2023 Travel Stats

 Set a new personal record for number of states seen in one year.  I see more states in a given year than most people see in a lifetime.  Under the lenient standard, I hit 28 states plus 2 Canadian provinces and one other country.  That's 31 points, or 5 more than my previous record.  That said, under the strict standard, the numbers are not quite as impressive.  Here is the breakdown.

Drove or walked across the border and that was it (4):

Nevada

Illinois

South Carolina

Indiana

Drive Through Only but did stop for gas and/or food (6)

Louisiana

Mississippi

Iowa

Montana

West Virginia

Virginia

Strict Standards (18) plus 3 bonus-

Alabama- Lived

Florida- Gulf and Atlantic Coast

North Carolina- Skiing at Cataloochee

California (2)- Palm Springs and Crescent City

Idaho- Boise, Stanley and Ponderosa Pine

Ohio- Cincy Reds game

Tennessee- Walking tours of Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville

Arkansas- Mammoth Falls State Park

Missouri- Kansas City and St. Louis

Kansas- Topeka, Eisenhower Library

Nebraska- Omaha

Texas- Houston and Galveston.  Astros game

Oregon- US-101.  Pacific Coast

Washington- Long Beach, Cape Disappointment

Pennsylvania- Pittsburgh  Pirates game

North Dakota- Bismarck, TR National Park

Georgia- Black Mountain, Toccoa Falls

Kentucky- Louisville.

Bonus:

Costa Rica- Jaco Beach

Manitoba- Lake, Winnipeg

Saskatchewan- Regina, CFL football game.

Looking ahead:

I have booked my Dominican Republic trip for next month.

Top priorities are Alaska and Newfoundland.

If I can do that, I will complete Round 2 of Visit All 50 States and Round 1 of Visit All 10 Canadian Provinces.

False Hope

 WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED??

I get a little better for a few days then just as hopes begin to rise, I'm hit with something like this.  

The drama with the pills is NOT OVER!

I hoped to run 3 miles easy on Lakeshore this morning.  I didn't really care about the pace.  I just wanted to feel comfortable and finish strong.  A storm came through last night, which apparently was worse in Homewood.  I had to stop several times to go around downed tree branches but that shouldn't affect me.  

 I could tell something was a little bit off from the get go.  After a slow start, I seemed to find a decent rhythm after the first quarter mile and my pace was around 9:15-9:20.  I told myself to just maintain that pace and I'll take it.   Just before the 3/4 mile mark, I suddenly began feeling MUCH worse and also was holding in a diarrhea dump.  I had no choice but to stop and complete the walk of shame back to the start.  I did do a couple of spurts of running to get the total distance up to 1 mile but my pace slowed considerably and my moving time was 9:39.  Slightly WORSE than 2 days ago.  

You can expect some variation in performances on a daily basis.  If this one had been 8:39 instead?  No big deal.  An 8:20 vs 8:39 is within the margin of error and not enough to be considered significant especially with the tree branches.  A 9:39 with nothing left at the end?  NO!  That clearly indicates that something is wrong.  The next step was to go home and find the culprit.  I figured that it was either the Zinc or the Thym-Adren but hoped that it was the latter.  A bad reaction to an adrenal supplement is understandable.  A bad reaction to a mineral?  That's likely an autoimmune issue.  Just one pill confirmed that indeed it was the Thym-Adren.

I was very pleased yesterday when I saw a BIG improvement seemingly in spite of not taking any pills.  I know now that I did better BECAUSE I did not take the pills.   Obviously, the candida detox has had an effect of my adrenals.  I'm likely still a fast oxidizer and thus, I will need the Thym-Adren over the long haul at least at low doses.  That said, I cannot be like this.  If I remain on this path, I will likely continue to get worse.  I have 3 options for the near future.  

1-Lower the dose to just one pill and take it the night before.  

That's probably the least likely to be effective as I'm growing more and more intolerant.

2. Quit the pills temporarily.

Could be an option but it may not be strong enough.

3. Temporarily take an adrenal stimulant.

I had to do that when detoxing heavy metals in the past and it worked well for a while.  Eventually, I became over-stimulated and was forced back on the Thym-Adren.  That's likely the outcome this time as well.  

In the past, I've had a VERY HIGH tendency to cheat when something like this happens.  I MUST stay strong this time.  Committed to 21 days no matter what.

As far as the running is concerned, I don't have to be ultra-competitive to be happy.  I DO expect to be well enough and BE CONSISTENT ENOUGH to enjoy the social aspect.  Should not be too much to ask, but right now, that's impossible.  

UPDATE:

I tried the adrenal stimulants and got MUCH better for a short time.  A fourth option has come up, which is NAC.  It too produced a strong positive, albeit short-lived reaction.  I'm going with a combination of #3 and #4.

Improving: Day 10 Clean

 Today is Day 10.  Assuming that I make it through the weekend, I'll be more than halfway to my goal of 21 days of drinking water only.  

Concerns:

I still do have a bit of residual crud.  It's mostly just a stuffy nose with very little phlegm.  Over the long haul, that is of no concern.  It may hang on for another week or so but it will be gone.  The abdominal pain is almost completely gone.   The big concern is that I still do have the candida rash on my armpits and above my ass.  It still itches from time to time.  How long will that last?  It's really more of a nuisance than anything else.  I figure that if need be, I can use a cream to control the itch if it gets really bad.  

I am concerned about this because it's a sign that the candida is not completely dead yet.  What if it mutates and learns to survive or grow without the regular supply of sugar?  Seems unlikely but I don't know what I can do if that does happen.

My energy is improving (more on that later) but I did need a nap on Friday evening.  I was in bed from 6:30-8:00 and was out cold for about an hour.  Not surprisingly, I could not get to sleep when it was time for bed.  Of course I must listen to my body and give it the rest that it needs but this sort of thing cannot happen with any regularity.  I've noticed that I've been sleeping deeper and had a couple of vivid dream the last 2 nights.  One involved urinating on a chair because I honestly thought it was a toilet.  

Improvement:

The biggest positive is that my energy is starting to come around.  I feel noticeably better EVERY DAY and yes, it translates to the track.  On Tuesday, I struggled through a 4:00 lap at Montreat (12:00 pace) and had stabbing pains in the belly with every foot strike.  By Thursday, I was down to 3:30 (10:30 pace).  On Friday, I went to the track to try a full Mile at Vestavia.  I simply hoped for a sub-10 but finished in 9:35.  1st half: 4:53, 2nd half: 4:42 and each lap was slightly faster than the previous one.  

Today (Saturday), my time was all the way down to 8:20 and I managed a 1:59 last go round.  Normally, I'd never celebrate something like that but considering where I was just a few days ago, it's pretty impressive.  I'm now within 40 seconds of my reset PR.  Still too soon to get my hopes up.  If I can avoid a relapse and get my time down to around 7:15, I may begin to believe.  

Perhaps the best news of all is that I am seeing VERY LITTLE impact from the pills.  I took 2 Probiotic pills, which were completely INTOLERABLE on a previous attempt. This time, NOTHING.  It didn't seem to matter one iota whether I took them or not.  Same with the Curcumin.  I'll still take both occasionally for preventative maintenance.  I've also gone 48 hours without Zinc or Thym-Adren with no problem.  In fact, the big improvement from Friday-Saturday came after having NOT taken any pills.  I know that I still need them and won't be surprised to see an adrenal spike in the near-future but being freed from extreme dependence could be YUGE!  

