And So It Begins [28 Day Challenge]

Happy Sunday, Go Browns!Welcome to Day 5 of my Engine 2 Diet 28 Day Challenge.
I as I said in my last post I am taking the Engine 2 Diet 28 Day Challenge. I started a hybrid version prior to kicking off on last Wednesday to get in the mindset and learn how to prepare some of the meals so the challenge wouldn't be such a shock. Actually, in the 28 Day Challenge there is a Firefighter version and a Fire Cadet version. The Firefighter version is cold turkey immersion into a plant-strong lifestyle for 28 days. The Fire Cadet version is for those fainter of heart and removes various things over the first three week. For example, the first week is no meat or processed foods, the second week implements no dairy, and the third is to eliminate extracted oils.
What I did was similar in that I drastically cut back on everything - I haven't really had milk that much if I had soy milk around. Even had some of the Engine 2 meals for dinner which means I wasn't having meat. I didn't really do the regimented way of eliminating the E2Diet non-compliant foods but cut way, way back on them replacing them with fruit and vegetables.

28 Day Challenge

Beginning on October 22, 2014 I will start the Engine 2 Diet's 28 Day Challenge. Arisa is going to do a modified version, but already there is no meat other than fish in the house!

Okay, so the last time I posted on my blog was almost a year ago and this my first post of 2014. My last post was about the Holiday Hold that I did last year through the New Year. I actually did lose weight an ended up under 170. At least for a short while anyway.

Well, it's October a year later and the news isn't so good. I ended up putting back almost all the weight. While my official "Holiday Hold" weight was 178, prior to that I had been as heavy as 190 pounds. At 5'5" that made me obese. (Using BMI of 32 to mean obese) So when I say I put almost all the weight back on, I was 5 pounds short of 190. When I hit 185 again I decided I couldn't wait anymore, so in late August I started making changes.

Holiday Hold - From Work To Family

Every year the company I work for (Hyland Software) sponsors a "Holiday Hold". I think a lot of companies implement similar programs whether on a enterprise level or in specific divisions or departments. Some acquaintances have said that their company does it on a departmental basis. Hyland does it on an company-wide basis.

The Holiday Hold is a challenge to keep your weight the same or reduce it over the Holidays. According to the study linked to Americans on average gain only one pound over the holidays - but that pound is a pound that is never lost. So after thirty years Americans on average will gain 30 pounds. Of course I added that amount of weight in two years after quitting smoking.

So this year, both Arisa and I are taking the challenge.

Fuel Right Program

I don't post much about work. And this post isn't really about work but about food and health. It starts off with Hyland though. This last week Hyland kicked off Good Nutrition Month. The basic goal of the month is to give up drinking soda permanently. Basically the idea is that soda provides two and half donuts worth of sugar with each glass (8oz?) and that by giving it up people would be that much more healthy.

Hyland has won company with the best perks in Northeast Ohio for several years running. As part of that Hyland provides free soda drinks for everyone. There is an irony that this month's wellness program is to get people to voluntarily give up one of the benefits. And this month's program so far has been impressive! Today, for example, we got free fruit (see picture above) and a cup for drinking water. The picture below was my take today! Tomorrow I get a free lunch!

But it really kicked off last week when on Wednesday, we had Kristen Kilpatrick, MS, RD, LD Wellness Manager at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Center (website, google plus page (+Cleveland Clinic, +Cleveland Clinic Wellness) kick off the month with a presentation. It was a tremendous presentation with an huge amount of information.

Trip to Jersey

So on my most recent business trip I went to a client with office in Jersey City. After work each day we went to Hoboken, NJ for dinner. Along Washington Street there is a host of restaurants. The first night we went to a Indian restaurant called Karma Kafe which was really good.

The view from our client's offices was absolutely fantastic. I haven't put up all of my pictures yet but the one on the right should give you a good idea.

Google Comments - The Right Way

So I occasionally head over to theciviccommons.com to catch up on some of the conversations and projects they are nurturing.  I like the concept that they are trying to build a community around engaging in civil discussion especially when we disagree.

