Some tips for Santa Fe Women from a Country Boy from Texas

I gotta laugh a little at this title as I begin this post because it's already starting out about like hitting a hornet's nest with a stick.

First off, from what I've experienced, Santa Fe people in general don't like people from Texas.

To which when I hear that attitude coming my way, I reply real quickly....

"Yep - you don't like people from Texas - but you goddamn sure like our money.  Hell - if it wasn't for people from Texas spending their money in this beautiful desert called New Mexico and especially Santa Fe, the State of New Mexico would've been bankrupt a long time ago."

That seems to shut their ass up real quick - cause they know it's true.

Now that I've gotten this post off on the wrong foot, I might as well back foot it a little more with a song...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7ZQytOqmCk

Maybe I'm always on the backfoot cause I write blog posts like this or at least think in a way that generates ideas and content for blog posts like this.

Regardless, I'm not smart enough to NOT write blog posts like this, i.e. keep my thoughts like this to myself, but I am smart enough to provide a list of conditions and qualifications at the beginning for reader consideration:

• I am not a Woman Hater - in fact, as far as I'm concerned, I love, respect and adore women and a woman's company as much or more than any man I know.
• I do realize I have as many or more faults, foibles and failures than any 10 people out there and that I, in no way, have any right, privilege or position to point at, pontificate or personalize any criticism for anybody else - but that ain't gonna stop me from doing it.
• This information is presented in a sarcastic, tongue in cheek, dry humor kind of way, however it is based on nearly 5 years of attentive observations, experiences, encounters, episodes and actual events.
• It is also presented in the same way that I receive similar critical information about men in general and myself specifically, and this is a many splintered, multi-faceted consideration, so just hear me out.
• When people critique me, my initial and spontaneous internal reaction is to defend myself or rebut how that individual's criticism is WRONG, however, in nearly every criticism I receive, there is something to be learned - either about myself because most, some part or derivative of what the person is saying is true - OR it tells me something about the person who is delivering the criticism, i.e. they are revealing how they think or perceive the World around them and the people in it - like me.
• So either way - there's data there - whether it's usable, meaningful or actionable - usually depends on the source AND how willing I am to "let the information in".
• I, personally and personality and relationship-wise, am No Cake Walk.  In fact, I'm downright weird - or should  I say - Fringe! https://willsonwheels.blogspot.com/2016/06/are-you-fringe-person.html - so take all of what follows with and in consideration of the understanding of where it's coming from.
• Finally - probably the main driving force for writing this post is that I hear so many Santa Fe women bitching about the fact that there are No Good Men around in Santa Fe or the "low humidity" of dating in Santa Fe, to which I kinda have to back up and marvel, because my first thought is "Hey Honey - while you're bitching about the Men in Santa Fe - why don't you take a look in the mirror of your body, mind and spirit and look at what the other side is looking at."

So, I guess what I'm saying is, that if you experience any feeling of being singled out or identifying with any of these funny little finger points, just relax about it.

I derive the most amount of comedy and humor in life in laughing at myself.

But sometimes, in the comedy or hopeless helplessness of being the dumb ass that I am about myself, the people I come in contact and interact with and my existence on this earth in general, I learn something....

And that learning / emerging awareness gives me pause and consideration and every once in a while - I make an adjustment / change based on that.

So if any of the following characteristics hit home with you - if you look like it, act like it and / or identify with it, then Own It.

If you don't like it but realize it to be true, then give it thoughtful consideration and perhaps consider doing something about it.

Without further bullshit, product disqualification or conditions, I present to you, in no particular order of importance or priority, the top 10 or 20 or 100 Tips for Santa Fe women from this dumb ole country boy from Texas:

1. I have found that a lot of the Santa Fe women have tended to over embrace the "Natural Look". I'm not really sure what the Source of this is or why they choose to pursue this but the Net Effect is IMHO, not so good. Part of this, I think, is this whole Feminist "I am Woman - Hear me Roar" attitude / perspective that a lot of women embody in Santa Fe.  I mean, I try to get this and understand and empathize with it, but frankly, based on my experience and observation, the World has over compensated for this whole downtrodden women thing.  I know personally, I have been taken advantage of by women far more times than vice versa and I have witnessed and been detrimentally affected by Women being favored over men in the workplace and in common social situations.  Anyway - points 2 - 8 address the whole "Natural Look" thing.
2. Put on some fucking make-up for God and Man's sake will ya?
3. Do something with your hair - and I'm not talking about cutting it any shorter - Jesus - you already look like a man anyway with that short hair - how about growing it out a little bit and spending some time on it?  There are a few men out there that like women with shorter hair but for the most part - and I think I'm right on this - there's nothing like a woman with shoulder length or longer hair. And I know - it takes time, effort and money to deal with longer hair but believe me, it's worth it in the eye of this beholder.
4. Eat something. I mean like some real food. I ain't gonna get off on the whole Vegan bashing thing. Hell I eat more fresh and cooked veggies than any 10 vegetarians I know but I see so many of these women in Santa Fe look like something from an Auschwitz Concentration Camp. Hey - if that's attractive to you - then Rock the Fuck on. Me? - I want a little meat on them bones and in my Meals.
5. Work out a little bit - and Geez - I'm not talking about Yoga - I'm talking about Resistance Training or Progressive Weight Training or HIIT.  Put a little intensity into your body and make it look like it could handle more than a 5 mph wind blowing it over.  Let me tell ya something folks, there is nothing more attractive to this DOCB (dumb ole country boy) than a woman working out - doing squats or deadlifts or shoulder presses or any sort of structured weight training. And I will say I work out with a lot of Fiercely and Exotically Gorgeous Women at Anytime Fitness in Santa Fe, mostly of the Hispanic persuasion - which I am so partial to - problem is they're either too young for me or already married or with partners or whatever - or just probably see me for what I am - this weird old Gringo who likes to work out.
6. Wear some attractive form-fitting clothes assuming you have a form to fit which goes back to #4 and #5 if you don't. And not some drab colored mono chrome earth tones or black or gray or whatever. Show some legs, some arms - lose the long sleeve blouse thing in the summer. Santa Fe is a Community of the colors of the Southwest which are bright, vivid, contrasting and attention grabbing.  Think about that when you dress.
7. Wear a bra - PLEASE!  Preferably a push-up supportive bra.  Do I need to say more about this? No - I don't think so.
8. Get some sun - put some color on that skin - and before you lecture me about skin cancer - realize I'm talking about reasonable and measured exposure (based on published tables / studies for Age, skin type, geographical location, season, etc.) to one of the most important, body critical nutrients available - Natural, from the Sun Vitamin D.  And all the research and recent studies that I've read and studied and seen data on suggests and specify that natural exposure to the sun and the resulting absorption of Vitamin D is ANTI-CANCEROUS and more importantly, Cancer, in general and in the proportion of cause, is Created, Sustained and Grown from consumption of too much sugar, i.e. carbohydrates, so exposure to the Sun is not what most people should be worried about - it's exposure to and consumption of too many "bad carbs" aka grains, bread, pasta, high sugar fruits, high-glycemic index and "hidden sugar" processed foods.  I guess some people consider pasty white a "Natural and Healthy" look - I am not one of them.
9. Smile and Act Happy - this is a tough one for me to describe or expand on because I see the 2 extremes but not much in between.  For the most part, a lot of these Santa Fe Women who are not happy with the Men in Santa Fe, don't look happy, which is kind of a vicious social and surface circle, I guess.  Maybe if they acted and looked happier aka Fake it to Make it, they would get more positive masculine attention - I don't know.  
10. Don't Smile so Much - On the other hand and on the opposite end of the spectrum is the population of Santa Fe women who run around with this fake angelic, shit eating grin on their face.  Holy Shit - you talk about a 100% contra indicator for internal happiness and normality - that's it if I've ever saw and experienced one.  In fact, I have created a "Never" approach / red flag / don't go there scorched earth policy on this characteristic.  In a nutshell, if a woman has an eternally blissful smile on her face, I turn and run the other way.
11. Cook a Meal for a Man - Oh boy, Wills - you just stepped off in it on that one.  I mean - Come on Folks - there is nothing sexier or more attractive to a Man than having a woman take and make the effort to plan, prepare and cook a good sit down meal. And it is so fucking rare in Santa Fe.  What is wrong with that picture and how on God's Green Earth are women missing that important element to nurturing a relationship with a man so badly?  I am shocked, amazed, disappointed and discouraged at the lack of Women in Santa Fe making this effort.  Gotta move on from this one because it is so near and dear to my stomach and heart and my stomach and heart are pretty empty because of it - or lack of it. And FWIW and FTR, I have cooked 10 times more from scratch, 4 or more course meals for Women in Santa Fe than vice versa.
12. Quit talking about Politics and how bad this Country is and how the World is going to hell in a handbasket.  Geez - that is the most attraction-killing thing you can do.  I, and to be truthful and realistic, most men, don't wanna hear you bitch about Trump and border immigration and about how so many classes and races of people are being oppressed by our government and how we need better gun control.  Just STFU about all that and talk about something positive and uplifting - like the workouts you're not doing - see #5 and the bra you're not wearing - see #7.
13. If you are gonna insist on talking about all the Bullshit of the World from #12, do some actual research and due diligence on all these controversial subjects you are so fucking passionate about and wanna bitch about - and get some facts, some real scientific or non-bias, non-CNN, media-driven sources and I mean multiple, repeatable, consistent sources - so you actually know WTF you're talking about.  My bullshit meter is pretty good - and I, personally, don't talk about shit I haven't done my due diligence on - and I expect that and am attracted to that from the Women I come in contact with.  Situation Critical on this one!
14. Quit smoking so much weed!  Geez - this fucking town is eat up with potheads.  I'm still on the fence on the benefits / detriments of the whole CBD / THC thing.  I haven't done enough of the in-depth due diligence research, per #13 above, to intelligently support / criticize its use.  And I do understand that it has a long list of supposed benefits for pain and inflammation and other body compromising conditions / diseases - I got it - you don't need to keep telling me all that.  One thing I do know is that THC is processed through the liver and, as such, compromises and or occupies liver function for other important bodily functions so that's not good.  In addition, based on my own experience and many and ongoing observations of others under the influence of Weed and all it's derivatives and forms - It makes you fucking stupid and slow and less than reasonably coherent.  It slows down / impairs my mind, body and spirit function and that's not a good thing.
15. Treat the Men you meet or are interested in as good or better than you do your dog. Don't even get me started on this one cause I could run this hound till the Cows come home.  It simply shocks and amazes me that so many women in Santa Fe give so much more attention, priority , status, effort, time and consideration to their dogs than they do their male company.  Let me tell you something - Women of Santa Fe - when you're with me - your dog is just that, a dog - not a person - which means it's below me in status and existence and priority of your time and attention - so act accordingly.  And control the dog - make it mind.  Any woman or person in general that has a dog with no discipline and no obedience is not doing themselves or the dog any favors, and frankly, exhibits characteristics of lack of self-discipline themselves.  Not attractive.
16. Lose the "snootiness" and high brow attitude about "structured dancing". Oh boy - have I had a lot of experience and I mean bad experiences with this one.  First off, let me explain - Santa Fe is famous for its "dancing community" and by dancing community, I'm talking about Swing, 2-Step, Salsa, Tango blah blah blah.  And if you don't know how to do any or all of these kinds of dancing, there's a lot of women in Santa Fe that discount you and literally, will criticize or shun you just based on that - which is fucking mind blowingly amazing to me.  I mean I can dance like a MF'er to freestyle, unstructured, dance with the beat type of dancing and to me, that is much more difficult and artistic and athletically challenging than the same old step over and over again aka structured dancing.  But me and the Women in Santa Fe are so far apart on this specific element that I just don't think there's any use trying to address it.  It's a real pity because live rock / alternative and freestyle dance music listening and appreciation and the dancing that goes with it is WAY up there on my Core List of Life Priorities and it is so missing in the population of the Women of Santa FE.
17. Quit worrying about Men taking advantage of you - I'm not one of them.  Geez - you wouldn't believe how many women have told me their "horror" stories about men trying to take advantage of them by trying to get money out of them or "tricking" them into buying dinner or whatever.  Frankly - I wanna find out who these "Men" MF'ers are and kick their asses and tell the women - you know what - if you're gonna be Miss Independent and purport and strut the whole "I am Woman - greatest thing on earth" walk then pony up every once in a while and just drop the "Oh - let's go Dutch" thing and buy dinner for me. It ain't gonna kill ya - believe me, you're gonna get a lot more out of me in the long run adopting that attitude than you are the other one. I mean - whether you want to admit it or not - it's expensive for a man to date a woman in Santa Fe - I've written about this before - https://willsonwheels.blogspot.com/search?q=rising+cost+of+loving - and I've been on the receiving end of women of taking advantage of me financially my whole fucking life - so if you're looking for some sympathy from me on this subject - DON'T!
18. Try acting like a Woman instead of a Man - if you don't know what this means and what it looks like and acts like and talks like - GOOGLE IT!

