100 Days Strong: Day 42, yard work at the rental house

Day 42, Wednesday, June 29th.

Today I took most of the day off work to get some yard work done at one of my rental houses.

My oldest son, Jimmy, and I spent most of the day working in the mulch beds and cleaning the fence row out. The previous tenants didn't take very good care of the yard. I don't really mind, and it doesn't really surprise me any, but I really wish they had of done something to keep it in better shape so I didn't have so much to do to get it ready to rent out. By the end of the evening I was pretty whipped and ready to rest.

For my 100 Days Strong:

I weighed 178 lbs this morning.

My goal weight is 165 lbs.

For breakfast I had a glass of Carnation instant breakfast and a banana.

For lunch I had a chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-a, some waffle fries, and a glass of water.

For dinner I had 2 tacos and a Dr. Pepper from Taco Bell. I hate having fast food, but some times there really isn't much choice due to time.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's your's?

100 Days Strong: Day 41, interior work at 1 of my rental houses

Day 41, Tuesday, June 28th.

Things are getting back to normal at work, and I have most of my work caught up on the computer. We got a little busy today with towing runs and I had to get in one of the tow trucks to help get things caught back up. Some days I enjoy doing a couple of wrecker runs. It gives me a chance to get out and maybe see a few of our regular customers.

After work was over I ran home to get some dinner and to pick up some supplies and then headed over to one of my rental houses to do some work. The tenants that were living there moved out at the end of May, but I haven't been able to get over there to do the work needed to get it rented out again until now.

Everything was in pretty good shape. They hadn't torn anything up, but there were a lot of nail holes that needed patched where they had things hanging up on the walls. I spent the evening fixing the nail holes. I'm going to repaint the inside of the house some time this week or next and then it should be in good shape. There is some work I want to do outside too.

After I finished at the rental house I headed home for the evening.

For my 100 Days Strong:

When I weighed myself this morning I was at 178 lbs.

My goal weight is 165 lbs.

I had a bowl of cheerios and a glass of milk for breakfast.

I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a bottle of water for lunch.

I had a baked chicken sandwich and a glass of iced tea for dinner.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's your's?

100 Days Strong: Day 40, Troop meeting night

Day 40, Monday, June 27th.

My weight this morning is still 178 lbs.

My goal weight is 165 lbs.

Today was my 1st day back at work after taking all of last week off. There was plenty for me to do, so my whole day was spent sitting at the computer.

Tonight was our normal Monday night Troop meeting, but instead of doing the normal meeting we had a little party instead. Our meetings start at 7:00 pm. After the normal opening and flags, the boys had their Patrol meetings. The patrol meetings ended at 7:30 pm, and for the next hour we watched a slideshow of all the pictures from summer camp. We also had cookies, cupcakes, and ice cream.

For my 100 Days Strong:

For breakfast I had a bowl of oatmeal and a glass of milk.

For lunch I had a chicken salad sandwich and a bottle of water.

For dinner I had a turkey sandwich and a bottle of water.

Tonight at the Troop meeting I had a small bowl of chocolate ice cream.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's your's?

100 Days Strong: Day 39, Church day

Day 39, Sunday, June 26th.

I got up this morning around 8:00 am and started getting ready for church. I weighed myself this morning for the first time in a week. To my frustration I was still at 178 lbs. I seem to be stuck at this weight. I want to get down to 165 lbs, but just can't seem to loose any more. I was sure that I would loose weight at camp with all the walking I did, but I didn't even loose 1 pound.

As usual, the boys took forever to get ready. While they were getting ready I had a bowl of oatmeal and a glass of milk to drink.We got to church right at 10:00 am when the service was starting. We got seated and settled in for the service.

After church was over we broke our normal routine of going out for lunch and headed home instead. I didn't want to eat out any more for a while. When we got home I had a turkey sandwich and a bottle of water.

After lunch was over, Tommy and I loaded his footlocker in my truck, and headed up to Camp Kikthawenund to drop him off. He starts his summer time job of staff for Webelos Adventure Camp today. The campers usually start getting there around 2:00 pm, and I wanted to get him there before they started rolling in.

I dropped him off and said my goodbyes. I think he'll miss us, but he's old enough to spend a little time away from us. It will do him some good to get away and have fun with his friends at camp. One thing is for sure, he's had a busy summer so far this year.

When I got home I did a little yard work and worked around the house until dinner time.

For dinner tonight we had baked chicken and mac & cheese. I also had a glass of iced tea to drink.

The rest of the evening was spent relaxing and watching TV.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's your's?

100 Days Strong: Day 38, last day of summer camp

Day 38, Saturday, June 25th.

We got up early this morning and started taking packing up our campsite. Today we leave to go home.

We headed down to the dining hall for breakfast around 7:00 am. Breakfast this morning was cereal, cinnamon roll, English muffin, fruit, orange juice, and milk.

After breakfast was over we all headed back to the campsite and finished packing everything up. We got our trailer loaded, and was ready to go by around 9:30 am.

After the camp staff checked us out and I got all our paperwork picked up, we headed out. We hit the road around 10:30 am.

We stopped a couple of times on the way home to take restroom breaks, but still made it back to the church by around 12:30 pm.

When we got back to the church we unloaded everyone's gear from the trailer. The boys all got picked up by their parents, and I got finished at the church by around 1:30 pm. I was starting to get hungry, so on the way home we stopped at Arby's to grab some lunch. I had a French Dip sub, and a glass of water to drink.

When we got home we unloaded everything from the truck and started the big job of putting everything away. We had plenty of dirty laundry, so we started a load washing. After we got most everything put away I decided I needed to take a break and rest some, so I sat down for a little while. While I was sitting I fell asleep and took a little nap. I only napped for around an hour, but it made me feel a lot better.

We finished putting everything away, and then decided we needed to go out to dinner. My mom and step-dad had watched our dog for us while we were at camp, so we asked them if they wanted to go to dinner. They chose Appleby's, so we headed there to meet them.

At Appleby's I had a new item on the menu. It was a dish that was fettuccine and chicken breast, along with some vegetables. It was pretty good, but I couldn't eat all of it. I ended up bringing around half of it home in a to-go box.

After dinner we headed home and started getting my son, Tommy, packed up to head up to Camp Kikthawenund. He's working as staff at the Webelos Adventure Camp this year, and needed to be dropped off tomorrow. After we finished getting his stuff all packed up we settled down for the evening, watched a little TV, and just relaxed until bedtime.

I was happy to be home, but I really miss summer camp. It was a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed being there. I could see myself working for a camp during the summer time.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's your's?

100 Days Strong: Day 37, fifth day of summer camp

Day 37, Friday, June 24th.

I got up a little early this morning. Today was our last full day of summer camp and I wanted to get an early start. After dressing and getting ready for the day I took a little time to sit and enjoy the quiet before it was time to wake all the boys. When it was time, I woke everyone up to get dressed. The boys went through their normal morning routine of dressing and getting ready. When it was time, we all headed to the mess hall for breakfast.

This morning for breakfast we had French toast, bacon, fruit, cereal, orange juice, and milk. After breakfast was finished we had our morning flag ceremony. After flags were over with, the boys headed off to their merit badge classes and I headed off to find a camp chair to occupy for a few hours. I really hadn't had much time to just sit and relax during the day, and today that's what I planned to do.

