the funcrunch files

Edit, June 2010: I am reposting this entry, originally posted in May 2008, with a far-future date so that new readers of my journal will see it and can respond accordingly if they choose. Thanks!

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As most people who are more than very casual acquaintances know, I have what some call an "alternative" lifestyle. Specifically, I am bisexual and polyamorous (non-monogamous). I have become more open and vocal about these aspects of my life as I've grown increasingly frustrated and disillusioned with the status quo of acceptable relationship structures in American culture. Hence, I occasionally blog about events or parties I attend that cater specifically to bi and/or poly people, or dates with people other than my husband (boyziggy). Any explicit sexual content (text-only; I don't post porn) is always protected as friends-only (I have no specific filters currently, if you're on my friendslist you get everything), but other such posts may well be public.

As I have some bi and/or poly friends who are not out about their lifestyles, I generally do not mention other people by name in these posts, public or private, unless I'm quite confident they're OK with it. But I do enjoy it when other people mention me in their blogs (in a good way, at least!), and so I like to acknowledge spending time with others if they are OK with it.

So if you have any doubt about what I know of your status and openness thereof, or have any preferences as to how and if I refer to you in my blog, now's the time to speak up. Comments are screened. E-mail me if you prefer, especially if you want a reply.

I'm enjoying a bowl of quinoa with raisins, walnuts, and vanilla almond milk while writing this and thinking about my health and fitness status. I've adhered to a vegan (other than honey) diet style for well over a year now, happily, without feeling hungry or deprived. I've maintained my weight at within three pounds of 125 (BMI: 21.5) since at least October (possibly earlier; I was not weighing myself consistently). I did indulge in too many high-fat, refined vegan treats on our recent two-week trip to visit family, so I'm recommitting now to cooking healthier foods at home, much closer to the low-fat, high-starch McDougall plan, and getting up early with boyziggy to prepare breakfast and lunches for him now that he's back at work full-time.

I'm much more interested in my overall health and fitness than the number on the scale at this point. I'm still not exercising consistently, partly as I've had issues with low energy. I've always been vulnerable to sudden changes in the weather, and the temperature went from 40 degrees to near-90 and humid in a three-day period while we were in Pittsburgh and the DC area. This kind of temperature swing often results in me getting sick, and I'm monitoring my health particularly carefully now that I was bitten by a tick, which probably attached itself when I was in the woods in Maryland. (I sent a photo of it to my doctor and we saved the tick in the frig, so we can have it analyzed for Lyme if that becomes necessary, but I don't think it was a deer tick. I really hope not.)

So my priorities now are to boost my energy and immunity. In addition to eating more greens and less refined/processed food, I've established a more regular sleep schedule, and am cutting down on caffeine. I'm taking probiotic capsules, reluctantly, as I hate taking any kind of pills (I take a B12 tablet weekly and that's it), but I need to give them a fair trial to see if they help boost the beneficial bacteria in my gut. More sunshine should help too.

Just watched this amateur video of Penn Jillette's video presentation at the Reason Rally (ETA: original video now posted). It makes me proud that thousands of my fellow atheists spent hours in the rain, standing for what they believe in. As Penn pointed out, atheists are all over the map politically, but we need to band together to get the respect we deserve.

I've been an atheist for over 25 years. I remember the very day I decided that I was no longer an agnostic, as I had been since age 12, but actually an atheist. I was 16 and on a high school choir trip (as their accompanist) in Virginia, I remember specifically because I later wrote a song about the experience and called it "Virginia". (Still hope to make a decent recording of it someday.) Anyway, we were having a discussion about the existence of God, and I suddenly came to the realization that God was made in Man's image, and not the other way around.

I have remained of that opinion to this day. My atheism has outlasted my vegetarianism (20 years), Green Party affiliation (I think 16 years), full-time employment at UC (15 years), current and previous marriages (11 years combined), and current residence (coming up on 9 years, the longest I've lived anywhere). It is very unlikely to change.

Greta Christina, in her blog entry about the rally, encourages everyone who was moved by the Reason Rally (whether they attended or not) to do just one thing for atheism. I've long since "come out" as atheist, so I will have to think of something more substantial I suppose. But for now, I'm writing this blog entry to show my support.

