Biggest Loser and Projects

So here is a real quick update before I get back to work this morning. As far as the biggest loser competition goes. I have lost 24 pounds. Which is kind of miraculous and I am super excited about it. There are tons of health reasons for losing weight and that was the deeper motivation behind this whole thing. It was time to start thinking, and acting, healthier. It was time to start using the body that was given to us to its potential, and not just setting it on the couch and waiting for it to slowly deteriorate. But when I see my beautiful wife (who has lost 18 pounds) with her thin waist, her face with the cheekbones that were there when I met her and the ability to be active all day without having to take a nap, my heart speeds up and I am reminded of another, much more superficial, reason we did this whole competition...and I'll tell you, my wife is hot!

As far as the projects go...Yes that's right we went plural and have the paint, drywall, spackle, mortar, grout, plumbers putty and sawdust, stuck in our nostrils to prove it! We are almost done with both. Jessi's closet-room is almost done and has been coming along wonderfully. She did an amazing job of picking out colors and accents and it looks amazing. I will post pics when I have a little more time. And the bathroom should be getting finished up today. It has been a wild ride and it has been more than a little stressful. But the time of two projects is coming to an end and we learned an incredible amount while we were at it. Like, don't do two projects at once! Again, pics to follow if you are so inclined as to check back later. If you don't want to wait, you can go to http://jjbateshome.blogspot.com/ which has a little more updated and pictureful version of the house projects.

Biggest Project Yet

I have started work on my biggest project yet...well, maybe not the biggest, cause the floor definitely was more square feet. But this one has the most diverse challenges so far. That's right, me and my beautiful wife will be working on...(drumroll) putting in a new guest bathroom. If you want to follow along with some pics and some funny stories about what NOT to do, go to http://jjbateshome.blogspot.com/ and follow along!

TBL update

So it has almost been a month and the biggest loser is on and going strong. It is amazing how quickly your body becomes used to a new routine. It adjusts almost immediately and somehow manages to keep everything rolling along relatively smoothly. The first week of the biggest loser was pretty mind blowing. Jessi and I lost a lot of weight in a little time and we both up-ed the amount of weight that we are hoping to lose by the time we are done. The thing that neither of us were counting on was the bodies ability to adjust to the minimized calorie intake and the maximized calorie burn.

The second week we both lost a pound...that's right. We went from losing 9 and 7 pounds to 1! Talk about a kick in the pants. Amazingly enough this did not make either one of us want to work harder, but discouraged us both immensely. Now we did come back and made the third week a little more productive. Jessi got down to 165 and I got down to 218. That is a pretty impressive loss! We will see how we did this week as we come up to one month of TBL09!!

The Biggest Loser 2009

SO! Jessi and I have started a competition with 9 other people to become the biggest loser...I immediately went out and got some braces, coke-bottle glasses and suspenders...I'm pretty sure I will win! Just kidding, this is obviously a weight loss thing and not a dork contest.

So the plan is to lose 30 pounds in 84 days. We started on the 1st of September and end a day or two before thanksgiving. Today was our first weigh in after we started the diet and exercise programs. And I am super happy to report that both Jessi and I lost (drumroll)...7 pounds! So we are well on our way.

This is the first time that we have tried two different exercise techniques. So we will see whose works better. Jessi is going to do classes at the local 24 hour fitness. I am going to run and strength train while trying to avoid the gym. I will let you know how it goes...before picture...well, I'll get one of those up when I can find it

Johnny K's visit part 2

So in true Josh and Jessi fashion, as soon as we were done with our vacation, we had a friend come to visit. Just so that we don't feel like we can relax...you know. But we had a great visit. We went Ocean Kayaking, swam in the pool, saw a movie and went to a concert...here are some highlight pics!

Johnny K's visit

Ocean Kayaking, days by the pool, Downtown dinners, and the music festival Street Scene...but I'll tell you about it later!

