Year 2, Day 260: Home at Last

It was great to wake up at home. I didn't want to be anywhere else in the world (except possibly, at the gym, working off the fried pickles and beer). I made breakfast for the kids, and later that day turkey crumble for dinner. It was an all day love fest. That's what the first day home should be like, right?

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean
Heritage Flakes
Banana
Blueberries
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Green Tea

Lunch:
Hamburger
Salad

Snack
Almonds/Cashews
4 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar

Dinner
Turkey Crumble
Romaine Lettuce

I tried to keep it light because I was feeling terribly guilty and heavy from three days of constant snacking, pork consumption and despite the advertised trust-building, rope-climbing, very little in the way of physical activity. Towards the end of the day, Ruby determined that it was a hoot and a holler for her to drive her little toy-car into a pile of leaves. Then a friend from the neighborhood showed up and all of a sudden every kid was lining up to take a ride in this little toy car (really like a two-year old's scoot-mobile) to flip into a big pile of leaves. I continued to rake endless piles of leaves in order to create a safety zone, but it was hard to keep up.

Year 2, Day 259: North Carolina Day Three, Return Home

Having been advised that there would be little in the way for SoBe dieters, I once again got up at the crack of dawn and moseyed down to the "Courtyard" for some breakfast. Of course, all the usual Southern choices were there, like grits, biscuits, biscuit gravy, curdled eggs, waffles, bacon, sausage in two ways (links and disks) and naturally, steaming hot, but very weak coffee. I loaded up on eggs, bacon, cantaloupe (one of only two non-canned fruits on display) and gasp—a few strawberries—and sat down to tank up for a day of meetings. I had about three cups of coffee, and normally that would turn me into a raving Daffy Duck—but I think I realized what the secret to the slow gait of the Southerner is—there isn't any caffeine in his coffee. It could also be the fact that most of their breakfasts are laden with fat, sugar and carbohydrates, which are sure to slow anyone down. The waitress asked for my card so she could send me a Christmas card. I think she was touched by the fact that I remembered she had a daughter in Maryland.

Breakfast
Scrambled Eggs
Bacon
Strawberries
Cantaloupe

Snack
Banana
Almonds & Cashews
1 Fruit & Nut Delight Bar

Lunch
Nearly Inedible Chicken on a Salad

Dinner: Carolina BBQ
"Low-Carb-Platter"
Brisket, Ribs, Pulled Pork
Cole Slaw
Collard Greens
2 Fried Pickles

Arrive at Home Snack
1 UFO Beer
Almonds/Cashews

A lot of people on the retreat ordered salad for lunch (as I did) and even told me they were planning to eat something plain for dinner, because they kept saying "they couldn't eat meat one more time." I found this a strange thing to say, and something that since I started South Beach I don't really understand. I eat meat (and I guess this means pork or cow) at least five times a week, and I am just accustomed to eating it. I am careful not to overdo it. Maybe that's the difference. On my way out of North Carolina, I knew exactly what I was going to eat—there is a totally acceptable BBQ place in the airport called Carolina's, which maybe to those who know better is slumming it, but for me was the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. As if they knew I was coming, they had the "Low Carb Platter" which I ordered, and I stole the hot-vinegar sauce for the table. I also tasted, and fell in love with, fried pickles. Of course since I never eat anything fried, anything fried tastes great but these were special. I was told my one of my cohorts that if I tasted a REAL fried pickle I would die happy.

In what for me was the highpoint of the team-building experience, the gang at Domania and a few others helped me get to the airport, and even allowed me to take the one last seat on an earlier plane so I could get home in time to celebrate Emily's birthday (or what was left of it). With pre-holiday weekend delays, I only got home about a half hour before they all did, but it really meant a lot to me. I celebrated my homecoming with another beer and a few nuts, gave Emily her presents, and then I thought, as I always do, "I must get to the gym!"