Lunch time soon came around, so we all headed to the dining hall again. For lunch today we had pizza, breadsticks, fruit, brownies, and Kool-aid.

After lunch was over I went walking around camp. I also spent a little time at the Firecrafter shelter watching the Scouts finishing up their requirements for the different ranks of Firecrafter, and just relaxing for a while.

When dinner time came, we all headed back to the dining hall for our last dinner at summer camp. Tonight for dinner we had baked ham, scalloped potatoes, carrots, rolls, Kool-aid, and marble cake for dessert.

The closing campfire was tonight after dinner, so we all headed to the council fire ring for the campfire. The staff put on some really good skits and songs, and the campfire was really great.

After the campfire was over we all headed back to the campsite. Before we turned in for the night, I took all the boys down to the shower house to get showered. We don't have assigned shower times, but we always shower at night before going to bed. After getting the boys showered I headed to the adult showers to get my shower.

I got to bed around midnight. We leave tomorrow morning after breakfast. I'm going to miss this place. I've really had a lot of fun this year at camp.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's your's?

100 Days Strong: Day 36, forth day of summer camp

Day 36, Thursday, June 23rd.

This morning started the same as every morning at summer camp. We got up, dressed, and then headed to the dining hall for breakfast. Our breakfast this morning was a ham, egg, and cheese biscuit, fruit, orange juice, and milk.

After breakfast I went on a 5 mile hike with a couple of the other adults in the Troop. We hiked from main camp  out to adventure point and back. Adventure point is a part of camp where Troops can put on their own merit badge classes and run their own program. They don't use any of the program areas of camp, but instead set up their own areas.

We got back just in time to take a short rest before lunch. Lunch today was soft taco, Spanish rice, tortilla chips with salsa, apple crispitoes, and Kool-aid.

After lunch I spent some time walking around to all of the program areas checking out the merit badge classes that were going on. I really enjoyed watch the boys taking their classes.

I got back to the campsite just in time to get ready for dinner. One of the things we do for dinner is to wear our class A uniforms, so after I got my class A on I headed to the dining hall for dinner.

Dinner tonight was chicken fettuccine, Italian blend vegetables, breadsticks, Kool-Aid, and chocolate cake for dessert.

After dinner there was a Scoutmasters pontoon boat ride on the lake, so 2 of the assistant Scoutmasters and I decided to go on it. Here is a picture of the 3 of us on our boat ride.

After our boat ride we went back to the campsite a sat around the campfire with the boys. Today has been a really fun day.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's your's?

100 Days Strong: Day 35, third day of summer camp

Day 35, Wednesday, June 22nd.

This morning started just like the last 2 mornings. We got up, dressed, and went to the dining hall and had our breakfast.

For breakfast this morning we had pancakes, sausage links, fruit, cereal, orange juice, and milk.

After breakfast was over we started in on building another Firecrafter fire. Our 2nd Firecrafter candidate, Vince, had his campfire program tonight.

We spent the morning building the fire. Here are a few pictures of us building the fire.

We took a break from our fire building to have lunch in the dining hall. Lunch today was a chicken patty sandwich, waffle fries, fruit, rice crispy treat, and Kool-aid.

After lunch was over we went back to the fire building. We got it done by around 2:00 pm or so.

Here is what the fire looked like when it was all finished.

Wednesday nights at summer camp are always family night. On family night the dining hall doesn't cook. Instead of having dinner in the dining hall the Troops are free to cook in their campsite, or to go into town and get food, or to have pizza delivered. We chose to have pizza delivered. The boys think it's a treat to have it delivered to camp.

For dinner tonight I had 2 slices of sausage pizza and a bottle of water.

After dinner the boys practiced the skits and songs for the campfire program. Vince's campfire started at 8:30 pm.

The campfire went really well, and he passed with flying colors.

After the campfire program was over we all sat around the fire that was still burning and just relaxed until it was time to head to bed.

Today was another really great day. The boys are getting a lot of work done in their merit badge classes, and their all having a lot of fun.

This is my 100 Days Strong, What's your's?

100 Days Strong: Day 34, second day of summer camp

Day 34, Tuesday, June 21st.

This morning after getting up and having breakfast I started working on helping to build the fire for one of our Firecrafter candidates. 

Some of you that read this blog may not know what Firecrafter is. I've copied and pasted something from the Firecrafter website for you to read. Here it is:

About Firecrafter

Chief Executive Francis Oliver Belzer created Firecrafter as an honor program to recognize Scouts at summer camp and to keep them involved from year to year.

The first Firecrafter ceremony took place at Camp Chank-Tun-Un-Gi on a summer night in 1920. At the close of the first camping period, the customary awards campfire was held in the camp arena. Among those expecting to be recognized were four Woodsmen who had completed all of the requirements for the new third camp rank. They waited through the campfire without being called, and as its closing minutes came near, they began to think they had been forgotten. Finally, just before the Scoutmaster's benediction, Assistant Executive Stanley Norton instructed the candidates to remain in the arena after the close of the campfire. And so the four bewildered Woodsmen waited anxiously while the other Scouts, Scouters, and parents drifted away.

When they were at last alone facing the dying embers of the campfire, they were put to the Unknown Test, and became the first to take the Firecrafter Oath that has challenged more than eight thousand Scouts and Scouters since that night. The ceremony was conducted by Francis O. Belzer and Stanley Norton, assisted by Rex Pruitt and P. D. Hoelscher, the camp physical director.

The year is now 2010 and instead of four Woodsman standing before Firecrafter Hill, over 300 Scouts, Scouters and some of the council's outstanding leaders were bestowed upon the knowledge of the Unknown Test this past year.

As we celebrate our 90th Anniversary, we continue to emphasize our creed and pledge of Faithful Service. Aside from the character building and leadership training objectives, Firecrafter is a service organization. Its members dedicate themselves to a life of service to Scouting, above and beyond what might be expected of a Scout. In more than ninety years of existence, Firecrafters have performed thousands of special service projects. Firecrafters are challenged to conduct camporees, campfires and other outdoor activities. In established camps they have built buildings, repaired facilities and constructed conservation projects. Each year Firecrafter assists the council in preparing camps for the summer camping season. Recently, Firecrafter has been active in providing information for camp promotion.

We as Firecrafter also believe that Enthusiasm and the Scouting Spirit are contagious. Firecrafter's goal is to instill this spirit through the candidacies and fellowship with other Firecrafters.

We are a growing organization and we believe that it is always easier to follow rather than lead. Often it is necessary to lead when one must defend one's beliefs or takes one's life in the right direction. Firecrafter forces candidates out of the following attitude and shows them that in some situations, one must lead the way to accomplish their goals. Leadership is a rare and valuable trait, which Firecrafter attempts to instill.

We are building on our council's outstanding leaders and shaping them into the future of Scouting. We encourage our Scouts not only to be leaders in Firecrafter, but to be leaders in their own troop and all of Scouting. We emphasize their continued quest for Eagle and hope that the experience of Firecrafter can help them to succeed in the skills needed to advance.

Here is a picture of the Firecrafter fire that we built. You'll notice the style and size of the fire is very different than most other fires normally built.

