#1509, Monday, September 14: Meh weekend? Still good

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Post 1509, Day 257 of 2015
- 1,718 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

It was a so-so weekend. It started well enough, with a fantastic gig that went better than I predicted. Unfortunately, that was the high point of the weekend.

The rest of it (after the after-gig sleeping, that is about forty hours) was spent driving (thirteen-plus hours), hanging out with friends(ten-plus hours), playing (two hours), eating (a couple of hours) and all the remaining time was sleeping.

That means that I spent most of the weekend driving and sleeping.

My reunion was a little disappointing due to bad weather and, maybe as a consequence, low turnout. Although I did get to see some old, good friends, there wasn't enough time. the 'organization' wasn't what it could have been (what it has been in the past). The gloomy weather, threatening a rainstorm the entire time, and eventually shortening the day, didn't help. It was a little sad.

Sunday was an early travel day, and after five hours driving back, I hit the sack and didn't come out of my sleep until it was time to play.

Which turned out to be highly up-and-down, with open mic putting me onstage with players that were particularly good. The thing about that, of course, is it has its own peculiar pleasures, as you get to exercise your ability to find a groove when there otherwise is none, or make an arrangement on the fly. Or cover the inevitable timing and melodic errors.

Plus, hanging with friends and other musicians (all friends, as well - friends-plus?) is a feature, no matter who's playing what or how well.

And, a mediocre night of playing is still more fun than a good night of almost anything else.

Food and Diet Section

Today's Weight:                   209.0 lbs

Previous Weight (9/11):           205.2 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:                + 4.8 lbs

Diet Comment

Crazy weekend eating, almost no on-plan food, although a lot of it was very good (and some was just place-holding while hungry). It could have been a lot worse (like if I'd taken up an invitation to eat at Aphrodite's Sweets). Oh, well, I will be perfect this week, as I don't expect to dine out anywhere but Core for a couple of lunches.

Food Log

Breakfast
A Quest bar.

Lunch
At CORE:

Spicy Ginger Steak with Quinoa Bone Broth Bowl (hearth bone broth, grilled steak, quinoa, broccoli, carrots, scallions, slivered almonds, ginger, cilantro, sriracha).

Snack 
A Quest bar.

Dinner 
Roast beef and cole slaw, celery with home-made mayonnaise.

Snack 
A Quest bar.

Liquid Intake
   Espressos: 1;  Coffee: 24 oz.;  Water: 68+ oz.

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#1508, Friday, September 11: Retirement, made concrete

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Post 1508, Day 254 of 2015
- 1,715 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

I started the retirement process today, twenty weeks ahead of my last day of work (January 29th next year).

To be honest, I thought I'd have a more emotional reaction. Instead, it seemed like just part of the job (after all, nothing has changed, or will, for at least another four weeks, when paperwork starts coming my way.

I have an i am Fool gig tonight, which will be fun, because I really like the venue (same place I had such a good time playing with Bradshaw Blues last Saturday). At the end of the night, I have to completely unload my car, catch what sleep I can, and head down to the City at the crack of whenever I can wake up in the morning... I'm meeting up with a bunch of old friends for a picnic. Then hustle back to Syracuse Sunday.

The happy musician's life. Mine.

Food and Diet Section

Today's Weight:                   205.2 lbs

Previous Weight (9/10):           205.4 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:                - 0.2 lbs

Diet Comment

That has to be more the result of skipping dinner than my mid-day fail yesterday, right?

Food Log

Breakfast
A Quest bar.

Lunch

Salmon salad (Wild Alaska pink salmon, celery, mayonnaise) on baby kale, baby spinach, chard and cole slaw mix.

Snack 
London broil and cole slaw.

Dinner 
At the Moondog Lounge: Spinach salad with turkey.
 .

Snack 
A Quest bar.

Liquid Intake
   Espressos: 1;  Coffee: 24 oz.;  Water: 84+ oz. A couple of shots of Applejack bourbon.

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#1507, Thursday, September 10: Veteran's Appreciation Day

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Post 1507, Day 253 of 2015
- 1,714 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

I like to play benefits. It is consistent with my idea of service and, of course, playing is a joy.

Today I played for Veterans Appreciation Day at a VA Behavioral Health Outpatient Clinic. I have done this the last couple of years.

