November 22

Post 1004, Day 326 of 2013
- and 1056 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

First time playing with i am Fool since September 7. This was at the Westcott Theater, one of the premiere showcases in Syracuse. Unfortunately, it was just a 'Battle of the Bands' type gig, and the merits of the performance (pretty damn good, IMHO, especially considering the more than ten weeks' hiatus) have nothing to do with the outcome, which is based, overwhelmingly, on the amount of tickets sold to band supporters at the show.

I suspect we will not move on to the finals. But, even if we actually win the contest (terribly unlikely), since the venue expects opening acts to buy and re-sell tickets to justify their booking, it is unlikely we will ever play there. Still, tonight cost us nothing (we did, individually, buy tickets to ensure we would have some representation in the voting, but, as a band, we played for free and no cost), and it was, possibly, our only chance to play together until next year. 

Sigh. The important thing was, that it felt great playing with the band again. I've been pining...

In other musical matters, things are moving forward with Chad: we seem to have found a good, available drummer for Chad Bradshaw Blues. That will make a few more gigs possible, and that unit already has four dates in December (two as a duet and two as a trio.

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 Food and Diet Section

2013 Daily Weight

Today's Weight:         209.2 lbs

Previous Weight:        209.8 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:     -  0.6 lbs

Diet Comment

That's better. Too bad about the gigantic late-night, post-Jameson's high-carb (but good carbs!) snack. But, you know, hey. Sometimes shit happens when I drink a little and I'm tired.

Food Log 

Breakfast
A cacao-kale-hemp-chia protein shake (almond milk, kale, a large egg, raw organic cacao powder, hemp seeds, chia gel, whey powder (24g protein), cinnamon, psyllium and stevia-inulin blend).

Lunch

Roasted turkey breast sandwich with cole slaw on coconut Paleo bread, and a salad of Spring Mix greens and cole slaw mix with balsamic vinaigrette.

Dinner

At Menaj Middle Eastern Restaurant:

I don't know what this plate was actually called - C-something-I-couldn't-pronounce - I just ordered it based on the ingredients: Hummus, falafel, grilled marinated and spice-rubbed beef tips and a a salad (pita bread not shown). Delicious. Extra falafel (also not shown) was supplied, gratis.

Snack

Ezekiel 4:9 Golden Flax sprouted grain cereal with blueberries, almond milk and stevia-inulin blend. Not shown: Egg salad on Ezekiel 4:9 Golden Flax sprouted grain bread.

Liquid Intake

   Coffee:  24 oz.   Water: 100+ oz.

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November 21

Post 1003, Day 325 of 2013
- and 1055 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

Still bonking at random times.

Good news: I had my Year End 2013 Evaluation today. All's well.

It wouldn't actually be news at all, except for the fact that it means that in two weeks, when I reach my third anniversary hear at Veterans Affairs, I am no longer a conditional employee, will be vested in my retirement plans and the employer contributions, and will be very hard to fire.

Good news, huh?

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 Food and Diet Section

2013 Daily Weight

Today's Weight:         209.8 lbs

Previous Weight:        209.6 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:     +  0.2 lbs

Diet Comment

I attribute not losing weight to the late-night carb-fest yesterday. Today was better.

Food Log 

Breakfast
Skipped.

Lunch

Dal Tadka (lentil curry), spinach and scrambled (large, organic) eggs.

Dinner

Wild-caught salmon on coconut Paleo bread with cole slaw and a salad of Spring Mix greens and kale with balsamic vinaigrette.

Snack

A cacao-kale protein shake (almond milk, kale, raw organic cacao powder, whey powder (30g protein) and stevia-inulin blend).

Liquid Intake

   Coffee:  28 oz.   Water: 120+ oz.

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November 20

Post 1002, Day 324 of 2013
- and 1054 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

I am surprised by how severely this last trip to LA has messed up my internal clock. But messed up it is.

I think my ability to recover - from anything that unbalances my system - is in decline. That's age, I guess. 

I have been having trouble getting to sleep, then falling asleep suddenly. It has been very difficult to haul my ass out of bed in the morning. I don't wake up feeling refreshed. And I've been clocking fewer sleep hours, as well.

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 Food and Diet Section

2013 Daily Weight

Today's Weight:         209.6 lbs

Previous Weight:        210.6 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:     -  1.0 lbs

Diet Comment

I think the weight will come off nicely over the next few days. Then, Thanksgiving.

Oh, my!

Food Log 

Breakfast
Skipped.

Lunch

At the New Century Vietnamese Restaurant:

Beef Pho and a salad of bean sprouts, carrots and fresh basil.

Dinner

Egg salad on coconut paleo bread and a salad of Spring Mix greens, kale and cole slaw mix with balsamic vinaigrette.