P.S. Penn's book God, No! and Penn's Sunday School podcast are both awesome!

So after saying for the last year or three "I really ought to (re-)start strength training", last week I finally dusted off my dumbbells and did so. And I didn't hate it!! I actually enjoyed the feeling of straddling the threshold of strain and pain as I completed the reps in each set, and of the slight (or not-so-slight) soreness in my muscles a day or two after each workout.

I'm using Bob Greene's "Get With The Program" series of eight dumbbell exercises. I also own A Woman's Book of Strength by Karen Andes, which is excellent, but geared toward gym workouts; I used it during my very brief stint at the Berkeley Y back in 2002. I was at my heaviest weight ever then, 173 pounds, and lost about ten pounds before I got utterly sick of going to the gym only 2-3 months later. I'm fifty pounds lighter now, and much prefer doing my strength workouts at home. Even though that currently means propping my piano bench up against the couch until I get around to buying a proper weight bench.

I hope I can keep the momentum on both strength and cardio going. It seems like I have too-frequent setbacks, like today when I got a foot cramp so severe I had to miss my Food Not Bombs shift as I could barely stand. No idea where that came from, but by evening I was feeling better and could still do at least the strength portion of my workout, in addition to the stretches and crunches that I'm supposed to be doing 5x/week but rarely manage to as I still really hate the crunches. (I'm not doing the crunches to try to reduce my midsection, as spot-reduction doesn't work, but to strengthen my core as Bob Greene recommends; "functional fitness".)

I'm continuing to race with the Dolphin South-End Runners. Four races so far this year, including the one on New Year's Day. Last Sunday was the Embarcadero 10K which closely followed my normal training route. Unfortunately I was at the tail end of a bad cold and hadn't run for a week, so wasn't feeling well for most of the run. Still managed to finish in 1:12:29, not much different from my normal training pace.

I expected to perform better at yesterday's 5K at Crissy Field, but I guess I was still tired from jogging roughly 2 1/2 miles to the starting line (the one time I took the bus, it was so slow I hated it), so finished in about 35:32 (official time still pending). Losing an hour of sleep to the time change may have also been a factor. My next planned race will be the Walt Stack 10K on April Fool's Day.

I'm glad to continue being a part of this club as the races are very inexpensive and don't require advance registration, and help motivate me to continue working out. I always feel lonely there though. Few of my friends are runners, and fewer still are willing or able to come out to these races. I've tried chatting with people at the races, especially when I volunteer for finish line duty, but I'm not particularly good at making (and keeping) new friends. The one guy I can always count on having a conversation with is the club photographer, 70 years old with over 1000 races under his belt. He races nearly every weekend and easily beats me every single time. Humbling.

I've been more consistent with running than any other exercise, but I am still doing occasional stairs workouts (up to 10 complete up-and-down laps of the 168 stairs now), brisk walking, and some stretching and strengthening exercises. I've got dumbbells and am now looking into getting a weight bench.

My eating is well under control; still staying with the high-starch, low-fat vegan (other than honey) diet style, and not feeling hungry or deprived. My weight has stayed within two pounds of 125 (BMI 21.5) since I began weighing myself daily in December. I originally did this to help boyziggy, not because I wanted to lose weight (though he did), and just stuck to it out of habit. I might get my fat percentage formally measured at some point, as that's a more useful indicator than body mass index.

The best thing about working out regularly and being at a weight I'm comfortable with is having more stamina and desire to move. I walk up hills without a thought that would have really intimidated me when we moved to SF nine years ago, and I frequently walk up to two miles just to avoid taking the bus. It feels good to use my legs. I'm fortunate and glad as always to live in a city with mild year-round weather.

A number of my friends and acquaintances have been commenting on a ritual conducted at PantheaCon, which only "women born women" were permitted to attend. Many attendees, including my friends, were outraged at this exclusion, and held a silent protest. I agree with them, though I'm not a pagan so I can't comment on the religious or magical aspects involved. I wanted instead to share my current thoughts about gender and sex, from the perspective of one cisgendered bisexual woman.

