BASEBALL SEASON STARTS TODAY!

I used to be a much more engaged baseball fan. My team was the New York Yankees. Once I moved to Chicago in 1993, my interest waned, or waxed (I forget which is the one that gets smaller) and in recent years, I don't start watching baseball until the playoffs start. That day is tonight. Tuesday October 3 at 8:00PM Eastern Time when the New York Yankees square off against the Minnesota Twins for the 'wildcard' game. I'll tell you one thing, as best I know, baseball players have not been infected with the stupidity of the professional football players in the NFL - they still stand for the National Anthem. One more reason to be a baseball fan. And what is better than rooting for your team in October!

If the Yankees lose tonight, it will be a short season.

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On the day, the 21st of August this past summer when the sun was eclipsed by the moon, I weighed 261 lbs. I was steamrolling up a hill in the wrong direction. And I continued rolling uphill even more until one week later I weight 263 lbs.  Today I am nowhere near where I want to be, but compared to where I was, it's all 'water under the bridge.' This past Saturday, I dipped below 250 lbs for the first time in months. I am now going in the right direction.

water under the bridge

A prior issue that is now resolved or considered resolved. That argument we had is just water under thebridge now—don't even worry about it..

By the way, speaking about things under bridges. During my urban hike yesterday, I found this mosaic on Belmont Avenue under LSD (Lake Shore Drive). This piece of outdoor artwork can be found UNDER THE BRIDGE on Belmont which leads to the lakefront.

This mural can be found on Belmont Avenue under the bridge that is Lake Shore Drive.   Technically, I suppose it is the underpass.

Your Food Diary For:

Monday, October 2, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Four-Egg Omelet With Lox	350	5	21	35	1,486	3
Cinnamon Raisin Bagel w/Cream Cheese	200	34	5	6	353	5
	550	39	26	41	1,839	8
L U N C H
Mariano's - Spicy Salmon Maki	350	39	16	14	278	0
Fried Chicken Tenders	300	17	20	14	765	2
	650	56	36	28	1,043	2
D I N N E R
Wasabi Rice Crackers	420	88	5	7	298	0
Trader Joes - Turkey Burgers, 2	360	0	20	44	560	0
	780	88	25	51	858	0
S N A C K S
Trader Joe's - Mango O's	240	48	3	6	190	14
	240	48	3	6	190	14
Totals	2,220	231	90	126	3,930	24
Your Daily Goal	3,752	469	125	188	2,300	140
Remaining	1,532	238	35	62	-1,630	116
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,822 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 221.8 lbs in 5 weeks     

FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD

I don't stay at fancy hotels when I travel for work. I typically stay at Super 8's and last night was no exception as I lodged in Chaska, Minnesota. I did find it amusing that this particular hotel was on the 'YELLOW BRICK ROAD'   I knew that I would be challenged to find time to take a hike on Friday as I have one final appointment and then the task of driving home to Chicago for seven hours. The solution was simple. Get up early and take a hike that began nearly two hours prior to sunrise. I was armed with a headlamp that attached to the brim of my baseball cap and a handheld flashlight. It was easy to get started.  I simply walked out the front door of my hotel and decided to 'follow the yellow brick road.' (As clarification, this particular yellow brick road was neither brick nor yellow.)

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My early morning hike began at 5:41AM, which was 117 minutes prior to Sunrise.  The chilly 39°F temperature was the coldest temperature that I have hiked in a long time.

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This last picture that I took of the Yellow Brick Road sign was taken a few minutes before sunrise, right before I returned to my hotel for breakfast, a shower and preparations to get underway to St Paul, Minnesota for my 10:00AM appointment.

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Your Food Diary For:

Friday, October 21, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Quaker - Instant Oatmeal- Maple	640	128	8	16	1,040	48
Banana	220	60	0	2	0	38
	860	188	8	18	1,040	86
L U N C H
Jimmy John's - Bootlegger Club, 1 Sandwich	660	66	27	43	1,750	0
Powerbar - Protein Plus Bar Vanilla	420	54	10	40	260	28
	1,080	120	37	83	2,010	28
D I N N E R
Lundberg - Loki seaweed organic rice cakes	780	182	7	13	975	13
	780	182	7	13	975	13
S N A C K S
Cherry Vanilla Granola	240	40	7	5	60	15
Dried Mango Slices	110	28	0	2	1	20
Whole Cashews	100	4	8	3	0	1
Coconut Dark Chocolate Chews	200	21	14	1	20	15
	650	93	29	11	81	51
Totals	3,370	583	81	125	4,106	178
Your Daily Goal	3,109	388	103	156	2,300	116
Remaining	-261	-195	22	31	-1,806	-62
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,179 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 213.8 lbs in 5 weeks.

