FEBRUARY
Wednesday 2025.2.26
New Walkabout Mini Golf Course
The new course will be Mount Olympus and it will be released on March 6. Needless to say, I am looking forward to it.
Meanwhile, yesterday afternoon I played mini golf with my Kentucky friends. We had time for two courses. I didn't win either course, but I was tied for first place.
Later this morning the Thrive Pavilion people will meet to play mini golf. I'll join them. And the program is adding another golf opportunity tomorrow evening.
Worth an Experiment?
I've been considering something. As my weight has been going down a little, I'm seeing my blood sugar numbers improve. I am considering tapering off my medication for blood sugar. "Tapering" is the key. I won't stop taking it, but I might skip every third day. I check my blood sugar daily; so, if this is a bad idea I should know relatively soon.
You might remember, I suffered a scare last month. Some of my numbers were close to 300mg/dL. That was mostly because I was eating carelessly — lots of pasta, almost every day. For a while I took two Januvia each day and I cut pasta out of my diet. The numbers started coming down.
It might be worth mentioning: My doctor prescribed 50mg tablets of Januvia, one each day. According to medical web sites I researched, 100mg is considered normal. So, taking two didn't put me in any danger.
Now in February I've seen several days below 130, some of which were below 120. One day I recorded a perfect score of 100. That's encouraging. So, it might be time to experiment a little.
Those good numbers might be because of the lower weight and increased exercise, but probably they are the result of removing so many carbohydrates from my diet. When I was first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes I cut out sugar. I use stevia in my morning coffee. Next to go was bread, then potatoes, then rice, and now pasta.
As I continue to monitor my blood sugar daily, I can always return to Januvia daily if I see my blood sugar rise above 150 consistently. This morning the number was not great — 144. However, that's still below 150 and one spike isn't a trend.
Meanwhile, my weight jumped up by nearly 1½ pounds since yesterday. That's water weight. I could see yesterday that this would happen. I was more thirsty than usual and my body wasn't shedding much water. And, again, that's why I only track weekly averages. Daily weights fluctuate too much.
What's With Vine?
Amazon Vine has been having a few issues lately. I saw some Pelagic boots that retail for $120. The brand is good. However, shipping is awful. I ordered them on February 13th. They're not expected to arrive until March 13th. This week I ordered a hard case for the jump starter I keep in my car. It isn't expected to be shipped until the middle of March. The items are free; so, I can't complain.
And speaking of the hard case: A few weeks ago I ordered a different one. It was supposed to be the right size for my jump starter. I measured and ordered accordingly. The case that arrived was considerably smaller. And, which I can't explain, they shipped two. I left a negative review.
Sunday 2025.2.23
Parting Ways with Ni-MH
I am phasing out my nickel-metal hydride batteries. I love rechargeable batteries. I've had them for many years. It's so convenient to have a supply of charged batteries in the drawer, ready to use when needed. These days, with so many items needing batteries (remote controls, flashlights, radios, clocks, game controllers, etc.), we use a lot of batteries.
It's kind of difficult to justify staying with Ni-MH when I find so many rechargeable lithium batteries for free on Amazon Vine. Lithium are better because they deliver 1.5 volts per battery. Ni-MH are rated 1.2 volts. On Wednesday I found a package of eight rechargeable lithium AA batteries that come with their own charger. How could I resist? I requested them.
I still have plenty on Ni-MH batteries, but a few have stopped holding a charge. They're getting too old. I can't remember when I bought them. It has to be at least a decade ago. It's time to let them go.
Salmon Jerky
As planned, I made Salmon Jerky using my Brod & Taylor Sahara food dehydrator. The appliance worked perfectly.
I cut the salmon into pieces that were a little thicker than I usually like because the filets were marked "previously frozen." I prefer "fresh" when I can find it at Costco. Frozen fish loses some of its internal structure because of the ice crystals. It falls apart easily. Because of the thickness, some pieces didn't dry as thoroughly as I wanted. The flavor, however, is delicious.
