July 30, 2012: Post 566 (2012 Day 212)

July 30, 2012

Daily Comment

Wow. This weekend left me exhausted. A whole lot of playing. A considerable amount of eating (especially considering the eating included a 22-hour fast). 

So, today, I feel old. That's odd for me (so was Saturday's gas attack - not usually a problem for me). But the way I describe it: tired-old. I know I am chronically under-sleeping.  

I should improve my sleep hygiene, which is... not good. But the real problem is playing at night and going to work in the morning. The irregularity this adds to my life is probably my biggest ongoing problem. When I think about it, that is a beautiful thing. It means, most of the time, I am engaged with things that are either necessary or fulfilling, respectively.

Leaving, fairly often, not enough time to sleep. What a nice problem to have. 

But it leaves one feeling tired. And, when not involved in playing/working/sleeping, lazy.
   

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Food and Diet Section

Today's Weight:        205.6 lbs 
Yesterday's Weight:    205.0  lbs  
Day Net Loss/Gain:     + 0.6 lbs

Year 2012 daily weight from December 31, 2011.

Diet Comment:

I felt like I had to finish the pepperoni I had, because it has been a pretty regular part of my diet for a while now, and that coincides with some bad trending in my weight. Now, I'm done with that.

Food Log

Breakfast
A cocoa-kale protein shake (almond milk, whey protein (36g protein), kale, chia gel, one egg, cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, stevia-inulin blend).

Lunch
Skipped. I just wasn't hungry.

Snack
Salad with Spring Mix, cole slaw mix, red cabbage and balsamic vinaigrette; hard boiled eggs, baby carrots and home-made mayonnaise.

Dinner

Spring Mix greens and Dal Tadka (lentil curry) with spinach and eggs.

Liquid Intake
    Coffee:    30 oz,   Water: 100+ oz

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July 29, 2012: Post 565 (2012 Day 211) Fast Day

July 29, 2012

Daily Comment

I am tired. For now, that is all. Soon, I will go out to play. Then I will be tired again.

   

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Food and Diet Section

Today's Weight:        205.0 lbs 
Yesterday's Weight:    202.0  lbs  
Day Net Loss/Gain:     + 3.0 lbs

Year 2012 daily weight from December 31, 2011.

Diet Comment:

The expected gain, about what I expected. I don't expect tomorrow's weight to be a lot different, given that I will finish the pepperoni (it's the pepperoni!) today when I break fast.

Food Log

Breakfast
Skipped.

Lunch
Skipped.

Dinner
A cocoa-kale protein shake (almond milk, whey protein (24g protein), kale, chia gel, cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, stevia-inulin blend), and cole slaw.

Snack

Hard boiled eggs, pepperoni, baby carrots and home-made mayonnaise.

Liquid Intake

    Coffee:    30 oz,   Water: 80+ oz

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July 28, 2012: Post 564 (2012 Day 210) Cheat Day

July 28, 2012

Daily Comment

Tired today. Spent the whole day, pretty much, eating and getting ready for the gig with i am Fool, which is an outdoor graduation party. The weather was iffy from the moment I got out of bed, so I don't know how that will play out.

It turned out fine. There was rain, but we played under a tent and stayed dry. The bigger problem was how humid it was. The guitars didn't stay in tune. 

We still managed to play 3 hours of pretty good music (I think). We ate before the show, and the food was great-tasting, but halfway through the first set, I started feeling gassy. That made for some unpleasant, maybe even disgusting, moments later on in the show. Even though we were outdoors, it looked like John the drummer was going to pass out at one point.

Still, the music was good, and the band made a few new fans. I really enjoyed myself, once the gas attack was over. This is a big weekend for music. Tomorrow's a jam session, too. I hope I get a chance to do a wash. 
   

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Food and Diet Section

Today's Weight:        202.0 lbs 
Yesterday's Weight:    200.2  lbs  
Day Net Loss/Gain:     + 1.8 lbs

Year 2012 daily weight from December 31, 2011.

Diet Comment:

OK, it's pepperoni. The cheese didn't help. I'll get rid of the rest today, cheat day. I'm going to eat at the gig, there won't be any photos. Just a re-hash.