Candida Flu

 Since the last update, I tried Zinc and the results were not surprising.  An initial negative response followed by an insatiable need with a couple of adrenal spikes that eventually stabilized.  Still, I faced the harsh reality that the Candida is simply not going away unless I COMPLETELY ELIMINATE SUGAR, ALCOHOL AND CAFFEINE.  All of the supplements that were so necessary (Probiotics, ACV, Curcumin) in the past don't seem to help much nowadays. 

 Not surprisingly, I was BAD over Thanksgiving but got back on track the next week.  I found that in the past, dealing with all the drama with the insatiable needs for pills and the moving targets PLUS the sugar withdrawals was just too hard.  With relatively stable chemistry, I gave it another shot and vowed to go at least 21 days no matter what happened.   As of today, I've completed 7 days clean with NO cheat days.  Today was the first day that I had any real temptation but so far so good.   

In the past, I've usually gotten caffeine withdrawal that peaks within 24-48 hours of stopping.  I get the energy crash, headache and sleepiness.  That's usually followed by an adrenal spike and I may get a little better after 4-5 days but I've always fallen off the wagon because of the drama with the pills.  There were some days that I kinda had to use or I could not even function at work.   In the past, quitting sugar actually made the sensitivity WORSE.  On one attempt, I developed a complete intolerance to the very same Probiotics that I needed just a few days earlier and also developed new food sensitivities.  I've since read that this was likely Cytokine related.  

This time around, I had symptoms that I've never experienced before.  The withdrawal came sooner than I expected.  I put down my last forbidden beverage (Margarita) around 10PM last Wednesday but I was already beginning to feel it by the end of the workday on Thursday.  I figured that I'd have to endure a couple of rough days on Friday and Saturday, then I'd start feeling better by Sunday.  

It got so bad that I actually had to leave work early on Friday.  I crashed in bed at 2:30 PM and stayed there until the next morning.  By Saturday, I had a massive sinus headache and was sneezing uncontrollably at times.  On top of that, I had several diarrhea attacks.  Sunday evening was the worst.  My temperature shot up to 101.4 degrees with TERRIBLE abdominal pains.  I kept hoping to get that shit out my system, but I couldn't defecate or fall asleep.  Finally, I took some Tylenol that temporarily reduced my fever, and I did wake up several times to urinate, which did seem to make it a little better.  

Needless to say, no work on Monday.  Fever was down to 99.8 degrees and I was able to sleep normally.  Still, awfully weak and with no appetite, I managed to get through half a day of work on Tuesday to avoid having to get a doctor's note.  I am slightly better today (Wednesday).

Wasn't this just a standard case of the flu virus?  Was it really Candida related?     

I am nearly CERTAIN that it is TOTALLY Candida related and it was not influenza at all.  Based on my research, everything that happened in my body is what is SUPPOSED to happen when Candida is going away.  It will go out kicking and screaming!  The severe abdominal pain is actually a sign that the liver is working overtime to flush out those toxins!  I have one big question:  Why didn't any of this happen when I tried to quit sugar before?  I've lasted this long several times before.   I had yet to try any anti-candida supplements besides the Probiotics and this was before I addressed the Cytokines.  I don't think recovery was even possible until I did that.  Maybe all the drama with the pills was necessary as well.

Prognosis:

Too soon to get my hopes up but I see a glimmer of light.  Odds are that it's not going to be a switch where one day I wake up feeling well.  It will be a gradual process.    I will have to strictly limit forbidden drinks after the 21 days are up.  NO energy drinks EVER AGAIN.  I might have an odd Coke or alcoholic beverage but those must be RARE.  I'll have to be careful over Christmas and I'll have to be careful in Punta Cana as well.  

Any running:

All I've done is 1 lap at Montreat the last 3 days.

Mon AM- 4:28

Mon PM- 4:10

Tue- 4:00

Wed- 3:47.  

Wednesday's pace was 11:21 so that no cause for celebration but it's a lot better than the 13:24 pace that I managed just 2 days earlier.  

UPDATE - Today (Thursday) I managed a 3:30 (10:30 pace).  Clearly improving.  Keep it up.

Punta Cana Trip Plan

 This is the sixth time that I have gone to a tropical climate during the dead of winter.  Someday, I'll make it to Colorado for a ski trip.   Here's my history:

2019- Miami and the Florida Keys

2020- San Juan, Puerto Rico (pre-Covid)

Christmas 20- Cancun, Mexico

2021- Big Island, Hawaii

2023- Jaco. Costa Rica

MLK weekend is my best bet. I scored a smokin' deal on a round trip flight out of Atlanta for under $300.  It lands on Saturday the 13th and returns on Wednesday the 17th.  I actually tried to extend it another day but none of the flights would have allowed me to drive back to Birmingham the same day and I don't want to be out all week.  Plus, the fares would have been much higher.  

Including the US, the Dominican Republic will be my 9th country visited.  I had some fun pranking co-workers by talking about checking out the beaches on the west side of the island.  I said that it might be a little bit dangerous.  They wondered why until I told them that those beautiful beaches are in Haiti.  LOL.  

I prefer NOT to stay at an all-inclusive resort but in Punta Cana, you really don't have much of a choice.  Over 90 percent of the hotels are all-inclusive and the ones that are not are located a fair distance from the beach itself.  It may not even be possible to walk to the public beaches and I really don't feel comfortable renting a car.  To me, that means a much less authentic experience.  The same resort also has a property in Jamaica, so I could go there instead and probably have a very similar experience.  You can't truly say that you "loved the country" if you didn't experience it outside of the resort.  

I don't really care about high class accommodations or fine dining.  I'm there for the beach and specifically the surf.  I ended up choosing the cheapest all-inclusive resort that I could find, Riu Republica in Arena Gorda.  I would have preferred Macao Beach but the prices were outrageous.  Dreams Macao was over $700/night while Riu Republica was under $300.  Therefore, I save over $1,200 over a 4 night stay.  

I think it will actually work out for the best.  Bavaro Beach has brilliant white sand and crystal clear electric blue water but usually minimal surf.  Macao has consistently good surf, but the water is not as clear and the sand is more golden than white.  I figure that since Arena Gorda is located in between, it should offer the best of both worlds.  Beautiful beach with rideable waves.  Food will be mediocre but as long as it's edible, I'm good.  My only real concern is that it attracts a young crowd that likes to party.  I won't get stupid drunk but sure, I'm up for some fun in the evening.  

1/13- My fight lands at 2:00 and I figure that by the time I get through Customs and take a taxi to the resort, it will be almost sunset when I check in so I don't expect to squeeze in a quick dip.  This will leave me with only 3 full days on the beach plus a morning session on 1/17.  I may change my mind, but I am currently leaning AGAINST an excursion to Santo Domingo.  It's a 4 hour bus ride each way, which leaves me with only 4 hours to tour.  Plus, I'm not sure that I'd be interested in all of the activities on the organized tour.  I certainly will NOT strike off on my own in a strange city. 

Instead of that, I will likely spend an afternoon in the shopping district of downtown Punta Cana, and hope to mingle a bit with the Dominicans.  Word on the street is that it is safe enough, especially in the daytime.  As for the weather, I can expect temps in the mid-80s and sunny skies with a water temperature around 80-82.  Can't beat that in January.  Unfortunately, rainfall is a possibility.  Though it's unlikely to be a total washout, I can expect about a 30 percent chance of rain on any given day.  I really don't want to take an excursion on a beautiful day then have 2 rainy days on the beach.     

Rant/Rave: Singleness

 The holiday season is always tough for me because I've long been the only adult at the party without a significant other and I am past the age in which I am being judged for being single.  My parents are the only ones who are aware of the full extent of my medical issues.  Even my sister didn't know how bad it was until very recently and I'm not even sure she believes it.  Most of my aunts and cousins have no idea that I am sick and neither do my coworkers. 

