Way back on August 5th, I told the thrilling story of how I went running after finally deciding to try to lose some weight (NOT for my 10 year reunion).

Since that day, I've quietly gone out running all but two nights. Before, it was dramatic in the "I'm about to die" kind of way. Now though, it's a different kind of drama. I'll be running, and people will suddenly start joining along (just like in Forrest Gump), I make up slogans, whatever. We even broke into song the other night, with a dead-on version of "We Are the World". It's been good, and generally pain free. The pounds are melting off like the way the scoop of ice cream melts off the top of Applebee's Sizzling Apple Pie --

No, that's a bad example. It's more like the way the butter melts off that stack of fresh pancakes at IHOP. Yeah, it's like that.

Needless to say, I've had to make some dietary changes as well. While I'm still lacking when it comes to my daily servings of fruits and veggies, the sugary and fatty snacks have been axed from my diet. In fact, most snacking in general has been cut. Cut just like a big piece of cherry pie, with light, flaky crust and a scoop of Cool Whip on top.

So keep an eye out for me, I may just not stop running one night and pass through your town (I was so tempted to say "pass through like lactose through my intestines," but I thought it would be in poor taste). I'll wear an omarphillips.net shirt to be recognizable.

And if you're going to join along, just make sure you know the words to "I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing," because I'm a little tired of "We Are the World." Or bring pastries. We can symbolically "cut" them out of our diets. Then eat them.