Friday, January 20, 2012
RV'ing 101
I'm hard pressed to find a more enjoyable and affordable way to get off the beaten path than RV'ing. I grew up doing it with my family, stepped away from it for a while as we raised our family, then re-embraced it at the point we became empty nesters.
I love everything about the outdoors except a few certain realities of living life too close to the earth. Meaning that tent camping is a little too rough and a little too much work for my liking. You have to think really hard about what you want to bring, then find, organize and pack it, set it up, and then both sleep and cook outdoors with, yuck, bugs. Plus it can be really cold outdoors in the early morning and late at night, which I just don't find fun.
On the other hand, our RV, a folding camper trailer, addresses everything we like and dislike about getting into the outdoors. It provides the ability to get deep into nature, but still be protected from the elements. It has enough internal and external storage to be outfitted with everything we need during a typical RV'ing trip, meaning the only thing we have to think about before we head out is what we are going to wear, and what we want to eat. Everything else is already living in the trailer and waiting for us. (This makes unpacking after a trip a piece of cake as well.)
Another plus of our folding camper trailer is that it can be stored in our garage, meaning no storage costs. We also feel very comfortable with how it tows behind our smallish SUV - because folding trailers are so compact, there are really no issues with either sway or wind resistance, which are hugh pluses.
The typical folding camper trailer consists of a sturdy box bottom, canvas sides, pull out beds and a solid, weather-protection roof. You, literally, crank it up, then pull out the beds and brace them, set the outside door in place, set up the dining area, move your clothes and food into place, and that's about it. It's about a 30 minute process to set up, and a 45 minute process to break down. (Breakdown is a bit longer because I also clean as I go.)
Although amenities vary by manufacturer and model, folding camper trailers typically include two pull out beds (ours has a king bed on one side, a double bed on the other), a four person dining area, small galley kitchen containing storage cupboards, a fridge, stove and sink with running water, overhead lights, door and a furnace. Ours also contains a small bathroom area, a hot water heater and a large storage area where we keep all of our outside items such as chairs, BBQ, floor mat, and compressed gas fire ring. The trailer is powered by propane, battery and a holding tank for water when we are camping "dry" (meaning no water or electricity is being provided) or by electricity when we have "hook ups." (The term for having both water and electricity outlets available for usage.)
Here's our current floorplan as an example:
And from the promotional brochure:
Happy promotional people above aside, the biggest benefit we enjoy in our travel trailer is that for a very budget-friendly price we have space, views, privacy and the ability to prepare our own meals in the comfort of our rig. Plus enjoy our own wine almost every afternoon, while gazing out at something magnificent.
A typical RV'ing day consists of waking up and enjoying coffee for a couple of hours as we watch the sun rise from inside of our heated trailer. We generally move outside for breakfast, enjoying wildlife sightings and the sound of the wind in the trees, or the surf breaking against the sand, depending on where we are. After breakfast my husband cleans up the breakfast dishes while I prepare a sack lunch for whatever activity we have planned for the day. Most of the time it's a 6 - 10 mile hike somewhere, but it also might be a long bike ride, or a kayaking excursion, or a trip to visit an interesting historical site. We're generally back in camp by late afternoon, which is when we take our showers and sit down to relax with some books, wine and a snack of some sort while the afternoon wanes. We usually start dinner around 6:00 PM, sitting down to eat around 7:00 PM, after which we clean up and start a campfire. Enjoying our campfire, conversation and a bit of stargazing, or on cold nights a rousing game of cards or a DVD via our laptop computer in our heated trailer, takes us up to bedtime - usually about 9:30 PM. At which point we sleep like logs until waking up to repeat the whole routine again next day.
(And a note that many RV Parks offer swimming pools, spas, movie nights and more, opening up all kinds of additional possibilities on how to spend the day.)
I never get tired of the routine, even after six years, and I still get a thrill every single time we pull our rig out of the garage and hit the road.
I love everything about the outdoors except a few certain realities of living life too close to the earth. Meaning that tent camping is a little too rough and a little too much work for my liking. You have to think really hard about what you want to bring, then find, organize and pack it, set it up, and then both sleep and cook outdoors with, yuck, bugs. Plus it can be really cold outdoors in the early morning and late at night, which I just don't find fun.
