August 31st, 2011 - Day 53 of 60

I think most of us have hear the phrase, "I wish I was a fly on the wall."  It is used to describe the ability to be in a room, unnoticed, while the normal activities of the day unfold (especially the sordid activities).  Today I was in an office taking care of a particularly mindless, yet important task.  The entire process took about half an hour.  I was stationed in a location that was in the midst of things, yet after a few minutes it was as if I was blessed with Harry Potter's "Cloak of Invisibility."  The main thing I noticed was everyone's reaction to the box (a large box) of doughnuts on the table next to the entry.  I have to say, without fail, 95% of the people who entered the room had an interaction of some sort with that box.  Now, those who had the interaction were not all employees of that office.  I don't know the particulars of that box of doughnuts, but it appeared that someone brought them in for the consumption of the members of that office.  This particular office always has some kind of food (treats) out for communal consumption.  Most people stopped, opened the box, scrutinized the scrumptious snacks picked one out and them moved on.  A few stopped, looked at the contents, thought about it, and then moved on without partaking.  This may have been due to the ever-dwindling choice of cakey confections.  But the ones that intrigued me the most were the ones who walked by the box, eyed the box but kept moving on to other things.  These people seemed to always come back and always eyed the box.  Eventually, most would stop, open the box, chastise themselves in some way, and take a doughnut.  Many just strolled up, took a doughnut and started eating it with a smile.  But some seemed so distraught with themselves that I felt terrible witnessing the moment unfold.  I mean, if you want a doughnut badly enough, just take the thing and eat it with pleasure.  But these people had stern words for themselves.  "I should do this".  "I am so weak."  "I know this is so bad for me."  On it went.  One particular woman came in quietly, walked right over to the box, opened it for a moment, took her doughnut, held it in her hands in such a way as to obscure it, walked quietly out and never had any expression on her face other than sadness.  It was as if she was scoring some heroin in some back alley and couldn't stand thinking of herself as human.  It broke my heart.

Pretty much everyone I know loves doughnuts.  What is not to love?  The only down-side to doughnuts is they are junk food.  What I saw on the face of those people, in general, was a general disdain for themselves and even a downright disrespect for their "weakness".  These people have no idea what they are up against.  If you think you can just stop eating junk food, you need to think again.  What you are dealing with is evolution, genetics, programming, addiction, science, technology, marketing, peer pressure and popular culture all conspiring against you.  To be able to give up such things is a monumental task.  It really is a very big deal.

The recently released movie "Forks Over Knives"  has a section regarding the nature of diet as it relates to obesity.  Psychologist Doug Lisle, PhD., states,  "It isn't that people become more self-indulgent, it isn't because they are lazier than they ever were, what is happening is that their mechanisms of satiation are being fooled." The narrator goes on to describe how refined and "calorie dense" foods don't trigger our "stretch receptors" and "density receptors" properly which causes us to overeat.  Processed and/or unnatural foods fill us less and fail to trigger the sensors properly.  That makes those sensors tell our brains, "You need to eat more food!"  As Doug Lisle continues, "The problem with weight management in humans is that if you make these foods completely artificial, which we do today, you wind up with a problem that the people have to overeat just to be satisfied."

As I watched the pained expression on these people's face (for the most part, though some were pretty happy) my heart broke.  I wanted to do something, but really, what can I do?  Do these people need one more person in life telling them what to do about their weight issues and how they were weak?  I don't think so.  If those looks on their faces told me anything it was that they already knew this.  What they needed was for someone to tell them that they were wonderful, valuable and fantastic human beings who deserved better.  They needed to know there was a way out of that mess.  Sadly, today was not that day.  Sometimes you need someone to come along and help you out of the ditch in the road and sometimes you need to pull yourself out of the pit.

As my heart grieved, I continued to watch this seemingly endless conga line of despair.  One after the other they would walk up and take the "drug" and walk away.  Why do I think of Jonestown and Kool-Aid?  I guess I'm maudlin.

After I finished my duties and left, all I could think was "The fly on the wall would have been more nutritious."


Progress:

I am 85% through the 60 days.

Weight: 146.5 lbs.

Food: Clementines, Cherries, Bananas, Almond Butter, Mixed Nuts, Raw Cacao Goji Seed Chunks, Salad, Broccoli Slaw

The greens and purple cabbage are buried.

I love how these look in salads.

August 30th, 2011 - Day 52 of 60

The belated first day of classes was today and the campus was a beehive of activity.  I found myself running around like a madman again today, but I still had time to get important things done and eat.  I ate a lot today, but that is alright.  I feel like I am due.  The first day of class is stressful for everyone, but especially the new students.  They are nervous and don't know what to do with themselves.  They are afraid they are not in the right place or they'll forget something or do something wrong.  It is their first day in a "new school" and they are now free to create a new persona.  They don't have to be judged by the past and have nothing but the future in front of them.  I am amused at how casually the kids dress.  I made myself laugh as I imagined a bunch of kids dressed up in prom formals for classes. That sounds like a good idea to me, but it would take some real commitment to make happen.  After a week or so, they will start to figure out the feel of the joint and all will be well.  They'll make new friends and new memories.

I've still not decided anything on the remainder of my reboot.  Well, I guess my decision is to make no decision.  Too much is going on at work for me to get overly creative or motivated.  Quite a few people who are just back to work from their summer break asked me if I lost weight.  I told them I had my eyebrows done.  They look at me strangely and I know all I well.

I don't have much to say as I think I am operating in a sleep deficit of several days.  I wish I could lay down now and sleep, but it is too early.  I'll just have to figure out something to do for an hour or so. 

While it isn't my first day of school, it is getting to the end of my first reboot.  I guess I am trying to create something new.  Perhaps not a new persona, but a new container for my persona.  I am not nervous nor am I concerned about being in the wrong place.  I am in the right place at this point.  If nothing else, I know none of this education will go to waste regardless of what I do with it.

Sorry for the lack of insightful words tonight.  I'm just feeling the effects of the past couple weeks.

Progress:

I am 85% through the 60 days.

Weight: 147.1 lbs.

Food: Cherries, Clementines, banana, almond butter, almonds, raw cacao goji seed chunks, large salad, broccoli slaw.

August 29th, 2011 - Day 51 of 60

Good grief, did I say something stupid like "things are leveling off" and did I give the impression that the hard part was over with my work?  It is 10:10 P.M. and I am just getting home.  My reward for a hard day's work is stuffing my face with cold watermelon and writing something here in the hope I'll find inspiration by the next sentence. So.... how was your day?

