Here's my Christmas list:
My Amazon wish list can be found here. It's prioritized, though sort of half-heartedly, so pretty much anything on there would be neat-o for Christmas. Books and CDs are great used, so if you're short on cash, or you want extra bang for your Christmas buck for me, I'd love to have two used books for the price of one new one, or CDs or whatever else :) Other things that would be nice as Christmas presents include:

• Nice looking articles of clothing



• Morse code/Ham Radio apparatuses



• Fancy hot chocolate



• Chocolate cookbooks (don't know which ones are good, so I haven't added any to the list)



• Subscriptions to Make, Cook's illustrated or QST (which would just be membership in the ARRL).



• Board games (Apples to Apples, Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne expansions besides "Cathedrals and Inns")



• Other fun digital widgets (Arduino stuff, Chumby-like stuff), though nnone of those are necessarily things that I want, they might be cool.)

And anything else you think might be cool.

Hi this is my and Zach's Christmas list:

ZACH

white crew socks

The Bourne Ultimatum

Harry Potter (newest movie)

Carcassionne (board game like Paul's)

HEIDI

black socks

small pearl earrings

Shrek 3

The Simpsons Movie

Any Simpsons board game

Ben and I have posted Christmas lists on our blog. What do you want for Christmas?

Heidi emailed me that she is bringing sweet yams, pecan pie, another pie--probably banana cream or coconut cream, and Stove Top to Thanksgiving dinner. We'll need to be really hungry! I can't believe Thanksgiving is 7 days away!!!!!!

I've been considering deleting this blog for all the use it's gotten, but now that the holidays are rolling around, it might (maybe?) get some use again--mostly as a point of reference.

First, I would like to point out that there will be at least five pies at Thanksgiving dinner. There are 12 Wheelers in some form or another in the family, and I'm not sure the aunts and cousins are coming (which would bump the count up to 23). If there are 8 pieces per pie, this would mean that a total of 40 pieces of pie would allow 12 Wheelerish people to eat 3.5 pieces each, or under two pieces of pie for the whole clan of Nay descendants.

My original point with that impressive pie story problem (let us not forget that I was originally a math major for a series of weeks) was that we would have way beyond the amount of pie needed. Fortunately for all of us, though, simple mathematics have convinced me otherwise.

I will be bringing a chocolate peanut butter pie, and also another kind of pie whose type will be determined at a later date. I will also bring green bean casserole.

What are you going to bring?

p.s. I think this is the funniest Youtube video I've seen in a long, long time.

Fourth of July Fun

If that doesn't look like an accomplished sailor I don't know what does.

A beautiful Danish couple

A beautiful Viking couple

R Dub getting those must have pics of Malbork Castle in Poland.

The castle was a really neat place to visit but I sure am glad that more comfortable bathrooms have been developed in the last 800 years.

Well, people, I have to admit that I have fallen off the Wheeler Weight Loss Challenge wagon. Sure, I've been exercising, but I haven't lost any weight in at least a month because I've also been pigging out. So I am here today to recommit myself anew. Paul's high school reunion is August 11th, and we might be going. In order to be as stunningly beautiful and thereby show up his high school girlfriends as much as possible, I hereby set the goal of being able to comfortably wear the amazingly cute jeans that I got for FREE at Eddie Bauer this week (they were on sale for $25!!!! and I had a gift certificate) without having my still-pregnant-looking belly hanging out. There. So let it be written, so let it be done. If it's on the Internet, it must be true. Stay tuned for the rules that I'll set for myself.

Okay, in other news, Anna and I are going to be twins at Seven Peaks this summer (I will be the ugly twin). If you would like to be a twin with us, order this top in black (unless you are a boy).

Also: Paul and I have signed up for the Freedom Run 5K on July 4th (I figured it was the best way to make sure I'd exercise consistently). Ben's running the 10K (the show-off), and Mom told me she and Dad were thinking about participating in the 1 miler. SOOOO... Everybody else is doing it--why aren't you? Huh?

In conclusion, I wish Mom a very happy birthday tomorrow! Do you realize she's going to be sixty next year? Our little mama--sixty. I can't believe it.

