Welcome to Sunday Morning Selfie. My name is Joe Bryant and I started this blog on New Years Day as a lifestyle diary and accountability tool as I try to make healthy decisions and lose weight. This is my story.
Long Time No Blog
It has been over a month since I published my blog and there are a few reasons for that. A legit one is that I have spent many of the last few Sundays being somewhere other than home, with trips to Arizona and Las Vegas being a couple of stops.
But the less “legit” reason is that I have really had no great stories of dieting success and inspiration to report. The last time I wrote was the day before my 54th Birthday which was August 7th. I am not a big Birthday guy and really barely acknowledged this one but, for some reason I have been in a bit of a funk ever since I decided to “take my birthday off and not worry about diet or exercise”. That day off has turned into a month off and I have lost considerable physical and emotional ground. “Happy” and “Healthy” go hand in hand it seems. While a month of eating and drinking what I want certainly satiated Hedonism Joe, it has done nothing for Healthy Joe.
For those who read just to find out what I weigh I will save you some time and let you know that a month away from my blog and scale has cost me TEN POUNDS in progress. This morning I find myself weighing 234 pounds… a number I hoped I would never see again in this lifetime. The more I “diet” the more I realize that my problems are really “head” problems more than body ones. What compels me to eat a whole pan of sugar cookies? Why would I fall asleep watching TV, wake up at midnight and stop by the kitchen to eat on the way to bed? Why do I order a Micro-beer instead of a water or at least a more sensible adult beverage with a diet mixer of some sort?
I don’t have the answers but I sense an “all or nothing” pattern in my behavior that is pretty consistent and can really work against me. When hedonism wins out over rational thought we have a problem. I turned 54 years old this year. I figure the bad news is I have hit my midlife crisis, the good news is, if I pull my head out and get it back on straight I should live to be 108!
Back to School and Back on the Radio
One place my all or nothing ways have generally served me well is in my career. While I may be quick to make behavior compromises in much of my life I have always been “all in” when it comes to my job and service to others. For years those others were my co-workers and radio audience. Now they are the 90 plus students I teach and their families.
My radio classes are packed and I am now also teaching one period of Marketing and prepping students to compete in DECA. I am starting to fell like a “real” teacher and sometimes am teaching for four hours straight with only a five minute break in between classes. I now find myself being thirsty and needing a bathroom break just as 30 more kids are heading in the door! I have never experienced “real” teacher problems like that before. 🙂
I have a new classroom with much better computers and, thanks to a better layout and me getting great training from fellow teachers, my classroom management skills are improving.
I am thrilled to be back to school and think getting a routine down is going to help also reestablish my systems and routines outside the classroom.
One thing I have decided is to put myself back on the radio! I realize that students learn best by modeling. I can sit in front of the class and jabber for an hour at them on how to make great radio OR, I can walk in the control room, crack the microphone and let them HEAR how it is done. So starting tomorrow at noon you will be able to hear me back on the air every day on 889 The Bridge.
There are lots of ways to listen. If you are in the vicinity of Lake Washington you can hear us at 88.9 FM. Anywhere else in the world you can listen live at 889thebridge.org . You can also download our KMIH app for free in the Apple or Android stores.
The format of our station is “Music and Conversation that Spans Generations”. Starting tomorrow at noon we will begin having those conversations. I have a special group of student staff and cant wait to share the airwaves with them!
This is going to be an organic process and we will see what comes of it. Much like when I started this blog I will open the microphone at noon tomorrow without much of a plan or preconceived notion of where this will lead us. But the two goals will be to, as a class do one hour of quality live radio a day that builds an audience, and to learn lots in the process. As far as I know I am entering into uncharted waters. Has anyone ever done a show with 90 co-hosts between the ages on 14-18?
Mercer Island High School and the communities that surround us are FULL of fascinating people and stories and I have decided it is time to share those. Check out “Joe’s Class” or whatever we decide to call it weekdays at noon on KMIH – 889 The Bridge beginning tomorrow.
My thinking is that this radio show will be my blog. Hear whats on my mind in an audio form every day because frankly, as much as I love to share my world, I really don’t like the process of word processing. I had much rather just talk than type!!
Hurricane Relief
It seems almost selfish in a way to sit and type words about ANYTHING this morning other than the peril much of our nation is in right now due to devastating storms, fires etc. Mother Nature is demonstrating some massive power and the expense of many lives and much property.
Hurricane Harvey, Irma and whatever may come next has left a massive need for relief and the place I have decided to direct our Public Service Announcement’s to solicit dollars is oneamericaappeal.org . This is a fund established and endorsed by ALL FIVE living US President’s and also got a Twitter thumbs up from our current one. 100% of the money collected will go for Hurricane relief. I trust these men when they say that and KMIH will be airing their appeals, as well as those produced by my students, encouraging donations.
One of the things I always tell my students is we “use our Media powers to do good” and this is one of those times is is critical for everyone that is in a position to do so to pitch in and help the folks in Texas and Florida. We are only one good Earthquake shake away from us being the community that lies in rubble needing help. And, as we saw in Mexico a couple of days ago, Mother Nature had no qualms with throwing a couple of historic earthquakes into the mix of calamities our planet faces.
Go Hawks!!
It also seems a bit selfish to be looking forward to watching a football game as I watch Key West get swallowed by a Cat. 4 storm but I am glad to return to gridiron action. With my increased class load and focus on building a successful radio program and station my time to think about football has decreased. I no longer have time to pour over Fantasy Football blogs and write weekly song parodies honoring my love of the team but I do hope to keep some Sunday time set aside to honor the sacred Seahawks. If Russell Wilson stays healthy I see no reason we don’t get to punch a return ticket to the Super Bowl.
And while there is MUCH to dislike about the game with head injuries, head cases, politics, racial issues etc., watching the NFL is still my favorite way to spend a Sunday and I am glad it’s back! We should have a tough go of it in Green Bay but I am going to predict the Eddie Lacy finds his old end zone TWICE and the Seahawks win 28-24.
Going Forward
That’s about it for now. I am not certain if I will continue this blog or not but wanted to check in. For some reason I feel like my life is in a real flux. Maybe it truly is a midlife crisis. I am very excited about the new school year and also VERY excited that Emily made the huge step to start attending the University of Arizona.
Sunday Morning Selfie 