Year 3, Day 234: Tennis Again

Emily and I could not get our usual court time so we opted for 8:30-10:00pm which she objected to on the grounds that it was too late. It meant that we ate dinner first and then played tennis, but our first choice (Sweet Basil) was crowded so we went Indian which Emily doesn't really care for. I found some things to like, but as usual, Emily ordered badly and was displeased with the smell, and taste, of her food. We split sets, 4-6 and 7-5.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch: Russos' (5.75)
Romaine, red pepper, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Snack
2 oz Boston Lite Popcorn
4 STicks Beef Jerky
Coffee

Dinner: Masala Art
Shrimp & Cucumber Salad
Grilled Dinner
Okra

Editorial Note: As of this post, I am no longer going to write a 'top and bottom,' only a top, until further notice, or I get caught up. It's been hanging me up.

Year 3, Day 210: Fitness-a-thon and Eat-a-thon

More tennis; I played both my brother-in-law, and my sister-in-law. I beat my bil 6-4, and lost to my sil 4-6.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch:
Fritata (by Amy)
1/2 chicken sausage, 1/2 pork sausage
salad

1.5 apples
a few tablespoons peanut butter
1 oz Boston lite popcorn

dinner: Bernard's
moo shi pork (2 pancakes)
shrimp soong (1 lettuce wrap)
1 boneless sparerib
pea tendrils

Wherein I demonstrate that I can eat Chinese food nearly every single day.

Year 3, Day 209 Fitness-a-thon

Got up this morning with a sore neck and shoulders, but went to the gym anyway, doing my customary 6 miles in 65 minutes. Not tremendously fast, but still good. Then my brother in law and I played three sets of tennis, which he won 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. It has been a long while since I've played with anyone who could go three sets (except his wife, my sister-in-law).

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch:
Fritatta
Chicken Breast
Assorted Cheeses
Salad

Snack
Almonds & Cashews
Several parts of donuts

Dinner: Elephant Walk
Salmon
Heirloom Tomatoes
Trout
Lots of Wine

Having been looking around Chowhound, Yelp and such before I went out the vineyard, I had spotted "The Hole"-- legendary for having the best donuts anywhere. It so happened that my brother-in-law and sister-in-law were 'down the cape' and my bil loves donuts, so I mentioned it. They went and returned with every conceivable donut. This, of course, sent the household in an apoplectic frenzy of donut-avoidance, eating, and then running away from the donut bag. Later that night, we went out for a luxurious dinner for four at the Elephant Walk. We were going to go to Burdick's in Cambridge for an all-chocolate night-cap but alas, they were closed. So like young tourists, we went to the North End and got a canoli. (Big kudos to Emily for getting us there, since every single road, exit and sign has changed). The Red Sox game was on so the place was lit up like a pinball machine. In a secondary amazing feat by Emily, she found a free parking spot, and we cruised around for 20 minutes till we remembered we were old, and then drove home.

Year 3, Day 186: Tennis

Watching the US Open at Night it's very inspirational. Emily and I got out on the court and played three sets. I won the first set 6-2, but Emily took sets 2 and 3, and 4-6 and 2-6. We skipped going out to eat to come home see our kids and watch more tennis.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
100 Almonds
1 Old Smokey
4 Sticks Beef Jerky

Lunch: Russo's' ($4.78)
Romaine, red pepper, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Dinner:'
Egg/Cheese/Turkey Bacon Joseph's Wrap
Salsa

We didn't play any tennis on Martha's Vineyard, despite bringing our rackets, so it was good to get out on the court again.