Food Log

Food I ate today:

• Blueberry-kale protein shake (Almond milk, blueberries, kale, whey protein (24g protein), vanilla, stevia-inulin blend.
• Second Nature Wholesome Medley (dark chocolate chunks, roasted and salted peanuts, almonds and cashews, tart red cherries and dried cranberries).
• Nutter Butter and Oreos cookies.
• Sausage.
• Pulled Pork.
• Chicken Riggies (Rigatoni with chicken and cheese).
• Pasta salad.
• Pepperoni and cheese.

Liquid Intake

    Coffee:    30 oz,   Water: 80+ oz

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July 27, 2012: Post 563 (2012 Day 209)

July 27, 2012

Daily Comment

O-o-oh, hard day at work.

Even though I worked from home, it was unusually stressful. Weird the way my mind seems to have a pressure 'set point' that makes artificial pressure to replace pressure relieved. Sort of a mental homeostasis for work stress. 

But the events of the work day kept me 'on my toes' even though I didn't spend nearly enough time not sitting.

I loaded my amplifier (for tomorrow's gig), and brought along my bass, in case there was a playing opportunity, and, to blow off some end-of-the-work-week steam, I planned to make a wide tour and see four or five bands playing around town. 

I didn't get far. I was asked to sit in at the second stop, and ended up there the whole night. I tried to catch one more, of my stops, but got there right after the last set.

It is still a good night, making good music just for the fun of it. I couldn't help thinking about the charmed life I have made for myself up here in Syracuse. It's a real who'd-a-thunk-it-? sort of thought.

During the whole night, I never had a single moment of worry or doubt. I am so grateful. 
   

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Food and Diet Section

Today's Weight:        200.2 lbs 
Yesterday's Weight:    202.4  lbs  
Day Net Loss/Gain:     - 2.2 lbs

Year 2012 daily weight from December 31, 2011.

Diet Comment:

OK, back in range. I don't know, I ate a lot of food yesterday, all on plan, and mostly calorie dense. Go figure.

Food Log

Breakfast
Skipped.

Lunch

Spinach, onions, garlic and salsa omelet. Not shown: Salad of Spring Mix and cole slaw mix with balsamic vinaigrette.

Dinner
Pepperoni and cheese.

Snack

Pepperoni.

Liquid Intake

    Coffee:    30 oz,   Water: 114+ oz

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July 26, 2012: Post 562 (2012 Day 208) - Fast Day

July 26, 2012

Daily Comment

I am thinking about the idea of re-inventing oneself. I've done this many, many times in my life.

Of course, nobody actually reinvents themselves. Depending on your beliefs, you are eternal, or you were created, or you are only travelling down a pre-destined path (there are more laternatives than this, I know). What we call re-invention is simply a shift in the way we interact with and present ourselves to others, and doesn't really represent any internal changes. 

At least, that's my definition.

So what I've actually done so many times in the past is to adjust my lifestyle. Sometimes this was a career change, sometimes a location change, sometimes a relationship change, sometimes just a new hobby. Many times it was a combination of things. 

What's important is that, no matter how dramatic the shift (like moving from NYC to Duchess County and starting to work for IBM), on the inside, nothing essential changed.

Because external changes, no matter how profound, and no matter the extent they are accompanied by emotional changes, are just that: External. Superficial.

A friend of mine who I saw at a reunion of people who, for the most part, hadn't seen each other for 30 years, asked me, "Does anyone really change?." 

I answered, "Not on the inside."

I'll stick with that answer.

   

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Food and Diet Section

Today's Weight:        202.4 lbs 
Yesterday's Weight:    205.6  lbs  
Day Net Loss/Gain:     - 3.2 lbs

Year 2012 daily weight from December 31, 2011.

Diet Comment:

OK, back in range. I don't know, I ate a lot of food, yesterday, all on plan, and mostly calorie dense. Go figure.

Food Log

Breakfast
Skipped.

Lunch
Skipped.

Dinner
A cocoa-kale protein shake (almond milk, whey protein (24g protein), kale, chia gel, cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, stevia-inulin blend), and celery with home-made mayonnaise.

Snack

Hard boiled eggs, guacamole, cole slaw.

Liquid Intake

    Coffee:    30 oz,   Water: 114+ oz

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July 25, 2012: Post 561 (2012 Day 207)

July 25, 2012

Daily Comment

Including myself, we like to think that others' opinions don't overly influence our actions and beliefs, because the ultimate source of all our behavior is internal. Which it is, to the degree we allow it to be.

