The idiot guitar hero has been giving us mini
concerts on his bass again. He was definitely
not playing in his expensive soundproof
recording studio.

So needy, so useless. Unhappy little shit.

I have a cold, so I have not been running or drumming
which are my favourite weekend pursuits. I have been
knocking around in the kitchen, doing different tasks
just to stay busy. Quite likely I will be able to run tomorrow.

I had this problem - what to do with a dozen ripe, really
ripe avocados. At food bank, which we have every Friday
at the street mission where I volunteer, we received a huge
supply of surplus ripe avocados. Like Allen Ginsberg used
to say, waste not want not. Did you know that Allen Ginsberg
is the grandmother of internet exhibitionism?

I brought home the worst of the avocados, just so they would
not be thrown into compost barrel. I love to eat guacamole but
the price of avocados has gone way up because of the drought
in California. This was my chance to stock up and freeze them.

You cannot really freeze guacamole because the tomatoes &
onions, etc. just turn to sloppy mess when thawed. So, I just
scooped out all the good stuff, mashed it up, juiced a whole
lemon and sprinkled it throughout, and some herb salt.

There must be about 400-500 grams in a ziplock bag. I squeezed
out all the air bubbles before putting it in freezer. Now I can just
break or cut off a frozen chunk when I want to make guacamole.

I love guacamole as a side dish when I make black bean burritos.
That is serious yum.

First day back in the routine after two week vacation. Finished the
volunteer chores, came home, had a little nap and then walked
over to the percussion jam in the park.

It takes patience and flexibility to let the whole thing happen.
Maybe a nucleus of 25 drummers, and then another 15-20
who come and go, sometimes active, sometimes not. And then
200-300 people standing or seated around, and people dancing,
as well.

Sometimes there are hostilities from people who are too drunk,
or too fucked up with powders and pills, etc. You have to have a
wide latitude, but you do not want the thing to become a magnet
for aggressive people.

Today one incident happened and was resolved swiftly and easily.
The interveneners were supergood listeners and calmly convinced
the blowhard to find another place to go. I was impressed.

All the races, colours, cultures, ages, sizes, shapes, sexes, flavours,
all mixed together. It is the exact opposite of war.

soon legs and feet will take me into the woods on the big
rockpile called Mt. Royal, right beside my shack. i had an
inspired, tough, ecstatic run there yesterday, and also had
two treadmill speed workouts at the gym, monday & tuesday.

so today just walk. foodbank chores tomorrow and i always
need fresh legs for that.

gonna walk over the mountain of love, down through McGill
campus, downtown & over to chinatown. need basic TCM herbs.
walk back up the hill, maybe 6 miles all told.

ran in the most remote and quiet parts of the mountain yesterday.
got down in the grass to do 3 sets of pushups, spaced out over
80 minute run: 65-65, and then right between two old oak trees
did 78 in exhaustion set. i have been up as high as 83 recently,
but now focusing on keeping first two sets higher.

at the end i did inverted downhill crunches, twists, etc. take off
shoes and socks to do full suite of stretches in the grass, and
walk around barefoot. i feel good like i know i should. hurray
for ling zhi mushroom, hurray for cool Ontario ginseng!

For the first time in a long time I had a good, adequate,
competent sleep with zero alcohol consumed. I have
been tapering down gradually on the strong beer (10%).

As I have said many times the Ling Zhi mushroom is
my best friend in the entire universe, since forever. I
found a new kind of red ling zhi and I am very impressed
with its effects upon mood, concentration, focus, and
sleep function.

Lordymama, how the time goes by. I just recently turned 62 years old so had to update my profile. I have had this little iPad mini w wifi now for one year. I am definitely very pleased with it

These are the days that I dream about in Jan-February. Fireflies are lovely in the woods right beside my shack. Montreal Jazz Festival is still chugging along with lots of free concerts out on the street. The main street in Gay Village is closed to vehicles and every night is a big open, free, half-naked street party. Fireworks Festival closes the big bridge out on St. Lawrence River. Walk out there w 100,000 other people. Whoop de doo!

I am a transplant from Canadian Prairies, and I will never forget that, but I am completely dedicated to my Montreal life. Come December I will celebrate 20 year anniversary of my first time visiting here.

I am big time grateful for legs that love to run. Just recently
my legs have been full of giddy-up. Lots of available jam for
doing fast crossover steps up a beautiful wooden staircase.
Perfect solitude in the big, hairy, scary city.

I have run four out of the past six days. Today was just a
walking day and weights in the gym, some medicine ball
play and walk back home. Tomorrow is food bank day,
so I limited today's workout to 50 minutes. Lots of bull
work tomorrow at food bank.

In fact I had two long hard runs back to back this week,
one them included beaucoups of pushups. Hurray for the
ling zhi mushroom! Yay for cool Ontario ginseng! These
are the days that I dream about in January - February.

I feel good like I know I should.

Just before 8 bells this morning Mercury turned retro in
my sun sign. But strong waxing moon in Libra is very
comforting. That's where my moon is! Lord have mercy!

I overslept this morning, feeling fuzzy and confused. I got
up around 9:30 and made a great Ginsberg breakfast,
including reconstituted shitake mushrooms in the scrambled
eggs. Today is no coffee day.

Now I am dressed for long run in the woods right beside my
shack. I was ready to go earlier, but now my senile cat,
Buster is insisting that I share some catnip with him before
I go.

Whom I to say no thanks?

Deep, long sleep last night. I drank 250 ml of strong beer right
at bedtime. No further beer in the night. All things considered
this is a very big victory. I have been stable at 250 ml beer
4 nights out of last 6.

Adaptation to street noise with windows open, too. I sleep
with earplugs every night.

I am very grateful for peaceful, deep sleep.

Mt. Royal, the huge, sprawling park which was designed by
Olmstead Law, the same landscape architect who designed
Central Park in NY, is now completely all dressed in fresh green.
Apple, pear, cherry, plum trees all in bloom. Bedazzled anew!
Let's hear it for photosynthesis!

Deciding to not run today. Looking over my workout journal
I realize that I have been pushing it a bit much. Food bank
chores tomorrow will be tough. We are missing two guys
w strong backs & legs. Many trips downstairs carrying heavy
boxes.

I'm going to walk down to Chinatown instead and buy some
liu wei ti huang wan. Spend maybe ten dollars total. Then
walk again up the hill, enjoying music on iPad.

Since I have been running hard again and doing supplementary
gym workouts I have been enjoying 90 minute naps in the
afternoon. That is a luxury.