Going into my hernia surgery this time, I was in the best shape of my life emotionally, physically and mentally (not socially – but as a hermit living under pandemic social distancing conditions, 3 out of 4 ain’t bad). Like my first hernia repair, I carefully mapped out my recovery process and set expectations for…
Don’t Say Cheese
For the past year, I’ve been following the carnivore diet. It’s quite simple. I eat only animal products – meat, fish, eggs, poultry, dairy and cheese. I haven’t been 100% carnivore, but I adhere to it fairly closely. By following this elimination diet, I’ve been able to learn exactly how different foods affect me. Dairy…
One Time Does Not Make A Trend
When I was a sales manager for a large corporation, other managers would brag about their new “All Star” sales rep who was enthusiastic, smart, determined and had a great first quarter. My response was always the same – “Come see me after they’ve had 3 or 4 quarters and let me know how they’re doing.”…
Just Your Average Oddball
After 53 years, I finally came to the realization that I’m just an ordinary, average guy and an unremarkable man. And then, I learned from looking at the 2020 US census data that I’m also part of a number of minority groups: Raised by a single mother Mixed race family High income no college degree No health insurance…
Every Picture Tells A Story
Looking through selfies taken on my cell phone over the past two and half years since my wife died, I noticed a change over time. In the beginning I was so sad. You can see it in my face. Over time, peace came to me. Then color. Then satisfaction, happiness and even joy. Below are the…
Masking Our Stupidity
I took a Lyft to the hospital for my surgery this morning. Lyft has “safety” policies in place which include: Masking for drivers and riders Opening windows to allow fresh air circulation. How did this go? My driver wore a surgical mask under his nose. While I wore a cloth mask over my nose and…
My Second Inguinal Hernia Surgery and Recovery
This post is a detailed log of my 2nd (yes 2nd, f*** me) inguinal hernia surgery and recovery. I wrote my first log here, hoping it might help others by providing detailed information on my first inguinal hernia surgery and recovery. I never thought I’d be referring to it myself to help me prepare for a…
Dreadticipation
My hernia surgery is now just a few days away. For the past month, I’ve been anticipating the surgery with dread. Actually, not the surgery itself, because I’ll be unconscious and won’t remember a thing. I’m dreading the recovering process. Not being able to work out for at least a month Being swollen, having pain…
Who’s Your Daddy
Having men involved in my life was critical for developing my character, my values and molding my behavior. My father was one of those men for the first 5 years of my life – until my parents divorced and he disappeared. When my father was around: I was never afraid because he would protect our…
Protection From Fantasy
I was kicked out of the pool this week because it thundered. Me, and at least 25 others who had just jumped in to do laps had our afternoon swims cancelled by a thunderclap. This kind of makes sense. If you are swimming in an outdoor pool and there is a threat of lightning, you…