This idea is more like an ideal. Speaking for myself, I want to be liked and I want to be open to other people's ideas. That's how we make our social way, and how we learn. No man is an island, right? 

What we really are saying, is that people can't (negatively) influence our sense of integrity. This is ultimately true, as well. The difficulty comes with social interaction, and how we allow ourselves to modify the internal messages we're getting based on other's words and actions.

This is the basis of all advertising. 

I believe that the rise of advertising in the US is one of the reasons for corporations becoming the dominant influence over the government. The ability to manipulate large numbers of people through what amounts to trickery and subversion is the advertiser's stock in trade, and the ally of anyone who can profit from the deception.

The ability of advertisers to make us want things we don't need has turned the US into a consumer society. The American consumer became the primary engine of our economy, creating a market mentality where once there was a sense of self-reliance. The current financial crisis, brought on by bankers' criminal activities, is made worse and longer-lasting by the effect it has on American consumers, who no longer have the means to make purchases.

Making people believe things that aren't true is one of the most harmful things human beings do to each other. It is responsible for untold suffering, and while I believe that suffering is part-and-parcel of human existence, we are not talking about something existential, ingrained in our DNA, or fundamental to our lives. This suffering does not advance our understanding of our nature, it twists it up, and diminishes us by over-riding our internal thought processes, usually below the level of our conscious awareness. 

I wish I could make myself immune to this tampering, and I try to do that every day, frequently falling short, and not recognizing my error until after the fact. I think I'm getting better at it, and maybe I am, but every once in a while I do something - buy something - and, after the purchase, wonder, "What was I thinking?" Sometimes I can undo the transaction, but not every time. I have a couple of hats like that.

Planning on long-term travel overseas is a big help. Everything I buy is evaluated on the basis of whether or not it is something I can take with me when I go, or that will help me execute my retirement plan. Some things are desirable, if not necessary, for my current situation, and are outside either of these two factors (my recent coffee maker purchase, for example, will hopefully still be excellent when I am giving my possessions away), and some things are taking a chance that they will be useful for that purpose (like a course in Spanish I bought - no, I haven't started using it yet). 

The best thing I'm doing, though, is meditation. I believe meditation sensitizes you to your inner thoughts and processes by teaching you to what it feels like to put conscious thoughts aside, and that helps stay in the moment. This is helpful, even though the duration may be short, a small fraction of waking time.

The degree with which I succeed in building 'immunity' to these kind of influences (which I consider destructive) will certainly enhance my present and future.

(Note: This is one of those comments that took on a life of its own once I started writing. I had no intention, at the start, of writing about advertising, the economy or meditation. All this poured out of my fingers as I typed. I am pretty sure it is rambling, I just hope it makes some sort of sense).
   

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Food and Diet Section

Today's Weight:        205.6 lbs 
Yesterday's Weight:    205.0  lbs  
Day Net Loss/Gain:     + 0.6 lbs

Year 2012 daily weight from December 31, 2011.

Diet Comment:

Two possible explanations for my weight gain: A) Dietetic, namely large amounts of pepperoni (not the healthiest thing I can put in my body - I'm done with that) and/or my home-made mayonnaise (made with healthy fats and organic eggs, so healthy, although calorie-dense); and 2), the new exercise regime I'm doing. It is making me sore, which indicates more muscle activity, and obviously stresses me physically (that's what it is for, right?) and that means I'm probably retaining more water.

Food Log

Breakfast
Chia gel.

Lunch

Chili (beef, black beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, spices) with peas.

Dinner
Dinner was actually a succession of single dishes, not eaten together, so, sorry, no pics. What I ate was salmon salad with Spring Mix and cole slaw mix, an Italian-style chicken sausage, and cole slaw.

Snack

Hard boiled eggs, guacamole, salsa.

Liquid Intake

    Coffee:    30 oz,   Water: 90+ oz

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July 24, 2012: Post 560 (2012 Day 206)

July 24, 2012

Daily Comment

I am one of those people who, when you say, "Medellin," thinks of Pablo Escobar, incredible violence, cocaine and the fictitious, terrible movie made by Vince in 'Entourage'.

At least, I was. Articles in the 'Overseas Retirement Letter' have changed my mind. Last year, the editor of that e-zine bought an apartment to renovate as a luxury rental, and began a series of articles the city that has put it near the top of my list of places to check out for my retirement. 

