Day 118 – (AD 1,023) – 23.6 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – New Year’s Eve On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

My biorhythms for the last day of 2015…

Just do not ask me any question as to where or when I have to or need to think. Period.

This late morning I pedaled 23.6 miles for 75 minutes on my Schwinn 170. Grand totals – 21,714.5 miles; 34,946.2 kilometers. This is the real part. (At least my Physical cycle has begun an upward swing.)

Google Maps has me located at a point at Strada Lungomare, 58, 04016 Sabaudia LT, Italy.

You can’t see it from the image but there is water on either side of Strada Lungomare, (translated Promenade Street.) I’m really liking the solitude of my Trek and the fantasy of my virtual world.

On my, oh my, there has to be an electronic affair of sorts going on. It's between Jacqueline, my alter-trans-cyber-ego, and Joanna, whoever she be, at CS Rewards.

Joanna, at CS Rewards, spammed me this morning at 7:42 am with well wishes for a “Happy New Year” and sent me a “McDonalds Breakfast All Day voucher, #738761447”. And of course her endearing spam letter was laden with links, not the sausage kind.

My message to Joanna at CS Rewards, Your cyber-quips of scintillating bytes are best where they belong, in my photoelectric trash bin.

I made my 5th batch of Mini Muffins – Pillsbury Holiday Muffins. And there was no, there weren’t any, Christmas sprinkles in the box. Tasted light, not bad. Definitely passable.

The ones on the left baked for 13 minutes; the ones on the right 11 minutes.

We’ve chosen the first fabrics for Elation. The 1st strip has been pieced.

Elation - Prep work - JS AB 2015/16

14 + 4 more to go.

And yeah, we’ve started another new one – A triptych, 50” wide by 30” long. This one should be interesting.

πεταλούδα - JS AB - 2015/16

Titled - πεταλούδα

Fresh out of the oven Loaf #73, Whole Wheat White Flax Seed.

This is my 1,107th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 82,471 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 117 – (AD 1,022) – 23.5 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Continuing On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning I cycled another 23.5 miles on my Schwinn 170. Totals – 21,690.9 miles; 34,908.2 kilometers. 87.1% of my Trek completed.

And now Google Maps has my located at Via Pastena, 4, 00048 Nettuno RM, Italy. I certainly would like to just get away in a real sense of the world.

I am now about 110 miles from my next goal point and destination.

My early morning blood sugar dropped this morning to 94. Must have been the home-made leftover Fried Chicken Caesar Salad I threw together for supper last night. Used a bunch of left-overs.




Our Diamonds quilt (attached) has been chosen to be included at the No Girls Allowed! exhibit at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, Colorado January 29 through April 26, 2016.

Our new work – Elation will be something different.

Elation - JS AB - In progress, Dec 2015

This is my 1,106th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 82,387 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 116 – (AD 1,021) – 23.0 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – #26 Rome On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning another 23.0 miles on my Schwinn 170. Totals – 21,667.4 miles; 34,870.4 kilometers.

Today I reached my 26th destination and goal point. Yes it is Rome. I am pinpointed at Via di Porta Cavalleggeri, 117, 00165 Roma, Italy.

And the Vatican.

I am out of Rome.

I have completed 2,677.9 miles on my 116th day of cycling my Part IV of Jim’s Trek.

And I am now located at Via di Pratica, 281, 00128 Roma RM, Italy.

And my brain is fried today. Period.

Posted our 135th quilt at Quilts SB – Mother’s Treasures.

Mother's Treasures - JS AB - 2015

This is my 1,105th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 82,340 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 115 – (AD 1,020) – 23.6 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Thinking On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

This morning I pedaled 23.6 miles on my Schwinn 170. I’ve started a new routine; one day at 12/25 resistance and the next 15/25 resistance; 6 days pedaling and 1 day off. To date I have completed 86.9% of my overall goal. That means that I now have 13.1% of this Trek remaining.  (Oh do cover your mouth when you yawn.)

I think I’ve reached my next destination and goal point. I am located at Via del Casale Lumbroso, 1211, 00166 Roma RM, Italy. The address says so, but the image looks like I have been relegated to the back way in.

Fasting blood sugar dropped 9 points this morning to 94 mg/dL. My A1c calculates out at 5.23%. And I had double helpings at supper last night. Menu – Pigs-in-a-Blanket, Cabbage Hash, Carrots, and of course, Triple Threat Chocolate Ice Cream.

