Skyin’

A few days ago, I did a review of the movie “That’s the Way of the World” which had the soundtrack performed by the R&B / soul group Earth, Wind & Fire.  This reminded me of how much I used to play their songs / albums.  Here’s one of my all-time favorites of theirs:  “Keep Your Head To The Sky“…   Great music and philosophy, too.  Enjoy!
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On This Day In:
2019	I Hope He Has A Lot Of Room Down There
2018	What Time Is It?
2017	Gifts
2016	30 Seconds
2015	Success
2014	Create The Fact
2013	Overpowering Curiosity
2012	On Planning The Invasion Of Iraq…
2011	This And That
	I’m Bettin’ On The Bible

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Happy 35th Anniversary, Hil!!

We are each of us angels with only one wing.  And we can only fly embracing each other.
―  Luciano de Crescenzo
[Happy 35th Anniversary, Hil
You still raise me up…
Love Always, Your Kev XXX 00 X
—  KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2018	Happy 34th Anniversary, Hil!!
2017	Happy 33rd Anniversary, Hil!!
2016	Happy 32nd Anniversary, Hil!!
2015	Happy Anniversary Hil!!
2014	30th Wedding Anniversary
2013	Number 29 (And Counting)
2012	Hammer ‘N Roses
	Happy Anniversary
2011	I Can Hear It Now

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Day 8: One Stone

The end of day eight and the (now) most of the way through day nine…  One full day completed into week 2 of juice / blend fasting.
Morning weight: 359lbs.  (on Day 9)
I am down / down “2/14”.  As in, 2lbs down from yesterday and 14lbs down from my fasting start weight: 373lbs (the morning of Day 1).  For those who are British: I have now lost a “stone” from my starting weight!
Yesterday was a fairly uneventful day: walked the dog (30min), TV (news), blog a bit / watch YouTube / read emails, read a book, go for a swim (1hr, breast stroke), watch the first half of a movie.  Basically, a nice, relaxing day.  Nothing major to report.  Drink my juice / blend too fast, get runs…   This is both good and bad.  Bad:  You got the runs.  Good:  Another day without being constipated.  Believe it or not, THAT is a BIG thing when you are fasting.
So, today is Day 9 and I woke feeling pretty well.  I’m feeling slightly thinner and I’m not having any of the (my) normal aches and pains.  It’s all good…
This afternoon I went to see my General Physician (GP) for my annual health check.  BP: 114 / 64.  HR: 67.  Weight: 350lbs.  BMI: 50.22.  The good news is my blood test was also generally positive, with most bad numbers edging closer to good and good numbers getting better.  So, it’s: “See ya’ in six months.”
Today I am finishing my last bottle of “juice / blend” so tomorrow I will need to grind up a new batch.  Here’s the menu:  2 bunches of celery, 2 large cucumbers, 2 large onions, 2 bunches of spinach, 3lbs of carrots, 1 large broccoli, water (for blending) and various processed juices (for calories and taste).  The processed juices vary depending on what’s on sale, but normally include V-8 Greens, V-8 Bananas / Strawberry, Apple Cider, Grapefruit, Cranberry and Pomegranate.  None of these have added sugar.  That’s not the same as having NO sugar.  It only means there is none added.  I also add 1 or 2 cans of beans (Kidney, Pinto or Black).  This makes enough bottles for 6 to 8 days of fasting.
Now the first thing any health / juicer person is going to shout is:  “You can’t store juice that long!!!”  Yes!  I know.  I know.  “Traditional” veggie juicing theology (protocol) mandates you MUST drink your veggie juice within an hour of juicing and certainly no longer than the same day.  Well, that’s fine if you’ve got the time, energy and dedication.  I could probably find the time if I had the other two assets (energy and dedication), but – to be perfectly honest – I don’t.  When processes get too complicated, a somewhat lazy stiff like me blows off the process or at least a few steps.  I wish I could afford to have someone else do the preparation before ever juice meal or even every day, but I can’t (afford it) and I don’t have the motivation.  I’ve tried it a couple of times when I first got into juicing and, to quote Bob Dylan:  “It Ain’t Me Babe.  No. No. No.  It Ain’t Me Babe.”  So, I have to focus on what I can:  bunch process the blend and drink it each day.  That I CAN do.
Backing up a bit, some of you may have noticed I showed my weight this morning as 359lbs, but my doctor’s office visit was 350lbs.  What’s up with that?  Well, first I use an analogue scale and they use a digital scale.  I don’t know if they program the scale to discount for clothing or not.  When that is programmed into the digital scale they are normally set for either 3lbs, 5lbs, 7lbs or 9lbs depending on if the person is fully dressed or in shorts and either barefoot or in shoes / trainers.  I didn’t see the nursing assistant punch anything in so if it is programmed it’s probably for fully dressed with work shoes – so the max: 9lbs.  But, for the sake of argument, let’s say it doesn’t have an offset programmed in.  What else might cause the difference?  Standing!
Standing??  Yes.  Standing…  What is the scale standing on?  Carpet or a hard surface?  And, where are you standing on the scale?  Surface can add / drop 5lbs from the reading.  My own scale is on cement.  If a scale is not my own, I try to stand in the center of the scale, as flat footed as I can get and with my weight as balanced as I can be.  On my own scale (at home), I take two measurements daily (each morning):  1) knees slightly bent, feet flat, but with my weight shifted as much as possible (without falling) over my toes; and, 2) knees straight (not locked), feet flat, but with my weight shifted as much as possible (without falling) over my heels.  On my scale, the variation between the two is normally 7 to 10 pounds!  It has been as low as 5 pounds and as large as 12 pounds.  (Sarcasm:  “The beauty of using a spring based scale.”)  The first is the high for the day.  The second is my low for the day.
My daily record (these posts) shows the highs.  My monthly “Sweat Equity” page (with daily updates) shows both weigh-ins.  The temptation is to pick the lows, but because I don’t “really” know how accurate my scale is, I don’t want to pick the lows and then show up at the doctor’s office a get a rude surprise.  The last time I was at the doctor’s office, his scale matched my scales low weight for that day.  Today, the doctor’s scale was 2lbs below my low scale weight from this morning (and I was wearing shoes at the office but not this morning).  Which means I got a pleasant surprise!
So, now having read all of this post, aren’t you glad to know there are some folks out there who are WAY crazier and OCD than you are…??
Yesterday I offered up a 20-ish minute video about the math of fat loss.  Today I’ve got a reply.  It’s marginally shorter (17-ish minutes) and I don’t know the presenter or what he is trying to “push / sell”, but I found it interesting, so I’m passing it along…
(Reply Video to:) The Mathematics Of Weight Loss Ruben Meerman TEDxQUT (presented by: Dr. Sten Ekberg)
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On This Day In:
2018	Pity The Nation (Part 1)
	Day 41: Hiccup Or End Of Days?
2017	Sharp-Edged Beauty
2016	Start, Keep, Finish
2015	Lifetime Friends
2014	Acknowledgement
2013	Longevity, Tenacity and Diversity
2012	What Reagan Really Cared About
2011	Seeming Sane (Or Not)

