super tuesday slugfest

I haven't delved too much into presidential politics since New Hampshire. But after South Carolina and Florida, it's time to get all heated up before Super Tuesday. You know, I'm a total dork, because I know that next Tuesday, I will be at home, glued to CNN. But we all know that anyway, huh?

Obama came away with a resounding victory Saturday night in South Carolina. Really cleaned Hillary's clock there. Plus, it was for delegates. Then she cleaned his clock last night in Florida, though it was only symbolic because there were no delegates at stake (complicated intra-party stuff that's ridiculous). Even though it was only a "beauty pagent", Florida still served what Hillary needed - blunting South Carolina's results before Tuesday. And it's about damn time Edwards gets out. Christ, don't make your loving wife spend the last few months of her life out on the campaign trail in a lost cause.

McCain pretty much secured the R nomination last night, I think. It's going to be pretty tough to knock him off on Tuesday, and he should win most of the states. I'm surprised at how Huckabee never caught on with their base. I was certain he was the dark horse. But I think Thompson killed him in South Carolina. If he had beaten McCain there, it would be a totally different race.

I don't know what's going to happen for us on Tuesday. I think Hillary is going to do well, but who the hell knows. I think she's going to win all the western states (CA, ID, UT, CO, NM, AZ, OK, ND, NE), Arkansas, and at least New York on the East Coast (though I think she could also sweep DE, NJ, CT, MA, and RI). I think Obama has the midwest (IL, MO, MN) and the rest of the south (TN, GA, AL). I say she's going to win the west because the Hispanics do not appear to be breaking for Obama, she will get a majority of the white vote, and there just isn't that many black votes outside of CA. She'll win New York and Arkansas as the home state favorite. The rest of the East Coast, I think, is what will determine. If she sweeps the east, there is going to be a lot of pressure from the party apparatus on Obama to get out, especially if Romney does the same for the Republicans. But if he upsets her in CA and takes most of the East Coast, this damn primary is going to keep going. I like that whoever wins is going to be very battle-tested going into the general, but at some point, someone has to bow out so the winner can start diverting resources to fight the Republicans.

The World's Greatest Wife and I were discussing a McCain vs. Hillary match-up. She thinks he wins that one, and I'm not necessarily disagreeing. However, he is going to have a pretty tough go of it because of his ardent support of the war. Ds will turn out to vote, maybe in record numbers, in November. If he is going to win, he's going to have to play to that god-awful base he has, which will hurt him with the independents. It will be a really good match-up.

urgghh

I've gone horribly off course on my eating the last five days. I've not been to the gym since Thursday, and Friday thru yesterday, I pretty much ate anything that happened to be unlucky enough to come into my sight. Ergghhh!! Why do I fall off the wagon so hard?? I got on the scales this morning to see how bad it was, in hopes of maybe stopping the tide. I was at 290.7. Sheesh!!! I'm up five and a half pounds since Friday morning. I'm hoping that serves as motivation enough to get back in line. So far, so good today. I didn't make the gym this morning, but I will tonight after the Pygmy hits the sack. We went to Chicago on Friday, and trips to Chicago are never good for me foodwise. There are so many good things to eat up there that I can't get here.

mark me as an independent (this year)

For anyone that knows me at all, you know I've been a life-long Democrat. Not just in terms of voting, but in terms of activism, too. I've worked on or volunteered for several campaigns and for the party at several levels. I was the President of the College Democrats chapter at Franklin and of the state chapter for Indiana, and was one vote shy of being the National President of the College Democrats of America, having previously served on the national board. I've been a party insider and a party outsider. So my Democratic credentials are pretty freakin' solid.

But this year is marking a shift to the middle for me. There are two important offices that I am about 95% sure I'm voting Republican for this year. One of them is NOT President of the United States. I'm completely behind either Hillary or Obama, whoever comes out on top. But for Governor and for Congress, I'm probably crossing over to the red side.

