I have had a lot of work lately and have not updated my blog. Not that I have a lot of people depending on that! Since last we met………

1.- I have started a diet and stuck to it. When I hit 100 kilos, a little over 220 lb., I decided that not only did I not like the way I looked but that it was time to get rid of some of that excess and take better care of myself.  Knowing that left to my own devices, I would continue the same eating habits and never lose wait, let alone maintain a healthy lifestyle, I went to a Nutritionist M.D. and got some pills, mostly natural and some that scare me a bit but fortunately are only for a short time. He also gave me a diet of 1,200 calories per day along with 45 minutes of walking per day.

2.- Sticking to the diet and excercise plan from May 14 until now, I have lost about 20 pounds and have a couple of weeks left on the treatment so expect to be around 85 kilos or about 190 lbs.. Then we will see how it goes with the maintenance. I have hired a girl who works for me to prepare my meals so I am sticking to the portion control and the excercise and am getting results. Amazing what following instructions does.

3.- Things are going well at the ranch. Some new kids of the lambie variety. Have to get rid of some of the older ones so it is time to plan a company party at the ranch with barbacoa de borrego and maybe some cabrito. Tomatoes–both red and green–are doing ok–lack of rain and an irrigation sytem at the ranch are the main problem but am working on that. We have built a tower of wood from the property, dug a well and will install the gasoline pump this coming week. The manual pump (and/or the man that mans it) are just not sufficient to compensate for the heat and powerful sun here.

4.- Other things that are doing well at the ranch are radishes, green beans, lettuce and all kinds of chile peppers, cilantro and nopal. The rain has started a little and that has helped but things are still dry and the rain has at least put out the wildfires in the area.

5.- I have been very busy at work. Of course when things are going well, everything is a well-oiled machine but when things are slow is when you really have to be out beating the bushes. I have also been given a new exciting assignment to investigate marketing options for a large ecommerce project so I am able to use some knowledge I already have and it gives me a chances to expand that knowledge and actually put it to some practical use.

6.- Tourism has started returning to Mexico but will not be back to normal until July probably. There are a lot of deals now for hotels, airlines and packages combining the 2.

7.- So today is a day of rest bfore another busy week. Maybe I will see the new Star Treck movie. Saw Angels and Demons last weekend and enjoyed it–mostly for the sights of Rome, the history and the pomp of the Church.