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Friday, October 21, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
7 MILE SUBURBAN HIIKE	99	1,283
Daily Total / Goal	99 / 30	1,283 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	1009 / 210	11,527 / 4,130

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Saturday is the day to step on the scale....
223.0 pounds.
I know I would be losing weight if I could cut down on my caloric intake.
Still, 223 pounds is a good place for me to be.

from wikipedia...

The Yellow Brick Road is a fictional element in the 1933 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by American author L. Frank Baum. The road also appears in the several sequel Oz books such as The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904) and The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1913).

The road's most notable portrayal is in the classic 1939 MGM musical movie The Wizard of Oz, loosely based on Baum's first Oz book. In the novel's first edition the road is mostly referred to as the "Road of Yellow Bricks". In the original story and in later films based on it such as The Wiz (1978), Dorothy Gale must find the road before embarking on her journey, as the tornado did not deposit her farmhouse directly in front of it as in the 1939 film.

Real yellow brick roads

The actual road is believed to be one in Peekskill, New York, where L. Frank Baum attended Peekskill Military Academy. According to a local legend, the Yellow Brick Road was derived from a road paved with yellow bricks near Holland, Michigan, where Baum spent summers.  Ithaca, New York, also makes a claim for being Frank Baum's inspiration. He opened a road tour of his musical, The Maid of Arran, in Ithaca, and he met his future wife Maud Gage Baum while she was attending Cornell University. At the time, yellow bricks paved local roads. Yellow brick roads can also be found in Aberdeen, South Dakota; Albany, New York; Rossville (Baltimore County), Maryland; Montclair, New Jersey (Parkhurst Place and Afterglow Way); Bronxville, New York (on Prescott and Valley roads); Chicago, Illinois; Liberal, Kansas; Sedan, Kansas and Chittenango, New York, as well as a school in Abington, Pennsylvania, and abroad in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Two direct, and the only published, references to the origin of the Yellow Brick Road came from Baum's own descendants: his son Frank Joslyn Baum in To Please A Child and the other by Roger S. Baum, the great-grandson of L. Frank Baum who stated, "Most people don't realize that the Wizard of Oz was written in Chicago, and the Yellow Brick Road was named after winding cobblestone roads in Holland, Michigan, where great-grandfather spent vacations with his family."

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MURPHY-HANREHAN PARK RESERVE

My very productive appointment in Prior Lake ended in the early afternoon. I followed the advice of my customer who suggested a hike in the Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve. When I started my hike the temperature was as high as it would get all day - 51°F. My hike ended past twilight and as darkness arrived, although that was only for my last mile walking along a well-lit road. When I was done, I had logged fifteen miles. In addition, according to my fitbit, I had climbed the equivalent of 140 floors.  

from threeriversparks.org...

The peaceful wilderness at Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve in northeast Scott County features glacial ridges, hilly terrain and an extensive, lush forest. This  park features one of the most challenging cross-country ski areas in the Twin Cities, and a popular mountain bike trail. With the exception of the trails, the park reserve remains undeveloped, making it the best park in Three Rivers for birdwatchers to spot woodland songbirds. This park has also been designated an Important Bird Area by the National Audobon Society.

I walked fifteen miles throughout this nature preserve, and I think I saw less than a dozen human beings in all that time. It is an amazing thing to be out and about in the woods, and be so completely alone. If I didn't have cell phone coverage, I am sure that I would not be so bold in my hiking. With the MapMyWalk application, which has never failed to know my location no mater how weak the cell signal, it is virtually impossible to be lost. There are plenty of times when I have misread a trail map, or simply cannot figure out where I am on the trail according to the map, by I always know where I am in relationship to the nearest road, or highway (and that is very handy information to have at one's fingertips.)

Your Food Diary For:

Thursday, October 20, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Kelloggs - Raisin Bran Cereal	400	97	2	11	442	38
Quaker - Grits - Instant - Original	500	110	0	10	1,550	0
	900	207	2	21	1,992	38
L U N C H
Subway - Footlong Turkey Breast on Wheat	560	92	17	36	1,890	11
Supreme Protein - German Chocolate Cake	380	31	18	30	170	8
	940	123	35	66	2,060	19
D I N N E R
Okami - Spicy California Roll	400	61	15	7	1,317	15
Vita Coco - Pure Coconut Water with Pineapple	120	30	0	0	80	30
	520	91	15	7	1,397	45
S N A C K S
Clif Bar Builder Protein Bar - Chocolate Mint	270	29	9	20	200	22
Dark Chocolate Ginger	300	51	12	2	9	44
	570	80	21	22	209	66
Totals	2,930	501	73	116	5,658	168
Your Daily Goal	4,189	523	139	210	2,300	157
Remaining	1,259	22	66	94	-3,358	-11
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 2,259 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 198.6 lbs in 5 weeks .

       Your Exercise Diary for:

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
FIFTEEN MILE HIKE	234	2,472
Daily Total / Goal	234 / 30	2,472 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	908 / 210	10,439 / 4,130

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CHICAGO CUBS UPDATE...