As for Governor, Mitch Daniels has slowly won me over. Not that I agree with everyone of his positions, but I've found I do agree with a great many of them. He is a moderate Republican who has killed a lot of the Republican House's conservative crusades behind the scene. He is committed to making progress and change in this state, regardless if it costs him his job or not. And quite frankly, I know very little about either of the Democratic candidates, and certainly not enough for me to take a chance on them. As a matter of fact, the little I have heard of them is them talking about moving the state backwards. When did Democrats become the party of yesterday and not tomorrow?

And for Congress, Jon Elrod has won me over pretty quickly. Maybe I have given him a lot of room since he's my age. He's a moderate, who has always worn the underdog label only to go out and outwork the favorite. And again, I can't stomach the thought that the Democrats chose Andre Carson, the late Julia Carson's grandson, to finish out her term. I stopped voting for Julia two cycles ago, and I can't go back to voting for a Carson.

So there you have it. One D, Two R. Now no one can ever say I robotically vote D again. The D's have to win my vote back.

office remodel

I know I promised some pics of the office remodel we did last month. Here are some.

This is the common area. You can see the two chairs, the tv, the frosted windows, etc.

Also the common area, with the football theme we chose for decor.

Also the common area, just the other direction. We did the crimson and tan in this room and my office.

Looking into myn office. I used the same color scheme as in the common area. Can you believe two of us used to share this one office? That included two desks, bookcases, printers, etc. I love my bookcase and desk. Yes, that is a "Dogs Playing Poker" picture on the ground. The World's Greatest Wife won't let me put it up at the house.

our humble abode

You know, since we believe people actually like us and care about what's going on in our lives (yeah, right!), we've decided to create a companion blog to The Non-Profit Dad and Jackson's Adventures to keep you updated on the progress of our new house. So, while I may post the occasional update on here, most of our updates will go directly on Our Humble Abode (or, Casa de Maples).

week #5 results

Starting weight: 305.1
Current weight: 285.1
This week's loss: 2.3 lbs.
Total loss: 20 lbs.
Pounds Away from Goal: 65.1

Not an exciting week in pounds loss, but a loss nonetheless, which is what is important! When I started this last May, I was 155 lbs. from my goal. Today, I'm only 65 lbs. from that goal. I've lost 90 lbs., 20 lbs. of that in the last month since I rededicated myself to the weight loss. That blows my mind. I'm 25 lbs. past the halfway point. That rocks.

there's too many places i've got to see

Again, I try not re-post on multiple blogs, but this was my post on Hoosier Beer Geek today. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working on that blog, but as my life changes, so does the areas where I need to focus my attention:

On August 8th of 2006, I started this blog with just the sole intention of raising the discussion about good beer. I could never have imagined that it would have taken off as it has, garnering so much attention and so many readers, and becoming part of the lexicon when discussing good beer in Indiana. I am very proud that I have made a positive contribution to the beer community. So it was with something of a heavy heart (or lazy ass, according to Jason) that I informed my fellow Knights earlier today that I am officially resigning my status as a Knight of the Beer Roundtable. I've got a lot of cool things going on in my life right now, and those things, along with my family, need my full attention. And so, to quote the best Southern Rock band of all-time, "I must be traveling on now."

The Knights are all very wonderful people. It has been a sincere pleasure to become friends with all of them over the last year and a half, and I couldn't think of a better group of people to drink with or to keep this blog running. They've even made me a Knight Emeritus (I think that means that I'm supposed to somehow buy someone some beer), and I will continue to show up to roundtables as my schedule permits.Thanks to all of you for reading my stuff over the last year and a half, and for raising the conversation about good beer in Indiana!

Cheers!
Chris

movin' on up to the (south)east side

In just a few short months, this piece of land you see above will have a house that looks identical to the one below (same color, build, etc, but with a third car garage) standing on it.

