I'm not a church going person as my religion is being good to your fellow brother/sister and don't feed any b.s. my way as I don't have time for it. A simple faith I have. A higher being, maybe, but whomever it is that is pulling all the levers seems to bring people into my life for a reason it seems. Some short blurbs on the missionaries who have made my life a bit more full.
Starting with the sport that I love playing the most, basketball, it wasn't always that way. I was a 5th grader trying to figure out what to do with my recess playing prowess on the slaughter ball court when basketball coach Mr. Farnum went through one of my classmates to ask why this scribe wasn't playing basketball and more or less demanded I make it out to the next practice. I went and found out I had something there and developed an addiction for seeing that leather ball swish through the net.
Basketball involves a lot of sweating and with sweating comes sweaty (and stinky) clothes. Early on in my bachelorhood I utilized the dryer sheets to combat said sweat/stink until an individual showed me the wonders of liquid fabric softener. Laugh all you want on that one but getting the post workout aroma out with dryer sheets just didn't cut it; and made marks on your clothes. It's a job for Ultra Downy Infusions!!! Yes, that doesn't sound too masculine giving a shout out to fabric softener but been doing laundry for the duration and good smelling clothes rule.
While recycling or any environment-related concerns weren't on my mind growing up, an individual who was born on April 22nd (Earth Day) showed me more about the environment and the world of organic food than I had ever known. While the organic food angle was short lived as paying $15 for ONE organic chicken breast wasn't going to cut it, her Earth passion was quite impressive as she earned the title of Earth Girl. If looks could kill, I was dead that day she saw me throw a glass spaghetti sauce jar into the 'normal' trash can.
Sometime after that an individual enlightened me on some of the newer music available as I was hard-headed on my classic rock; no other alternatives. That all changed once I heard some Detroit Cobras, Raconteurs, Wolfmother and others in the early 2000's. Not Zeppelin but rockin' still the same.
While impacting my house more than me (but gives me peace of mind), I would be remiss for not calling out my Milford Redskin alumni that I met along the way for supplying me with a roofer, a painter, a heating/cooling expert, window distributor, a floor/deck/miscellaneous handyman and a plumber. If I can find an electrician, the set will be complete. Knock on wood in that my house hasn't had issues but general upkeep is needed and peace of mind is achieved in calling someone you know. I leave the house door open for them to work while I'm downtown doing my work. A win win for everyone in that I don't have to babysit them working and they can work without someone looking over their shoulder.
And in recent years with my old man's memory illness kicking it in high gear, I had never thought about the diet and brain combination but mountain biked with an individual whose area was supplements/diet. She supplied information on supplements available and a link regarding the Keto Diet; a brain-friendly diet.
Not to be outdone in the brain category, a few weeks ago I mountain biked on the east side with an individual and fate would have it that she recently read a book called 'Grain Brain.' One doctor's opinion, with a shit load of stats to back it up, on the effects of bread (and other things) on the brain. I ended up buying the book. Information is a good thing and I have plenty of reading time on the bus. It was stat overload but his point was made. And I'll put money on it that there is another book out there on the advantages of eating bread/sugar on the brain with plenty of stats as well.
Again, it is wacky the people you meet along the journey and the information/service they provided; even fabric softener! The person pulling all the levers sure has put people in my life at just about the right time. I'm so very lucky.
But back to the Keto Diet and the Grain Brain book, the two go hand in hand as the book references Keto quite a bit. As I can't gain weight if I wanted to these days, the word 'diet' brings me pause with some comments below on the things I can/can't eat. I can't go full Keto but guess you can say I'm going mini-Keto.
Breakfast used to consist of toast w/peanut butter and bananas. Three salt bagels on Thursdays. The toast/peanut butter angle is gone, replaced with two eggs, eaten Rocky style. Yes, raw. I only like eggs as a part of french toast but bread is out so chasing two raw eggs down with a Vitamin Water will have to suffice. The first time was tough (eggs back up EVERYWHERE) but down to a smooth process now. The salt bagels are gone. Captain Crunch and his friends Tony The Tiger and Sugar Bear are also gone. That is a tough one.
Lunch won't change much as I was already nibbling on raw green beans, cucumbers, green peppers, oranges, apples. Pretzels were surprisingly forbidden. No more chips, etc.. No peanuts but almonds/sunflower seeds are the snacks now. My monthly visit to Lafayette Coney for 'three with everything' might have to be moved to every other month. They are quite good.
Dinner will be interesting as while I haven't touched fast food in many, many years, I like my pizza. That will be my one major rule break as I attempted the gluten free pizza last week and it was like a sponge. Bad. The 'no pasta' rule will also be broken from time to time as while I love my chicken, a person can only eat so much of it. My apologies go out to the Highland House as your bread sticks are out; but damn are they good.
My apologies also go out to DQ as a large blizzard with double Heath bar toppings that was a nice post workout staple has also been shown the door.
I left out the grain that probably has the most brain impact, beer. About beer...
