I Am Back

 It has been a long time since I last posted on my blogs. I've been terribly busy with daily tasks.

Over the time since my last post I have switched to an all plant-based diet. I stopped taking any blood pressure medications. I still have a daily work schedule.

Get Happy, Write Away is still selling on Amazon and the follow-up book, Ninja Mind Tricks is still there as well. The Art and Craft of Romance (A Gentleman's Guide to Romancing A Lady) is in the midst of a marketing push. People want love and the book will help them find and keep it.

My podcast is up and running with a new host. I'll be putting episodes online weekly.

The World has endured Covid-19, the vaccinations, job closures, business lay-offs, and war. News is filled with social upheaval and violence, but, there are still good people out there helping others get beyond all of that.

As for me, I have no retirement plans. I am sixty-five years young and I am ramping up activity. I'll be taking wildlife pictures and hiking around shooting landscapes as much as possible. I traded my luxury car for a Chevy Spark and I am enjoying its nimble handling and great fuel economy.

My latest project is recording all of the songs I've written over the last four decades and I have reassembled a group of musicians from the distant past to show people that as long as we live and breathe we can still play music, sing harmonies, and we might even write some new songs along the way.

It will be a sort of country swing, rock-a-billy up-beat sound with a bit of blues and rock n' roll vibe thrown in --just for kicks.

I'll be posting a few links here and there and I'll be uploading a few videos we plan on producing.

I promise, I'll be back regularly.

Cheers!

Morning Exercises

My friends know that I often begin my morning with a little workout. I've been doing a combination of light weight training (dumbbells) and riding a bicycle on a trainer for years. But, a good part of my morning exercises include playing guitar.

This is the Epiphone SG Pro Limited Edition 1966 Re-Issue. It has the Custom Shop logo on the rear of the headstock. It features Alnico Pro Humbucker pickups, Wilkinsen Vintage machines, solid "mahogany" body and neck. The fretboard is Rosewood.

I use a Boss Katana 50 watt combo amplifier that is loaded with features and sports a twelve-inch speaker. It sounds great for recording and has the muscle to gig. 

The guitar has a perfect neck and sounds fantastic through the Katana. So, I give my body a good workout and on most morning, I give my fingers a good workout.

I'll be working on a new recording project and will post a few links when tracks are ready to share.

Well, it's time to play guitar.

It's Been Such A Long Time...

It's been such a long time since my last post. I'll blame it on the fact that I've been working practically around the clock on the day job and there is really no end in site.

For now, there is at least a monetary reward for constant work on the other side of town, but, I don't want to keep this pace forever. I am a strong believer in the idea of working hard and playing hard, but, all work and no play makes Mickey a tired boy.

Life Should Have Balance

There is an old biblical teaching that I believe is extremely important. "All things in moderation."

Moderation is the key here.

A couple of weeks ago it was really warm. Our local heat index rose to about one hundred degrees. The actual temperature was in the nineties, but, in the facility where I work (auditor), I was in very high heat and I was drinking water like a fish.

Feeling light-headed, I thought that I was getting a little dehydrated, so, I drank even more water. What happened was that my sodium level (in my bloodstream) was diluted to the point that it was 121 (normal is 135 to 145 for an adult male).

It felt as though my feet were not touching the ground when I walked and I was really dizzy. My brain felt as though it was moving around in my head. I drank some Gatorade to balance electrolytes, but, it was not helping (too little, too late). Off to the hospital I went.

IV Bags and Bed Rest... Yeah, Right...

At the hospital, blood work revealed the depleted sodium levels and the solution was giving me an IV bag full of saline solution. That brought my sodium count up to 137 (rising too fast can cause your brain to swell). With my count rebounding so quickly, doctors were worried and gave me IVs of dextrose (three bags). I spent another day and night in the hospital with heart monitors and blood tests every four hours.

After all the blood work, echo-cardiogram, ultrasound of the arteries in my neck to make sure there were no blockages of any kind (everything was good there), it was confirmed that depleted sodium levels were the culprit, nothing more, nothing less.

