Month: June 2018

Back to school for cannabis lessons

They say we need to keep our brains sharp as we age, so I went back to school. Cannabis school.

As I’ve previously shared, I became a cannabis fan when I had ovarian cancer in 1999. I hated the idea of smoking anything, but smoking pot during chemo probably saved my life. Still, I happily gave it up after I got a clean bill of health and went back to work full speed ahead. I never missed it.

I discovered cannabis again after I retired and was desperate for something to help with post-mastectomy pain after being treated for breast cancer. I got approved for using medical marijuana in California, where I live, and I began the great experiment. I learned you don’t have to smoke it, and you don’t have to get crazy high.

A small daily dose of cannabis tincture or cannabis-infused coconut oil eases my pain and makes me feel good. I use homemade cannabis balm to treat achy body parts, including my knees. A cup of cannabis tea or a hit or two off a vape pen helps me sleep. It sounds like a lot, but these are therapeutic doses that enhance my life.

For my second act, I’d like to be a part of this movement to make medicinal cannabis available to those who need it. I’m eager to explore how I can use my skills and talents to contribute. I’ve been reading a lot, but I wanted to broaden my education, so I signed up to attend Oaksterdam University in Oakland, California. I’m in a four-day seminar to learn more about cannabis overall, but this seminar focuses on the business side of this industry. I even got a 15 percent veteran’s discount!

Yesterday was the first day, and it was great. I’m like a sponge, furiously taking notes, asking the occasional question but mostly just learning, learning, learning. The class demographic is skewed to young men. Class pictures are posted on the walls, and I scanned them on a break looking for older women. There were a couple but not many. More than a few older men.

Other than continuing to write about cannabis, I’m not sure how I’ll use my new-found education. Expand my consulting? Maybe. For now, I think I’ll just enjoy the experience and see what happens.

In the meantime, I will say the trip has been good for my brain. Just driving in downtown Oakland was a jump start.

Tent camping with bears

We had a fantastic time tent camping in the Sierra Mountains, but the trip was almost ruined by bears – the human one I’m married to, as well as the big furry ones that walk on four legs. Both had a part to play during this perilous trip into the woods.

As we entered the park, the rangers handed me a newsletter, which I read word-for-word. That’s how I roll. The first thing that caught my attention was a little article called, “A Fed Bear is a Dead Bear.” Of course, I realize the woods is not a petting zoo, but I was surprised to read about the importance of locking up all scented items in a bear locker.

According to the newsletter, bears are smart, resourceful, strong, hungry and have a highly developed sense of smell. Clearly, we are not talking about Dale, except for the part about being hungry. These are California black bears, and they will slaughter you for toothpaste. They had me at toothpaste, and I said, hey, Dale, be sure to put your ditty bag in the bear locker.

Nothing.

I keep reading. “Bears display aggressive behavior by showing their teeth, stomping their front feet, lowering their head and arching their back or charging toward you.” Again, we are not talking about Dale, except for the part about foot stomping. I repeat for Dale’s benefit, “It says a bear looking for toothpaste can slash through a tent or open a car like a sardine can. Please remember to put your ditty bag in the bear locker.”

Nothing.

The brochure continues. “If you see any of these behaviors, pick up children, stand tall, raise your arms and yell, ‘Bad Bear!’ Slowly back away.” I’m thinking this simple advice could be useful for dealing with human bears, so I tuck that away for later and read it aloud to Dale for greater impact.

Nothing.

“I wonder if you stand tall and yell ‘Good Bear!’ but in your bad bear voice, would it have the same effect?”

Dale wakes up from thinking about his favorite thing (happy hour?) and laughs. Humor always gets a reaction from him, but I can’t find the humor in being disemboweled by a bear.

Are you going to put your ditty bag in the bear locker?

What is this? You’ve asked me five times.

And I got zero responses. This is how conversation works. I say something, and you respond. Try it.

I hate it when you tell me what to do.

Yeah, well, it will suck when a bear rips open our tent and eats us alive. I do not want to be killed by a bear.

