Reflecting on Progress and Setting New Fitness Goals

As the year comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on my health and looking ahead to the future. I don’t think I’ve shared this before, but since October 2024, I’ve lost about 45 pounds. I’ve maintained roughly the same weight since August 2025, fluctuating slightly but staying in the same range. The next step toward reaching my goal weight is adding exercise to my routine. I was riding the bike as recently as this past summer, but I fell out of the habit and haven’t been on it at all this fall.

My goal for 2026 is to make exercise a regular part of my week. I’m planning to start working out consistently, and I think going to the gym at work will help me stick to that goal. I’ve been losing weight thanks to Mounjaro, which I was prescribed in October 2024 after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Before that, I was on other medications following my diagnosis in 2023 and early 2024, but switching to Mounjaro has been life-changing. Since starting it, I no longer need a CPAP machine, and with the weight I’ve lost, I feel great.

Mounjaro has helped by curbing my appetite. I usually take my shot on Sunday evening, so on Monday, Tuesday, and often Wednesday, I eat very little. My doctor gradually increased my dosage after I started, and at one point we tried to go higher, but insurance denied the change, so I stayed at my current dose. Now, the next step is exercise, which will support further weight loss and overall health.

If I can get back into exercising, I know it will make a big difference. I want to incorporate weights into my routine and add cardio as well. I enjoy running, so the treadmill will likely be my go-to, along with weights and other gym activities to keep things interesting and challenging. As the weather improves, I’d like to start running outside again since I really enjoy it.

I’m curious to see how running feels after losing 45 pounds. I know it can be tough on the knees and joints, but I expect it will feel different, and I’m looking forward to finding out. I don’t have any plans to run races like I did years ago—my goal is simply to get back into running shape and build up to longer distances.

That’s my health update, as I haven’t shared one in a while. Until next time, have a great week and enjoy preparing for the holidays.

Leadership, Sports, and Reading Goals: A Midweek Update

Another busy weekend with a quick trip to Kansas City. We went to celebrate November birthdays for Erin and Eddie. Joan and Eddie arranged a vacation rental and treated us to a wonderful weekend of fun. We even squeezed in some game time Saturday afternoon before getting ready for dinner. Unfortunately, no pictures from the fun weekend.

When we got back to Topeka Sunday afternoon, I wasn’t feeling well—so much so that I took Monday off work. I simply needed a day to recover and get back to feeling better. Going to bed at 8 p.m. on Sunday cut into my writing for the week. I think this was the first time I haven’t written something in over two years. So tonight is about catching up on my weekly post. As it turns out, this is more of a meandering post on different topics since I’m starting it on a Wednesday night.

A few months ago, I was nominated to participate in Leadership Greater Topeka. I’m happy to report that I was accepted, and class starts in January. We have our orientation session this Thursday. I’m looking forward to the process and appreciate the opportunity to serve with fellow Shawnee County participants. I’ll be interested to see what we accomplish when the program ends in May 2026. I think it will be fun and a great way to make connections with fellow residents.

Sunday was the last chance the Kansas City Chiefs had to make the playoffs, and it did not go well. After several years of making the postseason, we’re eliminated. I know fan bases for other teams are happy that it finally came to an end. I’m hopeful we can still finish out the season without completely imploding.

Washburn sports is going strong. The basketball team is still doing great, sitting at 13-0 on the season. Carrie and I have missed the last couple of home games since we were out of town. We don’t play at home again until January 3, so we have a bit of a wait. The team just finished a tournament in Texas, where they handled the games without any problem. Related to that, you might recall that two weeks ago we went to St. Louis to watch the Washburn soccer team play—and we won. I’m sad to say that we played in the Final Four last week and lost after being ahead for most of the game. A great season, but tough to see us lose.

My reading journey continues as we have just a few short weeks left to finish out the year for the reading challenge. I had set a goal of twenty books for the year, and right now it looks like I’m going to come up short once again. No, I’m not giving up, but I think it’s going to be tough to meet my twenty-book goal for 2025.

That’s about all I have for tonight. Posting midweek instead of over the weekend, but I’ll get back on track this weekend. Have a great week!

Washburn Soccer’s Big Win and Our Quick Weekend Adventure

Game Starting

Last Thursday, before heading to the Washburn basketball game that evening, we decided to take a quick trip to St. Louis to watch Washburn soccer play in the NCAA DII Elite Eight. We booked a hotel, ordered tickets for the game, and scouted out some places to eat after Saturday night’s match. It was a quickly planned trip, and we had a great time!