As classes were canceled today due to the hurricane, I took advantage of the relative quiet to finish up a few things I thought important and had nothing but issues.  I will spare everyone the technical mumbo-jumbo, but suffice it to say that I needed to improvise quite a bit today.  I had to drive to our "south campus" to finish some things and found several of the rooms were not cooperating in the way I expected.  After a bit of tap dancing around I finally found a way out of the situation and got things moving.  Then, back on the "main campus" I had one particularly difficult machine which had a hardware failure earlier in the week.  That rectified, I moved on to ensuring the software was up to snuff.  That machine, too, needed some ingenuity.  It was frustrating and time consuming, but it appears to be working.  Then, finally, one lab that was sort of forgotten (not really, but sort of) had to be made ready for classes, so I figured I may as well do it now.  Hours later and some real vamping behind me, it, too, is done.  Now I am exhausted and trying to see how much watermelon I can jam into my body before I burst.

As I was running to and fro (not "seeking whom I may devour") today I noticed my foot was still giving me trouble.  I was walking around in my socks for much of the day.  While that made the blister happy, my feet started to hurt around 8:00 P.M.  Walking around that much on a hard floor can make your feet sore if you are not used to being without shoes that much.  That set my mind awhirl... "Why did I get a blister in the first place?"  As a man, I am not overly concerned with fashion.  Clothes are utilitarian to me: cover nakedness, keep me warm, keep me safe from the environment and occasionally protest those in authority with an appropriate phrase on a t-shirt.  I wear two pair of shoes, mainly, over the course of the year: my boots for cold weather and winter and my Crocs the rest of the year.  I've been wearing this pair of Crocs each day, without fail, since April.   That is FIVE months.  Never a blister, pinch or problem.  They are the most comfortable shoe I've ever worn.  These are not the kind with holes.  They are all black and look a bit less "playful" than most Crocs.  I ordered them from a restaurant supply house in Colorado.  So, what was up?  I guess all the improvising I did today made my brain wake up as I considered my bad fortune with the blister and came up with my solution:  If you recall, I mentioned a few days back my fingers felt stiff and swollen from all the walking and swinging my arms.  It never occurred to me that my feet are sort of like my hands, only on the other end of my body (and I don't do "high fives" with them).  I think they were a tad swollen, too, and that caused the blister.

My day has been long and fruitful, but it was filled with lots of improvisation due to difficulties.  All the trouble was put to rest, but it wasn't easy.  My Reboot has been long and fruitful.  It has been useful and put a few things to rest. With only ten days left I've gone quite far.  It has been wonderful, but it has required a bit of improvising as well.  When you are not used to eating a certain way or making juice frequently or making smoothies frequently, you have to either think outside the box or you have to find a rhythm you can live with for a bit.  Then, once you start noticing how the rest of your life is affected by the Reboot, you need to improvise there as well.  What do you do when invited out to lunch?  What happens when friends come over?  What do you do on a long day trip?  Etc.  When you Reboot you sometimes have to think on your feet (even when they are aching and blistered).  It is so easy to revert to comfortable, old habits.  They fit better than shoes that don't give blisters.  But they are the shoes for another time.  Your new life requires new ways of thinking and new ways of thinking outside of the norm.  Habits make some situations easier as they are easy and familiar.  New habits are needed and that will take time, effort and ingenuity.  Give your Reboot as much time as you can.  It isn't just to lose more weight or to feel better.  It is also to give your mind and body time to adapt to a new way of eating, thinking and living.  You'll also train your mind to think of ingenious and adaptive ways of living in the world, yet live within your Reboot.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to use my new-found ingenuity to figure out why an idiot eats half a watermelon when he comes home from work and makes himself sick.

Progress:

I am 85% through the 60 days.

Weight: 147.9 lbs.

Food: Clementines, bananas, almond butter, cherries, salad, raw cacao goji seed chunks, watermelon (way too much watermelon)

August 28th, 2001 - Day 50 of 60

While much of what I write here on my Reboot blog has little to do in a practical sense with the mechanics of Rebooting, I do try to weave the conceptual flavor of Rebooting into the words.  I am certainly one who understands the value and need for practical, how-to types of writing.  We all need to learn and those who have done or are doing something tend to generate the sort of information those embarking on that journey crave.  But I am more than happy to defer to those more skilled than I when it comes to the nuts (raw with no salt) and bolts (don't bolt your food) of the Reboot.  I tend to wax philosophic because I am one who feels motivation and deeply understanding "the why" of things is crucial for success.  People will gladly walk to their deaths, singing a song if they feel the cause is right.  Now, while I understand that drinking juice made from Beets and Arugula and Brussels Sprouts and Okra may taste as close to death as one can come (well, equally close might be a Red Bull/Prune Juice shot, which I'd call a "Bullsh*t". It will get you running in all possible ways), I also realize that the Reboot isn't quite as dire as that.  But I most certainly DO want everyone to succeed in all aspects of their lives.  I especially want people to succeed in their Reboot, as I know that once they get a certain distance down the Reboot path, it will affect other aspects of their lives.  It is a connected series of occurrences which all flutter in the same breeze.  Think of it like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, only we don't use bacon any more.  For example:

1) You decide to do the Reboot, but worry you are not strong-willed enough.
2) You start out whirring whatever is in your 'fridge in your old Osterizer blender.  Hey, it ain't half bad!  Oops, I think that was cheesecake I put in there.
3) Inspired by your general lack of death from your first homemade juice, you feel less fear and buy a new juicer, lots of fresh produce and walking shoes.
4) You find you love juicing and walking and feel so wonderful you can't believe it.  Within four days you decide to go for the full 60 days like Joe and Phil.
5) * Something extraordinary happens here *
6) You win the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, the Powerball jackpot, find true love and finally learn to whistle with your fingers in your mouth.

See how easy it is?

As I write this very sentence, the center of Hurricane Irene (now a tropical storm) is as close to me as it is going to get.   This whole situation got me thinking... well,  about the things... about which I think:  motivation, natural law, optimal living methods, reality vs. perception, etc.  Our ancestors (long, long ago ancestors) didn't have real-time tracking of storms or ceramic water filters or weather-repelling radial tires or even a raincoat.  They looked around and saw something was up from the sky or inferred looming danger from the behavior of the animals or from pure instinct.  The storm would come and they would seek shelter where they could find it (caves were the favorite).  Then what did you do?  You rode out the storm.  You sit, listen to the lullaby raindrops fall and just watch life.  Or, put in less urgent terms, consider the seasons:  I've read in some places that in the Winter, before food storage was perfected and Tupperware's invention was unimagined generations away, people mainly laid around and moved as little as possible during the cold.  They would, literally, hunker down.  They didn't have chainsaws and gas-powered splitters.  Firewood was hard to come by.  You kept the temperature as warm as possible (above freezing), lay around in piles and only moved when you had to do so.  You saved energy, stored calories and reduced the possibility of injury.  You ate very little since you had very little food and subsisted on all the fat you stored by consuming all you could when it was available.  I think this ancient memory is still embedded within us and explains why we simply cannot pass up the hors d'oeuvres platter at parties whenever it comes near.  Add to this the lack of snow shovels and lack of light.  If you are like most people, when it is gray and rainy you just want to sleep.  I think that is another built-in feature of our model.