Oh, Donna. Seriously.

He thinks I’m overreacting, but he hasn’t read the newsletter! We drop the subject and get ready for dinner. We like to day hike and then return home to our luxurious base camp, where Dale cooks us up a delicious steak dinner accompanied by a lovely Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley. I’m starting to mellow as we sit by the campfire finishing off the wine and enjoying the peace and beauty of nature.

We clean up the campsite, putting the cooler in the car and disguising it with a blanket (bears know). I put our dry goods in the bear locker and stuff my cosmetic bag in there, too. Finally, it’s time for bed. We crawl into our zip-together sleeping bags and get all cuddly, and I’m thinking how lucky I am, what a good bear he is, when I remember the ditty bag.

Oh, Dale …

And from under the covers, I hear a growl. Then I see teeth.

YES. I PUT THE DITTY BAG IN THE BEAR LOCKER.

Great! Thanks!

Time for bear snuggles.

Retirement eyewear

I was cleaning my glasses, and they snapped in half. I sort of saw it coming – they were high-end but not particularly sturdy. I bought them when I was in the hunt for a VP job and thought I needed a conservative look. Didn’t get the job. Got a life instead.

In terms of new glasses, it would seem the world is my oyster. In retirement, we can totally reinvent ourselves inside and out. I could go completely insane or stick with my trusty black frames. I’m wearing an older pair of basic black glasses now, and the prescription is pretty much the same, so I have time to shop and consider.

Retirement eyewear. This could be interesting.

One look that sort of appeals to me is the older woman with oversized glasses. I suspect the glasses are supposed to cover bags under the eyes and crow’s feet. Cheaper than cosmetic intervention. Then again, I like the idea of something edgy. But what does edgy actually look like?

To complicate my decision, I’m sick of my hair. I wear it up most of the time, and it is super easy to take care of and cheap to maintain. I don’t blow dry, don’t style with products and only need a trim every few months. My hair is fine but shiny and healthy with plenty of body. Anything other than what I have is likely to mean more money and more maintenance.

I’ll probably wait on the glasses until I decide whether I’m going to change my hair. Hair and glasses are a big part of how you look, and I think of them as a package deal. As I write this, I’m betting I’ll leave my hair alone. I might be surprised how new glasses look with my current hair minus the pressures of conforming to a conservative workplace.

That whole conformity thing is interesting to me. How many decisions did we make to fit into our environment, to show we were part of the tribe? How many of those decisions became habits, and how many of them can we dump now that we’re beholden to no one?

Looks like I will begin the reassessment with new glasses. Shopping for eyewear is usually painful. Glasses are not cheap. I no longer have vision insurance, but I never thought it was all that great to begin with. I often paid out-of-pocket because my favorite optical shops didn’t accept insurance. However, that was when I had cash flow. Certainly, I will gasp when I see the price.

I was dreading the whole experience, but aside from the surprise expenditure, now I’m kind of looking forward to it. I’m curious to see what I like through a new lens – the lens of retirement!

 

Serving cats and the joys of retirement

I love, love, love retirement. Mostly, I love the freedom to explore what interests me, to fill my brain with positivity instead of unhappy workplace noise. To serve our cat, Riley, with dignity and honor. To pre-heat his spa table for extra comfort. But I must say, I mostly love sleeping with no alarm to waken me.

With the help of medical cannabis, I sleep great, and being well-rested makes me feel and look better. When I went back to visit former colleagues recently, everyone said how great I looked, that retirement suited me. I said, yes, this is what sleep looks like. Sadly, I did have to get up at 4:30 a.m. on Monday. But don’t feel sorry for me. I needed an early start to drive to the mountains for a golf game.

I’ve relaxed a good bit since I retired last September. I keep checking the nest egg as though it’s going to go up in flames, but it’s still there, and just checking it periodically gives me comfort. I’m filling my time quite nicely. I read the entire series of Harry Bosch novels and watched the entire Bosch series on Amazon. My only regret is that I’m finished until something new is published.

