. average. Crazy!! This is from their top 5 fish weighed in throughout the tourney.

Wind.... Go Away!!

I am getting really tired of all this wind. The wind speeds have looked more like residential speed limits over the past few days and forecasted for the next few. Might have to venture out in a strong SE which, in theory will not have Buzzards Bay too wavy. If that doesn't work then I may just have to head to the shore. Mashnee Island or some Falmouth outflows. Going to try the canal here and there maybe too, but i generally hate that crazy place. Plus, people are always having thieves try and break into their car. Not fun!!

I'm a Famous Fisherman..........Not Really, but.......

This week marks the second time from this fishing season that I made the Falmouth Enterprise for my fishing exploits. The first time was actually because of the fish that I caught earlier this year when I got the 35#, 31# and 26# fish. Gene passed along this information to Dave Peros who writes for multiple fishing publications. The latest entry in the Enterprise was more about Gene's fish that he caught last weekend. Fishing has been slow and Capt. Peros wanted to point out that it still was possible to get some good fish. So, obviously I am not famous, but it is still really cool to get into the fishing section for some good reasons.

So Much Fun I Forgot to Catch

Yesterday morning I went out with Gene with a very specific plan. First, start out by fishing for bass and then after the sun came up, head to the Heights where the Albies have been lurking. The plan was well executed, mostly. Got to the hot spot from this season around the Elizabeth Islands and even though there were a couple boats already there Gene pulled in a nice 24 lb. bass on a 14" bone Hogy. Fished a little more and I missed one fish, but the sun came up and we headed to the Heights.

As soon as we got to Falmouth Harbor we started seeing the Albies crashing peanut bunker. We both had multiple shots at these fish and I did manage to hook up for about a half second before being bitten off. I went with the no leader approach. Argh!!! The only one we saw hook up was a kayaker. I was happy for him. Pretty cool.

Made the journey at full throttle from Falmouth Heights to Fiddler's Cove in a little over a half an hour. Awesome time. Got home took a shower and took the kids to church. It wasn't until a few hours after church that I realized I did not even catch a fish. I am not quite sure why, but I had an absolute blast chasing those fish around and it is an interesting feeling that when you are captaining a boat you feel at least a little responsible for other peoples' fish.

Here is a picture of Gene's fish which does not do it justice.

Good Night

The other night we were able to take a couple hours as a family and get out on the boat and head off to Marc Anthony's for dinner. Flat calm seas and a gorgeous sunset were the highlights. I brought along the Albie stuff just in case they showed on top, but no action. Hoping to make a trip Sunday morning if the wind and weather cooperate. Here are a couple pics I shot of the sunset.

Summer is Ending

Big Bummer.

Last two days of summer are going to be rainy and gross. Went fishing yesterday morning and caught two bass and missed a few other fish. Fun time and back home a little after 8. I love fishing early in the morning and getting back in time to have a full day with the family.

I am hoping that I can get out one more time to Stellwagen and at least try for tuna again. It could be tough now that school has started, but maybe Labor Day weekend or another weekend in September will work.

A Lot Can Happen in a Week

I went out twice for tuna while in Marshfield and although i did not bring one to the boat I was able to hook up once. It was exciting to feel such a large fish on the other end of the line and I will always wonder what would happen if I didn't have a knot break on me.

I did it!! I ran the Falmouth Road Race and finished it in a little bit over a 10 minute mile pace. Pretty happy considering how crowded it was and how hilly the beginning is. Pretty incredible and an experience that I will never forget. Thinking I might keep going and try to conquer a half marathon. Maybe a bit crazy, but I need to keep this going.

I am Ready!!

In two ways....

1. I just got back from running 7 miles. I am officially ready for the Falmouth Road Race. I am very excited and admittedly a little nervous about running such a huge and prestigious race.

2. Going to Marshfield next week. Time for the once a year excursion for tuna. The only problem potentially is that this year the tuna are MUCH bigger than years past. Last year the tuna were running anywhere from 50 - 80 lbs. This year, 140 - 200 lbs. I am not sure that my gear will cut it. In fact, my buddies at Bad Fish Outfitters told me it would not work. However, after watching an On the Water TV episode and reading an On the Water article I feel like giving it a shot anyway. So I hook up and lose a fish, big deal. The article I read talked about a few guys that used to target giant tuna in the 400 - 600 lb. range in their 21 ft. Whaler in the 80's. They had Penn Senator reels just like me and I have to believe that they have improved them over the last 20+ years. It went on to talk about how they would tighten the drag way down and let the fish tire itself out by pulling the boat around. Really cool!! Here's to hoping. At the very least I am sure I will get a nice whale show out there.