Welcome to the new Casa de Maples. Well, technically this is the casa de our neighbors, but you get the drift. The Most Wonderful Wife In The World, the Pygmy, the dog, and yours truly will become residents of this neighborhood sometime over the summer. While we really debated about staying in Irvington, we knew we weren't going to find what we really wanted without new construction. And we debated between several models, but in the end, it was the kitchen (seen in a model below, but it will look very similar to ours) that sold us on this house.

go giants

Count me as the NY Giants #1 fan. We have a Manning to root for, at least, even though it's not our Manning. Kick their ass, Eli!

week #4 results

Starting weight: 305.1
Current weight: 287.4
This week's loss: 3.5 lbs.
Total loss: 17.7 lbs.
Pounds Away from Goal: 70.9

Sorry for delay in posting this result. Well, I finally did it! I finally broke 290! This is the least amount I've weighed since 1996. That feels good. And with no major obstacles this week, I should have another good week. Hopefully. Now we're on to 280, which is what my driver's license says I weigh. I don't think I've ever only been within 10 lbs. of that, even on my very first driver's license. Cool beans. I'm very glad to be back on track here.

christopher maples, mba

Yup, that's right! I passed and now I am officially, 100% done with grad school, and I can finally put some letters behind my name - if I wanted to. I always thought it a little arrogant, but for today, I'm going to be arrogant. Christopher Maples, MBA. Hells yeah!

even stevens

As I usually do on Wednesday mornings (two days before official weekly weigh-in), I jumped on the scales to see how I had progressed this week. It came up the same as it was on last Friday, and I'm very content with that. You see, this past weekend turned out pretty badly. Our friends came over Friday, cookies were baked, lots were devoured by myself, and plenty of beer was consumed. Saturday was an all-out pig-out, and Sunday was certainly no better with our last tailgating session of the football season (meaning combine Friday and Saturday and you have Sunday). Then, on Monday, while I ate very well, I was physically drained, and never made it to the gym. So when finally getting completely back on track yesterday I feared the worst. Thankfully, I still have two days to lose that pound, which I should be able to do if beer consumption is limited tonight after class. I just want to break 290, and I'll be happy. Primarily because I know this week upcoming there are no distractions to my diet.

You know, I keep calling it a diet. Not sure if that's accurate, but I always hate the term "lifestyle change" - it's so cliche, and it reminds me of people who are trying to fool themselves. I certainly don't eat the way I used to, in terms of quantity or quality, and I regularly exercise, probably being the healthiest I've ever been, so in that regard, I guess it has been a lifestyle change. But I also fall off the wagon frequently, so I have to wonder just how much has my lifestyle changed? Maybe I could call it a committment change, because that would be more accurate. Instead of falling off the wagon and giving up all hope, this time, unlike ever before, I'm able to just dust it off and climb back up time after time. I don't have willpower (I think that's a fantasy, anyway), but just a committment to reach my goals, which in turn changes my lifestyle. I think breaking this plateau of 290 I've been at since October will really help me move forward. It's been such a barrier, the toughest one I've faced since I started, so to break it will mean a lot to me personally, and I think will instigate faster weight loss for a while. Plus, it helped when I realized yesterday that in like 8 or 9 pounds, I will have lost 25% of my original weight, meaning I'll only be 3/4ths of the man I was when I started. That's an odd feeling.

I am also considering beginning to train for a 5K race. It's only 3.1 miles, so it's a good place for me to start. I routinely do 2-3 miles on the eliptical machine every day at the gym, so it is certainly an achievable goal for me. Since there probably isn't anything until this summer, I may be able to bump that up to a 10K. My goal for 2009 is to run the Mini-Marathon here in Indy, which will be in May. There. I said it. I've been holding that in for weeks now. Ever since Half-Man completed his race, I've been inspired to do something similar. So, now that's public . . . (not sure why I feel wierd about that being public after 1. posting about weight loss and showing pictures of my original weight, and 2. talking about depression and happy pills).

Oh, well. Off to the gym . . .

laying low

No, I'm not deep in depression over the Colts. Well, I would be if I thought about it, but I refuse to think about it, thereby making it go away. Football season is over.

I've just been busy with work, as usual. We just contracted with Jason's wife to do some bookkeeping for us, and while she's been getting the finances updated, I've been trying to rework our budget and all kinds of other not-so-fun, tedious financial stuff that I hate to do but is part of my job. That's why we contracted with Mrs. FourSquare266. Now I can just focus on fundraising. Even though it's a huge pain in the ass, I really enjoy fundraising.

