November 27

Post 1008, Day 330 of 2013
- and 1060 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

In an article by George Lakoff (the linguistics and neurolinguistics expert), about the New York Times presenting editorials as news on its front page, I came across a few sentences that got me thinking: 

• Because all thought is physical, carried out by neural circuitry, every change in how we understand anything is a brain change...
• A common neuroscience estimate is that about 98 percent of thought is unconscious and automatic, carried out by the neural system. 

Both of these ideas are consistent with both my understanding of how we think and behave and my personal philosophy of what I am and what we humans are.

The important take-away for me is in understanding and judging other people's ideas and behavior when they differ from mine, or my idea of 'right' thinking and acting.

Basically, it says that a persons actions, including what he or she says, reflect more on the persons unconscious than what he or she is aware of and can rationalize.

I am no exception. One difference is that this insight is now built into the way I feel and respond to what other people say and do - I have at least brought that concept to awareness level.

Another thing is that it has changed the way I think about what I say, although sometimes only in hindsight, causing me to clarify or modify what I've said. This, in turn has affected what I say.

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 Food and Diet Section

2013 Daily Weight

Today's Weight:         205.2 lbs

Previous Weight:        206.8 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:      - 1.6 lbs

Diet Comment

Nice loss today - I have almost completely undone vacation 'damage'.

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

Salmon salad on Ezekiel 4:9 Golden Flax sprouted grain bread, with a salad (Spring Mix greens, cole slaw blend, and balsamic vinaigrette).

Dinner
Pepperoni and cole slaw. A bowl of mixed raw almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, dried cranberries and dark chocolate.

Snack

Ezekiel 4:9 Golden Flax sprouted grain cereal with hemp seeds, blueberries, almond milk and stevia-inulin blend. Not shown: Ezekiel 4:9 Golden Flax sprouted grain bread 'buttered' with coconut oil.

Liquid Intake

   Coffee:  24 oz.   Water: 142+ oz.

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November 26

Post 1007, Day 329 of 2013
- and 1059 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

A perfect storm of bad news for my Thanksgiving weekend plans: People are sick, and there's a big storm coming to both Syracuse and New York City.

I'm not going anywhere this weekend.

I called the people I'd told I would be visiting, and then reflected, again, on the futility of planning, which always leads me back to the idea that it isn't that planning is bad or wrong or negative, its just that you can't get attached to your plans - or to the results you're planning for.

You have to always be prepared to let go and - apologies to the cliche police - go with the flow. The silver lining here, such as it is, is that I can continue to feed myself in a way to meet my weight goals - no compromise.

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 Food and Diet Section

2013 Daily Weight

Today's Weight:         206.8 lbs

Previous Weight:        207.4 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:      - 0.6 lbs

Diet Comment

...And so on.

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

A turkey breast sandwich on Ezekiel 4:9 Golden Flax sprouted grain bread with mayonnaise, and a salad of Spring Mix greens, cole slaw blend and balsamic vinaigrette.

Dinner
Chicken with feta and spinach sausage, lentils and sauteed spinach.

Snack

Cole slaw.

Liquid Intake

   Coffee:  30 oz.   Water: 112+ oz.

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November 25

Post 1006, Day 328 of 2013
- and 1058 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

A doctor's visit had a highlight for me: The doctor told me that if it wasn't for my history, he would not consider me diabetic - my blood sugar has been well-controlled for more than a year now.

That's enough news for a day.

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 Food and Diet Section

2013 Daily Weight

Today's Weight:         207.4 lbs

Previous Weight:        207.8 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:      - 0.4 lbs

Diet Comment

Weight is coming off satisfactorily. A last-minute dinner invitation (an unnecessary bribe to rehearse) meant dinner and a late-night snack/second dinner.

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 seeds, whey powder (24g protein), cinnamon, psyllium and stevia-inulin blend).

Dinner
At Chad's: Turkey chili with beans and a mixed salad.

