I Did It

      I did it. I made it through all 84 hours of the fast, and lived to tell you the outcome. I guess the numbers should come first. I weighed in the final morning of the fast at 170.5, my ketones were at 4.3, and I felt fantastic. Well, fantastic may be stretching the truth. In fact I had a mild headache, and felt really rundown for the first hour of the morning. By the time I was finally able to eat, I felt great though. I went through my plan and only had a cup of chicken bone broth to break the fast, and then a half hour later I had a yogurt. The yogurt blew my net carbs for the day, but that day was more about getting my gut digesting properly again and less about maintaining ketosis. Just on a side note, I maintained ketosis. My levels did fall pretty fast, but the lowest I hit during the day was a 1.4. I checked again today and I was maintaining at a 1.6.

     I feel better than I have in a long time, and that is considering that I was already feeling great from the previous weight loss. I do think I could have lost more weight, but my plan was thwarted by life, and I spent most of my time being sedentary by sitting in a hospital waiting for people to get their acts together. I will do it again, and I will be able to get the workouts in that I want and not just sit in a hospital room all day. Other benefits are that I'm mentally clear, maybe more so than I've ever been (not sure if that is saying anything, I'm usually a bit foggy). There is an added bounce in my step. Oh, and there is another benefit, but this is more from the previous weight loss than the fast. I'm not sure if you remember me having an issue with a very high heart rate a while back. I hadn't thought about it much, because it hadn't been quite as high and I didn't get hit with shortness of breath for some time. Anyway, while I was in the hospital, I decided to start checking my pulse rate. I was astonished to find that my resting pulse rate is now in the low 60's. My resting pulse rate previously was in the high 80's on a good day. It was more like the grunge era in and around my heart in reality. I can't say enough about Keto and this whole lifestyle change. If you have any questions and want to give it a try, just hit me up, I will be glad to tell you all that I know, and if I don't know it, I can at the very least point you in the right direction. I look forward to a new healthy life.

     Now that the fast is over, I did gain a half a pound back, which I expected. You can't go from nothing and then add something and not actually add something. I just had to control it, and I think I have done a pretty good job so far. I have a week left in the 28 day deep Keto, and I'm going all in on it. I'm only going to try to have only fats and proteins to make up my diet for the next week. That means I'm going to do my best to have no carbs or at a bare minimum, less that 10 net carbs. I'm also going to limit my caloric intake to 500 calories or less daily during this time. I think this could be more difficult than the fast, but I won't know for sure until I try it. 165 or bust. I will hit that number and I will hit it hard.

     With that out of the way, lets talk about pizza. I got a video for you and it's about a Keto pizza that we had at Baci. Give it a view and if you watch it on YouTube, give us that thumbs up.



     I was going to hold off on talking about this, until something more sure had happened, but what is this blog for if not to tell you about things as they happen. I've been thinking, very quietly and too myself about something.  I hadn't even told my closest friend about this, until I made up my mind and told her what I was going to do today. I went looking at new dogs. I want a friend for Morty, so I went back to my local SPCA and started the process. I looked at three really great dogs today and tomorrow I will be taking Morty to see what he thinks. I do have a favorite, but it isn't up to me this time. It's up to Morty and the other dog. I'm hoping for a big bonding experience, but if it comes down to it, I will settle for indiffernt. Two of them have Pit in them, and the other is a German Shepard. They are all incredible dogs. Two of them have slight knocks against them. One is heart worm positive and will be undergoing treatment. All the means is that I will have to take her back to the SPCA so that they can give her her treatment. It will be no cost to me other than time and gas. The other dog is prey motivated when it comes to small dogs. I know what you are thinking, Morty is not small, so no problem. The neighbor's dog is a small/medium dog, so that could be a problem, and that one is the German Shepard. They are jumpers and even though she is 8 years old, she could probably clear the fence.

