July 3, 2011 Day 28

I've been reading a lot about detox diets and Master Cleanse. The Master Cleanse is basically a diet where you drink a sort of lemonade. You can find the basics of it all over the internet if you're interested. So, today I am going to start preparing for my detox diet. I am going on a variation of the Master Cleanse which I read about on the internet. I really have no idea of what to expect. I think it'll be pretty intense and all. I'm also going to quit smoking cold turkey for this detox diet. I want to get the full benefit of it and experience all of the things most everyone else does. It'll be tough for the first few days, I'm sure.

Also, I've been reading a lot about meditation centers. There is one called Vipasanna. It's a ten day meditation course where you go stay at a meditation center. It's all run on donations, and basically you spend ten days doing nothing but meditation. I'm interested. It's not a religious thing, and from what I understand it's pretty strict. No smoking there either, so I figure I can smoke for about a week before the course begins and I'm going to take full advantage of this time to smoke all I can. I read their website and all of their rules. I don't think it's an impossible thing to do, but I do think it's also pretty intense. I filled out the application and now I'm just waiting to hear back from them. I hope I get accepted. I'd love to see what this is all about. They have a lot of these retreats. Some of them last as long as 45 days. I can't imagine not speaking to anyone or even acknowledging anyone for 45 days. But, as a beginner, I'm not qualified for that course, so why worry about it. I just think it's interesting. It's another thing to scratch off of my bucket list.

Let's see…what else. I got the bid back from the last Audio Video installer. We got the bid also from the cabinet builder. Between me and my grandmother we've exceeded the budget by about $1,800. So now I get to go back and see what I can take off of the list. But first I want to pick the installer who's going to actually do the work. I mean it's so much trouble to sit there and negotiate all of this with anyone. Also, my grandmother doesn't understand why these companies can't just send people over to her house and give a firm bid. She doesn't want to pay the $100-$200 most stores and companies want for a professional consultation. She thinks it should be free and I can sure see her point. But I can also see the other side of that coin too. I mean what are the chances you're thinking you want to spend $5,000 on a home theater and when the installers get there, they say it'll actually cost $8,000, and the homeowner decides they don't need a home theater after all. I mean a lot of people just want to dream about it and I'm sure a good handful of people go so far as to have plans made up. It cost money to send these guys to your house. They're not cheap either. So if you want it done right, it'll cost. So we're now down to two companies. I'm really ready to get this show on the road. I'll be really relieved when the decision of who to hire is made and the checks have been written. Then all that will need to be done is the actual work of installing and rebuilding everything. They only way something can be my fault, is if it doesn't sound or look right because I picked the wrong company. I trust both of these companies very well and I'm sure they are both very well qualified to do the work. So I really see my part ending when the money changes hands.

Tomorrow I'm going to do some more videos on You Tube about the Master Cleanse Diet and how I'm coping. I won't be fasting tomorrow. I will be on an all liquid diet though—beef broth, tomato soup, and lots of juices. Oh yeah, and vitamins. I can still smoke tomorrow, so that's good.

Oh yeah, tomorrow morning I have to go the airport at 5:00 AM to pick up my aunt and uncle. They've just spend the last ten days in Hawaii. First they went to the Big Island and then to Kauai. They have a time share there. It's pretty nice. If I ever make enough money, I'm moving there. It's where I want to live now…dreams are good.