First Robin of Spring? Already?

February 15, 2024 ~ Jim Flanigan

Yesterday, I spotted the first robin of the season by our pond. I’m hoping it is a prescient robin with inside info that we are going to get a nice early spring. I mean, we’ve already had a bit of false spring just recently. The other alternative is that it is a robin that flunked out of its Migration 101 class and will be found frozen solid next to me as I attempt to shovel a meter of snow from an upcoming blizzard. I did see the robin trying to get a drink of water out of the frozen pond, so I’m not too optimistic.

Mite Be Groundhog Day

February 2, 2024 ~ Jim Flanigan

It certainly seemed like spring arrived yesterday in greater Chicagoland. The temperature hit 50F/10C with sunny skies, so along with millions of other locals, I headed outside … in shorts. First thing I did was one of my favorite outdoor activities …

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And Now The Bad News …

April 22, 2023 ~ Jim Flanigan

Yesterday, I shared with you some positive (I hope) changes going on with my family. But today, sadly, there is bad news. First, I didn’t get the movie role of a distant father who can’t connect with his daughter. Offering me that part would be typecasting. So, why didn’t they choose me for the part? Probably my utter lack of acting ability, but I won’t discount my demand for a bowl of only blue M&Ms on the set at all times, even when I’m not present. It’s probably for the best as I am spread thinner than my hairline these days.

And I didn’t have to go far this morning for more bad news. All I had to do was look out the window to see this …

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Mite Be Funny #308 – Happy Spring Holidays

April 9, 2023 ~ Jim Flanigan

Not Weighting for Spring

March 1, 2023March 1, 2023 ~ Jim Flanigan

It happens to me twice a year. When the weather turns cold, I gain weight. When the weather warms up, I gain weight. I’m not quite sure why it works that way, but I am sure that it is damn annoying. It’s especially hard to accept in the spring after I have been doing this all winter with slices of pizza.

https://twitter.com/buitengebieden/status/1629754151235092481?s=20

Springish weather has arrived early in Chicagoland this year (thank God), so I’m trying to get a jump on that weight gain as the seasons change. I don’t ever remember cycling in February before, but I made it out 4 times on my bike last month on my way to a planned 500 miles this season. How far did I get?

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My March to Weight Loss

March 11, 2022 ~ Jim Flanigan ~ 1 Comment

I need to focus on March for weight loss, because February was a disaster. I gained a pound. On second thought, considering world events, the added pound in February probably doesn’t really qualify as a disaster.

It wasn’t for lack of effort that I gained weight. My steps/cycles remained consistent.

Negating those consistent steps was my love for chocolate and Valentine’s Day intersecting. It would help if my wife bought me chocolate from the dollar store rather than from the fancy-schmancy chocolatier in town. Maybe she loves me so much that she wants there to be more of me to love. Well, in February, she got her wish.

But Valentine’s Day was just one day. That can’t be the whole reason for my weight gain. I think I know what the real reason is though.

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Feeling Fabulously Fat For February

February 9, 2022February 9, 2022 ~ Jim Flanigan

I’m overweight in February and am thrilled. Why? Certainly not because I gained 5 pounds in December which was the maximum I was allowing myself for the whole winter.

They may have gotten the pronoun wrong in that gif, but that’s me they are talking about. As I reported in my last weighty post, my goal for January was to simply hold the line and not gain any more weight in January. Unlikely? Yes. Who wants to exercise and watch what you eat in the dead of winter? Not me. I want to sit, eat, and watch television while my wife, kids, and neighbors shovel my snow. But it somehow happened. I gave it a week into February to make 100% sure, but I continue to hang in at 5 pounds max gained and may even be heading back down just a bit. I’m thrilled!

Against all odds, my steps actually trended up a bit in January. Take a look.

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Mite Be Funny #214 – Happy Spring!

March 21, 2021March 20, 2021 ~ Jim Flanigan

Ice Ice Baby

March 10, 2021 ~ Jim Flanigan

Mite Be Funny #112

April 14, 2019April 13, 2019 ~ Jim Flanigan

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A Sure Sign of Spring

March 18, 2019 ~ Jim Flanigan

Oh, how I hate winter. I have complained about it in numerous posts, some even poetic. But now I have hope as there have been signs of winter fading and spring emerging. Forget the robins arriving and me scrambling to get my taxes done. Forget Daylight Savings Time and my winter weight magically starting to melt off (okay, that is so NOT happening). Forget that I’m starting to tap my neighbor’s maple trees for syrup. That may be illegal, but at least I’m not trying to tap my neighbor. There is another sure sign of spring specifically mentioned in the first of my many winter rants/posts on this blog …

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Frost is my Friend

March 29, 2016March 29, 2016 ~ Jim Flanigan ~ 2 Comments

Even though it is Spring with daffodils blooming and Tax Day looming, we are still getting cold, frosty mornings, which I have decided is not such a bad thing for someone of my vintage.

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Me? Out of shape? No, mine’s just a mushy blob-type shape.

March 9, 2016 ~ Jim Flanigan

Spring has burst upon the scene in Chicago just as my pants are ready to burst at the seams. And those are my stretchy sweats! Here’s how I can tell I’m out of shape …

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