The Big Exit

Hi Dear Readers!

I'm initiating a HUGELY POSITIVE AND BENEFICIAL wellness challenge soon and I am humbly encouraging you to join me. It's a big one and thus I am calling it the BIG EXIT CHALLENGE.

It's a two-month wellness challenge and it has two parts: 1. From Monday November 2, 2026 through Monday January 4, 2027, I am disconnecting from the Attention Economy completely. Largely, this means no social or mainstream media (SMSM) consumption, including news curation/analysis podcasts. 2. During that time, I will instead engage in self care and wellness activities, incuding - but not limited to - reading several of the many books in my Libby cue, cooking vegan food, exercising daily, playing analog board/card games, going on dates with Deborah, practicing music, performing music, traveling to visit friends and possibly family, walking/playing with the dogs, and other positive activities I cannot think of right now.

I am aware that my disconnection from SMSM may cause me to miss important information that could impact my life. But nothing on SMSM has significantly impacted my life in a negative way, to date, though its use alone has...loss of time and productivity; a likely dip in emotional and intellectual intelligence.

The time frame was selected to coincide with the most dangerous time in America, between the Midterm Elections and the inauguration of the new US Congress at the start of the New Year. I want NO PART in any of that toxic vitriol and chaos. And you probably don't either. But you will be a part of it is you use SMSM during that time. You know the old saying about domestic abusers...the most dangerous time is when you decide to leave.

Join me in this challenge! Or, if not, at least support and encourage my participation and participate vicariously.

3 Things

Hi Dear Readers!

It's time for a wellness challenge fortnight.

Every night for the next two weeks (a fortnight), before you go to bed, write down 3 GOOD THINGS THAT HAPPENED TODAY.

Here's mine for today:

1. Completed a lengthy bike ride.

2. Got a wart burned off at the doctor's office.

3. Hit my dietary goal/quota.

A few other good things happened too. I had a vegan vanilla latte at Starbucks. I survived three brutal couples therapy sessions. I finalized a November road trip with Deborah to visit a friend and his wife.

Mt life is good. And if you participate in this challenge, yours will be too. At least for a couple weeks!

Fin.

You Know What They Say

It's Day 2 of my week long wellness challenge to Forsake Humanity. So far, it is going well. 

On Day 1, the main observation I had is that the old adage "ignorance is bliss" is very much true...I am at peace and feeling content AF. 

As Day 2 begins, I am having the realization that a Forsaken Humanity is capable of some really dumb s**t. It's Schrodingerian dumb s**t, since I'm unable to observe it directly whilst I am on the challenge, per se. But I am a little worried Humanity may not survive the week.

I will survive the week though, and that's really all that matters when it comes to wellness challenges. If all goes to plan, I will actually emerge from the challenge stronger than I was before, mentally, physically, and spiritually, as is par for the course with these types of endeavors.

Fin.

No One Knows

Hi Readers.

Happy Monday! I hope this blog post finds you and brings you some joy and/or positivity.

I don't really have much to write this morning, other than to say I conquered the weekend leading up to today. I followed the Tenets. I did a bunch of meal prep for the week, including making roasted red potatoes, falafel patties, curry sauce (the curry will get made today, if all goes to plan), and I think a couple other things. I more or less adhered to my calorie quota, even though the scale was all over the place ("trust in the process" - not the scale!). I had band practice with Stefan (GUPPY EFFECT Duo).

Maybe I'll write more later. Have a great day.

Fin.

Positivity Post

Hi Readers!

According to the free LOSE IT app that I use to track my diet and exercise, I am down just over four pounds since starting my December Wellness Challenge on 12/1. I was 202.2 pounds on 11/30, the day prior to starting the challenge (Time Zero). I was 197.8 pounds as of this morning (12/4). If you want to be a stickler for details and argue that Time Zero was actually my morning weight on 12/1 - and there is some logic to that - then I am only down 3.2 pounds. Still pretty good! I have largely achieved this by exercising away (on the Peloton trainer) more calories than I eat, and practicing intermittent fasting (not eating between about 8 PM in the evening and noon the next day). My goal is to lose 15 pounds before the end of the year, so I am ahead of schedule. That being said, weight loss is not linear and those last five pounds are going to be harder to lose than the first five. That's not even taking into consideration the dietary risks, temptations, and pitfalls of the upcoming Judeo-Christian holidays. While I personally don't celebrate or recognize them (they are not Church of Bike With Joe holidays), much of our family does, and so we join in to honor our loved ones, more so than the mythical deities they pay tribute to via excessive holiday hedonism and sloth.

It's barely 8 AM on Wednesday 12/4 and I have already crushed and conquered a number of my TO DOs. In about 15 minutes, I will see my first marriage and family therapy client of the day, after which I will squeeze in a decent Peloton workout and attend a continuing education webinar (whilst eating my first meal of the day). After lunch/webinar, I will go pick up the groceries I ordered online this morning. The remainder of the afternoon and evening comprises seeing a few more psychotherapy clients, before retiring for some disconnection and self care.

Fin.