lifestyle

Diverticulitis Dining Diet

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I’m on a battlefield.  Bombs are going off. I’m in a trench filled with mud and stink.  My socks are wet.  Another bomb explodes overhead. I duck and cover my head. I’m sweating like a red lentil in boiling water. Then out of nowhere – I need to poop, but not in this intestinal muck.  The battle is over.  I have scars. A new day.

Diet is right up there with the other biggies – exercise, sleep and alcohol use. Diet jumped to list top after 3 diverticulitis attacks (two months apart). On these occasions, I woke up at 2am with retching gut pain and the sweats. I felt like I had a flu and food poisoning combination. When I tried to pee, slight pain (inflamed colon pressing against my bladder). After the first attack, I went to the doc who said it was diverticulitis, not uncommon for a man of your age (64 – knocking on the senior citizen’s door). He gave me some nasty antibiotic pills – Ciprofloxacin (very harsh) and Metronidazole ten days on this shit, literally.

Now, the first 24 hours are brutal, but 24 hours later, I’m out running 10k. What the?  On to Dr. Google and his assistant Dr. YouTube – the resounding and agreeable result, drum roll please. You need to switch to a high fibre diet. Ok, can’t hurt, right? My diet is already very good.  More beans please.   The advice was slowly increase fibre.  Did eye? Nope. The gut was yelling at me for the first few weeks, but I pooped on.

My dietary changes were – psyllium husk fibre every morning (in my blueberry, banana, high protein almond milk and plain yogurt smoothie), beans at lunch (added to my avocado, cheese and egg on sour dough toast). In the evening some high fibre veggies – potatoes, sprouts or beans (roasted chickpeas ever the ready). With these minor additions,  I am getting close to 30 grams of fibre every day. Poops are awesome. I can always tell a good ‘ol fibre poop (no description here, but you’ll know). I also decreased red meat to maybe twice a month (lean sirloin only) and I stopped alcohol consumption (I dunno if it helps, but it doesn’t hurt).  And finally, probiotic Kombucha, every afternoon at 2.

So far, so good. I’m coming on three months and nothing but good poops and evening bean farts (sorry honey). What have I learnt from the experience? One needs to eat what agrees with them (and this changes with age). I changed my diet for medical reasons. Even if I wasn’t scared of impending attacks, adding more fibre to a diet is a great idea. I feel great and really that’s all that matters. Right.

Good Night Irene

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I had a dream we were sipping whisky neat. I threw the glass in the campfire. Darkness surrounded me.  I heard a noise in the bush. Out came a giant Scottish dude named Balvenie. He shouted in an accent I couldn’t decipher.  I got up and ran, fear over my shoulder.  I woke up in the middle of the night sweating. Panting. The next morning, I looked at my watch. Dr. Garmin yelled at me  with a 34-sleep score. Holy shit. Not good. I need to get better.

Now, I’ve always been a great sleeper. I can sleep anywhere – at a movie, concert even while driving (not too often). Sleep is very important right up there with the other two biggies, exercise and diet. But with the invention of smart watches, monitoring is both a blessing and a curse.   How can you not take an interest in your sleep? The device is either yelling at me or stroking me with positivity.

However, how accurate are sleep monitoring watches? When you get a sleep score of 93, they are the greatest invention to man. A 34 score and they are shit. From what I’ve read, watches are very good at monitoring how long you’ve slept and that’s about it. Deep sleep and REM, not so much. I was getting such poor scores on my Garmin (average 82), that I decided to funnel the data into Apple health.  She (you beautiful gem) regularly  gives me a 97-100 score every night, so uplifting. Garmin is nothing more that a scolding old bitty who enjoys picking the wings off flies . Constant low scores surely affects your sleep. We all want a 100 percent right? The highest I’ve ever gotten is 93. Once.

With all these poor scores, I decided to try and enhance my sleep score. First magnesium bisglycinate. Made me sleepy before bed, but if you stop taking it,  your body needs time to readjust. It’s like taking a sleeping pill. Once you use, you become dependant and I don’t want to become dependant on anything, except warm socks in the winter. I tried it for two weeks. No change. Then Gabapentin, another sleep inducing medication.  Same – no change and hard to come off.  Blue filter glasses (I use a reader every night). Nope. In fact for the first week, my score was worse. So none of this shit works – what does work?  Going to bed at the same time. Routine is king. And I’m happy with Apple scores.