     They have this incredible new program there, that you can foster a dog for a few days, so that you can see how they interact with your dog and the new environment that they are in. If Morty likes Roxie, the German Shepard, we will find out if she indeed has a problem with the neighbor dog. I think it is just a fantastic way to learn if a dog fits with you and your family.

     The final dog is a little boy that is 3 years old, and he is gorgeous. He is exactly like Morty. He even acted like him when I met him. I squatted down to be near him, and he sat right between my knees, turned his head up to look at me and give me a big ol' kiss. That is the very same thing that Morty did when I met him, so naturally that dog instantly became my favorite, but as I said, it isn't up to me. None of these dogs may work out, and this process could go on for weeks and maybe months, but I'm determined to find companion dog for Morty, and you have now see when I'm capable of when I'm determined, so I wouldn't bet against this happening. I'm dog hunting, and I'm going to find me a keeper. Peace in and goodnight.

I'm Almost There

     The mom is back at home. It took longer than expected, and I spent a good deal of the day furious, but she is sleeping in her own bed right now. Everything is going good, and she was in good spirits before going to bed, so I expect that she will wake up feeling much better than she did in the hospital

     As I write this, I am a half hour away from 72 hours on my fast, which should be the end of it, but I'm stupid. I'm going for a full 84, which means I won't eat until tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock. This has been a trying experience, and I wondered if I would make it, but I have so far, and I will see it to the end.

     My other two friends that joined me on this adventure of a 72 hour fast, fell off and had meals. I don't blame them, there have been several times during this that I just wanted to break down and eat. My biggest test of will power came this evening. I had to make dinner for my mom, and I tried something new that popped into my head, and it smelled and looked amazing. I will be making it again this weekend, so I can try it out. It was pancetta, spinach, onions, bell peppers, and spaghetti noodles. My mom remarked at how delicious it was. I normally get a "this is really good", so I think i impressed her beyond my normal meals.

     I will have to wait and see about long term effects from this fast, but the short term are already evident. My body is looking better than it has in decades, and I feel uncommonly good. Even right now I feel pretty great. I measured my ketones at 3.3 this morning, and 3.5 around noon, I'm about to measure again, just to make sure that I'm in a safe level. Ok, just did the test, and I pulled a 4.3 with 23 minutes until the 72 hour mark. I'm still in safe levels, but they are increasing pretty fast at this point. I think I can make it to morning though. I've been told that you don't want to get into the 5.0 to 6.0 range and stay there for a long period of time, that is when you go into Ketoacidosis. I just looked it up and based on what I read I'm in danger of Ketoacidosis, but I have been drinking plenty of water, and that is one of the things that they are concerned about. I'm still going to power through and hit my 84 hour mark.

     I've changed my eating plan a bit. I still plan on breaking the fast with bone broth. Beef bone broth to be exact. I then plan on having more bone broth and yogurt about a half hour later. An hour and a half after that I'm going to have a vegan breakfast bowl, and see how it effects my stomach. If all goes well, I'm going to make a pseudo stew for lunch of chicken bone broth, green beans, spinach, onions and bell peppers. That should lead me into getting my digestive system working again at some relatively easy to digest foods. For dinner I plan on Artichokes with ground turkey. Turns out Artichokes are very good for digestion and even aid your gut bacteria. I'm going to take all the help I can get for this breaking of the fast.

     Here is what I can tell you about fasting. It sucks but so far it is rewarding. You have to work for what you want, and this is a way that I'm working towards that body that I want. The hunger pangs are real, and the will make you doubt what you are doing, but by dosing myself with salt at the right time, and making sure I took potassium and magnesium during the day. I got past the hunger, and the slight weakness from time to time. If you ever plan on doing a fast, I suggest you watch Thomas DeLauer's videos and you can always ask me for help. I will support you throughout the whole thing, and I may even jump in and join you. Just don't do it for a few months. I need a break from a long fast for now.

     I will be adding a 24-36 hour fast once a month into my lifestyle. I can already see benefits from this prolonged fast, and I'm looking forward to the long term benefits as well. I will let you know how my body responds, and give you every update that I can.

