#2625, Monday, March 15, '21: 2nd-shot blues

Post 2625

- 11 years and 74 days since I started this blog -

Busking, May, 2017

Daily Comment

Last Friday, I drove 2-1/4 hours to Canton, NY to get my second (booster) COVID-19 vaccination shot at the Walgreen's there. The drive up was pretty and smooth, and i felt great about it. Afterwards, I stopped to visit my friend Al and his parents, had some nice conversation, was given some fresh, home-baked apple pie, which I ate all of that night, and drove home in the same amount of time.

That was the last time I left my apartment. At 4am Saturday morning, almost exactly twelve hours after my shot, I woke up, teeth chattering, shivering, with body aches, a headache, and feeling like I'd been shot where I'd been injected.

For the next twenty hours, or so, all these symptoms lessened, but none of them went away. I spent the entire time eating and drinking as much as I could tolerate, and trying to rest and sleep. I did nap quite a bit (especially for someone who never naps).

When I finally fell asleep that night, I didn't sleep for long, but when I woke up (4am again) on Sunday, I was completely free of every one of my symptoms. 

But I felt weak and fatigued. I was tired. I spent Sunday trying my best to do all the things I usually do on the weekends, but didn't get much done, really. And I slept more.

Today, i didn't sleep well again, waking up at around eight, and my Fitbit said I'd had less than five hours sleep, and not enough quality sleep time within that. I tried to go to sleep, but while I was tired, I was restless, mentally, at least.

I finally fell back asleep, sometime near Noon, and woke up just before 2pm. I canceled my cardiac rehab session, and the rest of my plans for the day. One more day of rest is in order. I am not going to push. By the evening, I felt fine.

I'm grateful to see the vaccine seems to be working (I'm told all the side-effects actually prove that) and know that my immunity, to whatever degree i have it, is the promise of a better tomorrow.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    198.6 lbs.

Previous Weight (3/11/21):         199.5 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 0.9 lbs.

Diet Comment

Whenever I feel (physically) shitty for more than half a day, I lose weight. When I feel emotionally shitty, I gain weight. This was, thanks to my 2nd anti-COVID vaccination, a weekend of feeling shitty, so here we are. 

Food Log

Breakfast
1:15pm: Brussels sprouts with eggs.

Lunch
Skipped. 

Dinner
9:10am:

Greens, black soy spaghetti, onions, peppers, ground chicken, Wegman's Grandpa's Sauce and shaved parmesan cheese.

Snack

1:25am: Cottage cheese and a Quest bar. 

Liquid Intake

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

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#2624, Thursday, March 11, '21: On my way to immunity

Post 2624

- 11 years and 70 days since I started this blog -
Daily Comment

Last things first: Tomorrow I have to drive the 2-1/4 hours to Canton, NY to get my second Moderna COVID  shot. That's about five hours of driving. There will be no Friday posting. 

I returned to Jus Sum Jazz Lounge tonight, after enjoying a beautiful, record-breaking Summer-y day here in the frozen North. Sunny and seventy-five degrees (March 11! - climate change is real!).

I should have returned the awful, overcooked, dry, served-warm fish sandwich I bought at Jus Sum Jazz Lounge after I'd played. I didn't, because I'm so grateful to the club for putting on these open mic nights.

I got to play a lot, though, and some disappointing food served afterwards did not diminish my joy at all. 

After that, I came back home to play poker, and I was doing great, then a string of losses that began with a completely dumb error took me from the top to out in less than ten minutes. 

So it goes.

I still consider myself the luckiest guy I know.

I'm grateful for all winnings and losings - for all the excitement of being alive.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    199.5 lbs.

Previous Weight (3/10/21):         199.5 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 0.0 lbs.

Diet Comment

Even - nothing, no change - is good. Once in a while. 

Food Log

Breakfast
12:25pm: Ultimate overnight oatmeal, with blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, walnuts, hemp and chia seeds, Greek yogurt, whey protein, and kefir.

Lunch
7:45pm, at Jus Sum Jazz Lounge: A fried fish sandwich, and one of the worst I've ever eaten. Very disappointed - I'd heard good things about the food there. Oh, well. 

Dinner
12:10am: Chef salad (chicken, shaved cheeses, arugula, cabbage, chard, kale, spinach, walnuts, creamy balsamic.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 0;   Coffee: 24 oz.;  Water: 36+ oz.; and my first-ever Coors Light, which tasted like... nothing, to me. Crap piss beer.

