#2752, Tuesday, October 19, '21: No comment

Post 2752

- 11 years and 292 days since I started this blog -

September 25, 2021

Daily Comment

I've got nothing to say, but it's okay.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    203.0 lbs.

Previous Weight (10/18/21):        203.9 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 0.9 lbs.

Diet Comment

Good to see more weight loss. I'm hoping to keep that going for about five more pounds, but not right away, too extreme, and probably not completely linear, either. Linearity has not been my experience over the last almost-twelve years.

Food Log

Breakfast
Skipped.

Lunch
5:40pm: Oatmeal plus: (Old-fashoined oats, oat milk, chia and hemp seeds, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, kefir, Greek yogurt, nutritional yeast, cinnamon and stevia) and greens with eggs and cheese (kale, spinach, mushrooms, peppers, onions, two eggs, grated Italian mixed cheese). 

Dinner
11:10pm: Dubliner cheese and pork rinds, peanut butter and a Quest bar.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 2;   Coffee: 0 oz.;  Water: 66+ oz.; 

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#2751, Monday, October 18, '21: Sunday-Monday recap

Post 2751

- 11 years and 291 days since I started this blog -

September 25, 2021

Daily Comment

This rainy weekend  didn't see much activity beyond playing bass Sunday night, but it was a great Sunday night.

That edition of the open mic that I'm hosting this month, the third, was the best yet, and lasted six hours, instead of the scheduled four.

It has gotten better every week, and this time, we acknowledged that 6pm was just too early a start time. I wouldn't be unhappy if it were 8pm to midnight, but we're going to try a one-hour bump to start at 7, and we'll see how that works next week. 

I know it will be better.

Today, though, was a big day for my investment portfolio. I sold about an eighth of my position in my all-time greatest stock winner, which was enough to recoup my original investment. The largest position, by amount of income and capital value, now has an investment cost of zero.

This is the potential for all dividend stocks, even ones which, unlike the stock above, don't quadruple in value over only two years, because I deduct the dividends from the cost.

The value of my investment portfolios is at an all-time high. After just more than eleven years, I have averaged an 11.8% gain per year, and am getting a 23% return on my original investment every year in dividends alone.

I'm grateful for the way everything is working out for me. I take none of my good fortune for granted.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    203.9 lbs.

Previous Weight (10/15/21):        205.6 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 1.7 lbs.

Diet Comment

I did well over the weekend, well, just Sunday, really, but I'm happy with the results.

Food Log

Breakfast
3:45pm: Veggie omelet with mushrooms, kale, spinach, onions, peppers and Italian mix grated cheese, and pork rinds.

Lunch
Skipped. 

Dinner
11:40pm: Flounder with pesto sauce, sweet potatoes with olive oil and Everything BBagel seasoning, and a salad (cabbage, spinach, kale, walnuts, parmesan crisps, creamy balsamic dressing).

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 0;   Coffee: 24 oz.;  Water: 64+ oz.; 

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#2750, Friday, October 15, '21: No comment

Post 2750

- 11 years and 288 days since I started this blog -

September 25, 2021

Daily Comment

I've got nothing to say, but it's okay.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    205.6 lbs.

Previous Weight (10/14/21):        205.7 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 0.1 lbs.

Diet Comment

Admittedly, I was hoping for a loss, but not really expecting one after my off-plan Mexican pot food meal. So it goes.

Food Log

Breakfast
2:40pm: Shakshuka with spaghetti squash and greens (2 eggs), and a Nellie's bacon and cheese Egg Bite.

Lunch
7:00pm, from Popeye's: A spicy chicken sandwich. 

Dinner
8:10pm: Celery and peanut butter and a Quest bar.

Liquid Intake

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

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#2749, Thursday, October 14, '21: Pot party

Post 2749

- 11 years and 287 days since I started this blog -

September 25, 2021

Daily Comment

I went to my first legal pot party tonight. My friend Justin threw a CD Release Party at the Night Drop.

He had cannabis-infused Mexican food that tasted just like good home-made Mexican food (he's from Texas, and, apparently, can cook good Mexican food).

It was delicious, and, by the time I left, after a sip of the auld Irish, I began to feel its potency, which was also delicious, and not overwhelming.

By the time I'd settled in, done my Duolingo Spanish, and made a salad for myself, I was pleasantly buzzed and completely relaxed. An hour later, I was asleep.

I'm grateful for the variety of my experience.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    205.7 lbs.