I bring all this up because Irene is knocking on my windows and asking to come in for a visit.  While I'm sure she is fine company and has many interesting stories to tell (she has traveled all over the place, after all), I am really not in a place where I can do that.  Irene has brought along waters, winds, gray skies and a general feeling of inadequacy.  So, we sit and we wait.  We read and we just allow ourselves to BE.  We put the rest of our lives in perspective and find a seed of gratitude for our general lot springing up.  And, I realize that over the past weeks I've been running around so much that I am sure the load of calories I've been eating would be taking a toll on my waistline if I spent each day like this.  The relaxations is welcome, but I know that just sitting here is not burning many calories.  But, sometimes life compels us to adjust. And that, FINALLY, is the point of this whole post.

We have to learn to adjust in our life.  We often learn it the hard way, but we will learn it.  Experience is the best teacher and the experience of others is even better if we are smart enough to understand that at a young age.  When learning to shoot, one stumbles on the concept of "Kentucky Windage".  That being the slight alteration of aim to take into account a long target distance and the intervening wind as it pertains to accuracy.  There are insane numbers of ways we've learned to adapt that we don't even consider.  How many times have you taken a class in life and had to adjust how you wrote or answered questions just to ensure you got a better grade from your teacher?  You didn't say what you really felt, but you said what you know the teacher wanted to hear to ensure you received an A+.  How many times did you alter your appearance or behavior outside of the norm to impress a date or important person?  How many times have you started a recipe and found you were missing an ingredient, so you had to wing it?  I could go on.  Thinking about the storm for me wasn't just about the obvious things, it was also about how it would affect my Reboot.  I ensured I had adequate food in case the lights went out for a prolonged period.  I understood that my energy expenditure was limited, so I adjusted a few things.  I put it into the context of general life and how we eat and why we eat and what we eat.  The Reboot, if done properly, affects EVERYTHING you do.  It is not just a physical reaction to fewer and higher quality calories.  It is understanding the natural order of things and trying one's best to live in accordance with that understanding.  Yes, the Reboot IS philosophy.  "As a man thinketh, so is he."

I have no idea what the fallout of Irene will be on my home, personal effects and life.  I'll know for certain once it is past for a day or so.  Likewise, I have no idea what the fallout of the Reboot will be on my life.  On the one hand (trying not to be overly dramatic) I feel like Neo being offered the red and blue pills.  Once you know something, you can't un-know it.  On the other hand, I am well-aware of man's incredible ability to rationalize any thought to suit his desires.  "Oh, it is just one cookie, what will it hurt?"  I do know that, like Irene, the path is uncertain and sometimes you have to just go with the flow and hope for the best.  For now, the best I can do is listen to raindrops made of water that may have come from the Caribbean.  I'll sit and listen and try to understand their purpose in my life.  And, in the midst of that, I'll know that something has changed in me based on how I have started to frame all I do in the context of my Reboot.  While it may not spark the sort of change that will give me 120 years of life, transform my body into one able to do underwear modeling or even win me the Nobel Prize, it is a sign of REAL change.  That is something we can all agree is welcome (unlike Irene).

Goodnight, Irene.

Progress:

I am 80% through the 60 days.

Weight: 147.3 lbs.

I'm sure the bandage adds several pounds.

Food: Watermelon, Raw Cacao Goji Seed Chunks, Broccoli Slaw, Banana, Almond Butter, Cherries

Watermelon while reading about water is appropriate.

Neat-o!  They have my raw salsa in organic now!

August 27th, 2011 - Day 49 of 60

I wish I had one of these things over the last couple weeks.  I'm sure when I put the device into my computer at the end of the day it would come back and tell me that, obviously, something was wrong as the data doesn't compute.  As you may be able to see on my weigh-in this morning, I had a blister on the top of my right foot.  I walked for hours straight yesterday.  Going from room to room to room to room, and from building to building.  I did it again today for a good nine hours straight.  I just didn't stop.  I can't imagine the calories I've burned.  Sadly, I am trying to make up for those calories by eating everything in sight now that I am home.

My day started by picking up a few things at the store and filling up my car in the event the hurricane decides to visit my home.  I got some fruit and veggies and a new LCD flashlight and then I went to work.  The good news is that, at this point, all the desperately crucial work is finished.  As the storm is heading our way we decided to cancel classes on Monday, so that gives me another day to tie up loose ends if need be.  I'll take the next couple weeks to deal with the less crucial work and then, hopefully, be caught up and go back into my normal mode.

While I wouldn't call this a denouement, things are leveling off.  Another way that is true, sort of, is all the hurricane hubbub.  It is all we've been hearing about for days and days.  A sure way to get people to buy your newspaper or watch your TV show is incessantly talking about danger, threats and horror.  I've heard nothing but hurricane-related speculation and worse-case scenarios for the last few days.  If I watched TV very much I'd be frantic.  Yes, hurricanes are serious, but does it really help anyone to talk about it incessantly for days on end?  Is it edifying in any way?    Sure, give the warnings and state the facts.  But, please, stop with the endless coverage of what may happen.  It is driving me nuts.  Luckily, the thing will come through tonight and tomorrow and then, hopefully, we'll get on with things.

In addition to the most crucial work and the most juiceful hurricane, another thing coming to its ending phase is my Reboot.  As I was walking around today I realized that on Monday I'll have only ten days remaining in my Reboot.  That sort of number has symbolic meaning, if nothing else. Doesn't everyone like to countdown once "10" is reached?  I thought a bit about how things were going and what I may want to do.  While I am very pleased with my Reboot, I am going to consider my options.  While I knew the food-phase wouldn't offer the same dramatic results as the liquid phase, I was hoping for more.  I feel really good and I know things are happening.  Patience is a virtue, so I may just stay the course.