On the other hand, our RV, a folding camper trailer, addresses everything we like and dislike about getting into the outdoors. It provides the ability to get deep into nature, but still be protected from the elements. It has enough internal and external storage to be outfitted with everything we need during a typical RV'ing trip, meaning the only thing we have to think about before we head out is what we are going to wear, and what we want to eat. Everything else is already living in the trailer and waiting for us. (This makes unpacking after a trip a piece of cake as well.)
Another plus of our folding camper trailer is that it can be stored in our garage, meaning no storage costs. We also feel very comfortable with how it tows behind our smallish SUV - because folding trailers are so compact, there are really no issues with either sway or wind resistance, which are hugh pluses.
The typical folding camper trailer consists of a sturdy box bottom, canvas sides, pull out beds and a solid, weather-protection roof. You, literally, crank it up, then pull out the beds and brace them, set the outside door in place, set up the dining area, move your clothes and food into place, and that's about it. It's about a 30 minute process to set up, and a 45 minute process to break down. (Breakdown is a bit longer because I also clean as I go.)
Here's our current floorplan as an example:
Happy promotional people above aside, the biggest benefit we enjoy in our travel trailer is that for a very budget-friendly price we have space, views, privacy and the ability to prepare our own meals in the comfort of our rig. Plus enjoy our own wine almost every afternoon, while gazing out at something magnificent.
A typical RV'ing day consists of waking up and enjoying coffee for a couple of hours as we watch the sun rise from inside of our heated trailer. We generally move outside for breakfast, enjoying wildlife sightings and the sound of the wind in the trees, or the surf breaking against the sand, depending on where we are. After breakfast my husband cleans up the breakfast dishes while I prepare a sack lunch for whatever activity we have planned for the day. Most of the time it's a 6 - 10 mile hike somewhere, but it also might be a long bike ride, or a kayaking excursion, or a trip to visit an interesting historical site. We're generally back in camp by late afternoon, which is when we take our showers and sit down to relax with some books, wine and a snack of some sort while the afternoon wanes. We usually start dinner around 6:00 PM, sitting down to eat around 7:00 PM, after which we clean up and start a campfire. Enjoying our campfire, conversation and a bit of stargazing, or on cold nights a rousing game of cards or a DVD via our laptop computer in our heated trailer, takes us up to bedtime - usually about 9:30 PM. At which point we sleep like logs until waking up to repeat the whole routine again next day.
(And a note that many RV Parks offer swimming pools, spas, movie nights and more, opening up all kinds of additional possibilities on how to spend the day.)
I never get tired of the routine, even after six years, and I still get a thrill every single time we pull our rig out of the garage and hit the road.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
An RVing Way of Life
I've loved the outdoors since I was a young girl. I grew up with a dad that must have felt exactly the same, because the majority of our weekends consisted of loading up our trailer and heading out to the wilds of Southern California for some R&R.
My husband and I tried to incorporate camping into our family lifestyle in the early days of our marriage. Money was tight then, so we bought a tent and camp stove and hit the road. I discovered that while I still loved being outdoors, I didn't so much love sleeping on the ground and cooking and cleaning outdoors, so our camping became limited to once a year trips into the mountains where we slept in our tent, but filed down to a bunkhouse for meals. Quasi-camping if you will.
Fast forward to 2005, when our last daughter left for college, and one morning I find myself perusing the internet for folding camping trailers, which offered indoor plumbing, comfortable beds, heater, a small dining area and an even smaller stove, sink and fridge. Within 24 hours, we have a lightly used folding camper trailer resting in our garage, and a whole new world opens up to us. Over the years since we've taken our camping trailer out again and again, to places like Big Sur, Big Bear and Mammoth, the central California wine country region, Bryce Canyon, Utah, and countless beaches along the Southern California coastline. We've enjoyed hiking, biking and kayaking almost everywhere we've been, and seen wildlife in absolute abundance, including one very memorable skunk!
RV'ing will be a very significant part of our retirement travel plans, partly because of how affordable it is - between $20 - $50 per night at most campgrounds - and how much we enjoy spending time in the great outdoors. We have plans to spend upwards of 12 weeks a year on the road, estimating our weekly costs to do so at around $500 for gas, campsite, groceries and entertainment.
We recently spent the long Martin Luther King weekend in Malibu, California, where the surrounding coastline and mountains are so beautiful they literally defy description. The cost of the entire 3 day/3 night trip was less than $225, which includes the cost of the campsite, gas, groceries and one lunch out. The entertainment - hiking, walking along the beach, enjoying beautiful sunsets and stargazing by the fire at night, was all free!