Year 2, Day 258: North Carolina Day Two

My company scheduled us for a two-day company outing on which the first day involved an 8AM arrival at secluded YMCA setting. Part of being on the South Beach diet is sussing out your meals ahead of time. Naturally, I called the exec assistant in charge of putting it together a few days earlier. I asked what kind of breakfast would be served. Further, I said, if it will just be muffins and donuts I want to know so I can plan something else. Because she is nice, I think she agreed to change the menu (though I did not ask her to). However, she did remark at the meeting that the breakfast the following day would be bagels and fruit and added that 'people with special dietary needs are on their own.' Since she mentioned that the first day's breakfast 'might have it catered by Chick Filet-A," I decided to take no chances and eat a big breakfast at the hotel that AM. As it turned out, there were bacon egg and cheese wraps, which I helped myself to one of, as well as a banana. The lunch that day—BBQ—was advertised as 'being brought in from South Carolina,' so I had very high hopes. After all, I have been have been passively searching for the country's best barbecue. When lunch time arrived, it was sorely needed but culinary disappointing. The pulled pork was good, but way too sweet. The baked beans and cole slaw also suffered from this problem. Additionally depressing was that there was no sauce hot enough for my liking. Even the one labeled XX-HOT was mild, by my standards.

Breakfast
Scrambled Eggs
Bacon
Cantaloupe
Strawberries

Lunch
Pulled Pork
Cole Slaw
Beans
Chicken Breast

Snackz
Banana
Cashews/Almonds
1 dry soy cappuccino

Dinner
Caesar Salad (7 leafs of lettuce)
Ribs (Ground-round style)
Green Beans (pretty good)

Dessert
3 Bites of Cheesecake

Afterwards
2 Heizenweiss Beer Glasses

In addition to eating an early breakfast, I also brought some cashews/almonds and a few joy sticks, in case a low-blood sugar moment should come over me and I was in the middle of a corporate-sponsored trust exercise that I could not extract myself from. Fortunately for all involved, this did not happen. I did stop during the scavenger hunt for a dry-soy-cappucino when I noticed a few of my other cohorts were already ensconced at the Starbucks in the mall. Alas, it did not help, for my team failed to place. The final meal of the day was at a game room that served liquor and in a moment of foolish hope, I ordered the ribs, but then was crushed to realized the fact that we were in North Carolina was only incidental; the ribs had been minted and shipped from some Ground Round corporate facility, somewhere in the United States. Following dinner I was supposed to meet an old friend, but to top off my day, my cell phone up and died.

At the suggestion of a few peers, for whom I was there to develop kindly relations with, I stepped out for a few wheat beers. When I weighed that choice against going for another 10:00pm workout at the Marriot exercise room, it seemed like the only sensible choice.

Year 2, Day 257: North Carolina, Day One

First day in North Carolina went pretty much without a hitch from a travel and plan perspective. Looking over my day in advance, I noted that I had a serious lunch problem, as my flight left at 11:00AM and arrived at 1:00PM and I had a meeting at 2, and then at three. I thought hard about what I could eat on the plane and spontaneously came up with an egg salad sandwich (made up eggs that Ruby, Magnolia and Emily didn't eat this morning), microwaved turkey bacon (surprisingly good) plus melted jalapeno cheddar on two slices of Balthazar Multi-grain bread. It was quite good and I drank it was a tomato juice on the plane. (You thought I was going to say I ate it with some fava beans and a nice chianti, didn't you?)

Breakfast
kashi go lean
heritage flakes
blueberries
bananas
unsweetened soy milk
green tea

Plane Lunch
2 SLices Balthazar Multigrain Bread
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar, Melted
About 4 oz. Egg Salad
3 Strips Turkey Bacon
Tomato Juice with Lemon
Diet Coke

Snacks
About 3 oz of Almonds/Cashews
1 Joy Stick

Dinner: Cabo Fish Taco
Mahi-Mahi Burrito
Mexi-Slaw

We may never know why my staff and I decided to drive 25 minutes from our hotel that was offering free appetizers and drinks to wait 45 minutes at a hole-in-the wall place in Charlotte's "Art District," NoDa (North of Davidson). But the food was great—though unnecessarily caloric. I had a great time and then decided that I would take advantage of the gym in the hotel and I worked out for 60 minutes on a combination stair/elliptical that I didn't push myself too hard on. I did sweat, and I did do 60 minutes, and it was at 10:00pm at night. But it wasn't my greatest workout. I have an early call for rope climbing tomorrow, so I've got to sign off.

Year 2, Day 256: The kashi cookie

"At Kashi, we know there's a time in the day when we need to take a moment to give ourselves some tender loving care: a minute to refuel our bodies and our spirits. So, we're offering you a great tasting snack you can feel great about—Kashi (TM) TLC (TM) Tasty Little Cookies (Serving size is 1 cookie [30g, or about the size of two bags of popcorn] and 130 calories- that's no little cookie-Ed.). Our Oatmeal Dark Chocolate chewy cookies contain 7 whole grains, 3g of fiber and 8g of sugar, so they're as nourishing as they are tasty. And, unlike many snack choices, TLC chewy cookies are free of highly refined sweeteners., artificial ingredients hydrogenated oils and cholesterol. TLC chewy cookies help you satisfy your snack craving without sacrificing your healthy. Giver yourself some TLC today!" (There was no picture available of the box).

