As previously mentioned, I had four benchmark (reward) levels for my weight loss. 45, 65, 85 and 105 lbs., respectively.

First one down. And then some. On my way to the next!

Things are going well here. Not as much writing as I'd like, but I'm not stressing about it. It'll get there. I need to do some arranging in my life in order to get to the point where I have the time I need, but it'll come. I've done it before. I used to wake at 4:00 a.m. every morning while living in Seattle in order to get in a couple of hours before work each day. The trick is simply to find the time of day that works best with the new schedule while still having enough time to do the other things in life I enjoy.

And oh yeah, only a couple of weeks until the iPhone hits the shelves. It's way too expensive and I can't really justify running out and buying the phone the minute it's available, but it will be mine, oh yes, it will be mine. There's just no way this year will finish without one of those puppies in my pocket.

And while I'm on the subject of Apple, poor Steve Jobs is taking quite a beating this morning after his WWDC '07 keynote address. I really do feel for the guy. After the last keynote where he introduced the iPhone--anticipated, rumored, lusted after for at least three years by Apple fanboys--there was no way he could present anything that would have lived up to the expectations of Apple fans or Wall Street, for that matter (stock dropped about $4.00 a share yesterday). But the things he did introduce were great news for Apple devotees. I guess that's the blessing and the curse of being an Apple user: We've got it so good. The products Apple puts on the shelves are superior to anything on the market and we get used to being wowed with every new toy coming out of Cupertino. The curse, of course, being that because of this, expectations are always high. Microsoft users sit on the sidelines with each new release, hoping the new version won't crash their machine. Apple users wait on each new release expecting it to transform the way we work and to make us breakfast while it's at it. If Microsoft meets half its expectations, the launch is a success. If Apple doesn't beat expectations, the launch is a failure. It's tough to live up to those kind of standards, particularly when you set the standards yourself.

But that's a nice place for a company to be. For those of you who wonder why Apple users can be so passionate about their machines, this should give you a slight idea of how the world works outside of Redmond, WA.

The best line in the keynote was when Steve Jobs announced that Leopard--the new OSX operating system--would come in different versions. The basic version, for $129.00. The Business version, for $129.00. The Enterprise version, for $129.00, and the Premium version, for $129.00. They think most people will buy the Premium version. It was a nice swipe at Vista, and it drew a lot of chuckles from the audience. I know people get upset when Apple takes shots at Windows, but I mean really, EVERYONE takes shots at Windows. It's called business.

And if there's one thing Apple has shown it knows, it's business.

Joseph Haines, signing off from The Edge of the Abyss.