The fish was expensive, the two filets were nearly $50, but I don't buy it often and this amount of jerky will last a long time. I put a few pieces in a small ziplock bag to store in the refrigerator. The rest was stored in the freezer.
Golfing Aid, Sort Of
With my VR headset on, I usually play mini golf standing up with a golf club in my hands. The club is a shortened putter — consisting of the rubber grip and part of the metal shaft. The VR controller is held at the end. Standing is the issue.
Although my stance gives me a better golfing experience, like actually playing on a real mini golf course, there are times when it's a bit unnerving. To putt the ball, I might need to stand off the edge of something, out in the air, 900 feet above the ground. It's a dizzying height.
I saw a "quad cane" on Amazon Vine and ordered it, thinking it might assist me when I hurt my back. You've probably seen the canes. My friend Larry was using one (he suffers from sciatica) when he helped me buy my car. The cane has four little legs and rubber feet at the bottom, thus the "quad" name. I wasn't thinking of mini golf when I ordered the cane.
Sometimes there is a railing visible in the game and it's a bit tempting to reach out to it and hold on for balance. However, no railing is there. This week I played a few courses with the cane at my side. I didn't need it much, but it was a comfort knowing it was there when I might need a little extra support to stay balanced.
Another Bloody Nose
On Thursday I blew my nose after sneezing. There was blood in the tissue. I believe this was my second nosebleed since I cauterized my own nose more than seven years ago.
Since my early teenage years I've had occasional nosebleeds. A sneeze, a sniff, even washing my face in the shower can be enough to trigger bleeding. A doctor explained the problem to me many years ago. There is one blood vessel that is very close to the skin in my nose. When the air is dry during days of low humidity, a sudden movement of the nose can crack the skin. If it cracks the blood vessel, bleeding results.
Back in 2017 I ordered some silver nitrate swabs from Amazon. That was amusing at the time because the package clearly says they require a prescription. I didn't have a prescription, but I got them anyway. The 50 swabs cost me $50.
If you're not familiar with the process, silver nitrate is caustic. Dab a little onto the skin where the blood vessel is situated. In only a few seconds it will burn the skin, effectively cauterizing the vessel. It hurts a little, but not more than pricking a finger to get a blood sample for glucose testing.
This newest nosebleed is something to be mindful of. It's only the one time, so far. If it becomes a problem again — I had nosebleeds almost everyday back then — I can easily cauterize my nose again.
Some Politics
People are upset with the Trump/Musk policies. That was evident during the past week at two town hall meetings covered in the news. Also discussed were Trump's approval numbers, which have been declining. I think it was Wolf Blitzer who described the problem as "Trump's slash and burn campaign against the U.S. government."
The pundits are projecting worse news ahead as prices rise and the economy falters. The public is losing confidence in the economy, which is not good for the stock market. In the long run, these developments could cause the GOP to lose their majority in Congress.
As I've said many times, people don't vote for a candidate (they don't research the issues); they vote against a candidate. November's election was a vote against Biden and Harris. As the American people experience higher prices and increasing unemployment, they will express their dissatisfaction in the midterm elections next year. Some voters are already saying they regret having voted for Trump.
Weight
Not a great week, only 0.4 pound lost, but I made some progress. I'll take it.
Wednesday 2025.2.19
Quad-demic
Maybe by now you've heard of the quad-demic. It's four epidemics affecting people in this country. You're already familiar with influenza, better known as the flu. Many of us get a flu shot every fall. I get mine in late November or early December. Covid-19 is still affecting people. Thankfully, many of us are staying updated with our vaccination booster shots.
RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is another threat. A friend's mother was hospitalized and placed in intensive care because of RSV. She recovered, thankfully. I tried to get an RSV vaccine, but I'm not old enough. Only people 75 years old and older qualify. And norovirus (stomach flu) is spreading.
Two other concerns are on my mind, not that I like to worry. Bird flu has affected only a few people so far, but those infections show the virus has jumped from chickens into humans. USAID has been working in Africa to contain Ebola. With that agency losing funding, the possibility of Ebola jumping to another continent, such as North America, increases.