 I feel compelled to post on this subject after a few prominent conservative commentators were critical of women who are single and childless by choice.  I agree with over 90 percent of their commentaries but in this case, I found it somewhat offensive.  The woman in the video was only 29 years old.  That's hardly ancient and she could certainly change her mind in 5 years and still be young and healthy enough to have a child.  For the record, yes I am a strong believer in the nuclear family as the building block for a successful society but not everyone is cut out for marriage and parenthood.  If for whatever reason, they don't feel led to go down that path, they must not be shamed or pressured into it.

I can think of at least 4 good reasons to remain single and/or childless.  All of these are true for me at least to a certain extent:

#1 You feel that you would be a burden because of chronic medical issues.  Also, you may be suffering from neuro imbalances such as autism or ADHD.  Insulting terms such as "incel" should NEVER be used to describe autistic adults.  That REALLY bothers me!  

For a man over 40 with chronic medical issues, I'm not half bad looking.  While I certainly won't bring home a supermodel, I am confident that I would not have any trouble getting a date if I put myself out there.  Sure, I wish things were different but I am a realist.  When you have to take an exact cocktail of pills every day while shooting at a moving target and frequently crash out in bed after work or on the weekends, you're not going to be very appealing.  In my experience, men tend to be more accepting than women of a chronic illness.  Until I get this under control, I will not pursue a relationship though I must admit that the thought of dying young without anybody caring about me is a real prospect and it frightens me.  I don't think my standards are too high.  An average looking woman with good character and compatibility?  Sure, I'd be open to it if healthy.  

#2- Fear of divorce and/or a string of bad relationships.

It's not much of a secret that divorce laws are stacked against men and 70 percent are initiated by women.  I won't go into great detail but my limited experiences with women have not been very good.  I've heard stories from others as well as personal observations that have convinced me that unless it is truly a match made in heaven, marriage is not all that it is cracked up to be.  Suppose that I have a relapse on the medical front and/or a stressful day at work then come home to a wife who is overly critical and argumentative.  Then on top of that, I have a kid who is misbehaving and/or got in trouble at school.  That would royally SUCK!  

A common issue in the running community is objection to group runs with members of the opposite sex.  I can see having a problem with a regular one on one workout partner but certainly not a weekly social run in a large group.  Often, you can forget about opposite sex friendships even when it is clear that there is no chance of romantic interest.  A young man was in town on business and asked a much older female friend to lunch.  The age difference was 20 years but no, the husband objected.  

 #3- You value independence and the freedom to do what you want and go where you want.

The woman in the video gloated about being able to go out to concert, stay out late and sleep in the next morning without having to pay for a baby sitter.  While that's not the type of woman that would appeal to me at this point in my life, she made a lot of valid points about the advantages of being single with no kids.  The criticism of her was both mean-spirited and unwarranted especially when she is still under 30 years old.  

Again, I wish my situation was different but I have made the best of it.  Though the last few years were ugly, I completed my goal of finishing a half marathon in all 50 states.  I did this by age 42 and if not for COVID, I could have done it just after turning 40.  There is NO WAY that I could have done it at such a young age with a family.  I have visited all 50 states plus DC and Puerto Rico plus 9 Canadian provinces, 5 Mexican states and 8 countries.  If I make it to Alaska as planned next year, I will have been to all 50 at least twice.  If you read my blog with any regularity, you know that my trips are AWESOME and I'm glad that I am able to do it.  

A former co-worker from Montgomery had a wife who would not allow him to run the famous Azalea Trail race in Mobile because it was too far (less than 3 hours).  Never mind that there is plenty to do in and around Mobile besides the race and New Orleans is just 2 hours further.   He referred to his wife as "the ball and chain."  I can check the surf forecast on the weekend and if I see good conditions with a low chance of rain, I will go if I want to.  I'm not tied down at home because my son has a soccer game or my wife doesn't want to go.  Just recently, I took a trip to Daytona Beach for Columbus Day and a trip to the north Georgia mountains for Veteran's Day with an overnight stop in Atlanta.  If you value independence, it does NOT mean that you are selfish.  Some of the most kind and generous people that I know are single by choice.  On the other hand, I know some married people who don't much care about anyone outside of their inner circle and really look down on singles.  Being married does NOT necessarily make you a better person especially if it is not a great match.  The more time people spend together, the more alike they become.    

#4- Genetic disease and the direction of the country

I know that there is a genetic basis to my illness and it would absolutely break my heart to see my own child suffer from the same illness knowing that it was my genes that caused it.  If you are a carrier of a known genetic disease, that is certainly a good reason not to have kids and to embrace the DINK lifestyle.  I see where the USA is headed and while I will probably be retired before it completely goes to hell, my child would live through it.  Will the USA even exist as a 50 state constitutional republic in 50 years?  I don't know.        

 

Training 11/6-11/12

 11/6- I felt the adrenal spike yesterday evening and it was brutal this morning.  Curcumin did nothing.  The only thing that helped was Thym-Adren.  Did 3x half lap at Montreat with steadily improving times with each pill.  Still, I was no better than 1:33 (9:18 pace).  

Forced myself to run 1 mile and it was pathetic.  Did not time it but it was probably around 12 minutes.

Distance= 1.5

11/7-AM- 1.5 miles on Lakeshore in 16:45 (11:10 pace).  OUCH!

PM- Repeated the morning session and my time was down to 14:52 (9:55 pace).

I will gradually reduce the Thym-Adren so I don't flip to the other side.  Excess Curcumin won't hurt me.  When the adrenal spike dies down, I'll already be taking a lot of Curcumin so I should not have another horrible day until the next adrenal spike.

Distance=3.0

The cycles appear to be over but I'm not sure that the Candida has been eliminated.  I tried Zinc and it's effective but I have an insatiable need again.  

Managed only 2.5 miles of junk the rest of the week.

-Total of only 7 miles.

Training 10/30-11/5- Possible Race

 10/30- 2.5 miles on Lakeshore.  Dialed back the effort a bit but still pleased.  Finished in 22:35 (9:02 pace).  Back to negative splits too.  1st half- 11:30, 2nd half- 11:05.  Cardio was strong and got stronger as the run progressed but the legs are sore.  Not used to quality workouts and it will take time to adjust.  Wanted to add a half mile cool but was short on time.  I could have broken 9 minute pace with a bit more effort and would probably be in the 27s for a 5K.  Speaking of that, Vulcan is this weekend and they've added a 5K this year.  I'm thinking about doing it.

Distance=2.5

10/31- BAD!  Hoped to run a slow 4 miler in the high 9 range.  Had to settle for 2 in a time of 20:24 (10:12 pace).  Got off to a good start with an 8:45 pace through the first 0.75 then suddenly died.  Mile 2 was 11:20 and it got slower with every step.  Got home and tried extra Thym-Adren, which made things WORSE, not better.  That tells me that the adrenal spike is over, and I can (and must) reduce that dosage.  Not surprised or disappointed that this happened but it does make me feel uneasy that I got so much worse just 36 hours after a decent showing.  I expect to struggle again tomorrow but should reach some sort of equilibrium by the end of the week.  I remain Questionable for Vulcan.  

Distance=2.0

11/1- Expected to struggle but did better than expected.  2 miles in 19:43 (9:51 pace).  Back to negative splits (10-flat/9:43).  Could have gone longer but probably a good call to play it safe when out of balance.  I hope to stabilize at 2-3 Thym-Adren pills with no extreme dependence.  I took 8 yesterday and 2 today.  If I quit cold turkey, I'll flip to the other side of the spectrum in just a few days.  I'm still about 50/50 on Vulcan.  I expect to be better tomorrow.

