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"Taking
a Swing at Weight Loss - Update #5"
15 June 2001
Greetings
to La Familia, Los Amigos, y A Los Quein Le Importa!!!! QUE PASO???
Hola to everyone from the sands of Miami Beach
Florida. Welcome to Miami-bienvenido a Miami. So nice to have a
little sunshine back in life though it comes at the price of oppressive heat
and stickiness. For much of the last 2 weeks we have been drenched with
showers of blessing from tropical storm Allison. The New Orleans region
needed some rain but not in that concentration. Glad to be dry...if ya'
don't consider the sweat factor that is.
SO! Its update time. Two and one half
months have gone by and here are the vital statistics: Have lost 95
pounds and am finally starting to both feel and even see the difference
myself. Some of you know that by the end of this trip my hair will be my
last 10 pounds of weight loss. In the Old Testament God chose and set apart
Samson the Prophet for His purposes and as a sign of that, Samson was not to
have his hair cut as a Nazirite. Well for me this trip has been set
apart for weight loss and health so as a symbolic gesture of my reliance on
God for strength I will not be cutting my hair in the back until I reach my
goal weight. By the end of the trip it will be my last bit of poundage.
Since April 1 have driven 12,000 miles through 26
states while spending over $1600 just for gas. You Californians can't be
too sympathetic as I have found gas for as low as $1.29 per gallon! Have
attended 43 major league baseball games in 12 of the 30 ballparks.
Gosh...what happened to the padres? One day in first place spooked them out so
much that they are now back in the cellar! As proof of my eager desire
to stay in touch with those I love my lap top tells me that during this same
time I have sent out 947 emails.....where would I be without wireless access?
I have been so thoroughly amazed with America that a couple weeks ago as I was
driving with my dad it dawned on us that we needed to add one more little goal
to this trip. So having studied the map it is my intention (God willing)
to go to all 50 states of this great land. Over the July 4th holiday I just
booked a four day fishing adventure with my brother John and our good friend
Dwayne Clover in Sitka, Alaska. Watch out halibut and salmon here we
come. Having incorporated Alaska, Hawaii will have to be the final state
for some trip recovery R& R. It would be awesome to plan a
week of fun sometime over the winter if any of you are interested....I have
never been and think it would be a great time. Someday the reality of a
productive life will return to me I am sure but for now I want to milk this
dream for all I can get out of it.
Well after having my dad on the road for much of
the trip, his fatherhood was finally needed elsewhere. We met Phil,
Betsy, Nicole and Josiah in New Orleans a couple weeks back and after some
great fellowship with Betsy's extended family my father and Phil drove a truck
full of furniture back to San Diego. They did get stranded for a while
by the flood waters in Houston but eventually made it home safe and tired.
What a joy it was to get better acquainted will all the Fatters and Uncle Don.
It was a reunion of sorts with all the Fatter grandchildren together from San
Fran, San Diego and Houston and we were welcomed intruders. They were
very generous hosts in their historical building in the heart of New Orleans's
French Quarter. While there, they were celebrating the 100 year
anniversary of family ownership of a gem structure just one block off Bourbon
Street. Bourbon what a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah that was...I was
looking up waiting for lightning strikes at any moment. Also spend a
couple days of incredible fishing with the Samaras who are the dad and step
mom of good friend and San Diego drug rep Mike. Though the weather was
pitiful the fish were clueless and I fished my hearts content for reds, drumbs
and speckled trout in the Bayous using shrimp that were
caught earlier in the day.
Am now traveling with my good buddy Jose Jesus
Escobedo (Chuy) who I met while he volunteered at our clinic last summer.
We have since become good friends and brothers in Christ and its a joy to
spend some time showing him around America. Though sometimes suffering
from tortilla withdrawal (do our best to find Mexican food) he is having a
wonderful time. He just finished 10th grade and plans on serving the
poor as a physician some day in the future. Well I could go on and on
but I suspect some of you did not even make it this far. So much to tell
of such a wondrous journey. My friend Alberto Rodriquez generously
donated the airfare that brought Chuy out.
I delight in knowing that as a result of all your
prayers, God's blessing is upon us!! There are daily reminders of that
reality. Thanks!
Blessed is He who fears the Lord, who delights
greatly in His commandments. Psalms 112:1.
So blessed on my way to becoming half the man I
once was,
dr. Nick
p.s. For those into wedding romance, check out www.bridalpictures.com
Code: 341970. A new way of displaying wedding photography...from my brother
Paul's wedding to Eleni in Boston.
Oh! If u have anything you think is worthy of
submitting to post on the page send it to me. The page editorial board
will review!!!
next update in 2 weeks.
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Taking a Swing at Weight Loss! 