     This has truly been a journey, and I can't wait for the next one. Maybe you will join me for it when I do. Peace in and goodnight.

Fasting Is Really Slow

     I started fasting last night at 8 o'clock, so as I write this I am 22 hours into my 72 hour fast, which will actually be more like a 84 hour fast. My plan is to go all the way until Wednesday morning at 8 AM. Good plan right?

     So far I'm feeling pretty good. I have those pangs of hunger, but I'm just drinking water and green tea with monk fruit. If you don't know monk fruit is a natural sweetener that has no calories or glycemic index. That means that it doesn't break a fast. No one seems to want video updates, so I guess I will just update you here on Tuesday,  and then again on Thursday night. That will be the after the fast update of course. I plan on breaking the fast very slow, even though Thomas Delauer recommended a plan of bone broth and then about an hour later a very light meal. I plan on bone broth for the first day, then bone broth and yogurt (good probiotics right there). The third day will be some easily digest vegetables, and then finally some solid food on the fourth day with some easier to digest meats.

    I did weigh in higher this week than last week, so my weight going into the fast was 176. I expected it to be up, since I was much more sedentary this week. It wasn't the plan, but that is how life worked out.

     Enough of the fast update, I should update you on the more important event that happened. My mom passed out again. She is doing fine, and is stuck in the hospital until they let her leave. I don't think a UTI should keep you in the hospital, but they seem insistent on treating that fully. Hopefully she will get out tomorrow. Hospitals and the likes are not good places for my mom to be. It aggravates her dementia in a very bad way. She has gotten to a point where she will have violent episodes. Normally it is just her getting very nasty and calling me name and what not, but in the hospital, she thought she was being held captive, and began kicking and punching me. My normal way of dealing with it, is to leave her alone, but still keep an eye on her so that she doesn't hurt herself, and just let her get passed it and forget about it. It usually takes 15 minutes to a half hour when I do that. Since she had to be confined to a bed, it took several hours for her to get out of that rage state. It sucks and there was nothing I could do about it, but I worked through it and she is resting comfortable today. I was told that she tried to get up and leave later on, but there was no word of it happening today, and she was much calmer when I was there. I can't wait to get her out of that place and back home where she will be much more comfortable.

     I posted the new short story, and it isn't going as I had planned. I thought it was going to be a one and done, but once I started writing it, it told me that it was to be a few chapters at least. It will all work out in the end. The first part is up right now and you can read it here, or you can read it on Medium tomorrow morning. All the mistakes are corrected on Medium. I wrote it in a noir crime novel fashion, kind of like the old private eye movies of old. I know the end, but once again, I'm not sure how I'm going to get there. This will be a fun adventure as it always is, so I hope you join me for the ride. Oh, and I didn't monetize it on Medium so everyone will be able to read it there. Go there and give me the exposure and don't forget to clap for it when you do. It helps lift my presence there.

     I'm keeping it short tonight, so don't forget to read the Violet Dahlia and let me know what you think, and keep an eye out for the 3 day fast update. Peace in and goodnight.

   

Violet Dahlia (part 1)

      It was a night like any other, when she walked through my door. She was statuesque with short mussed hair. It was intentional, a wake and wear sort of look. Her brown eyes told stories of a sorrowed past, while her lips spoke of memories yet to come.

     "What can I do for you on this hot and balmy evening?"

     "I need you to find my killer?"

     It came out so easy and relaxed that I thought it must be a joke.

     "You're killer? Don't you mean a killer?"

     "I said what I mean. It must seem odd coming from a woman that is standing right in front of you, but the deed hasn't been done yet."

     I was lost so deep in the forest that I couldn't find a way past my own hand.

     "The deed hasn't been done yet?"

     "Yes."

     "I think you have more of a story to tell. Have a seat and let's start from the beginning."

     She walked over to the chair in front of my desk, each long leg only taking two strides to cross the expanse. She was demure when she sat with her right leg over her left, and hands crossed in her lap.