Today I made a comment on a post and it was cross posted to Facebook by Jill Miller-Zimon. I happened to be logged into Facebook at the time as was pleased to see 4 or 5 comments and responses come in  a short period of time.  All very interesting and informative.  Unfortunately, the comments don't show up on theciviccommons.com.

Google recently announced the availability of Google Plus Comments integration with Blogger, the service I use to host this blog. In a recent post, I tried out this new capability.

グーグル＋コメントをブロッガーで利用可能に

先ほどGoogle+で発見しましたけど、ブロッガーのブログにコメントする仕組みとして今までいくつかがあったのですが、今日からグーグルプラスコメントを利用することが出来るようになりました。このブログに加えました。

このブログには今まではDisqusというコメントシステムを使っていましたが、JANOのブログにはブロッガーに標準についているコメントシステムを使っている。先程Google+コメントをこのブログに有効にしました。

グリーンハウスターバンでの誕生日会

East 4th Street

12月には我が家族では多くの誕生日があります。兄貴ダンが12月2日、母が15日、ありさが19日、甥っ子が20日だ。ありさの父も12月です。この誕生日がお月にクリスマスがあります。今年はババラさん（母: +Barbara Hawkins ）とありさ( +Arisa Hawkins の誕生日を一緒にお祝いするということでダウンタウンクリーブランドに行って外食するという形にしました。

母の家に行ってピックアップして高速道路にのってクリーブランドのダウンダウンに行きました。日曜日の夜だったのでクリーブランドブラウンズの試合が何時間前に終わっていて試合を見に行ってた方々既にダウンタウンから離れていたので簡単に駐車が出来ました。

Noodles in Cleveland

Last night we went to Noodlecat on Euclid Avenue near East 4th Street - it's about half a block towards Public Square from the East 4th and Euclid Corner. This is how Noodlecat's twitter account describes itself:

"Noodlecat is Chef Jonathon Sawyer's Japanese and American mashup ramenhouse in the CLE."

Google TV

As I ramp up towards Christmas and getting a large screen HDTV my real question is what exactly does   provide me with that is of any use at all?  Well this post answers part of that question. Via  I can access movies, music, and TV.  That is really handy.

Kinda.  Clearly it is nice since I'm a 'droid user on my cell phone, a Chrome user on my Windows/Linux laptop, the integration with my Google Apps ( and  to start) and  is a benefit.  Similar UIs to my phone and PC is also a benefit.  It's Google so that's cool too, right?

Home Projects

Our Home is Our Castle

As I am sure is true for every home owner there is always something to fix, tweak, improve on a house when you are a homeowner.  I'm not including those immediate or emergency things that happen.  Just the things that need improvement.  For example, when we were purchasing the house we had someone inspect the house (@Ron_Gerome)  as is typical.  He found that while we had a whole new breaker box which was clean, well done, at grounded, our other items (water heater, furnace, gas) were not grounded.  Not anything ground breaking but not something that you want to let go forever, particularly since it's "not up to code".  So we have begun the process of getting estimates for these items plus those items that we have noticed we want or have "broken" in the meantime.  For example, Arisa and George did something so now the kitchen sink faucet drips non-stop.  It'll probably be a 10 minute job for a plumber.  So we'll get the estimate for:

1. Electrical (done today)
2. Plumbing
3. Furnace and AC Check
4. Masonry (tuckpoint work)
5. Chimney Sweep (probably not this year)
6. Minimal Roofing Repair (not this year)

Walk to Remember at the Cleveland Zoo

Several weeks back, Arisa and I joined Team Hyland to participate in the "Walk To Remember", a fundraiser walk for the Hospice of the Western Reserve. The great thing about the walk was that it was through the Cleveland Zoo which I haven't been to since I got there on a yellow bus. You can check out some of the pics from the event at hospicewr.org : http://goo.gl/hQkCL. My pics are below:




If you need to know, here is the map to the Cleveland Zoo:


View Cleveland Zoo in a larger map

I think I'd do it again next year since it's for a good cause.

