put a bird on it

Tilikum Crossing, Portland, OR

Over the past 10 years I don't know that a single person has ever said, "oh my gosh, Michael, you NEED to move to LA... you are SO LA!"  On the contrary I get the question, "Have you ever thought of moving to Portland?" about weekly it seems.  Often the question comes up in a conversation that has absolutely nothing to do with either travel or places to migrate to.  What's the deal?  I have often wondered why it's such a common theme and I suppose when you hang out with a lot of friends like this...

...hmmm... that one could be a little "LA" too I suppose which is confusing.  But for sure when you find yourself asking questions similar to these at dinner:

...and prefer biking over all other modes of transport, take the time to make single cup "pour over" style coffee every single morning, will only drink craft beer or no beer at all, and own a flannel for every day of the week, you (I) might be Portlandian.

The Deal.
A few months back I was looking through my credit card statements (Delta AMEX) and realized that I had a bunch of vouchers to use up and also a bunch of miles at my disposal as a result of having not used any over the past 4 years of exclusive spending on this card.  Having developed a strong sense of freedom and desire to travel close to LA I was able to get my old college roommate, Jeff Budish, to commit to meeting me for a weekend at my apparent Mecca.

The Timing.
I decided on this past week because it was my 32nd birthday last Wednesday and I've come to a point in my life where I don't really care about my birthday but realize that it's nice to time-stamp this space in time with some sort of diversion from the norm.  Also, last year my co-worker's subjected me to my first ever surprise party and inadvertently gifted me with PTSD for the foreseeable future... so being out of town was the best way to defend against that sort of non-sense.

The Couches.
When I road-tripped on my move out to LA I did not spend a single night in a hotel.  In Denver I stayed with several friends for a few days and in Seattle I stayed with a friend for a few days.  Besides those 4 or 5 nights of the trip I slept either in my car or on complete strangers couches.  Couchsurfing.com became this amazing network of some normal folks and some hippies that were willing to let me sleep on their couch for free as I passed through.  All that is really asked is that you be a good guest (no money is allowed to exchange hands).  As a generosity one usually helps cook a meal or supply a bottle of wine, etc.  Beyond that each experience varies greatly.  I was excited that Jeff wouldn't be arriving until a night after I was in town because it allowed me to reconnect with this community, albeit only for one night, in what I imagined being one of the best cities to couchsurf due to it's hipster dominated neighborhoods.  Things worked out smoothly and my host even sacrificed their evening to take me to a local dive when they found out it was my bday.  Friends were called, shots were taken, stories were told, and laughter was had.  Making new and unique friends in a random city was a wonderful way to spend my birthday and a great introduction into this city that I was quickly realizing was worth the wait to explore.

The following evening I checked into our airbnb and waited for Jeff.  When I was searching for places to stay I focused on 2 neighborhoods, SE/Ladd's Addition and Pearl District... the former being more residential and the backdrop of many "Portlandia" sketches and the latter being more of an urban or downtown feel.  I settled on the residential spot in order to make sure that I had to bike and walk as much as possible.  I didn't want to be too close to anything... except a coffee shop for early morning walks.  SE is green, quiet, and eclectic.  It felt much to me like a more expansive Linden Hills or Grand Ave./Highland neighborhood in St. Paul.  The shops themselves are more spread out through the neighborhood which makes me wonder how loose the zoning restrictions are in this city (late night food trucks take over entire blocks in the middle of quite neighborhoods).

Double doors with a movable table allowed for amazing cool evening reading/drinking/writing.

The airbnb we rented was all windows and surrounded by greens. 

I don't often take selfies.  But when I do they involve books, bikes, and beer... and not my face!

The Beer.
Portland is beer crazy.  Beervana as some refer to it is loaded with craft breweries and tasting rooms.  It is oft-ranked the #1 beer city in America mostly on the fact that it is home to 70 breweries... not counting their suburbs!  The sheer number of breweries creates an osmotic pressure into the community and you can't help but be swept up in the commotion.  There's beer (and cider) for all sets of taste buds.  And while beer aficionados can initially come off as pretentious, a little stroke of their ego can help them change their tone to be extremely helpful to newcomers on the beer scene.  This is key when exploring the beer menu for just the right thing at the local pubs.

Arrival dinner/drinks/blogging at an all gluten free micro-brewery... #onlyinportland

My favorite brewer of all-time, Deschutes... this pic taken from the bike parking lot in front of the main entrance...The perfectly placed beam of sunlight was an obvious call from above to enter.

The Coffee.
Because Portland is just a little bit of an undercover snobby town, and the fact that they have 164 rainy days yearly, they have a wonderful coffee scene.  I'm not sure how folks come up with these "10 best" lists that you see everywhere online and in social media but Portland is once again the usual #1 when it comes to coffee in America.  I had thought that the coffee was wonderful in Seattle and San Francisco during the small amount of time I spent in those cities.  During that time in my life I wasn't into exploring and learning about coffee when I was there so it's hard for me to compare.  I will say, though that anything "craft" in Portland is taken to the max.  Every coffee/breakfast shop I went to (10 in 5 days) had a different locally roasted coffee... that's insane!!  My favorite for sure was the Stumptown attached to the lobby of the famous ACE hotel.  It was a French Roast and was done as a "pour over" which gave it a big advantage since that's my favorite roast and my favorite process... but still, it was bomb, especially paired with a "kouign amann" pastry.

My kouign amann waiting to be devoured on the hipster table in the front lounge of Ace Hotel... this was my favorite coffee hangout of the week.

The BIKING!
Minneapolis is proud of it's growing network of bicycle highways and bike lanes.  Minneapolis is also where I learned to really love everything about the bicycle lifestyle so I'm a bit partial when discussions of great cycling cities come up... but bicycling in Portland is definitely a thing!  After my trip it has become obvious to me that the battle for bicycle supremacy in the US is real.  To be honest the race is too close to call but it's nice to know that it seems that both cities have had the right people in leadership to make it easier on bikes and mass transit users than they have on cars... let us hope that this trend of healthy urban development continues across other cities in the U.S. (especially LA).

My bike experience was the best.  I landed on Wednesday afternoon and took an Uber to a local bike shop where I rented a single speed for the next 5 days.  The guy at the bike shop fitted me to the bike and I was on my way.  5 miles and only 15 minutes later (that's a 30 minute commute by car in LA)...all by bikeway... I was at my destination... and so went the rest of my week.  Wake up in the morning and bike to coffee and read for a few hours, take the long way by bike to a lunch spot/brewery, bike home for a nap, bike to dinner, bike home, repeat.  Basically it was a foreshadowing of my life in heaven.

