The drive home was uneventful except for fighting a cold that has been coming for several days but finally hit me late last night and this morning. Such is life. At least I was able to enjoy the weekend of dancing.
HEALTH & FITNESS
After dancing several hours yesterday and a little waltzing today, I again took a break from jogging. If all goes well I will be back at it tomorrow morning early.
STREAKS - For the record (updated)
Current list of streaks:
Writing: day 32
Blood Pressure Readings: day 16 (exempted from reading because of road trip)
Logging to SparkPeople: day 0 (missed logging in during the trip)
Today is the last day I will count writing. A full month has passed and I have had the pleasure of writing at least a little everyday. The writing challenge is over, but not the writing. For the month of October I plan on doing two daily, shorter posts: one around Noon and one around 9 PM. Having two daily deadlines will be a challenge in itself. Having shorter posts will make it easier. I am still working out what will be in each post.
Today was the 12-hour BooneDoggle dance event. It was, as in years past, an amazing experience. I probably danced about eight of the 12 hours. My fitness level is still not up for 12 hours of dancing. But I am happy. My feet hurt a bit. There are a couple of blisters to tend to when I get home. And my heart is full, my soul re-charged, my body a bit stronger, my connections to others expanded by unmeasurable amounts and in ways that are hard to explain. You had to be there to know.
Tomorrow will be clean-up time at the dance location. And then the drive back home, back to daily routines, to the joys of living life with my kids, working hard with my coworkers, and all that I call "normal." But life will not be the same; this Contra dance, like many other Contra dances, has changed me, made me better, made me stronger.
A cool brisk morning in the mountains of Tennessee. It was perfect sleeping weather, just cool enough to need a light blanket on me.
Today will be a day full of great dancers, great dancing, great music. The Contra community in Boone is warm and friendly and always a pleasure to share time with.
I have exempted myself from jogging this morning in anticipation of 12 hours of dancing. I can't wait to Contra today!
The firt day of the On-the-Road experiment was a resounding success and an absolute blast. It actually started Thursday evening as I drove from home toward my ultimate destination (Mountain City, TN) for the 12-hour BooneDoggle Contra Dance held yearly there. My plan was to stop for the night in Lincolnton, NC. I chose Lincolnton because it was exactly halfway between home and my destination, and because there was a Walmart and Lowe's right off the highway.
The drive started with a scary thunderstorm that produced dangerous amounts of rain. Fortunately, that stopped after just 20 minutes or so, and the rest of the drive was uneventful. It was unusually quiet on the road, with very few vehicles anywhere. Maybe Thursday nights are quiet nights for travelling.
I arrived in Lincolnton and chose to park at the Walmart location. I went in, bought some groceries and came across some awesome deals I could not pass. The deals turned out to be more amazing when they worked out better than planned for a vehicle project I am working on. And then I settled for the night, the first night sleeping in the car using sleeping mats (similar to Yoga mats, but thicker). I was able to stretch fully and fell fairly comfortable. The parking lot was quiet until around 4 AM when someone driving on a near-by road starting yelling obscenities and acting up. That was disconcerting because I did not know if they were heading my way or away. Fortunately, it was the latter. That was a good lesson about parking in these lots: be aware of how close to a road you are.
I was up and about by 4:30 and headed to a park I had spotted on the map that had what appeared as a nice trail I could use for jogging. I got there around 5 AM and the park gate was open although the posted hours were 8 AM - 10 PM. I proceeded to jog for 2 miles around the various parking lots inside the park. And then I headed out, back on the road, ready for a great day of volunteering to bring the BooneDoggle dance together. The day was a nice mixture of helping with dance tasks and working on re-packing the car to incorporate that morning's Lincolnton purchases. The window sun shades I bought for $4 and $5 fit perfectly to provide privacy at night and sun shielding in the day. The only fitting problem was with the front windows, and I will need to work on that at some point. By 8 PM I was ready for some sleep; the combination of hard work and little sleep the night before took its toll.
HEALTH & FITNESS
I was delighted with fitness and nutrition for the first day of the on-the-road adventure. I did some body strength training before jogging in the morning, then logged 2 miles, and then the rest of the day was super busy and I walked and lifted and pounded enough to make it a very good activity day. I logged 9367 steps and walked/jogged 3.8 miles.
Nutrition was good, with a nice mix of fruits and veggies along with a protein shake and chili for dinner.
GOALS, DREAMS, HABITS, RITUALS
This was a perfect example of having a dream or goal, and breaking it up into smaller portions to move forward with its attainment. The dream, of which I will write about later, requires being able to live out of a car for extended periods of time. Today was a perfect opportunity to learn lessons that will allow that to happen.
STREAKS - For the record (updated)
Current list of streaks:
Writing: day 30
Blood Pressure Readings: day 16 (exempted from reading because of road trip)
Logging to SparkPeople: day 0 (missed logging in during the trip)
Daily Exercise Routine: not counting for now
Cardio: Yes (jogging in the morning, lots of walking all day)
Yoga: Not really
Strength Training: lots of lifting and pounding, so yes
A very productive day as I prepare for a weekend in the mountains of Tennessee and 12 hours of incredible Contra dancing on Saturday. I will be wearing a kilt for the first time in more than a year. Part of the weekend's adventures include dong some car camping and I worked most of the day cleaning the garage and gathering and organizing items for the weekend adventure.
With me being on the road, my daily posts will change somewhat. Internet access where I will staying is sporadic, and my tablet is not happy with the connection there. However, I will be posting "dispatches" to the blog throughout the day via email and, if possible, I will condense them to the regular "The Daily" in the evening or whenever I get a chance to. I will call these "The (On the Road) Daily".
HEALTH & FITNESS
I jogged for 2.1 miles in 37 minutes to the "143 BPM - Best Foot Forward" Podrunner mix.
Blood pressure steady at 118/75.
PERSONAL GROWTH
One of the benefits of becoming more organized is the realization that we have so much. Specifically, I have been asking myself "How many of these (insert item name) do you need?" For example, I currently own eight pairs of dress shorts. These are the eight dress shorts that made the first and second cut during the purge a few days ago. I already donated all the shorts I did not like, could not fit into, or had no room for. But still, do I need eight dress shorts? Would I be OK with just six? Four? Considering I wear dress shorts perhaps once a week for a day or two, that means I could wear different shorts for two months without repeating. Sadly, I tend to gravitate toward the one or two pairs that are my favorite, and the others just sit there. Fortunately, purging and organizing has made me aware of this excessive abundance and now I can make decisions on what to keep and what to wear with awareness. Perhaps, most likely, there will be additional liberation of clothes in the not-so-distant future.