We also had a Board meeting tonight. Thankfully, it was mercifully short. I really like my Board. They're good people, dedicated to the cause, active, and usually present at meetings. That's more than many non-profit executive directors can say. But Board meetings require preparation on my part, so that usually consumes the better part of a day or two.

And even though I said I finished my paper last week, I'm spending a good deal of time polishing it up and adding to it. I don't want any questions about passing this. I'll know for sure at some point tomorrow night after I hand in the paper. The prof said he will have them all graded tomorrow night. One more night of angst!!! Once class is over, my classmates and I are reviving an old tradition of ours - hitting the local bar for cheap pitcher night! Our class has always met on Wednesdays, and for the better part of the two years, we would usually go out for beer after class, but at some point in the spring, we kind of just stopped doing it. We all got busy in new jobs or our old ones, and the drinking fell off (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). But we also started to grow apart then, and we've just not been very social with each other for the last few months. So it will be good to go out with a bang tomorrow night.

Prior to class, I am going to meet with Courtney at The Hop Shop, my favorite good beer store, to do some planning for Hops for Pops, which is the next major Dads Inc. fundraiser. It's going to be a beer tasting festival, and will be held the day before Fathers Day (June 14) in the lots outside of his store.

So wish me luck for tomorrow, and I'll post sometime later this week.

well, shit

Today is a pretty dreary day here in Indy. Not just because of the weather, but because once again, the Colts flaked out. While this isn't as bad as the Pittsburgh loss, I still have no desire whatsoever to watch this weekend's game or the Super Bowl. I will not watch the Patriots reach perfection - it makes me sick to my stomach - and they will now with us out of the way. I think we just got caught with our pants down and looking ahead. Which is really odd for this team.

Oh, well. End of football season. At least I don't have to deal with weight loss derailments due to tailgating.

week #3 results

Starting weight: 305.1
Current weight: 290.9
Total loss: 14.2 lbs.
Pounds Away from Goal: 70.9

I didn't jinx myself too badly the other day, I guess. I'll take 8.4 lbs. loss any week! I have to admit, though, I was trying really hard to crack the 290 mark this week, just for the mental boost, after checking in on the scale a couple of times this week to see it was a possibility. If you've been reading for a while, you know that while this is the lowest I've gotten, and I'm happy about that, I've also been struggling for months to get past this point. The good news is that I've already surpassed my goal of losing 10 lbs. this month, and I'm only 1 lb. away from cracking that number. I didn't have a bad day this week, and with the exception of Saturday, I've been to the gym every day.

Oh, and as you can see, I got my old scales working back on the lbs. system instead of the kg system, so I didn't have to buy a new one.

FINISHED!!

Free at last, free at last, Great God Almighty, I'm free at last!!! THE PAPER IS FINISHED!!! With the exception of making some corrections this upcoming week before turning in the final copy next Wednesday night, I AM FREAKIN' DONE WITH GRAD SCHOOL!!!!!! (Unless, of course, I don't get a C on this, then I'm screwed. Well, not screwed, but kinda, because I have to take it again. And Colleen will kick my ass, big time! But I'm one who sees the glass half-full, so I'M FREAKIN' DONE WITH GRAD SCHOOL!!!!) Somebody should buy me a beer!!!!

