June Training

 One thing after another after another.  No improvement this month.  In fact, it's probably my worst of the year.  I began the month intolerant to large doses of TRS but NEEDED 5 sprays to function.  Then, later I NEEDED 10 before flipping back to the original 5 with intolerance to more.  I was also intolerant to benign supplements such as Whole Food C and IP-6.  I REALLY THOUGHT that the Intrinsic Factor and B-12 would stop this from happening.  Turns out that yes, it's still needed but it is insufficient on its own.  

I need to take Probiotics religiously after all.  I had been taking them only occasionally because they didn't seem to help much.  Also, they must be taken with Lactoferrin.  I eventually realized that the tolerance for TRS and the other benign supplements depended on whether or not I had taken the Probiotics the previous day.  AHA!  Now, you would think that better gut health would lead to greater tolerance for sugar, right?  WRONG!  In the recent past, I actually performed somewhat BETTER after slamming a Red Bull.  I figured that it helped with the detox because caffeine is a diuretic.  

I became intolerant to ALL sugared and alcoholic drinks and had a scary episode on my trip home.  I had an urgent need to lie down and rest when on the Interstate.  Fortunately, there was a rest area nearby and I did doze off for a few minutes then felt better after taking a leak in the bathroom.  I am nearly certain that the Cal/Mag ratio is too low, which can happen after a major problem is solved.  Magnesium on its own made things much WORSE but I did improve significantly after taking the Calcium.

After that, the adrenals spiked.  I now need mega Thym-Adren.  Is it related to Iron Overload?  Unlikely.  I tolerated both B12 and Liver Beef.  Still, I can't predict what will happen after I donate next month.  I could end up intolerance to Thym-Adren once again.

North Carolina and Virginia Beach Road Trip

 6/16- Left home first thing in the morning.  It was a smooth ride through Atlanta on I-20 and 85 and my first stop was the South Carolina Welcome Center, where I got a shot of Lake Hartwell on the Georgia border.  Lunch was BBQ chicken in Greenville on Main Street near Reedy Falls.  Unfortunately, I hit bad traffic and stormy weather just before Charlotte and did not arrive until 4 PM.  That meant no time for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.  Not a big deal.  I'm not a real big fan, but I thought it might be interesting.  I settled in and took a walking tour of Tryon and MLK drive to the baseball stadium, where I saw a AAA game.  The rain stopped just in time for the game and I saw an epic sunset along with some great skyline views.  

6/17- I-85 up through Durham into Virginia then US-58 to VA Beach.  Arrived just after noon, got some lunch then it was a pretty decent surf session in the afternoon.  Last time I was here was the summer of 1987.  I was a month or two shy of my 7th birthday and it was the first family vacation that I remember clearly.  I was afraid of the ocean waves but my grandfather kept saying up and over.  Jump before it breaks and the buoyancy will pull you up.  Good advice.  VA Beach does have a boardwalk but it's mostly just hotels with a few restaurants connected.  The shops are all on the road just a block from the boardwalk.  You can still see the ocean but it's not quite the same.  However, if you prefer a more peaceful and quiet boardwalk, you'll prefer VA Beach to Ocean City, MD or Wildwood, NJ.  I've heard that they do require winter protection but yes, you'll see plenty of palm trees here so there is at least a sub-tropical vibe.  The sand has a brownish tint but I find it very pretty.   

6/18- Got up just in time to catch the sunrise.  I chose to spend a night in VA Beach instead of the Outer Banks because I could find and afford a motel on the beach.  Air temp was 78 with full sunshine and a water temp of 74 and good waves.  I found it to be nice.  A little chilly at first but only at first.  My only gripe was that it was quite crowded and I had to be careful not to hit kids with my board.   By late afternoon, I left VA Beach and headed toward the Outer Banks with a stop in Elizabeth City, NC for the night.  