Distance=2.0

11/2- 3 miles on North Lakeshore in 28:36 (9:32 pace).  Faster and longer than yesterday but NOT better.  I aimed for an even 9 pace and was nearly on target for the first half then faded badly.  I won't say it was a collapse but it got worse and worse as the run progressed.  Splits were 13:37-14:59 and it took a closing rally to get the back half under 15.  What do I make of this?  I don't know.  Perhaps, I still need the Curcumin.  I've downgraded to Doubtful for Vulcan.  Even I don't race this weekend, I'll have at least 2 more chances before the end of 2023.

Distance=3.0

11/3- Unplanned rest day.  I am officially OUT for Vulcan. I don't feel ready even if I was having a good stretch.  Maybe I can race a 5K in December.   In the aftermath of yesterday's effort, I was MUCH worse after drinking a Red Bull but got somewhat better after taking a Curcumin.  Extra Thym-Adren did nothing.  That tells me that Candida is still an issue.  I still have to take Curcumin and limit sugar and alcohol.

11/4- Good call on the no-go decision.  I would have had NOTHING!  On a half lap at Montreat without the Curcumin, I was over 12-minute pace.  I did get down to the low-9s on 3 pills while Thym-Adren did nothing. Forced myself to do a full mile afterwards going non-stop and it felt like slow motion.  Didn't even time it but I suspect it was near 12 minutes.  It's cycle.  It will be extreme need for Curcimin for the next several days followed by another adrenal spike, which will then be followed by a Curcumin need.  Fortunately, the cycles will become less intense over time.

Distance=1.5

11/5- 2 miles in the daylight at 6 AM.  I'll be able to do this for the next 3 weeks or so then December and January will be totally dark.  It was better than yesterday.  Finished in 20:12 (10:06 pace).  Interestingly, the splits were dead even at 10:06 each but I was AWFUL in the middle.  Both the first and last quarter miles were half decent. 

PM- Repeated the 2 miler in warmer conditions.  Improved to 18:16 (9:08 pace).  Slight negative split even though I actually dialed it down on the back half.  Unfortunately, I feel like the adrenal spike is already starting to hit by the evening.  Good news is that it won't last long.

Distance= 4.0

 

-15 miles on the week.  It has not been pretty, but I've averaged 15 over the past 3 weeks

Training 10/23-10/29

 As expected, the Curcumin is SUDDENLY ineffective.  I predicted this.  I knew it would happen, but I had no idea when it would.  Again, it does NOT hurt me if I take it, which tells me that the autoimmune issues remain under control.  This does also raise further questions.  Is the Candida treatment finished or do I need another round of detox?  Something tells me that I need another round.  I still have a bit of a rash on my armpit and my butt but it only itches after a cheat day with my diet.  My focus is on the predicted adrenal spike.  It is BAD!  I need mega Thym-Adren until further notice.  However, unlike with the detox, it will be a gradual process in which I become less dependent from day to day.

10/23- Intervals at Lakeshore.  4x 0.20 miles plus a cool.  As expected, I was AWFUL on no pills then fared only marginally better on Curcumin.  Just ONE Thym-Adren made a significant difference, and another brought me back to semi-respectability.  However, the good feeling was short-lived as I needed more and more throughout the day.

Distance=1.0

10/24- The HATED better with or without test at Montreat.  It's the only thing that I can do.  

Floor: 4:12 (12:36 pace).  Ceiling- 3:26 (10:18 pace).  GAP is 2:18.  I actually thought the gap would be larger but I'm sure that it would be if I had taken more pills.  Added a 1 lap cool.

Distance=1.0

10/25- Repeated yesterday's workout and saw improvement.

Floor- 3:48 (11:24 pace).  MINUS 72.  Ceiling- 3:08 (9:24 pace).  MINUS 54.  GAP is down to 2:00.  

I can't complain.  This is exactly what is supposed to happen.  Both the floor and ceiling will improve but the rate of improvement is faster with the floor.  Eventually, the difference will become insignificant, and I can get by with a few days off the pill.  

PM- Non-stop Mile also at Montreat in 11:19.  Even pace with splits of 5:38-5:41 and no real effort to kick.  I'm fine with this.  I needed to know my starting point.  If I'm still over 10 at the end of next week, we've got problems.  I expect improvement to be rapid at this stage.    

Distance=2.0

10/26- Better than expected compared to yesterday.  

Floor: 3:21 (10:03 pace).  MINUS 81. Ceiling: 2:48 (8:24 pace).  MINUS 60.  EXACTLY the pattern that I want to see.  I'll keep doing it until the floor is under 7:00 pace.  The gap is down to 1:39 and today's floor is higher than the ceiling of 2 days ago.

PM- Montreat Mile in 9:34.  1st half- 4:52, 2nd half- 4:42.  Better than expected.  Simply hoped for a sub-10 and I crushed it.  Still, I am nearly 2 minutes off the reset PR.

Distance=2.0 

10/27-  Better than expected again.

Floor: 2:52 (8:36 pace). MINUS 87.  Ceiling: 2:30 (7:30 pace).  MINUS 54.  GAP is down to 1:06.  Clearly, I am on the right track.  I'll take a break from these trials and try to break 2:20 on the floor next week.  

PM- 2 miles on Lakeshore in 18:48 (9:24 pace).  Gotta be pleased.  Doubled the distance and managed a pace that was marginally faster.  Splits were 9:30-9:18.  I had plenty left in the tank and could have broken 30 for 5K.  That's what I will try to do tomorrow.

Distance=3.0

10/28- North Lakeshore 3 in 28:33 (9:31 pace).  Pleased.  The rate of improvement is slowing and that is to be expected but I've still got some room left.  The 3 mile equivalent of a sub-30 5K is 29-flat, give or take a few seconds so I was comfortably below that.  Once again, I ran a strong negative split.  1st half- 14:36, 2nd half- 13:57.  Not sure what to make of that. The back half really didn't feel that much faster and it was slightly uphill too.  

Distance=3.0

10/29- Split decision on this one.  Hoped to run 4 miles on South Lakeshore and settled for 3 initially.  Finished in 27:09 (9:03 pace), which looks like a nice improvement over yesterday.  Unlike my previous efforts, I got out faster today but struggled down the stretch.  1st half- 13:12, 2nd half- 13:57.  Even still, the back half was exactly the same as yesterday and the last mile in 9:25 was faster than the overall pace yesterday.  However, I could feel a massive fade coming and doubted my ability to finish another mile without stopping. A 5K would have been a hair above 28.       

I took about a 3-5 minute break then went back out for another mile as a glorified cool down.  Pace was over 10 most of the way but found surprising life at the end and finished in 9:44.  The last quarter mile was well under 9 minute pace.

Distance=4.0

- 16 miles on the week.  I'll shoot for 20 next week. 

RANT: Arab/Israeli Conflict

 Disclaimer:

I'm not an expert on the subject and have not studied the issues in great detail.  I do have a trace of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, but I will do my best to be unbiased.  I have never been to Israel or Palestine.

History:

Palestine has never existed as a nation state.  Prior to World War 1, the land was under control of the Ottoman Empire.  It was a sparsely populated region and a 19th century author whose name escapes me described it as a "wasteland."  Jewish settlers began to arrive as early as the 1880s but at the turn of the century, it was still roughly 90 percent Arab.  

  After the Ottoman Empire collapsed, the land fell under the British Protectorate and remained under British control until 1947.  Due in large part to the increasing persecution of European Jews, migration surged over the next 3 decades.  The economy developed rapidly and many Arabs from present day Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon moved to the area both for jobs and to prevent Jewish control of the land.  Thus, most modern-day Palestinians are descendants of Arabs from several nearby states. DNA would probably reveal a mixture of Egyptian, Saudi and other Middle Eastern ancestry.  