My husband and I tried to incorporate camping into our family lifestyle in the early days of our marriage. Money was tight then, so we bought a tent and camp stove and hit the road. I discovered that while I still loved being outdoors, I didn't so much love sleeping on the ground and cooking and cleaning outdoors, so our camping became limited to once a year trips into the mountains where we slept in our tent, but filed down to a bunkhouse for meals. Quasi-camping if you will.
Fast forward to 2005, when our last daughter left for college, and one morning I find myself perusing the internet for folding camping trailers, which offered indoor plumbing, comfortable beds, heater, a small dining area and an even smaller stove, sink and fridge. Within 24 hours, we have a lightly used folding camper trailer resting in our garage, and a whole new world opens up to us. Over the years since we've taken our camping trailer out again and again, to places like Big Sur, Big Bear and Mammoth, the central California wine country region, Bryce Canyon, Utah, and countless beaches along the Southern California coastline. We've enjoyed hiking, biking and kayaking almost everywhere we've been, and seen wildlife in absolute abundance, including one very memorable skunk!
RV'ing will be a very significant part of our retirement travel plans, partly because of how affordable it is - between $20 - $50 per night at most campgrounds - and how much we enjoy spending time in the great outdoors. We have plans to spend upwards of 12 weeks a year on the road, estimating our weekly costs to do so at around $500 for gas, campsite, groceries and entertainment.
We recently spent the long Martin Luther King weekend in Malibu, California, where the surrounding coastline and mountains are so beautiful they literally defy description. The cost of the entire 3 day/3 night trip was less than $225, which includes the cost of the campsite, gas, groceries and one lunch out. The entertainment - hiking, walking along the beach, enjoying beautiful sunsets and stargazing by the fire at night, was all free!
The amazing ocean views we enjoyed from our campsite.
Looking to the east from our site at sunset.
Looking to the west as the sun drops.
Enjoying fish and chips at a local eatery.
A flock of birds taking off as we approached on the sand.
Friday, January 13, 2012
What's On Your Bucket List?
I am a list maker extraordinaire. I have lists for everything - what groceries I need to buy, what meals I plan to make, what errands I need to run, what phone calls I need to make, what tasks I need to complete at home, what people I haven't spoken to in a while, what social plans I need to coordinate and what books I need to read.
My favorite list, though, is my retirement bucket list. My definition of a bucket list is that it contains things I aspire to, or aspire to do, in the not too distant future, and that that I realistically have the financial or physical wherewithal to do. (No sense setting myself up to fail.) I've long practiced long term goal setting as a way of keeping life fresh and exciting, and am finding that to be of even greater importance in retirement now that I have the luxury, and the challenge really, of setting my own daily schedule.
So here is what is currently on my bucket list for 2012:
Graduate from beginning to intermediate Spanish. I'm currently enrolled in beginning Spanish, and am trying to "pump" it up by attending two additional pronunciation classes, plus a weekly dialogue class with a small group of fellow students. I can now comfortably put together six to eight word sentences, write fairly decently and follow a basic conversation as long as the speaker goes nice and slooooow. And preferably stays in the present tense!
Graduate from Level 3 piano to an ongoing just-for-fun Level 4 piano group of adult learners. I have aspired to play the piano for years, particularly since both my husband and my two daughters play, but could not find the time prior to retiring last April. I started a Level 1 lesson series in May, and fell instantly in love. I practice, and play for pleasure, every day, and can now read music and play beginning level compositions on my own. The Level 4 class is ongoing, with the emphasis on playing for pleasure and continuing to grow in the process. which is just what I'm looking for at this point in my life.
Bring more daily reflection into my life. I have a strong sense of my own spirituality, the third leg of that all important mind-body-spirit balance, but I can be a bit undisciplined on making sure I set daily time aside to grow and reflect in this area. In 2012, I am focusing on doing daily readings each morning for 10-15 minutes before I kick start my day into high gear.
Run a half marathon with my two daughters. I've run a half marathon on my own, and I've run a race with each one of them individually, but I've never done either a half marathon or a race with both of them at the same time. We've all signed up to run the Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon together in May, and I'm very much looking forward to the mother-daughter bonding experience I know preparing for and running this event together will bring.