As I was working in the garage, I came across an insane number of cleaning towels. As it is often the case, the quantity has a logical explanation: every time our kitchen towels are replaced, they become garage cleaning towels. The problem, of course, is that the previous generations of kitchen-towels-turned-into-garage-towels linger on in the garage for years and years. Of course, they are not all in one place, where it would be obvious that there was an issue. No, they take shelter and hide from view until one fine day we discover they had taken over the garage. Or something like that. So how many of these towels do we need? Many (for now). Granted, these are often used to wipe oil and grease, etc., and they are truly not worth washing, so now that awareness has set in, like a beacon in the night to guide me, I will be able to keep the numbers to a reasonable level.
Challenges can be hard, and today I am struggling to write this post. There are a lot of items to write about and, because it was a very busy and productive day, I feel I am running out of steam. The fact that I am dealing with either a cold or some allergies is not helping matters. But such is life, so … full speed ahead!
HEALTH & FITNESS
This morning i missed my alarm completely. OK, not quite accurate. I heard and snoozed the first instance of the alarm at 4:30; even brought the phone next to my bed, as I usually do, and the next thing I remember is that two hours had passed. Yikes!
Nevertheless, I managed a 1.25 mile jog in 21 minutes, and my blood pressure is still in check at 115/81. Nutrition was much better today. Great day for better health.
GOALS, DREAMS, HABITS, RITUALS
I had prepared my to-do list for today several days in advance, so the day was very well structured. Except for the late start to some activities, everything important on the list was checked off. Great day for productivity.
FINANCES
I am WAY behind on entering data in "EveryDollar" and tomorrow is the last day I will be able to use for catching up. So that will be my highest priority for the afternoon schedule. Mornings are reserved for outdoor tasks until around 11 AM — despite being almost October, the heat and humidity are still quite intense. Although today's high was only 88, it felt like 188. Perhaps that is a bit of an exaggeration, but it felt hot; the humidity has not let up for days. Those that live in Columbia, SC, have earned an exemption pass from hell. We have been there, done that, and got the t-shirt, which is always soaking wet from this darn humid environment. I realize that had nothing to do with finances, but it was the best sport to put the commentary.
TIPS & TRICKS
I built my first self-watering bucket planter from an empty kitty litter container. Background story: I have had an amazing jalapeño pepper plant for the last three or so years, and it keeps giving us peppers. In the winter time I bring it inside and it flowers and makes peppers. In the spring/summer/fall I keep it outside in the front porch and it is as happy as it can be. This spring I finally moved it to a larger pot and it got even happier. But then Florence came into town, so we brought "Monster" (that's what the jalapeño pepper plant is called) and our youngest cat took a liking to it. After Florence passed I moved Monster back outside and discovered that one of its branches was broken. I clipped the branch and placed it in water. Within a day or two it had sprouted two peppers. Today, Baby Monster found a new home outside, next to "mamma" for now.
Monster and Baby Monster pepper plants
Bucket planter with 1 Gal jug and PVC feeder pipe (14" L x 3/4" diameter)
Finished product (with cap and evaporation barrier)
Finished product (with cap and evaporation barrier) (close-up)
This container cost me $0; fortunately, I had all the materials already at hand. I re-used a one gallon container that once held vinegar (I washed it and aired it out very well), The PVC pipe was in my garage from a different project. The wiking materials was a piece of fabric I found in my closet. The bucket was from litter for our cats. I followed pretty much the same steps from the video (below). In reality, the jug is too big for this litter bucket. But it will do the trick for now. When Baby Monster settles in I will move it to a better pot and a more proportionate self-watering system.
Two things to note:
I used a Zip Lock bag to prevent evaporation of the exposed wiking material. This would not be an issue if the water jug was fully covered (as it would be in a larger bucket).
Because I used available 3/4" PVC pipe, I was able to use the cap from a small soda bottle to cover the pipe opening, thus preventing mosquitoes from growing a family in the water jug.
I cannot wait to see how Baby Monster does in its new home.
Here is the video I used as inspiration for this project.
PODCASTS / VIDEOS
I made a version of this dish for dinner tonight. It was awesome.
Playing any kind of sport can help us learn many lessons. For me, bowling is a constant source of lessons. Every week, every frame, every shot is an opportunity to learn or re-learn valuable life lessons. Tonight was no exception. After a strong first game (206), my next two games were a struggle (ending with scores of 150 and 160). Some lessons from tonight's sessions:
Never rest in your laurels; just because game one was good does not mean the other games will be.
Adjust, constantly adjust, and be willing to be brave and make big changes when needed. At the end of game two I moved left on the approach and moved my target left a little, shooting three strikes in a row.
No matter what, it is just a game, so have a good time, celebrate the success of others (even if they are your opponents, perhaps especially if they are your opponents).
Stay humble, always humble. My team has been in first place in the league since we started. We are not the greatest group of bowlers, but we were performing well every week, at least well enough to stay at the top of the chart. Tonight, we lost all points, and we all recognize that the other team bowled very, very well, and we did not.
Bowling, like may other sports, is a valuable teacher if we just stop and learn the lessons.
HEALTH & FITNESS
Very enjoyable morning run for 2.16 miles in 39 minutes. I listened to Podrunner's "139 BPM - Sudden Summer" this morning. Tomorrow I will listen to something in the 141-142 BPM, as part of my plan to increase my speed a little at a time.
Blood pressure was still good at 114/81.
Nutrition was so-so although I stayed within my targeted numbers for calories, carbs, etc.
Morning meditation was great and I intend to do another session before bedtime.
“So what is a good meditator? A good meditator meditates.” ~ Allan Lokos
GOALS, DREAMS, HABITS, RITUALS
An excellent day of productivity with the help of a simple to-do list. I expanded the use of the list to take notes, add a shopping list to the bottom, etc. It is becoming a great productivity tool.
A nice jog this morning (albeit later than normal) for 2.26 miles in 40 minutes to the great Podrunner track called "137 BPM - Paced Out." For the record, I do not profit from any of you using Podrunner's mixes; I donate to Podrunner on a monthly basis and I hope others will enjoy the tracks and also help Steve continue offering these great workout mixes.
My blood pressure was amazing again today. I pulled 109/68 this evening. Jogging, meditation and Yoga are working!
Today was a better day for nutrition.
GOALS, DREAMS, HABITS, RITUALS
During Saturday and Sunday I navigated the days without a to-do list. That was frustrating because I know I can accomplish so much more when I do have a list to help me along my crazy days. In reflecting on this, I realized that the biggest stumbling block was to create the initial list with all the daily items in it. Last night I decided to create a list for each day of this week. That should help me get over that roadblock. Indeed, it worked quite well this morning and I feel much better about all the things I can accomplish today.