One of Portland's many names is "Bridge City" which reminded me a lot of Minneapolis and the bikeways crossing the Mississippi.

The Falls and The Ride.
On Saturday Jeff and I decided to have an adventure day.  I knew I wanted to get out to Multnomah Falls which I'd heard so much about and a bartender on Friday night suggested it to Jeff.  After breakfast at Broder's we walked back to our space and agreed that we were going to head there... but how?  I was set on this vacation being 5 days of biking only... and I wasn't sure that a 60-mile round trip bike ride in street clothes was something that I was up for.  We then decided this was such an important thing to see and that Portland is known for having such good public transport that as long as we didn't rent a car we could still feel good about it.  So, we Ubered out there with UberBike (an UberX with a bike rack... once again, Portland being SO Portland).  40 miles and $40 later were arrived to Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge.

Multnomah Falls

This is the proof that Jeff was with me in Portland... one pic... we are dudes and apparently dudes don't take a lot of pics while on vacation together.

We took our time on a 3 hour hike so we wouldn't feel like tourists hitting just the picturesque locales.  We were looking to get lost.  The hiking in the park was very low traffic and allowed us to easily disengage and enjoy the wilderness and then come out of the trance and dive back into discussions of life.

Natural misty filter on this pic of Upper Wahkeena Falls.

As we were finishing our loop, in true Portland fashion, a light drizzle mixed with steady rain began.  Knowing we had a 20-mile ride to the nearest bus stop we put the rain gear on, saddled up, and went on our way.  As we left I had no idea that we were about to ride on one of the most beautiful stretches of highway that I've ever been on.  I knew at some point through this lush green terrain along the river bed we'd climb, at which point we should have a spectacular view of the valley.  Unfortunately the rain increased and the heavy cloud/fog cover rolled in and visibility was minimal at best.  What I (we) didn't know that as we crested the highpoint of our ride we would come across The Vista House.  During the ride I was happy to  be riding in rain again as it reminded me of how hearty I truly am and how much I enjoy battling through the elements.  But, I was sad that we were missing out on views of the valley that I had been told were spectacular.  Then as I was in an internal pouty state we landed here...

Vista House at Crown Point... single speed accomplishment times 2.

... this unexpected piece of architecture was a good reminder, that it's not always about some far off goal that makes life worth living but that it's the journey, struggles, and gifts along the way to that goal... because what if we never reach our goal?  Was life then not worth it?  This was a welcomed reminder on this cold and rainy day.  Let's be honest if we open our eyes and accept the gifts given in life they can be much greater than what we could've hoped.

So, it's back to boring 70 and sunny LA.  I took a lot away from this trip on how I live my life and my immediate and future goals moving forward.  I'm thankful that Portland showed it's true self (cloudy and rainy) so that I could make a fair evaluation of all the pro's and con's it brings to the table if it truly a place I should consider making a final destination.  Holy shit "final destination" sounds way too permanent and scary... remind me to never use that phrase about a place to live!

Beach Tennis Post #2: Switch Hitting

My birthday blog... done in an hour while drinking a flight of gluten free beer in Portland.  #lifeisrough

"Goals are important.  Forbearance is also important.  But the very process of struggle is equally essential... Without it we cannot know any true meaning in our accomplishments."

-Deng Ming-Dao

This winter I started taking beach tennis lessons.  Thanks to Paulo and Krishna (my teachers/friends) I have had waves of breakthroughs and setbacks as I continue to learn more about this new game.  As with anything in life there is no actual "right way" to play (within a certain set of rules, of course) but there are definitely more effective and better ways to play.  Even more important is self-awareness in your own strengths and those of your partner so that the style of play you lean towards most effectively translates to success.  These lessons have helped me learn much more about the game as a spectator as well as player.  Watching a point now I feel that I am able to analyze and determine chances and percentages of success for certain shots based on player tendencies.  When I started playing, due to my reaction time, quickness, hand-eye coordination, and ability to read the court I developed a very defensive style of play.  If I was ever successful in a point or match it was because I would wear the opponent down and either force them into an unforced error because they grew impatient or put them into a position where they popped a ball too high into the air which allowed my partner to be aggressive/offensive and finish off the point with ease.  Here's an example of what I cannot do with my right hand (Beach Tennis Overheads).  I was/am what you would refer to as a grinder... ain't no shame in the game, as they say (do they?).  This style worked well but I felt my game had reached a plateau with no chance of improving.  Why not, you ask?  Because I was using my right hand to play, the hand I learned to play ping-pong with.  I spike a volleyball and throw footballs with my left hand.  I swing a bat and golf left-handed, play real tennis right-handed so that my backhand ground stroke is on the same side of my body as when I hit a baseball.  So... I'm a very confused racket sport athlete.

Why I picked up a beach tennis paddle with my right hand I'll never know.  I guess at the beginning it was easier to volley with and I had no perspective on how much I would need to use the overhead smash skill as I got to a higher level.  Also, I didn't think through if it would be easier to develop defense, blocking a ball smashed at your midsection, with my left hand (think of it as learning to play ping-pong with your opposite hand) or develop an overhead with my right (think of this skill as learning to throw a ball with your opposite hand).  Which would be easier for you?

Over the winter I trained and trained... and trained my right-handed overhead smash.  No matter how hard I worked I felt completely inadequate with my right hand.  Teams that were familiar with playing against me kept picking on me by lobbing the ball high in the air to force me to take a specific shot that I was not comfortable with and this became frustrating for me as well as my partners, I'm sure.  It was most frustrating to me because I knew how comfortable I was with overhead smashes if I could be using my left hand.

About a month and a half ago I reached a breaking point.  I spent an evening playing singles matches against Matt and as usual I couldn't take a single set from him.  He knows my game best as he is the person I partner with for doubles and also play the most singles matches against.  Over the past year we have played countless singles matches and I'm embarrassed to admit that I've never beat him.  We have played enough times and are at a reasonably similar level of play that it's mind boggling to me that not once have I gotten lucky or caught him on an off day.  I don't even need those things to happen, I really at some point should have beaten him, but it just hasn't happened, okay!?!  Well, anyway, after this last round of losses and a frustrating offensive showing for me in our previous tournament I was up late at night watching TV thinking about my lesson the following day and came to an epiphany... I am going to throw away the last year and half of training and switch to my left hand so that I can change my game from a defensive one to one completely dependent on my ability to be aggressive and smash the ball.  Yes, that's right, I lost sleep over this decision.