I think that's enough of a list to get me exiled from Santa Fe or at least generate enough negative opinion or hate mail from the SF Feminine Population to keep me isolated and dateless for the next 5 years....

Just like I've been for the last 5 years.

Hey - don't get me wrong - I love Santa Fe and love living here.

I love the weather - except the summer afternoon hailstorms.  

I love the livable 4 Seasons. I love the proximity to the mountains and variety of terrain and all of the outdoor opportunities that provides.  I like the size of it, the relative infrastructure - lack of traffic, hike and bike trails, existence of stores, fitness facilities, architecture, etc. -  and especially the live music and dance scene and availability of all that.  I am not a huge art appreciator but acknowledge and understand the Mecca Santa Fe is for that sort of thing.

What else?

I guess one more disclosure is in order.

I have met a Few Good Women in Santa Fe - I guess they were just too "good" or normal for me or I was too "bad" or abnormal for them.

So there's that.

And more importantly - I didn't come to Santa Fe looking for a relationship or basing my move to Santa Fe on the anticipation of finding one -

And that's probably a good thing.

Cause a Huge Discovery for Discovery is.....

It's slim pickings for that sort of thing in Santa Fe.

Proposing / Planning a Path through the Pain

Let me get right to the point on this post and talk about the ultimate life arbiter besides DEATH and let me also say this post is an extension, a post-script and a follow-up to the previous post -

"You Can't Handle the Truth!" or the Pain

Because based on quite a few discussions with different people over an extended period of time on the subject of eating plans, exercise and general lifestyle to support and promote a more vigorous, longer and fulfilling life, this subject keeps coming up time and time again, especially when it involves a discussion of WHAT I DO and WHY I DO IT.

Of course, I'm talking about Pain.

Mr. Pain to Me - because I do respect this MFer and have spent a lot of time with him historically in an unmanaged or mismanaged way and continue to exchange blows with him on a daily basis but on a field of pain of my choosing.

As I said - Historically, his influence on my Life has been greater than it is now, which is a significant statement because it opens up a dialog and suggests a positive path in dealing with Mr. Pain.

Indulge me for a paragraph or 8 with some Motherhood and Apple Pie statements and general observations and specific recommendations on the subject of Pain and other related thoughts and items that hopefully will highlight a less torturous hike up Mt. Pain.

So here's my list of not so random thoughts about navigating a path / signing a treaty / reaching a cease fire or detente with Ambassador Pain.

