Life Sans Sugar

It has been just over two weeks since I have had enjoyed a meal with sugar as an added ingredient. In an experiment designed to wean me off of my favorite sweet treats (ice cream, cookies, pastries, pie, etc.), Jenn has agreed to join me in steering clear of added sugar for 30 consecutive days. Ironically, this has coincided with us participating in two programs which deliver fresh, local sea food and vegetables each week. Furthermore, we have planted a small set of garden boxes to grow some of our own produce. We did not plan to overlap all of these changes, it just sort of happened as a result of us wanting to feel more healthy (whatever that means). I find that I nap more than perhaps I would like and I have always attributed that to a) being a man (for some reason we burn out mid afternoon) and/or b) a diet which lends itself to peaks and valleys in energy level. Furthermore, I have thus far fully enjoyed a diet with essentially no restrictions based upon perceived health benefits. I am fortunate that sodas candy (for example) hold little or no appeal for me. It is worth mentioning that this is likely due in part to our upbringing. Although it wasn't until my teenage years that I first learned of terms like organic, partially hydrogenate oils, free-range, saturated fats, high fructose corn syrup, it didn't mean that I went out of my way to modify my diet now that I was armed with this new knowledge. I literally eat whatever I want in the quantities I desire. Unfortunately for my mother growing up, and now Jennifer living together, this can at times lead to high expenses in the food department. Still, I felt great and have always been very active so why change anything? The reason, it occurred to me a couple of years back, why I might want to take a closer look at what I eat is because maybe I could feel even better and do even more if I focused on certain types of foods and avoided others which I understood to be less than healthy for me. Thus, I came up with the no-sugar-for-a-month plan. And although 16 days is probably not long enough to fully see and feel the results of this strategy, I actually think that something is happening. I wish that I had kept a log book of food consumed, daily activities, and energy because it seems to me that my energy levels have been somewhat more sustained. Jenn and I went rock climbing for 5 hours this past weekend and it didn't occur to me to get tired until we had gotten all the way back to the car. That may be the fear-induced adrenaline talking, but then again maybe not. Anecdotally, I feel a little different. A little better. A little healthier. The funny thing is that although I still have mild cravings for sweets, this results in me snacking more on fresh fruit, berries, homemade smoothies etc. in order to get my sugar fix. Case in point: after a dinner of fresh sanddab fish, steamed greens, and baked squash, I just rewarded myself with a banana. Nevertheless, in 14 days I think I will bake a plate of cookies to celebrate the milestone achievement. Because if there is one thing I believe in, it is moderation in moderation!

SPRING into Action!

Although it is a bit misleading to call this the spring season after the amazingly warm and dry "winter" we had, still each day is a bit longer and warmer and in general more inviting. To that end, it's been a really fun start to the year as I've been able to be more active than I have in a long time. I'll be joining a newly created soccer team in an over-30 league which I am really looking forward to. It has been my experience that guys past their physical prime (like myself, if I must admit) are prone to becoming whiny, argumentative, and generally unpleasant to play casual soccer with. Maybe it's the frustration of knowing that your legs aren't as quick, your shots not as powerful, etc. Regardless, I am looking forward to joining this new team as our manager is hand-picking players from various teams in order to bring together a group of respectful, positive, supportive guys and gals to represent the fair play concept. No foul language (okay, maybe a little), no cheap shots at the opposing players, no bitching at the referee. Just good old fashion hard work and fun on the field. More recently, Jenn and I have started rock-climbing together. It's been a really fun challenge for us both. She has more experience and has been instilling a safety-at-all-times approach at every step. I used to think that climbing was no big deal because if you fall off then the rope catches you. While that can be true, I am learning that this is really only the case if you are following someone else who has set the ropes into the anchors for you. When you lead-climb though, you bring the rope up to an anchor and then climb above it to the next one to repeat the process. Thus, if you are 10 feet above one anchor and lose your grip, you will fall that 10 feet PLUS an additional 10 feet before the rope begins to slow your descent. It is dynamic (aka: stretchy) and so it may be another 5 feet or so beyond that before you actually come to a stop. Thus a fall from 10 feet above an anchor translates to a drop of 25 feet. This is all fine and dandy if you manage to avoid smearing the rock on the way down which is really my greatest mental challenge at this point. As crazy as it sounds, I need to learn how to fall by jumping away from the rock and swinging back down into it at the bottom of the drop, hopefully feet first. Anyhow, we climbed the Citadel yesterday and it was awesome. It is a 4-pitch climb rated at just 5.4 (basically a beginner route). When we got to the top though, the view was amazing. We even saw a condor!

