Since my dad passed away, and it still feels like a bad dream, or at the very least like he's on the longest vacation of his life, and will be back anytime now, but sadly that isn't the case. I've been browsing job sites more and more now (no luck), and I'm sort of half into that, and half not. I managed to already clean out my dad's room, which took me two weeks. I'm referring to myself having cleaned out the room, and that's the case. I spent the last week and a half going through the room, clearing the dressers, putting things in bins, donating the clothes, and today on the one month mark, I finished it.
It wasn't easy to say the least. There were a lot of memories I got to look back on while cleaning out the room. The room still had stuff from my mom, so I got to go down memory lane with both parents as I cleaned the room out. There's empty furniture, and a king sized bed, and a couch that was only bought this year that remains in the room. Clothes that do remain in the closet, will get used by myself. There's an HDTV that will not be getting much use (if any) for the time being in the room. As for what will happen to the stuff, all I can say is it's too early. Most likely the stuff will either be given away, or sold.
I figured I'd write this entry right now, close to 11:30 at night, particularly because I've found myself dreading the night, as the loneliness sets in. I find myself missing so much. I live with my two brothers (one is older, and the other younger), and the conversations just aren't the same.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Saturday, July 13, 2013
My Dad's Service
My father passed away on June 23rd, and today was my father's Memorial Service. I wasn't sure how I felt going in to today, and I'm still not sure (my emotions are all over the place to be quite honest). The service went well. I found myself missing not only my father today, but my mother as well. It's been 10 years since she's passed away.
As I mentioned, I've been dealing with a wide range of emotions. It's ranged from sadness, to being angry, to everything else in between. The quietness that has no set in the house really gets to me right now. I absolutely hate it. It was one thing when my mom passed away, because our dad was still there, but now that he's gone, it's just something else entirely.
I find myself sitting here, and thinking about days ahead, and thinking about the holiday season that is approaching fast as July is almost halfway over, and I have no clue how that's going to be. Maybe I shouldn't be thinking that far ahead, but it is what it is, and as I mentioned, my emotions are all over the place.
As I mentioned, I've been dealing with a wide range of emotions. It's ranged from sadness, to being angry, to everything else in between. The quietness that has no set in the house really gets to me right now. I absolutely hate it. It was one thing when my mom passed away, because our dad was still there, but now that he's gone, it's just something else entirely.
I find myself sitting here, and thinking about days ahead, and thinking about the holiday season that is approaching fast as July is almost halfway over, and I have no clue how that's going to be. Maybe I shouldn't be thinking that far ahead, but it is what it is, and as I mentioned, my emotions are all over the place.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
The Low Sodium Way
Well not exactly the low sodium way as in how you should eat. I just thought I'd put up an entry with some various low sodium products I've been using. Prior to these past weeks, I had been on track where I rarely go over 1500mg of sodium a day, but considering the circumstances I've had, that's been hard to keep up, with days where I go over, but days where I stay within that limit.
I go this Friday for a checkup on my blood pressure, and I'm looking forward to getting that out of the way. This week has been hard on me emotionally/mentally, and that's because of the loss of my father back on June 23rd. We had discussed, and it was more of a discussion, that we were going to stay in Anaheim this week to see the Cardinals and Angels July 2nd through the 4th, and we'd be back home the night of the 4th, and the next day we would be going down to the clinic for the checkup on my blood pressure. Now those plans have changed, and so far I've sold tickets for the July 2nd game, and I'll more than likely be going to the clinic on the 5th alone, which is what it is I guess.
Anyways, as far as products go, I tend to use the following products:
Kettle Brand Potato Chips - Unsalted (5mg of sodium per serving) - I've only seen these at one Ralphs store, but I recommend them.
Padrinos Tortilla Chips - Unsalted (10mg of sodium per serving)
Francisco Rinaldi Tradition pasta sauce - says no salt added on label (40mg of sodium per serving) - I've only seen this pasta sauce at one Von's location
Annie's Naturals (Lite Raspberry Vinagrette & Balsamic Vinagrette) - both have 55mg of sodium per serving.
Marie Callender's Chipotle Dressing - 150mg of sodium per serving
Marie Callender's Bleu Cheese Dressing - 160mg of sodium per serving
Peanut Butter Company (White Chocolate and Dark Chocolate, sold at Target) - 35mg of sodium per serving
Jelly/Jam has roughly 5mg of sodium or less per serving
Ezekiel bread - Package that says low sodium - 0mg of sodium
Swiss Cheese - Ranges from 35mg of sodium to 60mg of sodium, or slightly higher. If you see swiss cheese that's in the hundred's of mg, skip it, as it's not true swiss cheese.
