#1458, Monday, June 29: Syracuse and me, six years ago

Post 1458, Day 180 of 2015
- 1,641 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

Today marks six years since I moved to Syracuse.

I came here looking to restart my life - something I've done a few times, although usually there was more of a choice involved. I say that because for the almost-three months before this, I was broke, homeless, jobless and depressed at my circumstances.

I was feeling a lot of things that were based on fear, which means most of my feelings were irrational and came from worry about the future.

While I had the support of many friends - and the opposite from a few - it was one friend who saw an opportunity for me and turned it all around. He wasn't all that close a friend, just someone I'd met years earlier when I was working for Nortel, went to some of the same parties, played some cards with, before he moved on from the job, and I lost track of him, until he heard about my situation from the friend whose couch I was sleeping on.

He got me an interview with a company he was about to start working for, encouraged me, prepped me as best he could, then, literally walked me through the actual interviews.

I got that job, moved up two weeks after that interview, visiting friends and family along the way, and, beginning with less than nothing, materially (I had some things, but they didn't balance the debt I was in), with a month's room and board paid for by my new employer, rebooted.

My idea was to use the job to get back on my feet, and spend my time looking for work someplace else. I couldn't imagine living in Syracuse for long, because I'd never been to Syracuse before my interview.

Thirteen months later, that job disappeared, suddenly and unexpectedly, when the company got itself in trouble, put itself up for sale, and laid off half the workforce. By then, I'd introduced myself to the community of musicians up here, and found acceptance, and something of a social life.

I had turned my fortunes around - I had some savings, and was well on my way to retiring my fifty-thousand dollar debt load. I had completely purged my depression thanks to regularly playing music and having fun doing that.

I decided to stay in Syracuse, as first choice, being practical in my job search. The same friend (talking about you, Al Olin), having voluntarily changed jobs months earlier to work for the Federal government, guided me to my job at the VA.

My job at the VA has turned out to be the best job I ever had. Since starting there four-and-a-half years ago, I have completed my 'turnaround'. I have: Lost more than fifty pounds, started this blog, completely retired my debt, joined two bands, eliminated almost all my medications, put off my post-retirement plan to expatriate, and made an entire new batch of friends.

So, it's Happy Anniversary to me and Syracuse!

Food and Diet Section

Today's Weight:                   210.6 lbs

Previous Weight (6/26):           212.6 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:                - 2.0 lbs

Diet Comment

I'm glad I got as much of a loss as I did. I ate pretty indulgently over the weekend.

Food Log

Breakfast
A Quest bar.

Lunch

Roasted turkey breast chopped salad: shaved Parmesan cheese, baby kale, baby spinach, chard, cole slaw mix and balsamic vinaigrette.

Snack
A Quest bar.

Dinner
Cheeseburger on Ezekiel 4:9 Flax sprouted grain bread.

Snack
A Quest bar.

Liquid Intake
   Coffee: 24oz.;  4 Espressos;  Water: 102+ oz.

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