Wednesday Weigh-In 20221229

After I created the 14-year graphical summary of weight, I realized that I've returned to the state I was in ten years ago. Before seeing that, I thought I've reverted back to the condition I was in before I got married, which was nearly thirty years ago. Maybe I'll continue to lose weight. My waist continues to shrink, and I've ordered pants that have a smaller waist.

Waist = 37.5"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

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

Weigh-In Fourteen Year Graphical Summary

Here is a fourteen year graphical summary of my weigh-in data.

The sudden drop in 2022 was due to intermittent fasting.

I think the decrease in 2019 had something to do with the advice I received while working with a Naturopathic Doctor.

I think the increase from November 2015 to June 2016 is because I was taking Lexapro.

I think the longer-spanned increase from about September 2013 to about November 2014 is related to a malfunctioning CPAP machine.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20221222

I'm excited that with this weigh-in my body fat percentage dropped below 20%!

Waist = 37.75"
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 20221213

Last week I wrote about getting an Agatston Calcium Score over 300 on a recent CT of my heart. But the doctor who requisitioned it said that the really critical heart artery is the descending aorta. The score for that artery is 82.

Waist = 38.0"
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 20221206

Whoa, I just got back the results of a recent CT scan of my Heart with scoring. The Agatston Calcium Score is over 300! According to this calculator, my score is near the 90th percentile for white men of my age. Oh Freakazoids!

Waist = 38.0"
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 20221130

Just another weigh-in

Waist = 38.0"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

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

Happy Thanksgiving 2022

My wife and I are empty nesters here in New England.  Meanwhile our daughter is in the process of moving to Houston, so we’re spending Thanksgiving alone.

The plan was to eat at a restaurant.  The two places we went to before were not open, so we ended up making reservations at a “last resort” expensive steak house.  I wasn’t thrilled with the menu.

This morning my wife asked me if I really wanted to go.  I sensed her desire to stay home all day and sleep.  She’d been experiencing a great deal of anxiety.  I said we should stay home, and we canceled the reservation.

And right now, believe it or not, I’m fasting!  I do plan to have a salad soon and then make something in a fry pan with the Beyond Beef chop “meat” that’s been in the freezer for months.

I am a bit disappointed – I was looking forward to turkey and mashed turnips.  But the restaurant was serving only the traditional mashed potatoes and stuffing (which do not combine well with turkey and is just filler) plus green beans, one of my lesser liked vegetables.

I’m sure I can find turkey thighs, parsnips and turnips tomorrow and then make a better dinner for one-fifth the price.

Anyway, enough about me; what are you doing today?

Wednesday Weigh-In 20221114

Just a weigh-in

Waist = 38.5"
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 20221107

I've starting reading "Drop Acid" by David Perlmutter. I had been looking for a good book that discusses foods to promote a more alkaline blood. But this is about Uric Acid, and I'm not sure it's the same thing; the diet is more restrictive than a typical alkaline diet.

Waist = 38.5"
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 20221101

Not doing NaBloPoMo again this year. I think I have the time and energy to attempt it. But I lack motivation since there's no community of bloggers.

Waist = 38.0"
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 20221027

If a medical provider sends you a bill that exceeds the patient responsibilty, I think the provider should be penalized and forced to forfeit the entire amount of the bill. This would be similar to how a consumer gets an item for free at a grocery store if it rings up wrong.

Waist = 38.0"
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 20221020

I was sick on Sunday with chills, body aches, exhaustion and 101.2F fever. And more. So I tested myself for COVID-19 and got a positive result. This is another opportunity to continue the fast and lose more weight!

My coworkers stopped wearing masks earlier in the year, although I continued to do so. But the mask does not protect the wearer as much as it prevents the wearer from spreading airborne germs.

I was told that I can come into work if I feel well enough even if still test positive. But I will have to wear a mask.

Waist = 38.0"
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 20221011

We're starting to see amazingly-colored foliage now.

