#2357: Thursday, October 3: Taking a day

Post 2357

- 8 years and 276 days since I started this blog -

  

Daily Comment

Still feeling a little punked-out from yesterday's brief excursion, I took another day, and was rewarded with feeling better through the evening.

My resting has left me with nothing to say.

Be kind.

I am still grateful for my amazing life.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    198.5 lbs.

Previous Weight (10/2/19):         199.5 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 1.0 lbs.

Diet Comment

No change? No comment. Except for this: I'm happy to be at the weight I'm at.

Food Log

Breakfast
Skipped. 

Lunch
8:30pm:

LEO (Lox, eggs and onions) on a salad (arugula, chard, kale, red cabbage, spinach, bacon, walnuts, balsamic vinaigrette).

Dinner
1:15am: Grilled cheese on Ezekiel 4:9 Flax sprouted grains bread with guacamole, cottage cheese, and two Quest bars.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 2;   Coffee: 16 oz.;  Water: 92+ oz.;

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#2356: Wednesday, October 2: Too soon

Post 2356

- 8 years and 275 days since I started this blog -

  

Daily Comment

I have been sick in bed the last week, and I was anxious to go out and play.

I seem to have jumped the gun on that.

I took it easy during the day. I was feeling mostly better,  the worst of my complaints being a pulled muscle in my side (from coughing to hard, spasmodically).

There were some signs that I might not be ready: First, my nose started running about a half hour after I got to Shifty's. Second, I wasn't thirsty, and should have been.

I did a good set, though.

But I felt totally overheated when it was done. 

I tried to hang in for a second set, but began to feel a little feverish, my runny nose also got worse.

I went home, plopped down in the recliner, drank some water, and within a few minutes, all my symptoms were gone.

I had done right by myself.

I am grateful for listening to my body.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    199.5 lbs.

Previous Weight (10/1/19):         199.5 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     + 0.0 lbs.

Diet Comment

No change? No comment. Except for this: I'm happy to be at the weight I'm at.

Food Log

Breakfast
Skipped. 

Lunch
8:40pm: 

Greens (spinach and kale), eggs, salmon and bacon with onions, peppers, hemp seeds and chia seeds.

Dinner
1:05am: Pepperoni and a Quest bar.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 2;   Coffee: 0 oz.;  Water: 64+ oz.; and a shot of Jameson's Irish whiskey

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Thank you!

#2355: Tuesday, October 1: Income Factory

Post 2355

- 8 years and 274 days since I started this blog -

  

Daily Comment

The income factory style of investing that I use is difficult to understand for people who are only familiar with 'conventional' capital-style stock investing.

The goal of traditional investing is to increase the amount of capital, and minimize any capital losses.

The income factory seeks to employ capital for immediate income, with an eye towards increasing the income over capital appreciation.

I developed this style of investing on my own, then found out it was a known style and had a name: Income Factory. 

Basically it consists of buying stocks that pay dividends, then reinvesting those dividends to compound payout growth and create larger dividends.

In this scenario, as long as the dividend is paid, it is actually an advantage when the stock price goes down, since dividends are paid in cash, and reinvesting makes us net buyers, for whom a lower share price allows us to buy more shares. 

Basically, you're creating an annuity for yourself. The income factory 'manufactures' income in the form of these dividend payouts, which are recurring.

It is also a fact that over time, dividend stocks give a better total return than stocks without dividends. 

As lucky as I am, I started my income factory portfolio at the beginning of the longest all-time bull market in history. As a result, I have seen my capital grow by almost 9% a year since 2009. More importantly, my portfolio now yields 10% a year, more than $15,000 each year, in dividends. It is, effectively, an income stream I can tap without touching the principal that generates it.

This is an important point. I don't know of any other investment that you don't have to reduce the principal to take your profits.

I am, as I said, extremely lucky. I 'fell into' this, and it looks like it is going to serve me well going forward.

I couldn't be more grateful.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    199.5 lbs.

Previous Weight (9/30/19):         197.3 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     + 2.2 lbs.

Diet Comment

Well, lose a kilo, gain a kilo. I knew, when I had a meal of cottage cheese and pepperoni last night, and ended up drinking more water than on any day in the past week, that my weight would be up. That's a bit of a shocking amount, though. Oh, well, it comes and goes.