The one drawback of creating future to-do lists is that if something drastic changes in your "master list" then you either have to update a bunch of daily lists or re-do them from scratch. However, that is a small price to pay for being organized and more in control of your day. I suggest limiting the list creation to one week at a time. This would also allow us to apply Dr. Covey's planning strategies and put first things first and start with the end in mind. What do we want to accomplish in the week ahead? Let's plan those "big rocks" before all the smaller rocks take space in our mind and schedule.
PERSONAL GROWTH
Enjoy this video on the "AMRAP Mentality." I think there is much value in what the video advocates (warning: there is a commercial for "Chegg" studying services near the end of the video.)
TIPS & TRICKS
If you need some help implementing the AMRAP strategy detailed above, consider using the Pomodoro Technique (and, yes, there is an app for that). The Pomodoro Technique helps you focus for 25 minutes on one task, and then nudges you to take breaks at regular intervals. This time management approach instills the AMRAP philosophy because during the work periods you go all out at whatever the task is, avoiding all distractions (telephone, email, etc.). I have successfully used this technique for decades.
STREAKS - For the record
Current list of streaks:
Writing: day 26
Blood Pressure Readings: day 13 (amazingly nice numbers: 109/68)
I went for a nice 1.60 mile jog this morning. Honestly, it was a much shorter adventure than I had planned. As a runner, sometimes your body will dictate how far it will let you go before you have to go, and when you have to go, you have to go. I enjoyed listening to a nice Podrunner track called "134 BPM - Easy Going." I guess picking that track was prophetic in a way I did not anticipate.
Over the last few weeks I have been exercising regularly and I am pleased with the achievements on the activity side of the equation. For one thing, my blood pressure has steadily declined into a normal level (although I am using a medication for it), and today it was 103/78. That is far better than the 150-160/100-110 that I was recording not too long ago. Jogging has definitely helped.
On the other hand, my weight has not dropped all that much. I know exactly why this is: nutrition. There is much truth to the wisdom that you cannot exercise yourself out of poor nutrition. No matter how much we exercise, if what we eat, if how much we eat, and how we eat what we eat are not optimized for better health, then our health and fitness will only be (at best) marginally better. Now is a time for working on better nutrition while maintaining a good effort on exercising and also being mindful of the need for rest and relaxation. Without good nutrition the whole health/fitness triangle quickly falls apart.
My version of this triangle has nutrition as the base. Instead of Mind Set, I use Rest as the third side of the triangle. Each side of the triangle includes three components. Nutrition includes what you eat, how much you eat, and how you eat food. Fitness includes cardio, strength training, and stretching. Rest incorporates sleep, relaxation, and spirituality/mindfulness. Balance in all nine areas brings better health, improved fitness, greater joy.
GOALS, DREAMS, HABITS, RITUALS
Darn it! Another day without a to-do list. It is a good thing that it is a Sunday and also the day before a week-long vacation. Despite not having a formal to-do list, I hit all major items, which goes to prove that many of the items I have been working on are becoming habits, part of my daily rituals. I am happy about that. However, I am preparing my daily to-do list for tomorrow as soon as I finish posting this entry.
PERSONAL GROWTH
Minimalism is an awesome way to evaluate as little or as much of what makes your life what it is, and then to make sure that what is in your life actually brings value to your life. The appraisal of what brings value to our life can vary from person to person. In general, it encompasses things, people, and activities. If you are struggling with letting go of things, and do not even want to think about dealing with people, then perhaps you can look at appraising your schedule. Here is a nice video that explains it from the viewpoint of a mom with four kids.
TIPS & TRICKS
And for a simple way to cook bacon and eggs in the great outdoors. all you need is a simple paper bag.
PODCASTS / VIDEOS
I am sharing this video of an amazing tiny house; when I retire I want to move into a tiny house like this one.
TECHNOLOGY
Ever since installing the new router at home I have been testing the internet speed> one of my favorite test sites is Speedtest.net. The main reason I like it is that you can try several servers to give you an idea of you average speed.
STREAKS - For the record
Current list of streaks:
Writing: day 25
Blood Pressure Readings: day 12 (amazing reading at 103/78)
I was very pleased to jog 3.63 miles in 66 minutes today. I used a different Podrunner track called "136 BPM - March of Progress." It has easily become one of my favorite Podrunner mixes.
One of the joys of running is that the possible routes are almost endless. As I started this morning's jog I thought about going one way and when I came to a certain point I changed my mind and decided to go a different way, one with less car traffic to avoid fumes. It was a good move and it allowed me to go further on my run.
GOALS, DREAMS, HABITS, RITUALS
Today was the first day I did not use a to-do list. It was costly in a couple of ways, most importantly that I forgot to take my meds and vitamins until this evening. Normally I take them with breakfast around 10 AM but I got distracted by having to run my daughter to her job and so I lost track of things. I think the trick for me is to get the list done the night before, and then review the list first thing in the morning right after meditating.
PERSONAL GROWTH
Despite not using a to-do list for the day, I did manage to get much done. For example, I got some things ready for next weeks trip and did some shopping. One of the items I bought (double-sided tape I will use to improve my A/C filter positioning) ended up helping to re-position the WiFi antenna on my PC. It looks better and works more efficiently than the way it was before.
TIPS & TRICKS
This gentleman has developed a great self-watering system for inside plants. Very well-thought-out system and extremely inexpensive.
PODCASTS / VIDEOS
I am a minimalist or, at the very least, a minimalist in training. I have made progress in some areas and have slipped in others. In other words, I am human. Today I came across this nice video that gives solid advise on how to get started in the process of minimalism.
I tend to be the room-by-room, do-it-now, no plan, purger. I will try some of these strategies to help me become more efficient at handling the excess items in my life.
TECHNOLOGY
The planned installation of the new router went without a hitch. The new unit is a NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1900, and the thing screams. After some minor fine tuning, the wireless speeds have gone from under 10 Mbps to just under 50 Mbps. My cellphone maxed out at 99 Mbps downstairs, and about 50 Mbps upstairs. I am very pleased with the equipment and with the increased performance.
If you are buying a new router, it is advisable to do a few things immediately:
Change the administrator's password; my new router forced me to change the password, which is a very welcomed change from past practices.
Change the SSID (the wireless identifier) to something unique and also that will not identify you personally. Leaving the default name (my router used NETGEAR70) could possible allow a hacker to guess the password of your unit. Change the router name makes it just a little harder.
Change the default passwords. My router has two possible passwords, one for the 2.4 GHz band (for desktops and laptops) and one for the 5 GHz band (for mobile devices such as phones). You can allow the router to use the same name and password for both or you can keep them separate; I have opted for separate for now.
