I treat Monday - Friday as the core, since I have a desk job and it keeps things easy.

Monday - Friday Diet:
Breakfast

• 2 cups black coffee - I grind my own beans (Costco beans)
• 1 fresh grapefruit
• 1 whey protein shake

Lunch

• bag of raw vegetable s
• 1 cup yogurt

Afternoon - I die at work around 2pm, so I’ve added a 1/2 meal here

• whey protein shake
• 1/4 cup trail mix

Dinner

• full size salad with lots of variety in vegetables
• either chicken, fish or pork. I don’t eat beef.

Saturday - is my cheat day. During the week I gave up alcohol for the most part, so Saturday I will usually slide a bit and have a beer or two. I also slide on the diet so that I don’t feel deprived. I will typically start my day with the same breakfast and lunch as M-F, but by the afternoon I start eating whatever in the house I want. Dinner is typically a full-sized salad paired with a comfort food - like pizza or pasta.

Sunday - is a half cheat day… meaning, I start the day with the same breakfast and lunch as M-F, but I like to cook a good family meal in the afternoon. I find it more enjoyable to cook with a beer in hand, so beer:30 happens around 3pm.

So, that’s the calorie mashup. Regarding exercise:

Sunday - weight lifting - 3 sets of chest & elliptical for 1/2 hour
Monday - elliptical for 1/2 hour (I used to belong to the Middle TN YMCA and loved it, but now use the gym at work to save money)
Tuesday - weight lifting - 2-3 sets of bicep training & abs
Wednesday - elliptical for 1/2 hour
Thursday - weight lifting  - 2-3 sets of tricep training & abs
Friday - off
Saturday - elliptical for a 1/2 hour or treadmill for an hour at a fast walking pace (pace 4/incline4)

That’s the general  breakdown. Depending on my work schedule, sometimes I move around my days off.

Automation with regard to diet and exercise has worked for me for about three and a half years now. Prior to that I was about 20 lbs. heavier. I’ve stayed consistent over the last 3 years, so I think my program works for me.

http://electrictreehouse.com/composting-basics/

here is another:
a great mini house:

• diet and excersize
• personal finance
• time management

These setups allow me to focus my thoughts on more important things that come up, while providing peace of mind that I am not dropping the ball on goals and responsibilities.

I am getting ready to drop my cell phone coverage. Here is how I am getting around paying $100 for a cell phone. This system wouldn’t work for everyone.  I am typically either at work, at home or in transit. When I am on a gig or at a recording session, I can’t really talk anyways…

• I use a google voice for a primary number which will route my calls to the phone I am nearest to.
• I just downloaded the magicjack app on my iPod touch and tested it – now I have an iPhone without the high carrier cost. As long as I am on a wifi network, I can place and receive calls right on my iPod touch.

I’ve been reading up on some the concepts of “stuffitice” and “consumerism”. I’ve also been studying time management techniques and reading a lot of personal finance blogs. So, my challenge for myself from now until the end of the year is to gain a more streamlined lifestyle. It all ties together like this: the more hobbies that require stuff, the more stuff I collect. Each piece of “stuff” eventually requires time and money, thus taking me away from spending time with the two most important kids in the world - Jonny and Molli. So, do I want the stuff? Guess not. Time management & personal finance goals accomplished in one shot.

Since collecting “stuff” had become a way of life for me, I am determined to set forth on a different path. Here’s the short term plan:

• I own 4 guitars. I am a drummer. Why? Selling my Tacoma dreadnought, Fender Strat, and Martin Backpacker to fund one Art & Lutherie “Ami”
• I’m selling the super beetle. ok, this is my dream car.  But, why have two cars? I have realized I don’t have the time to spend restoring it, nor do I want to spend the money.  I can already tell, this one’s gonna hurt a bit :(
• I own 3 complete drumsets. EEK. I have plans of sending one to my parents house, but they have “stuffitice” worse than me.  At least one kit has to go.
• Lots of CDs - trying to import them into iTunes has become a chore.  A big chore! Once done, the CD’s are going to a used CD place.
• which to keep - Piano or Keyboard? not sure yet…
• recognizing duplicate items in my life and getting rid of them

My inspiration:

Last time I was out in Phoenix visiting family, my brother-in-law got me reading www.getrichslowly.org which led me to www.earlyretirementextreme.com. The latter blog is more severe, but like many Catholics (a corrupt empire which I have long since abandon), I am picking and choosing with the viewpoints.

Stay tuned and I will try to give some updates as I take action!

As we had lunch, we kept circling around the theme of how jazz drummers can fall into categories demarcated by the old school and the new school. The old school would be the Papa Joe Jones crew. The new schoolers would be the drummers who came up trying to emulate Dave Weckl and Dennis Chambers.

There isn’t a right or wrong in any direction, but the path the drummer chooses has great affect on the ideas heard by that drummer and what that drummer eventually comes out on the gig.

Adam was kind enough to share some inspirational videos with me. Please take some time to view this one by Jeff Hamilton:

After years of being disassembled and disorganized, I finally am putting my drum recording workspace back together.

www.newclaritystudio.com

With this in mind, if you want to collaborate, please drop me a line.

I am looking for interesting and unique projects.

thanks!

I have an exciting and busy January schedule. A special thanks to Ben Graves, The Dean Martinis, Jamiee Paul and Leif Shires, and Where Y’at? for sending me lots of music work this month. I have already had some exciting and fulfilling musical moments this month, but there are more to come!

Please catch the Ben Graves Trio tonight at Sambuca. I will also be filling in for “Where Y’at?”, a great New Orleans style funk band, at the Red Rooster on January 28, 2011.

Please check the “Upcoming Gigs” page for a full listing.