I don't wish to be an alarmist, but maybe we should adopt some of the protective steps we practiced when Covid was a major crisis — social distancing, wear a mask when we run errands, wash our hands when we return home, and by all means, get vaccinated. We all remember how well Trump handled the last pandemic.
News
I used to watch the news every afternoon / evening, starting with the European sources and finishing with the American outlets. I stopped during Trump's first term in office. Lately, I watch Anderson Cooper on CNN at 5:00 PST and then Rachel Maddow on MSNBC at 6:00. That's about all I can endure in a single day. It seems like you can't watch news without taking a tranquilizer.
The co-king and his band of pimple-faced minions are running amuck across the nation in a slash-and-burn fashion, trying to reduce enough government spending to pay for huge tax cuts for wealthy Americans and corporations. Along the way, some very important people, such as the nuclear physicists who try to keep us safe from stolen bombs and power plant meltdowns, are losing their jobs. Then the thought occurred to those flying monkeys, "Oh, they were important? Let's call them back." Except, with the engineers gone and everything in the agency shut down, there is no way to find them.
This week I noticed Rachel Maddow using the expression, "Is this what you voted for?" I say that a lot.
Computers
Some sad news. I tried to load Adobe Creative Cloud on my other computer. That computer is no longer compatible with InDesign, a page layout program I use a lot. On the bright side, I have it on this computer and on my laptop.
I looked to see if there might be an easy way, such as installing a newer microprocessor (the brain chip), but the motherboard onto which the chip would install is too old. I built these computers myself. They were really cutting edge ten years ago. They cost me $3,000, each. They are easily good for another ten years. I am not going to build another new computer just so that I can use InDesign. Speaking of which…
I Learned Something New This Week
There are times when I might want to prevent a software program from calling home, such as when automatically looking for updates. Take, for example, InDesign mentioned above.
I have a bootleg copy. I can install it on my other computer, but it will call home and the registration key will be discovered as counterfeit. That will disable the software. I used to use an app, ZoneAlarm, to set up a "firewall" to block programs from accessing the internet. I discovered yesterday that Windows 10 has a firewall built in. Later today I'll load InDesign on my other computer and hope to keep it working.
Shopping
I finally drove my new car. It has sat in my driveway since I drove it home last week Monday. I went to Costco and spent nearly $170. At that price, you might think I bought a carton of eggs. Not this time. But I did buy some expensive items.
I bought two "wild caught coho salmon" filets to make Salmon Jerky. I also bought two tri-tip roasts to make Real Texas Chili, both of which are good for my diet. For the chili I'll experiment with xanthan gum rather than flour for the thickener.
Sunday 2025.2.16
Computer-1
This past week I continued the process of reloading my other desktop computer after the crash. It can all be finished in a day or two, but I'm taking my time. I'm waiting for a friend to tell when to load my Adobe applications. As a member of his design team, he can add me to his list of users and that gives me free access to the software. He pays the monthly subscription fees.
Meanwhile, I can add some things on my own, such as linking my printer to Windows and adding some multimedia apps. The computer I am currently working on, Computer-2, has all the apps, but I keep this rig offline as much as possible to protect my intellectual property.
Mini Golf
On Wednesday I joined the folks in Thrive Pavilion to play some golf. Thrive Pavilion is a place available for those with virtual reality headsets. We connect via Wi-Fi and the internet. It isn't a web site, although there is one. It's sort of like a space in the VR world.
Anyway, I joined three other guys and we played the Atlantis course. I did well enough to tie with another player for first place. Winning or losing doesn't matter. These guys are fun to golf with. They don't chatter a lot and we learn from each other. One in particular, who goes by the name Animule, taught me to be a better putter.
There is another way to meet up with golfers in VR, but it's a bit random. I tried it twice and although it's fun to golf with others, I like Thrive Pavilion better.
Building Friendships
One thing I really appreciate about Walkabout Mini Golf is the way it allows us to meet up with fellow golfers and build friendships. I happened to see one of the Thrive Pavilion players on line as I started my headset. I was able to call him via the headset and we went into Walkabout and played a course together.
