Noise in the Shape of Writing

I am on day 1 of the third attempt at this season's diet. After 6 moths of vegetating at home with no regimen and 8 weeks of getting free food at work (and dutifully taking advantage of it), I am back to my half-assed attempts at weight control.

Jogging in place in front of the old Gamecube (Zelda Legend of the Windwaker can eat up a good half hour in no time), eating less, eating earlier and healthier. (Though it's till hard to resist the free cookies and pop tarts at work.)

Somehow, I tend to eat healthier when someone else is paying for it. At work, when lunch is on the company's dime, I order salads and veggie things. If it were my own expense, I'd be getting fried meaty potatoey things cause it feels like it's more of my money's worth. I dunno.. I've always felt that salads are overpriced and so I avoid buying them on my own.

The health thing is partially due to feeling better and partially due to being scared cause two of my best childhood friends just got nasty medical conditions totally out of the blue. One with a debilitating nerve/immune system disease the name of which I forget, and the other with a grapefruit sized infection in his small intestine that had to be removed. (I could even count another very good friend's late onset diabetes!)

I certainly don't lead a healthy lifestyle necessarily, what with all the beer. So it seems odd that these two gentlemen who have always seemed healthier than me should get sicker than I ever have been. (Then again, 2004 was the worst year I've had medically, too... a broken pinky!)

It gives me pause. Or, more appropriately, it amkes me want to enjoy life while I can.. and perhaps prolong it if possible.

Should I follow this Wheat Grass thread that's going around email lists recently? Should I do the antioxidant thing? I think I will stick to what I know works... exercise and eating smart... fewer carbs and sweets.. fewer late night meals. Maybe less salt ( I have returned to my old habits of inhaling salsa a jar at a time).

Plus I hear that this 8 hours of sleep a night thing is healthy after all. So maybe the late night blogging is not as healthy physically as it is mentally.

Anyway, if you're reading this... remember to take care of yourself and maybe contact some old childhood friends to see if they are doing well still. I'd hate to lose any of you!