Previous Weight (10/13/21):        202.8 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     + 2.9 lbs.

Diet Comment

This is a lot, and, after yesterday's India-fest, it is not at all unexpected. I was going to make up for it today, and then I remembered what I'd be eating for "lunch".

Food Log

Breakfast
2:40pm: Oatmeal+ (rolled oats, chia and hemp seeds, oat milk, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, nutritional yeast, yogurt, kefir), scrambled eggs and cheese.

Lunch
8:00pm, at the Night Drop: THC enchiladas and a taco. 

Dinner
11:55pm: Chopped salad (walnuts, parmesan crisps, arugula, cabbage, kale, spinach, creamy balsamic vinaigrette) and a Quest bar.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 0;   Coffee: 24 oz.;  Water: 66+ oz.; and a shot of Jameson's Irish whiskey

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#2748, Wednesday, October 13, '21: No comment

Post 2748

- 11 years and 286 days since I started this blog -

September 25, 2021

Daily Comment

I've got nothing to say, but it's okay.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    202.8 lbs.

Previous Weight (10/12/21):        202.8 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 0.0 lbs.

Diet Comment

No change (change comes from within). Tomorrow, after the intense Indian meal I had.

Food Log

Breakfast
Skipped.

Lunch
5:20pm, at Sahota Palace: Vegetarian plate (paneer pakora, samosa, batata wada and vegetable pakora), chicken tikka sagwaala (chicken breast in mild spinach curry), rice pilaf. 

Dinner
11:10pm: The take-home from Sahota Palace.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 1;   Coffee: 0 oz.;  Water: 60+ oz.; a glass of pinot noir, a shot of Jameson's Irish whiskey

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#2747, Tuesday, October 12, '21: A small victory

Post 2747

- 11 years and 285 days since I started this blog -

September 25, 2021

Daily Comment

Today marks the first time since I started dealing with my brother's death that there is real progress in dealing with the financial aftermath.

With her brand new New York Non-driver's ID, today Denie was able to close his checking account and get the money added to hers.

It isn't much, but it is a milestone, and the first concrete success we've had.

In my last attempt to help, there was a bit of drama as it was discovered that Denie didn't have personal ID required for her to deal with financial and legal matters. It took weeks to figure out a way for me to get her that, and last week she finally took position of the main ID form she needed (that she could get). 

Having that inspired me to direct her to visit the bank (it took three appointments to actually get a meeting) and take care of what should have been simple more than three months ago.

This time it was! I still need the lawyer for the savings account, which has to be set up in a trust. I'm happy to update him on this progress; it is something he was looking into, that now he doesn't need to.

I'm grateful for this positive move, as it is one less complication in my life, a task now completed. I'm grateful and relieved.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    202.8 lbs.

Previous Weight (10/11/21):        203.7 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 0.9 lbs.

Diet Comment

It's a relief to see a nice loss today, I admit.

Food Log

Breakfast
2:45pm: Salmon burger on Flax sprouted grain bread with guacamole, air-fried brussels sprouts with olive oil, nutritional yeast, Everything But the Bagel seasoning.

Lunch
7:20pm: A Quest bar. 

Dinner
10:10pm: Oatmeal with peanut butter and another Quest bar.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 1;   Coffee: 22 oz.;  Water: 76+ oz.; 

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Thank you!

#2746, Monday, October 11, '21: Sunday night jam

Post 2746

- 11 years and 284 days since I started this blog -

September 25, 2021

Daily Comment

Weekends where I don't have special plans, like gigs, or concerts, or plans to visit, tend to have all activity default to Sunday night, when, since I started going out in Syracuse at the very end of 2008, I have usually gone to play bass at a jam.

The original Sunday night jam, at Rooters Bar, was the first place I ever played out in in Syracuse. I found it because one of the jam's founders hosted the Sunday night blues show on WAER, the local NPR affiliate. He would always announce the start of the jam at 9pm, and he'd close the show by mentioning his next stop was to Rooters.

It was there that I got turned on to the Syracuse music scene, which is quite extraordinary in its friendliness and generosity.

This month, I'm hosting that jam. It has migrated from Rooters, first to the Valley Blues House, at the same location (Jimmy sold it, then, almost immediately passed away), then, when COVID ended that endeavor, it moved to its current location at the Night Drop.

The Night Drop has a great vibe, thanks to its hip and mellow owner, Jamie. I've come to really enjoy it there, and am more involved with it than any club since Mac's Bad Art Bar went away.

