Cassone2007's YouTube Channel Invitational

Happy Holidays! Season's Greetings!

I invite you to check out my YouTube channel, watch a few webisodes and perhaps Subscribe.

I promise I will also check out your channel and Sub you too.

This is an online, networking event...which you can do from the comfort of home.

Check out http://www.youtube.com/cassone2007

Please Rate, Comment, Subscribe & Share - Thank You!

Highlights from the channel include some of my photography, poetry, the online reality series Getting Ready NOW in it's 9th season, the 2009 Cassone Channel Honors, and two new series Spotlight Showcase and In Memoriam.

There is a little something for everyone.

I look forward to sharing and watching your works of art as well.

Best wishes,Cassone

When Pebbles Get in Your Way, a new poem by Antonio Cassone

When Pebbles Get in Your Way

Days come and go;
Problems, stress, lives in disarray.
You think you know all there is to know
Yet finding you know not much of anything at all

Debt collectors calling
Telling them little lies
Day by day time constantly goes on
Realizations creep up that it is passing you by

Murder suicides, a robbery, a drive-by on the express
Killed a mother and a baby, two teenagers too
Wondering why people commit such acts only to confess
Must be some kind of new finagled voodoo

Rushing all about, wishing Monday to be Friday again
Then when the weekend comes you get too tired to really do
Haven't taken a nice, long walk since I don't know when
Or sat down to write some really good haiku

At a gray bus stop,
Winter's blistering cold bite
Takes my breath away.

Gossiping mouths chatter about in hallways
Traffic sounds interrupt sweet, sweet music
People shove through after work errands
All so they can get a taste of liquor ...quicker

Those bills, their ills, lies and deceit
Newsmen seem to be laughing as they speak
Soon, before you know it, the day is ending
And then another, and another ...then a week

Weeks turn to months, and months to years
And if you're lucky, suddenly - you're old
Looking back, you wonder what happened all this time
Life seems in a haze, but be not bitter or bold

It is the times in which we live in
Through it all, do it all - before you're through
Learn yourself; teach it, express it, give it
Don't get caught up in the trivial things people do

Those problems or life issues are not mountains
They're not stones, or even bricks
Look at them as pebbles just at life's gateway
In a process leading to a brighter, fuller day

Breathe easy, as you walk along your journey
Learn from it; teach it, express it and give it
A pebble is easier to pick up or move
Than a mountain of stone

Lessons in life are nothing more than pebbles, you see
When pebbles get in your way
Pick them up; throw them, kick them or move them
And be on your merry little way

© 2009 Antonio Cassone - All Rights Reserved

from the upcoming poetry & essay book, Ramblings from the Ragged Edge - due out November 2009

Long Time Coming (and a Long Way to Go)

Log the date - it was 8/15/09.

Ok...to answer Meach's question from earlier about how much weight I have lost and what my goal is...

I was at a friends before the show last night and GUESS what in Sam's name was there on the floor before me...?

A SCALE... Ugh.

So, since I have been feeling svelte these days, I said, "...mmmm, why not?"

I was nervous at first...only because it has been 5+ years since I have been under 350lbs...everytime I went to my Doc - nada...'oh well' we'd say & carry on with my program.

He advised me to not get on a scale till I see him in September, BUT that was only because he felt I was too discouraged.

See, back in January, I was hospitalized overnight after thinking I was having a heart attack. I had this sharp pain on the left side of my neck, my fingers were tingly and this shooting pain went up and down my arm.

Well, thankfully, THAT was due to a pinched nerve (no picnic either, but better than the alternative). It was just where it was, and my doctor (who came down the next morning to visit me personally IN the hospital - who's doctor does that anymore? MINE does...heehee). BUT it got me to thinking... I thought, what IF...people will say I 'had it coming' or (Lord forbid) died because I was fat.

"Well, you know, Antonio was kinda fat?" And the snowball of jokes consuming my mind swirled ... and I thought, enough is enough...

Foregoing false pride, I also need to do this FOR ME. Let's face it, I will be 40 next year the good Lord willing. Besides, I have overcome a lot in my life. Why not fight this battle too? And conquer it!

WHEN I was there I finally was able to find out my weight, as they had a scale that registered a weight over 350 lbs.

I weighed 368 lbs back in January 2009.

My doctor and I were pleased...mainly because we FINALLY knew my actual weight and could gauge it AND I wasn't over 400 lbs like I had originally thought. AND..because of the pinched nerve they ran every test under the sun for my ticker, which showed it was doing fabulously - which also told my doctor and I that we could carry on with my program - and add a bit of exercise in.

Flash forward to April 2009, I was at the same friend's house I was at last night and he had two scales there. I weighed myself on one and it said 356lbs. I was delirious with joy...so I got on the other scale to confirm it and it registered 356 lbs.... We were both excited..., but not for long because something was telling me something wasn't quite right.

Sure enough, 356 was the highest most standard bathroom scales go - or so it seemed. I was over it!

So, not sure about my progress or not, I carried on.

Since then, I went on and off my program several times, but the gaps between have been less each time.

I still hear from my good friends, all of you are tagged in this note - THANK YOU for encouraging me, keep it up. Whether you have said something(s) to me in the past, showed me by example with how you live or are in my life right now at work, the shows, even one of you I met here on Facebook... at one time or another something you said or did encouraged me to get to where I am today - and to continue on this path.

Most were nice, and some were actually a bit hard to take, but what has helped me the most are the nice re-enforcements, not the 'you should take this diet' or 'you should take the stairs' or ' you shouldn't eat that.' That drives me the furthest away.

Yes, I do still eat Pizza (had one this week, but split it into three meals - instead of one).

Yes, I take the elevator at work. My knees are shot and while the hips move well on stage, they don't do so well on concrete stairs...but I do take the stairs occasionally (I used to never take them at all).

I exchanged my hot fudge, swirly, french Vanilla ice cream thingy to Lowfat frozen Strawberry Yogurt...

I started lifting weights again (haven't done that since I was in my 20s).

Baby steps...have led to where I am now and will carry me further.

My doc has been awesome too, wanting me to lose my weight slowly, because I have sworn off lap band, tummy tuck, liposuction.. No way. No how are they going to cut this one over here.

THIS WEEK

First of all, I moved over to my fourth notch on my belt EVERY DAY this week. That, in and of itself, was monumental only because it didn't take long for the first advances across my waistline (1st to 2nd then 2nd to 3rd), but this notch was difficult and long to get to. I am there now - and it feels great.

Then, Saturday night before the show there I was in my friends living room, sipping a cocktail, when I glanced over and saw the scale...

I acted almost on impulse...

I got on and did a double take...

He looked and grinned, saying "No F-in' way!'

I got off, got on again.

I took off my padding for the show to see if the number I was seeng would nudge down, and it did.

He handed me a steel framed chair to hold to see if the figure on the scale went up some more - it did.
Off again, on again - and repeat to confirm...and...

I weigh 344 lbs.

24 lbs lost since the end of January.

It is a good start.

It isn't a lot, but that is about what my doctor had planned for me.

We want a measured...timely weight loss, to keep it off.

This is very exciting and I am so glad I braved it and went ahead and weighed in.

It gives me something to go by now, when for so long I was in the dark.

Thanks to all of my support team, I will keep at it over here.

It's very simple, I know - I just wanted you to know that FINALLY (after so many years) I actually DO know how much I weigh ...and it's under the 350 mark.

That will be nice to keep it that ways and go down the scale even more in time for my doctor's visit in September.

I may have to bring my video camera for that one.