He is one of my favorites because I admire his putting skills. We played the Ice Lair course and tied. Tying with Animule gives me a lot of confidence.
My New Car
I continue to trick out my car with a few additional accessories. This past week I added the dashboard cover I ordered. It fits well. A full set of weather-proof floor mats are out for delivery today. I also ordered a windshield sun shade that can be folded and stored in a small space.
I didn't take care of my old car because I didn't think I would keep it for 30 years. My neglect showed. The dashboard was cracked all over. I thought I should be more responsible about caring for this new car.
Those Hooks
In Wednesday's blog post I wrote about some hooks I ordered that are perfect for holding my All‑Clad pan lids on the sides of my kitchen cabinets. They are available on Amazon and there are different numbers of hooks per package. They come with screws and anchors.
They are "tile hooks" or "tile brackets" used for displaying tiles in hardware stores like Home Depot. After doing some measurements, I could tell they would be ideal for my pan lids, which have a loop-style handle. Lids with a single round knob-style handle wouldn't work. All six lids are now hanging in my kitchen again.
Some Politics
I can't help wondering about something. Is Trump thinking ahead? He is upsetting a lot of Americans. Government workers are losing their jobs. Those people are voters. His tariffs will likely raise prices. Inflation angers people. If enough people become disgruntled with Trump, what will happen in the midterm elections next year? It's not unusual for a president to lose a majority in Congress in the midterms. What if Trump loses control of both chambers of Congress? To those who voted for Trump, is this what you voted for?
Weight
It was a good week. My goal is to lose about 1.2 pounds per week. This week, due to the low weights on Sunday and Monday, the average lost was 2.2 pounds.
Next week might not look as good. Yesterday I ate everything I wanted, including some pasta. This morning's weight was nearly half a pound higher than last week's average. Of course, daily weights don't matter. They fluctuate up and down. The average for the week is what counts.
Wednesday 2025.2.12
New Car
With plans to hopefully drive a new car home on Monday, I cleaned my personal things out of my old Pathfinder on Sunday. As expected, the Pathfinder wouldn't start in the morning. The battery was too low. Thankfully, I now have one of those portable jump starters (thank you Amazon Vine). Just attach the two cable clamps and start the engine. It worked perfectly and I was able to drive to the Nissan dealership.
I asked my friend Larry to be with me. We met at Nissan at 9:00. Larry knows how to buy cars. Between his wife and daughters, he has bought enough of them. The dealer and I dickered a little bit over the price. He offered me $500 for my trade-in. No way.
The Blue Book value of a 1993 Nissan Pathfinder ranges from $1,000 to $5,000. I wanted $1,000. "But it's an old car," he said. "The Blue Book value is for an old car, a 1993," I countered. He agreed to the $1,000.
I got a 2025 Nissan Rogue, two-wheel drive (why would I need the four-wheel drive sports model?). The color is medium gray. It has more features than I want, like a motorized moon roof and lots of other bells and whistles. Too many things to go wrong; so, I let them talk me into a $2,000 extended warranty, which I talked down to $1,900. Every little savings helps. The final out-the-door price was $38,639 with tax and license. Larry and I agreed I paid a fair price.
To show my appreciation, I took Larry out to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. Maybe worth mentioning: Larry was also with me when I bought my Pathfinder 32 years ago.
The one feature it does not have is a trailer hitch receiver; so, I drove to the local U-Haul retailer and made an appointment to have one installed. The dealership could have done it, but it would have cost me twice as much.
How do I feel about the car? I really like it. One thing that surprised me is that it has a lot of pep. My Pathfinder was running on only five cylinders. When I started it, I could smell gas fumes behind it. That car would not have passed the smog inspection in November. On five cylinders, it didn't respond well. The Rogue goes so well, I need to watch my speed. I was exceeding 60MPH in a 50MPH zone. Oops.
And, as I blogged about on Sunday, it fits in my driveway. And that's another feature I like: it has a backup camera. I always back into my driveway.