Here is another picture of the fire:

As you can see, the fire is quite tall. The center post is close to 6 feet tall. We put the pop-up awning over it just in case it started raining, but before it was lit the awning was moved.

Here is a picture of the fire burning. It's quite a site to see during the campfire program.

The fire is lit and burned during the Firecrafter candidate's campfire program, which is one of the requirements he must complete for his Firecrafter rank.

There are 3 Firecrafter ranks that a Boy Scout can earn at summer camp. The first rank is usually earned during the first year a Scout is at camp. It's the rank of Firecrafter Camper. The second rank, that is normally earned at the Scout's second year of summer camp is the rank of Firecrafter Woodsman. The third rank is that of Firecrafter itself. This rank is very challenging and is usually the only thing a Scout does at camp when he is going for that rank.

For more information on Firecrafter check out the Firecrafter website at http://firecrafter.org.

This year, we had 2 Firecrafter candidates. The candidate we were helping today was Sean. His campfire program was set for 8:30 pm tonight. 

We started on his fire just after breakfast. Our breakfast this morning consisted of biscuits & gravy, hash browns, cereal, fruit, and orange juice. We worked on his fire until lunch time. Lunch today was sloppy joe, corn chips, peaches, and Kool-aid to drink.

After lunch we went back to the campsite and finished building the fire. You may not be able to tell from the pictures, but each layer of the fire is built from the center out. The first layer has sticks that are less than 6" tall. The second layer has sticks that are around 12" tall. Each layer just keeps getting longer and longer until the outer layer that is around 5 to 6 feet tall. The fire will usually burn for over an hour before it even gets to the large logs that make up the base. The base logs are notched and staked to hold them in place. It's really something to see a Firecrafter fire burn. 

After we got the fire built we relaxed until dinner time. Dinner tonight was Jambalaya, peas, corn bread, Kool-aid, and banana pudding for dessert.

After dinner the adults relaxed while the boys practiced and rehearsed for the campfire program. The Firecrafter candidate is graded on his campfire program. One of the criteria of the campfire program is that it must be a minimum of 20 minutes long, with a maximum time of 45 minutes. The program should start out light and easy and build to the climax, just like a fire starts small and builds to the climax. The program should then taper down to the finish, which should be something soft and easy. 

At 8:30 pm Sean started his program. The judges were all 3 in place to watch the show. He did a really great job with his program. It ran for around 25 minutes, which was right in the middle of the required time frame. He passed with almost a perfect score.

Here is a picture of the fire after the program had ended. Notice the staked logs and the large center post.

There were a few of the long poles that fell outside the fire ring, but for the most part everything burned straight down. That's the reason that there is a 10 foot safety zone all around the fire that nobody is allowed to enter during the fire.

After everything was finished for the night we sat around the fire and talked until we were all getting really sleepy. Then we all headed to our tents for the night.

Today was a great day. I had fun, the other adults in the Troop had fun, and all the Scouts had fun. What more could you ask for.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's your's?

100 Days Strong: Day 33, First full day of summer camp

Day 33, Monday, June 20th.

Today was our first full day of summer camp. I woke up at 6:00 am, dressed, and then woke the Scouts. Breakfast starts each morning at 7:15 am. At camp before each meal we send one Scout down per table to set the table and get the food ready. Our Troop has a total of four tables, so we have to send down four Scouts. They are called "hoppers". While the four boys are hopping, the rest of the boys get ready and assemble at the flag poles for the morning announcements. After we have our morning announcements we are dismissed by Troop to enter the dining hall. Since the dining hall won't hold all the Troops that are at camp, there are two meal times for each meal. We have the early meal, also called "A" meal. After we eat our meal, we all assemble at the flag poles for the morning flag raising ceremony. After the flags are finished, we're dismissed for the day and the Troops that eat "B" meal have their announcements. The same thing happens at lunch, with the exception of the flags. At dinner we do the same thing, but lower the flags for the day.

Today we had scrambled eggs, sausage patties, coffee cake, cereal, fruit, and orange juice for breakfast.

The morning went pretty well. Most of the Scouts found their morning merit badge classes without too much trouble. The older Scouts are pretty much on their own, but the adults usually help the younger Scouts find their classes for the first couple of days. It can be pretty scary for the younger Scouts for the first couple of days trying to find their way around until they get used to camp.

While the Scouts were getting their morning merit badge classes under way we had a leaders meeting for all the Scoutmasters that started at 9:00 am. These meetings are where the Scoutmasters get the up to date information on what's going on at camp and how all of their Scouts are doing in their classes. We get a printed report twice during the week that lists the attendance and what has been completed for all of the classes the Scouts are taking.

After the morning leaders meeting was over, I headed back to our campsite to make sure everything was going okay. Everything was going good, so I went back up front to main camp for a while. While I was there, I checked in on some of the boys to make sure they were getting adjusted to camp and to make sure they were in their classes. Everything seemed to be going okay.

This year we were really lucky with the campsite. In years past our campsite has been really far away from the main camp, but this year we were pretty close. It only takes around 10 to 15 minutes to walk from our campsite to main camp. Last year it took over 20 minutes to get to main camp from our campsite. The other problem last year was that it was down a really steep hill. Just to get to main camp you were exhausted climbing the hill. This year it wasn't much of a hill for us.

Lunch started at 12:15 pm for the "A" lunch, and our hoppers had to be there by 12:00 pm. For lunch today we had chili dogs, baked beans, pears, and Kool-aid to drink. I always make it a point to drink 2 full glasses of water with every meal before drinking any Kool-aid. I also make the Scouts drink plenty of water too. The last thing we need to have to deal with is dehydration.

After lunch was finished I went for a little hike around camp. I wanted to see if anything had changed since last year, but pretty much everything was the same. This killed a couple of hours hiking around. After my hike I went back to our campsite and sat down to rest for awhile and wait for dinner time to roll around.

For dinner tonight we had beef & noodles, mashed potatoes, California blend vegetables, rolls, Kool-aid, and white cake for dessert.

I decided that I wasn't going to eat heavy while I was at camp, so no extra helpings or seconds for me this year. I will also be skipping dessert some too.

After dinner was over we all went back to our campsite for awhile. Every night around 7:00 to 7:30 pm there are camp wide games and other things for us to do. Tonight was an adult archery shoot-off. I didn't win the shoot-off, but I was the only one that stuck an arrow in the end of another arrow! Check out the picture below of my fancy shooting.

That's what I call "luck" not "skill", but it was still pretty rare to have it happen. The camp staff personnel were all taking pictures of it. They had only seen it happen one other time in the last few years of staffing at summer camp.

After our evening games we all went back to camp and relaxed around the camp fire.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's your's?

100 Days Strong: Day 32, We leave for summer camp

Day 32, Sunday, June 19th.

We leave for summer camp today! Yea!

I got up this morning at 5:30 am. After showering and dressing, I started loading all the gear into the bed of my truck and in the back of my wife's Tahoe. I had everything loaded and ready to go by around 7:30 am. My son Tommy helped me load all the gear.

My wife took the dog to my mom's house so that she could watch her while we're gone. She has 2 dogs of her own, and they all love to play together.