Does Garmin really matter – you old cantankerous dick? How do you feel when you put your feet on the floor? Five years ago, I didn’t have a sleep monitoring watch and I felt fine. In fact, I think my sleep has gotten worse (for a time) from the constant nagging and negative Garmin reports. I know more than one person who turns the Garmin sleep data off completely. Switching to the more positive Apple is an eye closer for sure.

Sleep is great. I have a routine and I stick to it. I also make sure my bedroom is cool and dark. And no alcohol. If there’s one good report for Garmin, it’s how shitty your sleep is with even one glass of wine too close to bed. I wonder how many people, like me, who have given up booze after damning sleep reports.  The giant nasty Scottish dude is still chasing me, but good luck trying to catch me.

Sober Sunshine

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I’m laying in a flower infested summer field, eyes toward a beautiful blue sky. Warm sunbeams fill my soul. Tranquility I haven’t felt in years. My phone bleeps. I try to ignore it, but it won’t go away. I answer. Hello, this is the wine industry calling. We haven’t seen you in months. Are you ok?  Don’t abandon us.  We were good to you once. Remember the fun? Ok the mornings sucked, but still. We need you. I apologized, hung up and went back to the warm sunshine.  Giving up alcohol is the greatest gift I ever gave myself.

I didn’t stop because I got a DUI or my wife left me or I lost my job. I was a Friday night binge drinker for forty years. Week’s end, I’d come home, sit in my easy chair and drink very expensive wine or single malt scotch (so cultured right). I never had just two glasses. A bottle of wine led to some beers and then ohhhh some weed.  With the cupboards bare, it was Good Night, Irene. I never blacked out. I remember the songs and running rampant though midnight streets at dawn.  I never lost anything but my health.

Mental health issues were the main inspiration for change. I didn’t realize the damage alcohol caused until I gave it up. No booze means, waking up in the morning with a clear head, watching a beautiful pink sun rise and feeling it. No more hangovers and recovery days. No more brain numbness. No more hangxiety – the anxiety you feel the next morning after a night of drinking with your head in your hands asking yourself, why?  Or the depression that follows from the frustration you feel because you just can’t stop or how come you can’t just have two glasses and be done. Mental health issues were literally driving me crazy.

And the sleep issues. Even two glasses of wine devastated my sleep. It took me two weeks sober to get my sleep pattern back to normal.  Now I sleep consistently well.  Some people say they return to dreaming. I never had that problem – drinking nightmares never stopped until I quit.

I don’t know when I realized drinking was doing me harm – possibly retirement because I could drink whenever I wanted. Monday? Haha. It’s not like I have work tomorrow. My job held the bottle in check (very hard to teach grammar hungover). Oh no, it’s Sunday. I can’t drink. I work tomorrow. But once the training wheels were off – whoohoo.  Then came the pandemic. What else do you do? Watching the world slowly unravel while in isolation, please pass me the wine. But once normality returned, I couldn’t stop. Maybe for a couple of weeks or a thirty-day challenge.  Something is wrong here.

And then a switch finally clicked. I stopped. Annie Grace was a big help, along with many YouTube videos and r/stopdrinking (I’m a stocker, but very helpful). Yes, alcohol is bad for your health. I wish I was a two-glasser, but I am not. I like where I am now. I enjoy my mornings. I enjoy my sleep. I feel healthy, mentally and physically. And frankly, I am afraid. I know what one glass leads to and I do not want to travel that road.  I love my victories – sober birthday, sober Xmas, sober vacation. Alcohol takes up too much brain space I need for other activities like enjoying life.

Move It or Lose It

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I just turned 65. I am now officially a senior citizen – bring on the discounts, extended health care benefits (in my Province) and my Old Age Security cheque (coming in the new year).  I’ve taken pretty good care of myself over the past few decades (I want to enjoy my retirement). I am physically fit (or so my watch tells me), I have a plan – first exercise.

My favourite  motto is  – “Move it or Lose it.” With my exercise plan, it’s not how many kilometres I run or walk, it’s about getting out and moving every day, no matter what weather conditions. Last week we had a  -31C with the windchill snap, but as the Swedes say – “No bad weather, just bad clothing .” Every morning, I get up,  drink half a litre of lemon water and immediately head out the door for a run or walk.

Running is unique – I run to the conditions. If the paths are too snowy, or if it’s too cold, (-15C or more – running gear gets too bulky), I do a 3k walk (in any condition) and run later. I am very lucky because I can afford winter walking/hiking gear – fleece hoodie, puffer jacket, windproof shell, two layers of pants, light gloves inside mitts, toque and a buff for my neck and face. Walking gear for really freaking cold weather (I am good until -25). If it’s -5C to zero get out the shorts and flip flops (kidding). I follow my walk with a 6k run on the treadmill (another luxury, a gift from my daughter).