The original Partition was a plan for a 2-state solution with land divided up between Israel and Palestine.  Supposedly, Israel got most of the land, but the Palestinians got mostly fertile land while Israel got mostly desert.  The plan was accepted by Israel but rejected by Palestine.  That is a FACT.  Arabs went to war for total control of the land multiple times.  They lost.  TOUGH!  Still, through it all Israel has been willing to trade land for peace and have proposed a 2 state solution again and again.  Most recently, Clinton tried to broker a peace deal with Yasser Arafat.  Arafat said no to every proposal and a rash of suicide bombings followed.  I am convinced that even ONE square mile of Israeli control would not be accepted by the Palestinians.     

When I first became interested in politics around 1999, I declared myself neutral in the Arab/Israeli conflict.  However, after reading the Bible and seeing video footage of Palestinians celebrating on 9/11 with cries of Allahu Ackbar, I have taken the pro-Israel position.  Israel is a secular democracy with religious freedom, women’s rights, and a visible gay community.  It’s actually a bit more liberal than I would like but it beats the hell out of the alternative in which you are either a Muslim or an infidel and gays are routinely executed by being thrown off rooftops. 

Surveys show that the overwhelming majority Republicans support Israel while Democrats have shifted towards Palestine despite the fact that Israel is much more aligned with Democratic values.  I saw a banner “Queers for Palestine”.  Do they know how gays are treated there?  Why are Democrats more sympathetic to Palestine?  Never mind the Holocaust.  European Jews who migrated to the area were not an oppressed minority but rather a conqueror of Arab land that rightfully belongs to Palestine.  They see Israel as living on stolen land and as part of neo-colonialism by a white European power.  I really believe it is as simple as that.  I once met a guy who honestly tried to tell me that the Holocaust didn’t happen.  I just walked away and never talked to him again.  BLM is openly supporting Hamas.  To me, celebrating the loss of innocent life is more offensive the attack itself.  Terrorism must be condemned with no ifs ands or buts.  Supporters of Israel have even been referred to as Nazis.  That, my friends, goes down as the most idiotic statement I have ever heard.

Still with all of that being said, I recognize that Israel is NOT completely innocent.  Prejudice and hatred go both ways.  There are plenty of ultra-Orthodox Jews that simply hate Arabs and Muslims.  That is NOT okay.   In response to terror attacks, innocent Palestinian children have been killed.  In violation of international law, Jewish settlements have been built in the Palestinian West Bank.  There are numerous military checkpoints as well as certain streets where Palestinians are not even permitted to walk.  NO!  I do not believe that is okay!  That said, if Palestine had accepted the original peace deal and there was no threat of suicide bombings, that probably never happens.  Gaza has an unemployment rate approaching 50 percent and many Palestinian children do not have access to clean water.  Yes, I do sympathize, but you can’t blame it all on Israel.  Gaza actually elected Hamas, a known terrorist group that has a stated goal of eliminating Israel, to represent them.  As a result, money is spent on military technology rather than the basic needs of its people. 

Gaza shares a border with Egypt and the West Bank shares a border with Jordan and I believe Lebanon as well.  Other Arab states have taken in very few Palestinian refugees.  The defense is that because some of them support terrorism, they cannot be properly vetted.  I believe the real reason is that they don’t want to facilitate the loss of the Arab population in that region.  They would rather see the fighting and suffering continue than see Israel remain in control.  Again, that is not okay.  Speaking of the border, an alarming number of people on the US terror watch list have been found trying to cross our southern border.  I fear that terror cells exist inside the US and could strike if the war heats up in Israel. 

My peace deal:  Palestine gets statehood as well as control of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.  I may even be willing to throw in a little extra.  Israel must abandon its settlements in Palestinian territory.  In return, Palestine must legally recognize Israel’s right to exist, overthrow Hamas and renounce terrorism.  Similar deals have been proposed multiple times.  Israel accepts and Palestine refuses.  Sadly, I don’t see peace between Israel and Palestine.  I predict that it will be an all or nothing proposition.  Either all of the land will be under Israeli control or Palestinian control.  I would have no objection to Israel taking over all of Gaza right now.  Would there be peace in the Middle East if Israel did not exist?  NO.  The Sunni and Shia factions have been at odds for centuries.  There was an 8 year war between Iran and Iraq back in the 1980s. 

Foreign policy is an issue in which I have evolved in recent years.  Like most Republicans, I initially supported Bush-43 and the Iraq war but now recognize that it was a mistake.  There are a lot of very bad regimes that exist throughout the world, and I do sympathize with the people living under oppressive conditions.  That said, we cannot be the world’s police force and topple every regime that we don’t like.  History has shown that US involvement often makes things worse in the long run.  Still, there are some atrocities that simply cannot be permitted.  For example, I probably would have opposed World War 1 but certainly would have supported World War 2.  I am more willing to send military aid to Israel than to Ukraine.  Why?  If Israel is wiped off the map as many Middle Eastern countries would like to see, there will be another Holocaust.  That is something that absolutely cannot be permitted.  Yes, Holocaust survivors are still alive today and many of them live in Israel.   I saw an interview with one person who was asked if she would be okay if all the Jews were killed.  She said “No.  Just the Zionists.”  SICKENING!    

Training 10/15-10/22

 Yet another attempt.  I've developed an insatiable need for Tumeric, which was not tolerated before I addressed the autoimmune issues.  

10/15- The previous day, I could not even run a 9:00 pace for 1 lap on the track without the pills.  Today, I managed an 8:30 pace at Montreat.  Factor in the hills and slightly longer distance, figure it's the equivalent of a 2:05 or better on the track.  However, as expected, I struggled mightily in the real workout.  Lakeshore 2.5 in 28:30 (11:22 pace) but I did manage a slight negative split.  Added a short cool to reach an even 3 on the day.

Distance=3.0

10/16- Straight to Lakeshore in the dark.  When the time changes, there will be a brief period in which it's daylight at 6 AM.  Repeated the 2.5 mile distance and my time is down to 25:48 (10:19 pace).  Felt noticeably better as well but still a long way to go.  This projects to a 5K just over 32 minutes.  OUCH!

Distance= 2.5 

10/17- My recent history has been just like this:  I get a little better for a few days then WHAM!  Just as my hopes are beginning to rise, I get slammed.  It happened again today.  I had a modest goal of a sub-10 pace for 2.5 miles.  I had a funny feeling before I started that something was off, and I was correct.  After holding the pace for about a quarter mile, I collapsed and it got worse with every step.  I ended up cutting it short at 1.5 in 17:48 (11:51 pace).

Fortunately, there is an explanation.  I took Quercetin for my blood pressure.  That's going to be a NO because it exacerbates the autoimmune issues.  The Curcumin, so effective before, actually made things worse.  This confirms what I knew.  The most effective Candida treatment was not tolerated because of autoimmune issues.  That makes me SO SICK that words can't describe it.  This never would have happened if the autoimmune issues were treated 10 years ago.

Distance=1.5

10/18- The Quercetin has cleared my system and as expected, the need for Turmeric has kicked back in with a VENGEANCE!  I wasn't well enough to even attempt a morning session but I did do 3x1 lap at Montreat in the evening.  Finished with an overall time of 9:48 with splits of 3:38-3:16-2:54.  I popped a pill after each lap and kept the effort even.  

Floor- 3:38 (10:54 pace).  Ceiling- 2:54 (8:42 pace).  That's a gap of 2:12 and I'm sure it would have been even larger if I had taken 2 pills after each lap.  The extreme need has GOT to diminish soon.  I believe it will happen suddenly.  