Next up? I've just today gotten a call to complete a 25lb, 3-mile pack test in order to qualify to volunteer with the Monterey County Sheriff Dept's Search and Rescue team. With any luck, Jenn and I will be able to help some wayward travellers out of the tricky (or deadly) situations they find themselves in this time of year down in the rugged Ventana and Big Sur wilderness. I am not really sure what to expect or how much I will be able to participate but it sounds like a great way to serve the local community in a fun and rewarding capacity. Oh, and we built and planted a couple of veggie garden boxes and they're doing GREAT. Check it out...

Tri-ed it!

It took me just under one hour thirteen minutes to complete the triathlon, which was good enough for 19th place in my age group/gender and 212 place overall. In other words, very middle of the pack. I'm fine with that, as it was a fun event in a beautiful place on a surprisingly lovely day. What made it really memorable for me was that the support team I had (but did not expect). Jenn decided to take the day off work, my brother Gabe came down all the way from Sacramento, and our neighbor Jerry braved the sun's rays to cheer me on. It was really fun knowing that they were there and probably the highlight of the entire event was seeing the look on Jenn's face when I crossed the finish line: she was proud of me. What a great day!

Today, a Biathlon

Six days from now I will be participating in a sprint triathlon taking place here in Pacific Grove. It consists of a 1/4 mile ocean swim (might better be called a "crawl", what with all the kelp), followed by a 12 mile bicycle ride, and finally a 2 mile run. It is not a monster event, and I am participating just for the fun of it rather than out of any desire to really challenge myself. In preparation for the race, I did the first two legs by myself today. As expected, the swim remains the more challenging component for me. However, it is a short enough distance that I was able to power through it, run back up to the house, grab my trusty bicycle/friend Flash, and take off for the 12 mile ride without too much trouble. I think it will be an enjoyable challenge to complete the entire triathlon this weekend and I am looking forward to participating in the event.

Gooooooaaals!

The 2012 London Olympics have just concluded and I'm most thrilled to report that the U.S. Womens National Soccer team has won gold. This is a team that I've followed since 1999, when Brandi Chastain celebrated her game and World Cup winning penalty kick over China by tearing her jersey off and swinging around her head in a show of pure passion for the game. Last year at the Womens World Cup, Jenn and I watched as our team played an incredible tournament only to lose to Japan in a hard-fought final. Since that defeat, we've been closely following the team as it prepared for this Olympics. What a thrill to be there when the team made it to the final in London against, who else, but Japan. As a side note, although I'm glad Carli frickin' Lloyd stepped up big and scored two goals, it sure was disappointing to hear her be the only player who, in post-tournament interviews, did nothing but praise her own effort. The rest of the team was just that, a team, and it showed in every comment they made about their progress towards taking home gold. Speaking of goals, I've been talking with Jenn lately about my lack of any. We've discussed setting financial goals (ie, earning and saving more, getting employment that provides benefits, etc.), but frankly I am bored by those kind of goals. I have a hard time being motivated simply by the desire to make more money, which would explain why I've hardly ever made any and yet have usually held down jobs that I find satisfying for other reasons. So here's some goals I'd like to work towards in the near-ish future, with hopes that accomplishing them will provide me more satisfaction once they're actually achieved: -Live Sans Vehicle. I've got a truck that I use a few times per month, but I really think I can get by just fine without it. I've got my beloved bicycle named Flash to get me to/from work and around town, as well as fun rides around the peninsula. Jenn has her never-fail car Gruish (because, she says, it is "greenish blueish" colored) that we can share. And, if I need a vehicle to get out of town, I'd rather rent one than take my own. I'm attracted to the simplicity of this plan, the decreased environmental impact, the ability to see the world at 10-15mph max rather than 75-80, and the ability to save money that can be spent on things that I value more such as travelling with Jenn and maybe someday investing in a more permanent lifestyle. -Learn Spanish by immersion in a latin country. Jenn and I talk about taking 6 months or more to lose ourselves in some south American country where we'll have no excuse for not exercising the parts of our brains that process language. It's always been a great disappointment of mine that I have not had the discipline to learn a second language in any great detail, though I've studied French, American Sign Language, and Spanish in small portions over the years. -Become a Better Person. This one has a lot of sub-points to it, as there are many things about me that I'm not proud of. I swear far to often, for example. I hear myself using language that, frankly, sounds vulgar and crude even as I'm uttering them. I have to knock that off. Also, I have an awful time keeping mental track of what is going on in the lives of friends and family. A large part of that is due to a TERRIBLE memory capacity on my part, but that just means I should be using creative techniques to keep tabs on what's important to others. Nothing says, "I care about you" more than showing an unprompted interest in the things that matter to friends and family. Also, I make it a priority to support and encourage Jenn. Although I feel I do a decent job of this overall, there is always room for improvement. Our relationship is, by far, the most rewarding experience of my life and is a culmination of all the experiences, choices, and guidance I've received over the years. The last thing I want to do is give her the impression that I take what we have for granted. That's enough goals for now. Hopefully, sometime in the not-so-distant future, I'll be able to move them over into the "Accomplished" category.