Year 3, Day 165: Cramps

Went for a walk today and boy was it hot. We were schvitzing like stuck pigs when we got back. Spent under$5. on my salads at Russo's today, so I was feeling kind of keen. I had a real jazz apple for snack but I did also eat 50 almonds. I knew with my fast walk and tennis tonight it would be OK. I guess I've gotten to that place where a little bit of being bad is OK.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch: Russo's ($4.94)
Romaine, red pepper, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Added Tofu

Snack
4 Sticks Beef Jerky
50 Almonds
1 Jazz Apple

Dinner: Paparazzi
Mixed Greens with Goat Cheese
Grilled Boneless Breast of Chicken
SPinach
Broccoli

After
1 Glass of Watered-down gatorade

Emily and I were entering our second hour of tennis play she took the first set, 6-4, after leading 3-2 and then I pulled ahead. Drats! In the second set she was about to serve at 3-2 when I felt the familiar rumblings in my calf. We took a break and called Amy; she yelled at me for not having orthotics, said she didn't want to be liable for a decision and said to get some gatorade. We got off the court, grumbling.

Year 3, Day 162: Bad Day, Saved by Tennis

Today was just another typical 100-almond day that was going nowhere fast. I have been having trouble with the almonds because writing makes me want to do something with my mouth; chewing gum and eating jerky only go so far. I also ate all my popcorn. Things got worse when I got home and Ruby told me she was having 'chocolate' for dessert. "What chocolate?" I asked. "The bar" she said. I asked Emily what that was, and discovered a humongous Hershey's bar in the cabinet. "How much does she get?" I asked Emily. "Four Squares" she answered. Unfortunately for me, the four squares on top of Ruby's were cut in half, and you know the rule- you have to eat those, you can't just leave them there, all cut in half. Then I remembered I had recently purchased Consumer Report's best dark chocolate and I said "Ruby, do you want to try some really good dark chocolate?' She said yes. I told her that dark chocolate was better for you than regular milk chocolate. She was eating some and then asked me "What's in dark chocolate that makes it better for you?" I replied, thinking I was about to kick a soccer ball into an unguarded net "It's not what it's IN it, but what's NOT in it-- Milk." She paused for a moment and then said. "I thought you said milk was good for you." I replied "It is, but it's sugar and milk. Now don't be so smart." I gave Magnolia a piece of dark chocolate and just told her it was chocolate. I tried a piece of chocolate halavah I got at an Armenian store in Watertown. It wasn't very good, and being five days old, I tossed it.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch: Russo's ($4.70)
Romaine, red pepper, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Snack
6 Sticks Beef Jerky
2 oz 50% jalapeno cheddar
3 oz Boston Lite Popcorn
100 ALmonds (Tamari & Regular)

Dinner:
Turkey Crumble & Lettuce LEaves

Dessert
Assorted Lite, Dark Chocolates, Chocolate Halavah

Then Emily suggested we play tennis at night, which I said yes to automatically, For the first time in years, I took the first set and she took the second set. 6-3, 4-6. I could have taken in her that second set, but it was not to be.

Year 3, Day 151: The Fruit Scientist

OH GOD, LET IT BE TRUE.

August 1, 2007

Summer's sweet headliners
Strawberries are here - the real, local deal - and the crop looks bountiful. Chefs who wait for them all year find intriguing roles for that perfect flavour

JULIAN ARMSTRONG, The Gazette
A bumper crop of Quebec strawberries is forecast and, in contrast to earlier times, it won't come all at once and then be gone. "It will be a big, big, big strawberry season, for sure until the beginning of October," says Andre Plante, a Marche Central official.

Montreal chefs are already working their magic with the berry they have been waiting for all year long. Responding to the prospect of all those sweet, juicy local strawberries, they are expanding their strawberry repertoires, from Grandmother's shortcake and a strawberry mille feuille, to the more far-out: Strawberries with seafood, anyone? Or in vinaigrette with the savoury likes of red onions and basil?

"It's one of our best strawberry years ever, and maybe we'll even have Quebec strawberries at Thanksgiving dinner," said Plante, executive director of the Association des jardiniers maraichers de la region de Montreal.

