Haven't had a headache in 7 months. Today I feel the slightest twinge. Not enough to call a headache. Though I'm starting my weekend a bit slow. On thursday I felt exhausted in the morning, possibly ran too hard going up to 4mph for the easy stuff. Possibly that damn mandatory flu shot. Anyway with my guard down I ate a little something at work that had allspice in it, which is a berry that also contains sulfites.

Did 7.7 mph for 6:30 couple days back.

Looking into new tennis place that's a much longer drive as it's really drying up nearby.

I won in doubles for the end of the year local tournament. But there was only a semifinals and final. And the final was against the 6th ranked male player in the state and a woman. She's an OK player. But no spin, not much pace. Generally just gets it back. Easy to jump all over her serve. So, anyway, my serve was very good. She couldn't get it back. But then the 6th ranked player in the state also had a really hard time. Kept hitting it to my net man. We both held serve every time. As did the 6th ranked player. Broke the girl's serve and won 8-5. My first serve was about 65%.

In the semifinals we played a couple of high school tennis coaches and beat them 8-4.

In singles I lost to an older guy. He broke my serve twice and I only broke his serve once. He really played well and somehow I just kept coming close to breaking him and couldn't quite finish him off. And then he played lights out one of my service games and I double faulted three times in a row in another. I think I'm better than him. Oh well. Court surface is some weird carpet that the ball skids on. Wonder how much that mattered.

Tonight I played Chi. I win half of our sets 6-1 or 2 and the other half are closer with me almost always winning. Today I beat him 6-0, 6-0, 6-1. I really feel like I'm improving. The two hand slice forehand with a double semi-western is very good. Chi apparently isn't terribly impressed and purposely hits to it. While I'm also busy running around my backhand to hit it even more. I'm hitting lots of winners with it. Rarely hit errors.

My backhand was extremely good today. Hit with a ball machine beforehand and I just about hit 50 in a row without missing. I can only recall missing during our match 4 times... Three ROS in the net and one ball crosscourt that was just wide. For the first time ever I had my right hand in a continental grip while my left was closer to an eastern forehand grip than a continental. It was just the right amount of topspin. With a double eastern forehand grip I don't hit enough topspin. With a double continental, it's too much. This feels perfect.

And then strangely a double semi-western at the net. Really like how both the forehand and backhand feel that way.

Finally have it figured out I think.

Additionally played this guy who recently beat me when I was almost passing out from the heat. And I beat him 6-1, 7-5. And I was down 5-0, 40-love in the second set and came back. So not counting a hiccup in the middle I really mowed him down. And then played another guy and won 6-3, 6-2. That guy I was down 3-1 and then won 11 of the last 13 games. I really think I'm close to being pretty damn good.

Today I had a migraine in the morning for the first time in a while. I drank about two beers from a keg last night for the first time in a while. Really felt awful this morning. And then I took 600 of advil (which may blunt it for a few hours at best for one time) and zzquil. I think the zzquil knocked it out. First time something ever knocked it out. Although it's only been 9 hours. zzquil wears off around that time and my migraines usually last two days. So I shall see. But if it did knock it out, it's the first thing that ever did so. It makes sense as it's an immune reaction. But I had thought I used it before and it didn't work...

In a decent mood. I have two friends! Two! And my wife is great. And my son is great so far. My job is pretty decent.. Somewhat coming to terms with my parents and S. Thinking about it less.

So this is week two of running hard twice a week with two additional extremely slow runs. Those right now are at 4.5 mph (2% incline) on the treadmill while trying to find something decent to watch. For the hard runs I started with 4/2 intervals at 8mph (2.2 percent incline) and managed 6 or 7. This time did 10 full ones.

Taking the just write approach. Like a puzzle. Maybe I'll never get very far. But just about everyday, spending some time, "just writing".

Sake. Never really drank it. Best buzz I've ever had. Three hours later still going well. Peaceful, good conversationalist. Will attempt to make it my drink. Had a very good time with S tonight. Play acted like a gay man a little, which I don't think I've ever loosened up quite that much...

Worried about migraine. Maybe weather changes play a role? Maybe hard running plays a role? Just bought a barometer.