Utah Trip

So here you have the first extension of the Bates' Family, as it sits in 2009. With Jessi and I and my two brothers, their wives and kids, my sister, and my Mom. We only get to do these pictures once every couple of years. Our chosen paths have taken us all in different directions and it has become very difficult to get us all in one place at any given time. However, every time that we pull it off I think to myself...this is what it is all about...this is what we need to be striving towards. It is such a pleasure to be with everyone, as hectic as it gets (and it does get hectic) it is always immensely pleasing just to see everyone!Unfortunately I wasn't able to update frequently on this trip so you won't get a day by day but I will hit up the highlights.

First the Kids. I know what you are thinking...four kids, that can't possibly be that loud. But trust me it can be! This was the first time that we had met Lola, the youngest girl. Her and her older Sister Bailey, and Jaxson and Max absolutely made me want to have kids...in a few years. The amount of energy that is expended by these four is astounding. I tried to keep up for the

first day or two, and when the kids got on the trampoline I did my best to climb on there and jump with them, but by the middle of the second day my back was spasming, and I thought I had pulled one of my stomach muscles. Now, academically, I know that a baby is not born with the ability to make you run all over the place to play, and that you grow together and play together, but this trip made me wonder if I would ever be able to keep up!

And now the Siblings! I forgot how smooth and comfortable it is to be around all of my siblings. There is nothing in this world that makes me feel more at home than to be around the group of people that I grew up with. We have all taken different paths and have our own viewpoints...not all of which line up exactly...but when we cometogether and just sit down and talk it is like

all of the time that has past melts away and I am back to being a part of a bigger whole. It really is a magical experience. Maybe it is made all the sweeter by knowing that it will be a while before I get to experience that again. But I try to relish in every moment that we get to spend back together as a cohesive unit!

Followed by the Spouses! I don't have a picture of just them so here is one of the girls all together! What a collection of amazing women! This is a group that has the strength to pull these three brothers in the right direction. Which is, in itself a monumental task. But they also have the ability to bend and flex that allows them to melt so perfectly into the strange and wonderful pot that is the Family Bates'. Each one different than the other but somehow all of them perfect for their match. The men of this family would not be half of what they are without their respective partners.

And finally Mom! Mom is where the members of this family get a lot of what makes them who they are. She is the reason that we can come home after a day of work and get to work. She has raised four wonderful children who only occassionally make monumental mistakes. It is her strength and compassion, and a few good spankings that led us to be who we all are...and each of us is pretty great!

Paddle boarding and Sunset dinners on the beach

So yesterday we rented one of those stand up paddle boards and took it to the beach to give it a go. It was soooo much fun. It is a lot like Kayaking except harder to balance and easier to get back on when you fall off. Jessi, Cindy, Rachel and I all had a turn. The sensation once you get your balance is like walking on water. It was a little gloomy yesterday but when the sun came out and you looked into the water you could make out the rocks and things below you. At first that was a little intimdating until you realize the water is just really clear and you are looking down 15-20 ft. There was a moment when everything lined up with my balance and I was able to look around and just enjoy the harbor. It felt a lot like being on a boat, except the water would slowly cascade over your feet with the waves. I think that I am going to try to find some on the cheap for when we are back in California. I think it is something that I could totally get into! We followed that up with dinner in a restaurant right on the beach with the most beautiful sunset. Pretty incredible for a couple of Howlie's (derogatory Hawaiian term for mainlanders)

North Shore and Karaoke

Yesterday was the day for the hike and the trip to Waimaea Falls. So naturally none of that happened, but we did make it to the beach and for a beautiful drive, and finished it out with some Karaoke! Everyone sang except for Dave. There were a lot of duets and Jessi rocked us out with one of her favorite songs from Paramore. Henry belted out some rock and roll and Cindy did some Jewel. I stuck with my standard Frank Sinatra and Just a Jigolo. Here are some pics!That is me standing next to a turtle...Awesome! And Jessi showing her excitement for the beach. And us in the water! It was incredible. Followed up with some Karaoke!