Distance=1.0  

10/19- Back to where I was 3 days ago.  Maybe a hair better.  Finished 2 miles in 20:28 (10:14 pace) with a negative split.  As long as I can stick to the diet and I can take the Turmeric, I have a chance.

Distance- 2.0

10/20- Hoped to get the sub-10 pace today and failed again.  1.5 miles in 16:38  (11:05 pace).  Again, I collapsed after the first half mile after starting out okay.  The need for Turmeric appears to be INCREASING not decreasing.

Distance=1.5

10/21- Repeated the 1.5 mile distance and my time was down to 15:45 (10:30 pace).  Improved only because I took an extra pill.  Added a warm and cool.

Distance=2.0

10/22- Half mile junk run at Montreat.  Curcumin appears to be losing its effectiveness.  What next?

Distance=0.5

- 14 miles total

RANT: Trevor Bauer and the MeToo Movement

 After more than 2 years, MLB pitcher Trevor Bauer has been exonerated.  After a Cy Young season in 2020 and a great start to 2021, Bauer was accused of sexual assault and suspended without pay for 194 games.  It has now come out that his accuser sent texts to friends before the accusation that revealed that this was planned beforehand.  Video has emerged with her lying in bed peacefully next to Bauer the morning after the alleged assault.  She had no obvious injuries and a bit of smirk on her face.  

Bauer was innocent but even though he beat the rap, much damage was done.  He lost $37 million in salary during 2022 and was released by the Dodgers after the suspension ended.  Another team could have signed him for pennies on the dollar, but he was deemed to be too toxic and went unsigned by even the worst of MLB teams.  He ended up playing in Japan in 2023.  I bet that Bauer will get an MLB deal in 2024 but will have to take a big pay cut with a zero-tolerance clause.   His reputation will be forever tarnished by the false accusation. What will happen to his accuser?  Probably nothing.  There must be laws in place such that if you make a false accusation of rape, you go to jail and pay a hefty fine especially if you attempted to extort money.  Bauer ended up paying more in legal fees than the proposed monetary settlement to the accuser.  I admire him for standing up for himself and his innocence no matter what the cost.  

Obviously, I've never experienced anything like this but yes, I've been burned by the Believe All Women narrative.  When I was about 12, I was playing with a pair of cousins.  One was a 15 year-old boy who was much stronger than I was.  The other was a 10 year-old girl.  Not surprisingly, the older cousin roughed me up a bit and I believe that I could have been hurt pretty badly if he kept going.  Fortunately, after several minutes of pleading, he finally stopped.  The 10 year-old thought it was cool and wanted a piece of me as well.  She proceeded to accuse me of injuring her shoulder and asked permission for a free shot on me.  It was a total lie but almost everyone in the family proceeded to yell at me without so much as even asking me for my side of the story.  It was I that was beat up and now I had to take this crap.  Needless to say, I was REALLY HURT and dreaded family gatherings for years afterward.  Nobody apologized for not listening to my side either.  To their credit, the parents of the girl really didn't yell at me.  I think they knew that their daughter was lying.  

I have a couple more issues with the MeToo movement, and the double standards applied to men.  Sometimes I walk to the convenience store to buy a protein bar or a muffin for breakfast after morning sprints.  I'm wearing my workout clothes and have gotten whistles and suggestive comments about my legs from women in their 50s.  I didn't really mind a little harmless flirting and just laughed it off.  Now, what would happen if I made a similar remark to a woman in her late 20s that was out of my league?  That's a rhetorical question.  No need to answer it.  It's gotten to the point in which some men are afraid to tell a female co-worker that she looks nice after a new haircut.  That is ridiculous.  

There have been many reports of women wearing nothing but sports bras and short shorts to the gym, then they proceed to complain when guys look or stare at them.  What do you expect when you dress like that?  Have I looked before?  Sure, I have but I do try to be discreet.  One hilarious example came out a few years ago when a scantily clad woman actually complained to the manager of the gym about a man staring at her.  It turned out that the man was BLIND!  LOL!  All she had to do was tell him not to stare because it makes her uncomfortable.  No reason to go to the manager.  I'm sure that she felt pretty stupid for accusing a blind man.  

Suppose that a girl who is flirtatious and is known to make suggestive comments in jest to other guys.  She should not be surprised to get occasional unwanted advances.  Does that constitute sexual harrassment?  Depends on the situation.  Did the guy know or should have known that it was unwanted.  If he has a friendly or a least a cordial relationship with her and she has made similar comments to other guys, just tell him not to talk like that.  Don't tattle to the boss.   If it continues after you are told not to make jokes like that, YES that is a problem.       

What happened to Trevor Bauer also underscores my point about not having sex with people that you barely know.  Though he committed no crime, Bauer was awfully foolish to jump in bed with someone that he just recently met.  That said, I am firmly on his side in this matter and wish him luck over the remainder of his baseball career. 

Rape is indeed a shitty crime and I have nothing but sympathy for the victims.  That said, I would certainly advise people to take precautions to avoid putting themselves in a position in which they are more likely to be a victim.  Word spreads quickly on a college campus and a girl with a promiscuous reputation is far more likely to be a rape victim.  Drunken idiots will think that because she did it with so and so, she’ll do it with me.  Sometimes girls will consent to sex then regret it the next morning and proceed to cry rape.  Again, if a guy doesn’t have sex, he won’t be falsely accused of rape and his reputation will remain clean.  Think of it this way.  Advising a guy not to get drunk and wander the streets of a dangerous city is certainly not the same as blaming him after he was a victim of robbery or assault and battery.  Men are 3 times more likely than women to be murder victims but that’s a rant for another day.   

Turmeric for Candida

 Good news.  I am off the adrenal fatigue pills.  It was an abrupt flip flop.  One day, I needed to suppress my adrenals and the next day, I needed to stimulate them to feel better.  What a life!  Fortunately, neither has much of an impact these days.  What I need is Turmeric, which is an anti-fungal supplement that also helps with inflammation.  

I tried Turmeric in the past and got immediate negative reactions.  My whole body tightened up within seconds of swallowing the capsule.  Clearly, that was an auto-immune response.  This time around, the first day on it was a little rough but that evolved into an insatiable need for it by Day 2.  I know how the game works because I've been through it so many times.  The need will diminish with time and eventually, I will arrive at a place in which I don't need it every day.  I may not be able to quit it, but I can make it through a long weekend without it.  I can live with that and would consider it "manageable" or "under control."  Then, I have to hope against hope that the same thing does not happen with another pill.  

I have done some light workout the last few days and got what I expected.  BEYOND AWFUL without the pills but much less awful with them.  As the dependence fades, the gaps in performance will also diminish.  Both the floor (without pills) and the ceiling (with pills) will improve but the floor will rise faster than the ceiling.  Eventually, the difference between the floor and ceiling will become insignificant.  

As for the diet, I learned this weekend that I must stick with the low sugar and alcohol plan.  I got away with cheating on Saturday but not on Sunday.  At dawn on Sunday, I clocked a 7:53 in the Mile with a slight negative split (3:58-3:55).  That's just 13 seconds off my reset PR and I felt that I left a few seconds out there.  I knew that I was comfortably under 8 but would not PR so I didn't push too hard in the last 200.  However, I was definitely weakened by a lunchtime energy drink.  In the afternoon session, I managed only a 19:56 for 2 miles (9:58 pace) and extra Turmeric had a minimal effect.  That's okay.  I wanted to test it out to see what would happen and now I know.  