Fruit scientist Shahrokh Khanizadeh agreed, citing the traditional varieties of Quebec's favourite berry that are on sale now, and the new breeds that have extended the season into autumn. "We had wonderful temperatures (this spring), no frost at blossom time, and the perfect amount of sunshine and rainfall," he said from his federal research farm at L'Acadie.

Breakfast
Kashi
Canadian Strawberries
Massachusetts Blueberries
Bananas from Ecuador
Soy milk from Silk
Coffee from Peet's

Snack
1.5 oz Boston Lite Popcorn
4 Sticks Beef Jerky
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar

Dinner: Quince
Assorted Olives
A few bites of very white bread with mushroom butter (this sickened emily)
Smoked Salmon on a Slice of Pickle
Field Greens "Dressed for the Season" (this meant Almond Slivers, Cherries and Goat Cheese)
Artic Char, on Spinach and White Bean Succotash

Dessert
1 Small Meringue cookie with Almond Slivers

I came home early and Emily and I played tennis indoors at the Wellesley spot. The lights went out in the middle of our second set. She won both 2-6 and 5-7. We tried to go to Sweet Basil (a fave Italian spot in Needham) afterwards, but it was crawling with ants (shaped like people) and so we tried the next best thing, which was the place across the street with very few people in it. This turned out to be a good choice and certainly better than the Rice Barn, a restaurant a little farther away with absolutely NO people in it.

Year 3, Day 148: Another Monday Off

Again, I took Monday off because the thought of a long day of travel followed by going back to work was just too much for me to bear. Of course, I tried to make the best of it, by having a slow workout, 4.5 miles in 65 minutes in the AM (after dropping Magnolia off) and then playing tennis with Emily. Playing a tie break and interrupted by the clock running out; Emily 6-3, 1-6 (10-10)

Breakfast
Kashi/Flax/Driscoll
Banana, Blueberries, Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch:
Burnt Ends
Salad

50 Tamari Almonds
1 Large Slice Banana cake

Dinner
Char
Cauliflower
Edimame
1 Horrible Boneless SParerib from Green Tea

Our girls love boneless spare ribs so sometimes we get some to supplement a dinner that's lacking. But after you've had Bernards, you can't hardly go anywhere else. And afterjavascript:void(0) tonight, we've determined that you certainly can't go to Green Tea. For boneless spareribs, anyway. Their Matrix maki is still right on the money.

Year 3, Day 141: Monday Off

Something I highly recommend people do is to take a Monday off after a long weekend. It helps a lot, because then you don't have that Sunday night where you can't face going back to work (even if you like your job). During the day, Emily and I played 90 minutes of tennis. She took the first set 6-3 and I took the second set 6-3, which seems amazingly common lately. We played two tiebreakers, and she won both of them, 7-5 and 7-4.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Pre-Tennis
1 slice Balthzar Bread, Teddie Peanut Butter

Lunch: Leftover Bernard's
Chicken With Vegetables
Eggplant
1 Beef Teriyaki

Snack
Banana Cake
.5 oz Popcorn

Dinner
3 Tacos
Salad

During this period of my life I am examining my inner baker. Today, I made a banana cake, and took my sister-in-law's advice and cooked it longer. Ruby ate nearly half of it. Later in the day, feeling buoyed up by physical activity and a successful banana cake, I tried to make tacos for Ruby. She ate two of them, and I was happy. I am always struggling with how to make different, and healthy things for her to eat that aren't eggplant.

Year 3, Day 140: The Day After

Attempting to get back on the straight and narrow, I go with Emily's sister to play two sets of tennis at hour each. She took the first set 6-3 and I took the second set, 6-3. There was no tiebreak, as I couldn't hack it, and folks were waiting. Though it is not the same calories-burn as a workout, I ate like a hozzer anyway.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch:
1 Slice Balthazar Bread
Egg
Tomatoes, Lox, Red Onions
Salad with Balsamic Vinegar
50 Unsalted ALmonds