While my wife was dropping the dog off Tommy and I headed to the church to get the Troop trailer hooked up and ready to go. I got there around 8:15 am. By around 8:30 am a few of the Scouts started showing up. By 9:15 am everyone was there. We got the gear loaded into the Troop trailer and hit the road.

We stopped at the McDonalds in Martinsville, IN for lunch. The camp doesn't serve lunch on the first day, so we had to get the boys fed on the way. There was another Troop at the McDonalds when we got there, so it took a little while for everyone to get their food. We finished eating and got back on the road around 12:30 pm. I had a quarter pounder, fries, and a Dr. Pepper to drink. I figured that since I would be eating the camp food all week it wouldn't hurt to have a soda on the way there.

We got to Ransburg and started checking in around 1:30 pm. The check-in procedure takes a little while. When you first get to camp you have to go through a medical form check. The camp staff looks over your physical form and makes sure that everything is in order. After getting the physical form checked we head to our campsite for a campsite inspection. The staff member with us checks all the canvas platform tents that are set up to make sure there are not any cuts or tears. We still don't unload our gear yet though. After doing the tent and campsite inspection we head to the water front for the swim test. Every camper must take a swim test before camp. We elected to take our swim tests before we came to camp at one of the opportunities our Council has at the High School pool. It really speeds up the check-in procedure when all you have to do is have the camp staff look over the swim test form instead of actually taking the swim test at camp when you first get there.

After the swim test was over we were able to go back to our campsite and get our gear out. Most of the boys used the canvas tents that the camp provides, but a few of them brought their own. I always bring my own so I can set up an "office" area where I do paperwork related to the merit badges the boys are taking. It really helps our advancement chair if I stay up on it during the week instead of hitting her with a mountain of it when we return.

After we had our campsite set up like we wanted it, it was time to head to the dining hall for dinner. For dinner tonight we had baked BBQ chicken, rice, green beans, roll, and Jello cake. I had water to drink.

After dinner we had a little time to relax, but at 8:15 we had to line up for the opening campfire. The campfire program was really fun. The staff put on several skits and we all sang several songs. The boys all really enjoyed it.

After the campfire was over we all went into the dining hall for a popsicle. After enjoying our popsicle we headed back to our campsite and started getting ready to turn in for the night.

That's about it for today. I'll try my best to get my blog caught up after I get home from camp. There's not much free time for me to work on it during camp.

For my 100 Days Strong:

I weighed 178 lbs this morning. My goal weight is 165 lbs.

The food I ate today is listed above.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's your's?

100 Days Strong: Day 31, Last day before summer camp

Day 31, Saturday, June 18th.

Tomorrow we leave for summer camp. We'll be gone for a whole week. Our summer camp is in Bloomington, IN at a very nice camp called Ransburg Scout Reservation.

My hope is that while I'm at summer camp I can loose a little more weight. I know I'll be doing a lot of walking, and I really hope that by eating less and doing a lot of walking I can come back a few pounds lighter.

I spent the whole day getting everything packed up and ready to go. I normally camp pretty light, but with summer camp I have to take a lot of extra stuff I don't normally use. In addition to the stuff I need, my wife is going along for the week. With that said, I have twice as much to pack.

When I finally finished packing everything I took it easy the rest of the evening.

For my 100 Days Strong:

This morning I weighed 178 lbs. My goal is to get down to 165 lbs.

For breakfast I had Cheerios and milk.

For lunch I had a ham sandwich and water.

For dinner we went out to eat at Panda Express, which is a small Chinese fast food type restaurant. I had orange chicken, fried rice, and some peach tea to drink.

It was early to bed for me too. We get up at 6:00 am, load up the truck, and meet everyone else by 8:30 am.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's your's?

100 Days Strong: Day 30, almost 1/3 of the way through the 100 Days Strong

Day 30, Friday, June 17th.

I just realized that I only have a little over 2 months to get down to my goal weight of 165 lbs. This morning I was still at 178 lbs. I seem to be in a rut and stuck there.

I know I need to get to the YMCA more to work out, but I've been so busy I just don't have the time right now. Hopefully after summer camp is over I can get back into the habit of going.

I had oatmeal and milk for breakfast.

I had a turkey sandwich and water for lunch.

I had meatloaf, potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, and iced tea for dinner.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's your's?

100 Days Strong: Day 29, tent cleaning day

Day 29, Thursday, June 16th.

I had oatmeal and milk for breakfast this morning.

My day at work was pretty normal for a Thursday. In addition to the normal stuff, I also spent a good part of the day getting ready to be gone for another week. There are always certain things that I need to get done before I leave for several days.

For lunch today I stopped by Taco Bell and got a chicken chalupa and a glass of water. I brought it back to the office and ate at my desk.

I left work around 6:00 pm tonight. I wanted to get out earlier, but i had plenty to get done.

When I got home I sat up the tent I was taking to summer camp and cleaned it out. It still had some mud in it from the last time I had let my son use it. I hosed it down with the water hose and then scrubbed it down with a stiff broom. Most of the dirt and so forth came out. After I got done cleaning it I sat it in the sun to dry. It only took a couple of hours for it to dry. After it was dry I packed it up in it's bag.

For dinner I had chicken strips, potatoes, and mixed vegetables. I also had some iced tea to drink.

For my 100 Days Strong:

I weighed 178 lbs this morning. My goal is to get down to 165 lbs.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's your's?

100 Days Strong: Day 28, more camping gear

Day 28, Wednesday, June 15th.

I weighed myself this morning. Still at 178 lbs. My goal weight is still 165 lbs.

For breakfast I had oatmeal, banana, and a glass of milk.

My day at work was nothing to really write about. For lunch today I had some peanut butter on toast and a glass of Arizona Peach Tea.

I left work around 5:00 pm and headed home.

For dinner tonight we went out to eat. I had a roast beef sandwich and fries from Arby's. I also had a bottle of water to drink.

After we got home I continued my gear check and continued getting everything ready for summer camp. I put more of my camping gear in the living room. Now we have what closely resembles a camping goods warehouse instead of a camping goods store in our living room.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's your's?

100 Days Strong: Day 27, Starting the gear check

Day 27, Tuesday, June 14th.

This morning I weighed myself. I'm still at 178. I want to get down to 165 lbs, but don't seem to be making much progress towards loosing any weight.

For breakfast this morning I had a banana and some Carnation Instant Breakfast. I was in a little of a rush to get going this morning since I still have a lot of stuff to catch up on after being away from work for over a week, and didn't want to eat heavy.

The morning went fine without any real problems. I got a lot of stuff caught up, which is really nice.

For lunch today I had a turkey sandwich on wheat bread and some peaches. I had water to drink. One of the things I've noticed since starting my diet is that after cutting out any of the soda I used to drink I really don't miss it any. I never really drank a lot of soda, but now I drink even less of it.

This afternoon I finished the paperwork I had started before lunch. One less thing to worry about.

I left work around 5:30 pm and headed home.

For dinner tonight we had chicken breast, rice, and peas. I had iced tea to drink.

After dinner I started getting my gear out and ready for summer camp. I really enjoy camping, but going to summer camp is a little tough because of all the stuff I have to take with me. Not only do I have to take my own personal stuff, I have to make sure I have everything we might need as a group too.