Fishing Today

Went fishing with Mike Earley this morning around Naushon Island. Mike slapped the dreaded curse on our trip by catching a nice bass on the first cast. A nice 23 lb. fish. We did manage a handful of bluefish, but no more bass on the trip. Here is a pic of Mike with his fish and also a picture of my 35 lb. fish from last week.

UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday, what a day!

I made plans to fish early Saturday am with live eels along the Elizabeth Islands. I was planning on leaving at 3:45 to go to Fiddler's, but after I had a fishing dream I woke up at 3 am and got ready really slow and left Fiddler's for the Elizabeth's at 3:30. It was a beautiful night and the moon made it not really that dark. I started off at my favorite spot at Naushon, but nothing was there. Tried another point and nothing. Got to a spot almost at Robinson's Hole and on the third cast or so, BAM!! My 10' Tsunami Trophy was completely bent over and the drag was screaming. After a lengthy battle I finally got a look at the fish and could not believe my eyes at the size of both the tail and the head of the fish. Once the fish saw the boat it took off again and made the drag scream once more. I finally got it to the side of the boat and it was clear that it was done fighting. I put one hand in the mouth and attempted to lift the fish into the boat. Now I know I am not that strong, but I certainly have never had to use two hands to lift up a fish. After failing on my first try I got two hands on the mouth and hoisted her into the boat. I was in awe at the size of the fish and I immediately wanted to weigh it. I got out the Boga Grip and it read 35 lbs. My new personal best!! I took a couple pictures with it next to my rod for reference, but honestly it does not do it justice. I looked for the tape measure, but when I couldn't find it quickly I decided to get her back in the water as soon as possible to revive her. It did take a while, but her fins were upright and I waited until she really kicked strong to let go of her tail. If I had stopped fishing right then I would have been completely content, but it was only 5:20 at this time. A couple casts later and I am on again. I was immediately taken back by how hard this fish was fighting as well. After a great fight I get the fish close to the boat and I get the Boga Grip right in its lip. 26 lbs!! Let her go without really leaving the side of the boat. Next fish still fought nice, but came in really quick. A nice 10 lb. bass. Unfortunately, this fish inhaled the eel and the hook was really far down in its throat. I got it out, but she was really bleeding a lot and rather than take the chance I decided to keep the fish. I found my tape measure and the fish measured out at 29". At this point I had one more eel left and after a few more casts I am on to a big fish again. I got the fish to the boat and this went really smooth. I was able to get the Boga in the lip quick and the hook immediately came out on its own. Phew. I gave her a quick lift and she came out to 31 lbs!! Incredible, three of my biggest fish ever in one morning! The fish was able to take right off after holding her in the water for only a couple seconds. Usually I try and hold them for awhile, but I was unable to do so because she kicked her tail so hard. After I was done with the eels I switched to Hogy's. I tried a few sizes and did get some bumps, but no hook ups. The tide was going slack and I knew i had a sizable ride home and road race to run at 10 am. Road race at 10 am? Yup!!

The Paul White road race is a 5 mile charity race and I found out the day before that it was happening. I was very nervous to run in a road race. The last road race i ran I think i was eight years old or so and i did not even finish it. I was very surprised at how hot the road got. I usually run in the morning or in the evening when the sun is pretty low, but this was 10 am and the sun was up and there was not much shade during the run. I was proud that I was able to achieve my goals. 1. Finish 2. Don't stop. 49 minutes and change was my time. Right around a ten minute mile.

I promise I will post a picture of the fish, I am in Reading for a few days and brought my camera, but I forgot the cord to upload to the computer.

Summer? Oh yeah

Almost forgot it was summer. School ended and it was just crappy weather for days. Northeast storms and now we have Low pressure systems just hovering over New England which creates rain and the possibility of T-storms on a daily basis. The family and I have actually been able to get out on the boat a few times and find a private beach or two and caught some rays.