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean
Heritage Flakes
Blueberries
Bananas
Green Tea

Snack
3 Beef Jerky
2 oz. 50% Cheddar (Jalapeno)
25 Almonds
Coffee (half decaf)

Lunch:
Chicken Breast
Cole Slaw
Salad

Dinner:
Paprikash Chicken
Steak Tips
Cabbage Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

I am going to North Carolina for three days tomorrow. I am trying to carefully think through what my eating plan will be, as company gatherings, especially in the South, are not geared to Northeasterners on the South Beach diet. Cold tea and potato chips and cookies are sure to abound and sandwiches and muffins are usually the lunch and breakfast offerings. I am trying to pack some small snacks that I can keep on me (Kind bars, nuts, joy sticks) so I can make it through without making anyone uncomfortable. I may not get the chance to blog for a few days, but I will give you the (almost) full report on my return.

Year 2, Day 255: Rainy Days and Mondays

Possibly because I ate two flour-laden Peanut-butter chocolate chip muffins of my own making last night, or just because it was a cold, rainy Monday, I found it hard to control myself today. To add insult to injury I got a salad from Panera but I found it rather small and unsatisfying. This caused me to eat 1oz of Boston Lite popcorn right away and anxiety about my trip to North Carolina caused me to eat three more pieces of beef jerky. Sometimes just the anxiety of eating causes you more anxiety, and certainly that can be an endless spiral leading you nowhere.

Breakfast
5 Slices Ham
1 Slice Balthazar Rye
Coffee

Snack
5 Slices Beef Jerky
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
1 oz Boston Lite Popcorn
30 Almonds

Lunch: Panera
Greek Salad with Chicken

Dinner:
Steak Tips
Asparagus
Peppadews
a few handfuls of cashews and almonds

In my continued quest to ratchet down the diet or just 'take it easy' sometimes I find that I have been eating more nuts and popcorn. Today I was looking back at some old posts and I realized part of the reason I wasn't losing weight is how much fat I was consuming, even during the first year. Sure it was a low-carb diet, but to eat regular 'lite' yogurt plus nuts plus regular cheese all in one day is kind of crazy, but I didn't know that at the time. I know that now, which is why I'm so anxious about it.

Year 2, Day 254: Sunday's Best Muffins

Rainy, cold day. Magnolia and I got up early and went to the supermarket. It's a great feeling to be able to get in and out of the supermarket before 11AM on a Sunday. One of the truly great side benefits of your kids getting you up early. We went shopping because my cousins were coming over and we wanted to be prepared. Of course, I drive her by the pastry counter and let her pick something and she picks the Whole Foods equivalent of a bear claw, which she concentrates on for the sole purpose of removing the sugar off it. She is truly like "Little Chrissy," a character from the Jon Waters movie "Pecker." In that movie, Little Chrissy is a sugar addict, and she is busted eating white sugar from the bag during the middle of the night and has an intervention. I suspect Magnolia's moment of intervention is not too far off. Any one who knows her mother or grandfather knows she comes by it honestly.

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

Lunch
Robert's Turkey Crumble
Boston Lettuce
Boston Lite Popcorn

Post-workout snack
6 oz. plain yogurt
3 tablespoons super chunky peanut butter

Dinner:
Hamburger
Pickles
Peppadews
Broccoli

Dessert
2 Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Muffins

A good workout today, six miles and lots of sweat. I figured I would need this because it appeared to be a rainy day and with a lot of kids at our house I thought making muffins would be fun for at least some of them. As it turned out, this was completely inaccurate as they weren't really interested in the REAL kitchen, only the fake kitchen, and the basement, and chasing each other around and shrieking. Not one to be deterred, especially after I had picked out the recipe and all the ingredients, I soldiered on and made the muffins anyway. They were not good and yet I ate two of them, because hot peanut butter-chocolate chip muffins right out of the oven are irresistible, even if they're substandard. Emily insisted I give them to my cousins as they were leaving, and out of the grace of their hearts, they took them, but mostly because I gave them to them in my very best tupperware which distracted them.

