MD Challenge - Part Deux Update 2

Wow! The weekend yielded several more challengers for the Mountain Dew Challenge - Part Deux. As of right now, we have 5 competitors, but there's still time to join!

In addition to Jeff and I, Rob Henschen, Jon Andrews and Dan Erickson have decided to enter the ring. We're still waiting to hear from Derry Prenkert!

For those that have joined, and for anyone considering joining, here are the rules:
1. It's called the Mountain Dew Challenge, but that's not totally accurate. I call it that because Mountain Dew is my nemesis, but the challenge includes any pop. Jeff struggles with Wild Cherry Pepsi and some people struggle with other pops, like Big Red (can you even buy that any more?). So, the challenge is to abstain from any pop.
2. There really aren't any more rules.

The whole challenge is based on the honors system, so each competitor is accountable for reporting his failure, whenever that occurs.

The first Mountain Dew Challenge lasted 41 days, so be prepared for at least a month of abstinence if you want to win!

One more thing: Since Rob is on vacation we'll wait until next Monday to start. So, you've got a week to load up, or start weening yourself!

Mt. Dew Challenge - Part Deux Update

At this point, it looks like the Mt. Dew Challenge - Part Deux is going to be a rematch between Jeff and me. But, it is still open for any other challengers!

As it was last time, this will not just be a Mt. Dew Challenge, but it will include all pop.

I don't know your drinking habits all that well, but here are a few people who might consider joining us:

Derry

Rob

Dan

Those are just a few who could put up a good fight. Know of any others?

Mt. Dew Challenge - Part Deux?

I have come to the realization in the last few weeks that my rate of Mountain Dew consumption has reached an unhealthy level. I've also started reading a book recommended by my wife that claims incredible benefits to drinking 1-2 quarts of water each day.

The only problem with all this information is that I don't think I have the will power to stop drinking Mt. Dew on my own. However, the challenge that I had with Jeff Simpson turned out quite well. I went more than 40 days without a Dew and lost 10 pounds in the process.

So, I'm opening this up to anyone who is interested - the Mountain Dew Challenge - Part Deux. Anyone want to join me in this effort to rid my body of the sugar-coated toxins found in this Yellow elixir?

Let me know!

(By the way, did you notice my first color theme? I call it Dan's MD Fix.)

It's Over! ... and ... I'm Out!

I'm cleaning house on the old blog this morning, because two significant challenges are behind me. That's right, I said two.

As you know, Mustache May ended this past weekend and I couldn't be more pleased.

As you may not know, I also bowed out of the Mountain Dew Challenge this weekend and I am only moderately pleased.

My daughter's birthday party was too much for me. I actually held off most of the day and drank only water, but once we started the campfire I couldn't resist the Aldi brand Root Beer floating in the cooler any longer! Then, Sunday night I had the real thing - Mountain Dew - with some amazing pizza from Danny's Sports Bar at the Barbee Hotel in North Webster.

So, the Mountain Dew Challenge is down to four competitors: Jeff Simpson, Todd Owens, Jon Andrews and Dan Erickson. You'll have to check out their blogs if you want to find out who wins!

The good part about not being in the challenge anymore is that now I get to find out if I've developed any self control - which was my ultimate goal in the first place. We'll see how well I can resist temptation now that I don't have the motivation of beating Jeff (and the other guys).

Mountain Dew Challenge - Part Deux Day 1

This is it. The Mountain Dew Challenge - Part Deux has officially started.

Even though Derry declined, we have a great field of competitors who are sure to put up a good fight. Hopefully, we will all last a long time and it will be a great benefit to our health.

The last time I took part in a challenge like this, I lost 10 pounds after just 41 days. I sure hope that happens again!

Anyway, check the counter at the top right of the page to see how many days we've successfully avoided the yellow elixir (and other similar beverages).

Temptation

I'm 29 days into the No-Mt. Dew Challenge and, for whatever reason, today was a tough one. I kept looking over at the little change tray by my desk and thinking about taking a short walk to the pop machine for a cool, refreshing beverage.

But, I didn't give in. No way.

Why didn't I give in? I've got the right motivation - a challenge!