Meanwhile, I ordered a dashboard cover to protect it from the sun. My Pathfinder's dashboard was cracked all over. I also ordered a set of protective floor mats from Amazon. The set includes a mat for the rear cargo area. It's a pity they weren't available on Vine. I looked. Vine offers them for two Nissan models, but not the Rogue.
Finally, one concern: As mentioned above, I had to jump-start my Pathfinder because the battery was too low. I don't drive enough to keep a battery charged. My Rogue has keyless entry. What happens if the battery is too low? How do I get into the car to open the hood to use my jump starter?
AHA! Thank you YouTube. Who knew? Everyone but me, maybe. There is a key hidden inside my key fob. There is indeed a keyhole in my car door. I can get inside.
Some Good News
I've been blogging about my attempts to get Computer-1 working again, and I have been struggling to get my door cam (a web cam in my office window) working again. It was awful. Yesterday morning I tried unplugging and then plugging in the USB cable that goes from my monitor to my computer. I wondered if maybe I had loosened it when moving the box. That did the trick. The door cam is working again. Now, onto software. There is still a lot to do.
More Good News
I like my kitchen to be organized. A friend's wife commented to him, "Dennis knows where everything is." My All-Clad lids were a problem. Where should I store them? I tried hanging them on the side of my kitchen cabinets using those hooks that have a sticky tape on the back. Those eventually fell off. Finally, I found some screw-on hooks on Amazon Vine that looked perfect for the task. I fastened them into place yesterday and they are ideal. I love those hooks.
And Some Weather
A potentially major rain event has been forecast for the West Coast. The news has been covering it. However, the bulk of the rain is supposed to fall tomorrow and only 1 to 2 inches are projected. I'll stay home. I don't want to drive a brand new car on possibly slick roads.
Weight
Sunday's weight numbers should look really good. I lost weight rapidly during the early part of the week. That happens. I can go for days with barely a decline in the numbers, then suddenly the numbers drop. I am assuming the weight loss is mostly water because the first fat the body uses up is the glycogen stored in the muscles, which is mostly water.
As mentioned above, I bought lunch for the friend who came with me to buy the car. We ate at a Chinese restaurant. I ate too many carbs — egg drop soup, fried rice, fried wanton and egg roll. I chose the main course wisely — beef with broccoli — but even that was high in carbs because it had a thickened sauce. It was only one meal off my diet; so, the damage should be minimal.
Sunday 2025.2.9
Xanthan Gum
On Wednesday afternoon I made my first gravy with xanthan gum. I had some in the cupboard. I don't remember buying it, but it was probably back when I wanted to try a keto diet. Xanthan gum is considered 100% keto friendly because it has zero net carbs. I never used it until this past week.
I tried it in a really simple beef gravy to use with meatballs — a little water flavored with Better Than Bouillon beef stock, then thickened with xanthan gum. A lot could have been done to enhance the flavor, such as garlic powder, onion powder, herbs and spices. But the simple gravy was good enough to enjoy with the meatballs. For a vegetable portion I sautéed some Brussels sprouts in a little olive oil and butter.
There is another interest in xanthan gum. Consumed in modest amounts, it has been shown to reduce blood glucose levels.
Mini Mode
The creators of Walkabout Mini Golf added a new feature this week — mini mode. It is available on three courses. Selecting the mini mode option, we are reduced in size to maybe a cat or small dog. The golf ball looks like a basketball. The ground is only inches away. And the putter is huge.
I played the three courses and they were fun. Game play is about the same, but the size adds another level of amusement. One friend commented on how enjoyable it is that the game creators find new ways to add fun to the existing courses. There are 34 courses. I hope they add mini mode to many of the others.
And speaking of minis…
Mini SUV
By today's standards, my Nissan Pathfinder would be considered a compact SUV. I never thought it would come down to this, but "size really does matter." The car needs to fit in my driveway (which is not a euphemism).