Council Rejects Lease Settlement - No Gas Wells in the Park

As I posted here and here, Highland Heights City Council has been deliberating an resolution that would allow Mayor Coleman to sign a lease with Bass Energy to place two gas wells on property within the Community Park as part of a lawsuit settlement. This last Tuesday while I was in Chicago on business City Council voted on the resolution.

Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom

The cherry trees donated by the Japanese Association of Northeast Ohio (JANO) are in full bloom. This year is the 100th Anniversary of the gift of cherry trees to the United States from Japan for the mall in Washington D.C. This year the blooming is early. I tweeted last night that I wished one of the news organizations would broadcast something. Little did I know when I made that tweet that Newsnet5 already had!

Yesterday about 15 of us had an impromptu "hanami" which was a lot of fun. Check out the pictures below.

If you have a chance, you'll want to stop by today since I think the inbound rain and storms will knock all the blossoms off the trees.

Highland Heights Gas Well Update

Once again, the Highland Heights City Council will be voting on the gas wells in the community park resolution.  I will be out of town on that day.

Hello,

Tuesday night Council President Cathy Murphy confirmed that the drilling resolution (6-2012) would appear on the agenda for the upcoming March 27th council meeting and that it would be voted on that night.

Like the meeting on the 13th, there will be an opportunity for public speaking that night.

March 27th is now or never time, as far as keeping gas wells out of the park.

 

We urge you to come and witness the vote on March 27th.

Bring your children, your significant others, your family, your friends, your neighbors, and anyone else you can think of.
Also, please pass this email along to everyone you know.

Let's keep the momentum going.

These are our representatives, Let's demand to be heard!

 

When:  March 27th

Where: Highland Height City Hall, Council Chamber

Time: 8 pm. Come early to get a good seat.

 

We hope to see you there.

Love Our Green Space (LOGS)
P.S. If you want to keep on top of what's going on in the city, be sure to check out: http://highlandheightsohiohappenings.blogspot.com/

 

 

Highland Heights Gas Well Info - Important Meeting

I received this in an email from a concerned citizen.  It's really surprising to me that they would want to start fracking in our community park.  I get the idea that it's generate money, but at what cost?  

映画情報：ノルウエイの森

明日の夜(3月9日）、Cleveland Institute of Artのシネマテックで放映されます。

ノルウェイの森
２０１０年

監督：　トラン・アン・ユン
原作：　村上春樹
音楽：　ジョニー・グリーンウッド
脚本：　トラン・アン・ユン

1987年に刊行されベストセラーとなった村上春樹の代表作「ノルウェイの森」を、『青いパパイヤの香り』『夏至』などのトラン・アン・ユン監督が映画化。亡くなった親友の恋人との関係を通し、主人公の青年の愛と性、生と死を叙情的につづる。主人公には松山ケンイチ、大切な人の死をきっかけに主人公と心を通わせていく女子大生に菊地凛子がふんし、複雑な人間性を繊細に演じる。トラン・アン・ユン監督のみずみずしい世界観と、深遠な村上春樹ワールドの融合に期待。

出演：　松山ケンイチ　菊地凛子　水原希子　高良健吾　霧島れいか　初音映莉子　柄本時生

Yoga with Katy Hawkins

Cousin Katy is a bundle of energy and intelligence. Check out the video.



As weird as it may sound I love the timber and tone of Katy's voice.

Elly's Performance at AU

So last November, Arisa and I went to see Elly perform in AU in Motion (facebook). Well, last night I saw the video of it on youtube. Take a peek.

Global Cleveland

2月7日にGlobal Clevelandという非営利団体がウエルカム・センターを開店しました。このセンターは正式にGlobal Welcome Hubと名前ですが、クリーブランドに引っ越したい方に手伝うことでクリーブランド及び北東オハイオ州（ノースイストオハイオ）の経済発展を貢献するとしています。このウエルカムセンターが誘致しえたい人材に３つのカテゴリーに分類しています。

1. 外国から移民者
2. uターンの方
3. 大学卒業したばっかりの若者