Change the passwords for your WiFi access every three to four months. Use some cyber-security hygiene steps and use a strong password that has 10-12 characters made of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters.I advocate the use of password padding: select a password/phrase that is easy to remember (for example, TheRedFox99) and now use three or more of the same special characters at the start and end of the word to make it stronger. For example, $$$$TheRedFox99$$$$ is easy to remember and not so easy to crack. By the way, that is NOT a password I have ever used. :-) Use a password strength checker and see the difference padding can make. The one without padding came at 78% strength. The one with padding was 100% strong and the only weaknesses reported is that it uses repetitive characters and repetitive numbers. So, to make it near perfect, we could change it to !1@2TheRedFox98#3$4 … but now that gets hard to type and hard to remember. To me, the small difference between $$$$TheRedFox99$$$$ and !1@2TheRedFox99#3$4 is not worth the extra brain power and confusion.
Tomorrow I will write a little about password managers and why they are critical for online security.
STREAKS - For the record
Current list of streaks:
Writing: day 24
Blood Pressure Readings: day 11 (started on the high side but I wa able to bring it down with deep breathing and acupressure)
Industrialized animal farming: cruel and environmentally unhealthy.
The effects of Florence continue. Many communities are still dealing with flooding issues. One of the latest threats: water contamination. Much of the danger is coming from large industrial farms that lost thousands of animals and unknown amounts of chemicals in the floods. Decomposition of the animal bodies, plus all the animal waste they produce, are beginning to pose real risk to human health. This is one more example of why industrial farming is a bad idea. Not only is it cruel to the animals, it is bad for the environment and our health. There is a point where cheap food is not really cheap; we crossed that point a long time ago.
HEALTH & FITNESS
Another great jog this morning for 2.12 miles in 38 minutes using Podrunner's "139 BPM - Sudden Summer". I am slowly increasing the pace of my jogs, and it feels great. Sadly, I had to sacrifice my morning Yoga routine due to a late start to the day. Sometimes we have to make tough choices. I had he feeling that today was going to be a very difficult day time wise, so this was the best choice for the day. Tomorrow will be another opportunity to step on the mat and practice.
FINANCES
This will be a really bad month for my budget. I have clearly over-spent in areas I had budgeted nothing for. And I have not even entered data into "EveryDollar" to account for all the expenses incurred this month. There was a certain urgency to some of the things I bought because of an upcoming short trip next week. However, I think I could have managed things differently. And there are some expenses I absolutely did not have to make, like another pair of Zoots running shoes. Alright, I am running everyday. And, yes, the Zoots are super comfortable. And the price was amazing on eBay (70% off!). But it is also true that I did not need them (I think I have enough running shoes for at least a few years). Awareness is a great first step to gaining control — I hope.
TIPS & TRICKS
A few months ago I came across a nice formula for creating toilet tablets to help clean the toilet bowl. It seemed simple enough to make (reference article). I bought the ingredients and went right at it. The first batch … well, you can see from the picture that the first batch did not quite work as planned; too much moisture (as warned in the article). The second batch (left) was much better. And I can tell you that these things are great help in cleaning toilets. Drop one, wait until the fizzle is almost done, and then lightly scrub the toilet bowl. Just don't add too much moisture to the mix. Perhaps 3-5 squirts maximum would do the trick. However, if your first batch looks like my first batch, don't throw it out. Brake it apart and use the oddly shaped pieces as if they were nicely cubed formations. They work pretty well.
Toilet tablet experiment; batch 1 (right) not so good.
PODCASTS / VIDEOS
I am passionate about bowling. I have been bowling since I was 15 and became a decent bowler in my 30s. I still enjoy weekly league competition/ And it is great to see that older bowlers are still magical on the lanes. Just watch these guys roll 220+ games consistently. They are a great inspiration.
INTERESTING TIDBITS
Do you struggle with the ends of packing and duct tape? Struggle no more! A co-worker showed me how to make it easy to re-use any type of tape: a paper clip! Using a paper clip at the end of the role makes it easy to use the tape again.
A paper clip at the end of any tape for easy re-use.
STREAKS - For the record
Current list of streaks:
Writing: day 23
Blood Pressure Readings: day 10
Logging to SparkPeople: day 13
Daily Exercise Routine: not counting for now
Cardio: Yes (2.12 miles in 38 minutes)
Yoga: No
Strength Training: No
Stretching: Yes, very light stretching during the day
Today's post will be short. It was a busy, long day that started when I went to bed too late last night which meant I got up late this morning … and it has been one of those days. It was a good day overall. No, really, it was a great day. I got a lot of things done. I had a great experience with our internet provider technician troubleshooting what I thought was slow speeds. Actually, it is old equipment inside the house: need a new router, new network cards, etc. I bought the new router this evening and will install it tomorrow after I get home.
A SIGN
This is my daily mantra as I drive to and from work:
I came across this funny video on quitting sugar for a month; it is worth watching.
GOALS, DREAMS, HABITS, RITUALS
Today was the start of something I had wanted to do for years: a regular, daily Yoga practice. It took me a few minutes to get things set-up, but it was so worth it. I will do the same routine for the next few days and then try something different. Tomorrow, with a little more time, I will learn and do an evening Yoga routine; just a 10-minute sequence to end the day on a high note.
PERSONAL GROWTH
As I suspected, going to a digital things-to-do list made it easier not to look at it throughout the day. Fortunately, I was able to check off all the important items on the list anyway, but I could have missed something important by not looking at the list at least 2-3 times during the day. Something to work on.
FINANCES
Not logging in your expenses daily is a bad sign that your financial management efforts are about to collapse; that is what has happened to me in the past, and that is what is happening to me right now. Tomorrow evening I will play catch-up with "EveryDollar" until all transactions have been entered. Fortunately, I have been using my debit card for the most part this month, so it will be fairly easy to get caught up. Unfortunately, using the debit card as the main form of transactions tends to quickly escalate and leads to over spending. The flags are at yellow right now, but the flag person is pulling up the red flags; time to get back on track.
STREAKS - For the record
Current list of streaks:
Writing: day 22
Blood Pressure Readings: day 9 (a little higher today at 128/78; it was a stressful day at work)
Logging to SparkPeople: day 12
Daily Exercise Routine: not counting for now
Cardio: Yes: 1.78 miles for 32 minutes
Yoga: Yes! A nice 10 minute workout in the morning. Mostly stretching and great to do.
Strength Training: No
Stretching: Yes (in addition to Yoga, I did some stretches first thing after getting up)
Meditation: Yes, 10 minute meditation first thing in the morning, another 10 minutes in the afternoon.