This past Sunday was an excellent night. Better than last week's. It is an exhausting gig (I have to set up and take down the PA, and also stage manage everything, whether I'm playing or not.

I'm grateful for the scene. Totally.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    203.7 lbs.

Previous Weight (10/8/21):         203.7 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     + 0.0 lbs.

Diet Comment

No progress over the weekend. Thankfully, no worse, either, and I did eat up the last of the (too good) Crunchmaster Mixed Nut crackers, so that won't be a problem going forward.

Food Log

Breakfast
1:55pm: Air-fried brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes with scrambled eggs and cheese.

Lunch
7:00pm: A Quest bar 

Dinner
8:10pm: Chopped chef's salad (Chicken breast, parmesan crisps, walnuts, arugula, cabbage, chard, kale, spinach, balsamic vinaigrette).

Liquid Intake

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

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Thank you!

#2745: Friday, October 8, '21: The gift of lawyerlessness

Post 2745

- 11 years and 281 days since I started this blog -

September 25, 2021

Daily Comment

I haven't met with lawyers on legal business too often in my life. In fact, I can enumerate the times: One time, when I got busted for pot in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Once for a Workman's Comp claim. Once to deal with probate after my father died. And three times for the house closings I have been involved with.

That's it - six times before today.

Every other meeting, until today, has been social. I have a pretty large number of lawyer friends, especially among the kids I grew up with - a surprising number of whom became lawyers.

Today, I met with a lawyer (a friend of a lawyer friend) to put together my end of life papers: A Will, a Durable Power of Attorney, a healthcare proxy and a DNR order.

After my experiences dealing with the details of my father's and brother's deaths, I am giving my son this gift: He will not need a lawyer, or a whole lot of effort, to get whatever's left when I kick off.

I'm grateful for being able to give the most important human in my life this gift.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    203.7 lbs.

Previous Weight (10/7/21):         202.3 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     + 1.4 lbs.

Diet Comment

Well, that's a big, bad bounce. I'll have to be extra good on the weekend, now..

Food Log

Breakfast
1:05pm: Oatmeal-plus (rolled oats, chia and hemp seeds, oat milk, kefir, Greek yogurt, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries). Scrambled eggs with cheese.

Lunch
7:00pm: Dubliner cheese, Crunchmaster Nut Mix crackers, walnuts. 

Dinner
8:10pm: Parmesan crisps with salsa and a Quest bar.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 0;   Coffee: 24 oz.;  Water: 80+ oz.; 

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#2744, Thursday, October 7, '21: No comment

Post 2744

- 11 years and 280 days since I started this blog -

September 25, 2021

Daily Comment

I've got nothing to say, but it's okay.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    202.3 lbs.

Previous Weight (10/5/21):         202.5 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 0.2 lbs.

Diet Comment

At least it's not a gain.

Food Log

Breakfast
2:45pm: Chicken and greens ramen soup (ViteRamen Spicy Szechuan, buffalo chicken breast, kale, spinach, nutritional yeast).

Lunch
7:00pm: Celery and peanut butter. 

Dinner
8:10pm: Parmesan crisps with salsa and a Quest bar.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 1;   Coffee: 0 oz.;  Water: 60+ oz.; 

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Thank you!

#2743, Wednesday, October 6, '21: No comment

Post 2743

- 11 years and 279 days since I started this blog -

September 25, 2021

Daily Comment

I've got nothing to say, but it's okay.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    202.5 lbs.

Previous Weight (10/5/21):         199.5 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     + 3.0 lbs.

Diet Comment

I ate a ton of crackers yesterday, thinking that their high carbohydrate content would be offset by their majority of nut-meal content. Magical thinking on my part, obviously. Low hydration yesterday was no help, either. Unfortunately, I have a ton of these crackers, and I don't throw away good food. Also, they're delicious. I'm kind of screwed on this one.

Food Log

Breakfast
3:15pm: Greens omelet (3 eggs, shredded Italian mix cheeses, kale, spinach, mushrooms, onions, peppers, salsa) with pork rinds.

Lunch
7:30: Dubliner cheese and Crunchmaster mixed nuts crackers. 

Dinner
8:10pm: Salmon burger on Flax sprouted grain bread with guacamole, and a Quest bar.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 0;   Coffee: 24 oz.;  Water: 68+ oz.; and a nice pour of Jameson's Irish whiskey 

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Thank you!

#2742, Tuesday, October 5, '21: Another day

Post 2742

- 11 years and 278 days since I started this blog -

September 25, 2021

Daily Comment

An eventful day.