     "I'm not dead yet, but I soon will be. I suspect that my husband has sent a killer for me."

     "Why would you think that?"

     "Because I found out about his mistress."

     "Shouldn't it be the other way around then?"

     "I guess it should be, but he beat me to the punch."

     She spoke with a cold calculation that wreaked of murderous intent with those final syllables. If it were a hand written letter, the ink would be blood.

     "I can find your murderer, but what's in it for me?"

     "I'll pay your fee, and then some."

     "How am I to collect if you are dead?"

     "I will give you half now, with the other half in an undisclosed location. I will send instructions through the mail on how to find it. If you can find my killer before he finds me, I'll double the remaining amount. That's three times your fee."

     I was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, and times have been tough lately. The private dick business has all but dried up in recent months, and my bank account was causing moths to starve.

     "I'll find your killer, and I'll do it before he even gets close enough to smell the lilac perfume you are wearing."

     I noticed it the second she walked through the door. The smell was as intoxication as those lips. I was hoping beyond hope that I could be one of those memories.

   
     She reached into the clutch on her lap and pulled out an envelope. It was thick and bulging with bills. I could see them through the opened flap. I thought she was going to peel a few off for my usual fee, but she slid the envelope onto my desk.

     "Mr. Silverman, I'm sure this will cover half your fee."

     "Please, call my Sly. That will more than cover my fee. That will cover my fee 9, maybe 10 times over. Did you come to the right PI?"

     "Sly Silverman's the name on the door, so I must be in the right place. The money will be well spent, and as I said. You will see twice as much if you finish he job before I die."

     "Consider it done, but before you take a dirt nap, can I get your name, so I know who I'm dealing with?"

     "My name is Violet. Violet Dahlia."

     That name rang a bell. A chime that reverberated through my head until I had to shake it out.

     "Dahlia, as in Marcus Dahlia's wife?"

     "One and the same."

      Marcus Dahlia was the biggest crime boss this side of the Mississippi, and then he was nearly the biggest on the other side. His fingers were in more pie than a school boy raiding his mother's windowsill.

     "This just got interesting."

     "From the look on your face, I assumed it was interesting when I walked through the door."

     She had me pegged.

     "Quilty as charged."

     "Find my killer and help me take down my husband, and that interest will be paid with dividends."

     Just like that, she rose with the grace of a ballerina, and strode out the door. Two strides and she was gone just as she had entered.

     If I knew then what I know now, I would have turned that job down, and let some other sucker get pulled into this twisted world that belongs to Dahlia. While I still have time, I'll tell you exactly how it went down.

   

Finally, The Pictures Have Arrived

     It's Thursday, and I believe I promised you pictures of the bookcase wand stand. First though, I have that video for you to watch, and you can see some of the pictures in that. It's a general update on what's been going on and what I'm currently doing. If you have read this for the past few months, then you know most of it, but it's still a good refresher. Oh, I also got Saki running again, and it was so great to be riding.



     Alright, now that that is over with, it's time for the pictures. As you saw in the video, I put my HUE light behind it for added effect, but I decided to order one just for that area for the bookcase. It looks really good. I went with the HUE Bloom this time. Has most of the features of the HUE Go, but it isn't movable without an outlet near by, and it will only operate with the app. Still puts out the great colors though, and that is what I wanted.

      There it is. I finally debut my very own bookcase wand stand. I already have someone that wants me to make one for them, and they are offering a couple hundred dollars for it. I haven't actually spoken to them yet, but I hope to get in touch with them soon. A few people have told me that I need an ETSY shop, but I still have no idea how I could sell these and not get in trouble for copyright infringement. I have been told that you simply don't say anything other than bookcase wand stand, and not mention any of the copyrighted stuff, but that is a trademarked symbol, so I'm pretty sure I would eventually get in trouble for selling it if I started up an ETSY shop.