So, why can't I be so successful resisting other temptations - the ones that have spiritual significance? Do I need a challenger?

Will someone please join me in a No-Idolatry Challenge, or a No-Pride Challenge, or even a No-Selfishness Challenge?

I know I shouldn't need extra motivation for doing what is right and pleasing to my Savior. I should just want to please Him with my obedience, but right now it's not enough. I struggle every day with those things.

My wife shared with our Small Group tonight a message she heard from Alison Gingerich about Time Alone With God. It really made me think about my relationship with my heavenly Father. How can I claim to love Him and serve Him if I never spend time with Him? I can't.

So, who's up for a Time Alone With God Challenge?

He Came Bearing Gifts

As I was working at my desk yesterday, I got a visit from someone I've never met face to face before. In fact, the only communication the two of us have ever had was a comment he left on my blog.

Who was it?

Jon Andrews walked into my office carrying an ice cold Diet Mountain Dew. He offered it to me, saying, "I'm going to win."

Jon's lack of familiarity with me showed up right away because I replied, "Good thing I don't like Diet Mountain Dew."

He replied, "Where's Simpson?" knowing Jeff likes Diet Mt. Dew.

Then he walked across the building to our pop machine, purchased a cold can of regular Mt. Dew and brought it back to my office. I regifted it to Derry.

Apparently, Jon not only has too much time on his hands, I may ask him for a loan next time I'm in financial trouble. He bought Mt. Dew for three of the Mountain Dew Challenge contestants yesterday!

Mustache May

While the Mountain Dew Challenge - Part Deux remains my top priority, there's another challenge about to begin that I have decided to take part in.

Mustache May was concocted by a couple senior guys here at NMC - Eby and Griggs. Those guys are always coming up with some crazy event or slogan or joke and Mustache May is just the latest.

You can get a full explanation of this challenge at Derry's Blog sometime today, but here's the basics: Beginning May 1 all participants must start growing a mustache and not shave until June 1. A mustache is defined as facial hair that has a disconnect below the mouth, so that may lead to some very interesting mustaches. Also, participants are allowed to grow a full beard until May 14, but then must trim it down to a mustace for the rest of the month.

So, I've decided to join the movement, but with great trepidation. The thought of growing a mustache takes me back to some dark days. You see, the last time I set out to grow just a mustache, this is what it looked like:

Some of you are shocked by that picture. Some of you are thinking I looked pretty awesome. Some of you just laughed. I understand all of those reactions. Just keep in mind that it was spring of 1994 and I was 17 years old.

This challenge also gives me some anxiety because my facial hair isn't all that impressive, as you can read about here and see another picture here.

I will not be mastered by my fear, however. I will conquer it and grow a mustache to be proud of!

Mountain Dew Challenge - Part Deux Update 5

I got an email from Dan yesterday, asking what I'm drinking now since pop is not allowed. I gave him some answers, but the real question should have been, "What are you eating?"

See, my craving for Mt. Dew is actually a craving for sugar and there are plenty of ways to quench that craving. For example, this morning was unusually tough. I was considering just how bad it would be to give up, admit defeat and drink a Dew. But then, I found just what I needed to beat the temptation:

Mountain Dew has no power over me!

Mountain Challenge - Part Deux: Goodbye, Rob

On one hand I'm a little sad, but on the other hand I'm a little pleased to report that Rob Henschen has been eliminated from the Mountain Dew Challenge - Part Deux.

Rob lasted 6 days and then forgot about the challenge and consumed a Diet Coke while watching a movie with his son - not a bad way to go out, I guess.

Anyway, that leaves Jeff, Jon, Todd, Dan and myself. Good luck, gentlemen!

A New Kind of Counter

The streak is over.

Today at lunchtime Jeff and I gave up the fight and we each enjoyed a nice cold Mountain Dew with our meals at Taco Bell.

We made it 43 days and, to be fair, Jeff held out about 15 seconds longer than I did, so I guess I lost. Congratulations, Jeff.

Now the real challenge begins. Have these 43 days without Dew broken me of my bad habit? Have I gained the strength to resist overindulgence? Can I limit myself to a reasonably healthy amount of pop intake?

