I Do Most Of My Work Sitting Down

"I do most of my work sitting down; that's where I shine."
- Humorist Robert Benchley


I do most of my work sitting down, as I
Am a computer programmer. Not
A desirable job, to say the least, rather
I consider myself to be just another

Tradesman, plying his trade like any
Other would do, driving nails, bending
Pipe (of one variety or another), tarring
Roofs of buildings, plowing furrows . . .

A computer is just another tool,
Is it not? Like a hammer, a saw, an anvil
(Though perhaps much more like an anvil
Or an anchor than I’d like it to be.)

Some days, like today, I rather wish I
Was Garrison Keillor, Teller of Tales
Of Lake Wobegon, or Harry Connick, Jr.,
A Singer of Popular Songs . . . but I’m not.

Not that I don’t shine, sometimes;
Sometimes I impress with the speed
At which I pound out code, fingers
Lighting the keyboard on fire, Logic

Firing on all synapses, it’s all there
Before me, like the world laid out at
The feet of Christ himself. For a time
I have it All Together; I am Happy.

Arbeit Macht Frei, nicht? A Self-
Sacrifice in the form of endless labor.
Or should a sign be posted:
Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here.

For this is not the sacrifice Christ
Made for us; the means of salvation.
This is the sacrifice of time away from
Those we love, to be able to support

Those we love. And realizing that, it
Seems evident and obvious that
I cannot really be Happy, even in
The minor successes of working.

But I am often Happy sitting down
Wife next to me on the sofa, watching
Dancing with the Stars, rubbing her
Feet, and, quietly, loving her.


© 2007 Mark Dopita

Today's Weight Watchers . . . Hooray!

Yes, the results are in. My Weight Watchers weigh-in this morning showed me down a full four pounds! At home, where I weigh myself each day, I dropped below 270 yesterday (269.4). So, excellent progress is being made! Is it possible that I could soon approach the 260 mark? I'll give it six to eight weeks . . .

It's Election Night!

Here in Island Lake and Wauconda. I don't have any results yet, but can comment on one thing: the advisory referendum to build the Illinois Route 53 extension through Lake County appears to be passing about three to one. Perhaps this means that "53" will be built, after all. I had thought it was dead-and-forgotten until I saw signs for the referendum during the past six weeks or so.

I'll comment on some of the results as they become available . . .

And I only have a couple of comments: I'm happy with our choice of mayor and trustees, generally. My advice to them would be to make sure we have good police and fire protection; make sure the garbage is picked up; make sure we have a clean water and sewer systems; continue to provide some pre-school and park board programs. If you do so, you'll be re-elected.

Route 53 was approved (as I noted above) but there are really no plans yet in place to build it. It doesn't mean too much to me, except that its future path crosses my route to work.

Participation was pitiful - 16% in Lake County; probably no better in McHenry county. I, personally, have voted in every election since I was old enough to vote. I wish everyone did.

I Fell Off the Plateau!

Okay, I guess I wrote yesterday's post a day early. This morning, when I stepped on WII Fit, I found I had lost 2 pounds! That's the breakthrough I've been waiting for. If I drop just over two more I'll be down below 270 for the first time in four years or so. And when I'm down below 270 it's on to 260!

To be perfectly honest, the lowest I've been for years was my low point four years ago - 258. Since I switched jobs - I've been at my current job for 16 years - I haven't been below 250. My long-term goal for this year (and on through the future) is to get down to 235. I haven't been there for 20 years, or so.

Weight Watchers sets intermediate goals of 5% and 10%. My 5% goal is 14 pounds; I may get there this week when I weight in. The 20% goal gets me down to 260, right near my "historic low".

I can only pray that I don't lose focus; keep workin' out and keep eatin' smart.

Plateau . . . 'd (A Weight Watchers Word)

For the last ten days or so I've stayed in a one-pound weight range. No real progress, though the Weight Watcher's scale did show me down .6 pounds from the previous week. This morning, though, no change at all from yesterday. Could this be a sign of good things to come?

I reviewed my Weight Watcher's log, and have found that while I've lost weight every week except one, I lose much more every other week. On the even weeks I'm down a total of 3 pounds, while on the odd weeks I've lost a total of 9 pounds. Seems to be a pattern - one I hope repeats itself this coming week!

Oh, and for you Weight Watcher purists, I realize that a plateau isn't considered to be in place unless your average weight loss is .5 pounds per week or less (since joining the program) and your weight hasn't changed for several weeks. So I guess this is a "mini-plateau".