In our lives there are peaks and valleys.  Most of the time is spent hiking up to the peak or ambling down into the valley.  The lingering at the zenith and the abiding at the nadir are brief.  The circuitous wandering between the two is where we spend the bulk of our time. In the space of an average work year, my insanely busy times usually don't exceed six to eight weeks.   In the space of a lifetime, disasters are few and far between.  The span of a Reboot has a few days flush with excitement.  Since it is a unique adventure I imagine my comparison isn't fair, but after a week of rebooting one tends to fall into a rhythm that almost becomes "normal".  Once the end is within sight, however, we allow our minds to look to the end and turn over the possible permutations.

I remember a time in my youth when I was the passenger in a Saab that was going across the country.  We were going through the desert in the Southwest toward Las Vegas.  There isn't much to see, so to say the ride was boring would be kind.  After endless dust and brown I spotted something in the distance.  It looked like a lit sign, but how could a lit sign be seen in the desert during the day?   The odd thing was that,  as we drove ahead, we didn't seem to get to the sign.  Apparently, this place was farther away than I assumed.  By the time we got there we had driven quite a long way.  I saw that sign from a long way off and had plenty of time to consider what it was and what it might mean to me.   It turned out it was a gas station with a very tall and very bright sign.  Still, in an endless sea of arid earth that light was a welcome distraction.  In a sea of mindless consumption, this Reboot is a welcome change.  No, this stressful and frantic time of year in the midst of my normal workload is NOT welcome.  But we need our lives punctuated with these occasional exclamation points.

So, as I get a day of rest (I hope) after a long stretch of insanity, I will consider my lasts days on this Reboot.  I may just reflect and leave it at that.  Or, I may wish to go out with a bang.  Whatever I decide, it will be out of my great affection for the previous days of mindful consumption.

The best part of the ending is knowing that a new beginning shows up to introduce itself.


Progress:

I am 80% through the 60 days.

Weight: 147.4 lbs.

Blister boo-boo on my right foot.  :(

 Food: Watermelon, Fresh Mixed Fruit, Raw Cacao/Goji/Seed Chunks, Broccoli Slaw, Cherries

This was SO good.

August 26th, 2011 - Day 48 of 60

This will be another of those posts that will barely make it in under the wire.  Today was longer than yesterday and yesterday was too long.  My head is swimming and I am so amped up on Raw Cacao Goji Seed Chunks that I may not sleep for days.  The workload is astronomical in scope.  It will not be done in the time frame I'd like, but it will be close.  The laws of physics apply here as they do everywhere.  If I had a few people working with me that were as...  what are the words I want to use... were as driven to deliver high quality products in as compressed a time frame as I, things would be done.  As it stands I am the orchestra leader for this work.  You have to see many things at once and understand how it all comes together.  Some of that is genetic, some is experience and some is dumb luck.

The layers and layers of complexity that we deal with are staggering.  While it isn't brain surgery, rocket science or even rocket surgery, it is complex and it is exhausting.  These days I think it is every bit as physically demanding as it is mentally demanding.  I came home late yesterday and wondered why my fingers felt stiff.  I realize that I just don't stop once I get to work and I am walking so much and so fast, I am swinging the fluids into my extremities.  Damned law of physics, again!

Things would be better if everyone listened to me.  No, not about everything, just about my little section in my little world.  I've told everyone for over twenty years how best to deal with things, but the layers of complexity and bureaucracy make it almost impossible to get things done well.  Never-ending arguments over "who is going to pay for this" and "which job has priority" and "why do they have this while we only have this" and other nonsense.  I'm sure everyone who works for or with others understands this.

In my head I have a vision for how things work.  The vision is a large-scale plan.  The "big picture", if you will.   Within that big picture is the striking detail into which my thoughts zoom when I have to actually deal with that task at the moment.  The translation from big-picture to details isn't that bad for me.  I am the sort of person who thinks things through exhaustively.  As an introvert, I have likely planned an entire activity before I ever mention it to anyone.  And, once it is mentioned that means it is going to happen.  Why?  Because I do not want to be or even be perceived as one of those people who says something but doesn't deliver or never follows through. Extroverts tend to do that, but not because they are scattered or liars.  They do it because that is how they brain-storm.  They throw it out there and see what people say.  "I think I am going to backpack naked across Nepal!"  They wait to see the reaction.  My dad is classic extrovert. Always going to do something, go somewhere, etc.  You'll know what I am doing when I am doing it.  If I need someone's opinion, I'll ask.  Sadly, in the case of my work, too many people stand between me and my vision.

With your Reboot, you need a vision.  You need to fully understand the concepts, fully understand the implementation of those concepts and fully understand the requirements of implementing those concepts.  You need to understand what a Reboot is.  You need to determine if you really can do it, or if you are just excited and hope you'll "get into it."  You need to realize that making juice takes time, energy and money.  You need to realize that if you have a family, they will probably not be Rebooting with you and that might be awkward or tempting or worse.  You need to realize that you'll be shopping a lot.  You need to see that a good juicer or blender is priceless.  You need to see that clean-up time is longer than you think.  You need to do several "dry runs" (or, as I call them, "wet runs" since you actually make juice.  But I don't call them that out loud for obvious reasons).  You have to visualize the amount of juice you'll need, when you'll be able to make it and from what other activity does that time come.  You need to plan for social engagements and other settings where food or the lack of you eating it could be troublesome.  You need to imagine how your Reboot will apply to your work.  Do you eat out a lot at work?  Is there a cafeteria?  Is there a kitchen or refrigerator where you can store your juice?  Do you, in fact, have anything appropriate into which you can put your juice?  Do you have enough of them?

You get the picture.  This is how my brain works all the time.  Ever sorting, sizing-up, considering, planning and processing.  Yes, it can be exhausting.  I guess that is why I do yoga.  But that is the sort of thinking that helps me in my work.  It also helps me in my Reboot.  I've never been without food or resources for my nutrition.  It has all gone well.

Everyone is different and what works for you may not be something I'd even consider.  As long as you are happy and getting the results you want, I am happy for you.  But I maintain that above all other things (fancy juicers, a nice "Rebooting" web page, eight books of juice recipes and even an autographed photo of Joe Cross on your refrigerator) NOTHING will help you more with your Reboot than the right mental attitude and mindset going in to the game.  If you've not solidified everything in your mind, you are on shaky ground.  Make up your mind, make your plan and make it happen.  That will get your through your Reboot and perhaps a few other things in life.

Right now, I have made up my mind to go to bed.  I have a feeling that task is a bit easier than making "Turnip Pistachio Horseradish Energy Juice".

Progress:

I am 80% through the 60 days.

Weight: 148.3 lbs.

I seem to be hovering in this range.

