30 Sunday Jul 2017
Posted in Exercise/ Fitness
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That is 40 miles. I set a goal to swim that distance over the month of July. I reached the goal with two days to spare. I swam twenty-five days out of twenty-nine days.
I’m tired. I did not accept the usual excuses for myself. Great feeling. I will swim Monday. That means 26 days swimming out of the thirty one days in July.
29 Saturday Jul 2017
Posted in Exercise/ Fitness
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I last posted when my distance swum was 50 kilometers (50,000 meters). Four days later, my distance is 61, 750 meters. Tomorrow, I plan to swim 2750 meters. This will bring my total to 64500 meters, over 40 miles. This was the goal I set.
About Wednesday of this week, I saw where I needed to up my daily distance if I wanted to finish the goal with any contingency allowed for weather, or plain exhaustion. So I did some calculating and decided that I needed to swim 2 x 3250 m, and 2 x 2750 m to finish with two days to spare. Sunday is a family birthday party, my sister’s 65th. It would be nice to not have that pressure to swim Sunday.
I have swim the longer distances before. I would make a big deal out of the longer distances, as if an extra 750 meters was of enormous magnitude. But doing 3250 on Wednesday, then again Friday, the real deciding factor is whether I want to spend the extra time in the pool, not that my constitution won’t tolerate the extra distance.
I finished the 2 x 3250 m workouts (2+miles). I felt enormous pride. And self-confidence. The old saying goes, “To build self-esteem, do estimable things.” Like swim consistently and pursue an unprecedented goal.
25 Tuesday Jul 2017
Posted in cooking, Exercise/ Fitness, food
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I got to the 31 mile mark (50Km) today. I did not want to swim. I was tired. But I went to the Y, got in the pool and began. I finished and was proud that I stuck to it. Nine miles to 40 miles. Seven days to finish.
At AA today, one of my gardener buddies was giving away squash and tomatoes. I thought a winter squash was a summer squash. Boy was that rind tough! But I managed to make a tasty dish. I managed to clean up the kitchen after dinner while I still had the energy.
Feeling the sleep coming over me.
24 Monday Jul 2017
Posted in Catholic Life, food
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Usually, I go to Mass (or the two of us go) on Saturday evening or Sunday morning. Then Sunday brunch, maybe a nap and a swim workout. Today Mass came after the swim at 5:00 PM. Mrs CorC? doesn’t find anything wrong with the Novus Ordo Mass. On the other hand, I find the music banal, the lyrics reduce Jesus to some sort of cure for what ails me. There is a marked lack of reverence; the congregation acts as if it is at a concert. Somebody needs to tell them they are not there to be entertained. And yet, despite this irreverent atmosphere, Jesus is present, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the consecrated Bread and Wine. That is why I am there.
I contrast this week’s Mass with last week’s. Last week I went to the Tridentine Mass, what is now called the Extraordinary Form. This was, until about 50 years ago, the only form of the Mass. Central to it is the Sacrifice of Our Lord. The Mass is celebrated in Latin, the Chants go back to St Gregory The Great. The music is extraordinarily beautiful, truly sacred , drawing the worshippers toward The Lord. Quite frankly, it isn’t all that hard to follow. Consider that we the Congregation are supposed to know what’s being said and what’s going on.
The takeaway today is that Mrs CorC? and I were there together. That means the world to me. I’ll even put up with an annoying tambourine to be with her.
After Mass, we went to Starbucks so Mrs CorC? could have a S’Mores Frappuccino. She is a huge fan of this concoction, I had some iced tea drink, with passion fruit, I think. It was OK..
Then we had tacos. Tacos are like pizza. It’s hard to make them bad. Watching baseball now, Cardinals at Cubs. The Yankees won already.
Hard to believe it is almost Eleven P.M. I made some decaf. I had a peach for dessert. We are having a thunderstorm outside. Summer. Moving toward August and then Autumn awaits.
23 Sunday Jul 2017
Posted in Fashion & Grooming
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I have a leather belt that I have used for years. It is a go-to in my wardrobe. I wear it with jeans and khakis mostly.
My sudden attention to my appearance prompted me to take a look at The Belt. The buckle might be shined with an application of Brasso© and Elbow Grease. To my pleasant surprise, the buckle shines quite nicely. It is some sort of nickel/steel alloy. Looking at the leather, I see a dry, dull surface, uncared for. I get out the Zymol© Leather Cleaner, work it in and see some dirt come up. I get excited. I find some neutral shoe polish, work that in too, brush and buff it. I am pleased. But there are patches that need color. I use cordovan polish and brush and buff. Looking even better.
Who will notice this attention to detail to The Belt? I will!
22 Saturday Jul 2017
Posted in Foreign Films, Sexuality, sleep
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This morning I woke around 3:45, and decide I shall be up for awhile. I turn on YouTube and resume watching Phillippe Noiret in Coup De Torchon. I remember seeing this film when it was released. Over time, I became a huge Phillipe Noiret fan. Cinema Paradiso is my favorite Noiret film. So yeah, I’m guilty of being a sentimental slob.The YouTube version of Coup De Torchon is chopped up and hard to follow. I lose interest, but can’t get back to bed.