Year 2, Day 253: Saturday's Monster Thickburger

A really unbelievably beautiful day prompted the family to get out to the park. Most families, I've noticed have the advantage of getting up at 6am because their kids get up with the breaking dawn. Our kids sleep till 8 or 9 so we're not even ready to get out of the house until 10AM if we're lucky. On top of that, Emily only can only take so much park going, because the parent 'types' really get to her. Though I enjoy my share of people-gawking, I love sitting on a bench and doing nothing while my kids make themselves really, really tired. Afterwards, we retired to a little pizza place for what I thought would be a nice lunch. It turned out to be kind of greasy but serviceable.

Breakfast
2 Eggs
1 Slice Balthazar
Green Tea Coffee

Snack
1 Joy Stick
Popcorn, To Taste
2 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar

Lunch: Mark's
Salad with Steak
a few bites of chicken finger

Dinner:
Salad
Turkey Tips
Peppadews

Hardee's has reintroduced its Chili Cheese Thickburger by popular demand, if you can believe that. This is a burger that contains 960 calories (or about half the day's calories for a normal person) with 55g of carbs and 60g of fat and 1570mg of sodium (nearly your entire day's worth). Amazingly, this is not their worst offering calorically. That award goes to the "Monster Thickburger" with 1410 calories. It has lower carbs (47g) but more fat (107g) and nearly twice the sodium at 2740mg. And all this is without the fries and soda. I cannot really imagine the type of person that would go into a Hardee's and order "Monster Thickburger." Either adjective by itself (Monster & Thick) is enough to connote something that's more than just a regular burger, but the Monster Thickburger really takes the cake. The fact that Hardee's presents the nutritional values of these food choices on their Web site proves only one thing to me: they think their core audience does not read their Web site.

Year 2, Day 252: Poker

I have loved my Fridays at home with my family and this Friday was different because Veteran's Day meant neither child had school and we were all together. This also made it a little more challenging to get to the gym, but I did, and did my customary 6.5 miles in about 60 minutes. I was really eager to get to the gym because I desperately wanted to raise my metabolism so I wouldn't fret about the massive nut intake that I voluntarily subject myself to once a month. I also was craving a beer, and I had one, though it was at the end of the night when it didn't really help either my mood, or my poker playing. For the first time in probably four years I was totally wiped out at the card table. I lost everything. So much for my theory about working out helping the poker game. That theory needs some retooling, no doubt.

Breakfast
Kashi Go lean
heritage flakes
banana
blueberries

Lunch: Takara
Sashimi
Edamame
Salad
Miso Soup

Post-gym workout snack
6 oz. plain yogurt
3 tablespoons super chunky peanut butter


Dinner/Poker
Pistachios
Almonds/Cashews
Twice-Cooked Pork
1 Beef Teriyaki
2 Mooshi Pork pancakes
Kung Pao Chicken
UFO Beer
Popcorn

I noticed on the Chinese menu too late that they had a chicken-lettuce wrap offering as well as some other VERY South-Beach friendly choices. I was ordering off an old scan of a two-year old menu, so I got what I deserved. Between the nuts and the kung-pao chicken and the peanut butter for post-gym snack I was really fretting about the total nut intake for the day, as I will never forget reading that line in the South Beach diet book "Nuts are Diet Busters." Again, I am trying to tread lightly between staying on the diet and loosening up. But I'm finding it hard to live in the middle. People think staying on the diet is hard, but it's actually a lot easier to be a zealot than to engage in the incredible discipline required to live in a constant state of moderate living, food-wise.

Year 2, Day 251: Nuts Again

Amazingly, three of the people closest to me in are venturing onto some kind of diet or program. All for their various reasons, they are setting out to lose weight, break patterns and just get healthy. As a supportive guy I am not naming names but I support them all whole-heartedly. Meanwhile, since my weigh in at 176 I have been considering what my next steps are. Do I stay on the diet, or do I move to the more low-fi "Phase Three?" This week I have already been thinking that I've been letting myself slide. For instance, this morning I had a lot of peanut butter and this afternoon I ate nearly 40 almonds.

