It is the last month of the year and I have not been able to stay the course. I have been off my diet since Thanksgiving, 2016. I laugh when I think about it. I started out kind of discouraged, but then I decided, I just don’t care anymore.

I went to the doctor yesterday to submit blood for my semi-annual testing. I suspect that the results won’t be favorable. So I’m not looking forward to seeing my doctor in a month.

Of course, like many people, I plan to renew my commitment to healthier living in the new year. It is really hard to remain faithful to healthy living during the holidays, at least it is for me. I’d rather enjoy myself and pick it up later.

I haven’t been to the gym at all this year either. So, at the beginning of the year, the gym, and diet, hard as it may be to get started, is going to happen. As I sit here thinking about it, the task seems daunting. The task being, to actually get started. Once I get started it’s not hard to keep going.

It is not as bad as it sounds though (to me). I like the challenge of being better, doing better, of succeeding. For now, besides playing the saxophone, the challenge of improving my health gives me something to do. I haven’t worked since 2010. That was the year I had back surgery. My life has not been the same since. It’s a discouraging thought, so I try not to think about it.

I’m not sure why I was not able to get hired initially in the years immediately following 2010, but, in 2017 I am quite sure that I can’t do anything that requires me standing for a full day. I have a commercial drivers license so I could drive for a living if I wanted to spend a crapload of hours on the freeway. Or, I could drive a bus, airport shuttle, school bus or something. I haven’t tried though. I’ve gotten used to it working.

I started playing the saxoph0ne again because it is not so physically taxing that I can’t do it. Whether I get to play it professionally again or not, I don’t know. But it is something I would like to do to make some extra money.

So I’m looking forward to a new year, and facing the challenges of life, good health, and simply living. As for this year, I’m done. During the holidays I will try not to overdo it too much. However, I intend to enjoy my self.

Until next year…