Food Log

Breakfast
5:30pm, at CoreLife: Shiitake mushroom and Roasted Tofu broth bowl: Chicken bone broth, shiitake mushrooms, napa cabbage, shredded kale, roasted tofu, sprouts, ginger, lemongrass, sliced almonds.

Lunch
10:55pm: Pepperoni and cole slaw and a Quest bar.

Dinner
1:10am: LEO (lox, eggs and onions) on riced cauliflower and a Quest bar.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 2;   Coffee: 0 oz.;  Water: 70+ oz.;

 Please leave a comment when you visit my blog.
Thank you!

#2354: Monday, September 30: The achievement of the month

Post 2354

- 8 years and 273 days since I started this blog -

  

Daily Comment

And I am still sick, as a result of which, I don't have much to say.

Except that today I was feeling better than I have since last Wednesday.

I am Fool is rehearsing tomorrow, I won't go out until I eat before that, more than likely at CoreLife Eatery, for more chicken bone broth.

I did find out my insurance will cover the entire cost of my new hearing aids. That's a big financial victory. 

Today, I completed my September challenge for writing three pages (750+ words) every day in September. It was actually thirty-three days in a row. I am doing this as a sort of therapy - as they say on the introduction to the site, It's hard to write three pages off-the-cuff and not have a bit of your subconscious come out.

The first month's writing has done that. My writing style is very much what you see in the daily comments, but I think my writing 'voice' has gained some strength and clarity. My writing has also triggered some insights and many long-forgotten memories. It's been fun. Tomorrow I start my October challenge. I'm going to see if I can run my days of consecutive writing to sixty-four. 

And I've also been keeping up with my Duolingo Spanish lessons. I have a fifty-five day streak going there. With my new hearing aids, I'm a little encouraged to be understanding the verbal parts better.

I am grateful to be able to engage in these things like this.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    197.3 lbs.

Previous Weight (9/27/19):         197.9 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 0.6 lbs.

Diet Comment

Sick weekend spent not going out, eating a lot of meals whose main component was chicken bone broth (more than 54 ounces of it) and voilá, a half-pound loss to bring me within a pound and a half of my low weight of the year.

Food Log

Breakfast
4:30pm:

Scrambled eggs and bacon on chopped salad (arugula, chard, kale, red cabbage, spinach, walnuts, shaved parmesan, balsamic vinaigrette).

Lunch
8:40pm: Cottage cheese and pepperoni and a Quest bar.

Dinner
12:15am: Buttered slice of Ezekiel 4:9 Flax sprouted grain toast, brussel sprouts and a Quest bar.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 2;   Coffee: 0 oz.;  Water: 84+ oz.;

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Thank you!

#2353: Friday, September 27: Still sick. Ugh.

Post 2353

- 8 years and 270 days since I started this blog -

  

Daily Comment

I am still under the weather, as the euphemism for feeling too shitty to get out of bed goes.

I have been taking Advil for Allergies, hoping for a little relief (I am getting a little relief).

My throat is still sore. I have been coughing so much my ribs hurt and I have pulled a muscle in my back (may or may not be related). I have a runny nose (the AfA really did help a little with that).

My only accomplishment today was to go out and pick up a prescription and go to CoreLife Eatery for some chicken bone broth. 

At home, I did manage to do all my daily computer tasks (it now takes almost two hours of actual attentive time to do that - but given my attention span, the real elapsed time is much longer).

I haven't gone out to play since I walked out of practice around 7:30pm Wednesday night, and I probably won't go out tomorrow. 

That's the state of affairs with me.

I am still grateful for my amazing life.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    197.9 lbs.

Previous Weight (9/26/19):         200.1 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 2.2 lbs.

Diet Comment

After losing more than two pounds yesterday, today I am up just under a pound. So it goes. I'm still below the trend line, at goal weight (for all intents and purposes). I am happy with that.

Food Log

Breakfast
6:00pm, from CoreLife Eatery:

Shiitake mushroom and Roasted Tofu broth bowl: Chicken bone broth, shiitake mushrooms, napa cabbage, shredded kale, roasted tofu, sprouts, ginger, lemongrass, sliced almonds. Fried egg added by me at home. Not shown: A Quest bar.

Lunch
Skipped.

Dinner
Skipped.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 2;   Coffee: 0 oz.;  Water: 64+ oz.

 Please leave a comment when you visit my blog.
Thank you!

