This is the problem with daily blogging. Life intervenes. Life in the form of an increased work schedule, the crescendo weeks of American Idol, kids spring concerts and school plays, and don’t forget Cinco De Mayo and beer. Mmmm, beer.

A round up of some weekly conclusions of past “change”. For starters, the vitamin D thing is amazing. I can most definitely feel a difference since starting supplements as well as thanks to increased REAL sunlight! It’s not quite “wow, I popped a Quaalude and suddenly everything is perfect with the world!” (note: I have never actually popped a Quaalude, my exposure to ‘ludes comes solely through Go Ask Alice and other reading material of the hitchhike and peace sign era. I have always wanted to SAY I popped a lude though. It sounds much more exotic than popping a Lexapro or Wellbutrin.) At any rate, the changes have been real. I have noticed distinctly less random body pain and my arthritis has been less active. I’m sleeping a little better and it may be the non-vit. D effects of the sun or it may be directly related to the vit. D, but I feel a little happier.

The vinegar rinse thing is another full scale success! I have had several people compliment me on my new haircut, except I didn’t get a new haircut! The hubster says it just looks sleeker. I think it feels much softer and much less dry, I am shampooing every other day now as a result of no conditioner and that’s been nice too.

Waking 15 minutes early, not quite the rousing success. It’s a battle, and most days I lose. It’s alright. If I try it and it just doesn’t work for me, then that’s just the way it goes. Saying hello to strangers has been nice, but in a town this small I am running out of random strangers. The salmon season starts next week though, and we have a bunch of new commercial fishers in town so there should be some fresh juicy choices to Hello from this weekend!

A few days ago I made a new change. This one is slightly embarrassing to own. I changed my drivers license. This may not sound life impacting but uh… here’s where I am stuck admitting that not only did my prior license actually expire a full two years ago- I acquired it a whole 3 states ago! Why I had not rectified it sooner, I’m not sure. It became this annoying obstacle that I was afraid to fix I think. I figured it’d been so long, it’d be all too difficult to correct. Kind of like returning and paying for a long overdue library book (oh boy, now there’s a future topic…). The process was surprisingly unpainful. Because my prior license had been valid within the past 5 years I simply had to fill out a form, bring in the various paperwork bureaucracy demands, take a written test and pass an eye exam. Two years of waiting (oh okay, if we count the years spent in Hawaii and South Carolina it’s actually been about six years past due) fixed in about 20 minutes time for the reasonable price of $20. I can now rent cars again without worrying they’ll say no and better yet I can pass cops and not break out in a sweat. Almost makes a person want to go speeding down main street- just for the satisfaction of it all!

6- Kissed

Sun-kissed that is. This is one change I can take no credit for, but it needs acknowledgment, because along with it comes a major change in attitude. Oh glowing yellow orb in the sky, thank you for gifting us with your presence. Today marked the first official “we saw 60, and we kicked it’s ass!” day of the year here in south-central Alaska. 64. That’s what the truck temperature display said. 64 degrees.

When you spend a winter in darkness, and much of the spring in wetness, these bright sunny days mean more. When it gets warm enough to strip down to a T-shirt, you’ve hit the big time. Went for a ride out “the road”, found a place to park, and went walking. In the sun. Stopped to lay down and let the rays beat on my face. Eyes closed. Blinded even through my lids by the brightness of the sun. Felt my cheeks tingle under those rays. Danced silently inside my head with pure joy at the peace and satisfaction of it all. Sun kissed.

5- Quarter Hour O' Me

I’m not a morning person. I’m downright scary in the morning. I hit the snooze alarm three times, I drag myself out of bed at the very last possible moment, run downstairs to wake up my young ‘uns (the teenager doesn’t trust my morning madness and wakes an hour before me). The next 40 minutes are filled with chaos as I rush around getting them ready, getting me ready, tending the dog. It isn’t very pleasant; it’s actually quite Unpleasant to be honest.

The idea of NOT hitting the snooze alarm has never really been considered ‘round these parts. That’s why this was such a novel idea for me. What if I resisted the urge and actually got out of bed a whole fifteen minutes early? Nothing crazy, we’re not talking any real loss of sleep. Just eliminating those last lazy fifteen minutes.

On Thursday I tried it. I’ll be bluntly honest and say it hurt a little. It felt a little sad even, losing that last leg of sheet and blanket burrowing that we anti-morning people love so well. However, as my bare feet hit the cold linoleum floor of the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee the teenager had brewed, I had my first glimpse at how nice it might be. I wasn’t running. The young ‘uns were not fighting. It was just quiet and peaceful.

And just like that, I discovered the value of having fifteen minutes to myself in the morning. The teen does his own thing, so it really was just quiet reflective time, not feeling hurried or stressed, and I liked it. Whereas my mindset had been to eak out every minute of sleep possible, by slightly shifting my paradigm I recognized the value of eaking out a little time to myself. What a difference!

