#2034: Thursday, March 15

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

Post 2034
- 7 years and 74 days since I started this blog -

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                      206.0 lbs.

Previous Weight (3/14/18):           204.9 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                       + 1.1 lbs.

  Diet Comment

Well, that's disappointing. I blame my decision to eat at the Blarney Stone - which is to say, I blame myself, for having weak willpower. That isn't really what I wanted.

 Food Log 

Breakfast 
Skipped.

Lunch
8:30pm: Baby carrots and home-made mayonnaise, a Quest bar and almond butter.

Dinner
12:35am: Dubliner cheese and walnuts, and a Quest bar.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 0;   Coffee: 22 oz.;  Tea: 0 oz.;  Water: 48+ oz.;  

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

#2033, Wednesday, March 14

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

Post 2033
- 7 years and 73 days since I started this blog -

Comment

Snow day here today. I took the day off, lol - it was a lot like other days where I haven't done much.

I did get a request to make CDs of thirty-six songs for Brenda. I'm not sure why she feels she can make these demands of me - that's a lot of work. I said I would. Hopefully, this will help her - it does nothing for me (I don't even like about a third of the songs on the list.

I also had a two-hour Excel spreadsheet FaceTime tutorial session with Sophie, Marco's wife. She wants to learn. I'm helping Marco with some investments, and built a spreadsheet to track them (copied similar to my portfolio spreadsheets). I'm going to use that spreadsheet to teach her. I will also teach her everything about how to manage Marco's portfolio, so he will have someone else (who is younger and healthier) he can rely on.

My car needs some work, as of the drive back. New Orleans loosened up something in my suspension, I can hear it rattling in front of the passenger seat. And on the last day of my drive up to Syracuse, the engine check light came on. I had an offer to extend the warranty on my car, which I spent some time checking out (by phone), but it would have cost $4100 spread over the next two-and-a-half years, and I decided against it.

I'm glad I was able to be somewhat productive - it does make me feel better when I get at least one or two things done in a day.

Anyway, I'm glad to be home. When it snows like this, and I don't have to be out in it, I don't mind the snow. I'm glad for my leisure.

Did I have a great time in NOLA? Yes, an awesome time. My first Mardi Gras that didn't involve the French Quarter, and that brand of over-the-top, over-enthusiastic, over-wasted celebration, which had almost kept me from ever revisiting New Orleans was replaced by the 'family' Mardi Gras of the Northern city parades, including the Zulu parade, during which Grand Marshall Spike Lee personally handed me a plastic cigar.

So, expectations aside, I managed to dodge some absolutely awful weather at home and get even closer to the friends I visited, while helping them manage some difficulties that came up during my visit.

Today, my first day back, I: Checked my weight, which had not increased nearly as much as I feared; I did a little housecleaning; prepared some practice material for I am Fool; then had a long and joyous rehearsal with them, and played bass again for the first time in more than a month!

What a treat, what joy!

I am grateful for the presence of wonderful friends in my life.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                      204.9 lbs.

Previous Weight (3/13/18):           204.9 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                       - 0.0 lbs.

  Diet Comment

No loss. Hmmph! Not what I wanted.

 Food Log 

Breakfast 
3:40pm, at the Blarney Stone: Spicy grilled chicken with peppers and provolone cheese on a ciabatta roll, a side salad with bleu cheese, and onion rings. Don't judge me. I was out in the snow. It was convenient, and delicious.

Lunch
8:00pm: Baby carrots and home-made mayonnaise, a Quest bar and almond butter.

Dinner
12:35am: A chopped salad (spinach, kale, red cabbage, walnuts, feta cheese, balsamic vinaigrette dressing), and a Quest bar.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 0;   Coffee: 22 oz.;  Tea: 0 oz.;  Water: 88+ oz.;  

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

#2032. Tuesday, March 13

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

Post 2032
- 7 years and 72 days since I started this blog -

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                      204.9 lbs.

Previous Weight (3/12/18):           205.1 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                       - 0.2 lbs.

  Diet Comment

Better than a weight gain, this almost-unchanged weigh-in felt particularly good. Why? Can't really say - I think maybe I'm just glad any time I don't gain these days.

 Food Log 

Breakfast 
4:55pm, at CoreLife Eatery:

Tuna poke salad with: Kale, cabbage, spinach, cucumber, carrots, scallions, ginger, edamame, avocado, tuna poke, sesame seeds, walnuts and miso-sesame dressing.