Snack

Ezekiel 4:9 Golden Flax sprouted grain cereal with blueberries, almond milk and stevia-inulin blend.

Liquid Intake

   Coffee:  28 oz.   Water: 72+ oz. And a shot of Jameson's.

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November 19

Post 1001, Day 323 of 2013
- and 1053 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

This is post one thousand and one! It's a day later, but the day after my return home, my first day back to work since vacation, was frantic, and I didn't get a chance to weigh myself.

So it goes.

I had a great vacation. Quite a bit of quality time with Alex and a lot of fun, and enough downtime to not get exhausted, thanks to a couple of illnesses among my friends out there this trip out.

Here are links to some photos I took while there:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/revken/sets/72157637864592175/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/revken/sets/72157637865363374/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/revken/sets/72157637864858265/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/revken/sets/72157637864921055/

Now I'm back, and immediately, my workstation has managed to commit suicide in my absence, so there isn't much I can do on the job; but I have to be there since I have no idea when the replacement computer will come.

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 Food and Diet Section

2013 Daily Weight

Today's Weight:         210.6 lbs

Previous Weight:        209.0 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:     +  1.6 lbs

Diet Comment

It was kind of nice, going 11 days without weighing in. Or accounting for all my food. But that's over. My best guesses of my weight while I was in LA are above. I ate well, but did include bread many times, so was often off-plan. Also, lots of protein bars, as 'emergency' food when there was nothing close to on-plan food at hand.

Food Log 

Breakfast
Skipped.

Lunch

A cacao-kale-hemp-chia protein shake (almond milk, kale, a large egg, raw organic cacao powder, hemp seeds, chia gel, whey powder (24g protein), cinnamon, psyllium and stevia-inulin blend).

Dinner

Chili (grass-fed beef, black beans, tomatoes, chili spice) with cole slaw and broccoli (steamed, with butter and herbs).

Snack

The rest of the chili.

Liquid Intake

   Coffee:  28 oz.   Water: 80+ oz.

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November 8

Post 1000, Day 312 of 2013
- and 1042 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

It's a travel day - always exciting. The trip was pretty smooth, beginning at 11:45, when my friend Al picked me up and took me to lunch, then to the airport.

It had snowed, and was snowing slightly when I boarded the jet to New York City. I checked in with Facebook and mentioned that the season's first snow seemed like a great day to fly to sunny, warm Los Angeles, even if the sleet building up on the jet's portholes was a little worrying.

My fortune cookie told me I made impossible things possible (cognitive dissonance, anyone). I told Al, at least it didn't warn me not to fly. 

After a three-hour layover in beautiful Terminal 5, JFK Airport, it was six-and-a-half hours in the air, and I landed at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank - my first time at that airport. There, I got my exercise carrying my bags from the gate at one end of the airport to the Hertz rental booth at the extreme other (this is literal: I walked from the tarmac past the terminal into one end of the terminal, walked completely to the other end of that building, and walked outside to within fifty yards of the airport exit; it was at least a mile).

Within an hour from touch-down, I was hanging with Alex. 

Oh, and this is my thousandth posting! Number 1001 will come in 10 days.

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 Food and Diet Section

December 31, 2012 to November 7, 2013 Daily Weight

Today's Weight:         209.0 lbs

Yesterday's Weight:     209.0 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:     -  0.0 lbs

Diet Comment

I didn't weigh myself. The day's eating was crazy, consisting of a bit of overindulgence at lunch - and then, large quantities of off-plan foods during the trip. The only almost-healthy part was the protein bars I brought, which I used instead of sweets during the twelve-and-a-half hours I spent at airline terminals, or in jets.I ended the day with a salad eaten in a bar in Sherman Oaks.

 Next weight/diet update will be November 18

Food Log 

Breakfast
A cacao-kale-hemp-chia protein shake (almond milk, kale, a large egg, raw organic cacao powder, hemp seeds, chia seeds, whey powder (24g protein), cinnamon, psyllium and stevia-inulin blend).

Lunch

At Ling-Ling's Chinese Buffet and Grill:

Brussels sprouts (pictured, but hard-boiled eggs were substituted this time), kimchee, and, from the "Mongolian Grill", my go-to dish, pork and chicken with cabbage, onions, mushrooms, green peppers and broccoli. This is the same picture, as always, but this time, there were variations. Besides the hard-boiled eggs substitution, I had a plate of pastries at the end of the meal, to formally start my vacation.

Snack

A protein bar. Followed by a bunch of in-flight nut mixes. And another protein bar.

Dinner

At a bar in Sherman Oaks, whose name I didn't get: A chopped Mediterranean salad.