Snack

Chili (grass-fed beef, red kidney beans, tomatoes and chili spices) with peas. Not shown: cole slaw. 

Liquid Intake

   Coffee:  24 oz.   Water: 92+ oz.

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November 24

Post 1005, Day 327 of 2013
- and 1057 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

Lazy day today. Didn't do a thing, never left the apartment.

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 Food and Diet Section

2013 Daily Weight

Today's Weight:         207.8 lbs

Previous Weight:        208.6 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:      - 0.8 lbs

Diet Comment

It is official: I am welcoming back sprouted grains to my eating plan.

Food Log 

Breakfast
Skipped.

Lunch

Skipped.

Dinner

Chili (grass-fed beef, red kidney beans, tomatoes and chili spices) with peas. Not shown: cole slaw and a slice of Ezekiel 4:9 Golden Flax sprouted grain toast.

Snack

Cole slaw and hard-boiled eggs.

Liquid Intake

   Coffee:  24 oz.   Water: 72+ oz.

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November 23

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

Daily Comment

The first big snow day of the year, and I managed to get to the Landmark Theater to see The Rascals. 

The last time I saw them (they had just stopped being The Young Rascals), was in May, 1967 at the Wollman Skating Rink in Central Park. I met best friend Thom Jones (RIP) after work and we had a little dinner and walked through Central Park to the show. 

The opening act for that concert was The Jimi Hendrix Experience's first American appearance. This was hugely weird for the audience - some ignored the show (which started without introduction), many were confused, and a small minority booed, and a few walked out (probably to wait until the Rascals came on). 

Thom and I smoked a skinny joint in the bleachers, and just freaked out over how amazing it was. I had heard of the Experience, but I don't think I'd heard them before that. Thom hadn't heard them, and he dug the idea of a black guy leading a rock band. And the music.

Then the Rascals came on, and did their predictably amazing show. I would be lying if I said I thought at the time that the Experience was better - but that idea would come the next time I saw the Experience, a couple of months later. By that time, they had played the Monterey Pop Festival and ruled the known (by me) Universe.

Anyway, last night - well, it wasn't quite as an emotional experience for me. Where I was, the sound wasn't that great, that might have had a lot to do with it. Vocally, Felix still sounds great. Eddie Brigati, on the other hand, worked really hard, but was a shadow of his former self. Musically, again, Felix performed as well as he had forty-five years ago, but Dino Danelli, who early on was the best drummer I'd ever seen, pretty much stuck to the rudiments. Gene Cornish never struck me as more than competent, and that's pretty much where he remains.

The years haven't been kind to the performing skills, but the show, which featured all their hits and a couple of band favorites, interspersed with filmed interview clips of them telling the story of the band, and a group of actors playing them in their glory days, kept it interesting, and really plunged me into a lake of nostalgia.

All in all, I enjoyed the evening. I heard songs I hadn't heard in a long time, played with as much passion as these old men could muster - and I'm meaning that as a compliment.

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 Food and Diet Section

2013 Daily Weight

Today's Weight:         208.6 lbs

Previous Weight:        209.2 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:      - 0.6 lbs

Diet Comment

I'm surprised to find last night's carb-fest didn't derail my effort to get back to where I was at the beginning of the year.

Food Log 

Breakfast
Skipped.

Lunch

Skipped.

Dinner

From Wegman's take-out:  Grilled garlic-lemon chicken breast with grilled Brussels sprouts. Also, Ezekiel 4:9 Golden Flax sprouted grain toast with guacamole.

Snack

Ezekiel 4:9 Golden Flax sprouted grain cereal with hemp seeds, blueberries, almond milk and stevia-inulin blend. Not shown: Buttered Ezekiel 4:9 Golden Flax sprouted grain bread and a hard-boiled egg.

Liquid Intake

   Coffee:  0 oz.   Water: 64+ oz.

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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.

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