An evening of non-scale victories

Last night I attended a concert by the Reading Symphony Orchestra. It's
the first time I've been out to a concert in a number of years. It was
a triumph, not only for the RSO and guest conductor Robert Franz, but
myself as well. Here's my list of non-scale victories:

- I could drive the hour-long trip to Reading (and back) without
fatigue;

- I parked eight blocks from the concert hall and managed the hike
without being winded or tired in my legs. Incidentally, I parked in a
part of Reading that I wouldn't normally choose to walk through;

- I wasn't excessively warm in the packed hall;

- I fit neatly into my seat, and I could get in and out of it and my
row easily;

- I had no difficulty climbing the steps to the balcony section;

- I looked good! The suit I was wearing was three sizes smaller than
those I wore a year ago. Yes, I looked big, but not BIG.

- I managed a very quick walk from the concert hall back to my car
without being winded, tired, or robbed. (Sorry, but as a fat,
middle-aged, well-dressed male in that part of town I felt like I had a
sign on my back that said "Mug me.")

During his remarks before the concert, Maestro Robert Franz commented
that the main work on the program, Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony #5,
was written by a man who had terrible problems to overcome.
Shostakovich had, a few months before the symphony was written, been
attacked in the Soviet press - see
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mn200/music...a-article.html
for the article itself. The 5th is Shostakovich's best known, and
arguably best, work. The instant popularity the work generated restored
Shostakovich to the good graces of Stalin and the Party loyalists. The
composer overcame his problems in this instance. And, as I was
listening to the last movement of the symphony high up in the balcony,
I couldn't help but think that I had something in common with Dmitri.

Neil
385/281/220

All very good stuff, Neil. I'm so pleased for you!

Chris
262/130s/130s
started dieting July 2002, maintaining since June 2004

How delightful! I hope you will enjoy many such rewards for your efforts.
You deserve it.

ep


"The Historian" wrote in message
oups.com...
Last night I attended a concert by the Reading Symphony Orchestra. It's
the first time I've been out to a concert in a number of years. It was
a triumph, not only for the RSO and guest conductor Robert Franz, but
myself as well. Here's my list of non-scale victories:

- I could drive the hour-long trip to Reading (and back) without
fatigue;

- I parked eight blocks from the concert hall and managed the hike
without being winded or tired in my legs. Incidentally, I parked in a
part of Reading that I wouldn't normally choose to walk through;

- I wasn't excessively warm in the packed hall;

- I fit neatly into my seat, and I could get in and out of it and my
row easily;

- I had no difficulty climbing the steps to the balcony section;

- I looked good! The suit I was wearing was three sizes smaller than
those I wore a year ago. Yes, I looked big, but not BIG.

- I managed a very quick walk from the concert hall back to my car
without being winded, tired, or robbed. (Sorry, but as a fat,
middle-aged, well-dressed male in that part of town I felt like I had a
sign on my back that said "Mug me.")

During his remarks before the concert, Maestro Robert Franz commented
that the main work on the program, Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony #5,
was written by a man who had terrible problems to overcome.
Shostakovich had, a few months before the symphony was written, been
attacked in the Soviet press - see
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mn200/music...a-article.html
for the article itself. The 5th is Shostakovich's best known, and
arguably best, work. The instant popularity the work generated restored
Shostakovich to the good graces of Stalin and the Party loyalists. The
composer overcame his problems in this instance. And, as I was
listening to the last movement of the symphony high up in the balcony,
I couldn't help but think that I had something in common with Dmitri.

Neil
385/281/220

The Historian wrote:
Last night I attended a concert by the Reading Symphony Orchestra. It's
the first time I've been out to a concert in a number of years. It was
a triumph, not only for the RSO and guest conductor Robert Franz, but
myself as well. Here's my list of non-scale victories:

- I could drive the hour-long trip to Reading (and back) without
fatigue;

- I parked eight blocks from the concert hall and managed the hike
without being winded or tired in my legs. Incidentally, I parked in a
part of Reading that I wouldn't normally choose to walk through;

- I wasn't excessively warm in the packed hall;

- I fit neatly into my seat, and I could get in and out of it and my
row easily;

- I had no difficulty climbing the steps to the balcony section;

- I looked good! The suit I was wearing was three sizes smaller than
those I wore a year ago. Yes, I looked big, but not BIG.

