the id, the ego, & the single misfiring brain cell

Summer is almost finished. I've had sufficient time off and otherwise to myself to work in preparation for my next and last semester, so I'm almost entirely stress-free. I'm transferring all of my additional duties to colleagues, as I'll be busy teaching and outprocessing as time allows this semester. 

I signed up for TAP* for the end of this month. It's a week-long seminar, and I get to take it twice--and I fully intend to. They advise us of our rights and responsibilities (from what I've been told), and help us prepare for whatever we think we want to do next. As I was filling out the acceptance form two days ago, I had to calculate the date my terminal leave/Permissive Temporary Duty** begins, and discovered, much to my pleasure, that my previous estimate of "mid-February" was incorrect. I'll be leaving 24 January 2016 (but I won't be 100% civilian again until 1 May 2016). That leaves me six months before I'm effectively retired. 

* Transition Assistance Program. This is the military's way of saying, "We understand you've been institutionalized. We're here to help you ease back into civilian life as smoothly as possible." 

** They give you 20 days of permissive TDY at retirement to do whatever needs to be done in preparation for your retirement. It's just a gimme. 

I encounter people who ask what I have planned. I have to admit at this point that the answer is, "Whatever I feel like doing." 

We've been wise with our money for years, investing and refinancing, so we can live fairly comfortably on my retirement paycheck (after taxes). Mich might still have to write some grants and I'll probably do some line editing, but my work will be for a friend and quite enjoyable. I'll have 77.5 days of terminal leave to relax and decide what to do next, so I have no worries. If anything serious arises, we do have investments and nest eggs to fall back on. 

We're focused on reducing our bills as much as possible before we slip into the retirement income mode, just to give us a few more "slush" funds. Even without that, though, our needs and interests are simple and cheap. We enjoy our internet connectivity and derive much education and entertainment from it, and we have access to an outstanding network of local libraries. Netflix is cheap, should we desire to get hooked on series' of shows or movies, and we have a WII that hasn't had much use for years, but that may change, too. 

We're tossing around the idea of cashing out some investments to pay off the rental after retirement so we can live off the rent we're collecting there, as well. The jury is still out on that one, though. I'm open to your thoughts on the wisdom/stupidity of such a move.

***

In other news, we began the Whole30 diet last Sunday. Michelle did this last October, and even with the occasional "cheat"--a little wine here and there, and fruit--still accomplished two wonderful things, above and beyond the point of this 30-day "fast": (1) The small circle of psoriasis on her left foot that had been there for two years, no matter how she treated it, went away and didn't come back, and (2) lost 8 pounds. 

In case you're wondering, the point of the exercise is "short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, and balance your immune system." It should help you re-establish your relationship with food, and as the years pass, I find this concept more worthy of embracing. 

You get to eat all the meat and vegetables and nuts and eggs you like. There is no limit on how much food you consume. There are only limits on which kinds of foods. All grains and grain products, dairy products, sugars, and alcohol are forbidden. That means no sandwiches or nachos or cheese or beer. No soy, either. No butter. (One odd thing they forbid is legumes; I'm not certain why. Perhaps people have allergies to them?) And it goes without saying that you omit everything you possibly can that is comprised of chemicals instead of, you know, ingredients.

In theory, we cannot even have fruit, but we're breaking that one rule. For me, it is enough to avoid refined sugars, corn products, flour, dairy, etc. I have no problem with natural sugars. Otherwise, we're adhering to the diet's strictures and doing just fine. This is the end of day 7. 

I've also left caffeine out of my diet and quit smoking what little I was. I hadn't had much caffeine in the previous three to four weeks because it aggravated my anxiety, so even though it's allowed on the plan, I saw no reason to reintroduce it. 

Smoking?! Well, yeah. It's something I've done from time to time in my life since I was 24 or so. This activity has never had an addictive quality to me in the least. I'm one of those 1% of 1% of people who are not addictable to the things, as it turns out. I just have a puff when I feel like enjoying one. 

There's a timeline out there (here) that encapsulates the usual experiences, apparently. It's a fun read, but so far, it doesn't apply to me. I'm not addicted to sweet things or bread/pastries or pizza or beer or corn products or soda pop. I prefer vegetables cooked in olive oil or steamed with light spices. I'm having to work to put more meat into my diet. I'm enjoying the plethora of herbal teas Michelle has collected, too. 

I'm not a huge fruit fan, but I do love my smoothies. For this, I had to substitute almond milk for dairy milk, then coconut flour and vanilla for my vanilla protein mix (which has a flavor-smoothing affect). 

***

In other news, we purchased an art table in early-May, discounted to $100 at Michaels. Michelle finally put it together today and we moved it into the guest room. It is well built, sturdy, and flexible. We just need an adjustable lamp for it now. 

I'll get a lot of mileage out of it when my art class begins this fall. :) (I'm auditing a drawing class on my off-days, just to get me back into the swing of it. I'm very much looking forward to it.) 

As you can tell, life is mellow here at the Big House in the Little Woods, Chez Black-Dean. We're relaxed and happy. I've been reading a lot and Michelle has been tracing her ancestors while the grass grows and I wish it would stop. I'll be ready for the semester when it begins. I've had a good rest and I'm excited about what I'm teaching this one last time. 

Y'all be excellent to one another. 

d