The photo above is of two catalogs that have been sent to our apartment. I've never ordered anything from either of them. boyziggy ordered something from Undergear online once, hence we got added to their mailing list. We've kept the Undergear catalogs for amusement as they leave little to the imagination, and seem clearly geared to gay/bi men. I was going to throw the Venus catalog out, but I actually like a few of the swimsuits in it.

In any case, these cover photos seem to represent the current American ideal female and male bodies, as unrealistic as they may be. Plenty has already been written about the extremes of starvation and dehydration many models go through to achieve these looks, not to mention liberal use of photo retouching, and breast implants. I'm all for fitness and health, and these particular models may actually be perfectly healthy, but body size is not what this post is about. It's about body parts, and why people seem to care about segregating them so much.

Biologically, what makes a man a man, or a woman a woman? Is it just the presence or absence of a uterus? What about a genetic test for X and Y chromosomes? I encourage everyone who hasn't already to read this long but informative essay about why it isn't so easy to determine sex.

Visually, what makes a man a man, or a woman a woman? Breast size? This varies widely for both women and men. Facial hair? Few women show it, but the dirty secret is that middle age brings noticeable upper-lip hair to many women. How about clothing choices, hair style, makeup, jewelry? These fashions are constantly evolving.

Socially, what makes a man a man, or a woman a woman? Traditional gender roles still exist in this country, but those who deviate significantly from them are more likely to have their sexual orientation questioned (if even that), than their actual sex.

Personally, I have no interest in events or spaces that are segregated by gender or sex, regardless of the criteria used to determine it. I obey rules and norms about using only women's restrooms and not showing my nipples in public not because I agree with these restrictions, but because I'm not willing to draw a lot of attention to myself. I don't choose to befriend or have sex with someone based on what body parts or chromosomes they happen to possess. And I strongly support complete gender and sex neutrality when it comes to marriage, the workforce, and every other aspect of society.

I would love to be able to swap sexes periodically, as in Ursula Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness. But that's not going to happen, and as frustrated I get with my female anatomy at times, I have no desire to alter it surgically. I respect those who do wish to change sex, whether through surgery or not, and will call them by whatever pronoun they prefer. I do wish we had a workable gender-free language.

These are just my ramblings; I'm certainly no expert on this subject. Just another collection of cells and thoughts inhabiting the Earth for a few decades.

I've updated my funcrunchphoto blog with a follow-up on Pinterest and copyright, including concerns about Pinterest stripping metadata, and attempts to correct misinformation about the issues. Please leave any comments on my funcrunchphoto site, thanks!

Reminder: non-LiveJournal users can subscribe to the funcrunchphoto blog with a feed reader at http://funcrunchphoto.com/blog/feed (which should always be up-to-date).

Today boyziggy was doing some volunteer work for the Girl Scouts, so I asked if he could possibly get some free cookies. I remembered hearing at some point that at least one of their cookies was vegan. But when I Googled "vegan girl scout cookies" I discovered that it isn't so simple to determine which; it depends on which bakery is used. The Girl Scout FAQ says that the cookies are only offered for a limited time each year so they can't meet all specialty demands, which I think is perfectly reasonable. So I told Ziggy forget it, I don't really need the cookies that badly.

Being vegan helps me keep my weight under control not because plant foods are necessarily healthier or less fattening than animal products. It's because being vegan helps me resist "mainstream" treats when I'm outside my home. If I were vegan strictly for health reasons it would be much harder to summon the willpower, but having other reasons makes it easier to say no to sweets containing dairy and eggs.

I don't feel deprived, though, because I live in San Francisco where there's an abundant supply of vegan treats. boyziggy and I have agreed that it's easier to say no to a slice of nonvegan cake at a party when we know we can get one just as good at Ananda Fuara or Source. Dark chocolate without dairy is not difficult to find; my sweetie Ben introduced me to the most wonderful chocolate I'd ever tasted, from Poco Dolce (available at Whole Foods Market). And there's always mail order; Ziggy often orders me birthday and Valentine's treats from Chocolate Decadence.

Sure, all these things are less convenient and more expensive than grabbing a random candy bar at the corner store, but that's kind of the point; special treats should be just that, special.

