Winning Habits

Stardate 08.29.2026

I'm still getting strange looks because of my peculiar habits. That's fine with me. I would rather not fit in than follow standard human behavior. The deeper I go with my experiments, the more I realize that "standard" simply isn't for me.

Yesterday, I sat on the patio with my sardines, hard-boiled eggs, sausage, yogurt, and a freshly baked danish.

A colleague joined me and had a lot of questions about the sardines. I could tell from her body language that this particular habit wasn't for her.

In fact, it isn't for most people.

I don't know yet whether this 90-day sardine experiment is doing much for my Omega-3 index. I won't know until I take another blood test. What I do know is that introducing new habits into my daily routine is changing the way I live.

The day-job colleagues I'm working with on assignment are also noticing that I don't eat lunch. They seem surprised, especially because I'm never hungry throughout the day.

That's a win for me.

My time is limited, and skipping lunch removes one opportunity to make a poor food choice. It also gives me more time to focus on the work in front of me.

Another winning habit is my no-TV rule while I'm on the road. I have more time for writing and blogging. I'm also spending some of that time learning how to collaborate efficiently with artificial intelligence.

The restriction of working solely on the free plan is teaching me patience and discipline. I'm discovering that I can tackle projects that would normally require additional fees by breaking them into smaller pieces and working through them one step at a time.

Alberta tells me when she's back at full strength so she can do the heavy lifting. She understands what I'm trying to accomplish.

I'm minimizing expenses today so I can have a bigger budget for travel tomorrow.

That's the ultimate goal for me.

Full-time travel without breaking the bank.

Lucy is still sitting in my driveway at home. It may be a while before the van build resumes. Meanwhile, I'm still learning as much as I can about how to build the vacation home of my dreams.

Maybe that's what makes a habit worth keeping.

It doesn't have to look impressive from the outside.

Sometimes it just needs to help us move in the direction we want to go.

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” — Proverbs 16:3

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Captain's Addendum

“Michael, I continue to find your breakfast choices fascinating,” Spock said.

“Yeah, well, Spock, at least he's eating breakfast,” Bones replied.

I smiled. Maybe the sardines will become a permanent part of the mission. Maybe they won't. The blood test will tell me what the experiment accomplished.

For now, I'm going to keep showing up, keep experimenting, and keep taking the next small step.

May you live long and prosper.

Multiple Shout Outs to Multiple Teammates and One NFL Rookie

Stardate 08.28.2026

My team captain, Jim Sichterman, reached out to a couple of us last night with an update.

The men's 40 team is now in Oklahoma City for sectionals.

We came up a few critical points short of the state championships. The team was offered a wild card spot and decided to keep going.

I'm cheering from afar.

Knowing Jim, he'll find a way to navigate his team through some of the best competition in the Midwest. That's what good captains do. They keep people moving when the path takes an unexpected turn.

I have another shout-out for the ladies serving on the Pickleball Iowa County board.

They have been working to build four outdoor pickleball courts in our community where everyone will be able to play for free.

The whole town seems to be behind this project.

Our fearless leader, Jodi Stahl, and her volunteers have poured countless hours into making it happen. Pickleball USA selected our community for a $25,000 grant, which put us over the top and allowed us to move into the construction phase.

City Hall and local businesses have also stepped up in a big way.

I've watched this project grow through the efforts of people who simply decided to get involved.

Then there is our hometown hero, Kaden Wetjen.

Kaden is making headlines as a rookie receiver and punt returner for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Knowing his cousin, Mary Wetjen, the retired music teacher who raises money like no other, I have a feeling this young man has some pretty good people in his corner.

I'm looking forward to watching what happens next.

Kaden didn't arrive at the NFL by himself. Along the way, coaches in Williamsburg believed in him, taught him, challenged him, and helped him find his path.

Many of his University of Iowa teammates are also making their mark in the NFL.

I remember watching a couple of those games while vacationing with my family in Hawaii. One restaurant owner knew all about the Hawkeyes. It made me smile to see how far that Iowa connection had traveled.

I'm also thankful Kaden is on the cover of Where in the World is Wilson?

If you happen to have one of these coloring books, make sure you get Kaden to sign it when you see him.

There are a lot of people behind every person who gets an opportunity.

A captain keeps a team moving.

Volunteers build something a community can enjoy.