Think of your first year of retirement as a test run. Poke around and see what makes you happy. See what sticks. I like to think we can find a balance of recreation and intellectual enlightenment. Retirement is actually jam-packed, and we will need to prioritize. I’m still working on priorities.

Doing

  • Mastering the art of serving the cat
  • Maintaining/remodeling house
  • Walking about five miles a day
  • Playing golf 2-3 days week, walking most of the time, making new friends
  • Lifting light weights to improve my upper body strength
  • Cooking
  • Reading (taking advantage of the local library)
  • Swimming a bit so I can build up to regular lap swims
  • Blogging/consulting
  • Wearing cuter retirement clothes (donated my man pants and other bad fashion choices)

To Do

  • Take the light rail into the city and explore the urban scene
  • Check out local museums
  • Get serious about strength, flexibility and balance
  • Pickleball?
  • Volunteer in the community
  • Get serious about training for a long-distance walk
  • Find a new detective series

On the immediate horizon is a camping trip! We tent camped until we moved to Texas, where in the summer it never cooled off enough at night for decent sleep. We bought a small teardrop trailer (The Toaster) we could tow with our old Honda Element. It had an air conditioner and served us well, but it is no longer among the living. With cool Northern California nights, we are back to tent camping.

I’m also signed up for a business and industry educational seminar on cannabis. As you might guess, I’m excited about medical cannabis and eager to learn as much as possible. I’m counting this one as intellectual enlightenment, although there might be some recreation involved.

Getting here was not easy, but I am so profoundly grateful we were able to earn enough and save enough to make this life possible. Retirement is an amazing opportunity to explore the joys of life without the pressures of a full-time job. There are different pressures, for sure, but retirement is kind of like being a kid again and school’s out for summer.

How’s your summer going?

#7: The Cannabis Coconut Oil 7-day Challenge

Today wraps up my 7-day challenge to use cannabis-infused coconut oil as medicine by adding it to my daily diet.

The loveliness you see in this picture is my husband’s pizza. However, any pizza works well with cannabis oil. Our toppings are grated whole milk mozzarella, crumbled goat cheese, whole shrimp, diced tomatoes, sliced Kalamata olives, sliced habaneros and fresh basil. Top with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and your dose of cannabis-infused coconut oil.

I’m just going to go ahead and say it. Dale made the pizza last night, and I ate leftovers for breakfast this morning. We call this “Punishment Pizza” because of the habaneros. I usually pick them off, leaving a more bearable residual heat. I could not detect the taste or smell of either coconut or cannabis, but that might be the peppers talking.

Until recently, I read about cannabis-infused coconut oil and thought you had to bake with it or use it for topical creams. I’m like, I don’t need a pan of brownies or cookies. Adding oil to an individual portion of food I would eat anyway is an efficient and delicious way to medicate. I see it as a big win for caregivers and patients who want the benefits of cannabis without all the fuss. I had to smoke it when I had cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy in 1999. This oil would have been a gift.

At first I thought portability might be an issue. Traveling with a mason jar full of cannabis-infused coconut oil? No, but you can easily fill a small dropper bottle and take it with you on your travels, as long as you’re not flying with cannabis or breaking any other laws! I’m planning a four-day trip within California, and I could easily add a dose of oil to coffee in my hotel room before heading out for the day.

As for downsides, cost could be an issue if you want a Magical Butter Machine, which is about $175. Personally, I would not bother to make the oil or tincture without one, but you can. I explain all that here. If you do want one, there’s a $25 discount on my FaceBook page. This is an affiliate link, and I would receive a small commission.

Pros

  • Easy to make.
  • Relatively inexpensive — my first batch weighed in at $2.50 an ounce.
  • Easy to microdose.
  • Minimal to no cannabis or coconut taste/smell.
  • No smoking involved.
  • No other paraphernalia required.
  • A simple and mindful way to medicate with cannabis daily.

Cons

  • Labor. Well, you do have to make it.
  • Cost.