I hope so, because I have felt so much more healthy and have actually lost nearly 10 pounds during my time without Dew. That's not something I want to give up.

So, without further ado, I am starting a new counter at the top right of my blog. It will count down the days until I will allow myself to have another Mt. Dew, or other kind of pop. I'm going to start by allowing myself a drink only every 10 days. Is that too many, or not enough? I'm open to suggestions!

Thanks for following along. You've helped me do something potentially life-changing!

I Stand Corrected

Well, it seems somebody hasn't been completely forthcoming about his status in the Mountain Dew Challenge. If you'll notice on the right side of his blog, his Mountain Dew counter stopped at 29.

That means I'm not the second one out of the competition, but the third. It also means there are only three players left: Jeff, Jon and Todd.

Good luck guys!

Mountain Dew Challenge - Part Deux Update 4

I may not be able to post this weekend, so I just want to make sure we're all clear on the rules and who's in the challenge.

First, beginning at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time Monday morning, you will not be allowed to consume pop of any kind. There are no sabbaticals or breaks of any kind. If you drink pop for any reason, you're disqualified. Also, you are responsible for reporting yourself when/if you are disqualified.

I will install a counter on my blog (if any competitors want me to send you a copy, just let me know!) so you can keep track of how many days we've gone pop-free.

Now, here's the list of competitors I have compiled:

Dan Weiss

Dan Erickson

Jeff Simpson

Rob Henschen

Todd Owens

Jon Andrews

and ... Derry says he will make his decision by Sunday (notice I didn't link to him -- he just wants the site traffic)

So, good luck everyone! I hope you're in it for the long haul!

A Very Random Post

Things have been quite busy at work lately. There are several big projects intermingled with the usual stuff intermingled with trying to get everything set for while I'm on vacation, so I haven't had much time to post.

But, I just got done with one of the bigger projects (the church newsletter) and have a few minutes, so this is going to be sort of a random thoughts post. Ready? Try to keep up.

Reading/Watching/Listening To:

I haven't done one of these in a long time, mostly because I haven't readm, watched or listened to anything new in a while. But, now I've got some things to share!

I've been listening to a new singer named Brett Dennen a lot lately. I discovered him while listening to a Jack Johnson mix on Pandora. He's classified on iTunes as a folk musician. I like him because he's got a very unique voice combined with some fun acoustic music.

I've also been listening to the new album from Shawn McDonald, called Roots. This new album is definitely worth a listen.

After reading Celebration of Discipline with Dan, I've been struggling to find anything I really wanted to read. Well, that struggle ended today when I found the website for Francis Chan's new book, "Crazy Love." Then I found out that we have a few extra copies here at the church and I can borrow one. I'm thinking I'll start it soon and hopefully finish it up on vacation. We may actually visit Chan's church while we're in California, so that could be pretty cool.

As far as what I've been watching, there's not much to share. I watched a little bit of American Idol, but never really got into it enough to care about who won. Though, I think David Cook could have a great career.

I am planning to go see Prince Caspian with my wife soon - maybe this weekend. I also want to see the new Hulk movie and Hancock. I guess I'm becoming a fan of comic book movies!

Family Update:

My daughter, Hanah, has become very fond of the nature around our house, especially turtles.

My son, David, has become a big fan of Legos. We plan to visit LegoLand while in California.

My wife, Katie, suggested we go fishing the other night - yet another example of why she's awesome!

Our dog, Gus, has developed cataracts on both of his eyes. He is mostly blind, but has some peripheral vision. We found out yesterday that the surgery to fix his eyes will cost around $6,000. Anybody know of a good veterinary school with students that need practice doing cataract surgery (for free)?

Vacation planning:

After the feedback from this post, I've decided to leave the laptop at home and not blog while on vacation. I appreciate your advice, for and against, the idea of chronicling our trip!

Link Love:

Dan got creative while doing some yardwork.

Biz is learning from his son.

Corey is always good for some great videos and this one is fun.

Here's another one from Corey that got me even more excited about the new Hulk movie.