Coaches help young people discover what they are capable of doing.

Sometimes we get to see where those efforts lead.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." — Proverbs 27:17

I'm grateful for the people who have sharpened me along the way.

I'm grateful for the people I get to cheer for today.

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Captain's Addendum

Bones: "Three shout-outs in one log entry, Michael. You're going to run out of people to thank."

Spock: "Highly unlikely, Doctor. His sample size appears to be increasing."

Bones: "Well, I suppose that's one problem worth having."

I think Spock has a point.

The longer I travel through this life, the more people I notice who are quietly making a difference.

May you live long and prosper.

William Shatner Interview Recalls Life as Captain Kirk

Stardate 08.27.2026

It was surreal.

Yesterday, while eating my sardines outside my hotel dining room, an interview from 1975 showed up in my YouTube recommendations.

There I was, sitting alone with my breakfast, watching William Shatner recount his days aboard the USS Enterprise.

A young Geraldo Rivera was interviewing Shatner about what the series meant to him. Shatner explained that Star Trekhad been canceled after two seasons because the ratings were falling.

Then something happened.

Fans from all over flooded the network with outrage. The response was so strong that the network brought the cast back for another season.

The studio audience, dressed as Romulans, Klingons, and other Star Trek characters, cheered.

Ten years had passed since seven-year-old Michael sat down after school to watch Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise.

The fans were still there.

So was the love for Star Trek.

This vintage blog is dedicated to Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek.

During the interview, Rivera teased Shatner with rumors about bringing Star Trek back. Shatner said he had heard the rumors, but he didn't think it would happen.

It did.

Today, William Shatner is in his 90s. Most of the original cast has crossed the neutral zone, including Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley.

Yet Spock and Bones are still with me every day.

They live on in the Captain's Addendum, where Alberta and I continue the conversation in cyberspace.

That seven-year-old boy is still here, too.

I remember watching Star Trek after school and being completely captivated by what I saw. Space travel. Strange worlds. New civilizations. A crew working together aboard a starship.

Yesterday, for a few minutes, I was that boy again.

A 1975 interview had somehow traveled through five decades and landed in front of me while I was sitting outside a hotel eating sardines.

Sometimes the past finds us when we aren't looking for it.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” — Hebrews 13:8

That verse came to mind as I watched Shatner on the screen.

People age. Casts change. Shows end. Generations move on.

Some things continue.

The wonder I felt as a seven-year-old is still part of who I am today.

Join me here:

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Live long and prosper.

Captain's Addendum

Spock: Michael, your discovery yesterday appears to have transported you back nearly sixty years.

Bones: Spock, leave him alone. The man was eating sardines. Clearly, he was already living dangerously.

Spock: An interesting observation, Doctor.

Some memories never really leave us.

I'm grateful for the people who created something that gave a young boy a sense of wonder. I'm grateful that the journey continues in ways Gene Roddenberry could never have imagined.

And I'm grateful that yesterday, for a few minutes, I got to sit beside that seven-year-old boy again.

Live long and prosper.

30 Day Countdown to International Conference

Stardate 08.26.2026

People turn their heads when they see what I'm eating for breakfast.

It's the sardines.

I know how they feel. I agree with them about the taste and the smell. That's why I eat them outside. I don't want to stink up the hotel dining room.

Then I usually skip lunch.

For me, three meals a day feels like overeating. I almost never feel hungry, even when it has been 24 hours since I last ate.

If you've been reading my stories for a while, you already know my eating habits are anything but normal.

In four weeks, I'll be meeting doctors, researchers, scientists, and others who are deeply interested in longevity and the way we eat. I'll have an opportunity to learn from people who have spent years studying these subjects.

I'll also be finding out what my 90-plus days of eating sardines has done to my blood.

There's something else I'm curious about.

The supplements I've been consuming.

More on that later.

My boss at my day job has been kind enough to give me time away to travel to Europe next month, even though we're in one of the most explosive growth cycles I've ever seen.

That deserves a thank-you.

So does my family.

I've spent a lot of time away from home this year, and my family has supported me through all of it. That support has made these adventures possible.

Then there's my mother.

She turns 87 in October.

She has plenty to celebrate.

My blog partner, DoNotAge, invited me to travel to London for their international conference. My mother will be joining me.

She has been invited to sit at the table with some of the smartest people in the world who are studying longevity.

