Category: Health

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Tuesday Night Grab Bag O’ Thoughts

Approaching it’s 2ND anniversary it’s another exciting edition of the ‘Grab Bag’:

1.  I waited an unusually long period of time in my Doctor’s waiting room this past Monday morning. I even watched calmly as at least a dozen patients who arrived after me saw the Doctor before me – including an apparent brand new patient straight off of the streets. All was forgiven though when I finally got to see the Doctor and he promptly delivered the good news to me. After 49 days of taking Lipitor my cholesterol has PLUMMETTED by over 50% !  My overall cholesterol was previously in the mid-220s, but now it’s barely over 100. Are you kidding me ?  Happily I’m not !

2.  Although I no longer eat the non-stop junk food that I previously did for about 25 years I still indulge occasionally. For example I celebrated my unbelievably low cholesterol results yesterday morning by immediately enjoying a MASSIVE Lunch in the same shopping center (as my Doctor’s office) at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s. I enjoyed the ‘O’ Brady Burger – their signature specialty. Good Stuff !

3.  This past Sunday I picked-up a package of 20 hot wings from Publix – where shopping is a pleasure. I like their hot wings a lot because they are barely hot (as in spicy). I would describe them as having just a dash of hotness. If they were too hot then I wouldn’t like them. I ended up eating 14 out of the 20 for Lunch at home that day, and then the remaining 6 I ate cold for Dinner the next night. Fried chicken and chicken wings are two of the rare foods that are intended to be eaten hot, but for me they also taste delicious cold straight out of the fridge.

4.  Can you feel the difference outside ?  We actually have unusual (near record-breaking) dewpoints way down in the upper-50s this afternoon here in Homestead. That is bone dry heat, and it’s more typical of late-October and early-November. It’s a sure sign of some cooler air to come. For the next two mornings much of the Florida panhandle will be shivering down into the lower-50s (actual air temperatures). Tampa, Orlando, and Melbourne will be comfy into the middle-60s, and a few select pockets of the Homestead farming areas could skirt with the upper-60s !  It’ll be the coolest air that much of the state has seen in about 5 months.

5.  My brother is off to the American Airlines Center in Downtown Dallas Texas tonight to see Metallica LIVE in concert as they rock the house with their hits from the ’80s, ’90s, and today. Maybe my brother will send me an in-depth review of the concert so that I can post it here on the blog for the entire world to see.

6.  Here’s a special bonus 6TH ‘Grab Bag O’ Thought’ – it’s 3 movies that I plan to see over the next 3 weeks – “Zombieland” this weekend, “Couples Retreat” the following weekend (in Naples), and “The Stepfather” the weekend after that.

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Blogging Books Driving Food God Health Holidays Music Travel Weather

Thursday Night Mini Thoughts

– It’s time to continue a Thursday night tradition since January 2009.
– It’s time for some spontaneous ‘Mini Thoughts’.
– 3 out of 5 therapists recommend the ‘Mini Thoughts’ over any other thoughts.
– I came home from work today and I immediately weighed myself.
– I thought for sure that I’d hit 180 pounds for the first time since 1988.
– I actually lost a pound-and-a-half and fell below 175 pounds.
– That’s despite the fact of what I did for Lunch today.
– Me and my coworker buddies raised a ruckus at The Big Cheese Of Homestead.
– That joint was jumpin’ !
– Homestead and Florida City is big pimpin’ eatin’ cheese in the ‘hood !
– I selected the whole (foot long) meatball sub.
– That included a trio of ENORMOUS Italian meatballs smothered in mozzarella.
– It was perhaps the tastiest meatball sub that I have eaten in modern history !
– I can’t wait to try those meatballs out on a bed of tender spaghetti.
– I also enjoyed 3 garlic rolls, and the garlic was so heavy and yummy !
– I probably could have eaten a dozen of them – right then and there.
– Lipitor – CHECK !
– I can’t compare The Big Cheese with Mamma Mia Pizza.
– I hope that they both survive and prosper here in the city.
– Want some signs of Autumn here in Florida ?
– How does the upper-50s in the morning sound to you ?
– Well if you want that then travel to Tallahassee next week !
– The upper-60s could reach as far south as the Tampa area.
– I can forecast no better than the lower-70s for inland pockets of our area.
– Just wait a month and then we’ll get in on some of that cool relief as well.
– I’m trying hard to squeeze in a short holiday weekend excursion.
– I’d like to visit the Naples / Fort Myers area for Columbus Day Weekend.
– It would be my first visit over there since Presidents’ Day Weekend of 2008.
– I’d like to check out a rock concert that my friend Casey is putting on.
– It’s Jubilee, Horizons Fall, and Manic Drive.
– Manic Drive headlined that concert of January 20TH 2007 that started it all.
– The next morning I went to church for the first time in over 30 years.
– I hope that I can make it over there.
– Don’t forget that tomorrow night is Disco night here at Studio C.M.D.
– Grab your lava lamps and bring the fondue so that we can kick it like it’s 1979 !
– You won’t regret it pal !
– Until then – check this out !