Lunch
8:00pm: A Quest bar.

Dinner
12:05am: Prosciutto and Dubliner cheese, baby carrots and home-made mayonnaise, a Quest bar and almond butter.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 1;   Coffee: 0 oz.;  Tea: 0 oz.;  Water: 64+ oz.;  

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

#2031, Monday, March 12

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

Post 2031
- 7 years and 71 days since I started this blog -

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                      205.1 lbs.

Previous Weight (3/9/18):            205.8 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                       - 0.7 lbs.

  Diet Comment

A rare weekend with weight loss! I don't know how that happened, actually. There was the usual late hours, poor sleeping, gig-related off-plan food and extra booze - but this is above my good, natural weight - and still about fifteen pounds heavier than what I think is my ideal (about a hundred-ninety pounds). But I'm working on it. I can't believe that I ate almost the same food as last Friday - that was completely unintentional. But kind of awesome, given the results of today.

 Food Log 

Breakfast 
6:45pm: SOCKE fritta: Kale, spinach, onion, eggs, feta cheese, chia and hemp seeds. And two ounces of sugar-free chocolate - that's what I get for eating breakfast so late that I was over-hungry.

Lunch
8:20pm: Almond butter on one slice of Ezekiel 4:9 Flax sprouted grain bread, grass-fed butter on another, and an ounce of sugar-free chocolate.

Dinner
12:05am: Walnuts and Dubliner cheese, and coleslaw.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 1;   Coffee: 0 oz.;  Tea: 0 oz.;  Water: 56+ oz.;  

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

#2030, Friday, March 9

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

Post 2030
- 7 years and 68 days since I started this blog -

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                      205.8 lbs.

Previous Weight (3/8/18):            205.8 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                       - 0.9 lbs.

  Diet Comment

Well, that's more like it. Controlled off-plan food (Ezekiel bread, the closest thing to an acceptable (both taste and macronutrients) bread I know of, and an otherwise on-plan day - yes!

 Food Log 

Breakfast 
6:40pm: KSP fritta: Kale, spinach, prosciutto, eggs, hemp seeds. An ounce of sugar-free chocolate.

Lunch
9:20pm: Almond butter on two slices of Ezekiel 4:9 Flax sprouted grain bread and an ounce of sugar-free chocolate.

Dinner
12:05am: Walnuts and Dubliner cheese, baby carrots and home-made mayonnaise.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 1;   Coffee: 0 oz.;  Tea: 0 oz.;  Water: 80+ oz.;  

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

#2029, Thursday, March 8

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

Post 2029
- 7 years and 67 days since I started this blog -

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                      205.8 lbs.

Previous Weight (3/7/18):            206.7 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                       - 0.9 lbs.

  Diet Comment

Well, that's more like it. Controlled off-plan food (Ezekiel bread, the closest thing to an acceptable (both taste and macronutrients) bread I know of, and an otherwise on-plan day - yes!

 Food Log 

Breakfast 
4:40pm: Green-purple protein smoothie with coconut-almond milk, kefir, large organic egg, chia gel, kale, spinach, blueberries, cherries, strawberries, whey powder (24g protein), coconut oil, hemp seeds, hemp protein (7g protein), raw organic cacao powder, moringa leaf powder, fo ti, cinnamon, turmeric, vanilla extract, Dr. Gundry's Vital Reds and stevia-inulin blend. An ounce of sugar-free chocolate.

Lunch
11:10pm: Almond butter on two slices of Ezekiel 4:9 Flax sprouted grain bread and an ounce of sugar-free chocolate.

Dinner
1:55am, at Denny's: An Ultimate omelet (crumbled sausage, bacon, fire-roasted bell peppers and onions, mushrooms, diced tomatoes and Swiss cheese) with dry rye toast and hash browns.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 1;   Coffee: 22 oz.;  Tea: 0 oz.;  Water: 48+ oz.;  

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

#2028, Wednesday, March 7

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

Post 2028
- 7 years and 66 days since I started this blog -

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                      206.9 lbs.

Previous Weight (3/6/18):            206.7 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                       - 0.2 lbs.

  Diet Comment

Little progress, but frankly, even that is unearned: I have not been eating like someone trying to lose weight. It's circumstantial, but really, I need to exercise more restraint - something I am notoriously and habitually bad about. How many times do I have to quote Oscar Wilde, who said, "I can resist anything but temptation."?

 Food Log 

Breakfast 
6:10pm: A Quest bar and an ounce of sugar-free chocolate.