Fishing has been slow. Teaching at Boston Conservatory this summer is a blessing and a curse. It is awesome to be teaching such musical individuals, but my running and fishing have taken hits in the past couple of weeks. Going to try and step up my game a little bit to improve this. Wish me luck. Only been to the Elizabeth Islands once this year on an early morning jaunt and I did catch one nice bass, but overall the fishing has been slow. Apparently the fish are still hanging out at Middle Ground as Mike Earley still is managing to kill them on his feathered Polaris poppers. I am teaching the next three days straight so finding spare time and/or the energy to do anything more than relax is going to be difficult. Going to try waking up early to get some running in which will hopefully up my energy. Fishing may just have to be a 4am dawn patrol down to the Elizabeths on the weekends.

C'mon tomorrow!!

Haven't been fishing a bunch, but just a little here and there. I haven't caught a fish in a while now and it feels a little uncomfortable. The weather has been absolutely disgusting!! A three day Nor'easter was not exactly jiving with the beginning of my summer vacation.

Father's Day - Christine was not feeling well and she said go get a new rod at Red Top. Admittedly, I went a little over board, but what I ended up with is so awesome. I got a Tsunami Trophy 10' rod just like the other one I got but longer. This time I got a really good reel too. This is the best reel I have ever had. A Daiwa Emblem Pro 5500. A hard core surf casting reel.

Tomorrow I am planning on leaving around 4am or so to go out and fish along the Elizabeths. I always look forward to fishing around here and I hope that the fog is not too bad so that I can get there safely.

Here is a pic of my new reel.

Depression is setting in

Went to Mashnee Island last night and only managed a blowup on a pencil popper that did not result in a hookup. Very depressing!! Since catching a keeper for my first fish they have all managed to get progressively smaller up until the last few weeks of successive skinks!! No fish!! Yes, I do not get out there as much as some others do, but usually I can count on a bluefish or a schoolie. Nope!! To top it all off, Mike Earley went to middle ground yesterday and boated over a dozen bass. This has just not been my spring. Last year I remember it took me until well into May to get my first fish, but when I finally did it was that great week at Mashnee. I really need a fever so I can get sent home and be quarantined away from school for 7 days for fear of swine flu. That will give me ample time to get build up some hours on the water and get some fish. To top it all off I am still dealing with my fishing rod issue. I have my big surf rod and a couple Wal-Mart specials, but nothing that will throw 7" Hogy's like I like to do. I will figure it out one of these days, but right now I am majorly bummed out.

Good Times with good people

Bad news first - Been fishing three times on the boat so far and I am 3 for 3 with the skunk. last time out I at least saw fish and had a couple hits, but unfortunately I was unable to hook up. Worst of it is that I snapped off a lure at the same time the top section of my brand new rod came off. Long story short I am going to have to buy a new top section of my Tsunami Trophy. To make it worse, my back up rod which was my full time rod for the past two seasons lost its tip on the last trip out. Not my week I guess!!!

Good news - Other than raising over $1000 for JDRF this past fall the other good thing that came from that big fundraiser was that I befriended a fellow SOLer that also has a son with Type 1 diabetes, Colrain.

I took Colrain and his son, Garrett out on my boat on Saturday to fish around the Vineyard and Elizabeth's. Got out to the Vineyard and within' a few casts I had fish sloshing all over my Hogy, but Colrain hooked up. I thought this was going to be too good to be true and it was. No other hook ups the rest of the day, but we saw a lot of skittish and finicky fish which at least kept our hopes up throughout the day. Garrett raised more fish than both Colrain and I, but unfortunately never hooked up. He even had some hits around the Elizabeths during the turn of the tide, but still no solid hookups.

Just wanted to let everyone know that just being out on a boat (Garrett's first time on a boat by the way) with nice people is well worth it even if you do not catch a ton of fish. I had a blast!

Hope to do it again sometime Colrain and we will take some eels along the rocks of the Elizabeths.

3 Miles isn't that far

I feel great this morning!! Got out for a quick 3 mile run. I am hoping to make this my regular morning route now that the 1.5 mile route was getting a little easy. Plus, I am still working on getting up to 7 miles for the Falmouth Road Race. I figure that by the time I reach the end of June or early July that I will graduate to a 5 mile route as my regular route. Shooting for 7 miles by the end of July so that I am ready for the race at the beginning of August. I am a little nervous, but I am going to do it no matter what. It is a good goal for me and will hopefully be a stepping stone to other races and goals that will help keep me fit. I am not trying to lose any more weight, but if it is a product of how I eat and workout then so be it. I looked up online what my suggested weight is for my height and age and it lists it in a range from 180 to 211. Yeah Right!!!!!! I have not been under 200 lbs. since the beginning of my sophomore year in high school. What a joke! I would be psyched if I made it into the 220's never mind being skin and bones, I will leave that to the runway models. Right now I weigh less than I have in over 10 years. While teaching in West Springfield (without children), Christine and I managed to use an awesome gym on a regular basis and I was really fit, not thin, but fit and probably weighed close to what I weigh now. When I ever started teaching high school and eating out all the time and then taking care of children I just really let it go and I am never going to let that happen again. I weigh 243 lbs. right now and feel great. many people around work are noticing my weight loss and it is really motivating to hear all of the compliments. It helps keep me going when I feel like it is getting tough.