Vital signs were good. Blood pressure was excellent. I have the physiology for a young man, not a sixty-one-year-old. That's good.

Hospital Bills...

And now, it's time to start paying the hospital bills. 

Let me see, several doctors, lab work, echo-cardiogram, ultrasound, chest x-ray, meds, two and a half days in the hospital, the ER doctors and a room there for a few hours, etc, etc, etc... in all, it amounts to about $19,000 (USD).

My share, lucky for me, is about $890 thanks to Cigna Insurance. It ain't cheap, but it is not nearly as expensive as some plans I've seen (thanks in large part to the employer).

If there is a lesson in this, it is clear. Moderation in ALL THINGS is really a good plan. Yes, be moderate in all things.

By all means, work hard and make time to play hard. Love your family and friends. Be positive. And remember, happiness is a state of mind. So, don't worry, be happy.

Cycling for Fun and Fitness

I love cycling. I ride primarily for fun and fitness. It's the best workout plan for me, but I recommend it for everyone.

It's no secret that most people who join a neighborhood gym are gung-ho at first, but, not long afterward, working out becomes too much like work and people slowly slip into their previous routine of slothful behavior, not enough sleep, and devouring junk food. The weight they wanted to lose or the fitness level they wanted to reach becomes more distant with each day that passes.

I recommend cycling because having fun is not at all like working out.

If you love to engage in some outdoor pursuit that can keep you fit you will stay in shape the rest of your life, provided that you do it frequently. Cycling, swimming, and hiking are three examples. There are lots more.

It seems that for several years I have bought a new bike each spring and sold it very late in the year, after the riding season is over. Well, I plan to change that this year. I just bought a new bike a couple of weeks ago and I intend to swap the cheaper components that came on it with high-quality, race-worthy parts instead of what the manufacturer put on this frame.

Here it is...

This is a Fuji Sportif 2.5 (the cheapest of that model series).

I bought the Fuji 2.5 for the frame because it is the same exact frame quality as their top-of-the-line model, but, it has cheaper, heavier components. I just loved the color and none of the models produced this year had the component package I wanted anyway.

I plan to change the derailleurs, shifters, brakes, crankset, rear cassette, chain, and bottom bracket with a custom-picked set of parts of racing caliber. All I needed was the frame. Now, I will start swapping the factory-supplied parts with those I'd really love to have and build the bike I really wanted.

When I am done, this twenty-three pound bike will weigh about twenty pounds and will provide years of dependable service.

For the average rider, this bike is good enough. But I am a long-distance rider and plan to ride thousands of miles on this bike. I'll be using this bicycle as the center of my over-all fitness regimen. I want it to last the rest of my life.

By the end of this summer I hope to have made all of the parts swaps I am planning and I'll be riding this bike on the trainer over the coming winter.

I highly recommend riding a bicycle if you want to have fun and enjoy good health and fitness. Pedal on...

It's Been A Busy Month

It's been a busy month. Now that it is almost over I'll try to post more frequently.

April 15th, most years, is the income tax filing deadline. When I was single I always managed to file my tax returns early. With my wife, every year, it seems, we come down to the wire. This year was no different.

After the taxes are finally done it is time to start gearing up for the cycling season. This year, I bought a new bike from Performance Bike in Columbus, Ohio. Unlike last year, the bike is not a high-end ride, it is a basic model-- the Fuji Sportif 2.5 (2018). I picked this one specifically for the frame. 

Descriptions of the bike have a conflicting list of features. According to the information Fuji gives to retailers the product information says this: "and the new Full-Carbon Monocoque fork makes this bike even lighter than before" --although the spec list says the fork is an "alloy integrated" one.

It looks like a carbon fork. It feels like a carbon fork and Performance Bike is not the only dealer with the phrase in italics above in their product information.  Is it aluminum or is it carbon? Does it matter? Well, not really.

I bought this bike specifically to "build" one with the components that I really want on a Sportif frame. Since Fuji did not offer this bike with the Shimano 105 or Ultegra group, but, I want better quality derailleurs and shifters, cranks, and brakes, I decided to go this route. Why? Because the Sportif frame is a masterpiece. It has everything I wanted in a sport geometry with a more comfortable upright posture, and it is very high quality.