It was the first moderate temperature day in quite a while (the high-temp wave broke last night), and it didn't rain, despite threatening to do so the entire time. 

Here are some pics:

Food and Diet Section

Today's Weight:                   205.4 lbs

Previous Weight (9/9):            206.0 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:                - 0.6 lbs

Diet Comment

After eating a bunch of crap at lunchtime, I had no appetite for the rest of the day. When I got home from work, I took a long nap, then went out and played for a while. After a Jameson's, I came home with a little hunger.

Food Log

Breakfast
A Quest bar.

Lunch
Oh, my! I played with Bradshaw Blues at a Veteran's Appreciation Day celebration from before my lunch hour until after, and thought there'd be a good variety of food. There was not. I ate a hot dog, a couple of hamburgers, some finger sandwiches and a freak-out of cookies, cake and ice cream. This will sit heavily on my scale tomorrow, I can tell.

Dinner 
Skipped.

Snack 
A Quest bar.

Liquid Intake
   Espressos: 2;  Coffee: 32 oz.;  Water: 80+ oz. A shot of Jameson's

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#1506, Wednesday, September 9: Investing for retirement

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Post 1506, Day 252 of 2015
- 1,713 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

I have invested in stocks, using various strategies, since the late 1980s. When I started investing in stocks, I was completely ignorant. It was also a time before discount brokerages and a decade before the internet came along.

In the thirty-plus years of my investing career, I have been completely out of the market about half the time.

I have been successful and I have gone bust over the years. I have gotten caught in every major stock market down-turn. One of those downturns contributed to the end of my second marriage, which turns out to have had a financial component I was blind to.

That last downturn pretty much wiped me out. I had been doing some speculative stock market gambling, and when things went South, they went bad really, really fast.

I was unable to overcome the setback of my wife leaving and having to sell our overly-leveraged house, and that led me to Syracuse and what I'm doing now.

At my first Syracuse job, I was able to pay off most of my debts while saving via my 401K. When that job ended, I converted my 401K savings to a self-directed IRA at a brokerage. My goal was to be extremely conservative, and get at least a 2% return, a huge multiple over what a safe savings or money-market account would pay.

At that, I have been crazy successful. Until about four months ago, my account had appreciated at an annual rate of 10%. Then came the latest downturn. I have lost a lot, but my investment has still been compounding by better than three percent.

Better than that, I have accumulated dividend-paying stocks that are paying me better than seven percent a year off my investment. My plan is to stay invested, let the dividends get reinvested for as long as I can, and then, as needed (or when the IRS rules mandate that I have to, whichever comes first), have enough income to pay for groceries for the rest of my life.

Hey, it's a plan, I know what plans are worth, but this does sound hopeful, right?.

I don't know how all this managed to work out for me. Positive thinking? Maybe. Cosmic cyclical behavior, swinging-pendulum style? Also, maybe. Impossible to tell, and I can't think of anything I would rather do less than wonder about it.

I think it is enough to be grateful for it, and I am.

Food and Diet Section

Today's Weight:                   206.0 lbs

Previous Weight (9/8):            206.4 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:                - 0.4 lbs

Diet Comment

Small steps in the right direction are all that is necessary.

Food Log

Breakfast
A Quest bar.

Lunch
At Core:

Chicken Cobb salad (shredded kale and romaine, grilled chicken, avocado, bacon, hard-cooked egg, broccoli, mushrooms and bleu cheese dressing).

Snack 
A Quest bar.

Dinner 
At Eskapes: 

A "BST Salad" with blackened salmon (BST is blackened bacon, spinach and tomato). Not shown: A big chocolate chip cookies

Snack 
A Quest bar.

Liquid Intake
   Espressos: 2;  Coffee: 32 oz.;  Water: 78+ oz.

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#1505, Tuesday, September 8: Luxurious lack of deadline pressure

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Post 1505, Day 251 of 2015
- 1,712 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

I had a very pleasant weekend, mainly because I took it very easy. My playing was limited to Saturday night and Sunday. The rest of the time, I did a few chores, but mostly lolled in bed, luxuriating in a little time without pressure.

Of course, what pressure there is in my life is self-generated these days.

Sure, I have one rare and unusual off-hours work action I need to take care of.

