July 4, 2004 Archives

It's addictive - like eating peanuts. I enjoy reading, and posting on, Slashdot.org.

Since the vast majority of what I submit is shot down, I thought I'd post it here as well.

The diet's over. Down 26 pounds at my minimum, but undoubtedly going back up. The immediate weight loss on Atkins/South Beach is rapid... as is the immediate regain. I understand that.

There are certain mistakes that I don't want to make again. So, this afternoon while Helaine was standing nearby, I went to the refrigerator. She looked on and reminded me not to be foolish after I had worked so hard.

I came out of the 'fridge, holding a Diet Pepsi - which was what I went in for.

My whole life, I have told anyone who would listen that diet drinks don't taste anywhere near as good as the real, sugared, carbohydrate packed, thing. I still feel that way, though the bitter aftertaste of artificial sweetening has greatly diminished.

It has been my experience that the people who drink diet soda are, by and large, heftier than those swigging Coke or Pepsi. Now I'm one of those I reviled. A middle age loser, gulping a drink with no fat, protein, carbohydrates or calories, and certainly not tasting anywhere near as good as the real stuff. Looking at the label, there is little in this Diet Pepsi that wasn't born in a laboratory.

It's sad. Where did my ability to live on Hydrox Cookies and Coca Cola, without putting on a pound, go?

We're about 12 hours from airplane departure for Las Vegas. What have I forgotten?

Most of my packing is done by Helaine. It's much better that way since I have the same sense of fashion I had in 1967 - and that's not a good thing. I do have some responsibilities, like my toiletries and electronics.

The toiletries are easy, because I'm taking what I use on a daily basis and just throwing it in a little bag. Everything is congregated around the sink. If anything looks like there's not enough for a week, I just take a new one and leave the old one for my return. Brainless. I'm perfect for this.

Electronics is different, because I'm taking things I might not use everyday - things which are spread out across my home office. Do I have the right cables for the camera? The right peripherals for the computer? Forget the 10/100 PCMCIA card and forget about the Internet. Or, is it 802.11b? I took one of those adapters too... and a dial-up modem. Who can tell? The Dell laptop has a charger with the longest power cable I've ever seen on an electronic device. You can plug it in in a different time zone if you want.

I have 12 AA NiMH batteries and three chargers. The digital camera sucks juice like crazy. There's also a small can of compressed air. Lately, I have noticed some dust inside the camera lens. The air gets rid of it. Is compressed air restricted by TSA in this post-9/11 era?

I've finished up the last of my school work, taking three weeks of classes in two courses over the last few days. As the week goes by I'll be able to check the online bulletin board and watch my grades pop up. It is very unlike me to be early for anything - certainly not school!

My last assignment comes at 12:01 AM. I will be on Southwest's site getting our boarding passes. With no assigned seats, getting a Southwest "A" pass is crucial.

Then it's to bed, never letting one thought out of my mind. What have I forgotten?