There's a bright golden haze on the meadow...

There's a bright golden haze on the meadow,
The corn is as high as an elephant's eye,
An' it looks like it's climbin' clear up to the sky.

Oh, what a beautiful mornin',
Oh, what a beautiful day.
I got a beautiful feelin'
Ev'rything's goin' my way.

That's the opening stanza to the song Oklahoma! Now, I didn't see any elephants, nor corn. Come to think of it, I didn't see a bright golden haze on the meadow. But I did see a beautiful day, starting with a beautiful sunrise!

"Sunrise at the Depot"

Yesterday was all about me and nothing else. My wife had to house sit again for her parents. When this happens, we usually take turns spending time with RJ. Well, the last several times this has happened, I have ended up spending the whole weekend with RJ. Now, before you hit me with an attitude, spending time with my son is not a bad thing. He is a great kid and we have some fun and fantastic times together. But, and let me say, it's a big "BUT", he can really turn on the pre-teen angst and behavior at a moments notice!

So, RJ spent the weekend with Beth at her parents house, and I got to go take pictures, and boy did I take 'em!

"Nashville Skyline"

I started out with the idea of going to Radnor Lake, but got sidetracked when I saw the skyline of Nashville all lit up with the morning sun! I just could not resist getting out and walking. According to my trusty pedometer, I put in 3 miles downtown before I stopped. All I can say was it was "magical"!

"Antique Mall"

So, at this point I started home, but got sidetracked once again! This time, it was Shelby Bottoms that grabbed my attention. Oh, and I am glad I went. A good friend of mine, Warbler Ed , is one of the best bird photographers I know, and when I grow up, I want to be just like him! I have a long way to go, just click on his name and check out his pictures to see what I mean! He and his wife Rachel are working on their "Life List" of birds. Now, I am not keeping a life list, but I think I got a pretty good start yesterday!

"Red Bellied Woodpecker"

"Female Cardinal"

"Great Blue Heron"

"Tree Swallow"

Anyway, it was a phenomenal day and I really enjoyed it, cause for the first time in a long time, it was about.....

ME, ME, ME, ME, ME, ME, ME, !!!!!
Have a great day!

Oct-o-mom birth video!

Sorry guys!

I found this way to funny. If I offend anyone, sorry!

I'm OK, Are You?

Once again I come to the bloggin world dragging an apology behind my sorry butt!

No excuses this time, just a simple sorry for being away so long! Everything is fine in Scottland, just busy! I sometimes wonder if I was this busy when I was fat? Or did the excess weight just slow me down and I've always been busy? Who knows!

Work has kept me going lately. Not that there's anymore than normal. With the economic crisis at hand, it seems I am doing all I can to stay afloat. No problems financially, just trying to get every ounce of juice from the turnip that I can!

I've kinda stepped away from a support group that I have been involved in. If you've been around a while, you know how important support is for me! Not just on the receiving end, but also on the giving end. In the beginning of my journey, several people accepted me for who
I was, who I am, and who I'm becoming. Acceptance and the caliber and quality of the support that was being given was the key. Here lately though, I don't feel as if I or they had anything to offer!

Obesity Help is still near and dear to my heart, and always will be. I'm thinking though it's time to move on. Time to continue to grow and stretch my boundaries. See what is hiding behind that wall of support that I have so car fully built up around me! That is a scary thing though. Scary because you don't know what or who is lurking out there waiting on ya! Will I completely abandon that sanctuary of support, probably not. But I won't be as evident with my presence as before.

I guess I'm just tired, that's all. It seems working 2 jobs will do that to ya, or at least that what everyone keeps telling me.

Changing subjects here...I have a question for my bloggin friends! When you started your blog, did you ever think you would be put in the publics eye as you were? It amazes me that through my blog, I have Friends (people I've never met, but consider dear friends!) all over the world. This week alone, I have received 12 emails asking if I was OK? I want to personally THANK those people for that. Yes, I'm OK!

No promises, but I will try to keep up my friend here, this entity that I call Bald-Is-Beautiful"! I'm still here, just hiding in the wings, waiting for that moment to emerge from my temporary exile!

Hang tough and have a good day!

Chocolate Valentino

As most of you know, I love to cook! Maybe that's why I became a 365 pound out-a-weight, over-shaped big boy, who knows?

Anyway, since I had gastric bypass over a year ago, one of my passions is finding a recipe and modifying it to make it a little healthier.

One of the challenges is...flour, because of the carb count! This recipe uses no flour what so ever, how's them beans?

I found this concoction over at A Charmed Life (WMPE's blog), and what a good recipe it is! Let's talk the deep dark taste of chocolate combined with a hint of caramel! YUMMMMY!!!!

Now Wendy served it with homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Sounds good, but it's cold right now. So I took a batch of Sugar Free Cool Whip and added Torani's Sugar Free Caramel Syrup. Blend both ingredients well and watch those portions! Then shave some sugar free chocolate bars over the top!

So, here goes:

Chocolate Valentino

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of sugar free chocolate chips
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter
5 large eggs separated

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.

2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.

3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.

4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).

5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.

6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.

7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter.

8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C

9. Bake for 25 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C.
Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.

10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.

BTV-YEAH!