Reading Herald of the Storm by Richard Ford. Nothing stupendous but pretty nice level of detail and character development. Right now wishing I could manage as well.

And so I've missed another day of work with a migraine. Guess I've got to get more serious. Get extremely strict about foods containing preservatives and also start keeping a detailed log. This time I've so far been sick from Saturday night, all through Sunday and it's now 4pm on Monday. Not super painful but I know from past experience that I don't think very well like this and if I try to go to work I start feeling a lot worse. I've barely made it home a few times leaving in the middle of the day. I'm all worried I'll end up losing my job like my sister did. Or endlessly plagued by these headaches like my 65 year old mother still is.

This time I suspect it was a rum cake that I think was loaded with preservatives. Yet, I had eaten some of one a month or so ago and been fine. I again wonder if hard running makes me more susceptible, this last week I did a bunch of running at 8.5 min/miles steady state and really pushed hard, left myself dead tired.

Additionally, again, I know that I can't eat:
peanuts
chocolate
various chips (preservatives) This includes things like doritos, even vegetable flavored pita chips. Basically to be safe I just avoid all chips. Now including bagel crisps.

Alcohol is iffy. But in this occasion I haven't touched any in quite a while.
Cheese if iffy. And really something to avoid anyway. In this case I hadn't had any in a few days. No wait, I had ravioli that had cheese in them. And who knows, maybe it was that as opposed to the rum cake.

I did also have a asparagus salad at the only decent place in town earlier in the day which I've never had before.

I have to just not eat anything new. I can eat tomato soup. Broccoli sandwiches. Bean burritos. Bread. Plain pasta with tomato sauce. Indian food. Larrabars. French fries I guess (not a whole hell of a lot of choices at work.) Lettuce and tomato sandwiches. I should make hummus and broccoli lasagna. Lentil soup. Fruit. I guess cherry pie is fine. And other fruit pies. I avoid other nuts for other reasons but really should get into nut butters. But the stores nearby only have peanut butter and I always forget. I miss split pea soup. Wife recently tried to make some from scratch and it was awful.

Going out to eat is slightly dangerous.

Blah, I don't even feel like thinking about it. It hurts too much to really think or do anything really involved (too hard to watch TV or read or anything where I'm not flat on my back). Yet I want to distract myself from the pain.

This week at work I was in a very good mood and rethinking my plans to look for a new job. Spending a good part of the day calling patient after patient on the phone may seem a ridiculous thing for me but maybe I can adapt to be OK with it. Seems like I can be positive or negative about it. Not all times is it possible to look at a situation in a positive manner. It is possible here and a lot of the other jobs out there really are worse.

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Migraine for first time in a while. Think from a rum cake (preservatives). Although I had some of one before (not as much) and was fine.

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Ran myself half to death this last week. Trying to do steady state at 8:30 min/miles. Attempt 6 miles 5 days a week. Running slightly slower I had managed it. This week I couldn't and I'm worried I'm hurting myself I'm pushing so hard and am so exhausted the rest of the day. So, back to intervals, 3/2 intervals. It seemed 3 minutes running worked best. With shorter I certainly stopped improving. (Although it is said that with anerobic activity you always quit improving after a month or so.) But also studies claim 3/2 is best.

Anyway I always felt best when doing 3/2's. Don't get that dead exhausted feeling. Plan to even do a couple really long workouts that way each week. Still actually did my best running when all I did was intervals. So one more shot.

At the moment not feeling well. Migraine yes, but also wonder if I "strained" my heart or something. Also feeling fat. Up to almost 215. Mainly my head just hurts.

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Cello has been bad lately. Not liking any songs. And, ultimately I miss hearing many notes at once. That's why I originally choose the piano. That's why I liked to write music with tons of stuff happening at once. What I really liked about the cello at first was when I heard 5 cellos playing at once. Was so beautiful. Think I'm going to have start recording myself and making songs of layered cello tracks.

As opposed to working on the crap my teacher wants me to do....

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Working on character sketches. Think that's what I'm truly lacking in my writing. AND, turns out that Mark Lawrence (Prince, King and Emperor of Thrones) writes without outlines. And damm if his writing isn't still quite good. Though the way he jumps around in time doesn't seem ideal.