I spent the evening making a packing list, and getting gear out. My living room looks like a camping goods store now.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's your's?

100 Days Strong: Day 26, Troop meeting

Day 26, Monday, June 13th.

Today was my first day back to work after my trip. I had a ton of work to do.

For breakfast this morning I had a bowl of cheerios, and a glass of milk to drink.

I had lunch at the office. It was a chicken salad package that was left over from the canoe trip, with a bottle of water to drink.

For dinner tonight I grabbed a peanut butter & jelly sandwich and some iced tea. I had to hurry to get ready for our Troop meeting, so I really didn't want to eat too much.

Our Troop meeting wasn't anything real special. We just had a few last minute items to finish up before summer camp. The Scouts had their Patrol meeting, and then we all came together to go over those last minute things before we left for camp.

After the meeting I headed home, finished up some paperwork, and went to bed. It was around 10:00 pm when I went to bed.

My weight this morning was 178 lbs. My goal weight is 165 lbs.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's your's?

100 Days Strong: Day 25, the 10th and last day of our canoe trip

Day 25, Sunday, June 12th

We got up this morning at 6:00 am, loaded up the vehicles, and headed out. We stopped for breakfast at the McDonald's just down the street from the Scout Camp.

I had a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit, hash browns, and milk to drink.

After breakfast we loaded up and headed out. We had a lot of ground to cover today, so we didn't want to waste any time getting on the road.

We headed South down through Chicago, and got back to Noblesville at around 12:30 pm.

After unloading all the gear and getting all the boys ready to head home, I headed back to my house to get everything unloaded myself.

My day was not nearly done though. My son, Tommy, that had just spent the last 10 days on the canoe trip had to be at his NYLT (National Youth Leadership Training) today. Everyone else was to report to the camp for training at 2:00 pm, but we had special permission for Tommy to be a little late since we had to have time to get him cleaned up and get all his gear loaded up again. Most everything he needed for his NYLT was the same stuff he had used for the canoe trip.

In our area, the NYLT is called "White Stag" training. White Stag is said to be one of the best NYLT courses available anywhere. Several other Scout Councils try to copy it, but few come close to matching it.

We got home, got Tommy showered, washed his clothing, and reloaded everything in record time. My wife, Penny, had him loaded in her Tahoe and headed up to Camp Redwing for his training by around 3:30 pm. She got him there around 4:00 pm.

While they were heading up to Redwing, I unloaded my gear, showered, and took a nap.

When Penny got back we had some dinner and settled in for a nice quiet and relaxing evening. Our dinner was meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and iced tea.

After my shower I weighed myself. I was really worried that I had gained weight while on my trip, but to my surprise, even though I had eaten everything that was really high in calories and fat, I was the exact same weight that I was the morning we left for the canoe trip.

My weight was 178 lbs. My goal weight is 165 lbs.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's your's?

100 Days Strong: Day 24, 9th day of the canoe trip

Day 24, Saturday, June 11th.

We got up this morning at 6:00 am, loaded all our gear into the enclosed trailer, and got everything ready to depart for our drive back to Indiana.

We had breakfast at the outfitters. Our breakfast consisted of cold cereal, milk, and orange juice. Not the biggest breakfast, but it would do fine.

We took several group pictures before loading ourselves into the vehicles, and several more of the lodge and outfitters. Once loaded up, we took off. It was around 8:30 am when we hit the road.

We drove until lunch time. We stopped at a Culver's restaurant for lunch. My thought was that if I were going to remotely stay on my diet I needed to eat light on the way home. I had a small hamburger, some fries, and a glass of water.

After letting the boys walk around a little we loaded up and took off again.

We continued driving for a while, stopping at a cheese shop to pick up some fresh cheese curds and an ice cream cone, which I passed on. After letting the boys eat their ice cream cone, we loaded up and took off again, stopping at a pizza place for dinner. We all got the pizza buffet. I only had 3 slices of pizza and a couple glasses of water.

We loaded everyone up again and hit the road. It didn't take long to get to the Boy Scout Camp that we were staying the night at. It was a small camp in the Glacier's Edge Council called Camp Indian Trails. It was located in Janesville, WI.

The cabin we stayed in was pretty rough, but it was only for one night so I knew we would survive. We unloaded what we needed to get through the night and settled in for the night. The boys sat around and talked about stuff until around 11:00 pm, when we decided to go to bed. We slept good even though it wasn't a very nice cabin.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's your's?

100 Days Strong: Day 23, 8th day of the canoe trip

Day 23, Friday June 10th.

We all woke up at around 7:00 am this morning. After having our breakfast of oatmeal & beef jerky we broke camp, loaded up the canoes, and headed out. We had 2 portages to go across before getting to the take-out point, and plenty of time to do it before we needed to meet the van that would be picking us up.

We took our time getting to the first portage. The weather was beautiful, and there were plenty of things to see on the way out that we just decided to really take our time.

As we were paddling along we saw a female moose standing at the edge of the woods. We crossed our portages without any trouble and were on that last leg of the trip before the take-out when we saw a bald eagle fly past. It was really cool to see it up so close. You just don't realize how beautiful they are until you see one up close in the wild.

Once we got to the take-out point we unloaded the canoes and stowed all our gear by the side of the parking lot. I walked down to the pay phone and called the outfitters so they could send the van, and then walked back to wait for them to show up. It only took them around 20 minutes to get there.

We loaded all our gear and the canoes up on the trailer and headed back to the outfitters. Once we got back to the outfitters we stowed all our gear in the cabins and hit the showers. You don't think about it, but after 6 days on the water in the canoes a hot shower really felt good.

After everyone showered we all sat down to have some lunch. Our deal with the outfitters was for dinner, but since we didn't really know when we would be getting in exactly we had to provide for our own lunch. We had every meal planned out, so our lunch was peanut butter on a bagel, trail mix, fruit roll-ups, and Gatorade. After lunch we all sort of lounged around and took it easy and waited for dinner. Some of the boys took the kayaks out for a little while, but we were all fairly worn out, so most of us just took it easy.

For dinner, the outfitters made sloppy Joes, chips, potato salad, watermelon, lemonade, and ice cream for desert.

After dinner we relaxed some more and finally went to bed around 10:00 pm.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's yours?

100 Days Strong: Day 22, 7th day of the canoe trip

Day 22, Thursday, June 9th.

I woke up this morning around 7:00 am, but just laid in my tent and listened to the birds singing and calling. I've found this to be the most peaceful time of the day. I got out of my tent around 7:00 am, had a mug of cappuccino, and just sat out on the rocks looking out over the lake. It was so quiet and peaceful. None of the boys had gotten up yet, and I had decided to just let them sleep. I really hadn't let them sleep in any of the mornings, so thought this morning I would just let them sleep. While I was sitting there, 2 little chipmunks came out and were playing around looking for a free snack. They were so much fun to watch. I decided to sit real still and see how long they would stay out. One of them got within about a foot of me before deciding to run off and hide. This didn't last long though, as one of the boys starting making noise and came out of his tent. I wasn't long until most all of them were out and making noise. My peaceful time was over, and it was time to have breakfast.

For breakfast this morning we had Mountain House breakfast skillet wraps. They were really good. Actually better than I had expected in fact.