• First off, I realize there are all different types of Pain - physical pain from an acute injury, chronic pain from a debilitating or diseased condition, mental and emotional pain brought on by relational or environmental stresses, pain of depression, loneliness, loss, grief, the pain of being UNHEALTHY - yep that may be the biggest Pain of them all because if feeds and facilitates so many of the other pains or at least leaves you less able to deal with / overcome the many pains of life.
• It is commonly understood that any skill, vocation, career, talent, program of accomplishment if you will, requires 10000 hours of DELIBERATE PRACTICE, to achieve proficiency.  That's basically a full time job for 5 years.  How this applies to this whole subject matter of Pain and Pain Management is that to become good at the job of Managing Life's Pains and developing a healthy lifestyle - however you define that - will likely require a 5-year education and a lot of progression and practice to get your degree.  Think of it as an investment in your future because that's what it is.
• When you open up the dialog of a 5-year path to achieve a healthy lifestyle and connect the dots of my own journey and arrive at the last dot, which might be a random question and discussion about WHAT I DO and HOW I DO what I do to look and be the way I am, it is important to realize just that - that you are looking at an endpoint of a greater than 5-year journey with all of the efforts and failures and learnings and experimentation and refining and education that came along the way.
• The takeaways from this realization and consideration are many and far-reaching and significant especially to someone who has not walked this path or even begun to walk this path.
• Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts for this journey that I am aware of other than the ones I purport - which are covered / listed in the previous post.  I have already run the gauntlet so when I share the info, it is in the vein of an optimized path - one that will ensure that whoever follows it will not have to go through as much pain in the mistakes and detours of not having someone walk the path before them.
• Also, please try to avoid the trap of making excuses or psyching yourself out on the whole "bad carb restriction / high good fat consumption, intermittent fasting, intense exercise, etc." path / plan / proposal. with the argument - "Well it works for you but my body works differently.  I have to.... blah blah blah."  OK - Understood. But here's the deal - Everything I am talking about is not VooDoo, it's not conjecture, it's not guesswork - it's chemistry, body chemistry, biological mechanisms and functions - it is the science of the way the human body works - all human bodies work.  And your human body is no different.
• Now of course, as I said in the post before, you have to take these general principles and concepts and AMO - Adapt, Modify, Overcome - the obstacles and issues in your own life to implement them. Yep - that might be painful or Pain-Fool.
• Hey - I get it. People are at different phases in their lives and have different time and effort demands and considerations and priorities and schedules so prioritizing, planning, practicing and perfecting a Lifestyle Change as "radical" but reasonable as what I'm proposing can be a daunting task.
• Here's where I want to circle back to the point of where I am on my journey compared to and in consideration of where people I talk to might be.
• Begin the journey with small steps.  Eat the Elephant one Steak at a time.  Let me give you an example - I have had several people witness me doing 30" box jumps with ease in my workouts - and they have said "Oh - I could never do that!".  My response is "Nope - you can't but I bet you can do a 6" box jump and probably do it 10 times a day for a month.  And then, next month, you could move up to a 9" box jump and do it 10 times a day for a month. And then....". See where I'm going with this. Make a Plan based on Baby Steps or Jumps and then Start Jumping!
• Apply that good mind fuck, baby step progression to every aspect of this Lifestyle Enhancing Program.
• As another example - on the intermittent fasting - which in review means you basically go 16 - 23 hours from the last meal the day before to the first meal of the next day.  I tell people - Please don't try to do this in one "Cold Turkey" move.  Begin by delaying your normal breakfast by an hour for a week or 2.  Let your body adapt. Remember you are beginning to wean yourself off of carb / sugar addiction and beginning the repair of Insulin Resistance brought on by years of frequent eating - which by the way is complete bullshit.  The science and studies and medical papers that have been published especially over the last 10 years have proven unequivocally that the WORST thing you can do to your body is eat FREQUENT meals.  Time restricted eating, which is the same as Intermittent Fasting, restricts your eating to 1 - 8 hours a day, depending on how "deep" you go into it, and is the KEY to Body Repair / Life Enhancement and Extension.
• So - continuing this specific progression on implementing Intermittent Fasting - the next couple of weeks you stretch your breakfast to - say 10:00 am - and you start cutting out the between breakfast and lunch snacks and the late night snacks and before bed eating.
• Again - you see how this progression is going - so carry on with it and meanwhile, back at the Bad Carb Restriction / Good Fat Expansion Ranch, you begin transitioning your caloric intake from that steady input of Processed Foods (that contain so much hidden sugar), Bread, Grains, Potatoes, Pasta, Rice, High Sugar Fruits, and yes Santa Fe - TORTILLAS and CHIPS!, etc. to high quality meats (yes - Fat is Your Friend and Sugar is Your Enemy!), Eggs (absolutely the "perfect" food), Cheese (one shot of Apple Cider Vinegar immediately after each meal will help with all kinds of digestive issues like lactose intolerance - believe me I know - I used to fart like a GD Pasture Cow after eating cheese and now with the help of the Apple Cider Vinegar to increase the acidity of my stomach and improve digestion and assimilation of all that I eat - nothing but Eat and Enjoy!), Butter, Olive Oil, Avocados and Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, Walnuts, Almonds, Pecans and of course, a "bucket full" of green leafy and cruciferous vegetables like kale, swiss chard, beet greens, Romaine, Spring Mix, red cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, brussel sprouts, squash, peppers, onions, tomatoes, etc.  Find your own way to make the veggies tastes good - I season everything I cook heavily with salt, pepper and a mix of Curry powder, Garam Masala and Allspice and then dress my cooked and raw veggies with a good dousing of Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil.  Try that - I'll bet you'll like veggies more than you realized.
• Believe me - as I stated in the previous post - there will be a "Pain" of craving what you had before and what you are now denying yourself. Satiate your cravings with "good fats". One of my little secret indulgences is a mix of salted coconut oil or butter, dark chocolate, blueberries and walnuts.  Everyone I have introduced this little concoction to has raved over the seratonin producing / palate exciting qualities (think Pleasure over Pain!) it has and how it immediately ends all cravings for "bad carbs" and sugar.  
• One last consideration / fact before I begin to wrap this Pain Prescription up and this is a really important point.  Don't view me or watch me and use me as Your Example.  I am a self-admitted Extremist! I am taking all of these concepts and programs and practices to the Nth degree - because that's what I want. That's what I enjoy - seeing how far I can stretch all this in achieving a non-linear, non-universal level of fitness and appearance.  YOU DON'T NEED TO DO THAT! You could do / implement 50 - 60% of what I'm doing and transform your life in a meaningful and incredible way - with much less Pain and Discomfort. So please - don't let me be a discouragement or some vestige of an Unachievable Endpoint or Goal - just look at me as a Guide or Compass to get you headed in the right direction and then make the general concepts / practical applications match Your Life and Goals.
• We all have to face different and consistent Pain in our lives.  What I am suggesting is that you "Choose Your Pain".  Introduce the pain and sacrifice of a healthy eating plan and vigorous exercise regimen that will transition your whole being and daily existence from all the pain you have to deal with in being unhealthy.  You will be absolutely amazed at how much better you feel, how much clearer you think, how much better you do at work and at home when you get off the "Sugar Train" and starting Walking the Talk of a Clean Keto eating plan and vigorous exercise schedule - and let me add - one will support the other in an incredible self-sustaining Positive Cycle - the better you eat, the harder you will be able to work out, which will leave you craving "Good Food" vs Junk to facilitate the repair of the body from the workout.
• Make creating a New You a #1 Priority because as I have said so many times - the Least Selfish thing you can do in your Life - for your spouse, for your children, for your parents, for your career, for every aspect of your Life - is to take care of you First!
• Look at it as an Investment in the Most Important Asset in Your Life Portfolio - YOU!

Ok Folks - I'm done preaching and pontificating.

Here's the Key Takeaway - I totally understand and empathize with the Whole Concept of Pain Avoidance - especially when it applies to Food and Exercise

I get it - I really do.

But here's the Cold and Hard Truth.

We all have to deal with some level of Pain and Discomfort on a daily basis in some way or another and if you don't take care of yourself, you're gonna have to deal with it more along the way and ultimately through premature aging and death than you would if you had just made some reasonable, planned, practiced, scientifically-based adjustments along the way.

So the Choice is up to You.

Let the Pain of an Unhealthy Lifestyle control, shorten and destroy your life OR

Pick a Pain of Your Choice that will ultimately benefit you in a longer, more productive, enjoyable and happy and healthy lifestyle.

I've chosen my Pain.

And that is the Greatest Discovery of my Life.

"You Can't Handle the Truth".... or the Pain!

Let's begin this little ditty with a scene from a movie.

You Can't Handle the Truth! - A Few Good Men Movie Clip

One of my favorite movies and probably because of this scene which creates a cinematic crescendo in the orchestral plot.

Now I in no way am implying or intending that the following information / anecdotes in any way parallels the subject matter or significance of context of this fictional situation in cinematic history but the Jack Nicholson outburst does kind of represent how I want to respond to people in the following situation which I will get to at the end of this post.

And let me also do my lists of qualifications, conditions and considerations for your consideration:

• I am not a medical doctor or a nutritionist or a certified trainer or anything - well I'm a chemical engineer - which I guess helps with some things but penalizes me in other things - but that's material for another post.
• As such, you should consult your own doctor before doing any of the shit I write about and practice.
• Finally, this information is worth what you're paying for it, which is nothing, so put that in your bank account and see how much interest you collect.

Ok - now that's out of the way -

Let me lay down a little groundwork here for this literary bitch - that's funny - I guess you could take that 2 ways.

I am a Literary Bitch that wants to express a Literary Bitch.

Anyway - no big secret - one of my highest life priorities and daily time and energy consumers is...

Being healthy.

And not only being healthy but looking healthy, fit, lean, muscular blah blah blah.

And I am all into pushing the envelope on what is "normal and natural and universally established and accepted" in regards to that look and the approaches, practices and long term consistency that justify the means to an end.

But I am also into exploring, researching, learning and applying new knowledge and information toward the short terms results of being healthy, having a lean, muscular, "extreme" physique but, as importantly, figuring out what it takes to maintain, sustain that condition for the long term.

In recent times - let's say the last 18 - 24 months - I have changed my perspective on longevity.

Prior to this period, I was "All In" - balls to the wall - adamant that I wanted to "burn out and drop out" probably by the time I was 70 years old.

I've written about this many times before but present these links again for my previous philosophy for your edification or sympathy or criticism....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bOKsOveYD0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4CZfac0N0E

The main reason I have changed my perspective on the desire of duration for my personal life span is because I have new data.

What?

New data?

You mean to tell me Discovery - that you have changed your mind about something as critical as how long you would like to live....

Based on new data?

How revolutionary and reasonable and counter culture of you!

Yeah - Yeah - I know - I tend to be a Life Gangsta Salmon that way - always swimming against the current.

So - spill the Beans Wills - what's this all about.

All right - here it is in a nutshell.

