#127 i'm goin' to jackson

Isn't there a Johnny Cash song about going to Jackson? I think there is, but I don't think he meant Jackson, Wyoming. That's where I'm going, though, this weekend. I loooooove that little part of the world. The Tetons are so beautiful. It's been years since I've been there and I'm really looking forward to it.

The weekend is a work-related function. Granite takes a survey of all their employees to gauge the employee engagement. Our group, the business department, had an extremely high score last year, so we are celebrating by taking this trip to Jackson Hole. All the people in our department are invited along with their spouse and children under 18. This year there will only be four kids, mine being one of them. Everyone has the opportunity to go on an "excursion." T and I will roam free, but MT is going white-water rafting. For dinner on Saturday we'll climb aboard a covered wagon and ride into the forest for a dutch oven cookout and cowboy singing. Everyone looks forward to gathering around the campfire after dinner and having a few drinks and some laughs. It should be really fun.

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I watched my weight go down by 1.8 pounds this week! I think that's good because it's only been six days since my last weigh-in, and I'm happy with two pounds a week (or there-abouts). Also, I didn't eat a very healthy lunch today because we were shopping for the Jackson trip and grabbed some fast food. I probably didn't make a very good choice, but it's ok. I had a good dinner and I'm still feeling strong.

A friend at work asked me if I've been depriving myself. I really haven't. I think that I was getting so burned out on all the crapola I've been eating that choosing new, healthier food has been good. I'm not thinking of the situation as deprivation; it's more like choosing something different. I haven't felt like I'm missing out on anything. I think that if I really wanted something, I'd have it and make the adjustment later. For example, if I wanted something specific for lunch, I'd try to go light at dinner. That's probably normal behavior for most people, but not for me. If I ate a big lunch, I'd just eat a normal meal at dinner, and be really full all night. I'm trying to work it out and listen to what my body is telling me.

I'm a little concerned about the weekend. I love to sit around the campfire and drink some beers with my friends. I will have to pay attention to what I'm eating so that I can have some beers without feeling bad about myself. That's what the extra points are for. Light beers are worth 2 points, by the way. Like I said, though, I feel strong and I'll pay attention. I want to have another loss next week, so I don't want to undo what I've done so far with a rowdy weekend.

Wish me luck!