All the Toyota SUVs, even the compacts, are too large. Nissan has a Rogue Rock Creek that would fit and it appears it comes with a trailer hitch receiver. It's nearly a foot longer, but it is slightly narrower. The Nissan Kicks, which is very affordable, has the same length and it's only two inches wider. However, it has a three-cylinder engine. Nissan doesn’t recommend a standard 2-inch trailer hitch receiver. A 1¼-inch receiver is recommended because the car doesn’t have enough horsepower to pull a standard sized trailer.
If I could get the dealership to install a 2-inch receiver, I'd consider the car. I only need to attach my bike carrier when I use it.
Too Complicated
There was something in my Meta Quest 3 about setting up a communication thing so that I could receive phone calls on my headset. I tried. Why do they want everything but a white blood cell count and a urine specimen? After jumping through several annoying hoops, I gave up and removed the app from my phone. They should offer to set it up for me and tell me when it's ready to use.
O Woe is Me
Something went wrong with my other desktop computer. The Firefox browser tried to do an update, and that hung my computer. The computer boots, but I can't use any internet browser. Some software works, some do not. I tried doing a fresh install of Firefox, but that didn't work.
Yesterday I did a Windows 10 OS update. It proceeded slowly, but it finished. Now, when I boot my computer it goes to the usual login screen. When I put in my four-digit code and press ENTER, the screen goes to black and stays there. The computer is on, but the monitor is dark. I'll need to do a complete reload, and that can take two or more days to complete.
That had me in a panic because that is the computer I use to upload this blog to my website.
For now, my laptop computer is my connection for email and some software. The computer I use for working on my website files is this one, which is always off line to protect my data, but I've never had a virus attack on this computer. So, this might be my primary connection to the internet until the other one is working again.
Any Good News to Share?
Yes, as a matter of fact. Yesterday I saw a $200 espresso maker on Amazon Vine. I ordered it. I have never made espresso; so, this should be interesting. When it arrives, maybe I'll do an unboxing video for my Kitchen Vlog channel on YouTube.
Wait, No, Weight
I did okay this week. I lost only 0.9 pound, but it was progress.
Something More to Worry About
USAID had been working in Africa to contain the latest outbreak of Ebola. With the Trump administration dismantling USAID the virus could spread to other continents, like Covid did, including North America. Ebola is a potentially fatal viral infection. Add it to the bird flu concern. We all know how well Trump handled the Covid epidemic. To those who voted for Trump, is this what you voted for?
Wednesday 2025.2.5
Not Much in This Post
There hasn't been much happening lately. Yesterday I played mini golf with my Kentucky friends. I finished in last place.
It's raining this week, which is always welcome here, but I don't go anywhere. I don't like to be out in the rain. This area did well again. We got more than an inch of rain. However, it goes into the ocean. Cachuma Dam, which is at the reservoir, reported less than half an inch.
A Little DIY
In Wednesdays blog post I mentioned my SUV leaking brake fluid. I rode my bike to Home Depot on Monday (before the rains started) and bought a bottle of DOT 3 fluid, recommended for my make and model. After filling the reservoir the brakes feel tight again. I can drive my vehicle safely to the dealerships next week when I start looking at new autos.
In another DIY project I finally got around to cutting another shirt from the cotton fabric I have. Today I'll finish assembling the bodice and then start on the collar.
Other Stuff
Nothing new in food. I continue eating my low-carb meals. It's working. The weight is dropping slowly. More on that in Sunday's post.
My blood glucose is concerning again. It has been going up. It was above 150 mg/dL this morning. I'm exercising and I eliminated most carbohydrates; so, I'll need to watch the numbers closely.
I haven't ordered anything lately on Amazon Vine. There hasn't been anything I need or can use.
So, as I said above, there isn't much to blog about this morning. Maybe more on Sunday. Except, maybe the news. Expect prices to rise because of the tariffs. To those who voted for Trump, is this what you voted for?
Sunday 2025.2.2
How About Some OCD?
I don't think of myself as having Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, but I do get a little focused, maybe fixated, on some things. This past week it was something in Walkabout Mini Golf. First, a little background (for those who might need it; otherwise, skip to Frittata below).