Good Weekend

Fishing - Friday, Christine was with her band and chorus at Six Flags so I took the kids to the 99. After dinner I decided to check out South Cape Beach and saw the bluefish mayhem that I have witnessed and heard about. I had told the kids that if it was too crazy we would just watch. As luck would have it it was crazy, but an opening opened up right in front of us and there was a dad with his two kids right beside us so fishing was in the cards. Made a bunch of casts and only managed one bluefish. There must have been 70-80 fisherman all along the beach and most people brought in at least on fish. The bluefish I brought home had a freshly eaten squid inside of it. Sunday, Mike Earley and I went out early in my boat and headed to Middle Ground. It was foggy, but we made it there and back safe and sound. I usually love fishing in foggy conditions, but the bass were not cooperating and we did not manage to see one fish caught by us or any other anglers. Monday, I helped Mike get his boat in the water and on his trip to Quissett he caught a couple bluefish in front of the old hotel. Later, i went fishing with Ed Lott in his 12' aluminum boat out of Poppy Bay. I missed a hit and saw a kayaker land a fish. Pretty sure it was a school of small bass as my Hogy did not show any signs of being bit by a bluefish.

So, the weekend was not that successful on the fishing side of things, but it was relaxing. Had a couple cookouts with the Earley's and Fish/Lott's.

A little better

I went running this morning with a purpose. Needed to redeem myself for not doing that well on Wednesday. I was challenging myself in terms of speed. I was able to run my 1.5 (really 1.4, but who's counting) mile run in 12:45 which comes out to exactly and 8 minute and 30 second mile. I am pretty happy with that. It is incredible how much different one minute can feel. I was really sucking wind by the end, but I was able to push through it. Felt good.

The boat is ready at Edwards. The front fishbox had a crack and they have replaced it under warrantee. I tell you, I am nervous for when the boat is no longer under warrantee, I just can't believe how much stuff comes up. BOAT, Bust Out Another Thousand is not exactly the pneumonic that I want us to aspire to. Hopefully this weekend will allow for some family boating and some fishing.

Not so Fast / Far / Long

Yesterday afternoon Thomas had a soccer practice so I was planning on running for 70 minutes straight. No dice! I did not even come close to what I did last week. I was really hoping that I could build on that experience and prove to myself once and for all that I will be able to do the Falmouth Road Race. Well, I will not be running it tomorrow that is for sure. Probably good to know that still have a lot of work and training to do. I am going to try and start doing my 3 mile run for my morning run instead of the mile and a half I normally do. It will mean getting up a little earlier, but only an extra 10-15 minutes or so. After 38 minutes I was unable to keep myself going last night which was really unfortunate. If 3 miles becomes easy to me then I can open it up to a longer distance from time to time and eventually be ready for 7 miles by August.

"That's Overweight"

Never thought I would be happy to hear those words, but this morning when I weighed in on the Wii Fit this is what it told me. For the passed 4 and a half months it has been telling me, "That's obese." Now I know that I was overweight and at one point obese, but for the passed couple months I think "obese" is stretching it. However, today, "That's overweight" was also accompanied by me reaching 50 lbs. lost since the beginning of January. If I am able to reach 70 lbs. I will be at my college weight.

During MCAS testing at school my schedule gets all messed up. So, on Surf Talk I have had a little more time to browse the forums I normally do not look at much. There is a cooking forum and although it is mainly geared towards cooking fish there are many other recipes. I happened to have a good amount of chicken so for two days in a row I cooked these nice chicken meals at home. Always nice to be able to make a tasty meal and not break the bank. Hoping to stay on a cooking kick, should save money and be healthier too.

Went fishing around 8 last night again at Parker's. A little bit windy. A good amount of bait was present, but I was only able to raise one little dink and even at that I was unable to get him to the dock.