We left early Saturday morning to make it to St. Louis by the 1 p.m. start. We arrived with plenty of time before the game started, so we found a wonderful spot for lunch—Russell’s Café & Bakery. After finishing lunch, we headed to the soccer game with time to spare.

Ticket Punched!!!

Washburn started strong, going up 2–0, but early in the second half, the score was suddenly tied 2–2. The Ichabods battled back and won 3–2 over the University of Missouri–St. Louis. It was exciting to cheer on Washburn in their NCAA DII Elite Eight appearance—and even better to leave with the win! We were able to make the game because everything came together perfectly for this spontaneous trip.

President Mazachek and me

Up next for the Ichabods: the Final Four in Colorado Springs, CO, on Thursday. If they win, they’ll play for the National Championship on Saturday, December 13.

After the victory, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the evening, which included a speakeasy and then dinner. The speakeasy—None of the Above at City Foundry—was a new spot for us. We love speakeasies, and this one did not disappoint! After a few drinks, we took a Lyft to our dinner destination: Paul Manno’s Italian Restaurant. We had been there a few years ago and were glad to return for another great meal.

Following a long day, we made the wise decision to call it a night by 10 p.m. On the way back to Topeka, we stopped at another favorite spot in Columbia, MO—Shakespeare’s Pizza. We arrived home late afternoon and had an early night.

Drinks and Fun

It was a fun, quickly planned trip to St. Louis to follow Washburn women’s soccer. Everything worked out great! Congrats to the Ichabods on their win and advancing to the Final Four. I’ll be following Thursday’s game via stream instead of in person.

I was a day late posting this update since I went to bed early Sunday night. Until next time, have a great rest of your week!

Family, Food, and a Little Time by the Grill

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! It was such a joy to spend time with family, talking, playing games, and simply enjoying each other’s company. As always, the holiday flew by, and before we knew it, Sunday had arrived, and we were preparing to head back to work on Monday.

Carrie and I have been savoring leftovers for the past few days, which has been fantastic. We even finished off the last of the pies that were sent home with us on Thursday, including Mom Shirron’s sweet potato pie. So good!

Seasoned and Ready for the Grill

I got up early Thursday morning to put two turkey breasts on the Big Green Egg (BGE). We had seasoned the turkeys the night before, and they needed about 2.5 hours to cook. This year, I tried something a little different with the setup: I added water to the drip tray. The turkey breasts were so large that I couldn’t keep them on the rack above the grill grate because the lid touched the meat, so I removed the grill and placed the rack directly on the drip tray. It worked out well, and I think the meat was more tender than last year’s turkey breasts.

For seasoning, we stuck with our tradition: BGE Savory Pecan. We discovered this seasoning a few years ago and have kept it stocked ever since. It’s always a winner, and it didn’t disappoint this year either. I’ve never tried brining a turkey, but that might be in the future. I really enjoy the whole process—from getting up early to prep the BGE to watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade while the turkey cooks. Add a piping hot cup of coffee and monitoring the grill from my phone, and it’s pretty much perfect.

Turkey Breasts Done and Ready

We spent Thanksgiving afternoon and evening in Topeka celebrating with the Shirrons. On Friday, we met up with the Haverty family in Lawrence at my mom’s house. We were missing my sister from Wichita and a few nieces and nephews who couldn’t make it for the rescheduled holiday, but I’m so glad it worked out to see both families. And yes, I ate a lot of delicious food both days!

I hope you were able to enjoy the holiday as well. I know not everyone can be with family or friends during this time, but I hope you have someone in your life to share stories, make memories, and enjoy the season with.

Until next time, have a great Sunday and a wonderful week! Stay warm!

Why Thanksgiving Is My Favorite Holiday (And Yours Might Be Too!)

The leaves are falling and covering the ground. Neighbors are spending their days cleaning up their yards, while I take a different approach. I wait until most of the leaves have fallen, then I call someone to pick them up. I used to spend hours raking, but in recent years, it’s much easier to hire help. They finish in about 30 minutes, far better than an entire weekend of yard work. It’s simpler, and I’m supporting a local business.

All that to say: Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and it’s my favorite holiday. Families have traditions they look forward to every year, whether it’s turkey, ham, or a special pie. These traditions make the season something we anticipate and cherish. Personally, I love the leftovers: all the fixings, hearty sandwiches made from turkey, chips on the side, and a bit of dressing from the main feast. I enjoy it all!

From my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving! Wishing you a safe and plentiful holiday.