It will be only the third time in four years that has happened. I can deal with it, and not even think about it (that's what alarm clocks are for, and mine is set).

I accept the 'deadlines' of my music moonlighting with joy. I'm glad there's a time when the playing starts, and look forward to it. In the last five years, I have only been late to a gig once, and that was a misunderstanding about the start time, in which I was dead wrong. But I wasn't very late.

My job at the VA doesn't generally include deadlines. After all, there is no product cycle, no profit-dependence. With no remembered exceptions, specific task deadlines are, by private-sector standards, very generous. When missed, people fall all over themselves to help bring the task back into compliance.

That lack of deadline pressure and accompanying stress is one reason I love this job, maybe the biggest. With less than five months to go (five years slid by so quickly!) before hanging up my career as an employee, I can only marvel at the way I am ending on a high note of personal job satisfaction, in a job I might actually keep even after I don't need it.

Not that that is going to happen. No point in making the perfect last job last past its (my) expiration date.

I don't know how all this managed to work out for me. Positive thinking? Maybe. Cosmic cyclical behavior, swinging-pendulum style? Also, maybe. Impossible to tell, and I can't think of anything I would rather do less than wonder about it.

I think it is enough to be grateful for it, and I am.

Food and Diet Section

Today's Weight:                   206.4 lbs

Previous Weight (9/5):            205.6 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:                + 0.8 lbs

Diet Comment

The long weekend was a diet disaster. The only reason my weight isn't three pounds higher was a careful day Monday.

Food Log

Breakfast
Protein shake with almond-coconut milk, kefir, kale, extra-large organic egg, whey powder (36g protein), hemp seeds, hemp protein (7g protein), raw organic cacao powder, chia gel, moringa leaf powder, cinnamon, celery and stevia-inulin blend.

Lunch

Roasted turkey breast chopped salad: shaved Parmesan cheese, baby kale, baby spinach, chard, cole slaw mix and balsamic vinaigrette.

Snack 
A big piece of birthday cake (I'm so easily tempted at work).

Dinner

Omelet with peppers, onion, greens, cheese and bacon. Not shown: A Quest bar for dessert.

Liquid Intake
   Espressos: 2;  Coffee: 22 oz.;  Water: 88+ oz.

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#1504, Friday, September 4: Choosing to observe without judgment

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Post 1504, Day 247 of 2015
- 1,708 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

This has been a busy week. Too busy, for this guy.

Most of the unwanted busy-ness comes from work. Just a lot of stuff happening at once, all week long. It has been relentless.

That's unusual.

I'm not complaining, mind you. I know the choice I've made, and it's all on me. Including my making it worse by going out every night after work. Except it only makes work worse - and work doesn't take priority over music in my world. Not these days.

Playing bass brings me joy. I will sacrifice work and sleep for that joy. Maybe I'm addicted.

So be it. These are reports, observations, not complaints.

I'm smiling as I write this.

Because life is good. Subbing as the house bass player at my favorite open mic last night was joyful. Not only did I get a lot of playing in, including maybe a half-dozen songs I'd never played before, but I reconnected (and, of course, played with) one of my favorite and most accomplished local drummers.

Yes, I was out until after two in the morning, came home ravenous (after all, it was six hours since dinner, and ate far too much, even though it was all protein. But I slept well.

But briefly.

Then came in to another shit-storm at work (not my doing, not my problem, but my work load).

No big deal. I'll get over it. Long weekend ahead, full of music.

Have a great weekend, all. See you when I publish Tuesday's post Wednesday.

Food and Diet Section

Today's Weight:                   205.6 lbs

Previous Weight (9/4):            204.8 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:                + 0.8 lbs

Diet Comment

My late eating and extra drinking, combined with only four hours of sleep added almost a pound. So it goes. I'll sleep tonight, and eat earlier, too.

Food Log

Breakfast

A Quest bar.

Lunch
Sliced London broil and a mixed salad (kale, chard, spinach, cabbage, a little cheese) with balsamic vinaigrette.

Snack 
A Quest bar.

Dinner  
Quest bars.

Liquid Intake
   Espressos: 2;  Coffee: 22 oz.;  Water: 72+ oz.