In some ways, it is a leading contender: It has, year-round, the best weather of any place on my short list (all of the others have periods of too-hot, too wet, or both). It has spectacularly good medical care available (five of the best hospitals in Latin America). It is clean, safe, and the people are friendly. 

It is large enough to have a good amount of cultural diversity, and is also home of some excellent colleges (more cultural goodies). There is an excellent transportation system, and the city is supposed to be very walkable - no need for a car (major check-list item for me, I hate cars). There is even a growing middle-class. 

Also, it is the closest to the US of any of my top five spots (Thailand, Malaysia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Uruguay). One of two possible runners-up on my list is closer (Mexico; the other outlier is Spain).

Then there are the 'buts' (the down-side items, there are always some)

I'm not certain, when I'm ready to go, if living there will be inexpensive enough, although I expect it will be so. Also, there is currency risk - my pension will be paid out in US dollars, and I will have to convert in every country on my list except , unlike Ecuador (whose currency's value is tied to the US dollar).

I'm also not certain whether I will meet the residency requirements, which have been changing a lot recently, although this, too, is not a deal-breaker, and is also true of my Asian picks.

Also, I will have to learn Spanish - my English will get me by in Southeast Asia, and a bit in Ecuador, as long as I stay in a large enough city - which is a hassle, but not the deal-breaker I once thought it was.

The balance is still positive. Half of the 'buts' can be chalked up to uncertainty, not actual negatives. I will still be researching destinations for the next forty-two months, but Colombia's place as one of the early check-out spots, and the top one in this hemisphere, is very exciting to me. 

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Food and Diet Section

Today's Weight:        205.0 lbs 
Yesterday's Weight:    203.0  lbs  
Day Net Loss/Gain:     + 2.0 lbs

Year 2012 daily weight from December 31, 2011.

Diet Comment:

I don't understand why the weight came on me. Yesterday was not really that special, except that I ate dinner spread out over 3-1/2 hours, and it was a fatty meal (good fats, but still). Oh, well, a little back-on-plan will fix it. I  exercised again today, so that's good.

Food Log

Breakfast
Skipped.

Lunch
A cocoa-kale protein shake (almond milk, whey protein (36g protein), kale, chia gel, one egg, cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, stevia-inulin blend).

Dinner

Chili (beef, black beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, spices) with peas, and cole slaw.

Snack
Pepperoni, celery and home-made mayonnaise.

Liquid Intake
    Coffee:    30 oz,   Water: 104+ oz

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July 23, 2012: Post 559 (2012 Day 205)

July 23, 2012

Daily Comment

Here's the thing about open mics, jam sessions, etc.


The hosts control the show. I have been in that seat, it isn't as easy as it looks, and, unfortunately, some people get very invested in a set of rules that seem reasonable, but don't apply. What do I mean? 


Players believe in the rule of list order - that is, first on the list, first to play. The thing is, that isn't a rule: The rule is, you play when the host calls you to play. It is legitimate to speak to the host and make your presence known - and your place on the list, if you think that means something - and any other items you hope will influence your performance. But it is at the discretion of the host who plays, and when. The best you can hope for is that list order will influence playing order. 


Players believe in 'fairness' but frequently forget how subjective that can be. What seems fair to any one person may not reflect what seems fair to the host, who is responsible for all the performers that appear, as well as being responsible to management to put on a good show (or at least one that inspires everyone present to drink).


Players believe in schedules. They believe the session should start on time, and that there should be constraints on the performances so that everybody gets equal stage time. In 45 years of jam sessions, I think I've been to two that imposed and kept to a schedule, and, amazingly, players still found a reason to bitch and moan. 


In the real world, start times are... negotiable; sometimes a member of the host band is late, sometimes there are equipment problems, sometimes it's the sound guy, sometimes its the lack of customers or people signed up to play. 


I've grown pretty accustomed to a 4-song standard set. However, different venues have different rules (3 songs, 10, 15, or 20-minutes). Some performers play long songs, and four of them would back things up too far. And some performers alienate the audience, or the hosts, and will get pulled early (aka, getting the 'hook'). And, if a performer is really grabbing the audience, more stage time will be allowed. These last two are the only instances where talent or performance skills affect stage time.