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 20221005

I'm intrigued by the idea that disease cannot survive in an alkline environment. Here's a link to an article that summarizes the importance of pH: https://www.rpmdentistry.com/articles/bodily-ph-how-it-is-involved-in-the-disease-process-and-how-to-modify-it/

Waist = 39.0"
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 20220927

Just another weigh-in

Waist = 39.5"
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 20220922

Daylight Savings Time (DST) started on March 13, which was 82 days after the Winter Solstice, the day that has the least daylight. However DST will end on November 6, which is only 45 days before Winter Solstice. Why is this? Shouldn't the span of DST be centered on the Winter Solstice? Shouldn't DST end 82 days before the Winter Solstice, on Friday, September 30, 2022? Or, if it must be a Sunday, on October 2, 2022? I think it used to be this way. However, the end of DST was delayed so that children wouldn't have to go trick-or-treating in the dark on Halloween.

Waist = 39.0"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

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

Brush Your Teeth and Stay Awake

The typical bedtime routine is “brush your teeth and go to bed.”  Unfortunately, the act of brushing my teeth is too invigorating for me to do right before bedtime.  Sometimes I’d skip brushing my teeth at night because I felt it would ruin my sleep cycle.

At first I figured that the problem was with the mint flavor of the toothpaste.  So I bought and used bubblegum-flavored toothpaste.  Alas I still felt revived after using it.  And this was very disappointing because I spent a long time to find toothpaste that’s not minty.

Then I figured the effect was because the water was so cold.  The bathroom is located a bit far from the water heater, and I’m too impatient and too much of a cheapskate to keep the hot water valve open to purge the cold water in that line.  So then I decided to brush my teeth at the kitchen sink, which is right over the water heater and next to the dishwasher.  It was easy to get warm water to rinse my mouth out with.  But then I realized what the real problem is.

The real problem is that the sensation of the nylon bristles rubbing against my gums drives away stupor.  So even eliminating toothpaste and cold water doesn’t help.  The problem remains with the very act of brushing!

But I do wonder why we have an over abundance of mint-flavored toothpaste.  Is it to counteract a sense of nausea?  Or to ensure fresh breath?

Maybe I'm not the only adult that relies on children's toothpaste.  Could this be an untapped market?

Wednesday Weigh-In 20220908

When I noticed that my weight loss stalled at 166, I figured I reached some minimum. However, I somehow broke through that imaginary limit today.

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.

The Versatility of Salsa

Salsa isn’t just for dipping.

I make a Mexican version of Chicken Cacciatore using salsa in place of crushed tomatoes.  In my version, I may also use pablano chilies and/or jalapenos along with onions, garlic and the other vegetables.  But in a hurry, just browning the chicken on both sides and then dumping in about 4oz of salsa yields an acceptable dish.  I don’t bread the chicken the way some versions do.

Salsa makes a fine substitute for ketchup on a hamburger or sandwich, especially when combined with a rich mayonnaise such as Sir Kensington's.

When the bag of tortilla chips is nearly empty, I like to dump the small bits into a bowl, pour salsa on top, and eat the mixture with a spoon.  It reminds me of how I used to eat cereal with milk when I was a boy, but the taste is a whole lot better.

And would you believe that I like to drink salsa?  Yes, one day I was rinsing out a nearly empty salsa jar when, on impulse, I decided to drink the highly diluted contents.  It tasted quite good, but the chunkiness of it was off-putting.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20220830

Just a brief weigh-in post...

Waist = 40"
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 20220817

I got a bit of a shock this morning because the first time I stepped on the scale it read 151.5.

Waist = 40.25"
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 20220809

I've been doing food combining when not fasting.

Waist = 40.75"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

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

To Make Time Go Slow, Fast

If it seems like your day goes by in a blur, try skipping a couple of meals.  That’s right, go on a fast to make the day go slow.

Why does this work?  First, you save time that you’d otherwise waste preparing the meal, eating the meal, and then cleaning up afterward.

Second, your digestive system stays in the background instead of siphoning off the resources you need to cope with the day.  So you actually have more energy during the fast.