Update

Still hovering around 49 lbs. For whatever reason I can not seam to hit 50.

Caught a nice bluefish last night at Parker's. There was a good amount of bait there and some sizable swirls and slaps slamming it at times. The fish were really hard to reach because they were hanging in between Kingman's and Parker's plus Parker's dock space was packed full of sailboats. I really only had one shot at the school and it paid off. My new rod was great and I was able to really horse that fish in and keep him out from under the boats and docks. The new Boga grip had the bluefish at a little over 7 lbs. Pretty nice size for this time of year. Caught the fish on last year's go to lure, the 7" bone Hogy. The bluefish did not even tear up the bait that much so I was able to keep fishing with it which is pretty rare for a soft plastic.

The cover is off the boat and if not for some whining kids it would be stored at Fiddler's already. As it turns out it will work out fine because I need to get a new front cover for the bow fish box from Edwards' Boat Yard. The boat is covered with pollen which is exactly what I was trying to avoid this year, but it will clean up fine. I will hit it good before I bring it to Fiddler's. Looking to get it dirty with a lot of fish blood soon though. :)

Here is a pic of my new reel. So far, so good. Can't wait to see how it holds up during the course of the entire season. Would post a pic of the rod, but can't find a pic that does it justice. In a nutshell it is very thin and light which allows me to cast soft plastics, but it has a decent amount of backbone to allow me to get a strong fish in quickly.

I am a runner!

Never thought I would say it, but I think I just might be a runner. Christine got me really fired up about running the Falmouth Road Race. I signed up once before and I am not quite sure why I didn't run it, but I chickened out. Christine ran it and I watched her with the kids. Perhaps some old running race wounds. I was pretty quick when I was a kid and my dad brought me to a few running races. Somewhere along the line not winning made me a bit discouraged and I stopped doing the running races. Pretty dumb, but i was maybe in second grade.

Last night during Thomas' soccer practice and doubts of whether or not I would be able to run 7+ miles by August running through my head, I made the choice to start running at the beginning of his practice and see how long I could run for. I have been timing my pace on my normal mile and a half loop that I do around the neighborhood and it has been around the 9 minute mile mark (I am definitely not breaking any land speed records with that i know). I ended up running for 53 minutes. Now I do not want to get too excited and I am sure that I was probably going a bit slower than my normal pace, but let's just say I was doing a 9 minute and 30 second mile (I think I was going faster, but for the sake of erring on the worse side), that would mean I went somewhere between 5 and 6 miles. Considering the longest I had been running up until this point was 3.4 miles once or twice a month I am pretty psyched. In addition, I could have kept going too. One of the drawbacks that I have noticed about running is that my back gets really sore. Usually the night of a morning run or in the morning after I have slept. During this long run I was feeling tightness in my back for the last few laps and I decided to stop, plus I knew I had gone a fair distance and was growing increasingly curious as to how long/far I had run. Definitely could have banged out another mile as far as stamina was concerned. I need to do a bit of research on what I might be doing to cause this back issue, but either way it is not major and is worth me being in shape and healthy. The pain is not in anyway causing me to take pills.

The Skunk is Off!!

I caught my first fish of '09. During lunch today I swung by Trunk River and threw out a 7" amber Hogy a few times. On around my 15th cast or so I got a solid hookup and was a bit surprised when my dragging started sounding. It ended up being a fish close to 30" and had a nice belly to it too. First of many I hope this year.

In other news I am trying to setup a trip with someone I met online while doing TJ's raffle fundraiser on Surf Talk. He has a son that has diabetes and is going to bring him along. We are shooting for sometime towards the end of May. Perhaps early June.

48 lbs. Two pounds away from being down 50 lbs. Crazy!! To be honest I have not been working out that much. An occasional run here and there, but I am really watching what I eat. I have not had a bagel, fast food burger or fries since December. I really think that helps. Plus, I have been able to make good choices at home and I order differently while out to eat. Recently I have stopped drinking which can only help. I stopped for reasons that are a whole blog entry unto itself. Whether it ever gets written or not is a different story.

Vacation is Over

Vacation went by really quick, but it was very relaxing. Christine was able to score us some Red Sox tickets at face value. It was Tuesday night of vacation and it ended up getting rained out. We went up there and did all of the pre-game eating and souvenir buying. By the time we got home it was 10:30 or so and we woke up the next morning and did it all again. Sox won the rain shortened game 10-1. Well worth it in my opinion. I had a blast. A lot of time in the car, but it was still fun.