On another note, I learned 2 things that have made me EXTREMELY ANGRY!  It may be that the Turmeric is the most effective treatment for the Candida.  It was right there in front of me several years ago but I could not tolerate it because of the autoimmune issues.  The same was true with Apple Cider Vinegar.   If not for that, the Candida never would have become this severe.  It is pretty obvious that Cytokine dysregulation was the source of the autoimmune issues.  I've learned that this is related to Autism as is Candida and gut issues.  Again, though I was never diagnosed, I am virtually certain that I am on the spectrum. Bottom line:  Candida never should have gotten this far out of control!   

Out Indefinitely

 No attempts to run until further notice.  I can handle a brisk walk around my neighborhood but any running, no matter how slow or short will do more harm than good at this stage.  Though I have not been tested, I am virtually certain that I am back to the state of full blown adrenal exhaustion.  The stress of the candida detox is the culprit and I have read several articles that have said that this could happen.

First, I found that Manganese helped with the die off reactions.  It worked for a while then quit.  Shortly thereafter, I developed an extreme need for NAC (N-Aceytal Cysteine).  That suddenly became ineffective about a week ago.  At least it is ineffective, not harmful like before I addressed the autoimmune issues.  Right now, the only thing that helps is a product called SBF Formula, which I have not taken regularly since at least 2008 when I was still adrenaline deficient.  I found that I could handle an occasional Mile time trial but if I attempted a two a day or a longer distance run, I would collapse.  Today, I opened with a pitiful 3:57 lap around Montreat.  Even a full dosage of SBF brought me no lower than 3:35 (10:45 pace).  Obviously, that's not good enough and it will only get worse if I try to keep pushing.

There is no timetable for another attempt to return to training but until I no longer need the SBF, it's out of the question.  In addition to the fatigue and sore muscles, I have a constant low grade headache and diarrhea.  I had 2 big and nasty attacks of diarrhea today at work then 2 more small dumps later in the day.  The good news is that I did feel noticeably better after a big dump.  Perhaps I got some toxins out.  

Although I have cheated a few times, I've done a lot better with restricting sugared and alcoholic drinks, both of which feed the candida.  The only thing that I can do is follow my present course.  If I cheat more often, I may get a bit of temporary relief from the die off but it will only prolong the recovery.  One article that I read said that the candida will eventually die off but it will go out kicking and screaming until the end.  If and when this resolves, I expect it to clear up suddenly.  I may go from flat out horrible to halfway decent over the course of just a couple days.  

It's too soon to think about this but the aftermath will probably be no picnic either.  I can expect an adrenal spike and the opposite pattern if this ever does clear up.   

What Constitutes Having Been to a State (Lenient and Strict Standards)

 I have touched on this before and it is a common discussion on online forums.  Everyone has their own standards and that's up to you.  I have 2 sets of standards.  

Lenient:

Anything counts except for airport layovers.  You could turn around at the Welcome sign without even getting out of the car.  You could be riding in the car sleeping as a small child with no memory of being there.  Even with airport layovers, you could make the case if you ate a sit-down meal and chatted with the bartender or purchased a souvenir.  Again, your rules.

My rules for Strict:

Here are some examples of what does make the standard.  I have no minimum amount of time.  

Attend or participate in an organized sporting event.  It could be a 5K race, a baseball game or your son's wrestling tournament.  I have done a half marathon in every state so that counts them all for Round 1

A swim in the ocean or a local public pool.  I have caught a wave in every state with an ocean coastline except for Alaska.

Trip to a ski resort.  I've done this in 5 states (PA, WV, NC, TN, CA)

You were taken to a state as a child with your parents, but you were at least 6-7 years old and therefore old enough to remember it with at least some clarity.  I was told that I went to the Jersey shore at 3 or 4 years old but did not remember it and did not count it.  I did go back as an adult.  However, I went to South Dakota about a month shy of my 8th birthday and yes, I do remember it.  That counts under the strict standard.

A visit to a museum or historical site.  You can chalk up Virginia by walking across the Potomac from DC to Arlington Cemetary.  That's most definitely a legitimate tourist attraction.

A visit to a State or National Park that includes a short hike or a sunset walk on the beach without taking a dip in the water.  I did the former in Iowa and the latter in Wisconsin for Round 2.  Those are probably my 2 weakest qualifiers but they both count in my book.

I don't think there is much argument about counting any of these but there is a grey area.

An overnight hotel stay?  IMO, this is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition.  Let's say you live near a state border and cross back and forth on a regular basis.  Chances are, you've qualified without going more than an hour or two from home.  There's no reason to stay in a hotel.  How about this one?  You pull off the interstate at night and sleep then check out the next morning.  You then proceed to the next state without leaving your car.  That's a NO for me but I would count a camping trip.  

Pulling off the highway to take pictures of a scenic overlook-  NO on the strict standard.

Browsing a shopping or outlet mall- I lean towards NO.  If you've seen one, you've seen them all and there is little difference between states.  However, if you purchase a souvenir or at least a T-shirt of the hometown sports team, I'd say MAYBE

Walking tour of a town or city- DEPENDS.  If you simply parked your car and walked a couple of blocks, I say NO.  A stop at a fast food restaurant or a convenience store does not qualify but a sit-down meal at a local restaurant or a small purchase at another local business?  I think YES.  National chains don't qualify.  A walk through a city park or a drink at the bar in which you had at least one meaningful conversation?  That's a YES.  I did both in Omaha, Nebraska and it counts.  

A walk across a river to see a city skyline?

The best views of Cincinnati are in Kentucky.  The best view of St. Louis are in Illinois.  Indiana offers a nice view of Louisville and the best view of Detroit is from Windsor, Ontario.    If all you do is cross the river and take a picture, it's a NO.  Put some effort into it.  Go out for a meal in Covington, Kentucky.  A visit to a casino in East St. Louis, IL?  That's safe enough and I say it counts but it's not something I'd recommend.  

North Dakota and Canada Road Trip

 9/1-

Early flight out of Birmingham.  There was a short delay but it did not affect my connection and I still had time to pick up some food in Dallas.  I landed in Bismarck around 2:30 then picked up my rental car and headed north.  The destination for the night was the town of Devil's Lake.  I did see a decent sunset over the lake but overall, the town was nothing special.  That was okay.  It would have been too hard to make it to Winnipeg that night and this was a good stopping point.  North Dakota was ranked #42 in terms of natural beauty according to Thrillist.  That's probably about right.  Outside of Theodore Roosevelt NP, you won't be awed by the scenery but it's not a barren wasteland either.  There were several nice lakes visible from the road and the western half is a lot more scenic than the eastern half.

9/2-

I expected to face a bit of scrutiny at the border because of where I am from.  They don't get many visitors from my neck of the woods.  I did have to wait almost an hour because the border crossing didn't open until 9 AM but it went without a hitch and I was welcomed into Canada, more specifically the province of Manitoba.  The drive from Devil's Lake to Winnipeg is only 3 hours but I took a short detour to the town Delta Beach on Lake Manitoba.  It won't be confused for Florida or even South Carolina but the beach scenery was not half bad.  Surf was minimal as expected with no rideable waves.  I didn't go out much beyond knee deep water but yes, it was warm enough for a swim.  The water temperature was probably around 70 degrees.  

As far as the weather, days dawned cool but it warmed up rapidly after 9 AM.  Normal highs for this time of year are in the low-mid 70s but the next 2 days topped out at over 90F.  However, with virtually no humidity, I felt quite comfortable on my walking tours.  Because of the dry air, I needed plenty of water to prevent a sore throat.  A cold front came through the night before my flight home but fortunately, the rain held off until my touring was complete.  

