Hm... I seem to have slept about 16 hours on Friday night / Saturday morning. This is rather odd, considering I started this year having trouble sleeping 4 to 6 hours. Perhaps the sleep's poor? I haven't really been feeling tired, but apparently I can conk out without thinking too much of it. Perhaps it's a boredem defense mechanism: "If I go to sleep now, maybe things will be more interesting when I wake up."

Still, weekdays are going well enough, even if my weekends are becoming a bit queer. Sleep's fallen back into the 6 to 8 hour range and I feel pretty vigorous.

I feel like maybe I'm getting too comfortable with this...  I keep sleeping quite a bit loner than I intended and wake up feeling rather groggy afterwards.  Perhaps I just need to set an alarm and get up when the alarm goes off.   This is a problem I used to have when I had a bed, so it's interesting to see it transfer.

On other fronts, I got light-headed when on the treadmill yesterday.   It lasted about ten minutes after I stopped.   Hopefully it is just a one time thing.

My sleep schedule's gotten much more regular and that's good for business.  I no longer wake up in between sleep intervals, which is nice on one level, but makes me wonder how the result might be if I went to sleep late.  The other day I slept nine hours straight, which is significantly longer than the six to seven I have managed otherwise.   Might result in waking up much later than necessary.  Rolling out of bed to exercise while watching the Daily Show and Colbert Report (funnybone stimulation!) seems to clear away most of the residual sleepiness I might experience...  Not to mention the shower afterwards.

Now, a uniquely male problem with sleeping in public I had not quite considered before.   Since I'm going through hardcore REM phases, my body's natural arousal level changes while I sleep.  This means if I am on my side or my back, erections can be plenty evident.  After some consideration,  I figure I'm saving money on housing by pitching a tent.  In more seriousness, I can't fathom anyone really caring in any manner that mattered, and there's not much I can do about it anyway.

My calculations at the moment put my weekly expenditures at a little below the following (most prices rounded up):
$25 for 7 meals at the school cafeteria (hooray worker discounts)
$20 for stuff to eat at work, though this varies quite a bit, since produce tends to not be a uniform size, a twenty seems to always cover it.
$2 laundry, since I have to do laundry once a week
$13 two meals not otherwise accounted for.  (5 bucks actually pays for my favorite meal at my favorite place, leaving 8 bucks for much more expensive places to drain)

This makes around $60 a week for all my expenses or 240 a month.  (not strictly true, since I spend money on storing my stuff and occasionally bus tickets, but this is the basic maintenance for my body)

If I wanted to cheat I could bring plastic containers  and take away all the food for a day from the cafeteria that I need,  That would drop my monthly upkeep to $108, but I have promised myself to follow the rules and laws for this project.

In the interest of locating why this isn't all quite right I am attempting to make a more precise definition of my night meal, by weight and such.

.4 lbs apples (1 apple)
.3 lbs tomatoes (1 tomato)
.3 lbs red pepper
6.4 oz carrots
.264 lbs broccoli
2 oz raw almonds
4 slices of flax seed bread

I have been eating 1000+ calorie meals for lunch.  Partly this is a good excuse to eat a cookie or piece of coffee cake.  Still, it puts me at about 2000 calories a day, which is much better.  Still, I took the time to look up how many calories I'm actually burning in a day.

Approximations go like this:

Height 6' 1"
Weight 199 lbs

8 hours sleeping
25 min showering
35 min elliptical machines (equivalent to jogging?)
60 min walking
14 hours sitting activities

3929 calories (WTF?)  With taking in 2000 calories a day, I should be losing 5.5 lbs a week.

If I just sat for 16 hours a day and slept for 8, I'd burn 3467 calories a day. 

If I was "average" I'd burn 2900 a day.  With taking in 2000 calories a day, I should be losing 2.5 lbs a week.

Something is screwy here.  Starvation mode shouldn't be until you go beneath like 1200 calories a day, though.  And I certainly don't feel like I'm starving.

I spent this weekend at my parents house.  In truth, it screwed up my sleeping pattern pretty badly, so I have to get back on it today.  Ate my typical morning meal today.  Feeling extremely tired at this point, need to go shopping again.  May try and sleep early so I can shop, then head straight to the work refrigerator with my goods.

Lunch was:
8 oz Vegan Gumbo
1 bake chicken breast
4oz green beans



In addition, my typical:

1 C spinach salad (w/ 4 oz cauliflower, 4oz cucumber and 2 oz Italian dressing)

So, it seems my current problem is the amount of total calories, I just broke 1453 today.  Seems I really just need more carbohydrates...

