A pain in the neck

I slept badly last night- due to a neck that I sprained at the gym earlier in an attempt to keep up with the guy in the swim lane next to me. I thought that there was no way a older guy could beat a not yet forty me, but some of those senior citizens are very spry.

As I sit down to write this blog, my neck still aches. I'm tempted to try some home remedies that my future brother in law (dating my wife's sister) has recommended. For instance, he speaks highly of a substance used for cow teats in treating aching muscles. Apparently it's popular among cyclists and bovines. However, I'll probably stick to the Advil.

This incident has gotten me to better understand the meaning of saying that someone is a pain in the neck. Overall, being a "pain in the neck" isn't that bad a thing. It's a pain that is annoying, but far from debilitating. A pain in the ass, on the other hand...

Despite the neck, I did go to the gym again this morning and am making steady progress in my weight loss goals. I'll admit that it's frustrating at times to not see overnight dramatic changes...or to not be able to run a few miles w/o fear of my knee caps exploding. However, it is kind of satisfying to walk out of the gym knowing that I'm giving a good effort.

A weird side effect to the weight loss (maybe 40-50 lbs) has been a increased fascination in clothes. Some of my suits are beginning to fit better and I've been receiving compliments from people that I come across. It's lead to the purchase of some stylish french cuff shirts, some vintage cufflinks from the 30's and to a restocking of my tie wardrobe.

Even 100 lbs ago I was never much of a clothes horse, but now that I'm losing weight again I seem to strangely fascinated by my shrinking appearance. I look in the mirror to examine shrinking love handles and a gradual reduction to a single chin!

I've even promised myself a custom suit should I hit 210 lbs again.

What a fool believes, no? It's going to be a long journey back! The 210 pound me of 10 years ago never really cared what he wore or even, if the guy in the next lane was swimming faster. He just wanted to be a good lawyer.

Can I switch places with him?