How did he get loose last time? Remember to implement multiple levels of security: cuffs, cage, electronic basement door lock, surveillance cameras, etc. He won't get away again. ?

@OwlInASack it’s very difficult....things are so different from 25 years ago

That sounds like a pretty normal man! Your body is your temple, you should take care of it, it will last longer and cost less to repair. Respect and kindness comes from unresolved childhood issues. That is a hard one when an adult comes with that. Hiking is the best (Jeeping is close second and usually go hand in hand). Cooking - you have to feed that body. Most of the food in this country is junk, you should want to cook just to stay alive!

@AlexRam

In America today, 3/4 of men are overweight or obese (and 2/3 of women.) This is the new normal.

I'm dating a fit, kind man who also loves hiking. Although Nick claims to know how to cook, I have done all of the cooking so far. I cook at home from scratch with whole fruits and vegetables and organic, natural, lean meat. Also make whole-grain bread.

Nick agreed to cook dinner for me last night. Instead, he brought disgusting fast food from Panda Express. Ick. From the high salt content, I felt dehydrated after eating it. "Is Panda Express bad for you?" I asked Google after Nick left.

Panda Express "meat" is processed and pre-cooked with high salt and fat content. The sauces contain chemicals and high sodium.

Possible short-term side effects:

water retention due to excessive sodium intake
dehydration due to excessive sodium intake
lethargy due to spikes in blood sugar levels

Possible long-term side effects:

weight gain
coronary heart disease
stroke
kidney disease
hypertension
diabetes
cancer

@AlexRam

"Respect and kindness comes from unresolved childhood issues." I disagree. Unresolved childhood issues often result in resentment and anger.

Showing respect and kindness is a daily series of decisions.

@LiterateHiker I think it does but i love to debate. You teach your kids respect and kindness when you are raising them. I for instance never punish or hit my kids yet they are cooperative. Kids learn how to be good adults through their parents and too many times they copy the good and the bad. I see that with my kids and their friends, the super kind kids usually have super kind parents. The no so nice kids have stressed out parents. For instance my son once gift wrapped one of his favorite toys and I asked him why he was doing it. He was 8 at the time and he said one of his friends at school broke his arm and he thought giving him something would make him feel better. My heart melted. Acts of kindness need to be taught. Some unfortunately never have that opportunity from their parents or surroundings.
Of course I am sure there are exceptions to the norm.

@AlexRam

Agreed. Parents are role models for their children at all times. This was the hardest part of being a parent for me. We send a message with everything we do and say, and with our silence and inaction. Ignoring bad behavior sends a clear message.

My parents never spanked us; we never spanked our daughter Claire.

Starting when she was five, we took Claire to the homeless shelter to serve Thanksgiving dinner. Encouraged her to volunteer.

At 28, Claire is a loving, kind, funny person who is greatly loved by her friends, I learned at her wedding in September 2018.

The photo collage was my Mother's Day gift when Claire was 23. Claire made it on her Iphone. I treasure it.

@LiterateHiker I agree Panda is gross. I have to eat out a lot because I travel a lot around the world. The US is the only place where I have a hard time finding healthy options to eat.
The problem starts young like many issues. I do not allow my kids to eat the school lunches, they are gross, low in nutrients. My kids spent a month in France at school and when I asked them what they liked, the lunches was one of the things they mentioned. They said they had to lay and clear the table, that the food came in dishes like at home and that all the kids shared equally without the need for portions.
Now that you see the calories in a lot of restaurants, it makes you run for the hill. I just had a business dinner this week at Ruth Chris Steakhouse. If I was to have an appetizer, a main course and a desert, I would be having 4000+ calories. That is insane. and 5-10X my salt intake.
You are definitely doing the right thing. Even the food I buy (Organic etc) does not really have a lot of taste compared to what I grow at home (luckily it supplies me close to 50% of my needs).

@LiterateHiker This is lovely thanks for sharing.

@MissKathleen

I plan to tell Nick. "My 93-year-old mother loves Panda Express," Nick said last night. Alarm bells.