There are a few different types of fasts: eating nothing at all; liquid only (herbal tea, fruit and vegetable juices, broth); raw fruit, sprouts, vegetables.  Also, duration can vary from just a few hours to one day or a weekend; or they can be extended, as on a retreat¹.

I came across this idea when I got sick while reading Health Via Food, by William Howard Hay².  I had no appetite and no sense of hunger when I was sick.  And then when I recovered, I still felt no hunger.  So I leveraged that feeling and broke with my tradition of having a large breakfast, rich in protein and vegetables.  Instead I sliced up an apple and ate small pieces slowly throughout the morning.

There two keys to making a fast work, for me; they are mindfulness and abstaining from stimulants such as coffee and added sugars.  The mindfulness tells me when the urge to eat is out of boredom, habit, stress or anxiety rather than a need to eat.  Turns out I rarely have a legitimate need to eat.   Coffee produces a hollow gnawing sensation in my stomach, which compels me to eat something more to fill the hollow.  And the so-called energy bars stimulate my appetite while giving me brain fog.

I am amazed at how much better I feel, and at how slow the mornings go.  Luckily, I still can work from home a few days a week.  This gives me the assurance that if I needed to eat something, I’d have plenty of healthy options on-hand to choose from.

And I’ve been noticing that when I forestalled breakfast until later in the workday morning, I’d go through my pre-breakfast chores so quickly.  I could feed the cats and dog, clean the litter boxes, go to the bathroom, take in the newspaper, prepare my wife’s breakfast, guess the daily Wordle, all without much movement on the clock.  But once I ate the breakfast, suddenly it seemed like time sped up and it was already time to leave for work.

So don’t wait to get sick like I did before you try a fast.  Schedule your first one on a slow day, or take a sick day if you work.  You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how good you feel and how much you’ll accomplish.

---

¹http://healingwithwholefoods.com/
²https://soilandhealth.org/book/health-via-food/

Wednesday Weigh-In 20220801

The brownies that I ate the night before my previous weigh-in made me really sluggish the morning after. It was so bad that I took a sick day off from work. Then on Monday I collapsed into bed, still clothed, to nap before going to bed. And on Tuesday morning my body temperature was elevated. I usually run cool, but it was as high as 99.9F. I felt woosy, exhausted and had no appetite.

I've been reading Health Via Food, by William Howard Hay, and I got inspired to switch my breakfast from sausage and bottled vegetable to fresh fruit such as an apple or pineapple chunks. I survived, and not only that, I was revived. So for a while I've been eating in very small amounts. This explains my lower weight and waist size.

Waist = 41.5"
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 20220720

I'm surprised that my weight and fattiness numbers are lower this week. I'd pigged out on brownies last night. As if the brownies themselves weren't bad enough, I spread Nutella on top and embedded milk chocolate chips in that gooey top layer.

Waist = 42.0"
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 20220713

I'm reading Health Via Food, by William Howard Hay, M.D. This is available online for free.

Waist = 42.0"
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 20220706

Just another weigh-in

Waist = 42.0"
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 20220630

I've been taking a break from daily cholestrol-lowering medication. This is day thirty of my experiment to see if muscle and tendon pain, muscle weakness, fatigue and exercise intolerance is due to the rosuvastatin. My doctor recently doubled the dose, but my numbers didn't improve. Yet I feel even worse than ever, so why should I bother with it? I had an amazing improvement in strength after I discontinnued Vytorin many years ago. At that time, I had been going to a gym regularly. When I stopped that med, I was able to increase the weights on the Nautilis machines with dramatic suddeness. I do feel better now, too. Installing two window air conditioners was nearly effortless, and my back pain (due to muscle weakness) is gone.

Waist = 42.0"
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 20220623

In overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court essentially declared itself incompetent with its statement that the original ruling was “egregiously wrong and on a collision course with the Constitution from the day it was decided.” I wonder what the Supreme Court will say about this in another 50 years.