Meditation: day 9
Number of tabs open: day 5 (despite a crazy day at work, I managed to keep the number of tabs and windows to a minimum. I have become very aware of this aspect of computing and how quickly things can get out of hand).
I had a super fun jog this morning, logging 2.47 miles in 44 minutes. I used Podrunner's "140 BPM - Superconductor." My strategy this week is to vary my pace everyday aiming to increase my speed a little over time. For the month of September I want to at least be able to jog at around 145 BPM once or twice. In October I want to inch up a little, maybe as fast as 150 BPM. I am actually not too hung up on the actual number as long as I keep making progress and, most importantly, remain injury and pain free.
GOALS, DREAMS, HABITS, RITUALS
The multi-factor approach to fitness metrics (having four requirements that need to be met in order to qualify for a "successful day") may not be working the way I had intended. This is not a surprise. Growing in anything we do means making adjustments. Life is like one big project made of a myriad of smaller projects; when we follow the project management cycle (plan, implement, measure/ review, adjust) we can ensure success in whatever we try.
My biggest challenge has been missing weight training. It appears I may want to split the four into individual action items and once all four, separately, are achieved, then the goal will be achieved. As I pondered this point I realized that there may be an elegant solution to this: Yoga. Having a daily or regular Yoga practice can help us achieve balance in all four areas I have listed. When I practice Yoga regularly my running also improves. So that is my new fitness goal: at least 10-15 minutes of Yoga everyday.
Here is the Yoga routine I will start tomorrow morning.
For those of you that think Yoga is not something they can do, please watch this short video:
Yoga is something best started with a teacher. A teacher will take care of you, the whole you: the physical you, the mental you, the emotional you, the spiritual you. There is a difference, sometimes a huge difference, between a teacher and an instructor. The latter usually deals with form and technique but may be unable to help with the other aspects of a Yoga practice. Once you learn the basics from a teacher, then you can work with instructors or even videos. I was truly blessed to have started my Yoga practice with an amazing teacher; her name is Juliet Hewitt. There is not a time that I step on my mat that she is not present even if she is not physically there. So, find yourself a teacher, learn the basics, and then take it from there. As Juliet always says, start from where you are right now.
PERSONAL GROWTH
Clutter is a sign of trouble. If we look around, clutter is all around us. For many, it is in our homes, our offices, our cars. Clutter has become a huge industry in the USA. All we have to do is look at all the self-storage businesses opening in almost every neighborhood, or the incredible growth of thrift store chains like Goodwill. Look at this video and you can get a glimpse of the problem.
Soon I will share a bit of the purging I have done at home.
TIPS & TRICKS
The nice hand-written to-do lists I wrote about a few days ago have matured a bit. I moved to a digital version using the "Notes" app on my iPhone. The main advantage I see is the time saving from not having to re-write things left to do at the end of the day. The disadvantage, as I have experienced in the past, is a significant disconnect with the list; it is easier to forget to check the list as often once it is in digital form. Having handwritten notes makes the connection with your brain a lot stronger. However, using digital notes can be just as effective with some discipline. Whichever you choose, having a daily to-do list is a definite must for improved productivity (at least for the majority of us).
PODCASTS / VIDEOS
Chi Running is a running methodology designed to eliminate injuries and improve anybody's running efficiency. I have read parts of the book and love the concept. Here is a video explaining the basics of Chi Running.
INTERESTING TIDBITS
Not all cookware is safe to use. Here is a video about some popular but not so safe items we may have in our kitchens.
STREAKS - For the record
Current list of streaks:
Writing: day 21
Blood Pressure Readings: day 8 (down to 111/71)
Logging to SparkPeople: day 11
Daily Exercise Routine: day 0
Cardio: Yes (2.47 miles in 44 minutes)
Strength Training: No (see above)
Stretching: Yes
Meditation: Yes
Meditation: day 8
Number of tabs open: day 4 (still working on this — today was more of a challenge than in days 1-3, but it is definitely better)
Great 2.1 mile jog this morning using a different old pair of ASICS. They still fit, they still feel good. I listened to Podrunner's "138 BPM - Driven."
Today, I learned that there is something called "Slow Jogging" as a formal sport. This is, essentially, the form of jogging I do. Although I once ran as fast as a 9+ minute mile, I never did so comfortably or consistently.
GOALS, DREAMS, HABITS, RITUALS
The ritual/habit of having a four-part workout fell through again today. The cardio and meditation were OK, the stretching was iffy, but no strength training session again. I got really busy at work and allowed it to get in the way. So, tomorrow will be another chance to try again.
STREAKS - For the record
Current list of streaks:
Writing: day 20
Blood Pressure Readings: day 7 (nice 118/72)
Logging to SparkPeople: day 10
Daily Exercise Routine: day 0
Cardio: Yes (2.1 miles in 37 minutes)
Strength Training: No
Stretching: Iffy
Meditation: Yes
(In order to count this one, I am making it a bit challenging. A day will only count if it contains at least 30 minutes of cardio, at least 30 minutes of strength training, at least 10 minutes of stretching, at least six hours of sleep, and at least 10 minutes of meditation.)
The rain stopped and I finally got to use those old ASICS shoes that I wanted to try again. I had a nice 2.1 mile jog this morning. It is so good to be back on the road! Today's session was to the tune of Podrunner's "140 BPM - Swift Kicks." Indeed, it kicked me a little about mile marker 1.75, but I pushed through it and ended the session feeling strong.
And I finally achieved a full fitness day. I was able to put a good 35 minute workout this afternoon at the fitness center. I did not get a chance to finish the whole workout I had planned, but it was better than nothing.
GOALS, DREAMS, HABITS, RITUALS
Rather than listing all the streaks I am tracking (which you can see below), I am going to focus on one habit per week. I will share my struggles and triumphs as I try to make each activity a ritual, a part of my daily behavior, so that it can become a habit and then help me achieve a goal or series of goals.
This week I will focus on the habit of having a daily exercise routine that includes cardio, strength training, stretching and meditation. In a very real way, those four components are discreet and individual; as a whole, they form the daily habit I want to develop. And this brings up a good point. Complex habits/rituals that have sub-components do not have to be done in sequence. For example, there is nothing wrong with doing cardio first thing in the morning and stretching just before going to bed, with a session of weight lifting in the afternoon and some meditation throughout the day. However, habits (helpful and harmful ones) are formed when we do a certain thing immediately after a trigger happens. For example, we wake up and hit the snooze button — that may not help us achieve our goal. What if we wake up and splash water on our face and do ten push-ups? It is likely that we will not go back to bed then, thus kick-starting our day. The trick is to replace hitting the snooze button with splashing water on our face and doing ten push-ups. Once we do that enough times, the ritual will be established and a new habit formed.