We didn't really have anything planned for today, so the boys just played around and canoed in the area until lunch time.

For lunch we had our choice of tuna or chicken salad, Pringles, and Gatorade to drink.

After lunch the boys decided to go swimming and playing around in the lake. I thought it was way too cold to get in the water, but most of the boys wanted to do it, so I just let them. The boys also wanted to canoe over to an area of rapids that was across from our campsite, so we loaded into the canoes and headed over. I took my fishing gear with me, and fished while they were playing in the rapids. I didn't catch anything, but I didn't care. It was fun just to take it easy and fish.

After playing in the rapids for a while, the boys soon got tired and decided to head back to camp, so we paddled back to our campsite to rest before dinner. The boys tried a little fishing again before dinner, but didn't catch anything.

For dinner tonight we had Knorr brand noodles with a couple of pouches of chicken we added to it. We also had chocolate pudding and water to drink.

After dinner we all sat around the campfire until around 9:00 pm. A little after 9:00 we all headed to bed for the night. We knew we needed to get up a little early the next morning, so it didn't take long until we were all sleeping soundly.

I'm a little happy to be heading in tomorrow, but also a little sad to see the trip coming to an end. There were some really fun times, a lot of great memories, and some real bonding time spent on this trip. It makes me a little sad to see it coming to an end.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's yours?

100 Days Strong: Day 21, 6th day of the canoe training

Day 21, Wednesday, June 8th.

I woke up this morning around 6:00 am. I really didn't want to get up yet, so I just laid there for a while listening to the elk calling to each other. I could hear 3 or 4 different ones calling. I got up around a half hour later, but let the boys sleep until around 7:00 am. After everyone was up and dressed we had our breakfast, which was Oatmeal, beef bites, and fruit snacks.

After breakfast we packed up everything, loaded up the canoes, and headed out. It was around 8:30 when we hit the water. The wind was blowing really hard from the North, which made it really hard to get anywhere. The boys really struggled. We headed North on Karl Lake towards our 1st portage. Since the paddling was so hard, we decided to take a break and have our morning snack before we made it all the way to the portage. We pulled over to the edge of the water, tied up to a tree, and had our snack. It also gave us a little bit of a break and allowed us to rest for a little while. After a short rest and a snack we headed on North towards the portage.

After the portage, we hit the Lower George Lake. Once we got on the Lower George Lake it wasn't quite as hard to paddle. The wind was not nearly as strong as it had been on Long Island Lake. We paddled North on the Lower George Lake without too much trouble. We soon reached our next portage. Crossing it wasn't too hard. The next lake we got on was Rib Lake. We hit another strong head wind on Rib Lake. We all struggled paddling on Rib Lake because of the wind, but we finally made it across. We hit our next portage, and crossed without much trouble. Our next lake was Cross Bay Lake.

We stopped for lunch at a campsite on Cross Bay Lake. For lunch we had summer sausage & cheese snacks, chex mix, raisin and cranberry mix, and water to drink. We ate our lunch and rested for almost an hour. The head wind we had been paddling into made us all really tired. After resting, we loaded up the canoes and headed out again. We paddled on North to our last portage of the day.

After crossing the portage, we were on Ham Lake. This is the lake we camped on when we were first heading out. As luck would have it, the campsite we stayed at on the way out was open. We stopped there and set up camp for the night.

After resting for a little while, we made our dinner. Dinner tonight was Mountain House spaghetti, and chocolate chip cookies. After dinner, the boys made a nice fire, that we all sat around until late in the evening. We sang some songs and had a really nice time just talking and having fun together.

Even though we were really tired, it was a really great day today.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's yours?

100 Days Strong: Day 20, 5th day of the canoe trip

Day 20, Tuesday, June 7th.

I woke up this morning a lot earlier than I wanted to, but just couldn't fall back asleep, so I just laid there in my tent and listened to all the sounds of nature. It was around 5:30 am when I first woke up. While I was laying there, I could hear several loons that were calling to each other, and somewhere off in the distance I could hear a noise that I think was an elk. I laid there until around 7:00 am just enjoying the peace and quiet.

I finally got out of my tent and woke the boys up around 7:00 am. We had our breakfast, which consisted of Oatmeal, slim Jims, trail mix, and drink mix. I also had a cappuccino to drink. That was my one luxury that I brought along with me.

We didn't really have any sort of agenda that we had to stick to today, so we just decided to stay there on the island for a couple of days. The campsite was nice, and there were plenty of interesting places that we could paddle to in a pretty short time, so we weren't in any big hurry to get anything done today

I decided to wash some of my clothes, so after breakfast I did some laundry. Washing your clothes in the woods is really a lot easier than most people think it is. I use Camp Suds for everything. You can wash dishes with it, you can bathe with it, and you can do laundry with it. You just have to do it well away from your water source. The soap is biodegradable, but it's still a good idea to keep it away from the water. I have a portable water container that folds down and fits in a little bag, so I got it out and filled it with warm water. I added a little camp suds soap to the water and I was ready to go. After washing the clothing I just scattered the soapy water in the woods and refilled it with clean water to rinse the clothes out in. Then I just hung them up to dry on my clothesline.

Right after I got all my clothing washed, it started to rain, so I took everything down and took it to my tent. It only rained for a couple of hours, so after it quit raining I hung everything up again.

The boys built another fire after the rain stopped, and then did some fishing. The fish started biting, so the boys caught some really nice sized Northern Pike. I've never cleaned one before, but I guess it's time to learn. Here is a picture of my son, Tommy, with the Pike he caught.

After the boys got done fishing we decided it was time to eat lunch. They all had so much fun fishing that we all sort of forgot about lunch, so by around 2:00 pm we were all starting to get hungry. We had a bagel with Nutella on it, along with some fruit snacks and some Pringles. We all had water with some drink mix added. The boys originally thought it was really fun to pump water into their water bottles, but it's starting to be a little bit of a chore now. Hopefully they'll all drink plenty of water though. We don't need anyone getting dehydrated.

After lunch the boys took the canoes over to one of the other islands to do a little exploring. I stayed and just relaxed while they were out exploring. I've decided that 1 thing I really miss is a chair with a back on it. I never really thought much about it until now, but sitting on a log with no place to lean is really starting to get old.

After the boys got back we decided to clean the fish and make dinner. They had caught 4 really nice Pike that we kept. It should be more than enough fish for everyone to get their fill. Our original dinner plan was to have mac & cheese. Now we're having some fish with our mac & cheese. It should be a great dinner. I cleaned the fish by cutting the fillets from it. I really didn't know how to fillet a Pike, but I got the job done. I discovered that they have several tiny bones in the fillet much like a Trout does. Hopefully we can get them all out with cooking.

While I was preparing the fish, one of the boys began making the mac & cheese. After the mac & cheese was done I fried the fish. I cut it into smaller peaces that were easier to fit in the skillet, and fried it in some butter I had brought. After it was done we all sat down and ate. There was so much fish and mac & cheese we just couldn't eat it all. I couldn't believe how much fish we got off those Pike. We finally had to call it quits as we were all stuffed beyond our limits.

After dinner the boys settled down around the fire and sang several Scout songs. If anyone was within hearing distance I would bet they got a good chuckle. We all sat around the fire until around 10:00 pm and then decided to call it a day. Everyone should sleep well tonight with such full bellies!