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#2623, Wednesday, March 10, '21: Spring-like!

Post 2623

- 11 years and 69 days since I started this blog -
Daily Comment

When I ran out the door because I was running late for cardiac rehab, I had a nice surprise: Spring! Out of nowhere.

Today's sunshine and warm (65º) temperatures warmed me outside and in. I got a bounce in my step. I'm usually a smiling guy, but somehow, it was easier today.

It is important to note days like this - an ordinary day becomes extraordinary when you appreciate it for whatever good it brings you. 

So, I practice gratitude, and try to express it whenever I can. You may have noticed it in these writings before (that was just a little sarcastic: It is a quite intentional feature of my writing). 

The rest of the day went swimmingly!

I'm grateful for all the wonderful gifts I enjoy in my Present, and look forward to my future like a reservation in a good restaurant.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    199.5 lbs.

Previous Weight (3/9/21):          199.8 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 0.3 lbs.

Diet Comment

Yesterday was another day where I ate a lot of food, including quite a bit more carbohydrates and, yes, sugars (from the 'snack' oatmeal I ate), than is typical for me. 

Food Log

Breakfast
1:30pm: Brown scrambled eggs and overnight oatmeal, with black-, blue-, and raspberries, walnuts, hemp and chia seeds, Greek yogurt and kefir.

Lunch
Skipped. 

Dinner
12:10am: Cottage cheese and peanut butter and a Quest bar.

Liquid Intake

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

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#2622, Tuesday, March 9, '21: No comment

Post 2622

- 11 years and 68 days since I started this blog -
Daily Comment

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

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    199.8 lbs.

Previous Weight (3/8/21):          198.8 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     + 1.0 lbs.

Diet Comment

Yesterday was another day where I ate a lot of food, including quite a bit more carbohydrates and, yes, sugars (from the 'snack' oatmeal I ate), than is typical for me. 

Food Log

Breakfast
2:10pm: Ugly-brown scrambled eggs (color courtesy of a new, imported, very dark soy sauce that is much tastier than the Kikkoman it replaces), and overnight oatmeal, with black-, blue-, and raspberries, walnuts, hemp and chia seeds and kefir and Greek yogurt.

Lunch
7:00pm: Celery and peanut butter, carrots and mayonnaise. 

Dinner
12:10am: Burger with guacamole, a salad with cheese, and a Quest bar.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 1;   Coffee: 22 oz.;  Water: 78+ oz.; 

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 w]]

#2621, Monday, March 8, '21: Weekend update

Post 2621

- 11 years and 67 days since I started this blog -
Daily Comment

The highlight of the weekend was Saturday night, when I got together with my friend Al for dinner, conversation and movies.

Al is the friend who is directly responsible for the good things that have happened to me since I came to Syracuse. It was he who - although we had a good but casual friendship, and at the time hadn't seen each other in four years - reached out to me when I was homeless with the job prospect that eventually brought me here.

That was only the first of ongoing benefits of our friendship. The highlight of which will always be buying Alex a ticket to fly in from LA for my 66th birthday. 

Anyway, that's setting the stage for the first hangout with a friend I've had since I got back to Syracuse last May. That's ten months. Ten. 

We watched the finale of WandaVision (him for the second time), and Derek DelGaudio's In and Of Itself (me for the second time), and enjoyed them both. After each, we had some discussion that inevitably follows watching them.

But first, Indian food from my more than adequate neighborhood Indian restaurant.

And after, a discussion on investing and planning.

It was delightful. Something I miss a lot. Also, rare for me even without the pandemic.
 
I'm grateful for my friends.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    198.8 lbs.

Previous Weight (3/5/21):          197.0 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     + 1.8 lbs.

Diet Comment

I think yesterday was an unusually bad-for-weight-loss day, due to lots of carbs and calories. Bread, oats, beans were involved, and here we are. Still, not a bad place to be. 

Food Log

Breakfast
1:35pm: A Quest bar.

Lunch
6:15pm: Greens and eggs (kale, spinach, mushrooms, onions, peppers, eggs, cheese). 

Snack
10:05pm: Oatmeal with peanut butter and Greek yogurt, celery and carrots with mayonnaise. 

Dinner
12:10am: Toasted manchego cheese on Ezekiel 4:9 Flax sprouted grain bread and coleslaw.

Liquid Intake

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

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#2620, Friday, March 5, '21: No comment

Post 2620

- 11 years and 64 days since I started this blog -

March, 2017 in Clearwater, Florida

Daily Comment

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

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    197.0 lbs.

