Showing posts with label Öyster. Show all posts

Saturday, August 27, 2016

BLUE ÖYSTER CULT

During the month of August I have had an amazing active hiking streak - I have not missed a day (yet). Lots of hiking. Each day, I try to find a new trail or park. For the past ten months or so, I have had a free BLUE ÖYSTER CULT concert in Skokie marked on my calendar. A normal person would have driven to this Chicago suburb or taken the CTA (subway). I am not a normal person. I took an urban hike which I extended to 13 miles before I found a seat at the SKOKIE BACKLOT BASH STREET FESTIVAL. The first time that I saw BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, I was a young lad, 18 years old. The date was December 31, 1975. During the interim 40+ years since that first show and the show that I saw last evening - I have probably seen this band at least 30 times. Virtually all of the shows in the past 20 years have been free concerts at various street festivals or 'fests' (for example, Cornfest and Ribfest are two that I remember well). My day started with an errand downtown, and that was turned into a four mile walk. My day ended after the concert, and I did chose to take the CTA (subway) back home, but still I had to walk one mile more to catch the 'YELLOW' line. By the time that the clock struck twelve on Friday, I had walked/hiked 18 miles. I call that a good day of fitness.

Blue Öyster Cult at Skokie Backlot Bash Street Festival August 26, 2016

After my 13 mile urban hike from Chicago to Skokie I found a spot about 15 feet from the stage.

Thirteen mile urban hike from Chicago to Skokie

After arriving home from my Kentucky trip at 2:30AM early Friday morning, I was getting tired, and although I considered walking back from Skokie after the concert, I was overtaken by common sense and took the CTA (subway) back home. The 'YELLOW' line is the extension from Evanston that runs into Skokie. I had always thought that it was fairly new. It is not quite as new as I thought. This extension has been running since 1964. Last night was the first time that I had utilized this part of the subway system.

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210.2 lbs

I weighed 214.6 lbs just one week ago on August 20, 2016

I weigh 210.2 lbs. today, August 27, 2016

I lost 4.4 lbs this week
(I did cut back on my walking - this week I 'only' walked 84 miles)

I have lost 98.8 lbs in 611 days. Today begins Day 612.

I will always be at the beginning of a journey that never ends.

I weigh 210.2 lbs (611 days ago I weighed 309 lbs)

I have lost 32% of my weight since Dec 24, 2015

I have a BMI, body mass index of 28.12

I had a 42.0 BMI on Dec 24 just 604 days ago (Class III obesity)

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ACCORDING TO MY BMI APP... even now, 98.8 lbs less than when I started on December 24, 2014 - I am 'officially' overweight. C'mon, really?
Even f I weighed 186.9 lbs, my BMI would be 25.00 and still classified as overweight!
I will need to get down to 186.8 lbs (BMI 24.99) to finally be considered NORMAL.
There is a possibility that I am not destined for life of normalcy...

Your Food Diary For:

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Questbar - Cookies & Cream	190	20	9	21	210	0
Oatmeal	300	54	5	10	180	2
Bacon Slice - Bacon	320	0	20	6	420	0
YOGURT ALMONDS	250	25	16	5	23	22
	1,060	99	50	42	833	24
L U N C H
Read - 3 Bean Salad	300	65	0	5	1,500	40
Kind Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Protein	200	17	13	7	50	9
	500	82	13	12	1,550	49
D I N N E R
Pot Roast Pork	200	1	9	28	0	0
Fried Shrimp	100	4	0	42	0	0
Roasted Cauliflower	100	3	10	1	497	1
	400	8	19	71	497	1
S N A C K S
Dark Chocolate Bar	500	48	34	9	341	34
	500	48	34	9	341	34

Totals	2,460	237	116	134	3,221	108
Your Daily Goal	6,081	760	202	305	2,300	228
Remaining	3,621	523	86	171	-921	120
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 4,151 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today... You'd weigh 168.1 lbs in 5 weeks

Your Exercise Diary for:

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
4 mile walk	58	707
13 Mile Urban Hike	195	2,228
1 mile walk	18	148



Daily Total / Goal	272 / 30	4,151 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	852 / 210	10,785 / 4,130

Ever since my high weight of 241.9 lbs during my recovery from my hernia surgery - my weight has been steadily headed downward - it is down a very significant 31.7 lbs since May 7, 2014

My weight loss journey began on December 24, 2014 when I weighed 309 lbs. For one week, I actually touched down at 209 lbs on December 12th. I came to realize that this was an aberrant false reading, as the very next week, December 19, 2015 my weight popped back up to 218 lbs. This current particular glide down that I am on has seemed much more real. My weight this morning at 210.2 lbs is down by a full 98.8 lbs from the day that I changed my life. I am convinced that this weight is real.

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ALBUMS RELEASED BY BLUE ÖYSTER CULT...

Monday, August 15, 2016

DES PLAINES RIVER TRAIL

Another day. Another subway ride. This time I took the 'blue line' one stop shy of O'Hare Airport. I would have liked to have taken the ride to the 'end of the line' but I was not convinced that that there was going to be a viable way of walking out of O'Hare airport, so I nixed that idea. Once I left the subway, I walked two miles north along River Road and turned east on Touhy Street to find the trailhead for the Des Plaines River Trail.

I took the Des Plaines River Trail more or less all the way south to the River Forest community.

Within a half mile of the subway, I was passing the Village of Rosemont man-made waterfalls.

Oftentimes the trail needed to 'cross the street'. There was often a choice of staying topside or taking a tunnel. I always chose the spookier way.

I thought I should post at least one photo of the river from the Des Plaines River Trail. So I did.

