Saturday, October 7, 2017

GUILT WORKS

The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works.

Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) with his famous quote from the 1987 film, Wall Street

Although my successful effort to put myself in the direct path of the solar eclipse on August 21st was one of the most cool things that I have ever done and felt so good at the time, I was at the same time still struggling with my inability to find the person within myself that knew how to exercise and eat properly. Back then I let yet another week slip by before I seriously rededicated myself to reversing the nasty weight gain that showed no sign of abating. On August 28th, I finally reached the point where I was completely disgusted with myself, and I weighed 263.3 lbs. It took another couple of days, on September 2, before I gingerly strapped on my backpack and took a walk. I was honestly scared. I had gone so far backwards with my weight, and I had been so lazy during the summer months that I wasn't even sure if I could take a ten mile walk without a struggle. Since that day, I have not missed a day. and since September 2, according to my calculations I have walked or hiked more than 340 miles. I have eaten much better, as I have rediscovered something I lost when I was packing on the pounds all the way back up to 263.3 - I rediscovered 'guilt.' Guilt is a powerful motivator. Without guilt, one can eat 20 Oreo Cookies in an afternoon. That cannot be accomplished quite so easily when one is burdened with guilt. The point, ladies and gentlemen, is that Guilt, for lack of a better word, is good. Guilt is right, guilt works.

I am continuing to make progress. Today, I stepped on my scale and my weight is now:

244.9 lbs

The last time I weighed 'this little' was earlier this year on March 25, more than six months ago. I have lost nearly 20 lbs since my self-disgust reached its apex on August 28. I am improving. This weight loss journey, this blog began on December 24, 2014. That was the day that my self-disgust reached an apex too. The thing is, on that day I weighed 309 lbs. So you ask where is the improvement? My apex of self-disgust has dropped by 45 lbs. I do realize, of course, that it might be better, if I simply avoid ever reaching an apex of self-disgust. Yes, I know that. But I do have to deal with the situation at hand. As happy as I am today to weigh 244.9 lbs, I know too, that once I get down to the 220's or 230's - I will once again be disgusted with the weight that I am today. But that's in the future. Today, I am pleased. If you can follow this semi-logical reasoning, that is fine. If you cannot, don't worry about it. It probably only makes sense to me.

During my early Friday evening urban hike, I passed the Logan Square Dog Park. The complete mural facing the dog park depicting all different breeds of dogs is 300 feet long and 17 to 23 feet high.

Your Food Diary For:

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Quaker Oats instant grits - Instant Grits	400	88	6	8	1,240	0
	400	88	6	8	1,240	0
L U N C H
Sushi - Eel and Avacodo Roll	400	33	18	22	0	0
	400	33	18	22	0	0
D I N N E R
Popeyes - Chicken Strips	500	26	24	45	2,001	0
	500	26	24	45	2,001	0
S N A C K S
Harvest Snaps Snapea Crisps - Wasabi	200	29	9	9	150	2
	200	29	9	9	150	2

Totals	1,500	176	57	84	3,391	2
Your Daily Goal	3,669	458	122	184	2,300	137
Remaining	2,169	282	65	100	-1,091	135
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,739 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today... You'd weigh 215.4 lbs in 5 weeks

Monday, October 2, 2017

GREETINGS FROM CHICAGO

Yesterday I took a twelve mile urban hike which had me walking a few miles along Milwaukee Avenue. Up until now, I had not explored this street from the perspective of an urban hiker. One sees much more of a neighborhood when walking through it than simply driving by it. My 'discoveries' today included three cool wall murals. The first that I will post is the wall mural in the iconic 'Greetings From...' postcard motif.

* * * * * * * * * *

The next favorite was was this two story tall 'beer-drinking' octopus on the side the 'Boiler Room' Restaurant. An octopus cannot be easy to draw, or paint, especially one that is on a 25 foot tall 'canvass.'

Artist: Jason Brammer

* * * * * * * * * *

My third 'discovery' today made me believe that I had entered a 1960's era 'Peter Max' poster.

Your Food Diary For:

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Quaker - Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal	320	64	5	8	360	20
Cinnamon Raisin Bagel With Cream Cheese	400	67	11	13	706	11
	720	131	16	21	1,066	31
L U N C H
Vita Coco - Pure Coconut Water	180	44	0	0	300	44
Sushi Spicy Tuna Roll	350	45	16	21	525	6
	530	89	16	21	825	50
D I N N E R
Bagel, Lox and Cream Cheese	500	61	15	34	1,944	11
Campbell's Manhattan Clam Chowder	240	36	6	10	1,600	6
	740	97	21	44	3,544	17


Totals	1,990	317	53	86	5,435	98
Your Daily Goal	3,793	474	126	190	2,300	142
Remaining	1,803	157	73	104	-3,135	44
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,863 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today... You'd weigh 219.1 lbs in 5 weeks,

from www.greetingstour.com

New Logan Square Mural Sends “Greetings From” Chicago

May 14, 2015 2:33 PM

By John Dodge

CHICAGO (CBS) — Chicago’s skyline emerges, shadowy and gray, from the California stop on the CTA’s Blue Line. Below the elevated tracks, a colorful postcard offers riders a friendly greeting. It’s actually a mural, styled in that classic “Greetings From” postcard motif. It is a newly created piece of public art in Logan Square, along Milwaukee Avenue and Prindiville Street. The mural, which is part of a national project called The Greetings From Tour, was painted by Victor Ving, a former graffiti artist from New York City, and photographed by Lisa Beggs, an experienced studio photographer.

Ving and Beggs are traveling the country for the next year and plan to create similar works in as many states as possible. They are living out of an RV that they purchased for the project and have so far created murals in New York, Canton, Ohio, and Jersey City, N.J.

To launch the Chicago project, Ving and Beggs worked with a Chicago artist, Amuse 126, who reached out to Billy Craven, who runs Galerie F, a Logan Square gallery that focuses on silkscreen posters, art prints, and street art. They worked together to get to the wall.

“Logan Square seemed to be the right place,” Beggs said in an email. The mural was done almost entirely with spray paint and took four days to complete.“When creating public art, we always want the input of the locals,” Beggs said. “For Chicago, there was a lot of content to place in just seven letters! Some content had to be historical, but we always like to throw funny modern twists such as the “Save Ferris” from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off which was the only part painted with a brush. There are a lot of different spray paint techniques and styles included inside the letters.”

When I went out to view the mural, I shot each letter and then created this composite (click on the image to enlarge):

C – Deep Dish Pizza/Hot Dogs

H – Downtown skyline

I – Logan Square Monument

C – Visual art by local Amuse126, it’s an abstract piece depicting the crazy Chicago weather.

A – Chicago sports (Cubs, Sox, Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks)

G – Music & Entertainment (Muddy Waters and a reference to the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”)

O – The Bean

With the exception of the second “C”, the mural was painted by Ving.

Ving and Beggs are just beginning the process and are doing everything out-of-pocket.

While working to get sponsors and partners to defray costs, the two have plans to sell a limited edition “Greetings From Chicago” mural silk screen print with Galerie F, which is located just up the street at 2381 N Milwaukee Ave.