Food: Smoothie, apple, banana, almond butter, almonds, raw cacao/goji/seed chunks, cherries.

August 25th, 2001 - Day 47 of 60

Having put in a 14 hour day, I can say with some confidence that my Reboot has not shortchanged me on energy, focus or motivation.  Still, I am only human.  I am so tired that my eyes are involuntarily crossing.  No, wait, I am doing it on purpose.  Never mind.

I was going to try and write something profound about something deep, but I forgot it when I was nearly drown walking to my car.  I don't recall rain that hard in a very long time (and I've been in some hurricanes).  So, between my fatigue, the hour, my dampness and the strange feeling an opossum is waiting for me to come outside, I will make this the briefest post of my Reboot and end with a haiku or limerick, I've not yet decided...

While the workday itself was sheer hell,
My Reboot is going quite swell
But I'm so pressed for time,
All I offer is this rhyme
In lieu of my standard nov-el

Ah, limerick.

Hope you all are having a poetic Reboot.

Progress:

I am 75% through the 60 days.

Weight: 149.4 lbs.

Food: Smoothie, apple, nectarine, banana, almond butter, tomatoes, far too many raw cacao/goji/seed chunks.

Smoothie: Before

 

Smoothie: After

These little chaps came from my garden.

August 24th, 2011 - Day 46 of 60

In my never-ending quest to make computing safe for students, I continued on with my faster-than-light campus rounds.  I had been moving all over the place for hours on end and was getting a tad fatigued.  Nothing sounded better to me than a nap in a hammock (if I had one).  As I was darting into labs and classrooms, there were gaggles of students looking around for their soon-to-be classrooms with furrowed brows; tenaciously clutching class schedules as if they were the map for the "Treasure of the Sierra Madre".  Many of them were animated in their speech, simply brimming with anticipation and optimism for the upcoming start of the semester.  I had one student ask me where, "Room Oh-3-2" was.  I told him that it was in the basement of the building and that seemed to illuminate a section of his brain: he got the point of the "oh".  There we so many young people with that look of purpose and determination, seasoned with uncertainty, mixed with positive excitement.  The start of the Fall semester in college is one of those watershed moments.  All the potential you imagine is within yourself is set in motion on that first day like the waters released from a dam's flood gates.

When the Freshmen walk on campus everything is possible.  Before the first day of class, everyone is at the top of the class.  All their dreams are intact, their future is golden, they are taking the first step toward realizing their full potential.  It is all good.  As time goes on, the preconceived notions of college life are brought into sharper focus via the lens of reality.  The best intentions of students suddenly become lost in the endless responsibilities of student life.  The ideas of incoming Freshmen are forged in a fire of optimism.  Very quickly, most of those fires begin smoking and some may even go dark.  It isn't an easy life.  It is like learning to juggle while riding a unicycle and buttering toast.  Yes, it is that hard.  My heart goes out to these kids.  Most of them are in over their heads.  They were not challenged in their old schools.  If they were lucky enough to attend a private school, a challenging public school or are self-motivated, things go better.  When their expectations are grounded in fact, that makes it better as well.  It helps to have a sibling or friend that did this before you so there is some idea of what to expect.  But when you walk in cold, all you have are TV shows, movies and urban legends.  While many of these students seem like they walked off the set of "Welcome Back Kotter", they imagine themselves in "The Paper Chase". The dream of double majoring in Physics and Philosophy quickly becomes a major in Math, which quickly becomes a major in Psychology, which quickly becomes a major in Communications.  The hope of having perfect notes, dependable study partners and a rigid schedule gives way to photocopied notes from a friend of your roommate's girlfriend, Googling "The Krebs Cycle" and reading over notes while watching your torrented copy of "Porkies 2".

Reality has a way of holding a mirror up to our faces without the benefit of letting us comb our hair first or getting us out of this unflattering fluorescent light. Many of these kids will be fine.  We have a lot of smart cookies that will go far.  We also have many who struggle no matter how hard they try.  It is heartbreaking to see.  To go from a bright future in your mind to feelings of self-loathing and insecurity is a vast swing.  Fortunately, there is endless help available if they only ask.  But for some it is easier to take a bad grade on a test than to admit they need help.  Part of the learning experience in college is outside of the books and lectures.  Part of it is learning how to be a functioning adult in society.  You learn how to make schedules, be on time, complete assigned tasks, socially interact with unfamiliar people, work in groups, work alone, ensure your clothes are clean, do you own shopping, etc.  It certainly can be far too much at once for some.  The last statistic I read was that only 56% of incoming Freshmen will earn a 4-year degree.  That is a hard number to face.

When we start out on our Reboots, we, too, have nothing but blue skies ahead.  Everything is possible and our expectations are out of sight.  As time goes on and life wears us down, we find it can become difficult to keep up with our expectations.  We can lower them, of course.  Some find that harder to do than just quitting.  Others find that the pressures of jobs and family are too much and they can't keep up.  All the issues that face our fresh-faced Freshmen are faced by Rebooters: Uncertain of how to proceed;  Always wondering if they are in the right place at the right time;  Meeting new people and adjusting to a new social circle.; Always trying new and unfamiliar things;  High expectations that are modified by harsh realities...  You get the idea.

I don't know if there is a "graduation rate" for Rebooting.  I know that a large number of people who were on the "JoinTheReboot.com" site seemed to disappear after a couple weeks.  I don't know if they just stopped coming to the web site and continued on with their Reboots alone or if they stopped everything.  Some may prefer the Facebook page, etc.  Still, there is a lot of difficulty with Reboots and it shows in many of the comments.  But, like the Freshman's dose of reality, there is no real failure.  All of this is part of the learning experience.  You are not only learning math, science and history, you are also learning social skills.  You are learning personal management, real life and how you deal with real life.  You are learning about yourself.  What higher calling could their be?

For those just starting out on the Reboot, all I can tell you is to enter into it with an open mind, flexible goals, realistic expectations and a conviction of mind to see it through, even if you fall short occasionally.  We don't know how we will react to situations until we are in their midst (or their midst is within us).  We have no clue what such radical changes (college or Rebooting) will do to us.  But we do know there is a support system that can help us out when we need it.  We know there have been others that have gone through this before us and can give us their options and their support.  Sometimes you need to take a break.  The only time there is failure is when you don't try.  If you don't try, you don't learn anything except how not to try.