When I showed up to my next lesson and broke the news to Paulo and Krishna they didn't seem too excited, and why would they be?  Completely changing hands is crazy.  I think within the first half lesson, though, they saw my natural overhead motion and at least saw the potential to develop a game with my left hand... and they were probably also very happy to be moving beyond the incessant ambidextrous blabber that I was constantly subjecting them to.  Now my weaknesses have become my strengths and my strengths have become my weaknesses.  Once again I feel like a beginner and see a long road ahead of me until I return to the level that I felt like I was at... the exciting thing for me right now, though, is that the level I was at before no longer looks like a ceiling to me.  I am beyond happy right now to be learning, making new goals, and enjoying the process of struggling, opening myself up to failure and the satisfaction of true achievement.

...So yeah, I just posted that random thought publicly... and you read the whole thing!  As I reflect on what I just wrote I am having a hard time dealing with how I actually feel about it... not whether I'm lefty or righty, but that I took the time to sit down and write about it!  Should I be super depressed because I seemingly don't have other "more important" things to worry or waste my mental energy on.  Or, is it extremely awesome that this is what my life looks like at the moment!?!  Either way, it's what's happening with me.  How are you?

Dave, Gibraltar Rd., and The Alchemist

"And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it."

-Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

This started out as a post about parks and wilderness.  I had been forced to go to Yosemite by my friend Dave in January because he couldn't believe a tree-hugger such as myself had been in California for 2.5 years but hadn't ventured to one of the most beautiful parks in the United States.  I went, I loved, so I started to write about it.  As I began writing this post a few weeks ago a technician at work was reading "The Alchemist" on his break and we started discussing it.  I have been told several times that it's a life changing book but had never read it myself and honestly didn't know anything about it.  I did know, though, that Macklemore recommends in his love song to his child that he read it... so naturally, in my mind, it's already one of the greatest books of all-time.  I literally had no idea what it was actually about but was eager to find out how it would change my life as I flipped the first page...

...So the world works out in mysterious ways.  As I was getting through the beginning pages of the book I was finding that it was about a boy's journey for treasure.  Simultaneously, my friend Dave was in his first 2 weeks of what will likely be a 4+ month journey hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).  So as I was reading this book I not only had my own personal journey in mind but reflected on the more literal journey that Dave is going through (of course projecting my own perceptions of what he must be going through without any first hand experience or conversations with him :) ).  So this post is an update on my week as well as a continued "wish you well" letter to him on his journey since I wasn't be able to be at his friend pit stop in Big Bear this past weekend.

Dave's going away party in San Diego.  March '16.  He's the one blurred out in red because he can't sit still.

The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho
Dave, this book was given to me but I think it's all for you.  For the rest of you out there that haven't read it I recommend it highly.  We are all on journey's within some aspect of our lives.  It may not be a full on existential crisis we are dealing with, maybe only within our career, decisions with our family unit, or working our way through our grocery list on a Sunday night.  But make no mistake about it we are on a journey through life.  This book is an ode to the journey, and our perceived goal of these journeys.  While the writing through translation (Paulo Coelho is Brazilian) comes through in English as rudimentary the clear and simple message resonates.  Follow your heart, listen to the "Language of the World", and stay true to your personal legend.  That's all I'm going to say about it since most people are firmly in one of two camps; either they really love it and find it to be life changing or they think it's too simplistic and full of cliches.  Books that polarizing are worth it no matter where you fall on the spectrum of enjoyment in philosophical literature.  It's also a super quick read so you won't have felt like you wasted too much time if you don't like it.  So I'll leave it at that and allow this to be a book that opens up discussion between us at a later time.

Dave.

"The boy went back to contemplating the silence of the desert, and the sand raised by the animals. “Everyone has his or her own way of learning things,” he said to himself. “His way isn’t the same as mine, nor mine as his. But we’re both in search of our Personal Legends, and I respect him for that.”"

-Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

I feel like I'm on a journey of sorts.  I mean, we are all on a journey right? But certain periods in our life maybe seem a bit more formative and this is one of those periods for me.  A period of discovery I suppose.  This friend of mine, Dave, he's soul searching too.  But the way his soul searching manifests it looks like he's searching HARD right now (or I assume so based on his nomadic movement around the country over the past year and a half).  I met him in LA in the summer of 2015 and since then he has lived in LA, Denver, Boston, Charleston, LA, San Diego, and now for the next four or so months on the PCT.  This sort of seemingly by the seat of your pants wandering is fun, interesting, and sometimes terrifying to be around especially for someone like me as I pride myself in stability.

This guy's got a lot of nicknames but I think he prefers not to be called by them so I'll just refer to him as Dave.  As I mentioned above he's the one that forced me into my first Yosemite trip so for that I owe him a ton! For the record he's also the person that wholeheartedly thinks there is no way I should be living in LA and that I should immediately pack my bags and move to Portland... maybe Denver.  It makes sense I suppose.  I wear flannel whenever possible, love craft beer and coffee, and want to live forever as a bicycle commuter.  I just haven't ever been there so it's hard for me to completely agree... and also, I'm super happy with what I have here... for now.  Dave always pushes hard for me to think of the final destination (whether intentionally or not) and that can make me feel uncomfortable.  I on the other hand push for (or at least TRY to push for) paying more attention to the process and not worrying about the outcome or goal.  The best way to live is probably some where in the middle, right?  Discussions with Dave are fun and intense, fun because we have such similar ideas and ideals but intense because I think we have different ways of approaching how to live within our similar value systems.  Life is too short to have friends that are exactly the same as you and always agreeable.  I'd much rather be in a discussion a friend with a differing Religious view, that I can debate and compromise with who cares about me despite our differences, than be an off the handle radical (left or right) that surrounds themselves in a bubble of like-minded people.  Dave and I aren't that different, really... just trying to illustrate a point here.

Dave (right) showing me and Joe around Yosemite for the 1st time.  Photo from the Tunnel View of Yosemite Valley, CA.

The PCT:
I'm not going to comment on this too much since I've never done it.  The basics are that it's a 2659 mile hike that takes you over mountains, through deserts, and likely into the deepest depths of your soul.  Many have tried and many have failed.  I have hiked parts of it while spending weekends in Big Bear, CA and the hiking is no joke.  In order to complete the entire trail you need to walk a marathon per day for 102 days...