Christine and I were going to go to Foxwoods as part of my birthday present on Thursday and Friday, but Christine's mom got sick and was unable to care for the kids. We knew well enough in advance that we were able to cancel without a hassle. As a result Christine told me to get a new rod and reel that I have been wanting. Well, Red Top was a great place as advertised. Awesome selection and they had a special going that got me a Tsunami Trophy series 8 ft. rod with an Okuma Epixor reel for about $130. Great deal and about $100 less than I was thinking that I might spend. I can't wait to get a nice sized fish on the end of that rod.

The kids' sporting events have been going well. Not so well in the win and loss column for Thomas' teams, but they are a nice group of kids that work really hard. Somehow Thomas' team got killed twice, but the scoreboards told a much different story. 1-0 loss to another Falmouth team and a 5-3 loss to Barnstable that felt like 12-3. Thomas is improving, but he is not quite a natural in terms of athletic ability. His main talent in sports still seams to be baseball to me. He has great arm and can make contact pretty consistent at the plate.

Gwen's lacrosse team squeaked out a 4-3 win yesterday to get them to a 3-0 record. Yesterday we should have clobbered the other team, but we let some chances go. In addition, we had a lot of newer players really blowing it on defense. A better team would have killed us. Gwen showed awesome aggressiveness yesterday. She was in on every ground ball and was really using her body well. It is hard to believe that the shy little Gwendo is now actually one of the better lacrosse players on the team. In fact, it might be a parents wishful thinking, but I would say she might be the best all around player on the team. There are faster kids, better shooters, but no one does all of that and defends like she does. Now, with her added aggressive play I think she is ready to hit a new level.

During the Red Sox last night I got out the fishing bag and checked my supply. I am doing pretty well. I need a little terminal tackle, but other than that I do not have any major expenses. i have $40 at Falmouth Bait and Tackle to use which I will probably drop on line if I do not have enough in the basement. I am planning on making some sqidbert's out of Hogy's for the squid run at Middle Ground and Wood's Hole at the end of the month. Need to get ready now as perhaps the warm weather may speed things up a little. Check out these cool lures you can make out of Hogy's.

http://www.hogylures.net/squidtip.htm

44 lbs. and counting (in more ways than one)

Over the past few weeks I have had a really hard time being regular about what I eat. It started at the Music Conference followed up immediately by a week long run of "Crazy For You" and then two days guest conducting for All Cape Jazz. Then it was the Easter feast. I continued to run during all of this, but not as consistent as I would have liked due to the lack of sleep from late nights. Because of all this I have been a little hesitant to weigh myself, but I figured that I might as well so I can get a handle where I am. Well, as of this morning I am now down 44 lbs. PSYCHED!!!! I set the Wii Fit for another 22 lbs. For some reason it will not allow you to put your goal at more than 22 lbs. If I am able to lose another 22 lbs. I would be at 230 lbs. which is right around the weight that I got married at. I have also set a goal for myself that is realistic. I am never going to let myself get heavier than 255 lbs. again. Right now I am 252 and feel pretty comfortable. Yes, perhaps a little overweight, but definitely healthier than the end of 2008.

Still counting the days until some solid fishing is going to happen. The beginning of May will have us putting the boat back into Fiddler's Cove. I plan on making many a trip to Middle Ground during the squid time towards the middle of May through Memorial Day. Then, hopefully the first week of June will bring a nice run of fish through the canal again, but hoping for similar conditions to last year would be asking a lot.

Catching Up

Weight loss - So far so good. I have not lost a lot recently, but with my schedule which has equated to eating out a lot I am not that unhappy with it. Over the past two weeks of the All State Conference and the run of "Crazy for You" at Bourne High School I managed to not gain any weight. I have tried to keep running, but it is hard to maintain a consistent schedule plus it has been rainy lately. May go back to Atkins for a few weeks, it always has a way of jump starting some good weight loss for me. In general, I have found my portions of food to be a lot smaller. Last night I ordered a quesadilla for my meal and I was unable to finish it. Really weird for that to happen to me.

Sports - Kids are fully going in lacrosse and soccer. A lot of practices have been cancelled due to rain and it looks like another will be tonight. Good.