A critical aspect of self improvement is to make small changes. Trying to change everything at once is a sure way to struggle. When we make small changes in the things we do we will, in the long run, achieve far more than we would otherwise. This is one of the reasons people struggle with "diets" — trying to modify our whole lifestyle suddenly will simply increase our natural resistance to change.
If you have followed this blog recently, the one component I have missed consistently is strength training. I do not have a gym at home (just a few dumbbells and a resistance band, which should suffice) nor a gym subscription to a facility near my home. I usually try to do strength training regularly when I am in the office because we have a great fitness center there, and it is free. However, the key word there is "try" — many days I let other things pull me away from working out. These things can be anything from feeling tired to work meetings. Most of them are, in reality, excuses.
I find my biggest challenge for strength training is when I am home (weekends, vacations). I am going to establish a sensible trigger that would initiate the process to do a strength training workout. I will keep you posted.
PERSONAL GROWTH
The fewer-browser-tabs challenge went well today. I feel I was more productive having less tabs/windows open. In many ways I pushed myself to finish one thing before moving to something else. There was a lot less jumping around and a lot less confusion. I like it!
STREAKS - For the record
Current list of streaks:
Writing: day 19
Blood Pressure Readings: day 6: excellent reading of 117/79.
Logging to SparkPeople: day 8 (starting to get more consistent in entering data)
Intermittent Fasting: I am abandoning tracking of this habit. I have been doing fairly well without having to track it. I will remove that app from my phone now.
Daily Exercise Routine: Day 1
Cardio: Jogged 2.09 miles
Strength Training: 35 minutes
Stretching: Yes
Meditation: Yes, 30 minutes overall in 10-minute intervals.
(In order to count this one, I am making it a bit challenging. A day will only count if it contains at least 30 minutes of cardio, at least 30 minutes of strength training, at least 10 minutes of stretching, at least six hours of sleep, and at least 10 minutes of meditation.)
Meditation: day 6 (all-time = 40)
Number of tabs open: day 2 (down to two tabs open for more than a few minutes. All other tabs either closed or stored in "Read Later" (see "Personal Growth " below).
Florence passed quietly over the city in the middle of the night. It is still raining today and will continue to do so through Wednesday. Winds have died down to a constant breeze.
TODAY'S NOTES
Today is Independence Day in my native Mexico. This normally is a day of celebration throughout the country, a great excuse to party and be happy. And yet, throughout the last 208 years, Mexico has struggled to free itself from a seemingly endless chain of dictators. Mexico declared its independence from Spain in 1810. A century later, in 1910, the country endured a bloody revolution that was supposed to benefit the masses. Instead, corruption ate through the country so that an elite class, many of them politicians,became the modern version of a dictator. At the same time, the country has been under the dictatorship of its neighbor to the north, being forced to endure whatever the USA wished to impose on them. Political dictatorship, economical dictatorship, cultural dictatorship — Mexico has seen them all, continues to see them all, strives still to free itself from it all. I miss much of Mexico, especially the people. I do not miss the corruption, the immoral inequality between the few ultra-rich and the many poor; sadly, the same is happening in the USA. It all boils down to greed. When those in power are not satisfied with "enough" and instead they want it all, and they want it all for themselves, all the time, for all times. Historically, this is how civilizations begin to crumble.
HEALTH & FITNESS
Another wet jog this morning to log 2.83 miles in 53 minutes. I chose Podrunner's "135 BPM - Amplifier" track and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. It was wet, with steady rain all through the jog. I have now removed the NHS Couch-to-5K tracks from my phone. It is obvious I now need to work on improving performance and not simply getting to run 30 minutes at a time.
As planned, I opted to use the Saucony shoes with the improved insoles. It was a great choice. The shoes, insoles and socks got thoroughly soaked. The better insoles made a huge difference in the comfort of these shoes. I enjoyed the run and got back home pain free. Although my shoes were soaked, they only felt slightly heavier than heavier than normal. That was a very pleasant surprise.
Today's run was the second in a row in the rain. With the dampness from the rain and the heat of running (and having a raincoat) my old problem of hives came back both days. In the past I would have opted for anti-histamines and scratched the heck out of every bump on me. For the last two days I simply took a cool shower and did some deep breathing. It only took a few minutes for the intense itching to pass and the hives to begin receding. This condition is called cholinergic urticaria, or heat hives. According to something I read today, I may benefit from using cotton instead of polyester shirts. There is also a suggestion of using a vinegar solution to calm the itching down. Further reading indicates Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is helpful. I definitely will try it.
GOALS, DREAMS, HABITS, RITUALS
Current list of streaks:
Writing: day 18
Blood Pressure Readings: 5 days in a row. Apparently I missed a reading on 9/11/18. Today's readings are a tad higher than they have been (130/80). Worked on it a little through meditation and got it down to 116/67.
Logging to SparkPeople: 8 days in a row (began entering food and activity data)
Intermittent Fasting: 1 day (I did great last night and fasted for over 13 hours)
Daily Exercise Routine: 0
Cardio: Jogged 2.09 miles
Strength Training: Nope
Stretching: Yes
Meditation: Yes, 30 minutes overall in 10-minute intervals.
(In order to count this one, I am making it a bit challenging. A day will only count if it contains at least 30 minutes of cardio, at least 30 minutes of strength training, at least 10 minutes of stretching, at least six hours of sleep, and at least 10 minutes of meditation.)
Meditation: 5 days (all-time = 40): morning meditation was challenging again today. I chose a five minute meditation and my mind was all over the place. I am going to do at least one more meditative period today.
Number of tabs open: 1 day (down to two tabs open for more than a few minutes. All other tabs either closed or stored in "Read Later" (see "Personal Growth " below).
PERSONAL GROWTH
I am all into challenges. One of the most challenging thing I face everyday is the number of tabs I have open in my browser. I often have dozens of tabs open at once. Some are open permanently (for example, Gmail) and others stay up for months before I get back to them. My challenge for the next 30 days is to keep the least number of tabs open at any one time. This is in line with being a minimalist. Of course, there is always the worry of forgetting what tabs were open during some research. With help with that, I installed the "Read Later" extension in Chrome. Instead of 10-12 tabs, I managed to keep one to two tabs open. I kept Gmail going, and I kept Blogger open to add items to this post. My computer seems much happier this way. And I am managing to get a lot more done without so many distractions. A win-win situation.