...Of course this marathon is with everything you need to survive attached to your back and without a Gatorade station and medics every 4 miles.  Weather, injuries, and equipment malfunction can easily turn this into a 6-month ordeal.  Some of you know that I spent 6-weeks living in the wilderness of the boundary waters canoe area and wilderness (BWCAW).  I thought that was a wild time and intense adventure.  Looking back, though, I was with an experienced professor, had a 5 classmates to rely on for teamwork and sharing camp duties, and we had a field station to return to every 1-2 weeks to re-supply.  Wilderness experiences are fascinating to me.  These are the times, in isolation, with no outside communication when we find out what it truly means to be human.  I mean they are the basis of how we survived as a species for centuries and the nomadic version of survival that Dave is doing is truly inspirational to me.  To dive deeper into what Dave is going through start here:

Pacific Crest Trail Association

Also, for some amazing pics follow him on instagram (@pibbs or search for Dave Peabody)

My Journey... this week

Course Map for L'Etape California 2016

I had mentioned a month ago in my post about cycling in LA that I would be doing L'Etape California.  "L'etape" means "the stage" and is a known cycling term for the organized amateur preview of the Queen Stage of a professional cycling event.  The Tour de France previews their Queen Stage yearly and the Tour of California (America's largest stage race) has in recent years hopped on the bandwagon.  Well it happened this past Sunday.  So, I had been a bit stressed out (and also sick) over the past few weeks leading up to the ride/race because I knew that I hadn't necessarily prepared the way in which I would've liked... so that stress and anxiety led to me not posting for a few weeks.  During that time I would sit in front of my computer after work knowing I should be writing so I could post some stuff about my life, but I was too distracted by the feeling inside that I should be out on my bike that I couldn't type, and I was too tired from a cold or allergies to actually get out on my bike on a daily basis.  First world problems are the absolute worst!

Anyway, I like to think of my journey as a constant as well as recurring thing theme, every decision I make (or don't make) has infinite unknown consequences and life path re-corrections.  One pattern that has popped up through my adult life has been an almost yearly decision to sign up for some sort of race.  I don't really like going to the gym and I suppose these races keep me honest with my activity level and keep me moving towards a goal.  The races themselves and the training leading up to the deadline become little microcosmic journeys that create their own obstacles that I have to conquer.  The races also place my memories in space and time which I have found becomes much more difficult as I get older.  Oh yeah, and torture.  I enjoy torture.

So, out of shape (in the bicycle racing sense) I took to the start line with 600 other cyclists at 7:30am and stared down the barrel of a 106 mile race crossing 3 mountain passes, 40 miles of coastal winds, and the knowledge that I had never ridden my bike for more than 77 miles at one time.  "Why The Face" was I thinking?  The first climb out of Thousand Oaks over the Santa Monica Mountains and down through the Malibu Canyons was a quick and amazing reminder why.  Having a fear or anxiety, pressing through, and the feeling of coming out on the other side to me is one of my most favorite and exhilarating emotions.  As I descended down the canyon in a warm breeze with the Pacific Ocean in site I realized that no matter how long and difficult this day would be it would be done with a smile on my face.  This isolation in the mountains quickly turned into social hour on the first flat section as I scoped out riders of similar strength along the coastal highway to work with in order to reduce the wind burden along the coast.  Group selection was going to make or break my day.  Too slow a paceline and I would end up being stuck in my saddle for far too many hours on the day but too fast a paceline would prove much worse as I would likely burn all my matches less than half way through the day and risk not making it to the end.  I got lucky and met up with a group at the first feed station and we worked well together for the next 25 miles to deliver me safely to the turn inland where I separated from the group in order to enjoy in solitude and silence the rolling fields and greenery that is lacking in LA.   Once I got over Casitas Pass I had 23 miles of rolling terrain to mentally prepare for Gibraltar Rd which is an Hors Categorie (also referred to as HC or "beyond categorization") climb meaning it's too difficult to even fit on a ratings scale.  This particular road, that climbs to the top of the Santa Ynez Mountain Range, is 7.4 miles long at an 8% average incline.  As a frame of reference the biggest road climb in Duluth is 40th West (Haines Rd.) which is 1.8 miles at 6.5%.

Course Profile for L'Etape California 2016

Long story short, I made it to the top.  I had set goals for the climb prior to the day which of course all went out the window when I realized what it would take just to get to the base of the climb.  This ride for me was another reminder in a long line or reminders throughout my life that it's not the goal that is the most important it is the savoring of every inch of road along the way.

With my weekend journey (and month long training/stress journey) complete I was happy to spend the next 4 hours enjoying my treasure of cold beer and barbecue exactly where I should be after a Californian century.  At the Beach...

50 ft. from the official finish line of L'Etape California, Leadbetter Beach, Santa Barbara, CA

Dave, if you are reading this I wish you all the safety and peace of mind over the next several months and I'm sorry if I've projected anything about you inappropriately.  Please forgive me.  We, all of your SoCal friends, are proud of your journey no matter where it takes you.  (But I'm going to continue to ignore your texts because I wholeheartedly believe that to have the full experience you shouldn't be using technology to communicate with the outside world... that is, until your time through Oregon approaches and I need to start looking for flights to meet up with you).

My personal treasure will be found I'm sure.  I'll get there someday, and through reading The Alchemist, I've become certain that I'd never be able to get there without being here.  How can I be so sure you ask?  Because here is where I am and that means there's no other place I was supposed to be.

"...and when each day is the same as the next, it’s because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises. I left my father, my mother, and the town castle behind. They have gotten used to my being away, and so have I. The sheep will get used to my not being there, too, the boy thought."

-Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

I stopped playing hockey until I moved to LA

I'm pretty surprised as I type these next 2 very unexpected sentences.  I'm at a bar watching a hockey game.  I'm watching a hockey game because I'm not at one getting ready to play in my men's league championship game.  Not odd things if you've known me over the course of my life but supremely odd if you live in my brain over the past 5 years.  Hockey.  It's what people I know talk about, especially people that know and assume things about me, and I like to be able to talk to people so I watch.  I suppose growing up as a hockey playing Minnesotan you just kind of expect hockey to be a part of your life... always.  On the flip side people expect you to care about hockey and I suppose I kind of do.  I have a tendency to ask myself often, though, why do we care about anything?  Religion, sports, politics, etc.  Most often we care because we are told to and are surrounded by a cloud of ignorance.  I'm not here to hate on ignorance I'm just saying.

My earliest memories are of hockey.  Video and pictures show me playing hockey from the age of 3 until I graduated college when I was 24...