Waterfall swimming

Today we are going to climb diamond head and go swimming in the falls. There is supposed to be a hurricane but the only sign so far has been a little extra cloud cover. We are going to try to take advantage of the time just in case this storm hits and we have to spend the rest of the trip inside! I will post pics when I get the chance!

Hawaiian nights!

Last night we met up with an old friend in Waikiki. We had dinner and a drink. It was at a place called Bucca di Bepo. It is a chain Italian restaurant that is famous for it's big portions and raunchy pictures on the wall. The food was ok and the service not that great but Henry pointed out something that we hadn't thought about. The restaurants in Waikiki are all for tourists so they are not necessarily concerned about repeat business, so the service doesn't have to be that great. It was really good to see Dave. unfortunately I was a little jet lagged so the talking didn't come so easy for me.

This morning was water balloon-aplooza! It was so much fun. When I figure out how to put a video on here you will all see how it goes.

Tonight we are off to Chucky Cheeses to celebrate Dane's Birthday. Gonna be a lot of fun!

Hawaii!

So on the first morning of our second trip to Hawaii we are off to the beach first thing! Can't wait to feel the sand between my toes!

Vacation!

Today starts 3 weeks of vacation! Can't wait!

The Weekend 2

So the weekend that we spent together was wonderful. We both got a lot done this weekend. I finally got the bathroom up and working again. I even took a shower in it. It is not the best shower head but the pressure is really good! It got done just in time cause the toilet crapped out in the other one. So we are down to just one working toilet, one sink, and two showers. I will try to fix the toilet in the other bathroom but probably not until we are done with this vacation that we are going on.
I also got a chance to finish the flooring by the door to the garage. It was a bit of a challenge because it has been a while since I did the rest of the floor and it took me a minute to get back into the swing of things. But it is finally done and looks pretty good.
Jessi pulled some of the extraneous hooks out of the wall and filled the holes and painted. It looks so much better! I never notice that stuff until it is fixed. But once it is done it makes all the difference in the world. She also finished the pictures on the wall and put some of those vinyl lettering up on the wall. It is pretty cool. I will take some pictures and put it up here a little bit later. The little camera has bit the big one so it is a little bigger of a deal to take the pictures and I am exhausted after the weekend!
This morning we got up and went for a walk with Joe and Anita. They got a new dog, a Basset hound, and it is super cute on the walk. It has a gimp back leg but it certainly doesn't slow him down. Him and Joe ran ahead of us and we all tried to keep up! We also went down to visit some friends who just had a baby. There was some sort of complication and she had to stay in the hospital an extra week. She is fine now and most likely coming home tomorrow. Then we spent the rest of the day cleaning up...
Wow, when I put it like that we had a really busy weekend, no wonder I am so tired. Well, I will let you know how the vacation went on the way through it!

A Weekend to Ourselves!

Jessi and I finally have a weekend to ourselves...Not sure what to do with it! We will probably just finish up some of the projects going around the house and get ready for our vacation! Can't wait to see everyone!

We had dinner down at Cruizin Grand tonight. We ate at Vinz, the wine bar down there. We have never eatin anything more than baked olives or cheese there. It was really good. I got the pork chop and potatoes. Jessi got the panini. Gena got the lamb. It was all delicious.

I will keep an update on the projects around the house!

The weekend

So a couple of things have happened since the last time I wrote in here. First, we have made plans to go to Hawaii and Utah when our orders are up. So that is going to be a lot of fun. It is always nice to see family, but the part that is difficult is seeing how much we miss out on. Especially with the nieces and nephews. Jessi and I are supposed to meet our niece Lola this trip. This will be the first time that we have met her and she is almost three. So it is always bitter sweet, as we catch so much when we are there and it just makes us realize how much we are going to miss out on until the next time we meet. We are both sooo excited to see and spend time with everyone. It is going to be awesome!!!