Waist = 42.0"
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 20220615

And now folks that fly into the US from abroad do not need to produce a negative COVID-19 test result.

Waist = 42.5"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

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

Trapped at 37000ft With Germs

Last month, when a federal judge struck down the CDC’s mask mandate, some flight attendants announced to their passengers that masks had become optional. And in response, many removed their masks and cheered.

What a horror that must’ve been to any immunocompromised people who might’ve been on board these flights. Imagine boarding the airplane with the expectation that everyone’s breath-born germs would be kept to themselves. Then, suddenly, you’re exposed to an onslaught of germs spewed out from revelers. This announcement was irresponsible.

Meanwhile the COVID-19 positivity rate keeps rising.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20220518

One day I added a small amount of cold water to a nearly-empty jar of tomato sauce and shook the jar. I was merely rinsing out the jar before I put it with the recycling. But on impulse, I decided to drink the water. It tasted just like a popular tomato-y vegetable juice. I plan to drink the rinse water from tomato sauce jars every time, now. As well, I think I'd enjoyed the rinse water from jars of salsa.

Waist = 43.25"
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 20220513

Two recent Wordle solutions for me were FETUS and BUTCH. I didn't mind that at all (although I was surprised by the latter, which I thought was slang). But what bothered me was that I learned that the puzzle answers are the same for many people. I can understand that New York Times would want to curate a set of five-letter words. But I can't understand why each player's word is not selected randomly from the pool. So, anyway, I wonder if I'll ever get the words ABORT, SKANK, SLUTS, PIMPS, DICKS, etc.

Waist = 43.0"
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 20220414

My employer has a "use it or lose it" vacation time policy. I had use all my 2021 vacation time by March 31. So I ended up taking off the seven Fridays prior to March 31, plus the Monday after the start of Daylight Savings Time (DST). The four day work week and the easier transition to DST was nice. The past two five-day work weeks were hard, though, so I'm glad that tomorrow, Good Friday, is a holiday.

Waist = 43.0"
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 20220406

I've been complaining to my PCP about fatigue and muscle pain. "I don't know what I can do about that," she would say. But at the latest visit, she referred me to a rheumatologist. It seems like too much work to fill out the patient intake forms. Also, I've never known a rheumatologist to do anything helpful, so why should I bother. But at least it's not a referral to a pyschaitrist.

Waist = 43.0"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

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

M&M -- Mindful & Mad

When I eat M&Ms or other colorful candies, I like to eat all one color first. This introduces some mindfulness to the process and slows me down; otherwise I’d be shoveling a palm-load of candy every minute or so.

But the real reason I "eat-by-color" is for the aesthetic pleasure of it. A bag of regular M&Ms has too many colors, which creates some discordance. So I eat any colors that clash with the season first.

For example, this being Spring, I start with the Autumn colors Orange and Brown, which totally do not belong in Spring. This leaves Yellow, Blue, Green, Red.  This set of colors could represent Sun, Sky, Grass, Poppies.

But then I might continue with either Red and Yellow, which would leave Blue and Green for Earth Day. Or I might eat the Blue and Red next, which would leave Yellow and Green (the colors of one of the schools I attended). Or, I’d eat the Red and Green next, which would leave Blue and Yellow to show support for Ukraine.

In Autumn, I’d do the reverse, eating Blue and Green first, to leave the Autumn colors of Orange, Brown, Yellow, Red. I might also eliminate Red if I can’t stop myself.

In Winter, all but Red and Green would be eaten first. (In fact, you can buy them this way in November and December.)

Valentines Day, Easter, Flag Day and Independence Day all are difficult holidays to celebrate this way with the regular M&Ms because of the lack of White candies. But Mars puts out sets of Red, White and Pink in January and February, or Pastels in March, or Red, White and Blue in June to appease.

Do you do this? Do you have another food consumption quirk?

Wednesday Weigh-In 20220330

Another weigh-in after a night of gluttony.

Waist = 43.0"
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 20220324

I'm becoming anxious about the end of the pandemic. And I mean "anxious" in the sense of worring about it, not eager to have it end.