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Day 7: Week 1 – Mathematics

The end of day seven and the start of day eight…  Today is now the start of week 2 of juice / blend fasting.
Morning weight: 361lbs.  (on Day 8)
I am down / down “1/12”.  As in, 1lb down from yesterday and 12lbs down from my fasting start weight: 373lbs (the morning of Day 1).
End of Week 1: 361lbs
As I am typing this, I am past noon on Day 1 of Week 2 (Day 8).  After walking the dog, Hil and I had a brief chat about the fast.  She is supportive, but not enthusiastic about my fasting as she believes dieting and losing weight is about personal discipline, portion size, and not eating foods you like (except VERY rarely).  And DISCIPLINE.  Did I mention she believes in discipline?  She, therefore, is not a big fan of fasting because:  “What’s next?”  You come off the fast and you gain it all back…  I asked her how she felt about my continuing the juice fast.  She replied by asking how I felt.  I said good.  She said, well then go for another week.  So, it’s decided: I’ll go day to day and “try” to make it another full week.   (Did you see how I made that “modest” change?  LoL.)
The good thing about committing to a week is you have a set goal with an end day / date.  The bad thing, of course, is that if you are a “goal setting / objective” person, you feel like a failure if you don’t hit the goal.  Since today was my original goal (“finish the jump start and move on to MADF”), I am reluctant to arbitrarily double my goal and now be only half done (half way through two weeks).  Hence the day to day goal…  Hopefully, this will also help me try to stay in the moment (or in the day).  Yesterday is done and I was successful.  How am I doing today?
The following is a TEDx video I’ve watched multiple times over the last two years.  It deals with the chemical mathematics of burning fat tissue.  Enjoy…
“The Mathematics of Weight Loss“
Presented by: Ruben Meerman
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On This Day In:
2018	Hey, #45: Are We Sick Of Winning, Yet?
	Day 40: Wrists
2017	Heart Vision
2016	A Labor Day / Pre-Election Hope
	Trust Me, Too
2015	Without Hope
	Things Known And Unknown
2014	A Wall Too High, A Bridge Too Far
2013	Glory = Danger
	Chicago Magic
	Feelin’ It
2012	How Did We Get Here?
2011	Labor Day Weekend Mishmash
	More, More, More