There is a ton of information / data / medical and clinical studies / research out there that has all come out in the last 5 - 10 years that states and concludes the FACT that consuming too many carbs / sugar destroys / rots / deteriorates your body / cells from the inside out.

I'm not going to provide umpteen links / resources to PROVE this is true.

You can do your own due diligence - just start Google-ing, doing YouTube searches, Internet searches for appropriate keywords, phrases, etc. - and then spend 4 - 8 hours reviewing the information and you'll get the picture.

In a nutshell, restricting "bad carbs" like grains and grain products, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, high sugar fruits, processed foods and other "high-glycemic index" foods, IS THE KEY to being physically, mentally and emotionally healthy AND to living a longer life - both by reducing / eliminating the risk of disease but also by making your core body components last longer.

On a same daily caloric intake basis, replacing the "bad carb" intake with "good carbs" - like cruciferous and green leafy vegetables and I mean a lot of them - like 10 - 12 cups per day on a raw basis - whether you eat them raw or cooked - ensures that you get the critical vitamins and micronutrients WITHOUT soliciting or incurring significant insulin / blood sugar responses and swings.

And Insulin Stability / fixing or reversing Insulin Resistance on a cellular level is the KEY mechanism for this entire Life Giving / Health Improving process.

I'm putting out a lot of "general" concepts and information here because, frankly, if I started getting off into the details of how all this works - I would still be writing this post this time tomorrow.

While I'm in the process of presenting terms, ideas, concepts, techniques and metabolic and body functions and mechanisms that contribute to this cellular repair of the body, let me throw a few more things at you.

Adjusting your percentage or proportion of daily caloric intake to favor a higher percentage of "good fats" - found in meats, nuts and seeds, avocados, butter, cheese, coconut oil, olive oil, etc. - will cause your body to go from "sugar burning / glycogen dependence" to "fat burning / ketosis" mode.  FYI - Ketones are an alternate fuel source produced by your liver in the absence of stored glycogen (sugar) in the muscles and liver.  So - you limit the carb intake, you go into ketosis.

And yes - I know - we're talking about the "ketogenic" diet which gets a lot of bad press and bad rep but there are many different versions of the keto diet and the one that I have researched, edited / modified and followed for the last 10 - 12 months is what is best described as a "Modified Atkins / Clean Keto" eating plan with about the following macronutrient daily caloric intake percentages:

50% good fats (as described above)
35% protein (pork, beef, chicken, fish, eggs, etc)
15% good carbs (as described above - basically a bucket of green leafy and cruciferous veggies and berries)

Combine a "high good fat / low bad carb" eating plan with Intermittent Fasting aka Time Restricted Eating and you have the Perfect Storm for Health, Well-being and Longevity.

The bottom line is Eating / Consuming Food and all the processes that go with it is destructive to your body mainly through the need to introduce insulin into your blood to control blood sugar.

In the past - again Old School nutritional technology - the way to address this was calorie restriction with many studies showing that a daily caloric intake of less than 1000 calories / day increases life span.

What the new studies are showing to be true and more effective and obviously easier to implement is to "give the body a break from eating / digesting / assimilating macro and micronutrients" through intermittent fasting / time restricted eating which basically means you skip breakfast, eat a late lunch and eat a 2nd meal if necessary within 4 - 6 hours of the 1st meal. In effect, you are increasing your daily fast from 10 - 12 hours to 18 - 22 hours.

This extra 8 - 12 hours of fasting per day induces AUTOPHAGY!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autophagy

In a nutshell, when you fast, the restriction of calories forces the body to find fuel from another source....

From Within!

In the absence of food - while fasting - the body takes diseased or damaged cells and extracts the "trash" from those damaged cells and recycles that "trash" to the liver where the liver generates ketones to be used for fuel for the existing healthy cells.

Autophagy is a critical piece to this whole life enhancing / body building process because it reverses aging and the effects of aging by making you younger on a cellular basis.

Pretty incredible - by fasting - you force the body to regenerate damaged or diseased cells and increase the percentage of healthy cells.

All right - let's throw one more wrench at this Monkey - Exercise!

From all the research I've done and the workouts I've practiced over the past several years, the studies and my personal experience have led me to the conclusion that the most effective form of exercise for short and long term health and anti-ageing is - drum roll please.....

HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training.

Especially in a Fasted State - No I didn't say Fast State - like New York - I said Fasted State.

In other words, you work out on an empty stomach.

All kinds of good shit happens when you rely on stored body fat and diet-induced ketones for fuel for your workouts vs glycogen stores in the muscle and liver.

Studies have shown that naturally created Human Growth Hormone (HGH) and Testosterone rise to peak levels while doing HIIT in a fasted state.

Obviously, this whole process of adjusting your body / mind / spirit to these new eating plan / schedule and workout type and timing takes TIME.

The short term effects of weaning your body off sugar dependence is no different from quitting smoking or drinking alcohol - there will be withdrawal symptoms - the most acute occurring during the 1st 3 - 7 days after the bad carb restriction begins.

My experience with this whole process is that it happens in phases:

1. 3 - 7 days of craving bad carbs.
2. 7 days - 8 weeks - Adjustment to consistency in the eating plan to rebalance the macro nutrients to the percentages described above.
3. 8 weeks - 6 months - Getting into full ketosis, refining your eating plan, schedule and macro and micronutrient intake to coordinate with and support your daily lifestyle, schedule and physical, mental and emotional needs and feeling and experiencing the positive effects of this in your workouts and general daily life challenges is the best thing since not eating sliced bread.

So let's summarize how you can avoid falling off the cliff of aging or at least delay the effects and live a more active, enjoyable and healthy life in the meantime through a combination of scientific based and recently discovered procedures / techniques / eating plans:

1. Adjusting the macro percentages of daily caloric intake to reduce / minimize insulin response, i.e. a high good fat, moderate to high protein, low bad carb high volume good carb eating plan.
2. Induce Autophagy through Intermittent Fasting for at least 18 - 23 hours per day.
3. Exercise with as much intensity as you can with a HIIT approach especially in a fasted state, i.e. towards the end of your daily fasting cycle.  
4. There's a lot of other things you can add to this including establishing and maintaining an organized approach to stress management, restorative sleep, staying in sync with your Circadian rhythms, the incredible importance of taking in sufficient levels of critical vitamins and micronutrients / trace elements like Vitamin D, Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc, etc. and adding in supplements as appropriate to fill gaps, but if any of this info has piqued your interest, you'll do your own due diligence and quickly realize it's all relevant, true and does provide a pathway to a New You.

Again - all of this information is out there and readily available and presented by medical doctors, scientists, clinical researchers, health / fitness experts, etc., so please take the time to pursue excellence with your own Body and Life.  Personally, I've found the best source to be YouTube videos and podcasts.

Which brings me FULL CIRCLE to the introduction and theme of this post.

I am in the BEST SHAPE of my life - both from an internal and external fitness level.

I am leaner, stronger, more flexible, more muscular and in less pain and joint and whole body inflammation than I have ever been.

At age 57.

How is that possible?

How can I be better at 57 than I was at 45.... or 35..... or 25!

The answer is pretty simple.

I have "Discovered" the Fountain of Youth.

And it's location and contents are described above.

Now - does that mean I will live forever?

Of course not - but again - as I alluded to above - I am now convinced with all this new research, knowledge and practical application - that I can be a Kick Ass 100-year old.

And be lean, muscular and active till the day I die - whether that's 70, 80, 90 or 100 - doesn't really matter to me....

Because in the end analysis - literally - the endpoint is not what is important.

It is the Life line that is drawn between the Beginning and the End.

I want that Life to be full of Wonder, Discovery, Activity, Adventure and....

Accolades!

Ha - there's that Vanity thing again - James Dean style - right?

I wanna Live Hard, Die at a Ripe Old Age and - what's that?

Yeah - leave a Pretty Corpse.

So here's where we close the Loop.

As a result of this transition, which I feel is a true reversal of fortune in Ageing, Fitness and Health - meaning Yeah - I have turned back the Hands of Time and am and look fitter and leaner and more muscular that 90% of the 25-year old participants at the gym where I go and 99% of the population walking the streets of Santa Fe - and actually several cities in Texas - which recent trips to that Hot and Humid state have shown.

So - what happens with this State of the Physical Union?

Well I'll tell Ya.....

People are regularly and randomly walking up to me and asking me What I am Doing to look the way I do.

And not only look the way I do but physically perform the way I do - with things like 34" box jumps and Walking Overhead lunges with 70# plates and dancing for 2 - 3 hours at a time... just to mention a few.

So I tell them - what I just told you - what is written above - what has been learned and practiced.

In as few a words as possible befitting a new conversation with a new acquaintance.

And you know what the responses sound like?

"Oh - I thought bananas were good for you" (despite the fact that a banana has 24g of net carbs compared to 4g of net carbs from a teaspoon of table sugar which means when you eat a banana - on an insulin response basis only - you might as well be eating 6 fucking teaspoons of white sugar!)