Second, I bought a new car...it is a beach going car...without a top. I am not sure exactly what I was thinking but this thing is awesome. It is a 1976 Mercedes 450SL. Which if you are as in to cars as I am you will not have a clue what that means, cause I sure don't! It is well...let me show you a picture! or four?!?!

Also...Leelu was playing with a bee and got stung in the eye!!! Well, not the eyeball, but the lid. Jessi came to the rescue with a paste made of baking soda and she was fine the next morning...but look at that shiner!

Fourth of July

We had a bit of a treat for the fourth! Chris, Holly, and Avery came down to San Diego to spend the weekend with us. We were lucky enough to have four days off so we packed about as much of Southern California as you can get into those four days. We went to the Wild Animal Park, the beach, Sea World, and spent the Fourth on a ship called "Ocean" that is the setting for a shark catching and researching show on National Geographic. It was a very full weekend!

The Wild Animal Park was fun, but it is out in the middle of the desert and gets very hot! We went at about Mid Day and spent the majority of the afternoon lost. It is a place that Jessi and I will have to go to a couple more times before we take anyone else there. The park is so big, and the animals so spread out that if you do not plan your trip appropriately you can spend hours there and never see anything at all. For some reason we kept going back to the center of the park and there was probably a forty-five minute stretch where the most exciting thing we saw was a petting zoo. But we finally got the hang of it and were able to see a bangle tiger and some napping lions. We never did find the elephants but saw the giraffes and the rhinos. There are a lot of opportunities to do some fun stuff at the Park but it was the Fourth of July weekend and there were some pretty long lines to get into just about everything.

For Sea World we played it a little smarter and went down at about three in the afternoon. They are doing summer nights down there right now so they are open until eleven. We got to see everything and went to the shows for the first time. Jessi and I have always skipped the shows in favor of the shorter lines and smaller crowds at the rides and exhibits, but after watching the Shamu show and the dolphins I was hooked. It is so cool to watch what these trainers have gotten the animals to do. And they do it so synchronized, with the music and each other. I will definitely take the time to watch the shows from now on.

For the Fourth Chris was able to get us onto the Ocean and it was the best place to watch fireworks from. You could see three shows really well. It was amazing. I have never been on a ship like that before. It was obviously a working ship, but very well maintained and clean. It was parked next to the Yachts in the harbor but I definitely felt more comfortable on the Ocean then I would have on one of the yachts!

The beach was awesome, as it always is. Holly, Chris and I kept trying our hands at body surfing but just ended up getting beat up by the waves...I think Holly was getting it towards the end but Chris and I didn't seem to have the hang of it. Avery loved the beach and she played in the sand and was sooo excited about just running her hands through it. It was invigorating to watch her discover it and see how amazed she was. All in all an Awesome trip!!

Chris and Holly"s Visit

Chris and Holly are visiting from Utah. It has been a really good visit. We have been to the Wild Animal Park and Seaworld. We spent the day at the beach and a day in the pool. It has been an awesome visit. I will put up pics and stuff in the next couple of days but I am too tired to do the whole thing right now. Jessi and I love it when people visit because it inevitably renews our love of San Diego!

Saturday!

So we finally made it to the fair! But we got there late and had to leave early. Here's the story.

We re-did Father's Day for Jessi's Grandpa. And if you know the old story about why Father's day is in June (Because about a month after Mother's Day some Dad said, "hey wait a minute!") you'll understand why when we had all sat down to eat and said, "Happy Father's Day!" George looked up and said, "Oh, is it Father's Day" Then we ate and got to work! We were putting together a day bed for Anita's guest room. We got it most of the way done and then had to leave to visit Jennifer, Jessi's cousin.

