A few weeks ago I had my annual physical examination with also included some blood work. Upon visiting my primary physician it turned out that I am not quite dying — yet. Still and most definitely far from perfect but still, I’ll live. There was one thing that he found abnormal, something related to my cholesterol not the kind of problem that would necessarily cause a heart attack, but it can still be an issue.

He asked me to get a second round of blood work just to make sure. There’s always the possibility of a bad lab work. But if it was indeed high thenI would have to be under medication. Which, truthfully, I don’t want to do, I already have to medicate myself once a day and I don’t want to add yet another pill to my day. I know, like my dad, he takes like six different medications a day for various reasons, so one pill is nothing. Still, I don’t like pills.

I asked what could I to remedy the problem or prevent it from getting worse? In the back of my head I already knew the answer, though. He said, exercise and diet. Carbs and complex sugars are my biggest enemies. In my case, this means beer 😅

Today I got a called, regarding my second round, and it came back, not perfect, but I won’t need medication. The Doctor advised to up my exercise and work on my diet.

Ever since the pandemic, I have gone out of control. To make it even worse, I have barely been keeping up with my exercise routine. I haven’t been to a gym in a year or so. I have stopped working out at home or going for walks/runs.

I need to get serious and make serious changes. I am not as heavy as I’ve ever been, but I am getting there. Lower back problems are coming back too. I need to figure something out, need to incorporate some kind of routine with many new work schedule and cut out the breed (read beer).

• M: Too many free radicals. That’s your problem.
• James Bond: “Free radicals”, sir?
• M: Yes. They’re toxins that destroy the body and the brain, caused by eating too much red meat and white bread. Too many dry martinis!
• James Bond: Then I shall cut out the white bread, sir.

EDWARD FOX — M

SIR SEAN CONNERY — James Bond

“Never Say Never Again”

Today we had a very Puerto Rican menu.

Rice and beans (with olives)

Bistec encebollado

With, tostones 😍, not fried though, oven baked, gotta keep it as healthy as possible 😅

Just missing some Puerto Rican beer and a flan 🍮

I’m the mists of the pandemic, and once local restaurants started opening again for dine-in, we would every once in a while go to our local food and beer dispensary (as I call it). They would be following all the social distancing guidelines and practices. The place felt safe to go, employees would be wearing masks at all times and again, following protocol.

I am not sure what changed but the last time we went, employees weren’t required to wear masks anymore. It felt weird, it felt like they aren’t caring anymore, as if we were back to normal. Yes, cases here in Boise are coming down and more and more people are getting vaccinated. Yet, I don’t think we are quite there yet. Or maybe is me being too paranoid still?

Whether we are being paranoid or not, we no longer feel safe going there. Which it’s sad because it’s a nice local place and very convenient for us since it’s about 2 minutes drive.

Over two years ago, I quit Facebook, no regrets or haven’t looked back — don’t miss it. At the en of 2020, I quit Instagram, deleted, gone! Even when I made the decision, I was wondering if I was going to regret it. Well, for the past week or so, I have been having Insta-withdrawals, I miss having instagram but for the right reasons. I liked seeing pictures of friends and family that I don’t have close contact with or just don’t ever see in person anymore for whatever the reasons. So much so that I’ve even downloaded the app, I just very hesitant about opening and logging into a new account and start over.

Last night, I almost did it, I opened it, enter my phone number to create an account, which I probably shouldn’t. Your phone number is almost like your social security number these days. I ended up not moving forward, I swipe up and “killed” the app. Then I started thinking of why I had quit and that prevented me from try again.

Like I’ve said, there are things I miss, I miss some friends, and the interactions, I miss posting my pictures too, it’s a fun thing to do. What I don’t miss is the Facebook aspect of it, not just the way the app works now but some of the feelings and anxiety that these Facebookated apps can bring if you’re not careful. And that is what I am scared of, being sucked into the Facebook-like-social-media-vortex and lose sight of what I really want and enjoy from the app, if it makes any sense.

I have a feeling that I might wind up doing it, one night, when I have had one too many beers, and like any good decision-making, I will say Fuck it and back to insta I’ll go.

IN OTHER NEWS:

I have been playing Persona 5 Strikers on the Nintendo Switch there. I am only a little over 3 hours and still figuring out how I feel about it.

It is March 1st, not only that, but it is also a Monday and my final days at level 37 😉. For whatever reason it seems like a great opportunity — or excuse — to start new routines and setting up goals and do my best to stick with them. Well, more, than just starting or creating new ones, it is more like adding some to an already existing set of everyday routines.

First and foremost, better quality sleep. I need to be consistent with this one, go to bed on time, try to get 8 hours of sleep instead than less than 7. Wake up on time, be at work on time, this is an area in which I have been slacking a bit for a while. My job, or at least the team I work with, it is not very strict when it comes to the schedule as long as the job gets done. But still, I want to do better at this.

Reincorporate workout routines. I need to get moving, I need to get back into a healthier lifestyle and loose weight. I have tons of excuses and some of them may be valid ones but excuses nonetheless. Last week I kind of started on that, I actually closed all my rings pretty much all week except for Friday.

I want to have a more consistent and effective routine when it comes to organizing my week and work duties. Many times I find myself very unorganized and, as we say back home, Algarete, adrift, no sense of direction and just doing, thus things fall through the cracks. Whether is using pen and paper, an application or just a calendar system, I am not sure, perhaps all the above. But what it’s clear to me is that I need to create the habit, create an ongoing routine.

If you have made it this far, my birthday it’s on March 31st, I like vidjia games, beer, movies and scotch. 😉