Noodles - There are brands that have 0mg of sodium. Ranges from the normal pasta, and wheat pasta.
Hot Sauce - Tabasco Sauce (Original Red Pepper) - 35mg of sodium
Salsa - Have to look around. There are some around 100mg of sodium or less. I've found some that are 95mg of sodium, but nothing really less than that.
If your looking for sweets, there are cookies and other desserts out there that are low in sodium. Have to look around. Off the top of my head, I don't have any recommendations, as I don't remember all the various names.
I've started making a low sodium guacamole from scratch. I don't purchase any mixes. I use lemon juice, mrs. dash extra spicy seasoning, mrs. dash onion seasoning, and mix it together. Depending on ingredients I have, I add Ortega Hot Jalapenos - Diced ones (5 mg of sodium per serving), and cilantro.
The key is to eat less processed foods and more fresh food. Chicken, Turkey Mean, Hamburger meat, the key is to use sodium free seasonings, as they don't add any sodium to the meats, and the only sodium in the meats are sodium that's naturally in the food.
Diet soda's, such as Diet 7up, and Diet Sierra Mist are low in sodium, and drinks such as Tang.
It's okay to go over your limit of sodium every once in a while, but if you want to follow a low sodium diet, than these products are helpful.
There's more products I use, but I just thought I would list these for now.
I go this Friday for a checkup on my blood pressure, and I'm looking forward to getting that out of the way. This week has been hard on me emotionally/mentally, and that's because of the loss of my father back on June 23rd. We had discussed, and it was more of a discussion, that we were going to stay in Anaheim this week to see the Cardinals and Angels July 2nd through the 4th, and we'd be back home the night of the 4th, and the next day we would be going down to the clinic for the checkup on my blood pressure. Now those plans have changed, and so far I've sold tickets for the July 2nd game, and I'll more than likely be going to the clinic on the 5th alone, which is what it is I guess.
Anyways, as far as products go, I tend to use the following products:
Kettle Brand Potato Chips - Unsalted (5mg of sodium per serving) - I've only seen these at one Ralphs store, but I recommend them.
Padrinos Tortilla Chips - Unsalted (10mg of sodium per serving)
Francisco Rinaldi Tradition pasta sauce - says no salt added on label (40mg of sodium per serving) - I've only seen this pasta sauce at one Von's location
Annie's Naturals (Lite Raspberry Vinagrette & Balsamic Vinagrette) - both have 55mg of sodium per serving.
Marie Callender's Chipotle Dressing - 150mg of sodium per serving
Marie Callender's Bleu Cheese Dressing - 160mg of sodium per serving
Peanut Butter Company (White Chocolate and Dark Chocolate, sold at Target) - 35mg of sodium per serving
Jelly/Jam has roughly 5mg of sodium or less per serving
Ezekiel bread - Package that says low sodium - 0mg of sodium
Swiss Cheese - Ranges from 35mg of sodium to 60mg of sodium, or slightly higher. If you see swiss cheese that's in the hundred's of mg, skip it, as it's not true swiss cheese.
Noodles - There are brands that have 0mg of sodium. Ranges from the normal pasta, and wheat pasta.
Hot Sauce - Tabasco Sauce (Original Red Pepper) - 35mg of sodium
Salsa - Have to look around. There are some around 100mg of sodium or less. I've found some that are 95mg of sodium, but nothing really less than that.
If your looking for sweets, there are cookies and other desserts out there that are low in sodium. Have to look around. Off the top of my head, I don't have any recommendations, as I don't remember all the various names.
I've started making a low sodium guacamole from scratch. I don't purchase any mixes. I use lemon juice, mrs. dash extra spicy seasoning, mrs. dash onion seasoning, and mix it together. Depending on ingredients I have, I add Ortega Hot Jalapenos - Diced ones (5 mg of sodium per serving), and cilantro.
The key is to eat less processed foods and more fresh food. Chicken, Turkey Mean, Hamburger meat, the key is to use sodium free seasonings, as they don't add any sodium to the meats, and the only sodium in the meats are sodium that's naturally in the food.
Diet soda's, such as Diet 7up, and Diet Sierra Mist are low in sodium, and drinks such as Tang.
It's okay to go over your limit of sodium every once in a while, but if you want to follow a low sodium diet, than these products are helpful.
There's more products I use, but I just thought I would list these for now.
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