Spend two weeks vacationing in our camping trailer. We love taking weekend and week long trips in our camping trailer, and hope to spend a lot more time doing so in retirement. Our longest stint in our trailer so far is eight days, so taking two week trip in 2012 will be a good litmus test to determine if our goal is realistic. In won't hurt that we'll be splitting the two weeks between Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Lakes, two absolutely gorgeous locations here in California.
Check off another National Park. I stand corrected - I do have one goal on my retirement bucket list that will take longer a bit longer than usual to achieve. I want to visit every National Park. There are currently 58 National Parks in the USA, and we have visited 18 thus far. We hope to check off at least Channel Islands in 2012, and possibly Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah if a cross country driving trip currently under discussion materializes. Regardless, getting to them all over the next ten or so years, particularly those located in Alaska, should provide for some grand adventures.
So what's on your bucket list, retirement or otherwise? I'd love to know!
Monday, January 9, 2012
The Pleasure of High Activity Days
Hiking with friends last week on a gorgeous, unexpectedly warm January morning (I'm in front on the right.)
Since retiring, Monday is now one of my favorite days of the week. Not because of the obvious (even after nine months my body clock is still insistent on waking me up before 5:00 AM), but because it is generally my most active day of the week.
On Monday mornings I get together with my hiking group for an 11 mile hike in a close by state park. The route is about 1/2 up and 1/2 down, ensuring I'll work hard and feel wonderful at the end. We generally spot a variety of wildlife along the way - rabbits, coyotes, hawks, tarantulas, and on occasion, very scary rattlesnakes. To whom we give very wide birth!
In the afternoon I head over to our local university where I'm enrolled in a Lifelong Learning program for retirees. The program, part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), promotes learning for the sheer joy of it, and is available at over 100 campuses nationwide. Cost varies by campus, but the overall goal of OLLI is to keep enrollment fees low so that access to the program remains high.
On Monday evenings I alternate between playing tennis with a girlfriend at my neighborhood HOA tennis courts, and attending a once a month Monday night book club discussion.
We all come with different settings, and I've learned my life hums along best when my setting is on High. Life just gets a whole lot easier when my body, brain and spirit are regularly engaged. I sleep better, I eat better, I just exist better. Give me four to five high activity days a week, balanced by one to two days where I can just chill and recharge, and I'm pretty consistently a happy gal. Flip that around however, and I start to come apart at the seams!
So, my ongoing quest in retirement is to continue to build a lifestyle that incorporates as many of these high activity days into my week as possible. On the days when I succeed, it is, as they say, more than it's own reward.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
A Happily Scaled Back Christmas
We are currently babysitting our grandpuppy, who is making good use of the empty space under our Christmas tree!
Something interesting occurred this year as a result of my husband and I deciding not to exchange gifts for Christmas . . . the entire focus of the holiday season shifted.
As do so many, we regularly set aside a portion of our income for charitable donations, which includes purchasing gifts and food at the holidays for those that are in need. What was different for us this year is that instead of making holiday donations in addition to exchanging gifts, my spouse and I did so instead of exchanging gifts. We both agreed that we had come to a point in our lives where we simply had all we could possibly need, and adding to our own stash of "stuff" was no longer as important as trying to make a small difference elsewhere.
And amazingly, that small difference changed the entire energy around the holiday for both of us this year, allowing space for something else to come in . . . reflections on how blessed we are to be healthy and alive, and how much we love and are thankful for our family and our friends.
As a point of comparison - last year I was so exhausted by the time Christmas day arrived that I just wanted it to be over and done with. As I reflected back on why I how I had allowed myself to deviate so from the actual intention of the season, instead going to a place of utter exhaustion, I knew something had to give. The changes we made this year - foregoing giving gifts to each other, aiming for quality, rather than quantity, in the gifts we selected and gave to our daughters, leveraging the ability to shop online to avoid having to venture into crowded, stress-filled shopping malls and department stores, asking friends to grace us with their time this year instead of presents, and filling our calendar with as many opportunities as possibly to enjoy family, friends and seasonal celebrations - allowed each day in December to shine more brightly with the true meaning of the season.
I know there is still room for improvement, and I look forward to doing so in the years ahead, so please feel free to share your own successes in this area.
The happiest of 2012 New Year wishes to you all.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
The Great TV Experiment - Final Thoughts
Hmmm, five days of success, two days of caving in . . . this past week has been quite the eye opener. To cut to the chase, it's crystal clear to me that TV viewing is hazardous to my mental health, which means its counter to my early retirement journey toward a more satisfying and serene life.