15 minutes later, chaos again ensued. We still ran around and prepped for the day in a mad rush, there were still arguments, I still felt like I was leaving just a minute too late…. But that’s okay. I had that ME quarter hour. I felt a little more at peace with the chaos.

4- Say Cheese and Smile

"It's been a long, a long time coming, but I know a change gonna come" Sam Cooke

Some folks from the northeast suffer from “dontlookitis”. Basically, this disorder means you never look at anyone you don’t know in the eye, or engage a stranger into conversation. This is a function of tribal survival- everyone knows you do not engage a potential car-jacker, gang banger, shyster, or religious nut. The best way to avoid said people is to project an invisible force field that does not welcome said people in.

I will cop to suffering this disorder. If I know you, I’m happy to chat with you, smile at you, wave to you when we pass. If you’re a stranger though… well, I become somewhat socially aloof. (This explains my inherent distrust for Walmart greeters, good lord those years in the south were odd- complete strangers with huge toothy grins, wearing blue smiley face vests practically chasing you down as you walk through the door with a “Well hello y’all! How are youuuuuuuuuuu today?” Pure torture!)

Now for my deep confession. All of my adult life I have envied and admired people who “never meet a stranger”. In fact, in some ways I have gone to lengths to surround myself with such people. I have a lot of friends who are the type who can easily strike up a conversation in line with anyone. You go to a bar, and they are cracking jokes with previously unknown patrons as if they were old foxhole buddies. Walk around an amusement park with them, and they somehow know complete random strangers names and life stories by the time you leave. I’ve secretly wished I could be like that…. even while acknowledging such conversations would actually be agony for me.

This whole experiment is about being more of the person I wish I could be, through small achievable baby steps (thank you What About Bob). This morning I did something small… and it felt good. As I walked down the main street sidewalk, on my way to work, I sought out people to smile at, look in the eye, and say “Good morning!” to. People I already knew didn’t count. Strangers who said hello to me first didn’t count. I had to actually instigate a good morning encounter.

What do you know… it felt good. No one turned out to be a car-jacker, gang banger, shyster, or religious nut (or if they were, they kept it well hidden behind a polite smile). People just smiled and either nodded or said hello or good morning back. By the time I walked into my office I was smiling at my boss and said cheerfully, “Good morning!” and wow, I meant it!

3- Smelly Clean

"Life's about changin', nothing ever stays the same..." Patty Loveless


The hair, it’s been driving me mad. Dry, course, nasty stuff I loathe most days. Earlier this month I’d read up quite a bit on no-poo, not out of environmental concern (note to self: learning to be more concerned about environment might make good future change challenge) but because well… my hair is straw. I can totally buy the theory that it’s being hunkered down with an extra 10 lbs of shampoo residue, I know what my kitchen floor looks like if it’s not properly rinsed after cleaning… it stands to reason my hair might suffer similarly.

After reading quite a few articles on the whole no-poo phenomenon I found a common complaint was that the baking soda scrub could in some cases strip already dry/coarse hair even more, exasperating the original problem. The solution is to rinse with apple cider vinegar instead of conditioner. Just like vinegar can rinse away soap residue from a kitchen floor, it can get rid of the nasties and help soften your hair. I decided I like poo… shampoo that is, and I’m going to keep using it for now. I would however, be open to trying apple cider vinegar as a rinse alternative.

This morning was my first test run. I did my normal shower routine. Scrubbed, shaved, sang a few rounds of “What do you do with a drunken sailor”, double checked the drain a few times to make sure the bathroom pipes monster wasn’t sneaking up on me. All was going well. Finally, I broke out my (Costco cheapie bulk bottle) shampoo, did my thing. Hair was clean, fresh, and still- coarse to the rub, even while wet. Eyed the conditioner bottle longingly but resisted the urge. Opened up the apple cider vinegar and proceeded to pour it (perhaps a bit too generously) on my hair.

This is where a word of caution is required. Vinegar is acidic, right? If you shave…. And are left with sensitive or nicked skin…. Pouring scalding acid on such skin, it might hurt. See where I’m going? Mother f*@^er, that hurt! Hopped around and shrieked a little. The searing pain passed momentarily. Felt my hair suspiciously. It felt smoother than before, but not “just conditioned” smooth. I was having serious doubts by that time. Frankly, I also found I smelled like a pickled egg. Not pickled pickles, or pickled beets, but seriously- pickled eggs. I have no clue why it was so specific to pickled eggs.