new hampshire wrap-up

While as a supporter, I'm obviously very glad Hillary won the primary, I came out of the night with a feeling of really being happy with either Hillary or Obama as our candidate. These are two dynamic and very capable leaders. And what could restore your patriotism more (for those of us who have been told we're not patriots for 8 years) and belief that America is the greatest country on the face of the earth (no offense to my South Pacific readers) than having your choice be between the first female president and the first African-American president? With our country's history of racisim, sexism, and discrimination, we stand at a moment in history that we have a chance to truly see the progress of American society. It's really too bad that these two will probably not bury the hatchet after this race is decided, because I would love nothing more to see some combination of a Hillary/Obama ticket. I think it would be absolutely unbeatable (especially given the relative weakness of the Republican field), and I think it would be the greatest thing to ever happen to this country. I still think Obama needs to be a bit more battle tested, and he is going to get it, but Jesus Christ, that man could inspire an entire generation - or several generations - to restore America to greatness. As I listened to his speech last night, just the tener of his voice gave me goosebumps. It's no wonder he's had such a groundswell of support. It's not about change (well, it is to a degree), but I think it's simply that in this age jadedness and brokeness, we just want to be inspired again. I think this primary is going to be very good for the Democrats, as long as at the end of the day, the two sides can come back together to unite.

On the Republican side, all I was left thinking was, "Who cares?" This election, no matter who they put up and who we put up, is going to be about the future vs. the past, and the future is going to win. But, that being said, even though Huckabee came in a distant third last night, he still came in third in New Hampshire, which I think is a fantastic showing for him. He couldn't have hoped for anything better than that. Now the race turns towards his territory. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but the more I watch him, the more I like the guy. Let me clarify - I am absolutely opposed to most of his positions so I would never vote for him, but I like the man himself. This guy, who has long been on the losing end to the Clintons, had the opportunity to take a swipe at Hillary yesterday for her show of emotion. But instead, he said "Cut her some slack." What conservative Republican ever comes to the defense of a Clinton, and Hillary at that. That said volumes to me about his character. That's the type of response I would expect from a true Christian, and not the Bush kind. There is a lot to be said for walking the walk and not just talking the talk. I think his weight loss also says a lot about his character. This guy knew he had a problem, and he made a very, very tough decision to change it. To change his entire lifestyle. And he's stuck with it. All I kept thinking when they were showing that footage of him eating the "Huckaburger" was that it's got to be tough on him. He has to eat the food not to offend, but it's got to be playing murder with his weight. I hope he's getting the opportunity to work out.

Ok, so that's it for me and politics this week. I don't think the Democrats play again until South Carolina in a couple of weeks. I believe the Michigan primary next week is just for the Republicans. I need to double check that.

final thought for tonight

As I'm watching the Obama and Clinton speeches, I've had some thoughts.

1. This race is going to go on for longer than any other primary contest I've ever seen. This very well may continue past Super Tuesday.

2. I think this is a good thing. Whichever candidate comes out of the primary victorious will be the odds-on favorite to win the general. They will be battle-tested, and the media will virtually ignore the Republicans until ours is settled.

3. It's time for every other candidate on the Democratic side to get out of the race but Hillary and Obama. They do not stand a chance - get out and do your party a favor.

4. With the droves of people voting in these Democratic primaries, we're going to win with either candidate in November. We want this more than they do.

5. Bill Clinton is one hell of an assest. Too bad Gore didn't realize that in 2000.

6. Hillary still sounds robotic and Obama still sounds like the reincarnation of Dr. King. But that's ok. That's his schtick, not hers. I think she may have started to fill out her own skin this week.

For those of you who tune in for my weight loss updates, just so you know, since we are now in the heat of presidential primary season, this blog may get a bit more political than usual. I am an unabashed Democrat, and since this is my blog, I get to say what I want :)

the race is on

It's official. Hillary wins New Hampshire in an amazing comeback. This may be the political comeback for the ages. I'll do some further analysis tomorrow.

ap is calling for hillary

Watching election results come in. CNN just reported that the AP has called the race for Hillary. If this holds out, this would be a huge blow to Obama, after being projected to win by up to 13 points, and HUGE for Hillary.

i'm bringing sexy back

OK, I've become completely narcissistic lately (some would say I always was) because I can't walk past a mirror without looking at it and trying to see if I look slimmer. This has been a really good week at the gym. I've been busting my ass pretty hard, and even doing sprints without being ordered to by my trainer. I also started tanning this week. I'm really not doing it to get a tan, but I want to see if the lights can give me the boost I need to get past winter blues. So I don't know if it was either of those things, or just that I have clothes that fit now, but last night, as I was going to the gym, I looked in the mirror, and I thought, "Damn, I'm looking good!" I honestly don't remember the last time that happened to me.