Eventually I end up watching an infomercial for the Abdoer360, a product that promises incredible results! This device features a seat that rotates on a chair platform and promises to give you a great abdominal workout. Given that Infomercial World is a magic place where amazing things happen, I suppose that’s possible.
Finally I go back to bed. When I wake up, I have the “I didn’t sleep enough” feeling. Mrs CorC? is heading to work. I have a day where a swim isn’t mandatory and the chores can wait. Bedtime can be whenever I want it.
I made decaf. And my eyeballs want to know what my eyelids are doing open. A fantasy creeps into my head about what kind of lover I would be today, after my sexuality has been bottled up for 10+ years. A follow-up fantasy follows of a woman I’ve never met, but who has an aura of passion about her. Need, longing, lust escape the little prison we call today.
22 Saturday Jul 2017
Posted in Depression, loneliness, Relationships
Here it is the end of the day. I did everything I was supposed to do, everything that I wanted to do. I have a real feeling of success. And yet…
Mrs CirC? announced she is working tomorrow. That’s OK. We do very little together, except eat at restaurants, go to Church, or watch Highway Patrol in bed. For a change of pace, I Love Lucy is in the DVD for tonight’s viewing pleasure. She falls asleep while it plays.
She tells me she loves me. She means it. But the feeling of being loved doesn’t ignite within me. The positive aspect about this emotional torture is that I don’t want to eat to make it go away.
Sucks to be human. Sometimes.
21 Friday Jul 2017
Posted in cooking, Exercise/ Fitness, Literature, Sexuality, Uncategorized
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I am swimming an awful lot this month, averaging six days out of seven. At one point, I saw that I could swim a total of forty miles this month. Then, when my sister and her husband went on vacation to Florida, I saw that this goal was readily within reach. You see DH, my brother-in-law, usually takes D my stepmom to the Y on days when I don’t. So with going to the Y daily darn near mandatory, there was no reason for me to wheedle out of a swim. As of yesterday, I have swum 26.4 miles (42.5km). This leaves a little over thirteen miles left with ten days to finish. At 2500 meters per day, this is readily do-able. The good news is my repaired parts, especially my rotator cuff, are holding up.
Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, I have been trying new stuff. I had some leftover slow-cooked cilantro lime chicken I made pulled chicken tacos with. I did cheat and use a packet of Old El Paso Chicken Taco Seasoning. I found Ortega Blue Corn Taco Shells. Even 60+ year-old Adults like Taco Night. I also made a sweet & sour red cabbage/apple side dish, spiced with cinnamon, clove and coriander that was also yummy. Real easy to make: slice or chop the red cabbage. Core a Granny Smith apple and cut in rings. Put in a non-stick skillet over medium heat, turning frequently. Add the spices. I don’t measure. I use the “That tastes good.” standard. When good and cooked down, I add a tablespoon of turbinado sugar (brown sugar would also work) and a tablespoon of vinegar. Maybe more, if that sweet/sour experience is your “thing”. Turn down the heat to warm or thereabouts. Remember to eat it.
At three A.M, when I couldn’t sleep, I woke up and read a story in a Lesbian BDSM anthology, I “inherited” from my deceased lesbian cousin’s cache of books. The Second Coming is a collection of stories essays and photographs compiled by Pat (now Patrick) Califia and Robin Sweeney. (Alyson Books, 1996). The story “Possession” by Sorel Husbands is a pretty powerful gang rape fantasy, that works because of how it deals with emotions and psychology. Not for the squemish, but the author emphasizes that it is fantasy. My erotic sensibilities and experiences are, more or less, on hiatus. So I read a lot of stuff, somewhat dispassionately.
The balance of today will consist of the Y and a swim, AA, finding something for lunch, and dreaming up something to fix for dinner. Salmon appears to be winning. I’ll find some asparagus too.
Life is good.
Hug your children.
Love your lovers .
Make sure your pets are well hydrated.
Keep cool.
19 Wednesday Jul 2017
Posted in personal grooming
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I have reported about my weight loss for several weeks. Sunday I tried on one of my “skinny suits” and it fit! So I tried on a jacket and trousers that I had not worn in years. They fit too. For the AA meeting today I wore my jacket and tie. The immediate response and running joke at AA when one shows up dressed up is, “How did court go today?” Or “What time is the funeral?”
But I dressed up just for fun. And wearing a jacket and tie is almost comfortable when not required to be worn.
So anyway, here is the lame-ass selfie I took.
Out of curiosity, are any of you ladies out there sexually attracted to men wearing suits and ties?
14 Friday Jul 2017
Posted in Cycling, Exercise/ Fitness
I was all stoked about getting the Schwinn back in working order to ride. However…
I am NOT in working order and ready to ride. My adductors, in my left leg particularly are more than a little inflexible. These muscles are not stretched out; swimming seems to make no difference. I discovered this when trying to mount the bike. I got my leg over the bike, but took a tumble before we had a chance to adjust the saddle height. Balance issues too.
They say one never forgets how to ride a bike. “They” don’t say anything about getting on one in the first place.
Dispatches From Dystopia 