I’m working on a new eating challenge for myself for 2016. I wonder if I could possibly go every day, all 366 of them, and try something new and/or different, either an ingredient or a recipe for supper. I know that I could record my culinary challenge on my site Jim’s Gotta Eat. I am curious if I would and could have the wherewithal to be successful.

Yeah! Hurrah! Neither sleet nor snow nor the dark of night or even tornadoes stopped our 2 boxes of quilts getting to their specified location. It may have slowed them down. Took 11 days via UPS.

Hypocrisy at its finest –

“…seems resolutely determined to demand she not be judged while judging others. She seems fine with ignoring how unsustainable the abstinence she built a tidy side-career preaching is. She is no longer the teen America first met when her mother was on the campaign trail. She is a woman and a mother of two. Maybe now it’s time for her to grow up.”  

Enough said.

And it most definitely seems that the Republicans are in... somewhat a quagmire quandary…

somewhat a quagmire quandary…

This is my 1,104th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 82,268 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 114 – (AD 1,019) – 22.6 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Another day on my Schwinn 170 – 22.6 miles. Totals to date – 21,620.8 miles; 34,795.4 kilometers.

This morning my virtual journey has now stopped on the SS1 at 00050 Santa Severa RM, Italy.

And I am counting. Only 13.2% remaining to the grand total miles I set for myself.

I got this statement yesterday. Thanks for taking the time to ask.

“I'm intrigued by your adventure…but I'm lost in the story somewhere. Sorry…”

My response - Abbreviated version.

3 years ago on disability 12 years due to car accident plus, waist beginning to expand. Cardiologist and other medical professionals concerned. Suggested routine exercise. Had been goal oriented, Shrink suggested I write about exercise. Always understood concept of short-term goals as means to end. Began real-exercise and virtual-fantasy Trek to keep myself interested. Positive result lost 12" on waist, heart in excellent condition. Ancillary result reduced diabetes and required meds. Each time I reach goal I set a new one. Jim's Trek Part IV will end will overall goal. Am now thinking about Part V. Quilting and baking add-ons. Overall a goal-oriented process making sure that I was the beneficiary of the positive results.

Two interview articles written about my Trek – Pedaling to Success: Q&A With Jim Smith, Bowflex Insider, September 2014  and Can You Reverse Diabetes? About Health, June 2015.

And all that is up to this point in time.  There still more to go and the maintenance.

Thinking about New Year’s resolution. Eat something new and different, a different combination, every day for 365 days. I figure that I will allow myself one day grace on February 29th. Should prove a unique challenge.

The work begins on our new quilt and wall hanging Elation.  Design drawn and practice sampler underway...

Elation, Design draft - JS AB 

Elation, Practice sampler - JS AB

This is my 1,103rd post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 82,215 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 113 – (AD 1,018) – 23.7 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Boxing Day On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Today’s Schwinn 170 pedaling – 23.7 miles. My grand totals now stand at 21,598.2 miles; 34,759.0 kilometers.

On the virtual part of my journey I am now located at SPLitoranea, 01016 Tarquinia VT, Italy.

Last night I ate at an Asian restaurant, Saki, the all-you-can-eat sushi-teriyaki-hibachi-nice-to-sit-and-be-served eatery.

I like this restaurant because it is sort of quiet and I never feel like any one, any server, is just trying to rush me out and turn over the table. But I did notice something sort of different about the patrons last night; I remarked that I was feeling slim…visually, that is. It must have been the night out for the Overeaters’ Anonymous meeting. There appeared to be an abundance of plus-plus-plus size and full-really-full figured customers.They just kept on coming and coming into the restaurant.

At the nearest table to our booth, a table of eight in the dim light, I thought I noticed that they were seated each with an invasion of personal space. Let’s just say that the total weight of the table, at both ends, and at each side, combined may have topped 2,400 pounds. The busboys certainly did not gain much in tips that night.

Three of my spam emails, in succession, this morning read “These Fruits and Vegetables Kill Stomach Fat – Indian Meals – Find a large selection of full figured bras”. And of course, another email to my alter-trans-ego, “I was shocked by this, Jacqueline!”

My early morning blood sugar is down 11 points today to 102.

I have a dilemma, sort of.