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Animals Blogging Food God Health History Holidays Music Politics Travel

Thursday Night Mini Thoughts

– Let’s get totally spontaneous here.
– I’ll try not to get too controversial.
– I’ve got some ‘Breaking News’ for you !
– I will soon be an Uncle for the first time ever !
– My sister-in-law is about 8 weeks pregnant !
– My nephew’s due date is on or around the 30TH of April in 2010.
– My brother turns 35-years-old 3 days after that.
– That should be the best birthday present ever !
– I hope to be in Allen Texas for his birth.
– I always remember when it’s the 17TH of the month.
– My cat Boots died 28 months ago today on the 17TH of May in 2007.
– For over a dozen years Boots was my best friend in the entire world.
– Boots was the only living creature at the time that truly loved me.
– Today is Constitution Day / Citizenship Day here in the U.S.A.
– If you are confused then check with the United States Constitution.
– If you are still confused then read the Bible.
– In fact start with the Bible – that way there should be no confusion.
– Apparently I can’t go more than a week without having a Carnival cruise booked.
– I just walked off of the Carnival Imagination last Friday morning.
– Tonight or tomorrow night I’m booking my next Carnival cruise.
– I will embark on it in just 149 days on the 13TH of February in 2010.
– It’ll be an 8-day cruise visiting Cozumel MX, Limon Costa Rica, y Colon Panama.
– I’ve never been to Costa Rica or Panama before.
– I’m sailing out of Port Everglades / Fort Lauderdale – another first.
– I’m already getting excited about it.
– Ela: I have a Doctor’s appointment on Monday morning to take my blood.
– They will analyze it to ensure that the Lipitor is doing its job.
– After that I’m checking in to the Cracker Barrel for a MASSIVE Brunch.
– Don’t forget about the weekly Disco party tomorrow night.
– I’ve got arguably the biggest Disco song in pop music history.
– It’s from three brothers out of the U.K.
– Be sure to grab your all-white leisure suit for the occasion.
– You won’t regret it pal.

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Food God Health Holidays Travel

Carnival Imagination Grab Bag O’ Thoughts

1.  I embarked on my Carnival Imagination cruise at precisely 12:18 PM EDT on Labor Day – Monday September 07TH 2009. It occurred to me as I was arriving at the Port Of Miami that this was the first time in over 6 years that I had embarked on a cruise from there despite going on 5 cruises since then. Since 2004 I’ve embarked on cruises out of Jacksonville, Honolulu, Tampa, Rome Italy, and New Orleans. This was my first cruise out of Miami since Memorial Day Weekend of 2003 when I was last on the Carnival Imagination. The unique footnote here is that I was last at the Port Of Miami less than two years ago in November of 2007 when I disembarked from the Carnival Freedom – the Mediterranean / Transatlantic cruise that originated out of Rome Italy. Nevertheless the Port Of Miami has sure changed a lot since my last embarkation over 6 years ago. They have parking garages there now (instead of only surface parking).

2.  The Carnival Imagination is my adopted home cruise ship because it was my very first Carnival cruise ship (exactly 10 years ago this past Labor Day Weekend). It’s also the cruise ship that I’ve been on more than any other (thrice now). As I stepped back on to the Imagination it felt like homecoming at sea for me. It was great to be back with the fun ship that started it all. She’s aged quite well over the past 14 years. A couple of years ago she received a multi-million-dollar renovation, so she looks fresh and new again. If there is an area where she is showing her age it’s the loud engine at times that tends to vibrate some of the decks above it. I got to take a real nice extremely exclusive (there were only 16 of us) and extensive (3½-hour) ‘behind-the-fun’ tour of the non-public areas of the ship during the final full day. It was easily the highlight of the entire cruise !

3.  I’ve got to admit it. I ate MASSIVE quantities of food during this cruise – and most of it was real good too. Out of a possible 12 main meals (from Monday Lunch through Friday Breakfast) I enjoyed 11 of them. I missed one meal – Breakfast on Thursday. By that morning I was feeling rather bloated. I may have eaten more food during the course of this 92-hour cruise than during any other 92-hour time-span in modern history, but I also got FAR more exercise during the cruise than I typically do during any given week. It was pretty much walk here – walk there – walk everywhere. Walk up. Walk down. Walk inside. Walk outside. My leg and calf muscles are probably twice as big now than they used to be. The proof is in the weight. I barely gained a couple of pounds since before the cruise.

4.  This was my very first cruise in my 18-year cruising history that I did not go with family or friends, I did not meet up with any friends, and I was not part of any organized (or unorganized) group. This cruise was all me. I did my own thing when I felt like it. I slept. I awoke. I showered. I ate. I walked. I shopped. I played. I went to shows. I arrived. I departed. I did it all – at my pace – in my time. The ‘me’ time away from television, radio, computer, Internet, and telephone was truly precious. As much fun as I enjoyed on the fun ship I hope that I get to share the enjoyment with someone else on my next cruise – which will probably be within the next 6 months. If not then I shall do it all over again – all by myself. I use that phrase loosely, for when there’s 3,000+ other cruisers around I’m not really all by myself.

5.  Bill W. has his friends that regularly meet as part of the typical daily schedule on the Carnival fun ships. So does Dorothy. But I wondered on this cruise why ‘Friends Of God’ don’t have an organized time and meeting place on the schedule. That would definitely be a meeting that I would have attended. A meet and greet with those fellow cruisers who truly believe in Him. What a concept. I think that I may have to write the Carnival Corporation a letter with such a suggestion. What could be the worst response possible ?  No – because an organized religious group would be too controversial at sea ?

6.  If the 3½-hour tour of the ship was the highlight of the cruise then the runner-up highlight was the return approach to the Port Of Miami on the final morning. Never before had I seen such a beautiful sight. On all of my previous cruises back to Miami arrival occurred during the wee early morning hours (3 to 5 AM). You basically woke-up early (while it was still dark outside), and you were already sitting still at the Port. It was very impersonal, and it was a rather raw ending to an otherwise wonderful cruise. It was a different story on the final morning of this cruise. At precisely 6 AM the Carnival Imagination actually passed Homestead about 30 miles to the east (at 80.0° west longitude) at about 19 knots per hour (22 MPH). Incidentally the Atlantic Ocean there is roughly 480 feet deep. About an hour later we came in for our final approach past South Beach as I gazed at the beautiful Miami skyline in front of me and the bright sunrise behind me while I tweeted my thoughts. It was the perfect ending to a perfect cruise !