Jennifer's husband, Adam, is a Marine and he and his buddies basically stayed to themselves telling war stories and reminiscing about times and friends gone by. At first I was a little offended by the way they didn't allow anyone else into the conversation, but I found out later that they hadn't seen each other in years and were catching up. Being in the service I completely understood and couldn't fault them at all. Jennifer is a little spitfire. She is loud like her Aunt Cheryl and funny. She started razzing me like my Aunt Charlotte used to do and I felt right at home. It was a fun party and we saw some really old pictures of Jessi's Grandpa's Mom and Dad. Some of them dated back to the 1890's. Pretty awesome! I think Jessi is going to try to get her to scan them in to the computer so if she does I will post them with a little story of who they are and what the significance is.

We left the party about seven thirty or eight. We were on our way home and got a call from some of our friends from San Bernardino who were down at the fair checking it out. Since we were already down in that general area we decided to swing in and see how it was. We probably should have waited. It was good to see them, but they were in town visiting some other friends and I think that Jessi and I had already spent our socializing time for the day. We just weren't that into it. Well, let me correct that. We were both really excited to go and happy to be meeting friends there, but I think the day just caught up to us, cause as soon as we were through the gates, and after we each ate a corndog, we were kind of over it.

We went on the Ferris Wheel, all six of us in one car, which is a whole bunch of weight and not too safe considering there was no door to close behind you when you came through. It was pretty scary for me, a guy who is afraid of heights to be hundreds of feet in the air with nothing stopping me from falling out but my own ability to stay seated. But I made it through and it was really awesome when I finally got up the nerve to look around. Then we did a ride that spun around and flipped over and didn't get more than a few feet off the ground...my kind of fair ride.
We left shortly after that ride making a few pit stops on the way out. It was a neat exprience but I am not sure that we will go back this year.

Chris, Holly and Avery are coming down next weekend so if they want to go then we absolutely will, but it is no longer something that I am dying to do. I think you can have as much or more fun around town without spending $100. But definitely something that should be patronized, if for no other reason than so it will continue coming every year!

Well, we never made it to the fair this weekend. When it was time to go we were both more in the mood for a nap. I think that we might take Monday off and head down there to see what there is to see. I guess after working 11 days straight your body wants sleep more than deep-fried twinkies!

Rancho Bernardo wrapup and Del Mar Fair

The Rancho Bernardo Fair was fun. There were a lot of kids displaying their talents. Young girls doing their choreographed dances and boys showing their karate skills. Their were a lot of vendors and it was curious to see how our interests have changed. We now only stopped at the booths that had stuff we could improve on the house with. I am sure that there was a lot more to it than just that but for some reason my eyes just shot right over the other booths.

We stopped and ate some fair food, two huge polish sausages with onions and peppers. They were delicious. We also had some fresh squeezed lemonade. We ate as we walked through the vendors until we saw a private little piece of shade. It was hot out and most of the shade was taken up by people crowding in to find some relief. There was an interesting observation to be made here. The shade was all taken up by Mexicans and children. The white people would just find a spot in the sun and then fan themselves. I think this has to do with how much time the two groups spend outside. In Escondido there are Mexicans out at every park. They are out there enjoying the sun, the grass, and the company of friends. Hardly ever will you see a white person out there. Occassionally you will see one at the basketball court, or hiking, or biking. But never just relaxing outside. I think it is this difference in cultures that makes the Mexicans immediately look for the shaded spots on a sunny day and the white people just don't remember from the time they were kids how much more pleasant a day is in the shade!

We are going to the San Diego, or Del Mardepending on how long you have been in San Diego, fair today. A friend is coming down from the Riverside area and we are going to see what this fair is all about. I will let you know how it goes.

The weekend

So this weekend should be a busy one. I am going to be working on the house...trying to get a box put in so that we can have a fan in our room. I have never done electrical work before and am hoping that everything goes ok. If you want to find out how it goes go to http://jjbateshome.blogspot.com/

We went to Cruisin Grand yesterday which is a weekly event in Escondido. People bring their restored cars and have them out on the street. You can walk around and look at the different cars and there are a few vendors that sell food and the art galleries down on Grand are usually open. We walked into a few of them and a couple of home decorating stores to get some ideas for stuff to do around the house.