The game is played on a virtual reality headset. Walkabout comes with eight base courses. A new course is added several times each year. There are currently 31 courses. Each course has two versions — easy and difficult. The difficult course is locked. All around the easy course there are lost balls to be found, one at each hole. Find ten balls to unlock the difficult course.
There is an additional challenge on the difficult course — the fox hunt. Follow the clues to complete the hunt and receive a putter designed for that course.
All the putters are arranged on a counter at the caddy shack, the starting place for the game. We can choose any putter to play any course. I wanted to know which course each putter came from, but there are no labels. Grrr. So this past week I set about naming them all. Although there are 31 courses, there are 34 putters because two courses offer more than one putter.
Does it matter? No, not really. I can't think of a reason why I wanted to know them all, except that someone in one of the games I played mentioned her favorite putter and the reason why she liked it — a line on the putter head helps her to aim more accurately.
Frittata
I made my first frittata on Friday. You'd think being the accomplished cook that I am I would have made one of these egg dishes before, but no.
I chose to make one because it is diabetes friendly. There are almost no carbs. It's made with eggs, of course, plus broccoli, ham and cheddar cheese. I seasoned the mixture with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. I cut it into sixths so that I could freeze five of them and eat one for lunch. It was surprisingly good.
There are ways to make them better. After I use up the remaining five I'll experiment more. They remind me of something I learned from an Italian friend many years ago — svuotafrigo, which translates loosely to "refrigerator emptier." Frittatas are a useful way to use up some leftovers in the refrigerator.
And, once again, this makes me want to do a series of videos about making diabetes-friendly meals.
My Weight
As mentioned in Wednesday's blog post, I am trying to lose weight, again. My twin brother was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and he was able to reverse it by getting his weight down to around 165 pounds. His doctor told him the first line of attack when dealing with diabetes is weight loss. My brother no longer takes meds for his blood glucose.
I'm not dieting according to the ways I tried in the past. I've done the deprivation thing, counting and limiting calories, and I've done the keto thing. I'm going more simple this time — plates of healthy food and the elimination of most carbohydrates.
I weigh myself every morning, but I only pay attention to weekly averages. Daily numbers fluctuate up and down and it's too easy to become obsessed with dieting if the daily weights fail to meet expectations.
I use a simplified version of a database I programed several years ago. I don't need to track BMI (body mass index) or calories. I only want to track my weight according to weekly averages. As long as the average goes down, even if only a little, I consider it progress. I added fields for blood glucose (first test of the day) because the goal is to get my blood sugar back down to normal.
Of course, any weight loss coach will stress the need for exercise. I have a mini stair stepper I got from Amazon Vine. I added fields for that too. I'm up to 140 steps per day. And I have one of those elliptical things you see advertised on TV. I got mine also from Vine. I don't plug mine in. I pedal it manually, aiming for at least 1,000 strokes per day. It's easiest to use while watching TV in the evening.
And I must confess, I've seen YouTube videos in which someone says they exercise on their mini stair stepper for 30 minutes. 140 steps takes me less than two minutes and I pant afterward. It reminds me of something my college weight coach said: "First you need to get into good enough shape for exercising." He recommended ten weeks.
My next exercise goal is 150 steps and doing that three times per day. That would take me to 450. My future goal is 1,000 stairs per day.
New Car?
The decision has been made. It's time. Now my 1993 Nissan Pathfinder needs brake work. It's leaking brake fluid. And when I opened the driver side door to get to the hood release, the plastic door handle broke. I watched a YouTube video that explained how to replace that handle. I would need to take apart the door from the inside, and that requires some special tools. Now I can't help wondering, what's next?
I want either another Pathfinder or a Toyota 4Runner. I called a friend who likes to negotiate when buying a car. He knows how to talk to these salesmen. We agreed to meet next week to buy the new car.
My neighbor wants to buy my old SUV because it has such low mileage, only 70,000 miles. However, there are too any problems with the car. I haven't kept it maintained because I wanted to buy a new car. I told the neighbor I'm not going to sell it to him and he understood. Blue Book fair trade value is about $1,600. It needs about double that in repairs.