When classes start next week, everything will be buzzing and exciting.  The chatter will be loud and animated.  This is just like the feeling one had when they first purposed to Reboot their lives and joined the web site.  Keep your goals in focus.  Don't let small setbacks sidetrack you.  This is a learning experience for us all.  We start out in a deep hole, sometimes.  We have habits (not studying for students, not eating well for Rebooters) we have to break and new habits to learn.  I am encouraging you all to look at the start of the school year as a start for your own "Reboot school year", as it were.  Learn more about the things that will give you a healthier life.  Learn how to take control of the things in your life that now control you.  And, most of all, learn about yourself.  I have a feeling that is a subject you'll use for the remainder of your life.

"You there, in the back row... are you chewing gum?"

Progress:

I am 75% through the 60 days.

Weight: 148.4 lbs.

Food: Nectarine, apple, smoothie, banana, almond butter, nuts, broccoli slaw, cherries, cacao/goji/seed chunks (way too many)

My Pre-pre-masticated meal.

August 23rd, 2011 - Day 45 of 60

Darling I don't know why I go to extremes.

Too high or too low there ain't no in-betweens.
And if I stand or I fall,
It's all or nothing at all.
Darling I don't know why I go to extremes.
Billy Joel - I Go To Extremes

Old Frank is feeling good, but he is also feeling tired.  Even if you are in ace shape, you still need rest.  I found myself in the midst of a contradiction today.  I am complaining that I'm tired and in need of some rest; meanwhile, I am carrying two computers to the building next door (one in each hand held by their handles).  These are not little computers, they are old time IBM (when IBM still made them) machines.  Then, after I deposit one machine, I proceed to carry the next one up the stairs with one hand while, quite literally, quick timing it up.  I laughed when I got to the top.  I did it without even thinking.  There is no way I would have done that six weeks ago.  No way.  So, I swing between the extremes of feeling wonderful, yet feeling overworked.  There would have been no extremes six weeks ago.  There would have been Frank feeling tired morning, noon and night.  No bounding up the stairs.  No clear mindedness.  No concentration to allow me to get through so many things in such a short time.  If there is proof needed that the Reboot is for more than your beach body, this is it.  We can look good, we can feel good, we can think well and we can be healthy.  Yes, even with a perpetual Reboot, we all have to go sometime.  But when I go, I want it to be after a good, long life and not after having suffered for endless years with one debilitating health issue after another.

Extremes are strange things.  Polar opposites seem like you are as far apart as you can get.  But sometimes even those extremes are joined.  Heads and tails are extremes, yet the two parts of one whole coin.  Night and day are opposites, yet we cannot have a whole day without them both.  My thinking here is more along the lines of human history.  Bear with me as I ramble...   So, imagine being human at the dawn of time.  You eat what you find.  You walk in the forest and eat various greenery, fruits when they are available, roots, berries, a stray nut if you are lucky, etc.  Life is good.  Sure, it has its down sides, too, but you really don't have a lot about which to complain.  With enough food to eat and by living in accordance with nature, the abundant food regenerates in cycles.  You learn those cycles and when certain foods will be available in which locations.  With all this food, you have abundant, even excess energy.  You reproduce prodigiously.  So do your fellow hunter/gatherers.  As time goes on, you start to notice there are other people in your olive grove that never were there before.  Suddenly, the olives are not as plentiful.  Looks are exchanged.  Before too long you notice more people everywhere going after the same food you thought was yours alone.  Now there isn't as much food.  You need to walk farther to find more.  The places that were once abundant are now decimated, even overused.  Some don't come back the next year.  You have to walk even farther.  Before long, you realize you have to hunt other animals for food in the Winter as you are not fat enough to get through and your Winter food supplies of roots and nuts are hard to find.  Now it isn't as easy to get food.  Before you just picked up what was there.  No running, no killing, no hard work.  Now you can stalk game for days and weeks at a time and then have to haul it back great distances to feed your tribe.  Once you are back you just go out again and again.  Life used to be a stroll in the garden.  Now, it is an endless hunting trip.  It doesn't take too long before the hunting trips become expeditions.  The game is moving and so are you.  That is now your life.  This is how the population stays relatively even.

Fast forward a few thousand years...  Some smarty pants (or maybe smarty toga) discovers a way to grow food through agriculture and even store grains.  You learn how to domesticate animals.  Your sore feet thank you as they no longer have to live as a wandering hunter/gatherer.  You've moved up to farmer.  You grow your food and store what you can.  You raise animals.  Life, again, is good.  Again, you have plenty.  Again, you reproduce abundantly.  Again, you soon find more and more people encroaching.  When the weather makes things bad in the field, you wonder if people are coming into your fields and stealing your grain or your crops.  You wonder if those missing animals were not just runaways.  You start to become suspicious of your neighbors.  When poor weather makes your crops wither, all you have are the stored grains.  There are riots, fear and panics.  Then strangers who are very large come around and begin taking things.  You are a farmer, so what can you do?  They are warriors.  You decide you need to learn how to be a warrior.  In time you have weapons and form alliances with your neighbors.  You fight over food and wine and gods and love.  This is how the population stays relatively even.

Fast forward a few thousand years...  Some smarty pants discovers that coal can be burned.  This is an abundant energy source.  You learn how to dig it out of the ground.  It seems like it is endless.  You can make hot fires.  You can stoke fires in boilers.  Those fires help you make things from metal easier than when you did it by cutting down all the trees.  We learn to build steam engines for trains.  We learn to manufacture goods that people want to buy so their lives are easier.  We are better at growing food.  We are better at raising animals.  We are better at making war.  Our number rise.  We know more about what makes us sick.  We live a bit longer.  We still kill one another.  We live in larger numbers more often than we did in the past.  It can be dirty and harsh, but there is work and food and safety as there is civilization.  There are plagues and there are wars.  This is how the population stays relatively even, but slowly begins to creep up.

Fast forward a bit...  Some smarty pants discovers that oil is highly concentrated energy.  We learn to make no end of things from it.  Most useful is gasoline.  We learn to do all the things we did with coal, only better.  One gallon of gasoline can do the work of more than 500 men for one hour, or one man for more than 500 hours.  Things take off.  We learn to grow food with petroleum-based fertilizers.  We build power plants from our old friend coal and from our new friend oil.  We have electricity to run stoves and refrigerators.  We grow more food, we can store food better and transport it long distances with these automobiles we've created and with trains.  With all this extra food we reproduce prolifically.  Soon, our population doubles.  Then, it doubles again.  Then, it threatens to double again.  It used to take a very long time to double.  Soon, even with all our ability to make food, we find that others are starving.  Some people are getting sicker at younger ages.  We are not sure why.  They have odd troubles like gout and diabetes and other strange things our parents never heard of that much, except for a few rich people.  Our medicine becomes amazing against broken bones, severe trauma, bacteria and virus issues, etc.  We create machines, even machines that think, which do the work we once did.  We are so productive that is astounds the mind.  Yet, with all the productivity, we work more than ever.  We feel stressed and unsettled.  We are not as happy. We live longer.  We still kill each other.  Even with all our killing, we notice our population isn't even.  It just keeps going up and up.  Soon we notice that we need more petroleum than we can harvest.  We begin to feel afraid.