First, a check-up with my orthopedist. Since my knees have not bothered me at all in the three-plus months since my last visit, when I got a steroid injection, we decided to wait until they did before proceeding toward knee replacement.

Then rehearsal with I am Fool, when once again we are trying to work out a new gig, maybe for Thanksgiving weekend. 

More significantly for me, the request I made for Brian to sub for me on bass when I leave town for the winter will finally be moved on. I have an heir. 

And rehearsal was great.

I'm always grateful for it all.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    199.5 lbs.

Previous Weight (10/4/21):         199.5 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 0.0 lbs.

Diet Comment

I'm riding the trend line now. Couldn't be happier about that.

Food Log

Breakfast
2:50pm: Chef's salad (Buffalo chicken breast, shaved parmesan cheese, walnuts, chick peas, arugula, beets, cabbage, chard, kale, spinach, balsamic vinaigrette) and Crunchmaster nut chips.

Lunch
Skipped. 

Dinner
11:10pm: Flounder with pesto sauce, brussels sprouts with everything seasoning and nutritional yeast, and Crunchmaster nut chips.

Liquid Intake

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

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Thank you!

#2741, Monday, October 4, '21: Weekend in review (well, Sunday, really)

Post 2741

- 11 years and 277 days since I started this blog -

September 25, 2021

Daily Comment

A rainy weekend meant a dull Saturday, spent getting ready (loading the car, basically, with my PA gear) for a busy Sunday.

Sunday began unusually early for me, leaving just before Noon to play with the semi-pro blues band I am subbing for (even though they have no other regular bass player). It was a fund-raiser for a local politician (not in my district, though) who I'm guessing (given the politics of this band's leader) is a Trumper. We were never introduced.

From load-in to load-out, about five hours. In between, four hours of playing. 

That over, I scrambled to the Night Drop, where I'm the open mic host Sundays for October. Load-in took almost half an hour, set up almost an hour. We were good to go with about five minutes to spare. 

But Bobby the drummer was late. It turns out his uncle had died.

There were a few people in the bar while we were setting up, but no musicians, no signups. Shortly after we started, my friend Mikal, my favorite local guitarist, came in. But not seeing any other familiar faces, he left.

In fact, we played for an hour, longer than I'd intended, then took a break. The sign-up sheet was still empty.

During the break, we finally got a sign-up, and the music resumed, but by eight, even with some more people in the bar, we were running out of musicians. But things began picking up, and at around eight-thirty, there was a wave of people, and the night really took off.

I saw a number of friends I hadn't seen for years. I let the last set of the night go for forty minutes, it was outstanding.

The night ended as a big love-fest.

I'm feeling especially tired, and totally grateful.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    199.5 lbs.

Previous Weight (10/1/21):         200.9 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 1.4 lbs.

Diet Comment

Mission accomplished! Thanks to an uber-busy weekend, I skipped a few meals, ate on plan, and hit my five pound loss goal with a few days to spare.

Food Log

Breakfast
2:25pm: Scrambled eggs with cheeses, buttered, toasted Flax sprouted grains bread, and golden milk oatmeal (oats, hemp and chia seeds, oat milk, kefir, nutritional yeast, tumeric, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves).

Lunch
5:45pm, at Corelife Eatery: Sriracha Ginger Tofu and Quinoa Bowl (roasted tofu, shredded kale, carrots, shredded beets, spicy broccoli, ginger, sriracha, carrot chili vinaigrette). 

Dinner
9:30pm: Hummus and rice-nut crackers, and two Quest bars.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 0;   Coffee: 24 oz.;  Water: 84+ oz.; 

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Thank you!

#2740, Friday, October 1, '21: No comment

Post 2740

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

September 25, 2021

Daily Comment

I've got nothing to say, but it's okay.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    200.9 lbs.

Previous Weight (9/30/21):         201.0 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 0.1 lbs.

Diet Comment

It's always a relief when I reverse a bad trend, and I have just done that.

Food Log

Breakfast
1:45pm: Greens frittata (eggs, shredded Italian cheese mix, Super Greens (arugula, chard, kale, spinach), mushrooms, onions, peppers), toasted, buttered Flax sprouted grain bread.

Lunch
Skipped. 

Dinner
2:10am: Walnuts and dubliner cheese and carrots and two packs of Behave Good For You Gummy Bears.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 0;   Coffee: 24 oz.;  Water: 48+ oz.; 

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