Easter Chicks | Hatching Eggs

Throughout the time we've been living in this house, we've hatched chickens a number of times. Some have been more successful than others. We've had some not make it. We've had some come out deformed, and then not make it. But mostly is a miracle of nature. You collect eggs for about a week, put them in an incubator, and exactly 21 days later, bright yellow fuzzy chicks pop out. It's crazy.

I wrote a story in 2001 called Chickens In The Brothel about the first time we got chickens and looking back on it now, I realize how far we've come, and at the same time, how nothing really has changed. I'm certainly not sitting in the middle of the chicken yard watching the chickens run around anymore. Jane has to usually yell at me now to feed and water them, and collect their eggs. I guess the novelty wore off.

But we're hatching chicks again, which we haven't done in awhile. They should hatch on Easter morning. Jane wanted to do it as much for our grandson Paxton as anything, but also our daughter Julia and her husband Mike are going to take the chicks.

We have only one concern. Our rooster doesn't seem to be overly amorous, or at least not when we're around. Our past roosters were pretty dominant. It was a pretty violent act from all accounts. We're hoping we don't end up 21-day-old partially cooked eggs.

After The Fast: Day Four

Weight Update
This morning I weighed myself for the first time in a few days. 203.5 lbs! After four days of eating solid foods, albeit on my new and improved diet, I only gained a pound and a half.

Given that people were telling me that I would gain as many as 10 pounds as soon as I got off my fast, I’m very happy with this development. I couldn’t very well expect to continue losing weight immediately after finishing my fast, but I was hopeful that I would only gain a nominal amount of weight. 1.5 pounds is righteous.

Hopefully this means I will begin losing weight again. I should. I’m eating exceptionally well compared to my past, plus I’m exercising daily. I should only go down.

A Busy Morning
My mornings are a lot more involved that they used to be. I get up an hour earlier, and do a lot more. I’m enjoying the time.

I get up at 5:30am, go to the bathroom and “clear my head”, after which I go downstairs and begin my workout. As I’ve mentioned, my workout entails using Ripcords®, essentially big rubber bands with handles. I do two separate workouts, each 7 minutes in length. One works the entire body, and the other focused more on the upper body. Then I do 30 hardcore crunches on this machine my wife bought. It’s a pretty good workout and I’ve been doing it everyday for almost 3 weeks.

Farm Fresh Organic Eggs. Beat with diced Jalepeños.

After my workout, I go outside and get the paper. Then I start breakfast. This morning I did eggs again. Two eggs, scrambled with diced, pickled jalepeños, sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Tasty.

I’ve been eating more of my meals with chopsticks. Before you laugh, let me tell you why. I eat slower. It’s perfect. Try eating rice and peas with chopsticks and see if it doesn’t slow you down as well.

New 16oz thermos. Perfect for one can of soup.

Today I brought soup for the first time in a new little thermos I bought. The soup was an organic butternut squash. It came from a can, but the ingredients were simple and all natural. But it was still from a can. That's not going to last. We got some new toys.

I just bought two new gadgets that it's hard to believe we didn't own prior to this. One is a food processor. We used to have a small one, but you couldn't do much with it. The new one is a Cuisinart 11-Cup bad boy. It's got several blades and various attachments, none of which we have room for.

The other is a Waring Pro Immersion Blender. Between these two appliances, I shouldn't need to buy soup from a can. For what it's worth, Jane makes soup all the time, and she didn't have either of these two things. But, it'll still be nice to have.

Anyway, after I eat breakfast and clean up after myself (other than dishes drying next to the sink, I try to leave the kitchen as if I wasn't there), I sit down with my water bottle and read the paper...or at least some of it. This is my relax time. I never did this before. I always got up in just enough time to shit, shower, shave, dress and walk out the door.

Usually, I've packed my lunch the night before, but today I had to heat my soup and pour it into the thermos, plus cut up an apple and pack some natural peanut butter. I also threw some roasted almonds in a ziplock bag for snacks. My piece de resistance, was supposed to by some leftover sushi from last night's dinner, and rice and beans from a few days ago. They were sitting in the fridge, all ready to go, only I forgot them.

Jane called on my way to work and asked, "What's with all this sushi?"

Grrrrr. I was so pissed.

I made do with my snacks and the soup. I'll eat it for dinner tonight. I may need to make some rice and vegetables for lunch tomorrow. We'll see. I'll come up with something.