The extremes are stark:  famine to abundance; leisure to endless toil; ignorance to knowledge; endless resources to scarcity; small population to massive population.  Why is it we can't see the extremes and make adjustments?  If we know our modern diet is hurting us, why don't we use our knowledge to grow clean, healthy food in such amounts that everyone could afford it and stop eating things that hurt us?  Why not use our modern medical knowledge to continue giving wonderful acute care, yet teach people that stress, poor diet, lack of community, lack of true rest, overwork, pollution, anxiety and physical inactivity can all harm our health?  Can't we use our abilities to create wonderful products in vast numbers to ensure no one goes without books, tools to foster creativity, tools to bring ease to our existence, tools to free our time to do more human things, and supplies to keep everyone healthy and happy without resorting to endless work and quest for profit?  Do you follow me on this?  We tend to embrace the extremes as a positive value.  We discover something new and run to it without considering what we've left behind.  Once we discover Indian food, does that mean we have to reject Chinese food?  Can't we find a way to keep the best of the old and the best of the new?

There needs to be balance in our lives.  Our Reboots have show us how out of balance we've been.  Six weeks into it and I see how much better I can be.  What else should we balance?  Work and play, activity and rest, new technology and old technology, people and things, etc.  We need to consume less.  We need to make less of ourselves.  We need to consider what we are doing and how it will affect ourselves, our families, our communities and our world.  We need more of a plan.  We need to stop running toward the extremes and start looking for a place in the middle.

I don't talk about my Reboot with anyone, but some who are close to me know something is up.  They look at me as if I am an extremist.  They don't understand that they are the extremist.  I think I am, finally, walking toward balance.  I am striving for harmony.  I seek sustainability.  If I eat a hamburger tomorrow and then go on with my Reboot or my post-Reboot diet, I will be fine.  They will continue down the road of the extreme.  If that makes them happy, I am happy for them.  I am not judging.  But I think I am speaking from experience when I say I am now moving toward a place of moderation, compromise and wholeness.  I am trying to stay away from the extremes and find a comfort in the middle way.  Sometimes seeking the middle way makes you an extremist to those who have much to lose.  So be it.

Progress:

I am 75% through the 60 days.

Weight: 148.9 lbs.

Food: Nectarine, banana (2), almond butter, mixed nuts, broccoli slaw, cherries, raw cacao/goji/seed chunks, apple

Broccoli Slaw "El Diablo" with tomato

August 22nd, 2011 - Day 44 of 60

Nature is replete with examples of renewal, rebirth, evolution and adaptation.  Animals learn to use tools and adapt to environments that include encroaching civilization.  Viruses mutate to become more stubborn and resistant to our medicines.  That doesn't explain to me how the average computer user lives within a frozen space-time continuum (“Eddies,” said Ford, “in the space-time continuum.”
“Ah,” nodded Arthur, “is he? Is he?”) and shows little to no interest in leaving with the exception of updating hardware in order to play a new game that is all the rage.  In fact, I'll bet half the people I know who ask me for computer hardware advise are doing so just because they want to play a new game or browse the web faster.  And, really, who can blame them?  Why spend money on something if it isn't necessary?  But it is one thing to be frugal and another to be oblivious.  While some animals, life forms or undefinable objects may deal with things on their own, sometimes they need some help. If you drive a car and never think to change the oil, shame on you!  If you own a pet and never brush their hair, tisk, tisk!  As for me, I am, at this moment, trying to do my part by breathing life into hundreds and hundreds of computers.

Your computer needs attention like your car, your dog, your significant other or even your shoes.  Without regular attention, maintenance and TLC, things can fall apart.  While the work I am doing right now is mostly mindless zombie tasks, there are some issues that need considerable thought.  If you've ever played with a sliding puzzle (the sort that have numbers or letters or a picture that must be placed in a specific order) you'll know what it can be like with computers.  If you add an update to a machine, will it break something else?  Or, if you add an update, it works for most things, but breaks just one thing unless you update that thing first and THEN add the other update?  Sounds crazy, but that is how it goes, sometimes.  Dozens and dozens of applications on hundreds of machines.  Then dozens more applications on the network and then the network operating system, etc.  And, as anyone who owns a computer knows, years of use and abuse can take their toll.  You started off with a a fairly pristine setup and time does nothing but add crap, updates, temporary files and god-knows how many unwanted files and applications from years of web browsing. Then you have outdated software that just can't keep up with modern requirements.  Is it any wonder most people are frustrated with the computers?  I feel like I am in a constant wrestling match with machines.  Now, I don't blame the machines, per se.  The issue with most (not all) computers is the operator.  Or, as we tech guys are fond of saying when the owner of the computer is within earshhot, "We have a PEBMAC problem here."  PEBMAC = "Problem Exists Between Monitor And Chair". 

Is it really your responsibility to know all this computer jazz?  How much does one have to know to get by in this world?  Should I get a PhD. in Automotive Engineering to make sure I can fix my car?  Do I have to graduate from the Culinary Institute of America so I can fix a good meal?  Now you are saying I need to be a Computer Engineer just to Google "funny cat pictures"?  No.  Our modern culture has long since outsourced expertise on most occupations.  Long-gone are the days when someone was an expert on many or most things in their lives (think Erasmus or a farmer from one hundred or so years ago).  But, what I am saying is we all need to take some sort of responsibility for those things that directly influence our ability to function in the world.  While you may not need to know how to adjust the timing on your automobile's engine, you do need to know how to check the tire pressure, oil level, and how to operate it properly.  You may not be a Veterinarian and capable of diagnosing Feline Leukemia, but you should know how to feed and water your pet.  When it comes to your computer, you don't need to know all the intricacies of the operating system, but you should know how to update your software and how to safely browse the web without causing havoc.