Movie Snack
3.5 oz Boston Lite Popcorn

Dinner
Chicken
Salad
Broccoli

Dessert
Brownie, Chocolate Chips

Ruby and I were supposed to go on a date with another Dad & Daughter but it didn't work out so we went to the movies by ourselves, after being shut out by Circus Shmirkkus and stopping to see some cows poop on the road. (Ruby absolutely loved that). About 90 minutes into Ratatouille, (which is 1 hour and 50 minutes total) Ruby couldn't sit still because she was too tired (figure that out). On my way out I thought we'd ask for a refund, which we were granted. I was disappointed, but as I had eaten the entire bag of Boston Light popcorn, I figured we'd better get home and chill out, and eat some chocolate.

Year 3, Day 137: Detecto says "174"

Today was a pretty good day. The latest batch of jerky didn't taste very good, which helped me avoid eating it. Me and another coworker took a very, very fast walk. I was nearly panting to keep up with him. By the time we finished, the sun had come out and we were both hot and sweaty. It's a good thing the office is like a meat locker.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
3 pieces of jerky
9 almonds
1 oz Boston Lite Popcorn

Lunch: Russo's ($5.25)
Romaine, red pepper, red onion, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Dinner: Vela
1 Glass of Wine
2 crusts of crappy white bread with crappy pesto
arugula salad
halibut, pepper relish and sauteed spinach

Gumsert

Emily and I met to play tennis after the rain cancelled our second successive session with a tennis instructor. We met at the Wellesley BSC and it is amazingly small, private and air-conditioned. We were so knocked out it made it hard to concentrate on the tennis! I took the first set (6-3) and she the second (6-3). Then she took the tiebreaker, 8-6, after I had been ahead 5-1. What can I say, coffee is for closers and I didn't get any. We wanted to go to Jimmy's (my fave) but there was a wait so we skeedaddled without canceling our reservation and went to Vela, which had no wait, and I think I know why. I weighed myself at the gym. Their detecto is suspect, but in the words of business geeks, 'it is what it is."

Tomorrow begins the onslaught.

Year 3, Day 76: Paradise Bakery

Still sore after tennis. Really surprising. Not like a "I hurt myself" sore, but a "haven't used those muscles in a dog's age" kind of sore. Really glad about that. Hoping if I get over it, I can get back out there. Maybe three hours is the proper amount of time to get the right work out. When you think about it, a lot of tennis time is spent standing, walking, and doing things that are not very high on the calorie-burning scale.

Breakfast
3 oz. Panera Whole Grain Bread
Super Chunky Peanut Butter
Coffee

Snack
2 Hard Boiled Eggs
4 Sticks Beef Jerky
1 oz. Boston Lite Popcorn

Lunch: Russo's ($5.53)
Romaine, red pepper, red onion, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Dinner
Pecan-Encrusted Salmon
1 Chicken Thigh
Broccoli, Cauliflower and Bok Choy
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar

Dessert
1 Bite of a cookie from Paradise Bakery

Emily was on a field trip and encountered the Paradise Bakery, a Western regional chain that has a location at the Prudential Mall in Boston. She came back with a few cookies that day, bemoaning the fact she didn't have more. Then she dragged my niece back there and came back with a whole slew of every kind of cookies. Trying my best to remain calm, I had one bite. It was very good- soft and yummy, but I was able to use my super South Beach Diet powers and put it back, just enjoying the one bite.

Year 3, Day 74: Three Hours of Tennis

Well I'm not sure it's as good a workout as 90 minutes in the gym, since there is a lot of time spent at rest, but Emily's sister and I played three hours of tennis today. She won, 2 sets to 1, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. It was great to be out on the court but my arm has not completely gotten back to normal since last year and as a result I can't really serve. Serving is where lots of free points come from so I feel that being scrappy enough to take one set says a lot. Though since my change of life I have been able to cover a lot more of the court, that isn't the whole story. You have to be able to get to the ball AND hit it back correctly; that was a problem today.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch
Fritata with last night's vegetables
Big Green Salad with Chicken

Snack
6 oz plain yogurt
3-4 tablespoons Super Chunky Peanut Butter
1 oz Cashews/Almonds

Dinner
A few bites of sesame noodles from the NYT times that I cannot make properly for some reason.
Broiled breast of chicken
Asparagus
Another BIg Salad with Feta, Balsamic

I desperately need a new tennis racquet. I am on the hunt, and will report back when I get one. I suppose that playing with a different grip might help me a lot.