I've updated my funcrunchphoto blog with an entry concerning Pinterest.com and copyright issues. Please leave any comments on my funcrunchphoto site, thanks!

Reminder: non-LiveJournal users can subscribe to the funcrunchphoto blog with a feed reader at http://funcrunchphoto.com/blog/feed (which should always be up-to-date).

Today's run did not go as planned. It started out normally enough; sunny and in the low 50s, so I donned an ugly but functional long-sleeved T-shirt (courtesy of last year's SF Marathon 5K) and long pants, and prepared for a six-mile round trip to the Palace of Fine Arts.

Just a few minutes into the run, I got side stitches that were painful enough that I was forced to stop and walk. Performing high-impact exercise safely means learning the difference between pain that signals potential injury and pain that can be safely ignored. Side stitches are normally in the latter category, a minor inconvenience. But every time I resumed running, the pain came back.

I slowed again to a walk along the Marina, feeling sorry for myself despite the beautiful, fog-free view. I realized that I hadn't eaten properly the day before, as I'd been very tired and busy all day shooting and editing photos from the marriage equality rally and sit-in. I'd also had let too much time pass between waking and working out this morning, with only the calories from a cup of tea (sugared-and-soymilked) to sustain me. I normally get cramps if I try to run with any solid food in my stomach, but today maybe I just needed a little boost. I swallowed a Clif Shot and some water, and continued walking slowly to the Palace of Fine Arts.

After reaching my destination and turnaround point, I began cautiously running again. I did not feel the pain this time, but kept to a slow pace. I managed to run the rest of the way home, and finish with a time about two minutes per mile slower than my fastest for this particular course. Still glacial by competitive standards, but at least I didn't give up. (It helped that giving up would still entail a substantial amount of walking, or multiple bus transfers to get home. I don't carry enough money to hail a cab when I go for a run.)

I'm glad that I'm continuing to find motivation to work out on a regular basis, even though it won't always be at the level of my birthday week challenge. I'm reasonably happy with my weight and figure for the first time in years, and would like to stay that way. But more importantly, I'm in my early 40s, and my body isn't going to take care of itself.

To celebrate my 42nd birthday this week, I decided to run 42K, or about 26 miles (the length of a marathon). I'd run further than this before, but not for awhile. For an extra challenge, on my actual birthday today I set out to run nine miles, a distance I haven't run in nearly a year.

Today was about 50 degrees and sunny; a beautiful day to run along the Marina and Crissy Field, out to Fort Point. I enjoyed a crystal-clear view of the Golden Gate Bridge. I used intervals of nine minutes running to one minute walking, following the Jeff Galloway run-walk method which I normally use for runs lasting much longer than an hour.

I was pretty tired by the last mile, but I pushed through and finished. boyziggy had my favorite birthday breakfast, champurrado (chocolate Mexican porridge), waiting for me when I got home.

Time to rest and enjoy a weekend of food, music, and snuggles with Ziggy, my sweetie Ben, and other friends. And perhaps ponder the meaning of life, the universe, and everything...

P.S. The above screenshot is from RunningAHEAD, a great site I recommend to all exercise enthusiasts, not just runners. My data on there is currently private, but I also have a public profile (as funcrunch) on Fitocracy, and would love more friends to join me there for mutual motivation!

I've updated my funcrunchphoto blog with music and art highlights from Macworld Expo 2012. Please leave any comments on my funcrunchphoto site, thanks!

Reminder: non-LiveJournal users can subscribe to the funcrunchphoto blog with a feed reader at http://funcrunchphoto.com/blog/feed (which should always be up-to-date).

I've decided to run 42K (about 26 miles) this week to celebrate my 42nd birthday. Three six-milers along my usual Palace of Fine Arts and Embarcadero routes (did one already today), and a nice slow nine-miler to/from Fort Point on Friday, my birthday. Wish me luck!

Just got home from an excellent tribute concert to my favorite album, Pink Moon by Nick Drake. I've loved this album since I first heard the title song in a car commercial back in the year 2000, which is how many others first discovered this artist who was unappreciated in his time and died tragically young.