The five days that were spent pursuing activities that did not involve TV were all immensely satisfying from start to finish. The two days that ended up with the TV being flipped on after dinner ended on a bit of a "blah" note by comparison. And, because I'm more of a Zen-ist than a Scient-ist, I browsed the internet to find some actual data on what goes on in the brain when it's being passively entertained by TV, and found one from a site called EnergyFirst.com, which seemed to hit on exactly what I experienced. So I'll just run the article and let it do the talking for me, since I tend to wander a bit in my blogging, and it gets straight to the point. (I've highlighted the points I found particular salient to my own experiences.)
How does TV affect your health?
You may have heard that over the last few decades there have been approximately 3,000 studies conducted on the effects of TV watching on health.What you probably didn’t hear was how many of those studies concluded that TV is bad for your health. That number is 2,888, according to Dr. John Nelson of the American Medical Association. Dr. Nelson, along with many other health professionals, endorses National TV-Turnoff Week.Millions of Americans are so addicted to watching TV that the their behavior meets the criteria for substance abuse according to the official psychiatric manual, says Rutgers University psychologist and TV-Free America board member Robert Kubey.What are the symptoms of TV addiction?
- - The use of TV as a sedative
- - Watching anything that comes on just to watch something
- - Feeling like you’re not in control
- - Getting angry with yourself for watching too much
- - Lack of ability to stop watching
- - Feeling irritable when you can’t watch
As with any addiction, there are negative effects. The worst one for adults is weight gain. If you watch three hours of TV a day, you are far more likely to be obese than if you who watch less than one hour, according to an American Journal of Public Health study.Why does TV make you gain weight? It’s not necessarily that it makes you gain weigh as much as it prevents you from losing weight. Almost any activity burns more calories per hour than watching TV, except for sleeping.There are many benefits to reducing the amount of time your family spends watching TV. Gerry Morton, CEO of EnergyFirst, has these suggestions for getting started:
- Turn off the TV and leave it off for one week.
- During that time, make a list of the shows you like best.
- List the shows in priority order.
- Make a TV schedule that allows for no more than one hour per day of TV.
- Do not eat in front of the TV
- Have TV-free meals in which family members talk and interact
Instead of TV, entertain yourself and your family by reading books and magazines and listening to the radio. Studies have shown that reading and radio listening stimulate the brain, because your are forced to use your creative powers to visualize situations . . . unlike TV, where everything is pictured for you.
One study, in particular, found that when people watch TV higher brain centers shut down, leading to a lack of critical thinking. In other words, when you watch TV you are more likely to accept what you are being told instead of questioning things.
Interesting stuff, particularly the above comment on the effect of visualization on brain stimulation. There is no question that when I put down a book after reading for a time, I feel good, energetic and ready to move on to my next activity. And that I feel precisely the opposite when I get up from having watched TV - i.e., I want to move on to either bed, or some other similarly low energy activity.
So, though it's very unlikely I'll be giving away my TV anytime soon, I will be much more mindful of it's ability to suck away at my life energy, and therefore much more discriminating on when and how often I'm willing to make that tradeoff.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
The Great TV Experiment - Days Two & Three
Day Two -
Arose feeling incredibly well rested after eight straight hours of sleep, grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down to finish Unbroken (I was t-h-i-s close to finishing it last night, but couldn't stay awake long enough). Finished it shortly before 9:00 AM, and sat for a few minutes absorbing the unbelievable sacrifices of these American POW's, wiped away a few tears, and then went upstairs to write a blog entry before getting dressed for a tennis date with my OLLI group.
After tennis, I came home, showered, and got to work on my menu for the next two weeks. The goal was to get organized and do the bulk of my grocery shopping today in order to be able to stay out of the stores this next oh-so-crowded week before Christmas. Because I happily chase store loss leaders in order to save money, I ended up traveling in a circle to four different locations, but came home with absolutely oodles of food, plus enough leftover grocery money to make a nice donation to our local food pantry this month (my spouse and I are donating 50% of our weekly grocery savings to Feeding America, which operates around the country).