If I can run outside, it’s a very slow 7k to 10k (winter max). Winter is not the time to set speed records.  Last thing I need is a broken ankle (please see winter emergency rooms). One more item, I cannot hit the trail or path before 8am because it’s too dark out (the sun does not rise before 8:30 – mid winter). Double danger whammy – darkness and ice. The Swedes have another saying, if it’s too dark and cold, go to IKEA. Always sunny among the meatballs and Björn Borg shelves.

Now the best benefit with waking or running  outside are what I call morning bombs. Moving outside in the early morning sun, the radiance fills your bones like drops of sweet honey dew. As you move, you are literally elevated, your entire mood is lifted atop the mountains or clouds. I cannot think of a better mental health medicine than an early morning walk or run. Every Sunday I walk through the forest near my house (another lucky nugget) and feel the energy of nature buzzing in me bones. Even in -25, my bones are tingling. Face stings like a metal glove slap, but the bones are very happy.

Now here’s my weekly movement schedule:

Sun. Mon. Tues. Wed.  Thur. Fri. Sat.
5.5 k nature walk 7k outside run with weights 7k outside run 3k walk/6k dreadmill run with weights 7k outside run 3k walk/ 6k dreadmill run with weights Long run 8-10k

All weather permitting – see, ice, snow, cold and emergency room broken bones. And yes – three fifteen minute weight session each week to keep the upper body muscles strong and osteoporosis at bay (and looking nice in the mirror – vanity goes a long way at 65). And remember as King Julian says, “I like to move it,  move it.”  It is NEVER too late.

Alzheimer’s Aware

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I listened to a great podcast (Dan Harris – Ten Percent Happier) yesterday on Alzheimer’s – my biggest scare. I can’t imagine having your life slip away into an empty sunny field where nothing is familiar. Everyone you know is gone. Now I don’t want to say a dark hole because you’re not dead. You are alive physically, just in an unknown world, on a new planet so to speak. You can see the flowers, the waving grass and the sunshine, but you don’t know the names of the people who pass you by. You feel the warm sun on your face, and it feels good, but where and with whom you have shared this experience is beyond your present grasp.

The guest, neuroscientist Lisa Genova, made the disease more human (she has many TED talks). And it’s good to know that only two percent of all cases of Alzheimer’s are genetic. The disease really comes down to lifestyle and the big three: sleep, diet and exercise.  She also calmed my fears. I can’t think how many times I’ve forgotten where I parked my car, but, according to the scientist, it’s not that you forget where you parked (everyone does), it’s when you can’t remember getting to the mall or what your car looks like (Phew!!).  She has many comforting suggestions. Write shit down.  Lists are fine and it’s OK to Google shit. Young folks do all the time, so why struggle. No one needs to power through forgetfulness. The stress is worse.

Now the lifestyle choices, first sleep. You need to get your seven to nine per night because when you get a good night’s rest it clears your brain of a chemical that erodes your hippocampus – the area where our memories reside. She also stated it’s OK to get up and pee in the night (can I have another Phew!); it doesn’t have to be completely uninterrupted sleep.  Even when I was twenty, I never got a complete sleep unless accompanied by too many beers or sixteen-hour waiter shifts.

The diet recommendation is, of course, the Mediterranean (for the umpteenth time) – lots of veggies and a reduced amount of red meat. I’m already on this, but I could use less red meat and more fish in my diet. I also need to watch the pasta, rice and potatoes –  refined carbs not a good idea.  Eat more whole grain.

The exercise suggestion is at least twenty minutes of moderate activity or fifteen minutes vigorous per day. Just go outside for less than half an hour and walk like you’re late for work and boom you’re done.

However, the brain needs work, so enhance this by learning something new; another important aspect of keeping the brain in tip top shape. Learn new things – it keeps the brain sharp and creates new pathways – rewire baby.  For example, try a new sport like cross country skiing or go for a run or walk in a new place. Today on my run, I made sure I took notice of new people I see on my run. Not a new place, but new people. She also suggests team sports, the socializing while on a court or rink helps the brain keep in shape.

Nothing prevents the disease one-hundred percent, but be aware or beware. Now  I gotta walk to the store as if chased by the coppers or a T-Rex. I need blueberries and plain yogourt.

More Information:

 

 

East Slopes Disaster

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'Morally and ethically wrong:' Court to hear challenge to Alberta coal ...