When I am finished this bike will have race-worthy components, a superb ride, and long-lasting durability. It will be the bike I've always wanted and no manufacturer would make. The only solution for me was to take matters into my own hands.

In the end, I will tell Fuji my story and see where it goes. If Fuji provides a custom-made option that mimics what I've done, then, that would be really cool. Likely, they won't. But either way, I'll be riding this bike with a big grin on my face and logging mile upon mile pedaling my way through the rolling hills of Ohio farmland.

Cheers.

Be Careful Out There

Be careful out there. The Internet is the wild, wild west of modern day.

I am a very careful computer user. I have been using computers since before the IBM PC ever came to market (that was 1981, in case you don't know). I can spot a computer issue or tentative threat a mile away. I worked in the industry for many years and I have also been a technical writer and editor.

Over the years, I have had two incidents where my own computer somehow got infected with a virus or some sort of malware. The first time, I could credit a good friend who brought over floppy disks with the marijuana stoned virus on them. It was a boot sector virus and I killed it as soon as it was discovered.

The second time was a recent event. I was searching the 'net for an Android image file that would enable me to root-kit a Lenovo A7600 tablet and install a previous version of that operating system on the device to rid it of a wi-fi issue that is inherent in "KitKat" incarnation of the OS. 

To make a long story short, I succeeded in root-kitting the tablet and installing "Jelly Bean" (I hate those silly CANDY NAMES). But somewhere along the line, I clicked a link that was supposed to take me to a site to download the image of the tablet's older operating system. It was click-bait mimicking a real tech site.

I had a trojan on my computer. I spotted an unknown folder on my computer and investigated. Well, how about that.

Enter Microsoft Security Essentials.

The trojan was first quarantined, then deleted, problem solved. Lucky for me I am very careful and use a secure browser for trusted sites and business. I also have multiple devices and use different systems for different work.

For me, a computer is a tool, not a toy. It is a means to an end. That is why I am always so careful.

If you can learn anything from my account, it is this:

If a long-time computer professional can get infected, so can you. There are lots of vulnerabilities in today's computers. With all of this technology and all of these connected devices, the world-wide-web has become the bastion of rebels and hackers. It is the wild-wild-west of our time.

Be careful. Avoid porn sites, music trading sites, file-swapping sites, and any site with game cheats and browser enhancements like search-bar tools. They are malware. Don't use instant messenger tools, they are a portal to your hard drive. Don't open attachments unless you know what they are and they come from a trusted source. If you have anti-virus software on your computer, right-click on the attachment and scan the file before opening it.

I hate the performance hit that you take from anti-virus software, but, Microsoft has done a great job with Security Essentials and Windows Defender. Over all, those two programs should keep your computer safe and any performance hit is marginal.

Be careful out there.

Epiphone Masterbilt DR-400 Guitar

I have played guitar for around fifty years. I've had just about every brand of guitar you could imagine. I've owned Gibson, Fender, Taylor, Ibanez, Breedlove, Martin, Epiphone Masterbilt, Epiphone, Gretsch, Parkwood, Hofner, and Yamaha guitars. I won't bother listing all of the ukulele brands I've had-- there are just too many.

Anything you do to relieve stress or anything that gives you joy and makes you smile, and is not harmful in any way, or to anyone, is a good thing.

For me, music has been one of the best ways to relax and forget about my problems. I love playing guitar and singing. I love writing songs about life and good times. I love singing harmonies and jamming with other musicians. In fact, most of my friends are musicians. Some of them are famous and some are just as talented and totally unknown.

Music is the highest form of expression.

My Epiphone Masterbilt DR-400 acoustic/electric guitar is not just an example of beautiful workmanship. It sounds fantastic! It feels great in my hands. It will just get better with age.

Everyone needs some form of relaxation. Everyone needs a way to unwind and forget about their problems. It's why we have so many great blues artists from past to present.

When life gets you down, pick yourself up with music.

Here is a picture of my Masterbilt DR-400 MCE VBS guitar.