I seem to be pulling muscles entirely too frequently.  Taking off my shoe, which was admittedly on pretty snuggly, resulted in pulling a thigh muscle.  Maybe a calorie or lack of sleep problem?  I don't think it's a matter of vitamins or minerals.  Feeling a little undermotivated, needing more sleep, but not being able to sleep in one big chunk of time easily.  Still, it has yet to hamper daily ellipticals or regular exercise.

Hit up the store a couple days ago, been eating every night:
1 Apple
1 Tomato
1/2 Green Bell Pepper
4 oz carrots
2 oz mixed nuts oil roasted w/ salt
4 slices sprouted grain bread
In truth, I have only been eating this and a single meal a day at the buffet.  It seems I am severely lacking in calories.  Fortunately, daily servings of spinach and meats should cover the vitamin deficiencies clearly present.

Calcium is a weird mineral.  Supposedly you can only get enough calcium through the consumption of milk.  Clearly the number of people in the world that are lactose-intolerant suggests this is bullshit.  Otherwise, it seems I would have to consume pounds of spinach a day to equal the calcium in a glass of milk.

Why am I doing this?  Well, there's no real simple reason.  I had considered it for a while, as when you look at what costs you all that money from your paycheck (no, ignore those taxes) it's really all related to where you live.  Air conditioning, electricity and rent are huge chunks.  So, naturally, the frugal minded person tries to negate expenses as best as possible.  What better way than using that damned excessive air conditioning in all my school buildings, or all the always-on lighting of the same?  In part, this is a sort of rebellion at the ever increasing tuition rates in my school, and many others.  If enough of us did this, would they be shamed into lowering tuition rates?  Maybe, maybe not, but it still seems an amusing idea if we could choke their commons with our sleeping bodies.

Outside of directly monetary issues, I find some favor in the idea of understanding what the homeless go through.  Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed is something of an inspiration in this point.  Not just solidarity, but empathy with those who are forced to live without a home, though I admit to having a much stronger support system and do not attempt to necessarily replicate it.  A key part I can see is the amount of hassling you get while sleeping from "the man" who views sleeping in public as somehow offensive.  Early today I was carded by security where I was sleeping.  Perhaps I won't have to deal with it again, but it's still a rather rude awakening.  Otherwise, I find it necessary to impose physical hardships on myself.  I have spent most of my life very well to do, nice and sheltered by my family.  And I am thankful to them for all they have done for me, but at the same time, I feel as though that comfort tends to drop motivation levels dramatically.  When you are hungry to move out of poverty or homelessness, or the like, you tend to work that much harder.  Perhaps my view is foolhardy, but it is something I would like to test, all the same.

And why does every female I mention this to seem to fear for my very soul?  Perhaps someone else has a better answer than I, but I imagine it is a maternal instinct in some regards.  We tend to want our children to live happy, normal lives and hope they avoid undue hardships.  I think perhaps those I have talked to are projecting this onto me and therefore fret.  Then again, it is also possible that women are more socialized towards maintaining "acceptable" social moors.  In many cases, (i.e. fashion) women enforce these moors upon one another, but when they see a male deviating widely, they apply the same principle.

Finding a good spot to sleep is vital for maintaining one's sanity.  Generally, an area that is indoors, has decent air conditioning, but not too much, and a comfortable surface to lie on, preferablly with a place to rest one's head that is slightly elevated.  Remember, your bags are probably flat out if you are storing food in them.  Nothing worse than crushing food and having it result in a vegetable supernova in your bag.

If you are a light sleeper, it is probably better to find a quiet location rather than simply crank up the music, as this generally makes awakening ot ones alarm a pain.  Generally your best bet is to find a place other people frequently sleep and set yourself up there.  Mostly it makes you less conspicuous, but this may not be feasible if you are sleeping nights like a saneperson. 

As for positioning, I find it's pretty hard to sleep on my back on any of the places I have tried, despite that being my normal sleeping position.  Best seems to be on one's side if head support is avaiable or on one's belly failing that.  This generally results in pressing ones face against deeply dirty material for extended periods of time, thus wash your face after you wake up, with minimal delay

I had some things come up, so I didn't have time to calculate nutrition and the like.  I believe I may start from here, going from midnight to midnight.  I am actually recording what I eat in my planner now so I don't have to use my failable memory.

Mentally, I feel pretty good, I am alert and do not seem too befuddled, so I assume I am getting enough sleep for such purposes.  Physically, I feel pretty sore.  I think much of it has to do with being forced to deadlift my bag to ascend stairs and the like.  Mostly my legs and lower back, but some shoulders.  Occasionally my feet feel pretty sore, but that is probably just due to lack of use and it goes away fairly quickly.

Still no shower, but I smell alright and I look alright.  I have been trying to wash my face twice a day, which seems to keep the dirt and sweat at bay. 