The only thing I cared about at this moment in my life was the game and how cool each one of the Varsity players was.  New Ulm, MN, Winter 1989

... Twenty-one years of year 'round training.  That shit cray.  By the time I was done playing at St. Olaf I was DONE.  I'm not sure when it happened to me but I think it was in Juniors (two years I spent ONLY playing hockey between high school and college for those of you not in the know) when I stopped caring.  There was something about living my life on a bus playing a game and not really living by any rules that didn't sit well with me.  It turned out I liked school more than I thought.  At the time it seemed like a necessary evil in order to move on to college hockey and everyone else at my talent level was doing it, so I did it.  I tried hard and loved the competition but the continued indoctrination of hockey culture drove me absolutely insane.

When I received a call from a coach recruiting me to St. Olaf College I officially started my detachment from hockey.  The reason why/how a recruiting call could detach me from the sport I was being recruited for and simultaneously attract me to that same school was because of how little they talked about hockey and how much they hyped up the nerdery of the school.  I'm not sure if they got the memo on me or if they were just aware that they were a .500 team with a shitty rink and facilities, but I was finally happy that a college that wasn't feeding kids to the pros was honest with themselves and the kids they recruit about the actual reason they exist, academics.  I was ready for the full experience.  I was about to enter the real world and it would be best if I picked a school that prepared me for it, not just extended the illusion of a professional hockey career.

Following my last game as a collegiate hockey player (2008) I would skate only once a year if at all.  One year it was the pond hockey championships on Lake Nokomis another it was on the outdoor rink near my grandparents house in Duluth.  Some summers I would even fill in for a random team's league if they were desperate for a player.  I found my peace on the ice on my time... but I surely did not belong to any men's leagues.  I had taken the time to find other loves and hobbies like cycling and cross-country skiing and with this new awareness of "other" there was no looking back.

When I moved to Los Angeles in 2013 the last thing on my mind was packing my hockey equipment into my car.  I already had my bikes on top and besides clothes I thought nothing else mattered.

#nadaworry and surely not one about hockey.

It was a big space saver and obvious leave behind as I packed my Subaru for the trip out west.  The entire reason I moved out here was because back home I had a path laid in front of me that I wanted to veer off from.  I was offered jobs in Minneapolis and Wisconsin, but they were what I knew.  They were jobs I was told I would do well in, in places I would do well in.  But I didn't know about other places and other things.  I had begun in my adult life to venture off course with purpose and LA was one more opportunity.  Hockey in my mind was something that needed to be left in MN, there were way too many new experiences to be had in this sunny new land.

Even with all this anti-establishment nonsense I built into my thought patterns, when I got out here I couldn't help but listen to my grandpa when he would continually ask me about hockey every time we would talk.  He would tell me that I need to find a rink and go meet some people... you know... good people... hockey people (even though I had already found a solid community of co-workers and friends of my girlfriend at the time).  I pushed back but eventually had my parents ship my gear out.  Next thing I know I'm sitting at a rink in Culver City asking random dudes if they'll let me play on their team.  I made the cut at the Culver City league.  In the locker room after a few games one of the guys said they had another team in a little bit more competitive league and were wondering if I would join that too.  2 games in one week?  Seemed a bit excessive but I said I'd be happy to try it out and then decide later on which one I would stick with...

This other league was a bit of a drive from Hollywood (15 miles and 45 minutes if there was traffic) but it was at the Toyota Sports Center which is the practice rink of the LA Kings.  It's located right by LAX and very close to Manhattan Beach which was super convenient for 9 months of my 2015.  It's one of the nicer rinks I've skated in and has a bar/restaurant between the NHL and Olympic rinks which makes post-game pop's and socializing quite convenient.

Toyota Sports Center.  Every Wednesday.  Puck drop 10:15 p.m.  

...On the night of the first game I showed up early to meet the guys.  As I was getting ready to exit the locker room and hit the ice a familiar face walked in and caught me WAY off guard.  The straggler that the guys were sure was going to show up but were sure he might be late was none other than my teammate and carpool mate for 2 years while playing Juniors in Billings, MT, Matt Charbonneau.

The Carpool, L to R: Matt, Brian Kaufman, and Me.  Billings, MT 2002.

Matt and I hadn't seen each other since May 11, 2004.  I know the date well because he, 2 other buddies, and I decided on that night (my 20th birthday) to drive from his house to a casino after having a few brews.  Our sober cab got us down there but before we could even hit the tables he and I were busted with minor consumption tickets (certain parties not to be named "forgot" their ID in the car and managed to escape the night with their record unscathed).  The next morning we had some breakfast, chatted about how we each were going to have to deal with this "minor" setback and then I went on my way.  That was it, somehow we had managed to completely lose track of each other's lives, then 10 years later we walk into the same hockey locker room in LA.  Turns out that early in the summer he was at his neighborhood bar in Hermosa Beach when some drunk goalie noticed he had a hockey hat on and was wondering if Matt was any good because his team needed a few extra skaters.  So that's how it happened, neither one of us knew anyone on the team.  Pretty wild.

At this moment probably thinking (falsely) that "I've still got it"

After 5 full seasons of men's league hockey in LA I've come almost full circle (okay maybe just partial circle).  I pay attention to how the MN Wild are doing and I even conceded a trip home this year to watch the NCHC championships at the Target Center to cheer on the University of North Dakota for the Klava household.  That's about as far as I've fallen back into the world of hockey but it's enough to keep me afloat in the conversation of the clan.

Hockey as a weekly activity in LA has turned out to be a surprise blessing.  I have a fairly big but very established group of people to call on outside of work when I feel I need to, it helps me blow off some steam in a way that men need to from time to time, and has reconnected me with a good friend.  Now that my original Cali-family (Mol, JJ, and Fran) has split up and moved on I feel comfort and at home in SoCal with my new one.  I don't tend to pay attention to holidays or milestones anymore but it's nice to have the Charbonneau's around for such occasions.  Looking back over the past 2 years at least I think I've spent every holiday with them.  That has been supremely comforting considering I'm not sure who else I would be spending those with, but whoever they are I probably wouldn't feel as comfortable around.  There's something about being around people that grew up in the same community of competition and that knows parts of your past that others don't that adds some level of comfort to your life.  I think this is understandable only if you've ever found yourself without family where you live for a long period of time.  We all need a clan and we come to it in different ways.

Here's the California Holiday clan on Easter... Ivonne, Duke, and Matt... with Trip and Molly not giving an F about the picture.