‘Morally and ethically wrong:’

I don’t know what’s going on in this crazy this province. I mean it has always leaned right of centre, but these days, the Alberta UCP government is run by ugly corporations and extreme right-wing radicals, and it’s unable (or is afraid to) to stand up to these morons.

One huge concern (among many others) is the destructive coal mining on the East Slopes of the Rocky Mountains near Tent Mountain. Our government doesn’t seem to realize (or is afraid to – common theme here) the catastrophic environmental issues around leaching toxins into rivers and lakes. But this is what happens when you have an entitled government and no opposition. They don’t listen to anyone, except those who scream the loudest, even though the yellers are a minority.

Coal mining is destroying waterways by pouring Selenium into both Crowsnest Creek and East Crowsnest Creek to the point where trout are now extinct. Tests showed concentrations of Selenium were 151 micrograms per litre. The provincial limit is 2 while the federal maximum is 1. I find it hard to believe Environment Alberta (Rebecca Schultz, minister) doesn’t have this information, demanding immediate action.

Nearly 70% of people in the province disagree with mining in the Crowsnest Pass except those who live there, but the issue is larger than the four hundred jobs promised (where have I heard this before) for the six thousand residents nestled in the Canadian Rockies, a small minority in a province of 5 million. Water flows, effecting many more downstream, including Indigenous peoples – they have enough clean water issues. And what about the four-legged creatures, drinking from these once pristine waterways? My precious Alberta beef!

And to have an Australian asshole (Peter Doyle, CEO of Montem Resources,) come to this country and bully the government into changing environmental policy is a joke. This idiot threatened to sue the entire Alberta Energy  Regulator (and the UCP government) over this issue. How can we sit here and get bullied by some freaking offshore idiot.  His demonic corporation will mine the coal and export it to Asia. What other environmental issues occur when China or India burn coal – holy global warming Batman.

The UCP government is also running scared because they know any division in their “base” means they will lose power. Their management is not about any environmental concerns. It’s about losing power, so if corporations (their base along with squawking radicals) start rattling the cage, they’d better cave in like a cheap coal mine or lose support. And right now, they need all the support they can muster.  People are angry.

It says something about a government bullied by offshore thugs meanwhile it bitches about manipulation by the Federal government. Maybe the UCP should come up with a separatist act against foreign interference.  Dani Smith needs to realize her government works for the people of Alberta, not the other way around. And with cave-ins like this, she’ll need a new job peeling shrimp in Australia.

For more information and to lend a helping hand, try these.

Save our Slopes

CPAWS

And an excellent article from my new favourite on-line news source The Tyee out of Vancouver  – Inside an Australian Miner’s Brawl with Alberta Regulators

 

Vancouver Walk and Eat – 2025

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So many things to like about Vancouver (unless you need to buy a house) – the transportation, the food and the ability to walk everywhere. Let’s get to them all.

First the transportation. Before I left, I registered my Compass Card (leftover from my last visit) and added some funds. Note: when you leave the airport, just tap the card. I bought a ticket from the machine with my card – 9.85. On the way back I tapped in from downtown and airport out – cost 3.85, the two zone fare (not totally sure why). Get the transit card, so convenient for all your travels. And if you need a car, check out EVO – they are everywhere.  However, we also walked, walked and walked (over 38k steps one day – a new personal record) in the pouring rain. Yea to the Gortex shoes and jacket.

Next the food. Oh my goodness, so good. Our first meal was in Gastown at GUU, just down from Waterfront station. We started with the Takowasa – marinated octopus and wasabi – served w/ 6 pieces of roasted seaweed – a very small portion but the wasabi didn’t peel the insides of my nostrils so that’s good. Next, we had the Salmon With Seven Friends – diced wild sockeye salmon w/ natto (fermented soy beans), pickled cucumber, pickled daikon, garlic chips, crispy wonton, green onion, fresh egg yolk, “otokomae” and roasted seaweed.  Just mix and wrap in seaweed strips, yummy. We finished with Grilled Salmon Bento Box with a daily side dish, rice, and miso soup. We ordered an extra miso so we wouldn’t start throwing punches. The grilled salmon was huge and coming from the prairies I need all the salmon I can get. With tip, we walked out paying a reasonable 50 bucks for two people. Gotta love the price.

