September 16, 2006

We drink our water bottles empty down to the very last drop. This is a lesson that Mom has drilled into us as we account for the dollar cost and “Mom labor” cost of acquiring and cooling water. She makes an extraordinary effort to see that we have fresh bottles of ice cold water anytime we reach into the cooler. Mom was very polite about it as she schooled us in this important lesson on frugality telling us of the words her grandmother oft spoke, “When you take care of pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves.” Every now and then when Gary has drunk his water bottle down to the last few sips, he will hold it up for display, shake it back and forth a bit and then drink it down with a flair. I think it is his way of affirming that he has heard and is complying with the “Momma Mary Rule.”

We finished the walk after 10.5 miles (4 hours, 13 minutes of walking time). We marked our stopping place and climbed into the car. We returned to the VFW in Kingman where Gary gathered his essentials together to go to the Flying J truck stop. His plan was to shower then work on his website until it was time for break-fast when we would pick him up. We discussed his strategy should he have the impulse to break his fast prematurely in response to very effective marketing of food at the truck stop. This discussion was pertinent because there have been two occasions since Gary started this leg of the journey when he had intellectually decided on a plan for his food intake and changed the plan impulsively in response to a marketing message. On both of those occasions, Gary expressed notable remorse regarding his impulse control and a feeling of sabotaging his progress toward achieving his goal weight as quickly as possible. Mom and Gary and I have discussed his history and his plans when he returns to St. Louis at some length. We all three agree that a key in Gary’s long term weight loss success will be for him to regain impulse control when he is exposed to persuasive messages inviting him to buy and consume food for which he is not hungry. Fast-5 has restored that control to those who have adopted the lifestyle and Gary has every reason to know that he will have the same control. As a matter of precaution, though, he has begun to develop a plan for success should he find himself on the verge of rationalizing a choice that he would not deem best in retrospect.    

After we dropped Gary off at the Flying J Truck Stop, Mom and I went to Raw Sports where I bought some walking sandals. I am hopeful that my feet will thrive with the new footwear. My blisters are beginning to heal and the more open configuration around my toes will undoubtedly prevent any further toenail loss (the second toenail on my left foot took a hit for the project). We returned to the camper. Mom organized the place then took a much needed nap. Her total 5 ½ - 6 hours of sleep each night fall way short of her body’s preference. It is a goal of mine to afford her opportunities to catch up on some sleep whenever we can fit them into the schedule. I worked on my journal while Mom slept.

Mom picked up Gary from the truck stop and returned to the camper. She went into the VFW to get our steak dinners. My Dad sprung for dinner tonight. Mom had arranged for two dinners to be prepared tonight. She brought them to the camper and divided the meals three ways. It was a strategy to buy just as much food as would make us full without having leftovers. It worked. We all ate heartily. This night I had “’break-fast’in bed” as I ate in my bunk with the flap open facing Gary and Mom in the car. It was a funny substitution for a dining room table, but it had the same feel of sitting down together to break fast as a team. We all agreed that the time when we come together to celebrate the success of the day’s work is our favorite time of the day. I teased Gary that he wasn’t the only one out here who has “room service.” I had my meal in my bunk tonight with Mom and Gary in the car with the windows open and last night Gary was in his tent eating with Mom and I in the car with the windows open. I took a picture tonight to remind me sometime of these warm (emotionally, the temperature was actually quite cool) times. Because I was taking the picture through my bunk screen, the picture had the appearance of one of the poor resolution paparazzi type pictures one sees on the newsstand at a grocery store check out area.

We finished dinner and settled into our respective places for the night. The day’s events were a little off of our routine, but seemed very restorative. I am confident that tomorrow will bring a new day of adventure and the opportunity to share our important message.