INTERESTING QUOTE
"Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
I recently came across this video explaining how an old time management system can be adapted to adult, modern life, for increased productivity and improved life joy. I am seriously considering doing something like this for my time management.
WEEKLY SUMMARY
This has been an amazing week. There are many things I am thankful for as we wrap up the week. Top things to be grateful for:
Hurricane Florence was only a minor inconvenience for us. Although the wind and rain were worrisome, we were fortunate not to sustain any damage. Many people in North Carolina and some in South Carolina were not as fortunate. My heart goes out to them.
I was able to accomplish some major cleaning and purging around the house. My bedroom closet is hard to recognize. There is much more to be done, but the progress is something to be grateful for.
I have been able to jog every morning, and have remained pain free. My blood pressure seems to be stable. I feel well. Life is good.
I have gotten into some great habits, especially making a daily to do list and sticking with it. The list is nothing fancy but it has been working well for getting much done; at the top of the list are items (rituals) I want to follow and the rest are items I need or want to accomplish. As a past user of DayTimers, I am delighted with the success. Getting back to a normal routine will be interesting and a true test of this system.
Florence is down to a Tropical Storm or Tropical Depression, depends on when the measurements are taken. Regardless, we were very fortunate and suffered no damage. Many others are not so fortunate, even some losing their lives to the storm. We are still experiencing very windy conditions and some heavy rain. The center of the storm is scheduled to go over our home about 2 AM tomorrow with sustained winds of 40 miles per hour. It is not over for us, but it is getting close. The storm path just changed and now the storm center will go 20 miles south of our home; I am not sure if that is good or bad in terms of weather conditions; my guess is that the difference will be insignificant. More on that tomorrow.
HEALTH & FITNESS
I enjoyed a great 2.09 mile jog this morning right after sunrise. It was interesting to jog in tropical storm conditions; it felt much like jogging on the beach when you are running into the wind. I jogged to Podrunner's "138 BPM - Driven" track. It was an amazing experience. I used a slightly older pair of Saucony running shoes that I bought at a significant discount many months ago. I figured I would be OK if they were ruined in the storm. They have not been the most comfortable running shoes. As I removed the insoles to let them dry I discovered why they were not very comfortable. The insoles were extremely thin and probably offered little or no cushioning. Once the shoes were dry I replaced the original insoles with some sports insoles. If it continues to rain (as it is forecasted to) then I will use these same shoes with the new insoles for tomorrow's jog. Otherwise I will switch to an older pair of ASICS that I have not used in a while.
My knees have been pain free despite jogging every morning. That is a huge relief. I have been building up speed and feel terrific. Jogging is definitely my cardio of choice. I recognize, however, that I need to mix things up. I intend to add biking to my routines as soon as I feel it is safe to do so; I think my weight may be too much for my inexpensive bike.
GOALS, DREAMS, HABITS, RITUALS
Current list of streaks:
Writing: day 17
Blood Pressure Readings: 8 days in a row. 127/79 today. Perhaps too much coffee? Time to switch to tea in the afternoon?
Logging to SparkPeople: 7 days in a row (began entering food and activity data)
Intermittent Fasting: 0 days (I ate a snack late last night, so I am back to starting to day)
Daily Exercise Routine: 0
Cardio: Jogged 2.09 miles
Strength Training: Nope
Stretching: Yes
Meditation: Yes, 20 minutes overall.
(In order to count this one, I am making it a bit challenging. A day will only count if it contains at least 30 minutes of cardio, at least 30 minutes of strength training, at least 10 minutes of stretching, at least six hours of sleep, and at least 10 minutes of meditation.)
Meditation: 4 days (all-time = 40): morning meditation was difficult. I could barely finish the ten minutes because I wanted to get out for a run before the weather turned bad. I had a second meditation period in mid-afternoon to try to bring my blood pressure down a little; that did not work.
PERSONAL GROWTH
My efforts to organize and downsize continued today. My goal was to clean my closet's entrance area. Goal accomplished (and then some). In the process I got rid of about 10 dress shirts, half a dozen shorts, and some t-shirts. I also worked on part of our coat closet downstairs. I am quite pleased with the changes. I should have most of the closet done by tomorrow afternoon. The hardest part will be going through a ton of photos. That will take sometime.
TIPS & TRICKS
This video shows you how to simplify any wardrobe in about 10 minutes. I used this technique today to help me purge clothes from my closet. It worked like a charm. I will do the same thing with another section of the closet tomorrow.
Winds have been picking up all day. We have significant gusts and rain started around 6 PM. The forecast puts the center of the storm right over my house by tomorrow afternoon. Fortunately, it will be down to a Tropical Storm (or perhaps just a Depression) by then. It is about 110 miles away as I write this.
I have had several surprise messages of well-being throughout the last day or so. I also have had the usual missing care from other family members. That makes me sad.
HEALTH & FITNESS
Jogged another 1.75 miles this morning using some older ASICS shows. The wind had already picked up quite a bit, and the air was moist and sticky, but not unbearable. I wanted to go longer but stopped myself because I had other things I had to get done.
My blood pressure was a bit high today, and finally came down to normal this afternoon. Perhaps Florence had something to do with it.
GOALS, DREAMS, HABITS, RITUALS
Current list of streaks:
Writing: day 16
Blood Pressure Readings: 7 days in a row. Initial readings were higher than they have been (about 130/90). Tried meditation and a breathing exercise to lower it. Finally it came down to 122/80 by 2 PM.
Logging to SparkPeople: 6 days in a row (still need to enter food and activity data)
Intermittent Fasting: 3 days
Daily Exercise Routine: 0
Cardio: Jogged 1.75 miles
Strength Training: Nope
Stretching: Nope
Meditation: Yes, 25 minutes overall.
(In order to count this one, I am making it a bit challenging. A day will only count if it contains at least 30 minutes of cardio, at least 30 minutes of strength training, at least 10 minutes of stretching, at least six hours of sleep, and at least 10 minutes of meditation.)
Meditation: 3 days (all-time = 40): morning meditation was difficult. I could barely finish the ten minutes because I wanted to get out for a run before the weather turned bad. I had a second meditation period in mid-afternoon to try to bring my blood pressure down a little; that did not work.
PERSONAL GROWTH
From Eckhart Tolle:
"When the ego is at war, know that it is no more than an illusion that is fighting to survive. That illusion thinks it is you."
TIPS & TRICKS
Vinegar is an amazing helper around the house. And it can also be great in your yard:
I worked from home again, mostly to stay off the roads and out of the way of those that really need to drive. We have had periods of sunshine, but it has been mostly cloudy. It is definitely windy and very humid. Florence is approaching.
Our internet access has been a bit flaky. That could be related to the storm or just me having an older PC.