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's yours?

100 Days Strong: Day 19, 4th day of the canoe trip

Day 19, Monday, June 6th.

It rained really hard last night. Hard enough that it woke me up several times. I tried to sleep in a little bit, but the rain just wouldn't let me, so I got up around 6:00 am. I hate cooking in the rain when I'm camping, but I decided to go ahead and get started on it, so I made breakfast while some of the Scouts were still asleep. We had boiled eggs, beef jerky, and a power bar for breakfast. Now that we're into our canoe trip pretty good, the food will get a lot simpler as the week goes on. One reason is because we have only stable items that don't require any refrigeration.

After breakfast we broke camp and loaded up all our gear. We got on the water around 8:45 am. I wanted to get an earlier start, but the rain really put a damper on everyone's spirits. We all hated taking down wet tents and packing all the wet gear up, but we really didn't have much choice if we wanted to get moving.

We had a total of 4 portages today. I've found that unloading and reloading the gear at each portage is probably the most time consuming and most difficult task associated with canoeing in the Boundary Waters.

We stopped for lunch at a nice campsite on Rib Lake, which is one of the lakes we paddled across. Our lunch today was peanut butter on a bagel, Cliff Bar, beef sticks, and flavored drink mix. Not a fancy lunch, but packed with plenty of protein, which is what we needed for all the paddling.

We made it to our destination campsite by around 3:00 pm. It was located on a small island on Long Island Lake. There are several different islands on this lake, but I believe that this is the only island with a campsite on it.

After setting up camp the boys wanted to do a little swimming. I thought the water was way too cold to swim in, but several of the boys swam. After they all got tired of swimming we all decided to do a little fishing. The fish weren't biting, so we finally gave up on that idea. We built a nice fire and decided to start dinner. Our dinner tonight was a freeze dried meal of Mountain House Chili Mac, E.L. Fudge cookies, pretzels, and some flavored drink mix in water.

Other than a small mishap, the day went really well. When I unrolled my tent I discovered that I had left my glasses in one of the pockets inside and they were now broken. I wear a semi-rimless style of glasses, and the wire under the lens had broken and the lens was now loose. No way to fix them, so I'll just do without them for the remainder of the trip.

We all turned in around 10:00 pm. Thankfully, the rain had stopped earlier in the day. It turned out to be a really nice day too.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's yours?

100 Days Strong: Day 18, 3rd day of the canoe trip

Day 18, Sunday, June 5th.

We woke up this morning at 5:30, grabbed a quick shower, and headed down to the conference center for breakfast before leaving out on the water.

For breakfast we had pancakes, milk, and orange juice. After breakfast I went down to the lodge to buy my fishing license. After buying my license we loaded up all our gear into the outfitter's canoe trailer, loaded up the boys, and headed out.

The van took us to the entry point. The way it works in the Boundary Waters is there are certain entry points that you have to enter at. They stagger the times that people enter so that not too many people enter at the same time. Our entry time was 9:00 am. You are also only allowed to have a maximum in each group of 9 people. Since we only had 8 in our crew everything was okay.

They dropped us off at the entry point at around 8:45 am, and by 9:00 am we had the canoes loaded and were leaving out onto the lake. We soon hit our first portage. It was the longest and roughest portage that we would have on this trip. We unloaded our gear and started carrying everything across the portage. It was tough, but we did it. We hit the 2nd lake and paddled for a while before hitting our 2nd portage. The 2nd portage wasn't as long as the first, so it didn't take us as long to get across it. We were now on Ham Lake.

We paddled down Ham Lake for a while and then stopped at a campsite for lunch. It was around 1:00 pm when we stopped for lunch. For lunch we had bagels, Velveeta cheese, summer sausage, fruit snacks, and Gatorade. We decided that we were going to stay at this campsite for the night. When you're still close to the entry point it is sometimes hard to find a campsite, so we just decided that this was far enough to go for the night. We unloaded our gear and set up camp. The boys wanted to do a little exploring in the area, so we took our canoes out and paddled further down Ham Lake. We found the portage to get to our next lake too. It wasn't too far away from where we were camping.

The boys decided to do a little fishing, so while they were fishing I started our dinner. For dinner we had red beans & rice with lil' smokies, Oreo cookies, pretzels, and water with drink mix added. The boys got to pump some water, which they thought was a lot of fun. Some of them had never drank filtered water before.

After dinner, the bugs started getting bad, so I got in my tent around 8:30 pm. While I was laying in my tent reading my magazine, the boys were doing some fishing. Vince caught a small Northern Pike, and Tommy caught a small mouth bass. Neither one was big enough to keep, but the boys had a good time fishing for them..

After the boys got done fishing they sat around the fire for a while, and then finally turned in for the night around 10:00 pm.

The other big event for the night is that most of us got to use the wilderness toilet for the first time. The toilet is just a big open pit toilet sitting right out in the open. For those that have never seen one, I've added a picture of it. I will admit, it was a little strange sitting right out in the open doing my business.

Our first day on the water was really enjoyable. I'm really looking forward to the coming days.

This is my 100 Days Strong. Whats yours?

100 Days Strong: Day 17, 2nd day of the canoe trip

Day 17, Saturday, June 4th.

We spent the night last night at the Tomahawk Scout Reservation. We woke up this morning at 5:30 am. We had our breakfast at the dining hall. It consisted of Oatmeal, boiled eggs, granola bar, and hot cocoa or coffee.

After loading up all the gear we headed out and hit the road again. Just like yesterday, we drove North stopping every so often for fuel or restroom breaks. We stopped for lunch at Goosebury Falls. While we were there for lunch we all hiked to the falls. It was really beautiful. The boys walked in the stream for a while before we had to get on the road again. I would love to go back to Goosebury Falls again some day when I have more time to explore.

Our lunch today was more Turkey and Roast Beef on slimwich buns with cheddar cheese. Mayo and mustard were available too. We had chips and bottles of water too.

We drove the rest of the afternoon, stopping in Grand Marias, MN to pick up some leaches and other bait so we could go fishing while we were on our canoe trip.

It was around 3:00 or 4:00 pm when we got to the Outfitters. The Outfitter we used for the trip is Gunflint Northwoods Outfitters, located in Gunflint, MN. After we arrived at the Outfitters we unloaded our gear into the cabins and got ready for dinner. Dinner was lasagna, garlic bread, ice cream, and lemonade.

After dinner everyone grabbed a shower and settled down for the night. The boys headed off to their cabin while the 4 adults stopped by the lounge at the lodge for a quick beer before turning in for the night. We wanted to get plenty of sleep, so we turned in around 9:00 pm.

It was another really enjoyable day. I could hardly wait for the canoeing to start.

This is my 100 Days Strong. Whats yours?

100 Days Strong: Day 16, 1st day of the canoe trip

Day 16, Friday, June 3rd.

It's been a while since I've been able to update my blog. I just got back from a 10 day canoe trip to the Boundary Waters. I wasn't able to update my blog while I was on the trip, and since getting back I've been extremely busy. I did keep a very detailed journal of my trip though so I could share it with everyone.

Here's how it went on the first day of the trip:

Friday, June 3rd.