Mustache May update:

If you've been following the slideshow on the right side of this page, you've noticed that I've trimmed off the handlebars. They were itchy and pretty pathetic, so I'm going with the 'stache and soul patch look for the rest of this week!

Mountain Dew Challenge - Part Deux update:

We're currently in the 31st day of the challenge, and it has gone by incredibly fast. I think it's because it's been such a busy time of the year. There have been some tough days, but I've been quenching the cravings with other sweets - not exactly a beneficial practice. So, I've got to work on that.

The end.

Maturity

I'm not sure how you would define maturity. Honestly, I'm not sure how I would define maturity either. But, I know some behaviors show maturity and one of those is following through on what you say you are going to do.

Letting my "yes be yes" has always been a struggle for me. Not because I'm dishonest, just because I quickly commit to things before thinking them through. I usually end up not following through.

Well, lately I've been realizing how much of a mistake this has been and wanting to change that trend.

If you've been reading this blog for very long, you've probably seen me make commitments and then not follow through (resolutions, mountain dew challenge, etc.). Granted, those aren't a big deal and the only person I'm really letting down is myself, but it reveals my character.

So, as part of an effort to change my behavior, I've made it known to all (both) of you that I've committed to training for and running in a half marathon on September 27. Now, with this post, I think I've upped the ante even more and given myself even more motivation to follow through with that commitment.

So, please, feel free to skip over the boring daily training posts if you want to. But, please keep me accountable to the commitment I've made and keep checking in on my progress from time to time. Thanks!

Looking Forward to May

I can't believe it is almost May and yet I'm so excited for May because there's a lot of awesome stuff happening in May. Then, in June, we're going on vacation and I'm thrilled about that too!

I've already told you about the Mountain Dew Challenge - Part Deux and Mustache May, but here's a list of some of the other great stuff coming up in May, by date:

1 - First Softball game of the season.
1 - Mustache growing begins
3 - First Serve Saturday at Prairie Camp. I'll be taking pictures of this event (hopefully on the new camera I ordered for the church!)
3 - Tyrus Graverson's birthday party
4 - Volunteer Appreciation Night (another event I'll be photographing)
6 - Derry and Janelle's 8th anniversary
11- Mother's Day (and I've got a great surprise for my wife)
25 - Derry preaches with a mustache
27 - My 8th anniversary
30 - Hanah's birthday
31 - Last day of mustache growing

Spring Resolutions

I have established something of a tradition on this blog by announcing sets of resolutions at the outset of each season, rather than at the beginning of the year as most people do.

I'm a little late in announcing the resolutions for this spring, but summer doesn't officially start until June 21, so there's still quite a bit of time to accomplish the following goals.

1. Spend as much time investing in and leading these people (and dog) as possible.

2. Capture many memories from the lake where we live because this is going to be our last summer there.

3. Learn to surf during our vacation to California. My wife is heavily against this one because of the recent shark attack near San Diego - but I think I'll probably figure out a way around that.

4. Get fishing again!

5. Run! I really want to make a habit of running because I know it's great for my health. I miss the time when I could enjoy physical activity without wondering when the next timeout was so I could catch my breath and get a drink. I need to get myself back into good shape.

6. Grow a mustache that looks something like this!

7. Win the Mountain Dew Challenge - Part Deux. Or, at least still be in the running to win it.

What could you accomplish this spring?

New Feature

As you may know, I've got a little bit of a drinking problem. Not the kind that could get me in trouble with the law, but the kind that makes me fat.

I love Mountain Dew. The problem is that it's horrible for me. I know this and yet I can't seem to stop drinking it.

My friend Jeff Simpson (a fellow addict) and I have started a challenge to see who can go the longest without drinking Mountain Dew, or any other pop. We both are just competitive enough to make it interesting.

At the right, just above the picture of my lovely wife and me, you'll see a counter I've installed to show my progress in this challenge. It's as much for my own motivation as it is for you to see our progress, but I hope you enjoy it.

Counter-productive

I believe the Mt. Dew counter has reached its limit of usefulness. Since there is no longer a challenge going on, I don't really feel any accountability or motivation to live up to those little green cans anymore. So, the counter is done. So long!