Wednesday Weigh-In 20190731

This time of year triggers Seasonal Affective Disorder in me. Sunrise arrives about a minute later each day; sunset a minute earlier. And the outdoor lights that run off a timer and that used to turn on well before dark are now turning on after sunset.

Waist = 38.25"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20190722

Allergy season is approaching for me. My diet is somewhat clean now. But I've been caving in to the allure of ice cream. So I need to be careful!

Waist = 38.25"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20190715

I gave away nearly all my 34" waist pants and shorts. At this point, I have to buy more because even the size 36" pants are too big.

Waist = 38.25"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Houseplants -- Outdoor Begonia and Geranium

Begonia and Geranium are classified as annuals by nurseries and garden centers.  However, they make excellent houseplants if given enough light.

As you can see below, I like to keep my flowering begonias and geraniums outside in bright sunlight when temperatures are well above freezing.  Then I bring them indoors during Winter and keep them in front of a South-facing window.

These plants are nearly like weeds.  They're easy to propagate by taking stem cuttings, and I've even managed to root leaf cuttings.  Geraniums tolerate neglect very well; some begonias, not so much.

Nurseries tend to heavily discount annuals in the Fall.  No normal person wants them at that time of year.  But SquarePegs are not normal -- we're happy to "adopt" a plant for a 90% discount.

Geranium in background; Begonia in foreground.  I've have this geranium for many years. The Begonia ("Bada Boom Mix") is new for this year.

Geranium from an old hanging plant, which most people would throw out in the Fall.

A Begonia that started out as a tiny, after-season discard. This is "Dragon Wing Red"

Moon Phase and Its Effect on Sleep

The article Evidence that the Lunar Cycle Influences Human Sleep was published six years ago, but I only just became aware of it today.  Nevertheless, I suspected as much.

I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea in 2006.  But lately I feel there's more to my sleep disturbances than just cessation of breath.  Some days I wake up after a mere four hours unable to get back to sleep.  Other nights I'll sleep for six hours.

So I think it's ridiculous that health insurance companies will limit coverage for a sleep study to a single one-night study over the member's lifetime.  How can a single study capture all the variations in someone's sleep patterns?

Maybe this study and others like it will motivate The National Sleep Foundation to advocate for policy change.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20190627

Just another weigh-in.

Waist = 39.25"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20190620

I cooked my first ever batch of Mung Beans over the weekend. They're a great substitute for lentils.

Edited on 2019-06-30 to add...

For this first batch, I cooked them according to the advice here, except that I omitted the garlic, and I rinsed the beans several times.

This is similar to how I cook rice, except I don't rinse rice, and mung beans require twice as much liquid.

My goal was to add them to some sort of cold grain salad dish, perhaps quinoa salad. But another family member finished that salad, and the beans came out overcooked, which made them a great candidate for filing a vegan Empanada.

They stunk quite a bit while cooking -- a musty earthy smell. I'm surprised that my housemates didn't complain about it, as they usually complain when I make ghee or hard boiled eggs. Anyway, I hope you try and enjoy them!

Waist = 39.25"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.