After my 30 mile hike on Saturday, I was mildly surprised, that my feet, and my desire were ready, willing and able to go for another hike on Sunday. I relented after 16 miles. I stopped at the Whole Foods in River Forest and from there, it was just another two blocks to the subway station for the 'green line.' I hopped aboard and departed at State/Lake and I did walk home one mile more instead of bothering with a transfer to the 'red line' which would have dropped me off two blocks from home.

After some much needed and welcome rest at home, I did my laundry. After doing my laundry I somehow had some stored up energy and took a quick four mile walk. This rounded out my walking total for the day to an even twenty miles.

I 'walk' for three reasons. I enjoy the exercise. I enjoy being outdoors and seeing new hidden parts of the world that for 59 years were unseen by me. And finally, I expect that all this walking and hiking will accelerate my weight loss. I would expect that even though my next weigh-in is not until next Saturday - there will be a favorable result on the scale when I do check my progress. In the past two days, Saturday and Sunday, I completed three hikes that together added up to 50 miles. That's gotta burn a few calories!

I am keenly aware that walking fifty miles in one weekend is excessive. I am keenly aware that I have an addictive personality. It was that addictive personality that had me eating at McDonald's, Burger King, White Castle, Panda Express and the like for many, many years. With each mile that I walk, I am one mile further removed from the man on the left in this photo below. It is a man that I wish to never see again.
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It many not be obvious that this split photograph is depicting the same person. What the men in these two photos have in common, is that they are wearing the same belt. They have at least one other thing in common too. The obese man was photographed at a Blue Öyster Cult concert. You could find me in two weeks at Blue Öyster Cult concert in Skokie, Illinois. Perhaps I will walk there.

Your Food Diary For:

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Quaker - Grits - Instant - Original	300	66	0	6	930	0
	300	66	0	6	930	0
L U N C H
Harumi Sushi - Philly Roll - Sushi	375	75	18	18	150	0
C2o - Pure Coconut Water	100	26	0	0	150	24
Cashews - Dry Roasted & Unsalted	300	17	24	8	0	2
	775	118	42	26	300	26
D I N N E R
Read - 3 Bean Salad	300	65	0	5	1,500	40
Delish - Hickory Smoked Steak Strips, 3 oz	300	24	12	24	870	18
	600	89	12	29	2,370	58
S N A C K S
Apple - Apple Gala (3)	240	66	0	0	0	51
DRIED MANGO SLICES	110	28	0	2	1	20
Dark Chocolate Ginger, 4 pieces (40 grams)	170	29	7	1	5	25
GIN GINS ORIGINAL CHEWY GINGER	80	20	0	0	0	20
	600	143	7	3	6	116

Totals	2,275	416	61	64	3,606	200
Your Daily Goal	5,468	683	182	274	2,300	205
Remaining	3,193	267	121	210	-1,306	5
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 3,538 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today... You'd weigh 178.4 lbs in 5 weeks.

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Your Exercise Diary for:

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
16 mile hike	249	2,649
4 mile walk	60	575


Daily Total / Goal	309 / 30	3,224 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	1783 / 210	18,988 / 4,130

from wikipedia...

The Des Plaines River Trail is a recreational multiuse trail that follows the course of the Des Plaines River through most of Lake and part of Cook County in northeastIllinois in the United States.

Trail uses include hiking/walking, bicycling, equestrian, and even winter cross country skiing and snowmobiling (conditions permitting). Since much of the trail lies in the flood plain along the Des Plaines River, sections of the trail are occasionally closed due to flooding during periods of heavy rain. Though not all sections of the trail connect directly, there is currently a 28-mile (45 km) continuous section running through Lake County starting at Russell Road along the Wisconsin/Illinois state line and running south to West Riverside Road about a mile south of Route 22. There are additional disconnected sections south of this point.

I needed to veer off the trail as the bridge crossing Route 72 was under construction.

I rejoined the trail at Lawrence Avenue

Monday, April 18, 2016

DRIVE TO MINNEAPOLIS

Yesterday, my daughter and I drove to Minneapolis. We arrived around 9:00PM. Our first stop was at Whole Foods to pick up a dinner. The ride confirmed what I have long known. My daughter has questionable taste in music. Here I am thinking how lucky she is that her Dad owns virtually everything from Led Zeppelin, Queen, Kinks, Blue Öyster Cult, The Who, Aerosmith, Pink Floyd, Mott the Hoople, and The Rolling Stones. My daughter simply could not care less. Why should she care? She likes Taylor Swift! Nevertheless, the ride was enjoyable and today we will visit the Mall of America before we see some of my customers starting tomorrow.

Your Food Diary For:

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Egg, whole, cooked, poached	300	1	20	26	624	1
Butterball - Bacon Style Turkey	210	3	18	12	900	0
Nice! - Honey Grahams	650	120	15	10	850	40
	1,160	124	53	48	2,374	41
L U N C H
Apple - Apple, Red Delicious, Medium	285	75	0	0	6	57
Select Choice - Chewy Oat & Honey Granola Bar	200	36	5	2	110	14
	485	111	5	2	116	71
D I N N E R
Whole Foods - Chicken Breast, Baked, 5 oz.	184	0	4	34	444	0
Turkey - White Meat, 12 oz.	420	14	1	58	3,452	12
Generic - Grilled Brussel Sprouts, 2 cup	130	26	5	11	46	0
	734	40	10	104	3,942	12
S N A C K S
WHOLE FOODS 8497 - CHERRY VANILLA GRANOLA, 82.5 g (3/4 cup)	360	60	11	8	90	23
	360	60	11	8	90	23

Totals	2,739	336	78	162	6,522	146
Your Daily Goal	2,038	255	68	102	2,300	76
Remaining	-701	-80	-10	-59	-4,221	-70
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 108 extra calories from exercise today

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