I enjoyed working from home, but now all folks are expected to work in the office at least two days per week.

I also enjoyed the mask mandate. I realized that my mask offered me only some protection. The power of the mask is that protects me from the germs of others. It's disconcerting to see someone without a mask preparing food, epscially if that person's talking.

I do expect that the Spring Break Super-Spreader Event will give us a bit of a spike in Omicron BA.2. That will be followed by Easter and then graduations. However, with a greater percentage of people vaccinated, most people's symptoms will be mild, and few will bother to get tested unless mandated by their jobs. After all if you test positive, you're required to self-isolate, and who wants to do that?

Waist = 42.5"
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 20220316

I just want to sleep most of the time. I wonder if I should start taking Nuvigil again?

Waist = 42.5"
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 20220309

Medical research is studying "Long-Haul" COVID. I'm hoping that this will provide some insight into other conditions that turn chronic, such as Lyme Disease.

Waist = 42.5"
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 20220216

Weigh-in

Waist = 42.5"
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 20220209

Just another weigh-in

Waist = 42.5"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

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

Cat Litter Review Addendum -- Feline Pine

This is an addendum to the review of Feline Pine cat litter¹ that I posted in November 2019.

Dust

I had written that the dust it produces is comparable to the dust you get by sawing wood with a crosscut saw.  That’s true at first.  But if left to sit around for two weeks, the dust continues to break down into smaller pieces, and it does become airborne.  So in that regard, I am disappointed with this litter.

Disposal

I also mentioned that I might apply the used litter to the icy driveway to improve traction.  I’m happy to report that the used Feline Pine improves traction on my snowy and icy driveway very well.  It’s the best stuff to pre-treat with prior to an ice storm because the occasional full-size pellets get stuck in the ice and protrude high enough to give your shoe or tire something to grip onto.  Sand, in comparison, can get covered in ice.  The used Feline Pine also seems not to wash away too quickly.

Figuring that it’s a nitrogen-rich mulch, I’ve applied it also to the lawn using a broadcast spreader.  But I did so only on the rare occasion when I was motivated to do so.  More often I’d bag it and put it in the garbage.  Anyway, the lawn still looks just as shabby as it ever did.  But at least it’s still alive.

Odor control

While it is effective at controlling urine odor, it does a poor job of containing poop smells when new.  The large pellets leave too many air gaps, allowing “stool gas” to escape and pervade a small house.  But once the pellets start break down, the stool gets a coating of dust and doesn’t out-gas so much.

Noise

I didn’t mention this in my initial review, but the litter is very noisy.  So this is the last litter you’d want to use in a bedroom.  The sound of a cat pawing through it is like hearing a box of Lego bricks tumble back and forth.  And if you tend to maintain the litterbox early in the morning or late at night when other family members are asleep, you’ll cringe at the noise when you pour in new litter to top it off.

---

¹ https://square--peg.blogspot.com/2019/11/cat-litter-review-feline-pine-original.html

Wednesday Weigh-In 20220202

I love dates like today's: 2/2/22. I also get a kick out of seeing auspicious times, such as 11:11, 12:21 and 12:34 on the digital clock. So I've set my computer and cellphone to display military time; I can see 22:22 and 21:12, too.

Waist = 42.0"
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 20220119

Just another weigh-in.

Waist = 42.75"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

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

Dream: Yellow Jackets

I'm on the narrow path that leads to the parking lot behind the restaurant that used to be a train station. I look down at my feet and see yellow jackets on the path. They take flight as I pass through. I am shirtless -- I hope they do not attack me, and amazingly they do not.

Now I am inside in the basement of my home.  Paul B is in there and I show him the nest. There's a clump of artificial flowers in the spot on the floor, and they spring up as I step on them. He sprays the Bees (as he did before ). At first the spray isn't too effective, but eventually the Bees stop moving.

We pick up a small clump of the plastic flowers, which have several bees attached to it. I marvel at them because their wings are like butterfly wings, colorful with different patterns.