Got up this morning at 5:00 am. Showered, dressed, ate breakfast (oatmeal and a glass of milk) and left the house by 5:45 am. Got to the church a short time later. The 5 boys and 1 other adult that were going on the trip with me and my son Tommy were already there. We loaded all the gear in the enclosed trailer and pulled out. I was driving my wife's Tahoe and pulling my 12 foot single axle enclosed trailer. In addition to the 8 people from my Troop, we also had 4 people from another Troop going with us. We put 4 of our boys in my Tahoe, and 2 of our boys in the other vehicle. We stopped at the gas station and filled our tanks and headed out on the road.

We drove until lunch time with a few stops on the way for restroom breaks and to get more fuel. We made it to Beloit, WI by around lunch time and that's where we stopped for lunch. There is a nice rest area just across the WI border that we stopped at. We had lunch, which consisted of roast beef and turkey sandwiches on a "slimwich" bun. I hadn't ever eaten a slimwich bun before. It was really good. Not as much bread as a regular bun. We also had sliced cheddar cheese for our sandwiches. Chips and a bottle of water rounded out our lunch.

After lunch we got back on the road and continued driving until we stopped for the evening at the Tomahawk Scout Reservation in Birchwood, WI. We unloaded our clothing and sleeping bags in the cabin and then headed down to their dining hall to fix our dinner. The facilities at the Tomahawk Scout Reservation were really nice. The dining hall was a fairly new building, and the cabin that we slept in was really nice too. We had hot dogs, chocolate pudding, and kool-aid to drink. It was a really nice evening. The temperature was 85 deg. outside, but the mosquitoes were bad so we spent most of the time inside. The boys played around some in the dining hall and then it was off to the cabin for bed. We all turned in around 10:00 pm.

I weighed myself this morning before I left for the trip. I knew I wouldn't be able to weigh myself for several days, but I wanted to see what I weighed before the trip. My weight was 178 lbs. My goal is to get down to 165 lbs. So far I've lost 5 lbs since starting the 100 Days Strong diet.

It was a long day, but I really enjoyed it.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's yours?

100 Days Strong: Day 15, Finishing last minute details

Day 15, Thursday, June 2nd.

Today is all about finishing all the last minute details before I leave for our 10 day Boundary Waters canoe trip.

I spent the morning running to the bank, paying a few last minute bills that I needed to get paid before I left, and just finalizing all the details of everything I needed to get done before leaving.

I'm really looking forward to this trip. I love the wilderness. I've never been to the Boundary Waters, but from everything I have heard it sounds like it's really going to be beautiful.

Everything is loaded, everyone is ready, and tonight I'm going to relax. I've spent countless hours and lots of money getting ready for this trip. I couldn't believe how much money it took to get all those little things I didn't have that I would need. At least now I'm prepared to go again without needing to purchase a whole lot of additional stuff.

For my 100 Days Strong today:

I weighed 178 this morning. I've lost another pound. So far, I've lost 5 lbs. That might not seem like much to some people, but I wasn't really overly heavy to begin with. I've also been gaining some muscle weight as I've been loosing the weight from the fat.

My goal is to reach 165 lbs.

For breakfast today I had a bagel with Nutella on it. I also had a glass of milk.

For lunch I had a turkey Panini from Panara Bread. I also had a glass of tea.

I don't really know what I'll have for dinner, but it will be something light. I don't want to be stuffed when I leave tomorrow.

This will be my last blog entry for the next 10 days. I return on June 12th from the Boundary Waters, but will probably not get my blog caught up until some time the week of the 13th.

I'm taking a journal with me to record my trip. I'll record what I do, and what I eat. It should be interesting to read, so be sure to check back some time the week of the 13th.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's your's?

100 Days Strong: Day 14, Final gear check night

Day 14, Wednesday, June 1st.

Tonight was the final gear check for our Boundary Waters canoe trip. I had all the Scouts bring their gear to the church so I could check to make sure they had everything needed for the trip. With the exception of just a few items, everyone had everything they needed for the trip. Those that didn't have everything will have it by the time we leave Friday morning. I'll re-check them before we load up to go.

We also separated all the food into the 2 bear barrels that we're taking. We separated it so that everything we're eating the first 3 nights that we're on the water is in the first barrel, and everything that we're eating the next 3 nights is in the other barrel. That way we shouldn't even need to open the 2nd barrel until the 4th day.

For my 100 Days Strong today:

I weighed 179 this morning.

My goal is to get down to 165 lbs.

For breakfast I had a bagel with Nutella on it and a glass of milk.

For lunch I had a ham & cheese sandwich and a bottle of water.

For dinner I had a chicken sandwich, fries, and a glass of water from Chick-fil-a. I know it's not real healthy, but I was really rushed for time and needed to grab something fast.

My goal for eating while I'm on this canoe trip is to still eat smaller portions, but still eat enough to maintain my energy level while on the water.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's your's?

100 Days Strong: Day 13, Food shopping for the canoe trip

Day 13, Tuesday, May 31st.

Today at lunch I met with a friend at Panara Bread to put the finishing touches on the planning for our canoe trip. It's getting down to the wire. We leave this Friday at 6:00 am and everything has to be ready to go.

After work I spent some time down at the Scout Shop getting a couple of new uniform pants for my son Tommy. Then it was back home to finish packing.

After we got done packing we had to go to the Staples office supply store to have our maps printed up and laminated.

After we got done getting the maps printed we headed to the grocery store to get the groceries for our trip.

We spent around 2 hours doing the shopping. Hopefully we have everything.

For my 100 Days Strong:

I still weigh 179 lbs.

My goal is still 165 lbs.

For breakfast I had some leftover biscuits and gravy and a glass of milk.

For lunch I ate at Panara bread. I had an oriental chicken salad, 1/2 a turkey sandwich, and some iced tea to drink.

For dinner I had the last of the leftover meatloaf, some leftover potatoes, and a glass of iced tea.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's yours?

100 Days Strong: Day 12, Yard work day

Day 12, Monday, May 30th.

I spent the day doing yard work. My son Tommy and I cleaned out the flower beds, spread mulch, trimmed, and mowed the yard.

After we got done with the yard work we spent the evening relaxing.

For my 100 Days Strong:

I weighed 179 lbs. this morning.

My goal is to get down to 165 lbs.

For breakfast I had biscuits and gravy and a glass of milk.

For lunch I had a turkey sandwich and a glass of water.

For dinner I had tacos and a glass of tea.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's yours?

100 Days Strong: Day 11, At the Outfitters

Day 11, Sunday, May 29th.

After church I drove down to an Rusted Moon Outfitters to pick up some last minute items I needed for the big canoe trip that's coming up soon. While I was there I bought myself and my son Tommy each a new PFD.

After we got done at the Outfitters we had lunch at a little restaurant right down the street and then came home to do some more packing. I've been getting all the personal and group gear packed up for the canoe trip.

For my 100 Days Strong:

This morning I weighed 179 lbs.

My goal is to get down to 165 lbs.

For breakfast I had a bowl of cereal and a glass of milk.

For lunch I had a pulled pork sandwich, some fruit, and a beer.

For dinner I had meatloaf, potatoes, veggies, and with a glass of tea.

This is my 100 Days Strong. What's yours?