6/19- Arrived in Kill Devil Hills and saw the Wright Brothers monument.  North Carolina's Outer Banks has a totally different vibe than VA Beach.  No boardwalk here and the shops are spread out.  You'll see more restaurants and shops in the southern part of Nags Head but it's much more rustic further north in Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills.   The advantage is that the surf is usually better.  Unfortunately, it was actually too strong even for me.  Waves came one after another and it was too deep to catch the big ones. Further down the coast after lunch, there was a steep drop off.  Of course, I still had fun.  All things considered however, I vote for VA Beach.  Stopped in Fayetteville, NC for the night after a brief tour of the capitol grounds in Raleigh.  

6/20- I toyed with the idea of squeezing in another surf session in either Wilmington, NC or North Myrtle across the border in South Carolina but decided against it because I wanted to get home at a decent hour.  Probably a good call.  I was tired by the afternoon and was happy to be home around 5.  I did do a small tour of Columbia, SC and the capitol grounds and came away with a favorable impression. My lunch stop was in Augusta. I had to stop at a rest area before Atlanta but outside of that, the drive was not bad. 

So-Cal Road Trip Plan

 I visited Southern California back in 2013 and got a decent sampling of the area but really did not do it justice.  It was in January so needless to say, I did not go into the ocean.    Among the places that I saw or drove through were Rosecrans in South Central, Malibu, Simi Valley, Pacific Coast Highway, Venice Beach, Santa Monica Blvd and Sunset Blvd through West Hollywood and Beverly Hills.  I did not venture into downtown LA, nor did I see San Diego. 

I’m still in the planning stages here but here’s my early itinerary:

Day 1- Fly to Los Angeles and find my asshole brother (inside joke).  From LAX, the quickest way downtown is probably I-105 to 110.  I figure that on a Saturday, traffic won’t be too awful.  If I get into my downtown hotel early enough, I can do some touring that afternoon.  At the very least, I should see Grand Park.  Dodger Stadium is only 2 miles away and easily accessible.  I heard that my hotel even offers shuttles.  Yes, the team will be home on the day I plan to arrive.  I thought about a rooftop bar with views of the skyline, but it requires reservations and will probably be ridiculously expensive too.  From the top deck, Dodger Stadium offers an impressive view of the skyline so that's what I plan to do.    

Day 2- Need to get an early start because this will be a full day.  I can probably walk to Vista Hermosa for views of the skyline.  MacArthur Park looks pretty cool too, but it may be too far.  The plan is to take 101 to Sunset Blvd through Hollywood and Beverly Hills then go rolling down Rodeo with a shotgun (inside joke).  From there, it will be Wilshire to 405.  I have several beach options just a bit further south but would lean towards Huntington or Laguna Beach in Orange County.  I can expect water temps around 70F so it will be comparable to New England in late summer.  Chilly but tolerable.  From Laguna, it is only about 75 minutes to Torrey Pines, where I can expect an epic sunset.  Another 20 minutes will get me to downtown San Diego. 

After a bit of deliberation, I think the best call for night #2 is a cheap motel off the interstate instead of downtown San Diego. 

Day 3- Change of the initial plan.  The cheap motel is only a few miles due east of Pacific Beach.  This is Labor Day so the beaches will be packed but, I’m an early riser nowadays.  Parking should not be a problem as long as I arrive early enough.  I’ll leave early enough to arrive in Tijuana by early afternoon.  Again, I’ll spend the night in Mexico to save money and avoid a real long line getting back to the USA.

Day 4- Back in America.  I will take a dip at Silver Strand or Coronado Beach in the morning before hitting Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo.  The Padres are also home so why not see a 2^nd game?  I’ll spend the night in downtown San Diego near the stadium in the Gaslamp District. 

Day 5- Leave San Diego and go beach hopping on the way back up to LA.  I have a lot of options and will probably sample at least 2 of them.  Options include La Jolla, Blacks Beach, Carlsbad, Huntington, Redondo, Manhattan and Santa Monica.  I’ll probably spend the night near Manhattan because it is so close to LAX.  If my flight to LA is delayed, I may go back to downtown LA.  I will be able to drive through Compton on the way up if I take a short detour.  

Day 6- I’ll probably have time to take one last dip then catch the flight home.