     Anyway, I worked most of the day on the new project and made quite a bit of headway. I did make a huge mistake and cut the wrong wood. I simply wasn't paying attention and grabbed the side instead of the top, and cut it to fit. The good news is, that I can save it. The side is has enough wood on it, that I can use it for the side instead. I still will have to cut some material off of it for it to work, but I planned on doing that anyway with the other piece that I had, so it will all work out in the end. I do need to buy more 1x2's. I framed the interior of this project, and I need more for framing a section on the outside. I guessed at how much I needed, and came up short, so I need to make trip back to Lowe's soon, to get that wood that I need to finish it up. This one is a new experience for me, so the puzzle is coming together, it just takes some time and hopefully, no more cutting of the wrong wood. I do have on other problem, but I'm going to talk to the person I'm making it for before I worry more about it. I have to make some cuts, but before I do that, I have to clear everything with the, well, let's call them customer. I also need to fit the top in completely before I truly worry about this problem, but I pretty sure that the problem is a reality. I'll fill you in on it when the time comes. In the meantime, it's all going well.

     I watched a new series on Netflix last night. It's called The Chef Show. It was created and features John Favreau. He came up with the idea when he was working with Chef Roy Choi for training on the film Chef. It was a really great series, and I watched the whole first season last night. They show you how to make some pretty good looking dishes, and it's in a way that is different from the normal cooking shows. They tell you all the behind the scenes secrets that restaurants use. I learned a lot from it. Give it a try and you may learn a thing or two yourself.

     Oh yeah, if you watched the video, I ask you if you want me to give daily updates while I'm doing the 3 day fast. Watch the video so you know exactly what I'm talking about, and then leave a comment to answer the question I posed. It could be fun, and I promise to keep them very short.

     Well, that's all for now. Peace in and goodnight.

Calm Down

     I had a friend contact me today. It had been a while since I'd spoken to him. Mostly my own fault, because I didn't want to bother him. He has a family and a life of his own. Anyway, he was contacting me to tell me that he was inspired by me, and that he was giving Keto a try. It is still very weird for people to tell me that I'm an inspiration. I made a big change in the way that I eat, and lost some weight. That is how I see it, but if someone changes things for the better because of the tale I've told of my journey through all of this Keto stuff, then I'll take it. In the end, I only want to help people out as much as I can, and in any way I can.

     We talked about a few things that should help him out. He is only a few days in, and the "keto flu" has hold of him. That is the toughest part of Keto. It is getting your body used to no longer using carbohydrates as an energy source. When your body starts making that change, it revolts against you, and you get flu like symptoms. Rundown, low energy, your mind even starts to wander, because you can't focus properly. That is when most people give up, but once you are through that, and it should take only a couple of days, you are home free, and you are going to feel better and with more energy than you have in the past. That is when your body starts turning that stored fat into fuel, and it likes burning that stuff.

     I may have inspired him and a few other people, but they have inspired me as well. I know that my new goal is 165, but I don't think I'll be happy with that. I am going to push myself beyond my limits and break through that goal like I did my first one. I've been prepping for the 3 day fast which begins this Sunday. I'm less than a week away, and I'm ready. I have the things I will need to get through it, and then the things I will need to come out of it. You have to come off a fast the right way, and I have been doing my research. I should get my bone broth tomorrow, and that will be my first days meal, then I hit some probiotics the second day, and then finally some solid veggies and maybe a mild form of meat the third. I fully expect to lose anywhere between 5 to 10 pounds during this fast. If that happens, then I will truly blast through that goal. I will also be going to the gym during this time as well, and I'm upping my gym time. I've already increased my days, and this coming week I will be adding more exercises in beyond the core ones that I do. I've also been looking into some HIIT workouts, (High Intensity Interval Training), and I've chosen a few basic ones, that will help focus on fat burning, as well as body toning. The weight I chose is a tangible form of the goal, but the real goal is to be completely shredded by the end of this 28 days. I'm on week two right now. July 7th is the final day of the 28, so that is when I will take the final "after" photos. I will then post them all on that following Sunday, regardless of how I feel I look. A promise is a promise, and I keep mine.