The Chicago Cubs defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-4 on Thursday night on the road. They return for Game 6 at Wrigley Field on Saturday night.  They are one win away from returning to the World Series for the first time since 1945. The City of Chicago is buzzing with excitement.  Baseball is a funny game. They can do this, but nothing is assured. Standing in their way on Saturday night is the best pitcher in baseball - Clayton Kershaw. Game 6 is a 'must-win' game for the Northsiders on Saturday.  (Too many Chicagoans will have heart attacks if they have to endure Game 7 on Sunday!)  

CANNON VALLEY TRAIL

Wednesday began for me when I was on the road headed towards Rochester, Minnesota for an afternoon appointment. I finished my appointment in the late afternoon and was headed up to the Minneapolis area for appointments on Thursday and Friday. On the way to Minneapolis, I stopped in Cannon Falls, Minnesota and parked at the trailhead for the Cannon Valley Trail, and then I took a hike...

The falls at Cannon Falls

Although difficult to see in this photo, there are three deer in the background

These deer seemed unconcerned about me passing through the Cannon Valley Trail while they were grazing.

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Your Food Diary For:

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Quaker - Chewy Dipps Choc Chip, 2 bar	280	46	10	2	120	26
Quaker - Grits - Instant - Original, 5 packet	500	110	0	10	1,550	0
Post - Great Grains Raisins Dates Pecans	400	78	8	8	257	25
	1,180	234	18	20	1,927	51
L U N C H
Subway - Footlong Turkey Breast on Wheat	560	92	17	36	1,890	11
Kelloggs - Rice Krispies Treats	250	46	6	2	280	21
	810	138	23	38	2,170	32
D I N N E R
Sushi Avenue Spicy Tuna & Brown Rice	350	39	13	65	829	13
Dried Mango	200	50	0	0	6	38
	550	89	13	65	835	51
S N A C K S
Nature's Bakery - Strawberry Fig Bar	270	51	8	6	105	27
Coconut Dark Chocolate Chews	400	42	28	2	40	30
Add Food Quick Tools	670	93	36	8	145	57
Totals	3,210	554	90	131	5,077	191
Your Daily Goal	4,078	510	136	204	2,300	153
Remaining	868	-44	46	73	-2,777	-38
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 2,148 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 202.5 lbs in 5 weeks.

Your Exercise Diary for:

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
TWELVE MILE HIKE	165	2,240
Daily Total / Goal	165 / 30	2,240 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	673 / 210	8,009 / 4,130

from cannonvalleytrail.com

The Cannon Valley Trail is a 19.7 mile long trail that runs through diverse and spectacular scenery on a former Chicago Great Western Railroad line connecting the cities of Cannon Falls, Welch and Red Wing in beautiful southeastern Minnesota.

Paralleling the Cannon River, the Trail offers glimpses and panoramas of the valley and gradually descends 115 feet in elevation from Cannon Falls to Red Wing.  From overhanging cliffs to views of extensive wetland complexes, nature’s seasonal changes are vividly displayed.

The Trail is open year round for bicycling, in-line skating, skateboarding, similar wheeled recreational devices, hiking, walking and cross country skiing.  Trail users age 18 or older must have a valid Wheel Pass when using the trail from April 1st – November 1st.  The Great Minnesota Ski Pass is required to cross-country ski on the Cannon Valley Trail. 

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Your Exercise Diary for:

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking	165	2,240
Add Exercise Quick Tools
Daily Total / Goal	165 / 30	2,240 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	673 / 210	8,009 / 4,130

* * * * * * * * * *

On Monday, I was hiking in Chicago where the temperature as an unseasonably high 80°F.  Two days later, in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, I was hiking where the temperature was closer to 50°F.  This meant that I had to ditch the shorts and wear a long sleeve shirt. I didn't wear a hat as I didn't need protection from the sun so late in the day, but I could have worn a hat for warmth. It felt that if it had been a few degrees cooler, gloves might have been a good option as well. Goodbye summer. Hello Autumn.  I woke up this morning, in Chaska, Minnesota and the temperature this morning is 38°F. It appears that I will shortly be greeting winter. 

CHICAGO CUBS UPDATE

Last night while Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were lobbing accusations, half-truths, and wildly disproved lies at each other in their third and final debate, The Chicago Cubs were playing the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of their playoff series for the right to proceed to the World Series.  The Cubs easily won the game, 10-2, and now that series is all tied up at 2 games apiece.  This ostensibly reduces the best of seven series, to a shortened best of three series. If the Chicago Cubs can win two of the next three games, they will be in the World Series.  The outcome of the Presidential Debate last night may not truly be known until shortly after dinnertime on November 8th, when the ballots are counted. 

Have you heard this joke?
A place crashes carrying Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.  Who Survives?
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America.