So, in the end I hold no grudges for the amount of time that I dedicated to hockey growing up.  It taught me a lot of valuable life lessons that I believe I'm able to translate to everyday life.  I think all competitive sports can teach you certain skills and all in all I'm happy with the people I've become connected with as a result of hockey being my main sport.  I just like to be a little "anti-" from time to time, okay!?!  I've learned through my re-connection with a sport, though, that what you think really matters just doesn't.  What I think matters for sure does not.  And in the end, what I think doesn't matter probably will.  The circle of life.

I love my bike.

"Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride."

-John F. Kennedy

West Mandeville Fire Rd., Santa Monica Mountains.

In my opinion there is no single greater pleasure in my life than riding a bike.  As a child I think we all have experienced the feeling of freedom that comes along with your first bike ride.  From that point on we are conditioned to think of freedom and bicycle as synonyms... and pure joy follows.  My best memories with friends as a child and as an individual all involve bikes...  

My first bike.  Peugeot circa 1960's.  Also the first bike of my father, uncle, sister, and cousins... and someday my children.  I was hipster before hipster... check the rolled up jeans and checkered slip on's yo.

... To that end my best memories as an adult involve being with my most loved ones on a bike...

Of the many things people asked me about when I moved to LA, how I would be able to maintain my lifestyle as a cyclist was at the top of the list.  At first I firmly defended my ability to do what I want wherever I am and I was sure I would be able to ride more than I did in MN based strictly on the amazing weather out here.  After all I was only living 8 or 9 miles from work surely there would be an easy route to bike commute.  When I lived in Detroit Lakes I commuted 20+ miles each way on my bike, whats a few miles in some traffic!?  I was wrong.  Within a couple months of living in Hollywood I had found the volume of traffic at all hours of the day and lack of bicycle lanes within the city daunting.  I love urban riding and don't mind being around cars, but it's different out here.  Drivers are different and they have no respect for cyclists or bicycle commuters.  After some time I recognized that I was missing being on my bike on a daily basis so I made a pact with myself to at least park my car after work and bike commute or walk anywhere I needed to go.  It was a start.  I managed to become a strict night rider and even toughed it out through a few wheel thefts.

When I moved to Manhattan Beach biking became easier as I had safe access to the hills of Palos Verdes Penninsula.  Also at the time of my move I convinced 2 of my friends, Matt and Joe, to purchase road bikes so I could have some company.  We have enjoyed months of gorgeous climbs and amazing ocean view descents.  Even though my group riding has decreased my monthly mileage has stayed consistent.  I think I have them to thank for getting me hooked again.

The Switchbacks of PV Drive East... much more fun descending than climbing.

Moving to West LA has allowed me to re-connect with the mountain biker inside of me.  Road biking is all well and good but I love getting lost on a bike.  Not worrying about time, simply daydreaming and paying attention to the trail and trusting my instincts.  2 hours later I come to and feel unmistakably refreshed.  Even though I'm in the most urban landscape I've ever lived I'm only a 3 mile bike ride to a 60+ mile single track trail head...

San Vicente Mountain Park... "This is LA"

A view from Mulholland Drive overlooking Mandeville Canyon Rd.  LA, CA

The trusty steed atop Canyon Back Trail overlooking "The South bay" and Catalina Island.

Now that I'm 100% back into the swing of the bicycle thing... What drives me to continue in lieu of other activities?  Beach tennis is about to start getting in the way now that tournament season has begun but I've been mindful enough to set up a pretty strict cycling schedule to make sure I don't forget about my first true love.  

• Monday nights I spin.  1 hour of warm-up followed by a 45 minute interval spin session with some dude from Compton that knows basically nothing about cycling but A LOT about yelling and good beats so it works.
• Tuesday I spin... it's nice easy follow up and cool down from the weekend and the Monday night slaughterfest.
• Wednesday is Whole Foods hot bar dinner and Yoga night with co-workers in order to let my muscles recover.
• Friday... now that daylight savings time has come I have time to get home after work and grab my Mountain bike for a solid 1.5 hour trail ride before dinner.
• Saturday and Sunday Mornings are reserved for cycling and coffee.  I often complain about the beach tennis community not being willing to start playing on the weekends before noon but the honest truth is that I appreciate it.  Lord knows once I hit the courts with a cerveza in hand there's no way I'm leaving for a sufferfest on my bike!

So this crazy schedule and this post are all because I just signed up for and am looking forward to L'Etape California.  Every year the Tour de France (and now the Tour of California) shuts down its Queen Stage a couple weeks ahead of the actual race for civilians to tackle.  This year L'Etape California is a 105 mile ride from Thousand Oaks to Santa Barbara (Stage 3 of the 2016 TOC).  The ride/race will be punctuated by the famed Gibraltar Road Climb.  This is a climb that I've been dying to do ever since I was having to commute the central coast to help out with one of our northern clinics.  I would drive up Gibraltar Road every Monday morning as a way to give Miley (my Mini Cooper) her fix of tight cornering and quick accelerations.  As I was ripping up the climb listening to Jack White shred some ridiculous guitar solo I couldn't help but dream of climbing this thing in some sort of competitive environment.  I've done the famed Alpe d'Huez as well as Col du Galibier and Col du Telegraph on the tail end of an 80-mile day and now is my chance to have a ball and biscuit with what California has to offer.

Anyone that has ever ridden a bike with me knows that I absolutely love to climb.  When the road points up I'm at my happiest and strongest.  My hopes with this increase in training is that I'll find myself rubbing shoulders with Jens Voigt and Freddy Rodriguez on the final climb of the ride and put them into the hurt locker... unlikely I'll be able to hang with them to arrive at that juncture but just in case I'll be ready.  Along the way and at the sunset dinner on the beach I hope to meet some new and interesting folks to tell you about.  

Despite all the epic-ness that I love to take part in I will never forget and appreciate most the wonderful relaxing rides along the beach or through the countryside.  Some day when I am far too old to climb mountains on a bike I sincerely hope that I still prioritize a morning joy ride to grab a coffee and pastry.

"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race."