14 Months, but who's counting?

It was just over a year ago that I was fired in spectacular fashion from a local dive boat on which I worked as both Captain and Crew. I have had a lot of jobs in my young life (and often more than one at a time), but up until that point I had never been dismissed from one. And certainly not like I was when, on that day, the co-owner of the boat (we'll call him "B") flew off the handle in the parking lot in front of customers and other crew. To make a long story short, the drama arose when I arrived to work only to find that I wasn't needed. I was frustrated because I had been scheduled for the day at least a week earlier, and this wasn't the first time that this kind of mistake had been made. Furthermore, in an attempt to avoid just this situation, I had contacted "M" (the co-owner of the business and B's wife) to confirm the appointment and had not received a response. When confronted by her husband, M claimed that she had not heard from me and so at that point what was a man to do but side with his wife? Sadly, his response was to start screaming at me that he had done nothing but "give me the shirt off my back" and that this was how I repaid him. Never, he said, would I work for them again. At the time (and for quite some time afterwards), I was depressed by the whole misunderstanding. I had enjoyed working on that boat and felt that I'd received nothing but praise from them and the customers (read about this incident). For things to end in such a dramatic and unprofessional fashion was, to say the least, very hurtful. Since that day, I have not worked on the boat at all (despite being asked to, believe it or not). It turns out that B is a sweep-it-under-the-rug kind of person whereas I believe in making sincere amends in order to keep my side of the street clean. I work with him every week in the Harbormasters office, where he is one of my supervisors and has been nothing but chummy since his blow-up. It's worth mentioning that I reached out to both B and M in the days following that incident in order to make amends and resolve the situation in a professional manner. Neither effort was acknowledged, much less responded to. Which brings us up to today. I went to the Harbormasters office this morning to attend an optional emergency fire drill put on for the staff. Before the meeting began, Brian asked me if I was working this sunday afternoon and said that he wanted to talk with me after the drill was over. Imagine my surprise when, more than a year later, B apologized to me by way of saying that he is "very protective of my wife". Somehow, this seems to justify his behavior that day. I might understand this if I had at any point gotten in her face about the scheduling mistakes that had come up over and over during my time with the company but the fact remains that I never once said anything critical, argumentative, or in any way unprofessional. I really do believe that. I did ask if she could create the crew schedule more than a couple of days in advance so that I could plan my weekend work accordingly, but that was it. Anyways, it occurred to me as I walked away that the only reason why B might be bringing up his behavior to me at this point in the game is because he wants something. And sure enough, they've got an afternoon trip this weekend. Shocking, I know. Working on the dive boats is supposed to be fun. The scant income that this opportunity provided is not worth the degrading treatment I received that day and presumably could receive again sometime down the line. Jenn has been steadfast in her assertion that I never work for them again lest I compromise my integrity and, once again, she is right. Lessons learned, the hard way.

Need Inspiration?

There are countless inspirational people in the world, but at the moment two in particular have caught (and held) my attention. Abby Wambach is the well-spoken, confident, powerful goal-scorer and emotional team leader for the U.S. Womens National Soccer team. Unwaveringly humble, she'd be the first to remind us that there's no "I" in team. Have a look, as she prepares for the 2012 Olympics with a huge chip on her shoulder following last year's devastating World Cup final loss to Japan. Diana Nyad is, quite simply, one of the most driven, charismatic people I have ever seen. Whether she's describing her latest effort to fulfill her 30 year old dream of swimming from Cuba to Florida, or providing insight into her mindset when it comes to preparing for the next attempt, Diana (at 62 years old) is living proof that no dream is too big. My, how people amaze...