Even if we lose power, as we are expected to, I will hand-write notes and then post them to the blog after the storm is over.
HEALTH & FITNESS
Another nice 2+ mile jog this morning. I listened to Week 4 of the NHS series, with a little of Podrunner's "135 BPM - Amplifier". to finish the session.
Nice meditation session this morning before heading out to jog.
GOALS, DREAMS, HABITS, RITUALS
Current list of streaks:
Writing: day 15
Blood Pressure Readings: 6 days in a row (holding steady around 120/80)
Logging to SparkPeople: 5 days in a row (still need to enter food and activity data)
Intermittent Fasting: 2 days
Daily Exercise Routine: 0 (I did jog for 30 minutes, stretched a little and meditated, but did not do strength training) (In order to count this one, I am making it a bit challenging. A day will only count if it contains at least 30 minutes of cardio, at least 30 minutes of strength training, at least 10 minutes of stretching, at least six hours of sleep, and at least 10 minutes of meditation.)
Meditation: 2 days (all-time = 40) [The app tells me I missed a day -- darn it!)
PERSONAL GROWTH
I have been doing the rolling of clothes and other items and I have developed several shortcuts. I think I may do a video on some of them. I managed to do more cleaning and purging today; I will post pictures soon.
FINANCES
When should you tap into your emergency fund? Here is some good advise from the Dave Ramsey organization.
POLITICS
Our Liar-In-Chief simply cannot stop! Today (or yesterday) he lied to the whole world about how well his so-called government did when dealing with Hurricane Maria and the disaster in Puerto Rico. More people died there than in the 9/11 "attacks" yet the citizens of Puerto Rico had to fend for themselves for months. Why? Probably because they are Hispanic, not #45's top priority, especially since he cannot kick them off their own island. I bet he would love to build some magnificent golf courses and resorts on free land.
PODCASTS / VIDEOS
One of my favorite authors and speakers is Timber Hawkeye of the "Buddhist Boot Camp" podcast. I loved today's episode on "Self-worth."
Spent the day working from home. It was a busy day, much of it keeping an eye out for the start of Hurricane Florence. It was a sunny morning, and then it got very cloudy. It is raining lightly now.
HEALTH & FITNESS
I received a new pair of running shoes (Zoot shoes I got at a bargain through eBay) and had to take them for a run this morning. Almost two miles at a 17 minute mile pace. I think the Zoot shoes are the most comfortable running shoes I have ever worn.
GOALS, DREAMS, HABITS, RITUALS
Current list of streaks:
Writing: day 14
Blood Pressure Readings: 5 days in a row (holding steady around 120/80)
Logging to SparkPeople: 4 days in a row (still need to enter food and activity data)
Intermittent Fasting: 1 day
Daily Exercise Routine: 0 (I did jog for 30 minutes and meditated, but did not do strength training or stretching (In order to count this one, I am making it a bit challenging. A day will only count if it contains at least 30 minutes of cardio, at least 30 minutes of strength training, at least 10 minutes of stretching, at least six hours of sleep, and at least 10 minutes of meditation.)
Meditation: 6 days (all-time = 40)
PERSONAL GROWTH
The key to success: a three-day work week. According to billionaire Richard Branson, less hours and more enjoyment in the work we do lead to greater success [Source]
Billionaire Richard Branson is pushing business leaders to embrace the idea of flexible work arrangements, claiming that with today's cutting-edge technology, there is no reason people can't work less hours and be equally — if not more — effective.
TIPS & TRICKS
Close your internal house doors during a hurricane! There is evidence that doing so could save your roof and thus minimize other damage to your home. [Source]
After conducting scientific wind tests, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety concluded that when high wind enters the home during a storm (as it could through an open or broken window), it creates strong upward pressure on the roof. If this pressure grows strong enough, it can eventually cause the roof to blow apart, allowing rain to come in and leaving the home exposed to the elements. In short, causing catastrophic damage.
PODCASTS / VIDEOS
Watching How-To videos on YouTube has proven extremely beneficial to me. Watching how folks solved problems has released problem-solving juices; all of a sudden I have been coming up with some great ideas on improving issues that have lasted over a decade. So, watch some videos, learn lots, even in unrelated areas and you may experience the same trouble-solving benefits. I will share some of these solutions as I implement them.
Today, our family celebrates the birthday of one of our family members. We only wish we were closer, that we were together to celebrate. We send you our love, regardless of the distance that separate us. You are always in our hearts.
And the USA observes the anniversary of the destruction of the World Trade Center. It has proven to be the most expensive demolition effort in the history of mankind.
In 1297 Scottish rebel William Wallace defeats the English. FREEDOM!
HEALTH & FITNESS
Great jog this morning. I covered over three miles for the first time in months. It was a slow jog (18-19 minute miles), starting by listening to Laura of the NHS Couch-5K podcasts, and ending with listening to Steve Boyett's 133 BPM "Common Ground" track from Podrunner.
Tuesday is bowling night, and today was a challenging day. The bowling center was very hot and humid, and that never helps bowling conditions. We had fun, and that is all that matters.
HURRICANE FLORENCE
Our area is in full Hurricane mode. Two major highways had lane reversals to help with coastal evacuation efforts. This usually means our highways are super congested. On top of that, we are beginning to experience weird weather; this afternoon we had a strong, very isolated thunderstorm that was exciting and a bit scary. Please visit the National Hurricane Center website for more information.
GOALS, DREAMS, HABITS, RITUALS
I am going to begin listing my streaks here.
Writing: Day 13
Blood Pressure Readings: 4 days in a row
Logging to SparkPeople: 3 days in a row
Intermittent Fasting: (I will re-start tomorrow)
Daily Exercise Routine: in order to count this one, I am making it a bit challenging. A day will only count if it contains at least 30 minutes of cardio, at least 30 minutes of strength training, at least 10 minutes of stretching, at least six hours of sleep, and at least 10 minutes of meditation. The count starts tomorrow.
Meditation: 5 days (all-time = 40)
FINANCES
Tomorrow I must catch up with "EveryDollar" entries. This is the danger of not keeping up with it; trying to be accurate and being behind are enemies to financial success.
PODCASTS / VIDEOS
Warning: do not watch videos that start "10 great gadgets …" unless you have lots of self-discipline! I watched two of those today and ended up spending $100 at Amazon. Granted, these are things I need for long term projects, and I did get a huge bargain on one of them (saved over $60), but many of these things could have waited. Indeed, I could cancel the orders if I wanted to, but I am not planning on doing that. I do have the money in the bank, I was planning on getting the things anyway. I am very happy with the purchases I made and I cannot wait to get them delivered after Florence is out of the area.