Please be mindful ideal dosage varies, depending on your tolerance, what kind of high you are seeking and the potency of your cannabis. Start low and go slow!

#6: The Cannabis Coconut Oil 7-day Challenge

For those who are just tuning in, I’m on a 7-day challenge to medicate with cannabis-infused coconut oil by adding it to my daily diet. I use low doses of cannabis to ease anxiety and reduce inflammation associated with post-mastectomy pain, but I don’t like smoking it, and I don’t want to cook up a big pan of something with cannabis in it. Tincture is an excellent option for microdosing cannabis, but it’s less versatile.

I like to medicate in the morning or early afternoon, so my test meals are breakfast and lunch. The oil is easy to make and easy to add to foods you would eat anyway. Yesterday’s post was breakfast, so I wanted to feature lunch today, but I almost went with breakfast again because I was feeling sad about Anthony Bourdain passing away and wanted to feel better sooner. I find small doses of cannabis to be an excellent anti-depressant.

Tostadas!

  • Fried a corn tortilla until crisp.
  • Heated a spoon or two of leftover refried beans in the microwave — then added cannabis oil to the beans.
  • Spread beans on the tortilla, topped with a little cheddar cheese and put in under the broiler for a few seconds to melt.
  • Added a dollop of guacamole I made from the other half of Monday’s avocado. I use this holder to keep the avocado fresh for a few days after cutting it.
  • Garnished with iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, radish, a bit more cheese and chopped carrots from a can of pickled jalapeños.

It was so good, and since I made it smallish, I didn’t even feel too full or guilty. Overall, a tostada is pretty wholesome food. Within 30 minutes, a gentle smile creeped up when I wasn’t looking. No taste or smell of either cannabis or coconut.

I’m still sad about Mr. Bourdain. Cooking my way through it. First I made that tasty tostada lunch, then a big batch of red lentil coconut spinach stew for the freezer. Somehow, I think he’d be OK with that.

Enjoy life, enjoy food.

#5: The Cannabis Coconut Oil 7-day Challenge

For readers who aren’t into cannabis, please hang in there, the challenge is almost over. For those of you who are interested in learning more about new ways to medicate with cannabis, only two more tasty meal ideas left! It will be hard to top #5.

All week, I’ve been thinking about a soft-boiled egg and speculating a little cannabis-infused coconut oil might be a perfect pairing. And it was. With tacos and tuna or even avocado toast, the coconut oil taste disappears. Perhaps it’s simply a matter of volume. Small portions are likely to reveal the taste of coconut. I found that to be true with peanut butter as well.

But runny egg yolk, soft egg whites and a little coconut oil? It’s a match made in heaven. I could only detect a hint of coconut, but it was just enough. No taste or smell of cannabis. Later, I wondered if a sprinkle of toasted salted coconut would be good on top, but maybe that’s gilding the lily. Or maybe for a poached egg?

As always, medicate carefully. I use only a scant dropperful, which is about 1/4 teaspoon.

Oh, and look at my cute oil dispenser! It’s glass, so if the oil firms up a bit, just take off the lid and microwave for a couple of seconds at low heat. It’s nice to have a dispenser on the counter top or at the table so you can easily add a bit of cannabis-infused coconut oil to individual portions.

I’ll do a proper wrap-up when the challenge is over, but for now, I’m a fan. It’s so simple to add a small amount of cannabis coconut oil to your daily diet, and I have found low doses to help me with post-mastectomy pain, inflammation and anxiety.

Overall, I just feel better and happier with a little cannabis in my system.

#4: The Cannabis Coconut Oil 7-day Challenge

One of the many things I love about retirement is fixing myself a tasty and healthy lunch at home. Yesterday I played golf, which is pretty much an all-day event, so it’s a treat to hang out with nothing big on the agenda. I love the balance, and that’s what retirement is all about!

This challenge is about medicating by adding cannabis-infused coconut oil to individual servings of foods I would eat anyway. What a great way to treat your medical conditions! So easy and so delicious.

