Well as it turns out, that 4 pound weight loss I was so concerned about, wasn’t anything to be worried about. As of a few minutes ago, I’m back up to the same weight I was last Thursday. I’d like to say I’m happy about that, but I’m really not. Why can’t I seem to lose any weight, as hard as I try? 
But with a lot more success than last week!
The group started out a little slower this time, which allowed me some additional warm up, and to get comfortable in the group. Plus, I didn’t allow myself to get strung out off the back, forcing me to sprint out of every turn.
I just hovered in the middle of the pack (peleton), benefiting from the protection from the wind it provides.
All in all, it was a good day, and I’m looking forward to next Tuesday.
American Express (AMEX) won’t!
For the last 13 years, Edie and I have used an AMEX Starwood Preferred Guest credit card for the bulk of the credit card purchases we make, having charged a minimum of $25,000 per year over that time, and within the last two years charging in excess of $48,000 per year. (In case you were wondering, we literally charge everything.)
When I first signed on for the card in 1995, there were no annual membership fees, but that changed around the 3rd or 4th year, when AMEX started charging an annual fee.
I have never been a fan of paying to use a credit card, especially since the credit card company receives a fee (approximately 1% to 2% of the charges) from the merchant every time I use that card, and have always refused to pay any such fees.
So every year, when the annual membership fee appeared on my statement, I always called AMEX customer service, and they have always given me a “good will credit” for the fee. That is up until now.
This time when I called customer service, and subsequently even emailed them, they refused to grant me that same “good will credit” they have granted me every year since implementing the annual fee.
So I was hoping some astute businessman, MBA graduate [oh wait, I have an MBA], or at least someone with more business savvy than me, can explain the logic in fore going at least $400/year [and likely a LOT more] in merchant fees, to try and squeeze an extra $45/year out of me, just for the privilege of carrying the card, especially since now AMEX will get neither the merchant fees, from my purchases, nor my annual membership fee?
Do they think their credit card is the next best thing to sliced bread and Google? Do they think they have no competitors? Or maybe I’m living in an alternative universe, where up is down, and to make money you have to lose it.
Admittedly I did like the benefits received from the use of the AMEX Starwood Preferred Guest credit card, but I refuse to compromise on my principles.
Besides, I know I will soon be receiving an application in the mail to sign up for that same card, which will include bonus points and waive the membership fee for the first year. I know this because I’ve shredded many of those applications in the past.
I may just reapply the next time I receive one.
In the mean time, I canceled the AMEX card, and am now using my Citibank and Capital One cards almost exclusively.
I would be delighted.
This morning when I awoke, and weighed myself, I was 4 pounds lighter than I was Thursday morning, and 2 pounds lighter than I was yesterday afternoon [after a bike ride into Whittier with Rocky and Edgar].
I decided Wednesday evening to make a more concerted effort to lose weight, even cutting up some celery Thursday to munch on instead of the cookies, candy, nuts etc. I usually munch on in the afternoon, but 4 pounds in 2 days seems pretty dramatic.
I don’t feel bad, aside from having more and more trouble getting up in the mornings, so I’ll wait till tomorrow before panicking.
Hopefully I’ve just shed a little excess [and unneeded] water weight, and I’ll see a more controlled weight loss tomorrow.
I raced yesterday for the first time in at least two years, and the first time in probably 10 years since I’ve done any real significant amount of racing. It was supposed to be more of a training ride for me than a race, but I guess I forgot to inform everyone of that, not that anyone would have listened to me.
As it turned out it was a little too fast for me, and I got dropped after the 4th lap. It might actually have been the 3rd lap [or 2nd lap, I am trying to be optimistic], I’m just not really sure, I was working so damn hard. And this was in the Masters group. Those are riders in approximately my age group.
Anywaze, I ended up riding myself for a lap or so, until the Cat 4′s and 5′s (typically younger and less experienced riders) caught me, and I managed to finish the race with them. They were riding at a more moderate pace.
Oh well, at least I have a good excuse, it’s just that only one other person racing last night knows it.
Still, I need to start training just a little bit harder, for more than one reason.
What’s this country coming to, when prisoners, i.e. convicts, murderers, thieves, pornographers, child molesters, drug dealers, etc. have greater rights, including a constitutional right to health care, while honest, law abiding, god fearing, tax paying individuals are not being afforded those same rights.
…Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) administration asked the Legislature to provide $7 billion to construct long-term chronic care facilities at state prisons and to upgrade current medical facilities at state prisons…
The upgrades are necessary to bring the prisons health care up to
a constitutionally acceptable standard after years and years of underinvestment.
SAY WHAT!
Where in the constitution does it say anything about health care?
Somethings just not right here!
Hi, my name is Marc [that's my wife Edie beside me], and I have Mantle Cell Lymphoma, a typically aggressive form of lymphoma, except it so seems in my case.
I was diagnosed over 9 years ago, and have managed to survive since then without treatment, by following a few simple rules. Eat a [mostly] well balanced diet, exercise (cycling, at least up until recently), abstaining from taking supplements or any medications, drinking 5 to 6 cups of [Japanese] green tea a day, and most importantly [lots of good wine], flossing and brushing my teeth twice a day, everyday.
I started this blog mainly to chronicle my life, putting down in writing what goes through the mind of a cancer survivor (although I have been seen straying into unrelated areas on occasion), and along the way help educate others about lymphomas and other blood cancers, and filter out some of the hype and misinformation so often associated with the internet, which unfortunately there is plenty.
You can read a lot more about me by clicking here