Previous Weight (3/4/21):          199.4 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 2.4 lbs.

Diet Comment

One day of lower-calorie eating (not really on purpose, I just wasn't hungry after breakfast), plus my first good workout of the year, and I lose a couple of pounds of water. Glad it's on a Friday, I won't see tomorrow's equal-or-more gain, but I don't expect the chart on Monday to look so good. 

Food Log

Breakfast
1:05pm: Scrambled eggs with shaved parmesan cheese. Also, overnight oatmeal, with red-, blue-, and raspberries, walnuts, hemp and chia seeds and kefir.

Lunch
Skipped. 

Dinner
12:10am: Cottage cheese and peanut butter and a Quest bar.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 0;   Coffee: 0 oz.;  Water: 68+ oz.; 

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#2619, Thursday, March 4, '21: You've had a big day little man

Post 2619

- 11 years and 63 days since I started this blog -

March, 2017 in Clearwater, Florida

Daily Comment

I had my worst night of sleep (according to Fitbit sleep tracking module). I didn't sleep long enough, and the quality of what sleep I got was only 'Fair'. I didn't wake up feeling tired, though. 

I woke up with a lot to do: I have been adding money to my investment portfolio, and I needed to deploy it into high-dividend stocks. Which I did, and went on to, once again, set a new high for my portfolio's capital value (and a new high for income, the whole purpose of the ports, as well.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

It was my first day back at Cardiac Rehab since it closed (again) in December. I picked up where I left off (despite almost 10 weeks of mostly not exercising). The result was to be expected. I was whipped.

None of the exercises were painful or difficult, but the cumulative effect of forty-one minutes of exercise with a one-minute break after every ten-minutes of effort, and at the end, I knew I'd worked hard. I was tired.

I had to do a little shopping afterward, I had gone shopping Monday without realizing how close I was to running out of some essentials. 

Then I had to hurry through my investment accounting after the close of the day and scoot on over to the Thursday jam, where I had a bad and then a good outing, a nice drink, saw some good friends. 

Then rush back home for late entry into the antepenultimate online poker tourney. I won, but that meant I was playing longer than usual, and I was overtired by the end.

Very tired, but very happy.

I'm grateful for days like this - very.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    199.4 lbs.

Previous Weight (3/3/21):          198.9 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     + 0.5 lbs.

Diet Comment

I'd always rather see a loss than a gain, but as long as I'm below 200 pounds, I'll never complain. 

Food Log

Breakfast
1:05pm: Scrambled eggs with shaved parmesan cheese. Also, overnight oatmeal, with red-, blue-, and raspberries, walnuts, hemp and chia seeds and kefir.

Lunch
Skipped. 

Dinner
12:10am: Cottage cheese and a Quest bar.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 1;   Coffee: 24 oz.;  Water: 44+ oz.; and a double-shot of Jameson's Irish whiskey

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#2618, Wednesday, March 3, '21: Financial milestone

Post 2618

- 11 years and 62 days since I started this blog -

March, 2017 in Clearwater, Florida

Daily Comment

This week, I reached a milestone: An all-time high value of my portfolio.

With a not-very-popular/well-known strategy, I have recovered from the pandemic crash, and have achieved a new level of capital appreciation. Which is nice, but not the idea.

The idea is to achieve great income. And, while I've done that, I'm happy to report, I achieved at the end of January, surpassing my former high monthly average. 

My return on investment is more than 20% annually - whether the stocks I own go up or down in value. The only thing that changes my income is when one of my stocks reduce or eliminate their dividends, something that happened quite a bit early in the pandemic crash. 

With less than a 3% additional investment, My investment portfolio is right back where it would have been if 2020 never happened.

I'm grateful for that. Also, today I got my Federal income tax refund, exactly six days after I filed. You know I'm grateful for that!

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    198.9 lbs.

Previous Weight (3/2/21):          199.0 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 0.1 lbs.

Diet Comment

This is, for all practical purposes, no change. But it is still good news. 

Food Log

Breakfast
2:45pm: Greens'n'eggs - kale, spinach, eggs, cream, mushrooms, onions and peppers. Also, overnight oatmeal, with red-, black-, and raspberries, walnuts, hemp and chia seeds and kefir.

Lunch
7:15pm: Celery and peanut butter, carrots and homemade mayonnaise. 