     I finished the bookcase and have taken those final photos as well, but I'm not going to share them just yet. I still need to get out and make that video, and I plan on putting some of the pictures in that, so hopefully Thursday I can show you everything as well as the video. I also need to get more done on the other woodworking project that I have. I believe I have all the necessary items I need for it. I got a few more strips of wood, and a router for the job. It's been a while since I used a router, so I need some practice time with it, good thing I have plenty of scrap wood sitting around to mess up.

     It's been a while since I've done Favorite Song of the Week, and it's finally time to put one up. This one comes from someone who is considered a rather non controversial type of artist, but that changed recently and she is really giving the middle finger to the establishment on this one. I've said it many times before and I'll say it again, I'm a Swifty, and you know I had to post Taylor Swift's new song for FSOTW. This one is not only fun, but it is a strong message against hate, and I love every bit of it. There are a lot of celebrity cameos in the video, so see if you can name them all. I know I couldn't. Here is Taylor Swift with "You Need To Calm Down".



     Seriously, how fun was that? Super catchy as well. If anything, I hope it brought a smile to your face, I know it did mine. I'm taking off for bed, busy day tomorrow. I need to start focusing on that other project and I need to write that short story due on Saturday. Peace in and goodnight.

It's A Bookcase

     Let's get the Keto update out of the way first. I dropped a pound and a half this week. I know that doesn't like much, but you have to remember, this is my second go around with going deep into Keto. I'm not really sure how much weight I have left to lose. I know body wise, it looks like I have quite a bit, I just have to get it going, but body frame wise, I don't have a whole lot of room for movement. I may have to do something to really jump start a loss, and that is why I'm not doing anything until that 3 day fast. I think that might be the big change I need to shock my body into a full on weight loss mode.

     I have been looking at the short story and putting a lot of thought into it the last two days. I have an idea, but I need the time to work on it and actually sit and write. I have been busy with the bookcase and as soon as I'm done with that, I have another woodworking project that I have to go full tilt on, but I plan on getting the story written this week so that it will be ready for a Saturday release. I will then post it on Medium the following Monday. The story has changed and the main focus has changed, but it all comes from the same twisted place in my mind. You will see it soon.

     Since I brought up the bookcase, I may as well talk about it here. I got some pictures for you.

     That first one is that idea I was telling you about. I wanted to see if I could simply stain the interior of the circle with that red stain that I have and then do the rest in a different stain. I was worried about it bleeding over into the other area, which it did, but I got super lucky. I was able to sand the small area that it bled out, and it came out way better than I thought. I then stained the whole thing with a Golden Pecan, and that second picture is after the second application of stain.

     These two are after the first and second coats of polyurethane. I had to sand it down between coats, and I have since applied a third coat, and I believe that will be the final coat. I don't have a picture of that one on purpose. I want to wait for the final reveal once it is polished up and loaded full of Harry Potter books and wands. Any guesses on what the second wand is yet? You will find out when I finally post the pictures of the completed project. I think I may just wait until the Thursday night post for those little gems. So anyone want one? I'm taking orders.

     I finally got Saki up and running and will make a video this week and have it out hopefully by Wednesday. It's been quite some time since I made a video on Saki, so I may be a bit rusty, but I'll do my best, and it will update everything since the final video I made. If you have been reading that whole time, I don't think it will be anything new to you, but You may get to see the bookcase there before you can see it here.

     That's really all I have for you except, make sure you watch the final season of Jessica Jones. It came out Friday, and I already finished it, and it's great. A really good way to end a series. There is where I thin Netflix blew it, when the cancelled all the Marvel shows because they are Disney property. I've already explained why they cancelled them, because they couldn't monetize the shows, but they really hurt the fans of these shows, because there is an agreement that those characters or shows cannot be shown anywhere else for two years. These shows have been a joy to watch, and the writing has been outstanding. I do hope that there is a future for at least some of the shows, but only time will tell on that one. Peace in and goodnight.