I put away the groceries, took a quick 15 minute nap (Some days you just need a nap!), vacuumed a little to keep things tidy until next week's cleaning service visit, then sat down with another book club selection, albeit a light one, Silenced by Syrah, and my weekly Starbucks latte (I get a free one with each week's Starbuck's coffee bean purchase made at my local Albertson's). I then practiced piano for an hour, reviewed my Spanish vocabulary, spent time doing online Spanish learning at www.LiveMocha.com, and then went into the kitchen to start dinner. Enjoyed dinner and a glass of wine with my spouse, cleaned up the kitchen and then headed outside together to take our dog for a walk through our holiday-lit neighborhood. Encountered numerous friends and neighbors along the way, as well as several very friendly dogs, which made our dog very happy. Slept eight hours for the second night in a row.
Day Three - No way to fairly assess, as we hit the ground running at 6:00 AM, and didn't make it back in the house until 9:00 PM, at which point we headed straight upstairs to bed. I did flip on the TV out of habit as I was getting ready for bed, but as soon as I realized what I'd done, I shut if off and picked up a book instead. Made it through about three pages before I my eyes started to droop and sleep beckoned. Slept eight hours yet again!
Assessment - It's not so much what I did on Days Two and Three, although I enjoyed everything tremendously, it's that I felt so rock solid all day mentally and energy-wise. No energy or mental dips, other than the brief 15 minute nap, no cravings for simple carbs to bring my energy back up, and no shortage of ideas on how to fill my day. I experienced no evening binge eating attacks either, an annoying bad habit I have to fight. Overall, these last three days have been completely enjoyable.
A quick review of the internet just now indicates there are numerous articles on the benefits of scaling back or stopping TV watching altogether. I'm going to let this experiment continue for another few days, at which point I'll reassess and analyze my experiences in comparison to what experts have to say about TV viewing vs. overall life satisfaction.
Arose feeling incredibly well rested after eight straight hours of sleep, grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down to finish Unbroken (I was t-h-i-s close to finishing it last night, but couldn't stay awake long enough). Finished it shortly before 9:00 AM, and sat for a few minutes absorbing the unbelievable sacrifices of these American POW's, wiped away a few tears, and then went upstairs to write a blog entry before getting dressed for a tennis date with my OLLI group.
After tennis, I came home, showered, and got to work on my menu for the next two weeks. The goal was to get organized and do the bulk of my grocery shopping today in order to be able to stay out of the stores this next oh-so-crowded week before Christmas. Because I happily chase store loss leaders in order to save money, I ended up traveling in a circle to four different locations, but came home with absolutely oodles of food, plus enough leftover grocery money to make a nice donation to our local food pantry this month (my spouse and I are donating 50% of our weekly grocery savings to Feeding America, which operates around the country).
I put away the groceries, took a quick 15 minute nap (Some days you just need a nap!), vacuumed a little to keep things tidy until next week's cleaning service visit, then sat down with another book club selection, albeit a light one, Silenced by Syrah, and my weekly Starbucks latte (I get a free one with each week's Starbuck's coffee bean purchase made at my local Albertson's). I then practiced piano for an hour, reviewed my Spanish vocabulary, spent time doing online Spanish learning at www.LiveMocha.com, and then went into the kitchen to start dinner. Enjoyed dinner and a glass of wine with my spouse, cleaned up the kitchen and then headed outside together to take our dog for a walk through our holiday-lit neighborhood. Encountered numerous friends and neighbors along the way, as well as several very friendly dogs, which made our dog very happy. Slept eight hours for the second night in a row.
Day Three - No way to fairly assess, as we hit the ground running at 6:00 AM, and didn't make it back in the house until 9:00 PM, at which point we headed straight upstairs to bed. I did flip on the TV out of habit as I was getting ready for bed, but as soon as I realized what I'd done, I shut if off and picked up a book instead. Made it through about three pages before I my eyes started to droop and sleep beckoned. Slept eight hours yet again!
Assessment - It's not so much what I did on Days Two and Three, although I enjoyed everything tremendously, it's that I felt so rock solid all day mentally and energy-wise. No energy or mental dips, other than the brief 15 minute nap, no cravings for simple carbs to bring my energy back up, and no shortage of ideas on how to fill my day. I experienced no evening binge eating attacks either, an annoying bad habit I have to fight. Overall, these last three days have been completely enjoyable.
A quick review of the internet just now indicates there are numerous articles on the benefits of scaling back or stopping TV watching altogether. I'm going to let this experiment continue for another few days, at which point I'll reassess and analyze my experiences in comparison to what experts have to say about TV viewing vs. overall life satisfaction.
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