Dinner
12:10am: Beef burger with guacamole, brussels sprouts with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, shaved parmesan cheese, and fresh-ground pepper.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 0;   Coffee: 24 oz.;  Water: 69+ oz.; 

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Thank you!

#2617, Tuesday, March 2, '21: Driving

Post 2617

- 11 years and 61 days since I started this blog -

March, 2017 in Clearwater, Florida

Daily Comment

I renewed my driver's license today. It had expired on my birthday, January 29. Because I wanted the enhanced, acknowledged-at-the border version, I could not renew by mail.

Thanks to the pandemic rules, I had to make an appointment. In December, when I made the appointment, the first one available was three months into next year - I did my little driving with an expired license for thirty-one days.

Even with an appointment, I had to wait about a half-hour after my documents were checked to get my paperwork processed. They wanted to show me my new picture, I said I didn't care. 

The last time I had to go to the DMV was more than six years ago, and I was impressed by how efficient it was, and it took almost the exact same amount of time as today. So I'm going to count today as a good day, even though I thought the appointment would make it all even quicker. 

Expectations are the source of all disappointment.

I'm grateful for still being able to drive, because I still have to, even though I expected to be done with that by now.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    199.0 lbs.

Previous Weight (3/1/21):          199.0 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 0.0 lbs.

Diet Comment

No change is good news. 

Food Log

Breakfast
3:25pm, from CoreLife Eatery: Chipotle Broth Bowl (spicy chicken bone broth, grilled chicken, quinoa, spinach, black beans, corn and roasted peppers).

Lunch
Skipped. 

Dinner
11:05pm: Beef burger with homemade coleslaw and a salad (arugula, cabbage, chard, kale, spinach, shaved parmesan, walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette) and a Quest bar for dessert.

Liquid Intake

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

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#2616, Monday, March 1, '21: Good news

Post 2616

- 11 years and 60 days since I started this blog -

March, 2017 in Clearwater, Florida

Daily Comment

The weekend contained some good news for me.

I got a call informing me that my cardiac rehab facility was re-opening, and my first day back will be Thursday.

I really enjoyed cardiac rehab. I enjoyed the socialization, I enjoyed using the workout. I appreciate this new sign that things are getting better, a small step towards normalcy. 

I also got some financial good news, in the form of my annual Medicare refund (from my private supplemental insurance company), which was approved Saturday and the money ($800) hit my checking account (direct deposit) this morning. 

I immediately invested it.

I'm grateful for the positives in my life.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    199.0 lbs.

Previous Weight (2/28/21):         199.5 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 0.5 lbs.

Diet Comment

A weekend ending with a little weight loss. I can't help but feel good about that. 

Food Log

Breakfast
6:15pm: Omelet with cheese and greens - eggs, cream, shaved parmesan cheese, kale, spinach, mushrooms, onions and peppers. Also, overnight oatmeal, with red-, black-, and blueberries, walnuts, hemp and chia seeds and kefir.

Lunch
Skipped. 

Dinner
Skipped.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 0;   Coffee: 0 oz.;  Water: 44+ oz.; 

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#2615, Friday, February 26, '21: No comment

Post 2615

- 11 years and 57 days since I started this blog -
Daily Comment

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

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    199.5 lbs.

Previous Weight (2/25/21):         199.5 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 0.0 lbs.

Diet Comment

Staying this weight two days in a row - that's a win. 

Food Log

Breakfast
3:25pm: Brussels sprouts with a LEO (lox (smoked sockeye salmon, in this case), eggs and onions).

Lunch
8:45pm A Quest bar and peanut butter. 

Dinner
12:10am: Vegetarian sloppy Joe (Quorn Grounds [mushroom protein beef substitute], kale, spinach, chia and hemp seeds and Wegman's Grandpa's Sauce) with black soy spaghetti.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 0;   Coffee: 24 oz.;  Water: 72+ oz.; 

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#2614, Thursday, February 25, '21: More music!

Post 2614

- 11 years and 56 days since I started this blog -
Daily Comment

I got to play again, same place, different hosts, some same and different friends.

The night was wonderful. Even better, I got to play a set with not one person i knew on stage! I live for that. It is so challenging, and if the challenge is met and good music is made, it is very rewarding.

I didn't get to play with too many of the usual players i play with, but it was all still fun, and there were lots of my old friends around, with only a slight overlap with last week's jam. 

It went long, too, and I missed my Thursday night poker game, which apparently has only four more weeks, as the 'host' is looking forward to better weather, more busy-ness, and things opening up, including for him, now that he and his parents (he's been staying with them, helping them out) have been vaccinated. 