Lunch was a slice of pizza just a few kilometers from the beach and I was back on the road to Winnipeg.  I arrived just before 2 PM then went straight to the Museum of Human Rights.  It was interesting and thought provoking but it also offered some pretty nice views of the Winnipeg skyline. From there, I walked around the Forks, which is a park down by the river then went back downtown.  Winnipeg is a fairly large city but its downtown is compact and you can easily get from one side of town to the other.  Dinner was a good but overpriced steak at Keg's Restaurant.  I did not go out for more drinks on the town but did walk a few blocks from my hotel to get a night view of the city and view the Provincial Capitol.  I met a nice girl but didn't have much time to talk.  

9/3-

Up with the sun.  It would be 5.5 hours driving time to Regina, Saskatchewan.  As expected, the drive was incredibly boring with nothing but flat prairies and open spaces.   I did gain an hour so I arrived in town by lunchtime.  I stayed on the north side of town a couple of miles from the city centre so I would have to drive to get to my attractions.  Fortunately, I got a map of the city on my way.  I went down to Lake Wascana to see the Capitol and found that the leaves were already beginning to change.  I bet the foliage will be nice at the end of the month  With time to kill, I went into a nearby science museum and got a quick sample of downtown.  The museum was better than expected with many cool dinosaur exhibits.  I learned that millions of years ago, Saskatchewan had a tropical climate and its latitude has moved.  However, even when it was further north than it is now, the climate was still mild.  Of course, this was long before CO2 emissions were an issue.  The Earth's climate is always changing.  

The part of the trip that I probably looked forward to the most was a CFL football game.  It did not disappoint.  There were passionate fans on both sides and several rule differences that IMO make for a more exciting and interesting game than the NFL version.  In the end, Saskatchewan won an overtime thriller over Winnipeg by a score of 32-30 on a missed 2 point conversion.  Though I really didn't much care who won, I couldn't help but feel a bit excited in that atmosphere. 

9/4-

Regina is about an hour and a half north of the border.  Getting back into the USA was no problem and the scenery did improve further south.  I actually crossed into Montana then headed back east to North Dakota.  It was another 2.5 hours to the North entrance of Theodore Roosevelt NP.  That was much better than I expected.  It was about on par with Badlands NP in South Dakota.  It was another hour to the South Entrance of the park.  That was cool too but unfortunately, the haze from the Canadian wildfires began to affect the views as the wind picked up.  A cold front was coming but I finished my touring before the rain hit.  My hotel was about 30 minutes east going back towards Bismarck.

9/5- 

With time to kill before my flight, I went out for a sit down breakfast then drove 1.5 hours back to Bismarck.  I did have time to sample another interesting history museum near the Capitol area.  My luck was good on the trip home.  Because the flight landed about 20 minutes early, I was able to get on an earlier flight back to Birmingham.  I arrived at the gate just in time and learned later than my original flight was cancelled.  If not for the early arrival, I would have been stranded in Dallas for the night.   

Final Thought:

I really wasn't expecting this trip to be all that great but it was better than expected.  To be honest, if I wasn't for the bucket list to visit all 10 Canadian provinces, I doubt that I would have gone here.  This part of the world is not a popular tourist destination but it should not be overlooked.  I have now visited all 50 states at least twice with the exception of Alaska and have visited 9 of 10 Canadian provinces at least once.  The one that I am missing is Newfoundland.  Perhaps, I could make it there next month but I am leaning towards waiting until next summer.   

RANT: Wander Franco and Statutory Rape Laws

 There is only one thing more damaging to a man's reputation than being outed as a racist.  That is being accused of sexual misconduct with an underage girl.  Even if it turns out that the allegations are not as serious as they appear, his reputation will be forever tarnished, and his MLB career may be over.   I recall a few years ago, there was an MLB prospect from college that was widely considered to be a 1st or 2nd round talent but it was revealed that 5 years earlier, he pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct with a 13-year-old.  IIRC, there was no sex but inappropriate touching.  He later claimed that the charges were over the top but took the plea deal because he was afraid of jail time.  He went undrafted and I don't even remember his name. You could say that he was de-facto banned from baseball.   

Wander Franco is a former top prospect whom all scouts believed was headed for superstardom on the baseball field.  Though his stats are not on par with the likes of Ronald Acuna, he's put up All-Star caliber numbers this season and he's still only 22 years old.  

Though details are rather sketchy, here's what we know:

Social media photos have given the appearance of an improper relationship with a 14 year-old girl and the relationship was encouraged by the girl's mother.  The girl and her mother BOTH claimed that she was 18 then later revealed that she was actually underaged and demanded $200,000 in hush money.  Franco refused and is now under investigation.  For the record, what if it is proven that Franco knew or should have known that she was underaged and had a sexual relationship anyway?  Throw the book at him.  Lengthy prison sentence and de-facto permanent ban from baseball.  That's a shitty crime.    

My initial reaction:

All 3 characters are slime balls.  I do have several questions that need to be answered before I make a judgement about how to punish Wander Franco.  First, did he know or should have known that she was underaged?  If she was 12 or 13, I certainly would NOT buy the claim that he didn't know.  Let's say that she is just shy of 15.  It is plausible that she could pass for 18 especially if she is dressed up and wearing makeup.  If her own mother said that she was 18, you can trust her word, right?  What if she also had a fake ID?  

 I did see one picture and yes, she did look quite young.  If I had to guess her age based on that one picture, I would have said 16 but I only saw her face.  That said, I knew several 9th graders in school who certainly could have passed for 18.  You would not believe the size of some of the kids my age that I competed against growing up.  I've also read that her social media profile contained pictures of herself driving a car and drinking alcohol.  Franco had no way of knowing?  Yes, it is possible.  I also believe it's possible that she is not really 14.  She may have lied about her age again to make it look worse than it really is.  Is there proof of a sexual relationship or just a few flirtatious pictures?  

 I have a YUGE problem with the hush money demands.  If I had a 14- year old daughter and learned that she was romantically involved with a 22-year old, I would go straight to the authorities.  No amount of money could make this charge go away.  If the mother had a plan to sucker him into an illegal relationship without his knowledge to collect 6 figures in hush money, she's slime.  I may take some heat for this but even a 14-year old who goes along with that scheme knows that it's wrong.  I do NOT consider her an innocent victim.   However, I would not punish her.  

Wander Franco is married and had his first child with his current wife at the age of 17.  A married man should not be messing around with ANYONE!  Cheating on your wife with a presumed high school senior is disgusting but is it a crime?  

I did some research today and found that the laws vary by state.  In Alabama, the age of consent is only 16.  In Florida, it is 18.  Also, the defense of "I didn't know that she was underaged" is NOT always valid.  Again, some states allow more leeway than others.  I read that in a few states, you can be prosecuted for picking up a 17- year old IN A BAR.  How are you supposed to know that she was underaged if you have to be 21 to enter the establishment?  A teacher or coach who has sex with a student knowing full well that they are underage?  That's an entirely different beast.  

Changes that I would make:

Age of consent must be 18 in every state in the interest of protecting the children.  Not many 14-year olds can pass for 18 but there are plenty who can pass for 16.  They may not feel like a victim at the time, but they do as an adult.  

Take into account the age of the defendant.  A 20- year old with a 16- year old is not nearly as bad as a 30 year old with a 16 year old.  

What if the defendant was lied to and presented with a fake ID? Thus, he TRULY had no way of knowing the real age?  I'd let him off with a slap on the wrist.  If this was the case with Wander Franco, yes I'd suspend him from baseball under the personal conduct policy, but I would lean against prison time.

Especially if you are young, having sex with people that you don't know very well is asking for trouble.  Don't do it.