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#1503, Thursday, September 3: No comment

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Post 1503, Day 246 of 2015
- 1,707 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

Too busy for a comment today, but it's all right. In fact, it's a gas.

Food and Diet Section

Today's Weight:                   204.8 lbs

Previous Weight (9/2):            205.4 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:                - 0.6 lbs

Diet Comment

This has been a good week for weight loss so far.

Food Log

Breakfast

A Quest bar.

Lunch
Protein shake with almond-coconut milk, kefir, kale, extra-large organic egg, whey powder (36g protein), hemp seeds, hemp protein (7g protein), raw organic cacao powder, chia gel, moringa leaf powder, cinnamon, celery and stevia-inulin blend..

Snack 
A Quest bar.

Dinner  
Cheeseburger (with grass-fed beef).

Snack 
Roast beef and Quest bars. I was ravenous at 2am.

Liquid Intake
   Espressos: 2;  Coffee: 22 oz.;  Water: 64+ oz. 2 shots of Jameson's Irish whiskey

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#1502, Wednesday, September 2: Open mic gig

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Post 1502, Day 245 of 2015
- 1,706 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

Just got a sub gig for tomorrow (Thursday) night, and it is at an open mic. As sub gigs go, these are the most fun.

They're fun for a number of reasons. The primary reason is that I get to play with different people. That's why I go to open mics/jams that I'm not getting paid to attend: For the challenge of working with someone you don't know.

Open mics/jam sessions are fun, they have been the source of most of my social life up here. I met both of my bands' members at open mics, and made most of my friends, directly or indirectly, there.

That's all for today, peep-a-roos. I'm out of words.

Food and Diet Section

Today's Weight:                   205.4 lbs

Previous Weight (9/1):            206.0 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:                - 0.6 lbs

Diet Comment

Nice. I'm happy!

Food Log

Breakfast

A Quest bar.

Lunch
At Core: A custom salad of romaine and kale, cherry tomatoes, cranberry raisins, walnuts, chick peas, bacon and steak, with carrot chili vinaigrette. Delicious. Unfortunately, the pic I took with my phone didn't come out (operator error). To penalize myself, I had soft-serve from the ice cream stand next door.

Snack 
A Quest bar.

Dinner  
A Quest bar.

Liquid Intake
   Espressos: 2;  Coffee: 20 oz.;  Water: 72+ oz.

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#1501, Tuesday, September 1: Night and day

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Post 1501, Day 244 of 2015
- 1,705 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

I know I generally don't get enough sleep. I don't have any trouble falling asleep, in fact, I'm usually so tired by the time I lie down that I fall into a deep sleep instantly. I sleep so soundly I fear it is dangerous, worrying that I might not be awakened by, say, a fire alarm.

The problem seems to be on the other end, the waking up end. My schedule has me using an alarm five days a week (never on the weekend). The alarm goes off four to six hours after I fall asleep. I have to start my day, and I'm not refreshed.

If I take a nap in the evening (a strategy that used to work brilliantly in the past), I wake up before my alarm goes off.

Which is exactly what happened today. I had a night off, nothing pending, not even chores to do, and I fell asleep before dinner, woke up and had dinner - too tired to make anything, so a couple of Quest bars, which actually isn't a bad dinner at all - then fell asleep again, only to wake up at three o'clock in the morning. And I couldn't fall back asleep.

I am hoping all this straightens out when I don't have a fixed morning schedule, and don't need an alarm to force me to start my day on an arbitrary schedule - that is, after I retire.

I  have never had a problem in the past with being a night person, but I have difficulty getting squeezed out of sleep being a night and day person.

Food and Diet Section

Today's Weight:                   206.0 lbs

Previous Weight (8/31):           206.2 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:                - 0.2 lbs

Diet Comment

Expecting a win, I'll take the near-tie.

Food Log

Breakfast

Omelet with peppers, onion, greens, cheese and bacon.

Lunch

Salmon salad (Wild Alaska pink salmon, celery, mayonnaise) on baby kale, baby spinach, chard and cole slaw mix.

Snack 
A Quest bar.

Dinner 
Grass-fed hamburger with sautéed onions.

Snack 
Quest bars.

Liquid Intake
   Espressos: 2;  Coffee: 24 oz.;  Water: 102+ oz.

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