The Roller Coaster of Sports: Jayhawks, Washburn, and Chiefs

The college basketball season is finally here, and wow, it’s already been a ride keeping up with my teams! As many of you know, I’m all in on two squads: the Kansas Jayhawks and the Washburn Ichabods. I’ve been a Jayhawk fan for as long as I can remember, going to KU games as a kid was a big part of growing up. My Ichabod loyalty started when I attended Washburn in 1994 and grew even stronger when I began working there in 1997.

Kansas Jayhawks

The Jayhawks have been a powerhouse for years, but honestly, the last couple of seasons have been tough to watch. There were games last year where I just turned the TV off because we were playing so poorly. I was hoping this year would be different, but here we are, still struggling. We’re sitting at 3 - 2 right now, and it feels like it’s going to be another roller coaster season.

Washburn Ichabods

Newly Renovated Lee Arena

Now, Washburn basketball? Completely different story. Lee Arena just got a major facelift, and it looks incredible! Carrie and I went to the first game of the season, and seeing the new paint, court, and scoreboard in person was awesome. Washburn has started the season with an impressive 6 - 0 record.

View from our Seats

Last year, Washburn made it all the way to the NCAA Division II championship game. We didn’t win, but following that run was so much fun. This year, they’re ranked number 2 in the country, and I’m pumped to see what’s next. Our next home game is Tuesday night, and you better believe I’ll be there.

Other Sports Frustrations

Of course, being a fan isn’t all sunshine and wins. KU football? Rough year. Washburn football? Same story. And don’t even get me started on the Kansas City Chiefs. Sitting at 5 - 5, they’ve had games that were just painful to watch. I keep hoping they’ll turn it around, but so far, not so much.

The Roller Coaster of Sports

That’s the thing about sports though, it’s a roller coaster. Some days you’re frustrated, and other days you’re jumping out of your seat because of a last second shot or an upset win. Those are the moments that keep us coming back. They’re the stories we share with friends and family, asking, “Where were you when that happened?”

Until next time, enjoy the rest of your Sunday. Here’s hoping your teams give you something exciting to cheer about this season!

Why I Finally Ditched Firefox After Years of Loyalty

Have you ever realized how easy it is to fall into a tech rut? We stick with what’s familiar, whether it’s the same brand of cereal or the same make of car. For me, that rut has been Mozilla Firefox. I’ve used it for what feels like forever. Honestly, I can’t even remember when I started, but it has been my go-to browser across Windows, Mac, and my phone. Back then, Firefox felt fast, feature rich, and easy to use. Plus, it offered something I really wanted: the ability to sync bookmarks between my iPhone and Windows. That was a game changer at the time. Of course, now every modern browser does that, syncing bookmarks, autofill, and passwords so you can pick up where you left off on any device.

But last week, things changed. Firefox started driving me crazy. Pages were slow, the spinning wheel was constant, and overall performance just wasn’t great. This wasn’t just on one computer, it was happening on both my work and home machines. So, I decided to do something radical for me: give Google Chrome a full day test drive.

At first, I only installed Chrome on my work computer. Sure, I’ve used Chrome, Edge, Safari, and others over the years, but never as my primary browser for an entire day. This time, I committed. And wow, within the first hour, the difference was obvious. Pages loaded faster. Everything felt snappier. Out of curiosity, I tried Safari for an hour too. It was also faster than Firefox, but Chrome still felt like the winner. Then I gave Microsoft Edge a quick spin and again, super fast. No surprise there, Edge and Chrome share the same Chromium engine.

Here’s the thing: I’ve always had multiple browsers installed for testing, but I never thought about switching permanently. After this experience though, I officially moved to Chrome on all my devices. There’s a small learning curve, figuring out where settings live and getting used to tab behavior, but overall, I’m impressed. Websites load noticeably faster, and the whole experience feels smoother.

Thinking back, it’s funny how far browsers have come. I remember using Netscape Navigator way back in the day. Mosaic too, in the early 1990s. Netscape launched in 1994, and I stuck with it for years. Then came Internet Explorer. I used IE for a long time, mostly because some sites wouldn’t work on anything else. Eventually, I switched to Firefox, and now here I am, making the leap to Chrome. Will I stay here forever? Probably not. Tech moves fast, and I like to keep an open mind.

So, what about you? What browser do you use and why? Do you stick with one across all your devices or mix and match?

This might not be the most thrilling topic, but it’s part of my tech journey, and I wanted to share it. Until next time, have a great Sunday and an amazing week ahead!