I've listened to Pink Moon hundreds of times, and love it specifically because of its sparse and raw qualities (only vocals and acoustic guitar, with just a sprinkling of piano on the title track). So I wasn't sure if I'd like interpretations that deviated sharply from the originals. Fortunately, of the eleven different artists (individuals and groups) covering the songs, I liked nearly all of the performances. Some highlights, ordered by track:

( The show )

So glad I discovered this show randomly on Facebook. Also very happy that both boyziggy and my sweetie Ben could join me for it. Ben was also lucky enough to spot a cozy couch on the balcony which was a perfect fit for the three of us, so though we had to deal with some loud talkers, we didn't have to stand for the whole show. A memorable evening.

ETA: They had yummy vegan cookies at the show too!

This is my current personal mantra for the essentials of healthy living. I came up with it in its current form during last summer's retreat, but I don't think I've posted it anywhere before.

Grains and greens, fruit and beans,
Tubers, nuts and seeds,
Exercise and sunshine
Are what my body needs.

Perhaps a bit silly-sounding, but rhymes are easier to remember, anyway. :-) Inspired by the principles of the McDougall Program.

As of this week I've avoided eating meat, including fish, for 20 years, and avoided eating all other animal products, other than honey, for 11 months. There's a lot of confusion over what it means to be vegan or vegetarian nowadays. Everyone has different reasons and definitions, which makes it especially challenging when eating out or attending parties where food will be served. Here are my own definitions and reasons.

( The details )

These are my personal definitions and reasons for being vegan, which have certainly changed over time, and will doubtless continue to evolve. Food choices are a controversial topic, but worth thinking about.

This New Year's Eve, I decided I wasn't up for going to any parties. (Though boyziggy and I did enjoy watching fireworks from our rooftop.) So when I saw that my running club was having a 5K race on New Year's Day, I decided to go for it. I'm so glad I did!

I jogged about 2 1/2 miles to the starting line at Crissy Field. The weather was sunny but windy, and 50 degrees or so. I wore long pants and gloves, and kept my jacket on the whole time. We got a bit of a late start, but had a good-sized crowd. I enjoyed the fog-free view of the Golden Gate Bridge, and spotted several interesting birds, including pelicans and a vulture, along with egrets and cormorants.

Being already a bit tired from the jog over and running into a strong headwind, I knew I wouldn't be getting a great finishing time as I crossed the first mile marker in 12:24. A little girl (in the corner of the photo above) and her (I assume) mother kept pace with me for much of the race. The girl was whining quite a lot, and her mother was encouraging her gently but firmly. They passed me several times, but I stayed ahead in the last mile.

We ran out to Hopper's Hands at Fort Point, where I watched the waves crashing over the rocks, then back to Crissy Field. boyziggy came out to join me at the finish line and took several photos. Unofficial finish time: 36:35, for a pace of 11:48/mile. (I made up a lot of time in the second half of the race, when the wind was at my back.) I caught my breath, grabbed a few orange slices and pretzels, then we walked home, stopping at the Fort Mason farmers market along the way. (Yay for the market being open on New Year's!)

Looking forward to competing in more DSE and other races this year!

Well, I'm glad to say that 2011 was better than 2010 for me in nearly all respects. Still plenty of room for improvement, but I am making progress.

( 2011 in review )

Looking forward

I don't like making New Year's resolutions, but there are many goals I have for the coming year. These include: Making music every day, working out on a regular basis, and (re-)learning Spanish. With my health reasonably stable and our financial situation improving, I'm hoping to have more mental and physical energy to concentrate on these things.

I've updated my funcrunchphoto blog with a presentation of dozen of my favorite photos of 2011. Please leave any comments on my funcrunchphoto site, thanks!

Reminder: non-LiveJournal users can subscribe to the funcrunchphoto blog with a feed reader at http://funcrunchphoto.com/blog/feed (which should always be up-to-date).

I've updated my funcrunchphoto blog with an entry about catalog and magazine photos. Please leave any comments on my funcrunchphoto site, thanks!

Reminder: non-LiveJournal users can subscribe to the funcrunchphoto blog with a feed reader at http://funcrunchphoto.com/blog/feed (which should always be up-to-date).