We were going to see a movie, so a quick stop in Chinatown and Bao Bei.  We arrived a little early and it was already lined up. Luckily, we were number one (stink-eyeing any line butting persons), rewarded with a nice high top near the door (twenty minutes later, the place was packed). We started with the Bean Curd – amazing. Then on to the Beef Tartre – more amazing – then the Kick Ass Fried Rice, Steamed Prawn, Scallop and Chive Dumplings all amazing, amazing. We didn’t try any of the cocktails (sober trip), but we were close to the bar, and they looked fun. Ok, I’ve used the “amazing” adjective a lot, but it was. All in for two of us – 165. A bit pricey but well worth the experience.

Ok, it’s Vancouver and one must do sushi. I live on the prairies where fresh seafood is about as common as a Liberal vote. We went to a Yaletown spot called Oshi Nori . A small cozy spot with only a sushi bar. We had Truffle Edamame (I’ll eat anything with truffle) and all the Toro and Salmon Nigiri on the menu . We also sampled the 5 Roll Basic Set (served taco style – wrapped in seaweed). A nasty scene as we wrestled for the last piece (even numbers, please).  125, for two hungry lads. Pricey, but a very happy tummy indeed.

The biggest food trip take away –  from my house on the other side of the Rockies, I was in  downtown Vancouver eating sushi in two and a half hours. Mind boggling. I’m already planning my next walk ‘n eat  journey with my amazing travelling companion who has an excellent nose where to go.

Oh strange food

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Food, Food, Fooood, wonderful food, wonderful food. Food. Food. Food. I love food. Making food. Ordering food. Going out for food. I don’t care how it comes. I’ve even had dreams about food like the time I was chased by a giant purple lobster. As a result, I am not afraid of food. I’ve had many strange experiences with food. But I’ve never spat out anything – how rude.

A while back, I was working for the Cosmo-Demonic-Telecommunication company when they sent me on a trip to Thailand. When you travel to Asian countries on business, the company hires a guide to show you around town. The first night we went out and had traditional Thai food. I can’t remember everything we ate, but I do remember rice cooked in pineapple and giant lobsters without claws. I also learnt that Thais do not use chopsticks.  I’m not sure why, but the next time you order Pad Thai … 

However, the next night, the guide asked if we wanted to try some more dangerous food. I was travelling in a group with five or six other dudes. When we got to the restaurant, the first thing I saw was a giant snake dangling from a hook. An employee was running a knife down its belly, guts slopping on the floor. But not to waste, he gathered the innards and threw them in a pail. Ok, this looks promising (not).

Inside, we gathered around a table. Menus, of course were useless. I’m not sure if they were written in Thai or Chinese. The restaurant was the latter, I think. The guide ordered for the table. We had ant eggs – giant white pill looking objects. Then we had snake (not sure if it was hanging buddy downstairs).  Not too bad – tasted like dry pork ribs. However, the weird thing was the wine glass of blood brought to the table. The guide got angry when the waiter brought the drink, but we said don’t worry. Down the hatch. Warm and thick like a metallic milk shake. Apparently good for men. I felt my bicep increase. The food wasn’t too bad, but I don’t think I’d eat it daily and I don’t think the locals did. 

My next interesting delicacy was in New Zealand. We were invited on to the Marae (a meeting place for social and religious celebrations), a great privilege. Every day, behind the meeting house, We had a wonderful “happy” hour. We were talking and drinking excellent wine when this dude brings out these spiny looking creatures, cuts one open and the guts fall in his hand. He threw it down his gullet as though he were kicking off a jandle at the front door.  Sea urchin or Tuhinga o mua in Māori.  He looked at me, you want some, brother? I sure do. It tasted like swallowing a giant hoark left over from a bad cold. But I’d defiantly do it again. Yep, I’d eat just about anything. Once. Scorpion pizza. Sheep eye-ball soup. However, my only rule is it can’t be moving. Dipping my spoon into a bowl of crawling baby snakes, just isn’t my cup of tea. 

Ok, I gotta run upstairs and cook some grub. I’m thinking pineapple pork ribs, rice and cucumber.

Arizona – the good, the bad and the ugly

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A fantastic trip to the land of Saguaro (suh–gwahr-oh – a pronunciation botched so many times –  I’m flushed as I write), dynamic red rock parks and canyons. The most important question to judge a successful vacation  is  – would you go back? The answer is a very emphatic yes. I’m counting the days (pennies first) until I gloriously return.