-H.G. Wells

Home Ownership and The American Dream

While writing this post I found an amazing mid-century art blog that depicted nicely The American Dream that was planted in my head throughout childhood. copyright Sally Edelstein

I'm writing today only because I don't feel like writing.  This is the first week that I've been distracted and unmotivated to the point where I didn't think I would post anything... but it's way too early in the new year to flake on this goal of putting something out there about my life on a weekly basis.  It's been really exhilarating brainstorming ideas and putting them on paper.  A large percentage of what I come up with will never see the light of day, and that to me is the best part. Since I started this process for a goal in 2016 I feel that my mind is fresh and ideas and hopes are pouring out of me.  This week though I just don't want to write.  Therefore I'm going to word vomit for an hour and do more of what I originally intended with this blog... put my thoughts on paper... feelings and recaps of what's currently happening in order to leave the door open for conversation I'm willing to engage in with whoever is actually reading this stuff.

Over the past couple years my parents have gone through a separation and are now officially divorced.  The timing almost identically lined up with when I moved to California, which on a personal note felt a bit odd at the time.  But it is what it is, as they say.  Well, last week my mom, or parents, or however it works, signed a purchase agreement to sell the house I grew up in.  I'm still figuring out how I feel about that.  In truth I've spent less time living in that house than years I have lived other places combined (I lived there from 4th-12th grade).  Eight years full-time and also bits of some summers... but they were obviously some of the most formative years of my life.  The house on Elm St. was full of the best memories.  I was a fortunate kid with an amazing childhood.  My family does not (did not) have what I would now consider wealth in the financial sense but I surely never felt that way growing up.  I was admittedly spoiled, but based on feedback I get from people I meet nowadays I was raised the right way whatever that means.  I suppose this is the point in time when I should thank my parents.  I did what I wanted, had verbal freedoms that now seem shocking (but allowed me to be a free-thinker and ask questions) and I felt loved.  Not so bad, thanks mom and dad.  So yeah, those good feelings are being sold.  Loss and change have become welcomed events in my life as I realize that when approached with an open mind they can synthesize great growth in life.  The house is not the home to my good memories, they happened there, that's all.  Time to move forward.

**Disclaimer, I had finished another significant portion of writing below this and was about to post... and my computer crashed and only the first half of this post was saved (and some major edits of the first part)... so this is the abbreviated, less refined version.  My apologies for the brevity but I'm a little angry about the whole situation**

On the subject of homes:  Owning a home, staying somewhere for a long time and building family and memories the american way... living the "American Dream" is a topic that comes up from time to out here from people in the middle class (if "middle class" even exists out here).  A few of my coupled-off colleagues own homes.  All have dual incomes of... a lot of money... and none live close to work.  Since it's come up recently I wondered, "what would it take for me to buy a home out here (one not located in Compton or South Central)?" and would it be worth diligently saving for?  According to this article one needs a salary of $95,000 in order to purchase a median priced home in LA, which is $482,000 (I've seen figures indicating closer to $570k).  This stat also assumes a 20% down payment!  Think about how long that would take if you are also trying to save for retirement and have some sort of social life.  After reading this I did a basic search for 3 bedroom homes in what I thought were questionable places to live that maybe I could afford.  Here is a 3 bed, 1 bath home in a neighborhood that I would not feel safe in listed for $529k and would be a 1 hour commute.  Yeah... NOPE.  I then performed a search of homes for sale within a 30 minute drive from where I work and I found 2... TWO!  Both of these listings were 2 bedroom condos costing more than $650k.  Looks like I'm not buying anytime soon.

In Minneapolis proper, which as you know being Minnesotan is much more expensive than the burbs, the median home price is $223k and requires a $50,000 salary according to the experts.  I am using Minneapolis proper instead of 30 minute commute cities like Plymouth or Maplewood so I don't skew the comparison too much.  When you put the numbers down on paper it is absolutely crazy to look at cities like LA, San Fran, San Diego, and New York.  In order to purchase a home in these places you either need a massive salary or an inheritance.  It's just the sad reality.

So the current question then, is do I care about the "American Dream?"  No I don't... not at all.  Until someone asks me about home ownership or other materialistic things I don't care.  If I don't care until someone else imposes the thought on me it can't be that important to my personal happiness.  In that way I feel that Corporate America really controls what we consider happiness more than we'd like to think.  If we are not aware of what messages we are being fed it's very easy to water the seed.  So many of our ideals and things we've been told to pursue or obtain so we will be "happy" are just planted ideas to make others rich.  We are all suckers at some level and one truly American value is consumerism and the belief in upward mobility of the middle-class.  Corporations have long taken advantage of that in advertising and firmly planted this idea in our culture Post World War II.  Evaluating how I have felt over the years in different living situations, and having been a home owner, I feel as though home-ownership may be one of those planted ideas.  If you have the means to own a home and want one... then do it.  Purchasing a home, if you've done your due diligence, is likely better for your finances.  Just don't believe purchasing one will lead you to happiness or stability.  If you can't afford to buy a house, cool.  Think about how much stress you are saving yourself by not having to worry about fixing a roof after a hailstorm or leaks in the foundation.  There are pro's and con's to every situation, bask in both.  Most importantly, remember that when you die none of this stuff really matters.  So to that end, I'm just happy milking my 400 square foot studio apartment for all $1200/month that it's worth...

"...it's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it."

-George Carlin

**warning: vulgar language**

#foodtrends

"Mind-Opener" coffee to start the morning at my favorite post-ride, pre-beach tennis stop, The Source Cafe.  Hermosa Beach, CA

... So, understanding everything I wrote in my previous post also understand that I love experimenting with how what I put in my body makes me feel.  No carb, low-carb no gluten, organic, vegan, paleo, raw... wine vs. beer vs. scotch vs. no booze ever?  What makes me feel the best on the day-to-day and what seems to be the best option for me and my family long term?  I mean, I am in the trending capital of the world, it's only fair that I get caught up in some of it, #amiright ?  Below I will be touching on a few of the topics that I am currently interested in and experimenting with.  Any of these trendy things I'm willing to dive into must fit within the construct of "Eat Food, Not Too Much, Mostly Plants."  As a very logical person with a strong scientific background I refuse to get wrapped up in nutritional and herbal supplement quackery.