For Day 4 of the challenge, I’ve made cannabis-infused tuna-stuffed tomato salad. I started with a small can of tuna and added chopped pickles, celery and mayonnaise. To that mix, I added my dose of cannabis-infused coconut oil, which is 1/4 teaspoon. I cored out a beautiful farmer’s market tomato and stuffed the tomato, sprinkling a bit of paprika on the top. Then I garnished with baby spinach, Kalamata olives and fresh orange slices.

For those who love tuna salad with mayo, this is a yummy way to eat it because the mayo seeps into the tomato, and it’s almost like a tomato sandwich without the bread. The tomato and the tuna then seep onto the spinach, and it’s the equivalent of salad dressing. I loved it and could not detect a hint of coconut or cannabis.

The perfect dose of cannabis coconut oil varies from person to person, depending on your tolerance, what kind of high you are seeking and the potency of your cannabis. I like microdosing for gentle effects. Starting to feel the little smile just about now …

Oh, exciting news. I’ve been keeping my oil in a large mason jar, but now that I am seeing how to use cannabis oil as a topping at the table, I wanted some sort of decorative dispenser. Found it on Amazon. Arrived today. So cool. Will share tomorrow.

#3: The Cannabis Coconut Oil 7-day Challenge

I like to microdose with medical cannabis at breakfast or lunch so I can enjoy pleasant feelings and pain relief all day long. I’m playing golf today and usually eat a hearty breakfast before a game. My husband, Dale, is the chief enabler, and he made breakfast tacos for day 3 of my cannabis coconut oil 7-day challenge.

We start with some pretty spectacular ingredients. Dale’s homemade Mexican-style chorizo and his zingy salsa verde. Both ingredients are usually available in U.S. markets. The corn tortillas are store bought — this would even be better with homemade torts, but sometimes you have to compromise.

To make the tacos, brown 1/4 pound chorizo in a pan over medium heat. Spritz another pan with cooking spray and set the burner to medium-high. Lightly whisk three eggs and pour them into the prepared pan. As the eggs start to set, add the chorizo and lightly scramble. Heat the tortilla on a griddle or in the microwave. Drizzle with salsa verde and a dose of cannabis-infused coconut oil. Fresh white nectarines and strawberries on the side.

Yum. Dag, we eat well. The flavorful chorizo is the stand-out in this dish. Dale says it’s easy to make. Modified from a Rick Bayless recipe, Dale makes a big batch and freezes it in 1/4 pound servings. I could not detect the smell or taste of cannabis in the tacos. I just drizzled the oil over the eggs and salsa.

I’m fortified but mellow — ready for golf. My ideal dose of cannabis oil is 1/4 teaspoon. Ideal dosage varies, depending on your tolerance, what kind of high you are seeking and the potency of your cannabis. I like microdosing for gentle effects.

So far, I would have to say adding a bit of infused oil to foods you would eat anyway is a great way to medicate with cannabis.

 

#2: The Cannabis Coconut Oil 7-day Challenge

Second day of the challenge to add a single dose of cannabis-infused coconut oil to foods I would eat anyway. Infused coconut oil is not new, but I wanted to explore how to use it in a daily diet. I suspect there are a lot of people, especially older adults, who would enjoy the benefits of medical cannabis if they knew it was this easy and doesn’t involve smoking or making big piles of cannabis-infused foods.

We won’t call it avocado toast because I didn’t toast the bread, which is described as multi-grain European loaf, and it is super yummy. Love those seeds on the crust! To the bread I added sliced up avocados squirted with a bit of fresh lime. Then I grated some radishes with a microplane and mixed in my cannabis-infused coconut oil, salt and a dash of rice wine vinegar. Topped the bread with this mixture, grated some pepper over the top and garnished with farmer’s market strawberries.

Oh, my. So fresh and delicious. I could not even taste the coconut this time around, and there was no hint of cannabis taste or odor. Radishes probably took care of that!

Tomorrow is golf, so I either need to think of something portable or medicate with breakfast.