Liquid Intake

   Coffee:  16 oz.   Water: 84+ oz. One Blood Mary, in-flight.

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November 7

Post 999, Day 311 of 2013
- and 1041 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

Just after four-thirty this afternoon, my vacation began. I celebrated with a visit to J.'s stage adaptation of Reservoir Dogs, and it was 'way beyond excellent. It was, in every way, excellent. Written, acted, set, and directed well. A great production. J. did the directing, as well as the writing.

Bravo!

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 Food and Diet Section

2013 Daily Weight

Today's Weight:         209.0 lbs

Yesterday's Weight:     207.4 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:      + 1.6 lbs

Diet Comment

Desserts owe me over a pound-and-a-half. Or I owe a lack of desserts that much. Or something. I was hoping to start my vacation at a lower weight, but didn't follow through with any actions, and put on over five pounds in the last two days, Oh, my!

Food Log 

Breakfast
A cacao-kale-hemp-chia protein shake (almond milk, kale, a large egg, raw organic cacao powder, hemp seeds, chia seeds, whey powder (24g protein), cinnamon, psyllium and stevia-inulin blend).

Lunch

Scrambled eggs and a Spring Mix, cole slaw blend, black bean salad with balsamic vinaigrette.

Snack

A protein bar

Dinner

At Ruby Tuesday's (near the theater): Blackened tilapia and spaghetti squash, with salad bar (including pasta salad - big fail).

Snack

A protein bar

Liquid Intake

   Coffee:  28 oz.   Water: 112+ oz.

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November 6

Post 998, Day 310 of 2013
- and 1040 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

Today was marked only by building excitement for my trip to LA, which begins on Friday.

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 Food and Diet Section

2013 Daily Weight

Today's Weight:         207.4 lbs

Yesterday's Weight:     204.0 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:      + 3.4 lbs

Diet Comment

Yesterday's big lunch fail, combined with a late, high-carb snack, and, "Bam!" three-plus pounds appear like magic.

Food Log 

Breakfast
Skipped.

Lunch

At Ling-Ling's Chinese Buffet and Grill:

Brussels sprouts, kimchee, and, from the "Mongolian Grill", my go-to dish, pork and chicken with cabbage, onions, mushrooms, green peppers and broccoli. Yes, it's the same meal I always have here, and yes, the same picture, too.

Dinner

At Eskapes Lounge:

Grilled pangasius with sauteed vegetables (what the chef called 'the kitchen sink'). Not shown: Lentil soup and spinach salad (appetizer); banana bread and oatmeal-cranberry cookie (dessert).

Liquid Intake

   Coffee:  8 oz.   Water: 120+ oz.  and a healthy glass of Merlot.

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November 5

Post 997, Day 309 of 2013
- and 1039 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

I'm not big on complaining. In fact, I find it difficult. For many years I had a friend in North Carolina who complained about everything. Most of the time, he did it with great humor, claiming there is an art to complaining. Ultimately, it grew tiresome.

For me, complaining is linked to fear. I never complain when I don't want to show fear. And, of course, that means I complain rarely, because who wants to be seen as fearful? 

But complaining sometimes is merely reportage. When I describe a situation that seems to be a negative in my life. When I feel like a victim, even if only a victim of circumstance.  If any emotion accompanies my report, it is a complaint.

And, of course, complaining is useless. Feeling like a victim is useless. It is an illusion. It has little to do with the present, which is not unfolding events - it has one foot in the future.

When you are 'present' there are no complaints.

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 Food and Diet Section

2013 Daily Weight

Today's Weight:         204.0 lbs

Yesterday's Weight:     204.0 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:      - 0.0 lbs

Diet Comment

I expected to gain a little after the last two low- and no-calorie days and yesterday's resumption of eating. But no.

Food Log 

Breakfast
A cacao-kale-hemp-chia protein shake (almond milk, kale, a large egg, raw organic cacao powder, hemp seeds, chia gel, whey powder (24g protein), cinnamon, psyllium and stevia-inulin blend).

Lunch

At the VA Behavioral Unit Veterans Appreciation Ceremony: veggie pizza and cookies. (Big fail). But I was cold, performing outside under a tent that made it colder, thanks to the shade. I had a craving for cheap calories.

Snack

Protein bar.

Dinner

Italian-style chicken sausage (with onions and peppers) with cole slaw and a salad of Spring Mix greens and black beans with creamy balsamic dressing.

Snack

Ezekiel 4:9 Golden Flax sprouted grain cereal with blueberries, almond milk and stevia-inulin blend. Not Shown: Coconut Paleo bread with guacamole.

Liquid Intake

   Coffee:  28 oz.   Water: 120+ oz.

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