#2352: Thursday, September 26: New hearing aids

Post 2352

- 8 years and 269 days since I started this blog -

  

Daily Comment

I got my new hearing aids, and had my initial consult with the online company's audiologist, a doctor in New York City.

My first impressions? She's very pretty. Just kidding (although it's true). The hearing aids are very good, and they are much more advanced than the ones they're replacing.

I won't describe all the bells and whistles, but their iPhone connectivity is the one that's made the strongest impression on me.

The sound quality, as well, is very impressive. I was easily able to hear and understand people for the first time in quite a while. 

My old hearing aids were a once-in-a-lifetime deal, at $2,200 for the pair, a 60% discount. My out of pocket expense after medical insurance refund (I was working at the time I bought them), was $200!

When I called the clinic about replacing them with the same brand at a similar discount, I was told that the discount, wouldn't be available. Suddenly I was looking at a four-thousand-plus dollar expense.

Then I saw an ad for these hearing aids, went to the web-site, and was impressed. They said these hearing aids had everything I wanted, and for less than $1700, delivered, with two years of free financing, two years of any-time audiologist consults, a complete kit of replacement and maintenance parts, and a year's worth of batteries. And a one-hundred day money back guarantee to try them out.

I don't think I'll be returning them.

One of the things that makes me happiest about them, and kind of angry at all my previous audiologists, is that they have a tiny form factor, and do not need molded ear-plugs. This makes them more comfortable and almost invisible when worn, as opposed to what they're replacing.

The anger at previous audiologists comes from having been steered away from this type of hearing aid. I can only assume there was a profit motive involved. I was told that this type would not work for me, I had to have the ear molds (at my additional expense), and the only type that would satisfy me were high-end, high-maintenance and crazy expensive.

Okay. I have a new audiologist, she can fix things on the computer and on my phone. I will go back and get my hearing tested and my old hearing aids will get new tubes and will be reprogrammed. All is forgiven. I'm breathing. 

Speaking of which, I have a cold.

But I'm still grateful.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    200.1 lbs.

Previous Weight (9/25/19):         199.2 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     + 0.9 lbs.

Diet Comment

After losing more than two pounds yesterday, today I am up just under a pound. So it goes. I'm still below the trend line, at goal weight (for all intents and purposes). I am, of course, happy with that.

Food Log

Breakfast
Skipped.

Lunch
10:30pm: Beefburger (organic, grass-fed) with home-made turmeric mayonnaise, and a salad (arugula, chard, kale, spinach, red cabbage, shaved parmesan, walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette.

Dinner
1:05am: A Quest bar.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 2;   Coffee: 0 oz.;  Water: 48+ oz.

 Please leave a comment when you visit my blog.
Thank you!

#2351: Wednesday, September 25: A night off

Post 2351

- 8 years and 268 days since I started this blog -

  

Daily Comment

I take a bunch of pills - herbs, vitamins, a statin - to the tune of about 20 pills, twice a day (most are half-doses taken two times).

Today, one got stuck in my throat for a minute. But I could feel it after I was sure I'd washed it down. Did that ever happen to you? It isn't the first time it's happened to me.

The feeling quickly turned  to pain. I was at a rehearsal when it started spreading into a sore throat. I began feeling generally bad and feverish. I ended the rehearsal early.

I went home feeling badly, and ditched my plans for the rest of the evening (no Shifty's open mic for me).

I had some food (see below) and watched TV. I had a two-hour phone conversation with my friend Jerry, about to depart for Lake Chapala, Mexico.

More TV.

In bed before four in the morning.

No relief.
I can't help but wonder what tragedy I averted by staying home, and what wonderful thing will happen when I feel better.

Grateful to be alive and writing this post.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    199.2 lbs.

Previous Weight (9/24/19):         201.6 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 2.4 lbs.

Diet Comment

Whew! That's a big correction, to the downside.

Food Log

Breakfast
Skipped.

Lunch
8:10pm:

Vegetarian Sloppy Joe (Quorn Grounds, Wegman's Grandpa's Sauce, organic kale and spinach) on top of riced cauliflower. Not shown: a fried egg added and pepperoni.

Dinner
1:25am: Bacon and guacamole sandwich (on Ezekiel 4:9 Flax sprouted grain bread) and a Quest bar with cottage cheese.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 2;   Coffee: 0 oz.;  Water: 68+ oz.;

 Please leave a comment when you visit my blog.
Thank you!