Lunch
11:10pm: 

Cabbage, chard, kale, spinach, roasted turkey breast, feta cheese, walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette. Not shown: an ounce of sugar-free chocolate.

Dinner
12:35am: Walnuts and Dubliner cheese, and two slices Ezekiel 4:9 Flax sprouted grain bread with almond butter.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 1;   Coffee: 0 oz.;  Tea: 0 oz.;  Water: 64+ oz.;  

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

#2027, Tuesday, March 6

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

Post 2027
- 7 years and 65 days since I started this blog -

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                      206.9 lbs.

Previous Weight (3/5/18):            207.0 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                       - 0.1 lbs.

  Diet Comment

Well, that's disappointing - not my trivial weigh loss, but my food today, which started so promising with a protein smoothie (and a magic new ingredient, fo ti) ran into a weekly lunch date postponed from safe Core to dangerous Limp Lizard BBQ. and there I over-indulged, eating not only a dessert-like jalapeño corn bread (off-plan), but a dessert after! Thank goodness the pita points were soggy.

 Food Log 

Breakfast 
11:45am: Green-purple protein smoothie with coconut-almond milk, kefir, large organic egg, chia gel, kale, spinach, blueberries, cherries, strawberries, whey powder (24g protein), coconut oil, hemp seeds, hemp protein (7g protein), raw organic cacao powder, moringa leaf powder, fo ti, cinnamon, turmeric, vanilla extract, Dr. Gundry's Vital Reds and stevia-inulin blend.

Lunch
6:30pm, at Limp Lizard BBQ:

Cowboy salad: Pork, field greens, black bean salad, onions, tomatoes, cheese, southwest ranch dressing. The pita points were soggy and not eaten. Not shown: Jalapeño cornbread and blueberry bread pudding for dessert.

Dinner
12:35am: Walnuts, almond butter, and two ounces of sugar-free chocolate.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 0;   Coffee: 38 oz.;  Tea: 0 oz.;  Water: 64+ oz.;  and a generous pour of Jameson's

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

#2026, Monday, March 5

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

Post 2026
- 7 years and 64 days since I started this blog -

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                      207.0 lbs.

Previous Weight (3/2/18):            206.9 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                       + 0.1 lbs.

  Diet Comment

Uh-oh - bad weekend. Lots of booze, lots of carbs - lots of music, though. But the weight? Up (okay, nearly the same) when what I wanted was down. My fault, of course.

 Food Log 

Breakfast 
6:45pm: A Quest bar and an ounce of sugar-free chocolate.

Lunch
Skipped.

Dinner
11:25pm: A kale-spinach-smoked salmon-cheese fritta, with hemp and chia seeds, and an two ounces of sugar-free chocolate.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 1;   Coffee: 0 oz.;  Tea: 0 oz.;  Water: 72+ oz.;  

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

#2025, Friday, March 2: Snow day

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

Post 2025
- 7 years and 61 days since I started this blog -

At Thapae East Club, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Comment

Snow day here today. I took the day off, lol - it was a lot like other days where I haven't done much.

I did get a request to make CDs of thirty-six songs for Brenda. I'm not sure why she feels she can make these demands of me - that's a lot of work. I said I would. Hopefully, this will help her - it does nothing for me (I don't even like about a third of the songs on the list.

I also had a two-hour Excel spreadsheet FaceTime tutorial session with Sophie, Marco's wife. She wants to learn. I'm helping Marco with some investments, and built a spreadsheet to track them (copied similar to my portfolio spreadsheets). I'm going to use that spreadsheet to teach her. I will also teach her everything about how to manage Marco's portfolio, so he will have someone else (who is younger and healthier) he can rely on.

My car needs some work, as of the drive back. New Orleans loosened up something in my suspension, I can hear it rattling in front of the passenger seat. And on the last day of my drive up to Syracuse, the engine check light came on. I had an offer to extend the warranty on my car, which I spent some time checking out (by phone), but it would have cost $4100 spread over the next two-and-a-half years, and I decided against it.

I'm glad I was able to be somewhat productive - it does make me feel better when I get at least one or two things done in a day.

Anyway, I'm glad to be home. When it snows like this, and I don't have to be out in it, I don't mind the snow. I'm glad for my leisure.

I am grateful for my health, my material bounty, and my lifestyle - you betcha!

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                      206.9 lbs.

Previous Weight (3/1/18):            208.0 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                       - 1.1 lbs.

