New Routines

A beach walk? Today? Yeah... NO!

I’m broke and I’m fat.

I recognize that this is a recurring theme here but, while previous posts outline planned action, they were, essentially, all talk. Today, I took two small steps one small step toward addressing  these issues.

First, I will save money by driving less.

I drive approximately 300 miles per week. There are some miles that I cannot do anything about, such as driving to work and going to see my therapist. Combined, these trips rack up about 90 miles each week.

Perhaps the biggest gas-guzzlers are my kids. Driving between their mom’s house and mine puts a whopping 104 miles on my car in an average week. Of course, that doesn’t factor the occasional birthday party, school-sponsored program, or scouting event.

Here’s the part where a rational person says, “Why don’t you split the drive time with The Ex?”, and I respond by laughing hysterically.
Only twice has The Ex taken the 13-mile trip to drop off or pick up the boys at my house and both times were orchestrated for her convenience. When we first moved, I tried to get her to help, but 15 months and more than 6,000 miles later, I have given up.

So, how am I gonna cut corners?

By changing my lunch break routine.

I have this silly habit of making the eight-mile trek from my office to my house each day for lunch -- That’s 16 miles a day, five days a week. Not only is it a waste of gas, but it is also a colossal waste of time.

So, today, instead of going home, I bagged my lunch and drove down to one of the dozen beaches near my office and enjoyed a quiet meal in my car. It was the first time that my break really felt like a whole hour. With that step, I broke one simple routine and began a new one that will save me about $100 a month.

Every little bit helps.

Speaking of bagged lunches, in addition to being poor, I am fat. In fact, I am heavier than I have ever been. According to research done by The Girlfriend, I am five pounds away from being considered “obese”.

FUCK.

I currently weigh 195 lbs. (At first I was 198, but I lost three pounds when The Girlfriend realized that the scale was off and fixed it.)

Like I said, every little bit helps.

I’m fat. There is no denying it. I was once so freakishly skinny that I was teased about it. Now, I am freakishly large and it’s having a negative effect on my mental state. I think the final straw came when I realized that I was losing my sex drive.

THAT doesn’t fly around these parts.

I know that I need to eat healthier, but what I REALLY need to do is start exercising. I have become sedentary and it shows. I just can’t seem to find the time (or the will) to get active.

So, I decided that with I will use this extra ”lunch break” time to get off my ass and go for a walk. Every. Day.

That was my plan today when I drove up to the beach. Unfortunately, when I got out of the car and realized how fucking cold it is right now on the East End of Long Island? I totally chickened-out, got back in my car, and proceeded to spend my lunch hour looking at porn playing with my phone.

Tomorrow is supposed to be even colder.

Sigh.

I swear, as soon as the weather becomes bearable, lunchtime walks will become another new routine.

Anyone else have any suggestions for fatty over here? 

I need to lose 25 lbs. before I visit the nude beaches of Croatia.*

*In August, The Girlfriend and I will attend a wedding in the Republic of Macedonia and, while there, we will make a pit-stop in neighboring Croatia. Not only because I hear it is beautiful, but because the Internet tells me that it has some of the best nude beaches in the world... and that’s how I roll.

PS: I almost forgot! Did y'all check out my latest Sprocket Ink story? Head on over and learn new ways to stalk people via Facebook!