Friday Thoughts

My mind is filled with various thoughts this morning:

• Even though it was very cold this morning (we had significant frost overnight, lows around 32 F (0 C), it was pleasant running this morning (only 6.2 miles (10 km)).  It felt fresh and pleasant to be outside.  I saw roughly a dozen rabbits during my route.  Listening to my Pandora channel focused on Mass Music, and praying the rosary helped center my mind, even though it took a bit of effort to get focused.  
• My food, beverage, and social media "declining balance" efforts have been fruitful.  I have not felt hungry, but I do notice a more beautiful and greater appreciation for my food at dinner.  I have found it pleasant to be drinking significantly more of my fluid intake as iced water..... I notice more how wonderful plain water is and I also have appreciated the flavorful bitterness of my coffee and have become more cognizant of the diverse, pleasing flavors of my one Diet Dr. Pepper as well.  And, my limited, prescribed observation of social media has had several benefits.... a) I feel I have more time in the day, b) I enjoy more, the brief times I am on social media, c) I feel more focused generally, d) and I feel calmer.
• I still have plans to work through for after the end of this "declining balance" effort where I return to a NEW "normal".  Namely, I need to better define how that NEW "normal will look.  Additionally, I need to still accomplish a few items.... namely a) having my wife help me get the beeps, bings, boops, and other obnoxious noises of my gizmo phone down to a more limited range of those that I WANT, b) I have to have my wife help me figure out how I can see the "usage" statistics of my gizmo phone.... currently I receive every Sunday a simple message saying my average use per day and how it changed from the previous week.  But, I have at times stumbled across a more detailed analysis that I think could be helpful for me.... but I have no damn idea where it is or how to access it.  I suspect my wife will be able to show me and I will practice a pattern to get there a few times so I can embed this process in my mind.  
• What may my NEW "normal" be?  I am thinking a) I do want to return to having my beautiful, high fiber cereal and my fruit next week.  They are enjoyable and healthy.  But, I am not sure yet what other components of my "Food Eaten at the U" will be.  Typically in addition to the cereal and fruit (grapes, blueberries, blackberries and banana are the usual)..... I have also typically had a yogurt, a pair of hard boiled eggs (or equivalent), an English Muffin or a toast, and as a treat, some freeze dried fruit in the afternoon.  But, I am not sure of what of those I really need or will maintain..... b) I am thinking I will continue my new beverage routine of much more iced water.
• I went to the Retiree's Cigar Group yesterday, but I figured I would NOT find any of my friends.  I had to go even later than my current typical lateness due to the extended length of my last final exam.  And, strangely (perhaps due to the cold, rainy weather?) when I arrived, I was the only person (besides the shopkeep) in the place.  I went up to the second floor, thinking of doing more editing work on my syllabi and other documents for the upcoming class, but instead decided to indulge and read more of my "Hidden Valley Road" book.  It is quite fascinating.  I indulged in a 7 X 60 dark Habaneros house cigar.  Very pleasant.
• Afterwards I met my wife for swimming.  The water was warmer than usual (very pleasant).  
• We had "tacos" for dinner..... mine in a more modified form than usual.... still the taco salad bigger than my head, still the two burritos, etc..... but I consciously made them more simple, and had a shift in the relative volumes of "vegetation"... especially MORE lettuce on all of it.  And, I had them all vegetarian as well..... this disappointed my dog as she is used to my sharing the very limited amounts of chicken I typically have (usually, probably 1-2 ounces spread across the whole thing).  Interestingly, the lack of chicken, the very significant decline in sauces (no guac or avocado, no sour cream, no cheese.... and more limited salsa) actually was pleasant in having me be more aware of the flavors of the beans and vegetables.... and much more aware of the various TEXTURES than I had been being cognizant of during the last several weeks.  
• I also have been giving a lot more thought to my pipes and pipe tobaccos.  You have seen me write about them often, but even the relatively frequent writings I have about them do not really match how often I think of them, how often I reminisce about them, how I do miss them.  You see what would be more akin to the "tip of the iceberg" of my contemplations of them.  With my fairly successful maintenance of a philosophically "stoic" mindset these last few weeks, and with the fairly successful "declining balance" efforts of this week... maybe I am in a state of mind where perhaps I CAN discern a good path back to my pipes and pipe tobaccos?  I am sure, at least, that I want to revisit the possibility with what feels now, like a fresher, clearer perspective. 
• Students in my anatomy and physiology class surprised me yesterday by giving me a gift of appreciation.  It tickled me, and gave me great joy at having apparently been an inspiring enough teacher, that they felt motivated to do this, unnecessary, atypical, but appreciated gesture.   
• I really need to stop here today, and get to more number crunching.