And then there's the "but my doctor says I should be on a low fat diet for my cholesterol".

Well - first of all - 95% of the medical doctors have no nutritional training or knowledge - and if they do - it's based on the 1950's food pyramid.

I am amazed at how many doctors have no knowledge or consideration and no communication / recommendations to their patients for Insulin Resistance - which was called "Systemic Inflammation" 10 - 20 years ago because researchers / medical community didn't have the benefit of the specific information and mechanisms that create this condition that they know now.

And all of the downstream maladies of it...

Like being linked to nearly EVERY Chronic and Acute Condition that befalls mankind today:

Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory illnesses, rheumatoid arthritis, skin conditions, neuromuscular and brain-degenerative conditions like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis and yes....

The Big C - Cancer.

You know who invented the Keto diet?

Hippocrates - yeah the low carb / high fat eating plan has been around for thousands of years.

And you know why he created this eating plan?

To treat children with epilepsy.

Because damaged brain cells that CANNOT assimilate glycogen (sugar) anymore can use Ketones (again - generated from the liver in the absence of stored glycogen (sugar) in the liver and muscles as a better fuel source for all body metabolic functions especially brain cells) for fuel - it allows damaged brain cells to be regenerated and restored through an alternative fuel source. So a high fat, low carb diet that induces ketosis is good for all kind of brain and behavioral dysfunctions and diseases.

You know one of the latest / cutting edge treatments for cancer?

Starving the Cancer cells of glucose / sugar / carbs.

Why does this work?

Because Cancer cells have 5 - 7 times (yep 500 - 700%) more glycogen receptors than a healthy cell.

Cancer fucking feeds, thrives, grows, expands and metastasizes on sugar!

You don't eat sugar - you starve the Cancer Cells to Death!

Amazing - right? - how many people know that right now?

Which is a travesty of the whole medical industry but don't get me started on that.

Gotta keep people sick. Why?

Cause sick people generate revenue.

What's the Key Takeaway here folks?

Yep - again - to repeat - eating too much sugar aka Carbs ROTS and Destroys your body from the inside out on a cellular basis and promotes / feeds all kind of bad conditions and mechanisms including Cancer.

Cut the Carbs - eat only those Carbs that are low-glycemic aka don't solicit a huge insulin response - and eat more good fats and restrict your eating to a 4 - 6 hour window every day and work out and exercise as hard and as intensely as your body and schedule will allow and your body, brain and spirit will soar!

And reverse its steady course of Ageing.

Now of course - all of this comes with a good dose of required Due Diligence Research and Learning, Change in Thinking, Unlearning many "Conventional Wisdoms", Self-Discipline, Sacrifice, giving up the life and eating plan you had before and some of the favorite foods and favorite confirmation biases you have had toward eating, exercising and life philosophy in general.

And all that can be Bothersome, Uncomfortable and maybe even -

Painful.

Hey - there ain't no free rides in this Roller Coaster of Life.

So that's the Truth.

But when I tell people The Truth -

Guess What?

They want to argue about it... or against it.

I feel like saying - "Geez - you asked me. You wanted to know what I'm doing. If all you're gonna do is argue with me and tell me I'm wrong about all this shit that I'm doing to look and feel this way - WTF did you ask me for?"

Or just say "Look - you see any other 57 year-olds around here that look and work out like I do? You know why? Cause I ain't doing what everybody else is doing. Duh."

There's a saying I got off a CrossFit shirt a while back that has stuck with me and pretty much encompasses this whole argument -

"To Have What Others DON'T - You Must Do What Others WON'T".

Hmmmm.... Take  a bite of that life axiom - will ya!

The Bottom Line is....

Most People Can't Handle the Truth...

Or the Pain to find and experience the benefits of the Truth.

And that is not a Discovery I was expecting or prepared for.

Discovery Channel Catch-up for the last 18 months

I haven't posted for a LONG time for a LOT of different reasons and not sure that will really change but just to document a bullet list of the high and low points of my life for the last 18 months, here goes:

• December 2017 - March 2018: Had intense lower back pain to the point of being somewhat crippled. Previously had an X-ray in Houston in August 2016 which showed severe spinal stenosis - aka - arthritic deterioration of all the lumbar joints from L2 - S1 with the worst at the L4-L5 vertebrae.  Had an MRI in February 2018 and made a special trip to the same back specialist at the Fondren Orthopedic Group in Houston and he said I needed an L4-L5 fusion procedure. Came back to Santa Fe and had another back specialist look at the MRI and he said the same thing.  Oh and I also had a quarter sized Synovial Cyst at that same L4 - L5 site which was pushing on the nerve root and spinal cord causing the pain and paralysis.  After reviewing the specifications of an L4 - L5 fusion procedure with the recovery time in a back brace for 3 months, I decided NO FUCKING WAY - I'll do this shit myself - not the surgery but figure out how to fix it the Discovery way which of course means going backpacking.  So I spent the month of February trying out my old backpacking gear and then deciding to buy and use some new, modern semi-ultralight gear. On March 23, 2018, I had an ESI - Epidural Steroid Injection - basically a cortisone injection to the spine - by Dr Shelby Bennett at X-Ray Associates. 3 days later....
• March 26, 2018 - September 29, 2018: Did the Continental Divide Trail from the Mexican border at Crazy Cook, NM through New Mexico and through Colorado to Steamboat Springs, CO. Then skipped up to Montana and did the Montana / Canadian border south to Lincoln, MT. I did it about a 400 - 500 mile section at a time coming back to my home in Santa Fe NM to work for a few days and prep / dehydrate my own food - pork loin, sweet potato, other veggies, fuji apple, pineapple, etc. and pack the next section's food and supplies and shipping it to the post office or lodging where I would come off the trail every 100 miles or so.  156 days on the trail and 1900 miles later and my back was cured.  Hardest thing I've ever done physically, mentally and emotionally. Totally alone backpacking the most beautiful scenic trail in the US and arguably the World.  To date, the greatest Discovery adventure of all time.
• September 30, 2018 - March, 2019: Came back to the Real World and tried the Bumble dating thing which was an unmitigated disaster. Also found out I had no work from my former employer so went into what I call "Income Crisis" budget mode which basically means I cut my budget to the bare minimum. Lived cheaper than I ever have in my life. During this time, started doing a LOT of research, reading, YouTube video viewing on diet, nutrition, longevity, life extension, etc. and started a "modified" clean Keto eating plan which consisted of about 50% fat, 35% protein, 15% carbs based on calories. Also started intermittent fasting / time restricted eating which means I would only eat between 2 pm - 7 pm every day so would fast anywhere from 18 -  23 hours between meals. Terms / concepts / body mechanisms like Insulin Resistance, Autophagy, Ketosis, etc. became a daily routine of pursuing my lifetime passion of good food, intense exercise and improved health and well being based on the latest and greatest research studies and practical application by people like Dr Eric Berg, Dr. Rhonda Patrick, Siim Land, Thomas DeLauer, etc.  Dropped weight from 186 lbs to 175 lbs with a corresponding decrease in bodyfat level and increase in strength and fitness.
• April 2019 - date: The whole eating plan / nutrition / exercise cycle continued with my weight dropping to a Summer 2014 previous low of 165 with a minimum bodyfat level of 5%.  Best physical shape I've ever been in. Also the work / income drought ended.  As noted in the previous post, my Dad died on 5/3/19 and I was named as Executor and have been spending a lot of time dealing with that.  Based on research on injury rate vs low bodyfat level and partly just needing a break from the strict regimen I had been on for the last 6 months, I increased my calories from 2000 - 2500 per day to 2500 to 3000 per day and brought my weight up to 170 lbs which seems to be a good compromise between low body fat level, energy and strength and endurance.  Unlike every other summer since I've been in Santa Fe which has been compromised by trips back to Texas for surgeries, work and of course, 2018, when I was on the CDT, I decided to just relax and stay in Santa Fe this summer and enjoy the Plaza Bandstand and other live music / dancing venues. My personal life and personal views of Santa Fe haven't really changed. In fact, I am more isolated than ever. I sleep, cook, eat, work out, go out and dance by myself. I've tried to make connections in Santa Fe but it just hasn't worked which is fine.  I've pretty much decided I will live the rest of my life alone and I am good with that. I have created a pretty good, simple life and lifestyle for myself and really have nothing to complain about.

So - there you go - now you know what's been happening in the.....

Discovery Zone.

The Life and Times of William Byrd Miller aka Bill Miller

Let's see.... how do I introduce this post especially given that I haven't posted in a while - which is kind of a story in and of itself.

Let me keep this simple and straightforward.

My Dad - William Byrd Miller - aka Bill Miller - died May 3, 2019. He was 91 years old.

About a year and a half ago, he gave me a hand-written transcript of his life biography.