Bulletproof Coffee (BPC):
The first trend I'm into is the easiest to follow and easiest to understand the logic behind yet gets a lot of flack.  "Butter coffee" is a newer trend and one that I'm starting to become a believer in.  I've been drinking and making my own daily cup of BPC for over one year now.  The basic recipe is very simple, if you don't dive too deeply into what the Dave Asprey (creator of BPC) disciples will preach.  My recipe is 1 Tbsp coconut oil, 1 Tbsp of butter from free range, non-GMO, grass fed cows (ensuring better fat content).  The original BCP recipe is:

• 8-12 oz coffee Bulletproof branded coffee.
• 1-2 Tbsp purified medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) oil.
• 1-2 Tbsp of Kerrygold grass-fed, unsalted butter or ghee (What's Ghee?).
• BLEND the contents for emulsification (taste).  Stirring makes it less appealing to certain folks... not me. 
• Basic nutritional content:
• Calories: 250-450 depending on amount of oil/butter added (my version is about 300 calories).
• Fat: up to 50g in total all of it being saturated (mine contains about 30g).
• Vitamins/nutrientients: butyrate (short-chain fatty acid), omega-3 fatty acids, linoleic acid (CLA), beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin D, vitamin E

There's a huge debate about whether or not this is a healthy thing to be doing.  People are planted firmly on one side or the other.  Since it's that time of the political cycle just think about it in terms of Republican v. Democrat and you'll understand how ludicrous and unfounded most of the arguments from both sides can be.  I believe that it's good for me... and probably bad for people with a standard American diet.  The calories and fat content provide very little to zero benefit if you are eating a bowl of cereal along with it.  BPC is in my opinion a great option if you eat a diet heavy in vegetables and relatively low in carbohydrates... and if used as a sort of meal/breakfast replacement (meal replacement is a contentious subject on many levels).  The basics are that if no sugar is available to us for energy in our blood, our body is very efficient at converting fats to energy.  By using fats instead of sugars we reduce the insulin spikes and fluctuations in blood sugar that lead to tired feelings.  We need calories, but where they come from has a big impact on how we feel... this is not breaking news, Dave Asprey just found a new way to tell us.

When you break down the claims made by Dave Asprey about the amazing benefits of BPC (not limited to muscle building, improved cognition, fat burning, increased metabolism) it's pretty easy to see that he is a great pitch man that knows how to market products and make a lot of money.  The theory and marketing behind BPC bothers me because he focuses on the individual nutrients as the reason for its benefit and not the basic and proven calorie/carbohydrate/caffeine argument.  Yes, he promotes ketosis but he also spends a lot of time, in my opinion, over-glorifying his versions of the products necessary to make BPC.  As I eluded to in my previous food post I believe the focus should not be on the specific nutrient but instead the goodness of the whole product and lifestyle that leads to obtaining that nutrient in your diet.  If we ignore the big picture we contribute to a lack of understanding of what is truly happening with our bodies on a macro level.  Oh well, it works for what I want and I eat a nutrient dense diet so I'm likely safe from the legitimate downside concerns.  Bottom line: I feel significantly better and less tired throughout the work day when I am in my BPC routine.

Ketogenic Diets
This is really surface level explanation of why people talk about ketosis because I don't have the time or energy to write a chapter on how our body brings Acetyl-CoA into mitochondria and I also don't think you really care.  But it's important to understand that we don't need sugar to survive, our bodies have been adapted over millions of years to figure out how to utilize whatever we ingest as well as stored energy in adipose tissue.  Just know that depending on how active we are in a moment of time and what we are ingesting (or not ingesting), our body (mitochondria) is getting energy from these 3 sources:

• Glycolysis- breakdown of glucose (sugar).
• Protein catabolism- which leads to gluconeogenesis and glucose production by the liver.
• Fat catabolism- this is where believers in ketosis want us to live most of the time.
• In this state fatty acids are converted to ketones which can be used by the brain and other cells for energy.
• To get to this state you need to consume less than about 50g of carbs per day. 
• If you are doing cardiovascular activity (HR of 50-80% of Max) for more than 30 minutes you have likely changed over to a fat burning state.  This is why body-builders walk briskly for long periods instead of running.  They don't want their heart rate too high to the point that they are in an anaerobic state (ketosis needs oxygen).

I won't get into it too much here but there is a severe lack of attention paid to ketosis as therapy.  There are some papers out there (ketosis therapy) but MD's and nutritionists that I work and speak with still do not have a grasp on what it entails and who it is good and bad for.  A very small sect of the nutritional and medical (obviously mostly endocrinologists) world is diving into ketosis and I hope that there's a legitimate explosion of long-term research.  So much money in America is spent on attempting to prove the easy way out (pharmaceutical) of disease because drug companies pay for and profit from this proof.  Maybe the food industry needs to put more money into health research of what they are producing.  I make that statement without having an actual idea of how much of a coconut farmer conglomerate's $$ goes into health studies.  Food is therapy.  The lack of food therapy in a treatment plan is either the fault of the MD that does not push it hard enough or because they are not convinced a ketogenic diet is strong enough for their patient to treat ailment X.  From my experience the reality is that most western medicine practitioners don't know/understand the basics of nutritional ketosis much less other food therapies.  Making sure to spread the blame appropriately the patient that demands their MD pulls an easy-fix to the problem they are having out of their butt because they don't want to work for their health is just as much if not more to blame... let's call it the "invisible hand of the health market."  Ketosis is the theory behind what Bulletproof and Dave Asprey are spreading.  Ketosis is also whats behind Paleo (basically for the layman) and The Atkins diet.  So, it's not really trendy, it's just re-packaged and re-visited trendy... kinda like hipsters.


For further reading on this subject go read what Dr. Peter Attia has to say.




Gluten Free:

I believe in being mostly gluten free not because I think gluten should necessarily be eliminated from our diet... but a lot of the foods that contain it should be significantly reduced in order to reduce overall calories and carbohydrate load in the American diet.  Two of the healthiest and longest living populations in the world (Sardinia, Italy and Loma Linda, CA) eat a moderate amount of foods that contain gluten.  Therefore, I don't really think you can vilify gluten as much as we do but there is a strong argument about the inflammatory properties of gluten in our body.

I became obsessed with this topic after I lost 20 pounds in a month due to intestinal distress back in 2009.  For a while we thought I may have celiac disease or something.  After a lot of diagnostic tests including a colonoscopy and endoscopy (YAY!) it turned out to be a stomach bug that messed with my intestinal flora.  When I recovered from it I couldn't digest food very well, particularly dairy and gluten.  Slowly as the flora in my intestinal tract recovered I was able to tolerate those things more but still struggle to this day.  If by eliminating gluten I can reduce my overall daily amounts of carbohydrates, then my energy levels will stay much more consistent.  When I'm not trying to get into ketosis I get plenty of sugar in the form of root vegetables and fruit.  Really, I don't need breads or pastas for any nutritional benefit.  For holistic health purposes, though, I walk once a week to Amandine Patisserie for my fix of endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin.  The chocolate almond croissant should never stop trending!