After rinsing, drying and dressing, I focused on the hair. I hesitantly ran a brush through it wet, afraid it would hurt- it didn’t. I found that while it didn’t have that conditioner feeling, it also didn’t have a dry shampoo only feeling. I felt more hopeful. I let it air dry most of the way and completed the job with a blow dryer. I have to say the end result was MUCH softer and smoother than it normally is post-condition. Here at the end of the day, it still feels clean- I generally shampoo daily because I hate feeling “dirty” hair, and I suspect the conditioner helps trap those tiny particles of dust and such- without said conditioner, I may find I can reduce shampoo to every other day or even less? As far as the smell, it seems to have dried itself out of the hair… my bathroom however, still smells like pickled eggs.

Apple cider vinegar in lieu of conditioner… day 1, I am giving this method a thumbs up!

2- Sunshine Pills

Not so much humor.

I recently underwent a series of medical tests and screenings, and during that process my doctor ordered one I hadn’t ever had before. This blood test rated my vitamin D levels. In northern latitudes this is sometimes necessary, as the primary source of vitamin D for most people in sun exposure. I was somewhat surprised to learn I was vitamin D deficient. This didn’t immediately cause any concern, after all- it’s just another vitamin, right? So I’ll drink more milkshakes…. How hard can that be?

I have since learned a virtual plethora of conditions can be associated with vitamin D deficiency syndrome including “osteoporosis, heart disease, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, certain cancers, depression, chronic fatigue, and chronic pain.” (Vit.D council) Having suffered vague body pain for the last year that I’d self-diagnosed as some mystery-FMSlike ailment, increased flare ups of the rheumatoid arthritis in my knees and hips, and mild depression, I had nicknamed the whole shebang “Alaska Disease”. Alaska Disease indeed, low levels of sunlight do more than promote SAD, your body actually needs that vitamin D!

As I researched further, I found there were many other suggested connections to vitamin D deficiency, including as some sources claim- PCOS or ovarian cystic conditions. Oh yeah, that niggling problem that drove me to the doctor for all those tests to begin with? To identify pain and swelling, which turned out to be an ovarian cyst and distended fallopian tube.

With all of these rather recent health problems I sound like I am 50 years old! Some days I feel like I am 50 years old. This too I attributed to “Alaska Disease”. I just assumed people felt older in Alaska. It didn’t occur to me it could all be related, and that it might all be answered with something as simple as a vitamin supplement. Thank you vitamin D!

The recommended daily vitamin D intake seems to be around 4,000 units per day, according to most medical and scientific sources.

What to do about it, this is the question. I can “fake and bake” in a tanning bed, but this is expensive, time consuming, dependant on there being an available bed in this small town, and risky as far as skin cancer concerns go. I can drink milk…. 40 glasses a day (at $7 a gallon, you do THAT math!). I can take supplements, specifically vitamin D3. The “3” is important, though I haven’t entirely discovered why yet! The problem is, doctors, scientists, and the governments don’t all agree on how much supplemental vit D one should take. The highest concentrated tablets I could find were 1,000 units. Do I take four tablets a day? The Vitamin D council says yes. On the other hand, the US office of dietary supplements suggests just 200-400 Ius per day in supplemental form. This strikes me as woefully inadequate given everything else I have read.

I’m starting a 2 tablet a day regimen, this will give me 2,000 units- I am also making a more concentrated effort to get direct sun time- not always an easy feat in an Alaskan rain forest (yes, you read that correctly!) , on marathon dark days I will be hitting the tanning bed for a little zap- all in an effort to achieve the missing 2,000 units per day via u/v rays.

Popped my first pill this morning, I’ll take another at dinnertime… and I’ll update my progress in a week or so. Will I notice any changes immediately, or will it be a more long term situation? We’ll see!

1 - Spare Change

Time may change me, but I can't trace time. David Bowie

I’m someone who thrives on change. As a military family, we pack up and move every 2-4 years, and we usually move “big”. I change homes, license plates, friends, and jobs all.the.time. It’s all environmental though, and as much of an impact as it has on my life it isn’t the personal, introspective kind of change.

This project is all about smaller, more personal changes. The kind I normally vow to make on Jan 1st, then forget by Jan 5th…. (I confess I actually love making New Yrs resolutions, it’s the KEEPING them part I don’t enjoy so much.) Instead of tracking one resolution or change for 356 days though, I’m proposing 365 changes. Can the human animal sustain that kind of change? Can I even think of 365 things about myself I don’t like enough to want to change? Can I remember to blog for 365 days?

{{Breaking news! Just had to add this juicy tidbit, am watching Celebrity Apprentice and The Don just asked Joan Rivers if stubborn Clint Black had changed at all, then interrupted her and said, “I don’t think anyone really changes, you just come out how you are”. Interesting! Perhaps Mr. Trump should follow this blog to confirm or deny that theory!}}

{{Breaking news report #2! As soon as I typed the above, a Wendy’s commercial began with the tagline, “Life Changes…. But the Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich never does.” Ah, change is indeed in the air!}}

Change. The first one is easy. I blogged! I’m blogging! I’m a blogger now! A changed woman indeed.