Unless I was at work, I hardly ever checked messages left on my answering machine at home. I was tied down to a beeper, remembering those days, and to an office phone for too long and for way too much time. I just have a hard time adapting to an answering machine at home. And whenever I turned over to emails for communication I found that I regularly checked my emails.

I almost always make it a personal effort to answer business and regular emails with 24 hours. And now texting has entered the freedom of my own space.

Here are my self-imposed rules. I will try, key word try, to check my text messages at least once every 24 hours. I will not be tied to my cell and/or land line phones.

If you text me please do not expect me to be ignoring you. I just want my space and I do not want to feel a paranoia that I am missing something. I do not want to be glued to my communications devices. Period.

Sue Scheff states in her point number 10 of “Scholarly Facts About Texting (Pro’s and Con’s)”

“Many people are addicted to texting: Researchers at the University of Maryland studied 200 students after 24 hours of no texting or other media. They found many of them were basically experiencing withdrawal, anxiety, and difficulty functioning. Dr. David Greenfield of the Center for Internet Behavior has compared constant texting and checking email to gambling addiction.” 

This is my 1,102nd post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 82,146 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 112 ¾ – (AD 1,017 ¾) – 0.0 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Christmas Day Off My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Today is Christmas day. No Schwinn 170.

We’ve begun our new quilt wall hanging – Elation. Dimensions, give or take, width 30” and length 51”.

The No-Knead Bread habit has most assuredly kicked in. This is #71 just out of the oven. It’s a White made with Pillsbury Best Bread Flour.

Sometimes I’m a bit late to catching the news, and then again I am sort glad that I am. Media and reporters today seemed “hepped-up” on crossing the finish line with their take on something that has just happened. (Yes, there is spell-check, but even that is too slow at times.)

Well back in April, NBC News reported in Colorado that “Lucas Hinch, 37, was given a violation for discharging a weapon inside city limits, police said in a report…”  “He did tell us he thought it was okay because we are an open carry state…” And the police report was titled “Man Kill His Computer”.

Poor, poor HAL. Mr. Hinch was cited for discharging a firearm in city…Eight shots? I would have thought one may have been enough, but 8? Excessive wouldn’t you say?

No longer a desktop. Maybe a dead-top?

This is my 1,101st post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 82,081 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 112 ½ – (AD 1,017 ½) – 0.0 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Time Off My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Today is a rest day. No Schwinn 170. This is my 7th day.

Food for thought on Christmas Eve.

Yup, and when I check my biorhythms I can see why. All three of my primary cycles are hovering at the 0% area. “In general, a rhythm at 0% is thought to have no real impact on your life…”

The Physical and Intellectual cycles are headed in downward paths while the Emotional one is beginning a swing upward. It looks like, whether I believe this stuff or not, I’m in for a blasé sort of next week and a-half. I’ll just keep quiet until we cross over into 2016.

Sourdough Loaf #70

No-Knead Loaf #70 is a bust. I know I used way too much, starter for the amount of flour I incorporated.  And it is flatter than normal, the way that I would like to see it.

Oh well, it looks like a dud, but I have already mixed up the batch for #71. Can’t always show the successes.



And on this eve some must be scurrying about at the stove and counter. I found a sure way to save all. I just ordered a case of 24.

Game – Christmas Tinner and the 400g tin only takes 12 minutes to cook.

I’m going to spin with the Bible verse Matthew 19:14 “But Jesus said, “Suffer the children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for such is the kingdom of heaven.” (KJV). Well?

Reported in USA Today and according to NEWSER

“Dalene Bowden's response when a 12-year-old at Idaho's Irving Middle School told her she was hungry but didn't have any money seemed like a no-brainer: The food service worker gave the girl a free hot meal. 

In response, she received a letter of termination that called out her "theft of school district (the Pocatello/Chubbuck School District) property and inaccurate transactions when ordering, receiving and serving food," reports the Idaho State Journal.”

Charles Dickens was not too far off that many years past, eh Mr. Bumble?

This is my 1,100th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 81,993 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 112 – (AD 1,017) – 23.5 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Avoiding the Christmas shoppers I pedaled 23.5 miles on my Schwinn 170 this morning. My totals are now recorded at 21,574.5 miles; 34,720.9 kilometers.

I am, virtually, located this morning at Strada Capalbio Pescia Fiorentina, 5, 58011 Capalbio GR, Italy.