Fishing - Can't wait. Looking forward to a great year. I may purchase a couple new reels for the kids' rods and I am thinking about getting myself a nice setup that will allow me to cast the soft plastics I like so much, but still be able to bring in a nice fish if i manage to hook into one. I am not in a hurry for this, but it is probably the next toy I will treat myself to. Perhaps if I do well at Foxwoods during April vacation I will use any winnings (or lack of losings) to get this new setup. I am hoping that the bluefish come back to Buzzards Bay this year, I missed seeing those breaking schools.

Good Times

Not the amazing place in Somerville with all the pool tables, batting cages and video games, but actual good times. While watching a hockey game on NESN I saw an ad for a Boston Blazers lacrosse game coming up on Saturday. With Christine away for the weekend at a music conference I figured I would check it out. I ended up getting nose bleed seats for $12 a piece. I took the kids to Chiara first for dinner which was delicious as always. We entered the TD Banknorth Garden and proceeded up the series of escalators to the top. When we got there a Blazers representative was there offering us free upgraded tickets. Low and behold, sixth row!! The game was a blast and I am not sure how the players were able to concentrate or communicate with all of the loud music playing. First pro game that I have ever attended that has blaring loud music while the game is going on. I can honestly say that I did not hear one whistle the entire game, and there were many, even when the refs were 20 feet away from us. Got some good pics and here they are.

My "Before I Die" List

I know, I am only 33 and turning 34 in a week, why do I need a list like this already? I don't, but it is good to have one I think. I have some general goals in life like getting my kids safely through school and in to college and providing for my family etc. This list are things that I would really like, but do not necessarily have to have in order for my life to be complete. I know there was a movie called the "Bucket List" that featured Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman making sure they fulfilled all the listings on their lists and one of my favorite TV shows that bombed, Boomtown, had a character that was always checking off items on his list as well. Not sure how I am going to approach my list, but I came so close to fulfilling my dream of seeing a bald eagle in the wild last week that it got me to thinking. Why don't I put down the things I want on that list in print? I am sure that I will forget things, want to add things and maybe leave off some things that I might not want people to know. :) Here it is:

1. See a bald eagle in the wild. (I have seen some in captivity, but that doesn't count)
2. Catch a tuna.
3. Catch a tarpon on light gear.
4. Catch a 50# striped bass. (Asking a lot I know)
5. See a Red Sox game from the Monster Seats.
6. Go on a cruise in Alaska.
7. When I retire, get a sizable fishing boat with outriggers and has a bed.

The above list to me is all attainable. Sure there are plenty of things I wish. Like I wish I was wealthy and did not have to work. I wish my son did not have diabetes, but pipe dreams do not count in my list.

Great time

Had a great time in Columbia, MO with my dad. Saw some really neat museums and the Gateway Arch.

I was able to maintain my current weight while eating out a good amount. I ran close to 5 miles during the course of the week and I have continued since being home running over a mile yesterday. So far I have been able to keep my portions under control while avoiding the foods / desserts that I know have way too many calories / carbs. I am curious as to what my weight will look like at the end of this week while eating normal food, but less of it. Last week was still a plus for me because of all the eating out we did, but by not gaining and eating out for at least one meal (usually 2) I consider that a triumph in portion control.

While we were there I was almost able to cross off one of my items on my "Before I Die" list. More on that later.

Another 4 lbs.

Down 27 lbs. total now. Pretty psyched. Been eating a few carbs lately too, but in moderation. Last night was a pig out type of night, but it did not even come close to what I would have considered a pig out in the past. I had about 4 or 5 pieces of buffalo chicken, 2 pieces of regular chicken, one slice of small cheese pizza and some salad. I was quite surprised that when I weighed myself this morning I was down 5 lbs. from last weigh in in which I was up almost a pound.

Here comes the challenge. Going away for vacation. I know I can do it and I am going to work very hard at it. If I come back having not lost or gained i would be very satisfied with that, but to be honest I think I can still lose more. Maybe I am being unrealistic. We'll see.

23, Time For a Change

Only lost one pound this past week. Not that happy with that, but considering I really do not have any physical activity whatsoever I really should not complain. I recall last time that I did the Atkins diet I hit a couple walls and this must be the first. Although last time I did it I started around the weight I am at now. Gulp!! The one major difference is that in my current job I have my own room that is not separate from my office. When i have down time here at Morse Pond I do not have 9 billion things to do like I did at the High School job either so often times I am just sitting at my computer. So, it is time to start getting active. Also, I think that I have the mental capacity to switch to a Weight Watchers type approach and I am going to start today. No matter what diet I am doing I am going to have to put in some time on a physical activity. This way I can eat what want and just eat less of it. I am still going to avoid the large carb items though. Pizza, bread, bagels. We will see how it goes.