After reading it thoroughly several times, I set down with him with his life story and asked him many questions of clarification, detail and curiosity.

What resulted was the following record of my Dad's life which I read at his funeral service.

Frankly, it explains or at least gives some context, for why he was the way he was - and I mean the Good and the Bad and the Ugly.

I'm glad that he chose to share it with me and that I was able to share time with him about his life and that I can bring the final result of our sharing to you.

The Life and Times of William Byrd Miller

These are the notes that compose the life chronology and story of William Byrd Miller – Bill Miller – this is Bill’s autobiography.

This record is transcribed from a manuscript handwritten by Bill Miller and delivered to his son, William B. Miller Jr, on or about 12/15/17.

Parts of this record are from handwritten notes taken by William B Miller Jr. on the manuscript provided by Bill Miller.

Beginning of Autobiographical Manuscript Transposition:

My Father was Virgil Allen Miller who died at 39 years of age.

My Mother was Hattie Miller who died at 81.

I was the 7^th child and the 6^th and youngest boy.

I had 1 sister younger than myself, Virgie.

I was born into a family of 8 children in Newton County, Texas on the Old Wiley Newton Place. I was the son of a tenant farmer. I lived in an old farm house with a dog trot through the middle of it. All bedrooms were on the left side of the house. There was no bathroom and no plumbing but plenty of air holes providing natural air conditioning.

My family, as I remember was my mother, father, sister and 5 brothers.  We farmed and raised Cheshire hogs, milk cows, mules and horses. We had no machinery – everything was horse-driven. We had fruit trees and a garden with peas, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, corn and a few watermelons, mush melons and onions. We smoked our own meat and killed and ate wild game.

My father worked part-time for the lumber company driving a shay – a piston type locomotive that hauled logs on rail cars to the mills.

But to keep our family fed, my father made moon shine, that is, illegal whisky aka “White Lightning”. I was told his White Lightning was the Best in the County. The Sheriff even bought from him. The County Law didn’t bother him about this. They knew my dad was caring for his family. The County Law would warn him of an upcoming raid by the Revenuers – the Feds.

My father would move his still deeper into the woods and let them destroy his old one. He would bury the moonshine in quarts and gallons near the house and dig them up when they were to be sold.  This provided enough cash money to buy a new Model T and to take vacations as far away as San Antonio, Tx to the Zoo.

But this all came to an end with his drowning death in 1929 when I was only 2 years old. My brothers were 16, 14, 12, 8 and 6 and my sister was 10 years old.  My younger sister had not yet been born.  I only remember barrels of peas, plenty of milk, fruit and meats.

After my father’s death in 1929, the bottom fell out of Life for me and my family. Without revenue and management, we hit the bottom.  Everything was lost. I moved to Newton with my brother, Willie, who worked for pennies at the box factory. We built a shack in the woods from discards from the box factory. It had no floor and was one room with a kitchen, kerosene lamps and an outhouse. Starvation set in.

After 2 years of this, my mother and brother, Willie, working at the box factory, could not feed us. One brother, Reuben, went to live in town with the man at the service station. Another brother left with the skating rink that came through town and a 3^rd brother, Ernest, shined shoes. Another worked on cars and Clyde, along with old Nell, the one-eyed mule, worked clearing land for room and board + 50 cents a day. Both sisters stayed home with Mama and me.

I started to school at 6 in Newton. At the end of the school year, May 1933, Mama left me on a street corner by the Post Office. The Postman took me to my Aunt Maude and Uncle Polly. I stayed with them all summer. They brought me back to Newton at the last of August and my brother, Willie, took me home with him and I lived with Willie and a widow woman with a girl.

Then I moved to my other brother, Reuben’s house.  He took me to Mr. Mayer’s house on the creek that fall.

Mr. Mayer bought 40 acres on the Railroad tracks. He had started clearing land, using the trees to split for rail fences. I carried water from the spring to the house. The house was constructed of logs. There was a fireplace and a barn and a zig zag rail fence with interlocking ends around the property.

At 65 years old, Mr. Mayer man married an 18-year old girl named Bessie. He played fiddle and grew and harvested his own tobacco. He bought 300 chickens and I got one.  I came down with malaria and got a hernia at 7 years old from carrying 3-gallon water buckets from the Spring to the house. In addition, every day, I walked 2 miles to school.

One day, Mr. Mayer whipped me badly because I was late getting home from school because I stopped to watch a man breaking wild horses. I never went home again.

The next day I went home with Mrs. Lindsay, the school teacher and Lawyer’s wife. Mr. Lindsay, the lawyer, looked like Abe Lincoln – 6’6” with a small waist. It was a totally new environment. Mrs. Lindsay became the School Principal and Mr. Lindsay became a governor-appointed District Judge. Mr. Lindsay wrote a letter to the Miller family relatives in Luling asking permission to adopt me because he and his wife couldn’t have kids. I was guaranteed a full college education in the letter.

Instead of this dream life to be, I was taken away to Luling, Texas the next June by my Uncles David and Vincent Miller, sister Pearl and Grandma. Grandma Miller denied the lawyer’s request to adopt me because she didn’t want my name to be changed but she didn’t have room for me to live with her, so I went to live with my Uncle Ed and Aunt Jamie with their 3 children.

Things got better again and then bad because Uncle Ed lost his job. I went back to Grandma’s, but she couldn’t take care of me, so then I went to Jack Weeks in Pettis, Tx.  Then I went to Aunt Lee for a while in Freer, Tx at a Humble Oil Camp. At that point, I was in 4^th grade. Then I went back to Grandma’s.

Next, I went to live with Mr. and Mrs. Wadsworth. He worked for Magnolia Oil. I stayed with them for a year and completed 5^th grade. They had 2 daughters but no son and wanted to adopt me also. They were great people, Assembly of God Christians. I joined the church and was baptized in the San Marcos River in Luling, Texas. The 2^nd adoption request was also refused.

Following the refusal of the 2^nd adoption request, I went back to Grandma’s. I was taken to Sister Pearl’s who was married to a man named Harold Ammons. Then, I was moved to brother Clyde’s. Then I moved to brother Willie’s house in Fannett, Tx.

At that point, I was 13 years old and graduated 7^th grade. I moved to Beaumont in 1940 and went to Amelia School for 8^th grade and lived with oldest brother, Clyde again. After that, I went to Catholic School with the neighbors.

My brothers, Reuben and Clyde moved to South Texas and I went to Fairfield, Illinois with my sister Pearl and her husband, Harold to help with Pearl’s babies – 6 months, 2 years and 3 years old. I stayed with them 2 years and completed 10^th and 11^th grade.

Then I moved back to Beaumont and lived with brother Willie to finish high school at Beaumont High at 17 years old. Following graduation, I went back to Illinois to live with sister Pearl and went to work in the oil field at 18. I stayed there for 2 years and was called to the service and failed the test because of a broken arm that was still in a sling from an oil field accident.  The war ended shortly after that.

I came back to Luling in 1947 and stayed about a year and a half. I worked in the oil patch at 21 years old and got oil poisoning which resulted in 125 boils and a carbuncle on my body.

I met a woman named Geraldine and rejoined the Assembly of God Church. I heard wedding bells, but it fell through. I left never to return. I wanted to go to college but could not pass the Army tests for the 2^nd time.

I went back to Beaumont and remained there. I did a variety of jobs including carpenter work, working on oil trucks, working at a service station and for the propane company as a service man in 1949.

I met my first wife, Viola, in 1951 and we were married within 2 weeks. I was 23 years old.

The first 5 years of marriage, we followed the Oil Rigs all over Texas. I had another accident on a Rig and quit the job and went to work for National Linen Service as a Route Salesman for 2 years. I quit that job and went to work for Lance Crackers for 18 months. I went back to National Linen Service and worked there until 1977 when I was 50 years old.

I then worked for Texas Commerce Bank until 1992 and retired.

I was divorced from Viola in 1994 and married to Mary that same year.

Mary died in 2008 and I married Diane in 2011.

As I mentioned earlier, my mother left me in 1933, but the family found her in 1964 along with my younger sister, Virgie.

I spent my retirement years continuing to work doing mowing and general maintenance work and doing the things I love most – gardening, hunting and fishing.

I worked hard and played hard everyday of my life and left a legacy of hard work and independence that is an example for my kids and the rest of the world of a life lived well.

I appreciate all of you being here to celebrate my Life and my Death.

My name is Bill Miller and this was my Life.

If you want to live a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life - listen to Dr. Rhonda Patrick

Being a leading proponent of Discovery, which also entails learning new things and putting them into practice, I spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to do things better, especially living better.

And in my recent reviews and research into living better, a name keeps popping up on YouTube podcasts, videos, presentations, etc.

Dr. Rhonda Patrick

After listening to several hours of her talk, I am convinced she is the real deal - with real credentials - with real research or references to real research.

Basically - she knows her shit.