Sleep has been going much better now.  I don't keep waking up in the middle of it anymore, though I did have a fire alarm rouse me yesterday.  So far, I've only been able to sleep six hours at a time, while I used to sleep eight to nine hours at a time.  What this means, I am not quite certain.

Alright, I suppose it's time to define what this journal is for.  I plan this as a document of my adventures in being homeless, and as a side note, it will cover my basic health conditions since there are various chances for problems.  Every day I will post what I ate, the nutritional information, and any money I have spent for the day.  I'm also considering exercise information, but I have not quite decided what sort of routine I want to do.

General Plan
Due to financial reasons, going to school, having a place to live and eating are all not possible without going into debt.  Man has to eat and I intend to get through school to increase my financial resources, so that leaves but one player to suffer the blunt of this: housing.

Well, how does one live homeless?  Depends on what standards you wish to maintain.  For me, showering and other grooming is important and non-negotiable, as well as consistantly wearing clean clothing.  There are several main issues to tackle that I have chosen to solve in my own way, but other options exist (ones I hope to discuss later on.)  Storage, food, sleep and cleanliness.

I am lucky in that I have a work I can leave things at, thus helping greatly with storage, even if the space is somewhat limited.  Additionally, I have access to two lockers on campus, one in a gym and the other in a building for my major.  Both are fair sized and my intention is to leave my clothes and most of my cleanliness products in the gym locker, while using the major locker for books (school and personal reading alike).

I also have a bit of luck in that my job allows me to use the dorm-living student rate for meals, which means the cost is greatly reduced.  However, I am only awake for the breakfast and lunch times, and the breakfast offerings are all rather unappealing.  Thus, only one meal a day will come from this source.  I considered strongly consistently taking away food from the dining hall as it is all-you-can-eat, but I decided I would attempt to play by the rules with this project.  Otherwise, food from the local grocery are imperative for filling in the rest of the meals.  Raw vegetables with dips, bread and fruits are no doubt to be staples of my diet as they require no time to prepare and are healthy, however as the semester progresses, I may find myself eating out more and more as not paying rent gives one quite a bit more disposable income.

Sleep can be a big problem for some, as they require precise environments to achieve rest.  I have never really had this problem, I used to sleep with my roommate and friends talking with all the lights on in my dorm room.  Currently I have three places staked out as good sleeping places.  One is located in a public space where sleep is quite common, so I do not stick out amongst the students, especially since I am sleeping in the evenings rather than at night.  The other two are in areas for my major.  Both are out of the normally beaten path, with one actually having couches that are quite comfortable.  The other basically requires me to string together chairs, but it is quite a bit more secure, as a passcode is required to enter.  A big fear of mine is having my possessions stolen whilst I sleep, thus making the public space my last resort.  To start, I decided for comfort, and went with the couches.  Perhaps where I sleep with vary with what I feel like that day.

Cleanliness is of vital importence as it keeps from giving away your current lifestyle to others.  Regular showers and frequent clothes-washing keeps you smelling and looking good.  There are two gyms on campus, one which my job gives me access to, that both have showers to use.  Washing my clothing should be fairly simple, but it will be a once weekly thing.  While I am at work, I have a laundry room available to me, but I am uncertain if I wish to use my breaks to do my laundry.  The other option I have is to go to a laundry mat, of which quite a few exist locally.

Inventory
Going into this, I have brought:
Large Bag, converts between rolling and backpack.
9 shirts
2 pairs of pants
2 pairs of shorts
4 pairs of socks
1 pair sandals
1 pair of tennis shoes
1 towel
Shower / cleaniness products (toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, mousse, face wash, shampoo, razor, shaving foam, aftershave)
Quarters for laundry

Cellular Phone
Mp3 Player + Headphones
Phone charger / Mp3 player charger

1 Notebook
1 Day Planner
Pens, Pencils, Calculator, etc.

The most glaring omission seems to be laundry soap.  Will have to locate portable containers.

Slept six hours today, woke up three times in between which probably means after every sleep cycle.  Not sure if it's something that is just going to happen or if it's a side effect of my new sleep schedule.  Each time I was at least able to go back to sleep.  I think a hoodie would be nice as it would keep my upper body warm when I sleep, and if I turn it around, it will cover my face.  Additionally, wearing socks seems to be a good idea to prevent getting cold feet, but they actually help up pretty well today.  We will see how I sleep once there are people actually around again.

So far, I still don't have access to either of the gyms I will have access to, so I have not been able to shower today, which is unfortunate, at best.  Especially considering the trip to the grocery store resulted in a good deal of sweat.  As a side effect of the traveling and dampness, my second toe is starting to blister (probably because I did not do anything strenuous in my sandals all summer), which in addition to the insole tearing apart means I may not be able to wear them soon.  I need to get more socks before that happens, as I made the foolish mistake of thinking I would primarily wear my sandals until it started to get colder.