Maybe I've figured out how to get to the Family Blog through Google???? Anyway, I'm still here and just thought I'd let you know I can now read what you post.

Homefront News Flash: Dad successfully installed a new (secure) router for us and we can get the internet from any location in the house--at least the upstairs. (Even my laptop!) We haven't tried it out downstairs, yet, but I won't be surprised if it works down there, too. This is fun!

Heidi called last night about 10 and said a building in their apartment complex--not close to them--was on fire. Too much excitement!!!!

I'm having a day home w/asthma today.

Hope all is well with all of you.

Hello Team. Finals are officially over. WOHOO! Now we can live a little. In fact my lovely bride and I went on a bike ride this very evening. I hope to share many joyous adventures in the days to come.

I also would like to tout (I don't think that is spelled right, and frankly, I don't care) my recent weight loss. I have lost 10 pounds, however it is only because my surgery drastically shrunk the size of my stomach and now I get nauseated when I eat. How joyous! I eat healthy, I feel like crap, I eat like crap, I don't feel healthy and the pounds keep falling off!! Needless to say, I am proud of you who have actually made lifestyle changes and lost weight the real way!!!

Hi folks,
Zach and I are going to be in the Provo area on saterday and are wondering if anyone would like to go to Toucano's for lunch with us. It is Brazilian BBQ like Rodizio Grill and if we go for lunch its way cheaper than dinner. Zach is playing in an indoor soccer game at 11 so we were thinking about going about 1PM. I talked to Ben already, but I don't have correct phone numbers for anyone else. Ben and Anna have generously offered to let Zach use their shower so we were thinking of coming over there after the game and then all going to the restaurant as soon as Zach doesn't smell anymore (hehe). What do ya'll think?
H-Duck

For the record, when I weighed myself on Saturday morning, I had lost twenty pounds since the inception of the Wheeler Weight Loss Challenge!!! VICTORY!

However. Then we spent a mere 24 hours at the Padres, and when I weighed myself on Monday morning, I had gained back three pounds. Well, crap.

I would like to announce my Mary Kay party, to be held on April 21 (a Saturday) at 11 a.m. Anyone who comes will get a $10 gift certificate. And also I will be making treats, or perhaps a treat, or perhaps just bean dip. It's that it's the Saturday before finals, so even though in my head I would like to make chicken salad to eat with croissants, I'm not sure it will happen. I'll be sending out invitations eventually, but don't feel pressured to come.

(And also: a blast from my high school past visited my blog today, and now I feel all weird. Why can't high school just GO AWAY??)

OK I am back to the Wheeler weight loss challange. I was reading older blogs, I decided that I want to know about Cafe Rio tomatillo dressing!!!
My new re-evaluated goals are: exercise 3 times per week for at least 30 minutes (aerobically) and then do resistance training 2 times a week.
I have no eating goals, because my current goal is to get ANY food to go down my esophagus without having to drink and entire glass of liquid with each bite. I think that's a good goal in and of itself.
I would also like to announce that I have had a punch biopsy of a mole on my left arm. Oh the perks of working in the cancer hospital! I have been assured by multiple physicians that the mole is fine and that I "don't have cancer" ( I don't think I do anyway, I just wanted the stupid mole off me) and that in my world "everyone has cancer". Oh the belittling I endure!!! HAHAHA
Anyway, Zach and I are up to no good, as usual (hehe).

This weight loss challenge is kicking me in the rear.

I've been thinking about reevaluating my goals because, well, I don't keep them.

Maybe I'll change my goal to just exercising 3 times a week and ditch the calorie limit for now.

If I can actually exercise during the week, I think I will automatically eat better too. Every time I start to lift that chocolate to my mouth I will think of how long it will take me to run it off.

I'm sure I have forgotten to tell someone/someones. Uncle Steve had a heart attack about a month ago. He had a stent placed. He is doing well, now. He is very thin, has good cholesterol levels. The only risk factor he has is stress. He is trying to de-stress his life. I certainly wish him luck!!!! Learn from his experience--stress can get to you!!!