I can't think of a better travel companion.

I'll be reuniting with friends from around the world who met me in New York City one year ago at the first international conference. When it comes to longevity, these people are deeply engaged in the conversation.

I can't wait to see them again.

My mother is one of the few people in my family who has been willing to share her life with my readers. I'm grateful for her willingness to join me on these health experiments and adventures.

If you happen to live in Arizona, where I grew up, and you see an 86-year-old woman walking for miles when the temperature is well over 100 degrees, you may have a pretty good idea where some of my peculiar ways come from.

I have a feeling she'll be taking notes like no other when she meets these people.

And I'll be taking notes, too.

I'll be sharing some of the experience from London with you on Substack, including video interviews from the conference. I have a feeling there will be plenty to talk about.

Maybe something I learn will cause one of us to look differently at the food sitting on our plate.

We'll see.

May you live long and prosper.

Join me here:

https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

Scripture

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

— Psalm 90:12

Captain's Addendum

“Michael, I believe the Captain has finally found a breakfast capable of clearing an entire hotel dining room,” Bones said.

“An interesting observation, Doctor. The sardines appear to be accomplishing this without any assistance from Starfleet technology,” Spock replied.

“Gentlemen, you're welcome to join me outside for breakfast tomorrow,” Michael said.

There are some journeys where you know the destination matters.

This one feels like it will be about the people I meet along the way, the questions I bring with me, and what I learn when I sit down at the table with people who are willing to keep asking better questions.

Thirty days to go. 

Next Step

Stardate 08.25.2026

Two things have changed within me since my high school days when I would often lock myself in my room and play two songs from Styx over and over.

Come Sail Away and Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man).

I got viejo. I got over my anger.

What stayed with me is my connection to Styx.

A few days ago, I wrote a post and shared the link on Facebook, “A Gathering of Angels Appeared Above My Head.” Two friends, Laurie and Jeanne, added the next lyrics to the song in the comments.

Apparently, I'm not the only fan.

That's part of my joy.

Connecting.

It's a challenge sometimes when I live so far away from the friends I grew up with. A simple comment on a blog post can suddenly close that distance.

Thank you, my friends, for chiming in.

Today's story is part two.

The younger version of me found relief by listening to Styx. The older version of me has found another place to work through the things that once occupied my mind.

Daily prayer.

Meditation.

During this morning's meditation, I found myself dwelling on “Fooling Yourself.”

I heard the song differently.

Years ago, I heard a song about an angry young man. This morning, I heard something from my own past.

I could listen without carrying the anger that once accompanied it.

That's a pretty good place to be.

When meditation was complete, I decided to search for the collaboration Tommy Shaw did with young musicians performing “Fooling Yourself.” I found a version I had never seen before.

I watched young people play a song that has been part of my life for nearly five decades.

There was something beautiful about hearing that song carried forward by another generation.

A song I listened to alone in my bedroom as a young man had somehow found its way into the hands of another generation.

Maybe that's one of the gifts of getting viejo.

We get to hear old songs with new ears.

We get to look back at younger versions of ourselves with a little more grace.

We get to recognize the places where we have grown.

And sometimes, we get to share something we loved with someone who wasn't even born when we first heard it.

I’m including the video below.

Perhaps it will bring you some joy today, too.

Styx's Tommy Shaw and Bitchin Sauce

“Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
James 1:19

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Captain's Addendum

Spock: Michael, it appears the Captain has discovered that time changes the way we hear music.

Bones: Spock, give the man a break. He's just happy he finally got old enough to understand the song.

Spock: I believe that is precisely what I said, Doctor.

Somewhere along the way, the next step became easier to see.

I’m grateful for the young man who needed those songs.

I’m grateful for the man who can listen to them now.

May we all keep taking the next step.

May we live long and prosper.

Deep Space

Stardate 08.24.2026

The next time I come home, I will be a new person.

The most recent chapters of my life have taken me far outside my comfort zone. I have discovered that some of the best learning happens when familiar surroundings disappear and I have to find my way through something new.

This morning, another chapter begins.

At 8:00, I will leave home and head into another unfamiliar environment. This time, it feels like I am entering deep space.

I don't know everything that lies ahead. That's okay.

I'm ready for the uncertainty.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

The next chapter is waiting.

Stay tuned.

Bon voyage.