I can't even begin to try to relate all the important areas of research that her presentations detail but suffice it to say, it's life changing.

What I am going to do is to introduce you to her world which, if taken seriously, will rock your world.

For the better.

So here's Dr. Rhonda Patrick's website:

https://www.foundmyfitness.com/

One of the most interesting new topics for me was Sulforaphane.

Sulforophane Wiki info

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulforaphane

Benefits

https://primalherb.com/the-14-most-amazing-benefits-of-sulforaphane/

And here's a few Dr. Rhonda Patrick's YouTube links on sulfurophane - perhaps the most important micronutrient of them all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz4YVJ4aRfg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Yh4fjOFfDo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7buU-PK7_I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UqxC2RDF64

Micronutrient Smoothie -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys86ZgjQQYg&t=359s

And then there's the whole time restricted eating thing -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6KClPkotxM

Diet, Exercise, Hyperthermic Conditioning on Gene Expression

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjgMzS5b_QM

And here is a link from Dr. Patrick's website to the many podcasts she has done with leading individuals in the fields of disease prevention, increased longevity, mental health, diet and nutrition, physical performance, etc.

https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes

The bottom line is that we are learning more everyday about how to live a Longer, Healthier and Happier Life and there's a lot of detailed research and long term studies being done on specific mechanisms, approaches, activities and diet, nutrition, exercise, stress control methods and materials  and the results of that research is important to you and your health.

So avail yourself of that knowledge and then put it into practice.

There are Many Mirages in the Desert...

But it only takes One Oasis to Save a Life.

This concept and statement came up in a text conversation I was having with a lady on Bumble.

And Yes - I have recently succumbed to the world of on-line dating.  Well at least for a month or 2 which frankly has probably been a month or 2 too long.

I was always of the mind that you should meet people in the natural course of life but have realized that, after being in Santa Fe NM for 4 years, the natural course of meeting someone my age that is single and not so whacked out on their pets or politics or organic food or not wearing makeup that they represent a reasonable prospect for anything other than hidden aversion.... is pretty fucking slim.

Couple that with a 6-month hiatus from Society in the form of a solo 1900 mile trek on the Continental Divide Trail this year and I decided that once I got back to the relational desert of Santa Fe NM, I would give the on-line dating thing a try and got a couple of recommendations on Bumble so I gave it a try.

And I've learned a few things in the short time and the few experiences I've had with Bumble and the women on it.

The main thing is that, just like me, other people my age have a lot of baggage that comes with them - from past relationships, divorces, kids, their parents, siblings, family, deaths, struggles with alcohol, drugs, food, obesity, family violence - you name it.  Most of the time the reason people are single at my age is because they had problems in the past. Period.

So not only do you have to struggle with your own problems, you also have to learn about and deal with the problems of some new person you're trying to get to know.

And from the few women I have corresponded with on Bumble and the even fewer women I've met in person from Bumble, there are a lot of shitty guys out there that have only their own best interest in mind.

I hate to say "All the good ones are already taken" because I'm sure there's a lot of wonderful older single women out there but the problem is there's a lot of fucked up ones out there too... just like the guys.

And you gotta swipe 1000 sand dunes to the left to get to 100 mirages on the right to get to that 1 Oasis in the Desert.

And by that time...

It could be too late to Save a Life and your Love.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjVQ36NhbMk

I can't Drown my Demons - They know how to Swim!

I was listening to a Bullet for my Valentine iHeart channel the other day and heard the song "Can You Feel My Heart?" from Bring Me the Horizon -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AVRCQBc59w

and this lyric popped into my earbuds and into my consciousness and made me think about an equally catchy lyric I had heard before in the Eminem song "I'm not Afraid" - which incidentally is one of my all-time fave songs -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5-yKhDd64s

"But it's time to exercise these demons
These motherfuckers are doing jumping jacks now!"

And both of these songs and those particular lyrics made me think about my own demons, because they possess some pretty unique qualities.

You see - my demons are smart, capable, resilient and in good shape.

They know how to swim, how to hide, how to camouflage, morph and cloak themselves.  They are strong, fast, have endurance and patience and know how to adapt to their changing surroundings and environment and, most importantly, they know their Host very well.

I used to think my greatest Demon was Anger - or at least how I expressed Anger.

But I'm not even sure I can call Anger a Demon anymore - maybe more of a Core Characteristic.

And I have pretty much figured out that Anger is almost always preceded by someone trying to force their will on me - repeatedly. To try to put me in my place or better yet - a more convenient place for the person seeking to impose their will on me.

So my Demon Anger is kind of like my Protector.  It defines my boundaries and my limitations and the line between my willingness and capability to be able to accept or deal with other people's bullshit.

My Anger draws a line in the Sand between me and that other person that says "Hey Asshole - you cross this line and one of us is going down!"

It's kind of weird because you just don't hear people talk about Anger anymore. It's been so vilified and hated and locked up and drugged and beaten down that nobody ever admits they have this Demon. And maybe they don't.  Good for them.

I guess another of my Demons that has emerged lately is something I would call Life Apathy.

ap·a·thy

/ˈapəTHē/

noun

1. 
   

   lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.

   
   

   "widespread apathy among students"

   
   

   synonyms:

   indifference, lack of interest, lack of enthusiasm, lack of concern, unconcern, uninterestedness, unresponsiveness, impassivity, dispassion, lethargy, languor, ennui; rareacedia "widespread apathy among the voters"

I've always been kind of a Loner, but after spending nearly 5 months alone on the Continental Divide Trail this year, I think I realized I am really apathetic about the World around me and the People in it.

I kinda had a Sunday Come to Jesus Moment very late in my 1900 mile trek where I realized that the only Swinging Sonofabitch I could count on in this Life was Me.

I was really the only One in my Life who was genuinely concerned, interested and who cared about Me.

Some might argue that I have driven People away with my Anger thus creating Isolation.  That may be true but I would submit that People's behavior toward me forced me into Isolation.

And that little Life Learning and the Complete Independence that ensued has brought a Sense of Certainty, Finality, Resolution and Peace to my Life.

I got nothing. I want nothing. Nothing really matters. Which is to say I have eliminated most of the Negative Perturbations that have historically disrupted the Equilibrium of my Life.

Which brings me to my last Demon for Discussion - and that is Self-Sabotage.

I actually wrote a post on this a while back -

https://willsonwheels.blogspot.com/search?q=self+sabotage

There's probably not a whole lot of new info to add to that other than I am convinced that what some people would describe as Self-Sabotage is my way of putting an end to something before it becomes a truly destructive force in my life.

Maybe I set my expectations too high but it takes a lot to keep me interested which may be where that Demon Life Apathy comes in.  At this point in my Life, I really don't need or want anything from anybody, I'm not trying to conquer the world or make a lot of money or raise a family or have a lasting relationship.

I've gotten kind of tired and lazy and wracked with Pain and I really just don't have the Initiative, Energy and Motivation to put out the work, sacrifice, compromise and constant vigil not to mention the money, to start any new endeavor.

Perhaps my Self-Sabotage is just a way of keeping me out of trouble.

Could that be the point of this whole self-analysis?

Maybe My Demons know me better than I do and they're just looking out for me.

And to think - all this time I've been trying to get rid of them.

The Truth is Always Visible - No Matter where it Lies

I know I know - is that a catchy play on words or what?  I actually made that up - well it just popped into my head as a result of a text conversation I was having with a friend of mine.

But, in Truth, pardon the pun, it's been a recurring theme in my Life - not because I have any personal ownership of it but because it seems to be a Core Characteristic - one of those things I just can't get away from or hide.

I can probably count on one hand the number of times I haven't been truthful in my life and on those same counts, I can count the number of times things turned out bad because I abandoned the Truth for what I thought, at the time, was some overriding, self-serving or self-defending outcome.

You see I don't have a very good Poker Face. I can't hide my feelings when something or someone pisses me off and I don't try to think of 7 different approaches for diplomatically stating my feelings so that I save the feelings of another person.

For me, the Truth simply stated - and I will use words like Direct and Open - is a Sacred and Necessary thing in my Life.

I hold the Truth to be self-evident because it gives me certain inalienable rights -

Like knowing WTF I'm up against and who I'm dealing with - in Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

We live in a society where TMI is a cute acronym that makes you sound so judicious and ethically and behaviorally restrained and proper in your delivery of information.

As far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing as TMI, as long as it's the Truth.

Let's take an example of meeting and getting to know someone in a social situation - like a date or dating.

If you have certain characteristics, perspectives, viewpoints, lifestyles, strengths, weaknesses - I think you should let the other party know as soon as possible what those things are.

And I don't mean - oh I like music or hiking or dogs or whatever.

I'm talking about things that define who and what you are and what you aren't and what you can and can't put up with.