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Love Like This…

Something Just Like This (cover by COLOR MUSIC)
[On this date, 35 years ago, my Hil came back to me (from Liverpool) and we began our life together…  And our love is still new and growing.  The “official” video by the original artists (with lyrics) appears off of my “Poems” tab.  —  KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2018	Open Hearts Find Strength
	Day 32: Planning The Future
2017	Thinking Out Loud
2016	Fighting Change
2015	Get Change
2014	Trapped (Again)
2013	Someone Else Believes
2012	The Practical Value of Science
2011	Seize Gladly The Difficult Task
	A Constitutional Conversation
2010	The Fierce Urgency Of Now…

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Welcome Home

My better half has been visiting her family back in Liverpool, England for the last seven weeks.  Her mum is doing poorly (Parkinson and dementia) and we thought she might pass when she developed pneumonia two months ago.  My Hil went back to be with her.   Her mum bucked up and has stabilized, but she is still in hospice, so Hil is coming home.
I’ve missed Hil terribly and this song always makes me think about her and smile…
The title is: “Your Song“.  The performer is: Sir Elton John.  And, my favorite line is:  “How wonderful life is while you’re in the world.“
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On This Day In:
2018	The Cells Are Right
	Day 19: Broth
2017	Be Responsible
2016	Thinking About November 8th, 2016
2015	Lonely Teardrops
2014	Pleasurable Law
2013	Room For Justice
	In The Minds Of Others
2012	Extinction, n.
2011	Snap!

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And I’m Not Letting Go

A Place We Knew
I can picture you now,
taking your makeup off
You come into my room
and you kiss my lips
But this hotel life,
I’m not used to it
And you wear your heart
right on your sleeve
But it took you a while
to open up to me
I still love the way
that you smile when you leave,
mm
And I know you get scared
when I’m away
But I think about you
almost all the day, yeah
And I promised you that I’d
be back again
Just can you remember?
Oh can you remember when we were
Dancing in hotel rooms
It was just me and you
And we wouldn’t sleep all night
With you sitting by my side
And every moment
we had stolen was a feeling
‘Cause it never mattered
Where we were,
’cause we were falling in love
‘Cause your heart is my home,
your heart is my home
Your heart is my home,
and I’m not letting go
When I was feeling down,
you always picked me up
It didn’t matter what
I was doing wrong
’cause
I’ve lived my life without you
for too long
But when I walked in the door
and I saw your face
Ooh, I knew in that moment,
that my world had changed
How can I live my life
since you’ve been and gone?
But can you remember?
Just try to remember when we were
Dancing in hotel rooms
It was just me and you
And we wouldn’t sleep all night
With you sitting by my side
And every moment
we had stolen was a feeling
‘Cause it never mattered
Where we were,
’cause we were falling in love
‘Cause your heart is my home,
your heart is my home
Your heart is my home,
and I’m not letting go
But in any single moment you can change
‘Cause I’ve been gone so long and I can feel you slip away
but I’m getting closer and closer
Can you remember?
Just try to remember when we were
Dancing in hotel rooms
It was just me and you
We wouldn’t sleep all night
With you sitting by my side
And every moment
we had stolen was a feeling
‘Cause it never mattered
Where we were,
’cause we were falling in love
‘Cause your heart is my home,
your heart is my home
Your heart is my home,
and I’m not letting go
‘Cause your heart is my home,
and your heart is my home
Your heart is my home,
and I’m not letting go
‘Cause your heart is my home,
and your heart is my home
Oh, your heart is my home,
and I’m never letting go
Performed by:  Dean Lewis
Songwriters:  Dean Lewis, Grant Loaney
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On This Day In:
2018	The Continuing Failure Of Speaker Paul Ryan
	Day 3: Approaching The Half Way Point
2017	Orange Comb-Overs Unite!
2016	Speaking Of Which
2015	Complexity Has A Strict Architecture
2014	Just Support
2013	Wandering Free
2012	Contribute = Paying Taxes
2011	How Will You Be Judged?

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