What does it mean that “Google is looking into launching a new mobile based messenger service underpinned by artificial intelligence”? According to Theo Priestley’s article in Forbes/Tech, Dec 23, 2015 “How it works exactly is still an unknown, but according to the WSJ, ‘instead of typing a query into Google’s search engine, users will send questions as text messages, to which chatbots will respond.’”

And here is my question – If this is and will be possible, when and how will we know or not know that we are chatting or texting with a fem/guybot, complete with AI, who is substituting for the friend, or human, that we sort of think that we’re talking to? And if the friend is a social media acquaintance, how do we ascertain that that Facebook/Instagram/Twitter friend is truly of flesh, blood and bones?


It is the Holiday Season, and this morning my early fasting blood sugar count jumped 20 points.

Yes it was the Twistee Treat Brownie Boat that I wolfed down last night. Damn it was good. 

Suppose I could have done with a waffle raft instead…but I wanted the moist brownies, and the ice-cream, and the Maraschino cherries. But I was good, I asked the counter attendant to hold the whipped cream. (Just wanted to make sure that I did not consume any aerosol chemicals.)


Shuuush CK has been completed. The images have been taken. Now to write-up our journey. Here’s a peak.

Shuush CK, JSAB, 2015

Check our Quilts SB, shortly. (http://quiltsb.blogspot.com/)

This is my 1,099th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 81,937 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 111 – (AD 1,016) – 23.7 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – Another Day On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Today I pedaled 23.7 miles on my Schwinn 170. Totals – 21,551.0 miles; 34,683.0 kilometers.

I am heading south and located at Strada Provinciale Aione, 109, 58054 Scansano GR, Italy.

13.5% remaining in my overall goal.

It is a wonder that I am not seeing, or should I say wanting to see, pink elephants outside my window. Julian Morrow is an Australian comedian and television producer from Sydney. his work is in satirical comedy. He produced an award-winning program called CNNNN (Chaser NoN-stop News Network).


CNNNN’s slogan was “We Report, You Believe.”, a parody of Fox News’ slogan “We Report. You Decide.”



A discussion ensued between me and some acquaintances. One mentioned and emphatically stated that this was a definitive mockery of Americans, and “the smart ones were cut out of the film”. Nineteen (19) episodes were created.

Yes there is always a media spin. But I am always am always perplexed at those who think that there may be a conspiracy afoot in the spin. Enough said.

Have you ever considered that you may have an issue with something? How about an issue realizing that, based on your biological clock, you may not have enough time left on your calendar to try every type of food item that you would like to try? This is perplexing me right now. (Obviously not a big deal…) And I would like to figure out how I can just continue to eat and taste without gaining the associated add-on pounds. Food, glorious food. Just think of the sensory spinning and sensations.

As crude and abhorrent Donald Trump is, he is playing one hell of a good game at ostracizing and satirizing the American political process and system.

Fred has to be fed today.

This is my 1,098th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 81,894 Pageviews.

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Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim

Day 110 – (AD 1,015) – 23.5 Miles – Jim's Trek Part IV – I’m Still On My Schwinn 170

Good Day,

Yes I did pedal this morning. I pedaled 23.5 miles on my Schwinn 170… (Ho-hum.) Grand totals 21,527.3 miles; 34,644.9 kilometers.

I am located on Via del Cipressino, 11, 58045 Civitella Paganico GR, Italy. My direction is south, I think. Wonder who the gentleman in the orange pants and the over-sized ping-pong paddle?

The next destination and goal point is about 123 miles away.

Senator Lindsey Graham must have been extremely concerned with Steve Harvey’s faux pas at last night’s Miss Universe Pageant. He so, so was rooting for Miss Colombia. The grief was so overwhelming that he has decided to suspend his 2016 presidential campaign.

Guess all the call centers in the Philippines were all lit up in protest. Sounds like the Bush – Gore vote count in Florida.

Another one gone.

Did Madonna decorate for the holidays?

Yes they are available at Etsy. Handmade and only $30.00…but only in the United States.

Shuuush CK, our 136th quilt has been quilted, bound, and labeled. Images are soon to be posted to Quilts SB.

This is my 1,097th post. According to Blogger Jim’s Trek has recorded, as of this writing, 81,850 Pageviews.

I welcome comments or thoughts or ideas. Please feel free to contact, email me at Jim’s Trek. (This link is my email address.)

Be healthy and enjoy your day.

Jim