I tell people right up front - I can't deal with incompetence, I cuss a lot, whatever you do - Don't do the Socratic Method on me, and I, on rare occasions, have issues with Anger Management - and I'll tell them how to avoid "Pushing my Button".

Which is like waving a red flag in front of a bull - I mean isn't that stupid - that People will actually set out to do what you ask them not to do.

And then they're all shocked and dismayed when the Bull charges and runs over their ass.

So yeah - sometimes the Truth is Brutal.

But for the most apart, the Truth saves Time, Effort and Money.

I was talking to this one lady the other day and in the course of the conversation, she revealed she didn't cook, drank a lot and was bi-sexual.  Ok - that's 3 no-go's for me.

And I remember another first date conversation where the lady explicitly stated that she was only interested in men with big dicks.  Uh yeah - let me disqualify myself ma'am.

And then there's the lady where "I Love You" meant I just want to fuck you and have you as an on-call escort and companion when I come into town.  It took me a while to figure that one out but the Truth always comes out - sooner or later.

"I'm there for you" - when it's convenient for me and doesn't take up too much of my time - oh and I didn't realize you want me to be there for you like 4, 5 or 40 days in a row.  Had that little Truth lie to me a few times too.

"I don't do Sarcasm" - that's a good one for me to know because in the Sarcasm blood type, I am O-Positive.

And then there's those things that aren't True, but People perceive to be True - there's that Confirmation Bias thing again.

I can't tell you how many times that people have assumed that just because I'm an Engineer that I'm an Anal Retentive Left-Brained Only Rigid Asshole.

I'll claim Asshole but none of the other is True.

Or that because I come from Texas I am a Two-Stepping Trump Supporting Conservative.

The Truth is I don't like Two-Stepping or any other structured dancing that requires a prescribed step pattern and I am Conservative about some things and Liberal about others. And am basically apolitical and ambivalent about politics in general.

The Truth is that I have a lot fewer Social filters than most people when it comes to speaking the Truth which has gotten me in trouble quite a few times but kept me out of trouble 20 times that.

And because I'm smarter than the average stump and have an acute attention for detail, I can usually figure out what's coming at me -

The Truth or a True Lie.

Fuck Good Intent - I'm Outcome Driven!

This is a Post Title and Concept that's been a long time in the making.

Like a Life Time Long Time.

It has so many applications, experiences and lessons learned and bridges burned associated with it that it challenges my simple but overactive mind to focus on the essentials and capture the meaningful nuggets on paper.

But as usual I'll try and we'll see where it leads us.

First off it's been a while since I've published a post... which as usual reminds me of a song.

https://youtu.be/araU0fZj6oQ

And it's been awhile since I've fucked things up as bad as I did this year - well at least as far as relationships go.

But at the heart of the matter of fucking things up is this gap - ehhh - more like a canyon between the concept and application of Intent and Outcome.

So lemme do a little ramble through the valley between Intent and Outcome with some examples and thoughts on how it impacts, directs and defines my life and maybe you'll learn something or at least get a laugh at this poor bastard who is so affected by the difference between the two.

I never really grasped the art and nuance of manipulation of people or of camouflaging the path of approach of my efforts or desires to get what I wanted or what was best for me.

I've often been told - "You know William - it's not what you say - it's how you say it".

WTF does that even mean anyway?  See what I mean - it's that kind of thought and exclamation process that gets me in trouble.

Good Intent winds its way through paved roads and green pastures of human emotional delicacy and arrives at its destination without getting the tires of feelings and emotions muddy, without ruts in the lawns of our minds and without the need for a car wash to get all the nasties off the vehicle of our body after the journey is done.

Outcome Driving takes the 4WD shortcut to Grandma's house through the woods where the mudholes are deep and you just have to take the RPM's to Red-Line to keep the wheel speed up and blow through on momentum only.  And sometimes you get stuck out in the middle of nowhere - by yourself - with this approach.  So Outcome Driver beware - it can be a long and lonely road.

Good Intent is saying you care but not putting out the effort to show you care.

The Outcome Driver is the one that forgets the right words and remembers the wrong words but is always there when you need them.

Good Intent worries about Office Politics and carefully examines the personality and characteristics of every participant in a meeting before offering an opinion or voicing a direction.  Sometimes short on meaningful content but always long on consideration.... self-consideration.  He / She calculates the impact - especially negative impact aka effort - that will be involved in whatever they represent to the world.  Good Intent is Long on Looks and Short on Action.  Low on Personal Risk and High on Self Reward.

The Outcome Driver says and does what is Best - period - interested only in the Right and the Truth and the Facts.  He / She sacrifices themselves for the Best Outcome - It is less about the Best Outcome for them as it is the Best Outcome for the situation.

Being Outcome Driven means you define what you need to others - you lay it out in specific terms.  It's not cloudy or vague or nebulous.  And it's largely based on Show Me vs Tell Me.

Again - Good Intent is Thought, Feeling and Emotion centered - Outcome Driven is Action and Destination focused - think shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line.

Good Intent starts Wars and Outcome Driven finishes them.

Outcome Driven does its homework and focuses on Tangibles, on the hard line of Reality that leads to the Truth and is dismayed at the efforts of the Good Intenders to avoid Commitment, Responsibility and Loyalty in deference to Self-Consideration.

Good Intent is a Hand Wave while Outcome Driven is a Finger Point.

Outcome Driven cuts through Bullshit and exposes Weakness and Selfishness and Lack of Commitment - it separates the Wheat from the Chaffe - that's why it's so vilified.

It asks questions when it doesn't know the answer not because it is trying to lead another person to enlightenment or to the Good Intent point of view.

The Socratic Method - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socratic_method - is a beautiful and effective method of communication and idea exchange that has been bastardized by Good Intenders into a "Lead the Stupid Horse to Water" mind fuck technique.

It has become Manipulation 101 in Today's Society.

Lemme tell ya something folks - if you're trying to tell me something or you want me to know something -

Just fucking tell me.

Don't play 20 Questions to show me how much smarter you are than I am.

Good Intent is a Question - Outcome Driven is an Answer.

Good Intent is silent or at best mumbles - Outcome Driven speaks loudly and clearly.

Good Intent suggests a path to solution.  Outcome Driven leads the way.

Good Intent is continuously compromising because it submits to feelings and emotions that change like the winds and whims of the humans they are attached to while Outcome Driven rarely compromises because its only Master is Truth and Right which is rarely misunderstood but often avoided.

Good Intent is Conventional Wisdom.  Outcome Driven is Independent Thinking.

And Yes - I do realize Good Intent is Nicer than Outcome Driven.

But it's only because of the Nature of the World we live in.  The World is dominated by Good Intent now because the World is a much "Nicer" place to live in.  It rewards Weakness and dissuades Strength.

Go back 200 years and Good Intent would get its ass kicked by Outcome Driven.

It's amazing to me how many people that I meet and get to know that tell me - "You're so Open and Direct.  I've never met anybody like that.  It's so refreshing.  I like that".

Outcome Driven is Transparent.  It says what it means and it means what it says.  It's less about the Talk and more about the Walk.

Good Intent feeds you a little bit of information at a time because it is afraid if you knew the whole story you would run like hell in the opposite direction - which is usually the right course of action.

Outcome Driven is Full Disclosure.  It saves times, money and feelings.

Good Intent is the Sand on the Beach - shifted by wind and washed out by tide.

Outcome Driven is a stake driven deep in the ground that says You can run circles around this sumbitch cause it ain't moving.

Good Intent is an Apology.  Outcome Driven is a Delivery.

Good Intent fears Uncertainty because Uncertainty invariably requires Responsive Action not Standby Consideration.

Outcome Driven embraces Uncertainty because in its Challenge it represents Adaptation, Growth and New Knowledge and most importantly - the Risk of Failure.

And therein lies the main difference between Good Intent and Outcome Driven.

Good Intent never Fails - never does anything wrong - never is to blame - never is responsible or culpable - and can always be defended, explained and rationalized by circumstance, environment or human nature - I call this Good Intended rebuttal "lawyer speak" aka psychobabble - which actually does injustice to lawyers and psychologists / psychiatrists because the Good Intenders performing it usually have no formal training in either field - they just act as they do.

You know why Good Intent never Fails?

Cause Good Intent never did a Fucking thing in its entire life.

It just sat there in the Peanut Gallery and jeered while Outcome Driven tried....

And Failed.

So Yeah - I sometimes say the Wrong Things - letting my thoughts and emotions fall down on my tongue without due consideration.

I sometimes Challenge those with Convictions based on Mass Media not Due Diligence.

And I sometimes beat a Dead Horse.

But I try continuously and consciously to Challenge Myself with my own motivations.

Does that make me better than anybody else?

Naaa.... Just different from most in my estimation.

So let's wrap this little soapbox up with an old proverb and a quote from a guy that seeks Wisdom.

The Road to Hell is paved with Good Intentions...

But the Road to Discovery is Driven by Outcome.