So you're not worried, I'm not getting a big head. I realize I still have a very long way to go. But for the first time in years, I thought I looked good. Do you know how good that feels? I'm still not turning anyone's head but my own, but you know what? I'll take that any day. I'm finally beginning to get past the self-loathing and looking at myself with disgust to being truly happy with me because of what I'm accomplishing and thinking I look good.

I'm probably jinxing myself here, but I'm really looking forward to weighing in on Friday. I've not had a bad day this week, and I've been at the gym every day, too. Pushing myself much harder than I've done for months. And I feel great! This is the same type of feeling I had in the beginning - completely motivated and dedicated. So I really hope I'm now over that hump that I've been stradling for months now. Friday will be a good indication.

I've also found a pretty good balance of eating healthy food with some bad stuff. I've often mentioned on here my intense chocolate cravings. I usually wind up giving into them, and then over-indulging. So when I went to the grocery store the other day, I made a deal with myself. I bought two bags of chocolate chips cookies - my favorite. Each one is 140 calories. I will allow myself to eat one cookie every day that I go to the gym. If I don't go, no cookie. By then regularly getting my chocolate fix, I'm hoping that I can now avoid the strong cravings. We'll see if this works, but so far, so good. I was tested last night when I stopped by Starbucks, and they had some really great looking fudge cookies. I almost gave in, but I walked away. I hadn't done that for a while.

SO, all in all, I think I'm back on the right track. I'm not going to say I definitely am until I see a couple of weeks of good weigh-ins, but I think I have the fire back. At any rate, I'm bringing sexy back :)

waiting on new hampshire

I thought about doing a pre-post on the New Hampshire primary, but I'm going to wait until results are final to weigh in with my two cents. Though if polls are accurate, we know which way it's going tonight . . . .

motivational poster

yeah, i'm a geek

OK, yeah, I walked into a comic book store yesterday - something I hadn't done in probably 15 years - and actually bought some books. I've been contemplating this for a while. I loved comic books, and even went through a nerdy phase in which I collected them. Call me a dork if you want, because I am, but I've just had the urge to pick up a title and get into reading it again.

So when I went in yesterday, I wasn't really sure where my interest was. I always liked Batman, Superman, Spiderman, all the big ones. But now that I'm older, I don't feel the need to go with the crowd. So I wanted a character I was somewhat familiar with, but wasn't one of the big ones. So I picked out three different comics - Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America. "Captain America?" you ask. "Didn't he die?" Ah, he did, but welcome to comics. Apparently, his old sidekick Bucky is now going to hold the shield.

I honestly didn't really care for Thor that much, but he Captain America and Iron Man is pretty decent stuff. But you know how it is - you pick something up like this and it will take you a while to figure out the whole plot and who's doing what to who. But I think I'll continue to read them for a little while.

I've also got to say the books themselves are far superior to the last time I bought one. All the pages are slick, the artwork is cool, and the stories are a little darker.

Yeah, I'm a dork.

challenge this!

I've decided to start taking The President's Challenge. This is essentially an activity/exercise program. After earning so many points through various activities, you earn various badges and stuff, like the one to the right. I'm trying to keep various logs of daily exercise. I need 20,000 points to get the bronze, and I'm at like 540 right now. It should take me about a month or so to get there.

I'm also trying a new strategy for dealing with my chocolate cravings - give into them! I tend to get these urges later at night, so I'll rummage around until I find some chocolate my wife has stashed somewhere, and since there are no calories listed, I eat way too much. But today I bought some chocolate-covered raisins and chocolate chip cookies that were fairly decent caloric-wise. By know how many calories is in what I'm consuming, I think I'll be much more likely to limit myself when the craving hits. It's an easier compromise with myself to say, "Ok, you can have a chocolate chip cookie, but only one," than to say, "No cookie!". Then I tell myself to screw off and go eat 5 or 6. Hopefully my inner voices will learn to compromise a little.