Then we ate at this place called El Bistro. It was expensive and the food was a little below mediocre. Jessi got the prime rib and I got the chicken penne. They were both not as good as something that I would make at home. We each had a glass of wine...also not good, I had a cabarnet sauvignon that tasted like the bottle had been open half a day too long, and Jessi had a Pinot Grigio that was good but not well blended, all the tastes were a little over-powering, but that might have been our fault as we both don't know much about wine. And it was expensive; the meal cost us almost $70, which I don't mind paying if the food is wonderful, but this was not. The atmosphere was really nice though. It was all dark colors and felt a little like a comfortable study should.

This afternoon we are grilling out with Jessi's folks...garden burger and chips I think! Then we have a dinner date with some friends.

Tomorrow is a festival in Rancho Bernardo that we are going to go to...I'm sure I will write about how it went.

Morning Walk

This morning Jessi and I woke up early (for a Sunday) and went on a hike with her parents. It was a really nice walk. We got the dogs together and into the car. A task that is a lot harder than it sounds. We finally got them into the back seat and headed to meet up with Joe and Anita. The walk was at a place called Dixon lake and we headed off at a brisk walk with Joe leading the way and the rest of us following along shortly after, a little huffy and puffy. We made it through the 2 mile walk in about a half an hour. The dogs seemed to really enjoy it and we were both really proud of Larry for making it the whole way.

The New Plan and Carnitas

So here is the new plan. We are going to treat San Diego like we are on vacation here. We'll pick up a book of things to see and places to go and start going there.

We kind of started last night. There is a morning show that Jessi and I listen to on our way to work. On the show, once a week, they do a "best of San Diego" and they will pick a product or service and try to find the best maker of that product in San Diego. Last week it was Carnita's. Which is a spiced pork cooked slow and then fried. (at least that is how I think that they make it) Well, Carnitas Uruapan was the winner. It is a restaurant down in Lemon Grove, we went down there last night to try it out and meet up with an old friend of Jessi's from high school. The Carnitas were very good. The meat was tender and juicy and it was served with fresh cilantro, onion, corn or flour tortillas, and of course beans and rice. The three of us ate for 30 dollars, which is kind of unheard of in San Diego, especially for the quality of food that was served there. The place was a bit of a dive. it was definitely a "Mom and Pop" style restaurant with plastic coverings on top of red and white checkered picnic-style table cloths, but the food was awesome and there was plenty of it.

After dinner we went out for drinks in Mission Valley. We weren't really in the mood for a club, just a nice bar that we could sit down at and enjoy a glass of beer and some good conversation. We ended up at a restaurant called "On the Border" it is a Mexican restaurant chain that does pretty good margaritas. It would have been nice to go somewhere with a little more authentic atmosphere but as I said earlier we are just starting to explore the city. We were all pretty tired by the about nine-thirty and because it is a 30 minute drive back to Escondido we had to cut the night short, but it is good to spend some time getting out in the city and trying some new things.

Update

So Jessi and I are back from Texas. We spent 6 months there doing school. It was an indulgent couple of months. We ate good Texas food and drank a lot of good beer. We were able to make a lot of friends and really enjoyed our time. Everything in Texas is bigger and coming back to San Diego, so are we. It is time to get back to our healthy lifestyle and get to work on our house.
We have already had four groups of visitors and look forward to having more. Suzy made it down, so did Leah and Serge, Nicko, and the Cains. It is always good to have visitors and we really appreciate everyone coming to see us and the house and see how all of our little projects are coming.
We should be here for a while now and are getting ready to do school full time in the fall. We were lucky enough that, through our time in the Air Force, we should be able to afford to live like students for a while and get through our educations. The dogs are good, the cat is good, and so are we...hope you all are doing well too