Finally, players are affected by their relationship with other players. If you are new to a particular session, you may be confined to a 'safe' spot, where your unknown skills will not cause a problem for the host or other players. If you are known, there may be players who want you in their set, other players who don't; you may know who the former are, typically, you won't know who the latter are (although it isn't too difficult to figure out). Expect to be 'categorized' by what other performers think is your musical style (hard rock, old rock, blues, jazz, country), and expect this perception to influence when you play and with who.


Last night I went to two open mics. At the first, as one of the earlier people who signed up, I played in the first post-host set, through a few personnel changes, and had a blast. There were a couple of really out-there, unplanned and musically interesting moments (playing a standard R&B tune reggae-style) and everybody was happy - except for one guy, who thought he should have been part of it, and wasn't called. However, the whole thing had started late, because one of the host band members was late coming in from out of town. So it goes.


At the second, a blues jam, the sign-up list was ignored. It also started late, and, although I was signed up for the first set (that's how the sign up works at this one - people sign up in sets, you can see who you will be playing with), I left before I had a chance to play (I would have gotten up five minutes later, but I had stayed as late as I reasonably could). As I was leaving, someone stopped me and said that these people weren't running the session right. I just shrugged - if I can't stay until I'm called, it is on me, not the hosts. Only if I stay the whole time, signed up but not called, do I have a gripe.


Probably the only reason for writing all this (besides my experiences last night, in which I encountered every single one of these factors), is that this holds true for all social interactions. The rules for interpersonal engagement are flexible at best, and there is plenty of room for misunderstanding. A persons expectations have to be adjusted according to the specifics of the situation. General rules don't apply. 

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Food and Diet Section

Today's Weight:        203.0 lbs 
Yesterday's Weight:    206.4  lbs  
Day Net Loss/Gain:     - 3.4 lbs

Year 2012 daily weight from December 31, 2011.

Diet Comment:

Goodly amount of weight came off. Exercised (calisthenics). All good.

Food Log

Breakfast
Skipped.

Lunch

Dal Tadka (lentil curry) with spinach and eggs, and a cole slaw and Spring Mix salad.

Dinner
Pepperoni, Spring Mix and cole slaw mix, cole slaw, and cauliflower.

Liquid Intake

    Coffee:    30 oz,   Water: 144+ oz

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July 22, 2012: Post 558 (2012 Day 204) - Fast Day

July 22, 2012

Daily Comment

Am I allowed another indolent day? Better have. Same as yesterday, with a little walking, shopping, playing thrown in

I'm still comment-less. 

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Food and Diet Section

Today's Weight:        206.4 lbs 
Yesterday's Weight:    204.2  lbs  
Day Net Loss/Gain:     + 2.2 lbs

Year 2012 daily weight from December 31, 2011.

Diet Comment:

All things considered, my weight gain isn't too bad. We'll take some off today, after a full 24-hour fast.

Food Log

Breakfast
Skipped.

Lunch
Skipped

Dinner
Skipped.

Snack
Hard-boiled eggs and guacamole.

Liquid Intake

    Coffee:    30 oz,   Water: 100+ oz

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July 21, 2012: Post 557 (2012 Day 203) - Cheat Day

July 21, 2012

Daily Comment

Indolent day today. Slept late, ate, watched quite a bit of TV. Ate. Read. More TV. Ate.

It is no wonder at all that I have nothing to say. 

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Food and Diet Section

Today's Weight:        204.2 lbs 
Yesterday's Weight:    203.0  lbs  
Day Net Loss/Gain:     + 1.2 lbs

Year 2012 daily weight from December 31, 2011.

Diet Comment:

A weight gain after last night's cheat. I can't get away with it every time.

Food Log

Breakfast

Second Nature Wholesome Medley (dark chocolate chunks, roasted and salted peanuts, almonds and cashews, tart red cherries and dried cranberries).

Lunch
Blueberry-kale protein shake (Almond milk, blueberries, kale, whey protein (24g protein), vanilla, stevia-inulin blend. A Ruby Red grapefruit. More Wholesome Medley.


Dinner

Whole wheat farfalle with lentils, onions, olive oil, caraway seeds.

Snack
Lentil chips and hummus. Lindt Dark chocolate with chili bar.

Liquid Intake

    Coffee:    30 oz,   Water: 98+ oz

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