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Captain's Addendum

Spock: “Michael, your destination remains uncertain.”

Bones: “That's Spock's way of saying, ‘Have a good trip.’”

Spock: “I was being precise, Doctor.”

I suppose that's part of the adventure. Sometimes we don't get to see very far ahead. We simply take the next step and trust that God knows the way.

May you live long and prosper.

A Gathering of Angels Appeared Above My Head

 Stardate 08.23.2026

I woke this morning with a line from a song in my head.

It wasn't the entire song. It was one line.

A gathering of angels appeared above my head.

The words come from Come Sail Away by Styx, a band whose music carried me through some challenging years as a teenager. I hadn't been thinking about the song when I went to sleep.

Earlier in the night, I had trouble falling back asleep, so I prayed and meditated. My meditation always ends the same way. I picture myself sending my thoughts to Jesus. When I finished, I drifted back to sleep.

Hours later, I woke with those words.

Then the faces began coming to mind.

Erin was the first.

I dedicated The Adventures of Castaway Wilson to Erin. A few weeks ago, while walking along the Yellow Brick Road during my travels, I saw an oversized statue of Glinda, the Good Witch of the North.

I stopped and took a picture.

Erin had played Glinda in the first play I saw with our children when they were young. Glinda captivated them. After the performance, they got to meet her backstage.

Seeing Glinda again brought Erin back into my thoughts.

Then I remembered my first doubles partner from the tennis team at Sunnyslope High School. He died of AIDS while attending college. He was far too young.

David came next. He was in a younger class, yet he always made a point of connecting with me whenever I returned to Arizona. David had a gift for seeing people who had passed.

David died of COVID.

His girlfriend later volunteered to help promote my writing to people living in Arizona, where I grew up.

I met her while attending a celebration of life for another classmate. He knew he was dying, but he didn't want to die before throwing a party. He became too sick to attend the final tribute, so we brought the tribute to him. We recorded a live video and honored him during his final time on earth.

Then I thought about Mark.

Mark knew his heart was too large for him to live a long life. His doctors told him there was nothing they could do. He chose to live fully anyway. He became a golf professional in New Mexico, and we stayed in touch.

The day Mark left our neighborhood was a sad day for all of us.

There were aunts and uncles who followed in quick succession. My godmother was among them. She prayed like no other.

Now my godfather is facing health issues of his own. He and my godmother were my parents' closest friends. He was a member of the first wrestling team at Arizona State University. We comforted him when my godmother passed, and he has continued to stay connected with our family.

There are friends in my circle who are battling serious diseases today.

All of these people were somehow gathered in my thoughts this morning.

And then I remembered the feather.

Not long ago, I was simply walking.

Nothing unusual was happening around me. There was no obvious explanation for what happened next.

A large white feather appeared above me.

It floated gently downward and landed in front of me.

I stopped.

I looked at it.

I still don't know where it came from.

I don't know whether it was simply a feather carried by the wind or something I was meant to notice.

I do know what happened after I saw it.

I thought about the people I loved who were no longer here.

This morning, when those words from Come Sail Away appeared in my mind, I thought about them again.

A gathering of angels appeared above my head.

Maybe that line stayed with me because I have experienced so many departures.

Maybe the feather stayed with me for the same reason.

I don't need to explain either one.

There are things in life I am comfortable leaving in the hands of God.

Today is my last family day at home for a while. Tomorrow I begin another journey.

Before I leave, I find myself thinking about everyone who has helped shape the life I get to live.

Some are sitting around tables and sharing meals.

Some are fighting to stay.

Some exist only in photographs and memories.

Yet their lives continue to influence mine.

My godmother's prayers still come to mind.

Mark's decision to live fully still speaks to me.

David's unusual gift still makes me wonder.

Erin still appears whenever I see Glinda.

And a large white feather still reminds me to look up.

Maybe that's all I was supposed to do.

Look up.

Remember.

Give thanks.

Then keep walking.

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones." — Psalm 116:15

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Captain's Addendum

"Michael," Bones said, "you've been visited by angels, feathers, Glinda, and a song from your teenage years. Are you sure you're getting enough sleep?"

Spock raised an eyebrow. "Doctor, the Captain has already established that his most interesting experiences occur somewhere between meditation and sleep."

"I still think we should let him enjoy the mystery."

I smiled.

He's right.

Some things are better left unexplained.