- I managed a very quick walk from the concert hall back to my car
without being winded, tired, or robbed. (Sorry, but as a fat,
middle-aged, well-dressed male in that part of town I felt like I had a
sign on my back that said "Mug me.")

During his remarks before the concert, Maestro Robert Franz commented
that the main work on the program, Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony #5,
was written by a man who had terrible problems to overcome.
Shostakovich had, a few months before the symphony was written, been
attacked in the Soviet press - see
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mn200/music...a-article.html
for the article itself. The 5th is Shostakovich's best known, and
arguably best, work. The instant popularity the work generated restored
Shostakovich to the good graces of Stalin and the Party loyalists. The
composer overcame his problems in this instance. And, as I was
listening to the last movement of the symphony high up in the balcony,
I couldn't help but think that I had something in common with Dmitri.

Let me add, for those who are interested, my comments on the concert
itself are posted to rec.music.classical.recordings, under the thread
title "Ranjbaran?"

Edna Pearl wrote:
How delightful! I hope you will enjoy many such rewards for your efforts.
You deserve it.

Yes, but I hope I find a better place to park. :-)

Neil
385/281/220

The Historian wrote:
Last night I attended a concert by the Reading Symphony Orchestra. It's
the first time I've been out to a concert in a number of years. It was
a triumph, not only for the RSO and guest conductor Robert Franz, but
myself as well. Here's my list of non-scale victories:


Sounds like a wonderful evening minus the parking situation.

I love to hear about the NSV people experience in their weight loss
journey. Many concentrate so much on the number on the scale that they
fail to celebrate these types of victories along the way.

I never had a large amount of weight to lose but one of the things I
can remember is being able to bend over and tie my shoes without
feeling uncomfortable.

Beverly







- I could drive the hour-long trip to Reading (and back) without
fatigue;

- I parked eight blocks from the concert hall and managed the hike
without being winded or tired in my legs. Incidentally, I parked in a
part of Reading that I wouldn't normally choose to walk through;

- I wasn't excessively warm in the packed hall;

- I fit neatly into my seat, and I could get in and out of it and my
row easily;

- I had no difficulty climbing the steps to the balcony section;

- I looked good! The suit I was wearing was three sizes smaller than
those I wore a year ago. Yes, I looked big, but not BIG.

- I managed a very quick walk from the concert hall back to my car
without being winded, tired, or robbed. (Sorry, but as a fat,
middle-aged, well-dressed male in that part of town I felt like I had a
sign on my back that said "Mug me.")

During his remarks before the concert, Maestro Robert Franz commented
that the main work on the program, Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony #5,
was written by a man who had terrible problems to overcome.
Shostakovich had, a few months before the symphony was written, been
attacked in the Soviet press - see
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mn200/music...a-article.html
for the article itself. The 5th is Shostakovich's best known, and
arguably best, work. The instant popularity the work generated restored
Shostakovich to the good graces of Stalin and the Party loyalists. The
composer overcame his problems in this instance. And, as I was
listening to the last movement of the symphony high up in the balcony,
I couldn't help but think that I had something in common with Dmitri.

Neil
385/281/220

Beverly wrote:
The Historian wrote:
Last night I attended a concert by the Reading Symphony Orchestra. It's
the first time I've been out to a concert in a number of years. It was
a triumph, not only for the RSO and guest conductor Robert Franz, but
myself as well. Here's my list of non-scale victories:


Sounds like a wonderful evening minus the parking situation.

Even that was cardio!

I love to hear about the NSV people experience in their weight loss
journey. Many concentrate so much on the number on the scale that they
fail to celebrate these types of victories along the way.

It's the small victories that we should celebrate. Nothing on my list
was an out of the ordinary event, aside from the fact it happened at a
concert. But it had been a long time since it had happened to me. I
hadn't attended a concert since 2001 - that was at Philadelphia's
Academy of Music. Oh, those narrow seats! :-)

I never had a large amount of weight to lose but one of the things I
can remember is being able to bend over and tie my shoes without
feeling uncomfortable.

Oh, a new goal! Thanks, Beverly!

Neil
385/281/220