  Diet Comment

I've broken below the trend-line, and only have nine more pounds I want to lose. Bring it!

 Food Log 

Breakfast 
4:15pm: Lox, eggs and onions, with quinoa and an ounce of sugar-free chocolate.

Lunch
7:40pm: A Quest bar, walnuts, and an ounce of sugar-free chocolate.

Dinner
11:55pm: A salad (Spring Mix, spinach, cabbage, feta cheese, walnuts, balsamic vinaigrette), a Quest bar, and an ounce of sugar-free chocolate.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 1;   Coffee: 22 oz.;  Tea: 0 oz.;  Water: 80+ oz.;  

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

#2024, Thursday, March 1: Home again

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

Post 2024
- 7 years and 60 days since I started this blog -

At Thapae East Club, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Comment

February was the first month skipped since starting this blog - but there will be others, unless I decide to blog-journal my trips in the future, which I might.

Unlike any other trip I've taken, in the last decade at least, this trip was more about the people I visited than me and my pursuit of fun and info, because everywhere I went (Cary, North Carolina, Wilbur-by-the-Sea, Florida and New Orleans, Louisiana), the friends I visited were dealing with issues of their own, issues that came up rather suddenly. Some were physical (medical): my friends had injuries and were hurting. Some were situational: Job and relationship problems, and the accompanying psycho-spiritual difficulties. My friends were dealing with all of these in combinations. Me? I just had to be there, add a little strength, let them know their current situation had no effect on our friendship or my respect for them.

I was a little surprised at how this affected me and my time with them, in that I wasn't completely forearmed, as these people are usually bright and active, and were much less so this trip. Another part of the surprise? I still had a great time with all of them.

These are long-standing friends. While their various problems are nothing to celebrate, these long friendships are set, and don't depend on circumstances.

I have never spent less time at the beach than I did in the three-week NOLA sandwich (I visited New Orleans for a week in the middle of February). I never ate less fish-entree meals there. Instead, I had more conversations with my friends, did more meditation, and, to be honest, drank a lot more alcohol than on any other visit I've ever made there. Somehow, everybody was happier for it.

In New Orleans, I never saw less music than during Mardi Gras week, which I expected anyway, although not to the degree. My other recent visits, after all, have all been purposefully music-centered, a la the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, aka Jazzfest. Still, out of seven nights in New Orleans, I only went out for music on four nights. My initial reason for going, to parade with my friend Kokomo Slim's krewe, was also trashed, thanks to him suffering an arm injury following a fall that prevented him from participating. Also, my friend Darren, meeting me down there once again, was in more than usual pain (he is on total disability due to a back injury), and had limited participation (and much more alcohol intake) in the whole process, resulting in him declining to participate in a few nights' entertainment.

Did I have a great time in NOLA? Yes, an awesome time. My first Mardi Gras that didn't involve the French Quarter, and that brand of over-the-top, over-enthusiastic, over-wasted celebration, which had almost kept me from ever revisiting New Orleans was replaced by the 'family' Mardi Gras of the Northern city parades, including the Zulu parade, during which Grand Marshal Spike Lee personally handed me a plastic cigar.

So, expectations aside, I managed to dodge some absolutely awful weather at home and get even closer to the friends I visited, while helping them manage some difficulties that came up during my visit.

Today, my first day back, I: Checked my weight, which had not increased nearly as much as I feared; I did a little housecleaning; prepared some practice material for I am Fool; then had a long and joyous rehearsal with them, and played bass again for the first time in more than a month!

What a treat, what joy!

I am grateful for the presence of wonderful friends in my life.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                      208.0 lbs.

Previous Weight (1/29/18):           198.0 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                       +10.0 lbs.

  Diet Comment

Five weeks of off-plan eating. I don't think I had a single on-plan meal. I seriously expected to have gained more weight - twice as much, in fact. I really feel I got away with something here. Ah, well, back to on-plan eating. Although my gain was not as much as I thought it would be, it must still be knocked back down. I have (at least) ten pounds to lose. Let's see how fast I can make that happen.

 Food Log 

Breakfast 
4:35pm: Lox, eggs and onions, and a sugar-free chocolate truffle.

Lunch
Skipped.

Dinner
11:25pm: 

Cabbage, chard, kale, spinach, roasted turkey breast, feta cheese, walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 1;   Coffee: 22 oz.;  Tea: 0 oz.;  Water: 24+ oz.;  

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