Year 3, Day 22: Disaster and the Day with No Jerky

Something bad happened at work today where everyone starts saying "how did this happen?" At best it was uncomfortable and at worst we were all felt physically sick, thus depriving me of my appetite, which was the only thing good that happened today. Just like all days, I got through it, but with far fewer snacks.

Breakfast
3 oz. Jane's Bread
Super Chunky Peanut Butter
Coffee
1 Blackberry

Snack
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar

Lunch: Wonton Kitchen
House Special Egg Drop Soup
Spicy Chicken with String Beans

Dinner: Skipjack's
Mediterranean Salad
Spicy Salmontini

Emily wisely insisted that we play tennis after work. I didn't want to, but sometimes when things are f**ked up, there's no sense wallowing in it. We wanted to play tennis but we knew we had to eat something first—the days of eating AFTER tennis (when tennis happens at 7pm) were behind us. We agreed to meet at Skipjack's, where we ate very lightly. I had a SalmonTini—which is sushi in a Martini glass, for those who don't want the rice. Sushi restaurants have started to wrap sushi in dakon radish or cucumber—but the glass is just as good (and less filling). I weighed myself on a detecto, after dinner, at the Boston Sports Club—"173"—definitely a better way to end the day then it started. Definitely walked out of there with a spring in my step, even though I lost all the sets to Emily.

Year 2, Day 266: Day After Thanksgiving

Even for a restrained-at-eating guy, I felt like I ate a lot, and even that was after three sets of tennis. Of course, whenever I work out or exercise I'm nearly always eating right afterwards so there's very often little in the way of saved calories there. But Dr. Oz (Oprah's Doctor, and author of "You on a Diet" says that once you create new muscle, it consumes a lot of calories, so you might just change your metabolism permanently if you can do that. Today, I again played three sets of tennis. I didn't keep track of the scores, but you can assume I lost any singles I played, but I played with Emily's sister Amy and we won in doubles. My brother-in-law helped me conclude that the new tennis racket I am playing with might in fact be the cause of my tennis elbow, so today I played with my old one, which has not been restrung since before Ruby was born (so at least six years, but maybe eight or nine). Last night I was icing and heating my arm so I could get one more day on the courts. Now that's dedication, isn't it? Or something stupider?

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean
Heritage Flakes
Blueberries
1 Small Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Pretennis-Snack
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar

Lunch: Russo's ($6.05)
Red leaf, romaine, red pepper, mushrooms, olives
broccoli, feta cheese, balsamic vinegar.

Post Tennis Snack:
6 oz plain yogurt
3 Tablespoons Chunky Peanut Butter

Dinner
Chicken Breast
Chinese Greens
Cabbage Salad
1 Glass Red Wine

Dessert
Several squares of dark and milk chocolate.

Because our guests wanted to go to the New Balance outlet, I suggested we all go to Russo's which is nearby. We all had a great time and for the first time in history I got a Russo's salad on Saturday. Interestingly (only to me) the salad bar had a slightly different arrangement on Saturdays, with the chicken on the left hand side (if you're getting your tin & plastic over) instead of the right hand side. It was also in a smaller container (not a double wide, but a single). Though I spent six dollars on the salad, I had a feeling I would be splitting it with someone—and that was true, multiple people ended up eating it with me. At Russo's I also bought some chocolate bars—one 100% dark chocolate, that was nearly inedible at first, but after a while, kind of like the most pleasant tasting burnt-brown crayon. I shan't be buying that again.