22 and counting

Down 22 lbs. since January 5. Pretty psyched about it too. I have been working hard. Tough weekend this past weekend which included a birthday party packed with pizza and ice cream cake. Didn't touch it at all. Yesterday there was a lot of good eats at the Kerrigan's, but I managed to have small portions of chicken pot pie while avoiding the breading altogether. I did have a few chips with this really good dip, but that was minimal as well. Pretty happy considering I know how much I would have eaten in both of those circumstances in the past.

Fishing - Obviously not much to talk about because of the weather, but I still frequent the SurfTalk website and I really enjoy it. While doing the JDRF fundraiser for Thomas I met a couple fisherman who also have kids with diabetes. One of them, Colrain, is going to bring his 13 year old son and i am going to take them fishing in the spring. Can't wait.

New rod and reel. I am now kicking myself that when Christine told me to buy a new rod and reel while we were at the Trading Post in Maine I didn't pull the trigger. I feel really good about my light tackle and my heavy tackle. I think i am going to try and get a 7 1/2 foot rod that is capable of casting the soft plastics I like to throw, but can handle a bigger fish if it comes up. If I were to ever hook into a 20+ lb. bass on my little 6 foot freshwater rod I would be in deep trouble even though it has done well on fish in the teens. I will hold out for a good deal. In this economy there is sure to be some.

Jiving at 5

Since starting Wii Fit and weighing in I am down 5 pounds. Not sure how much stock I put in the Wii fit scale, but most likely it is right that I am at least losing weight. For some reason I have always been able to lose (or gain, unfortunately) weight really quick. I remember in college when i was between girlfriends and I wanted to lose a little weight my diet consisted of: not eating out, not getting seconds at the Dining Commons, not drinking soda. I would lose weight within weeks doing this and since I only needed to lose a few pounds back then it was easy and quick. Now, because I am a fat a$$ I need to work at it for longer amounts of time. Plus, I have developed really bad eating habits so i need to go on a more restricted diet.

I have come to the conclusion that so much of dieting is mental. Duh!! Just being able to fight through some cravings by drinking more fluids or eating celery, cucumbers or pickles is huge. Christine and I have a little saying that we have not used in awhile (which may have something to do with my current weight). "I think I am going to have sleep to eat" This is because we are both always ready for a nighttime snack around 9 o'clock or so. When we have tried to watch or weight in the past we would say this line and just go up to bed.

Well, off to a good start and I am hoping that I can keep it going. In the past on this diet the bulk of my weight loss happened in the first three weeks so we'll see.

Side note - Got a new camera for Christmas from Christine. Hopefully I can learn to use it correctly and post more pictures into this blog.

Hap..........................py new Year! Wii

Restarting the Atkins diet again. It has become very uncomfortable to tie my shoes. So far, so good. Although I just realized that cucumbers have carbs. Bummer! I am up to 293, the heaviest i have ever been as far as I know. In the '03-'04 school year I went on the Atkins diet and was able to lose 40 lbs. This time I am hoping to lose that 40 lbs. and keep it off by switching to a more realistic type of diet like Weight Watchers. I was happy with the Atkins diet last time I did it and even after i stopped I was able to keep it off for a couple months before i restarted my Master's program at UMASS. That was the beginning of the end being around all the food hangouts of old and needing to eat out for all of my meals for three days a week.

This time I am hoping to have that 40 lbs. off around May and keep it off. The big challenges that i see ahead are a vacation to see my dad in February and the fact that I am teaching at Boston Conservatory this July. I am a bit nervous of the easy food places that i will be able to hit during that time.

I remember last time I did Atkins I thought about food non-stop. After i ate and in-between meals i just thought about what i would be eating next. The tough part about this diet is making sure that there is food ready to be eaten. Steak, chicken, eggs etc. all take time to prepare and are not easily brought or made at work!

Wii. Santa brought us a Wii for Christmas and it is really cool. We have Wii Sports and Wii Fit. Between boxing and hula-hooping I can actually get a pretty good workout in my living room in 20 minutes or so. Better than nothing and I am just way too cheap to get a gym membership.