Now the review. The good – the climate was amazing (we came back to -30, so in hindsight it was bloody tropical) although it was cool in the morning by afternoon it was time to  slip on the shorts and flip flops only to replace them when the sun went down with a sweater and pants (still didn’t stop people from using a hot tub). The Phoenix area was awesome,  especially the free hiking (suh–gwahr-oh national park in Tucson charges twenty-five bucks to hike and the state parks charge seven). So many trails in great condition although a bit rocky and busy (do not go on weekends). But most importantly – the people were fantastic. Everyone we met was so nice and friendly, you’d think you were in Canada. We soon found out nobody is from Arizona – met a dude from Bellingham and another person from Billings and many from Minnesota.

The bad.  It was much more expensive than I remember (except gas). Wine prices were the same as in Canada  but in American dollars. A nice bottle of La Crema from California was twenty bucks at Trevor’s (I bow to your greatness wonderful wine store mecca). It’s the same price here but thirty percent more expensive in the Canyon State. Food wasn’t cheap either. We didn’t go out for any evening meals, but lunch was a consistent one hundred US although we did have drinks with every meal. One luxury dining experience was at a wonderful  cocktail bar called Parlay where the bill was well over a hundred US. However,  I got many excellent drink ideas and I’ve never had a mezcal cocktail (ok more than “a” cocktail – it was happy hour after all). But even going to Safeway and grabbing a few food items like chicken wings (they were massive) eggs, bread, coffee and greens was fifty or sixty bucks US  (ok and maybe wine and beer a few times). I just remember the States as food and booze cheap, but not anymore, I guess.

The ugly.   Some of the highways were very dirty, especially the Interstates (I learnt to stay off them). Garbage everywhere. Another ugly – it was so hard to recycle. Accommodations had no recycling bins. Not in the rooms, or outside with the garbage containers. I saw one recycling bin in Sedona but if we hadn’t stumbled on it, our many dead soldiers would’ve been lost on the battlefield. We also had car rental issues (holy extra charges Batman) and at one AirBnB, if I heard the “five star stay” one more time, I was going to puke – property developers (the same group wanted me to copy and paste a review they prepared, really!). But developers are everywhere like blood sucking mosquitos.

The state is wonderful from the red rocks of Sedona (the  brightest stars ever) to the desert of Tucson and the rugged parks of Phoenix. However,  next time we will  drive our own car and fill it with cheap gas.

The Struggle

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While sitting in my very comfortable and safe  backyard I was thinking about human struggles. Doesn’t everybody struggle? Isn’t this the human condition? Aren’t we always fighting some internal issue?

I look across the street and I see three adults and two children, basically two families, living in a two-bedroom main floor apartment. They are probably paying an inflated and unreasonable price for the place (greedy landlords are sweeping my city). I also see them working like dogs. The blue car man leaves his house at six a.m. and doesn’t come back until six p.m. The silver car person drops her kid off at day care at seven and isn’t home until the evening. Ditto with the other red car adult. They are working too many hours while living in expensive and cramped conditions. Financial struggle for everyone except the landlord.

Then there’s another young couple living next door to the financial struggle. They are out walking every day for hours. One day I saw a very expensive treadmill delivered to their house. I’ve also seen food delivery perhaps one too many times (again due to working too many hours). He works in IT, so he sits  in front of a screen all day. She also has a sedentary job in the health sector (I’ve met them a few times). Jobs with eight hours of little or no movement. One can guess their struggle. A difficult problem for everyone in our desk trapped culture.

Then I think about my minor struggle with a little too much wine on a Friday night. I am very, very lucky and I am thankful  everyday – I don’t have financial struggles – so lucky to get a mortgage when the price of housing was low. I don’t have weight issues because I can afford to eat good quality food. I also have lots of time to go for walks in the woods or around my neighbourhood or take my bike for a spin or run whenever the conditions are ripe. Yes, I am so lucky. I have one struggle, but it could be so much worse.

However, it’s all about how you deal with the struggle, right? Buddhists tell you life is a struggle, and the reason why we struggle is impermanence – shit happens outside your control. Hence the reason to live in the now – accept the now. Fredrick Douglass, the American slavery abolitionist: “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” Or my favourite by Lucretius, the Roman poet, “Life is one long struggle in the dark.” Now, ain’t that the truth.

It’s all about how you deal with the struggle. Is it negative? Enough to draw you down into the pits of despair and leave you groping in the dark for anything solid and familiar. Or do you rise above the struggle and stand a top a mountain and shout – everything is fine and become so much wiser rising above the challenges life brings.  Or how about just accepting the fact we all struggle, it’s not a big deal. Accept it and move on. Don’t we just finish one struggle only to have another bounce up? I have no idea. But right now, I have to take my empties back to the bottle depot and go weigh myself.