When we get to the point where I am doing some of my drudgery-type tasks, it still can get a bit complex.  These things need to be done, thought, to ensure compliance, security and performance.  When I think of my Reboot, I can become a bit overwhelmed.  I, like many of you, have been interested in health and fitness for most of my life.  I have seriously pursued these since my late teens and redoubled my efforts in my twenties.  In all the years that have passed, various fads, theories and techniques have changed and schools of thought have come and gone.  I don't even want to think of some of the things I've done in the name of health.  While I may not have a PhD. in nutrition, an M.D. or even a correspondence school diploma in Traditional Chinese Medicine, I do know that science can do many things well, but nature usually gives us what we need to maintain our health.  Regardless of fads and technology, we can do more to maintain our health and fitness by just eating food (real, wholesome food), exercising regularly, creating and maintaining good relationships and keeping a positive mental attitude.  I am not against technology (obviously), but I am against technology dehumanizing us.  I am also very much against using technology as a savior.  TV is not a babysitter, for example.  Computers can't write your term paper.  Cell phones can't take the place of human interaction.  All these devices are wonderful, but they can only do so much.  They make our lives convenient.  They should be freeing up our time so we can be more human.  They remove obstacles so we can do the things we do best: think, create, dream, inspire and love.

Your Reboot is not the end-all and be-all of your life.  Like a chainsaw, it is a tool that is useful when used in the proper context.  But, sometimes, when a guy buys a chainsaw, everything looks like potential firewood. You can't buy a computer, turn it on and then never do any maintenance and expect it to work flawlessly forever.  You can't buy a car, drive off the showroom and never expect issues if you do not perform maintenance.  You can't do a Reboot and expect it to fix all your health issues forever without ongoing and vigilant maintenance.  The Reboot is the purchase you make at the store.  It has a manual, so to speak.  The Reboot is the start of a new perspective.  You need to actively perform the maintenance required to keep your body and your life in good operating order.  Yes, that is a very tall order.  Yes, it can be confusing.  No one knows everything and we each are different.  We have different capabilities and different requirements.  In the end, just like with your car, your computer, your home and your pet, YOU are the first line of defense.  You are the primary caregiver.  You are the go-to-guy.  You have the responsibility to discern what is best for your life.  The Reboot is like your taste of religion: Your conversion is a momentary event followed by the daily practice of your faith for the rest of your life.  As I sit here, hours after I normally go home, waiting for endless processes to grind out on ancient hardware, the comparison between maintaining these machines and our bodies is too similar for words.  Unlike my PC, I can't upgrade my memory or my hard drive.  I need to be able to run today's software, as it were, on yesterdays hardware.  Our Reboot is the first step in our ongoing maintenance that allows us to do just that: stay current in our out-dated hardware. Sometimes I wish I could wipe my hard drive and start fresh.  This is especially true for anyone who has experienced the film "Gigli".  But that is for another post.

Progress:

I am 70% through the 60 days.

Weight: 146.8 lbs.

At this point, I have no idea what the deal is.

Food: Grapes, cherries, banana, almond butter, nuts (too many), raw cacao goji seed chunks, broccoli slaw, three apples (they are so good when they are fresh)

August 21st, 2011 - Day 43 of 60

"Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?  You better run!  You better take cover!"

What better way to use one's sole day of rest than to arise early and toil in the garden for five hours.  I had no choice as the peas need to go in now if I hope to get any for the Fall.  So, a bit after seven I was out in dew-damp earth, reaping the neglect I'd sowed.  My schedule has been such that I'm not attending to garden and home matters as I'd like, but things are still relatively functional.  The pea seedlings (the peedlings) were not going to wait another day.  There were rumblings of insurrection from the two pans of young and bold fruits-to-be (yes, peas are, technically, a fruit like a tomato).  So, rather than watch my peas make like pea soup and split, I did the work.  After a few hours I saw some dark weather coming in like a cinder-soaked curtain.  But it was the thunder that was the most ominous.  The sound of that thunder was the sound you'd hear in a movie where God speaks.  Horror movie thunder pales to God-movie thunder.  I knew I needed to get moving, but I still was a good 45 minutes off.  Luckily, the thunder was a warning for me as the storm was so strong, I could hear it coming from a long way off.  As I placed the last baby into its bed and tucked it in with its earthen blanket, I felt the first drop of rain.  I got my wheelbarrow of organic earth covered and stowed in the nick of time.  By the time the first splash of water from my upstairs bathroom shower hit my mud-caked body, the skies completely opened up and my garden was getting its mud-caked body showered as well.  The lightning and thunder were very present and power flickered a few times in homage to the savage power of nature.  The storm was intense, but brief.  After thirty minutes or so the world returned to calm. With my work behind me, I was finally free to eat something and read for a while.

Thunder is one of natures most respected harbingers.  When thunder speaks, everyone listens.  I whispered a "thank you" to thunder as it graciously gave me ample warning of impending "satus interruptus".  Without it, I may have been stuck in a muddy predicament. When it comes to our Reboots, I wonder what the "thunder" moment was for you?  What thunder warning did you hear that made you take notice?  For me it was pants that were far too tight and a loss of my once proud physique.  Walking up the hill to work was more of a chore than it should have been.  Mainly, it was the sallow look on the face of the chap I see when I shave.  Some spark was fading.  It was as if I was walking on the edge of a precipice and really didn't care.  I wasn't interested in falling over, but I wasn't taking the sort of precautions one should take in that situation.  I had been mulling over a change for weeks.  Two years earlier I attempted a change that didn't work out due to social and family pressures.  In retrospect, that never should have happened.  This time it will not happen.  Without the thunder, I never would have know a storm was so close.

As the clouds cast their last, feeble drops of rain toward the earth, the thunder says its goodbye.  The drenched ground eagerly soaks up the succulent gift from above and sets to work building life.  My seedlings were none the worse for wear.  Their baptism complete, they were now about the business of pea production.  Without faith and hope, no one plants seeds into the ground.  Why bother with the weeks or months of labor if you don't plan on seeing a harvest?  Without faith and hope, no one starts a Reboot.  Why bother with the weeks or months of labor if you don't expect to see a harvest?  But we do expect to see growth and a harvest.  We sow because we have faith.  We know all the labor, even in the midst of the storms, will be worth it when we reap our bumper-crop.

A gardener watches the world for signs of when to act.  When she sees certain insects move or certain shoots spring up, she knows it is time to plant.  When she hears the thunder, she knows to protect the vulnerable plants.  A Rebooter watches her body for signs of when to act.  When she notices certain feelings or symptoms, she knows it is time to juice.  When she hears the thunder, she heeds the warning and sets to her task. She sips her juice in gratitude and whispers a quiet "thank-you" to the passing thunder.

Progress:

I am 70% through the 60 days.

Weight: 149.7 lbs.

Up just a little from yesterday.

Food: Homemade salad, banana, almond butter, raw cacao goji seed chunks, tropical smoothie, fancy eating-out salad, first local apple of the season.