Still, a good night.

I'm grateful for being able to still have fun.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    199.5 lbs.

Previous Weight (2/24/21):         199.7 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 0.2 lbs.

Diet Comment

This is good. 

Food Log

Breakfast
2:15pm: Greens'n'eggs - kale, spinach, eggs, mushrooms, onions and peppers. Also, overnight oatmeal, with red-, black-, and raspberries, walnuts, hemp and chia seeds and kefir.

Lunch
Skipped. 

Dinner
10:55pm: Chef salad (roasted turkey breast, shaved parmesan cheese, walnuts, arugula, cabbage, chard, kale, spinach and homemade mayonnaise).

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 0;   Coffee: 24 oz.;  Water: 52+ oz.; 2 shots of Jameson's Irish Whiskey

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#2613, Wednesday, February 24, '21: No comment

Post 2613

- 11 years and 55 days since I started this blog -
Daily Comment

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

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    199.7 lbs.

Previous Weight (2/23/21):         201.5 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     - 1.8 lbs.

Diet Comment

I'm thinking yesterday was a bit of an outlier, today's weight is more like how I feel. 

Food Log

Breakfast
12:15pm:

LEO (lox (smoked sockeye salmon), eggs and onions) on riced cauliflower.

Lunch
Skipped. 

Dinner
10:15pm: Peanut butter and a Quest bar.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 0;   Coffee: 24 oz.;  Water: 72+ oz.; 

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#2612, Tuesday, February 23, '21: Tax Day

Post 2612

- 11 years and 54 days since I started this blog -
Daily Comment

I think I might be the only tax-paying person in the US who enjoys doing their taxes.

But I do. It's the numbers thing, how comfortable I am doing math and dealing with numbers. I really think I could have also been happy asa accountant. Sudoku is my favorite game.

I did my Federal and NY State Income Taxes today. It took about two hours, from start to fiiing, but it would have been a half-hour except for the hundred-plus entries for the day-trading I did last Summer and Fall.

I just don't mind it. I didn't even mind it when i ran afoul of the Alternative Minimum Tax and had to write the IRS a check for almost $80,000 in 2001 (20th anniversary coming up!). Well, i minded writing the check, but not doing the taxes that year. I remember somebody telling me, "Never to mind paying a lot of taxes, it means you've been financially successful." 

For the last twenty years, though, I've been getting refunds, this year, no exception. 

When I got my first regular job, at Frank Wolf's Drummers Supplies at age sixteen, my grandmother, the amazing Grandma Hannah, did my taxes. She made a little extra doing taxes in the season, the only work I ever knew her to do.

Of course, my taxes were dead simple, and we sat together and did them. I hired a family friend as an accountant when I incorporated my sales job (Ice-Nine, Inc.) at age nineteen. He did my taxes for the next two years.

During that time, Grandma Hannah died. I'd like to think it was just a coincidence. But, in my impoverished aftermath (and back again to dead-simple taxes), I took on doing my returns myself.

After my first year working at IBM, tax year 1978, with my taxes complicated by relocation expenses, I hired someone to do them for me. He gave me a form to fill out. When I realized that I had done all the most tedious work involved in tax prep when filling out the form, I vowed I would always do my taxes from then on.

Fast-forward a few years, and tax software arrived. Working with IBM, I was an early adopter, with a professional discount.

I started with Turbotax, then switched to TaxAct, and never looked back. And, like I said, it's like a fun puzzle to me now.

So today I'm grateful for a mindset that lets me look at something many regard as an odious and unpleasant task, and seeing it as fun.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    201.5 lbs.

Previous Weight (2/22/21):         199.5 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                     + 2.0 lbs.

Diet Comment

Completely unexpected weight gain. "What He giveth, He taketh away." Of course, 'He' is the Diet Fairy. Anyway, I feel fine, and I'm enjoying the extra carbs I'm allowing myself these days. 

Food Log

Breakfast
3:30pm: Overnight oatmeal, with red-, black-, and raspberries, walnuts, hemp and chia seeds and kefir. Also, scrambled eggs.

Lunch
7:05pm: Carrots with homemade mayonnaise. 

Dinner
12:20am: Cottage cheese and vegetarian sloppy Joe (Quorn Grounds (mushroom protein meat substitute), kale, spinach and Wegman's Grandpa's Sauce) with parmesan crisps.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 2;   Coffee: 0 oz.;  Water: 60+ oz.; 

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