Breakfast
6 oz. plain yogurt
4 tablespoons Super Chunky Peanut Butter
Green Tea

Snack
Five Pieces of Beef Jerky
2 oz. 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
40 Almonds

Lunch: Russo's ($5.65)
Red leaf, red onion, red pepper
mushroom, broccoli, chicken, feta
balsamic vinegar

Dinner:
Sesame Encrusted Trout
Cauliflower
Green Salad with Cabbage & Parmesan

People continue to ask me now that I've gotten to 176 lbs, what are my plans? Do I plan to 'ease up'? It's a good question. I'm not sure I know how to moderate my behavior. I know how to be a zealot; that' is easy. But navigating shades of grey is difficult. Can I bring one piece of pizza a week into my diet? But why would I do that? This is what I will be wrestling with over the next few weeks, months, and the holiday season. I'll let up a little, but I don't want to get back to gaining weight.

Year 2, Day 250: "Our Long National Nightmare is Over."

My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over.

Our Constitution works; our great Republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here the people rule. But there is a higher Power, by whatever name we honor Him, who ordains not only righteousness but love, not only justice but mercy.

As we bind up the internal wounds ...[sic]...more painful and more poisonous than those of foreign wars, let us restore the golden rule to our political process, and let brotherly love purge our hearts of suspicion and of hate.

—Gerald Ford, at his Inaugural August 9th, 1974

Breakfast
1 Slice Balthazar Rye
5 Slices of Virginia Ham
Coffee

Snack:
1 Extra Smokey
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
2 Pieces Beef Jerky
1/2 oz Popcorn Lite

Lunch: Boston Beer Works
Greek Salad with Chicken

Dinner:
Steak Tips
Cabbage
Broccoli

News at this Hour: Looks like Webb in Virginia. Rumsfeld resigned. Is it truly the "audacity of hope?" More tomorrow.

Year 2, Day 250: Gone Fishin'

The fate of the world hangs in the balance, and I just can't take it. I have taken the night off from writing to chew my nails off while watching the election coverage.

Breakfast
2 Soft-Boiled Eggs
3 Slices of Turkey Bacon
Green Tea

Snack
1 oz Boston Lite Popcorn
1 Extra Smokey
4 Beef Jerky Sticks

Lunch: Malaysian Restaurant
Beef satay
String Beans and Chicken
Soup
Jicama Salad
1-2 bites of coconut pudding

Dinner
Catfish
Bok Choy
A handful of almonds/cashews
a few bites of hot dog

It's possible that the very sugary lunch sent me into an overdrive, but more likely it was my anxiety about this election. I must get back to the TV, the Internet is not doing it for me tonight. Back tomorrow if the world is still in one piece.

Year 2, Day 249: Dreams Do Come True DETECTO says "176"

I got weighed in this morning and though the staff has changed at Dr. Parent's office, I still found someone to weigh me in, and the news is in. I weighed in at 176 pounds,which for those of you who have been keeping track means I have lost 50lbs since I began the South Beach diet 614 days ago. At that point, the time I was weighed prior to starting the South Beach diet and a subsequent exercise regime, I traced my weight and heigh in my doctor's office chart to "Obese." The right weight, it said, for a man standing 5'9" was 179 lbs. I thought, "I'll never get into the 170s again." But lo and behold, with time, persistence, and a lot of salad, I have achieved this goal. I truly never expected to reach this goal, so I am somewhat surprised. Now Emily is worried that I am sick, and everyone is afraid that I will disappear with an eating disorder. Fear not; my love of pizza, Chinese food and all things chocolate remain. Now maybe I'll go back to the one glass of red wine per night...


Breakfast
Kashi GO Lean
Heritage Flakes
Blueberries
Banana
Green Tea

Snack
Coffee
1 Beef Jerky
1 Extra Smokey
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar

Lunch: Peter's Kitchen
Chicken Kebab Salad
Feta, Balsamic Vinegar


Dinner
Talapia a la Emily
Grilled Asparagus

It was very hard to even understand the results of the scale today, and it was good to have a distraction from all the election coverage. I thought about whether or not I should celebrate, but celebrating a successful diet with food is like celebrating achieving a financial goal by spending that money, which most would agree is not wise. Just like in a race for the pennant, all I think about when having a lead is how to stay in the lead. I realize the time is now to consider 'maintenance' or what South Beach calls "Phase Three" or what everyone else might call 'the rest of your life.' How to stay on the program but without gaining weight? I suppose I could go back to peanut butter, or add one more carb or sugar back into my week? It will take some thinking no doubt. In the meanwhile, the pants I bought at size 36 already don't fit and I still don't have six-pack abs. So that's the next thing— how to develop a swimmer's body. I suppose it involves swimming.

Today I celebrated by eating a salad and going for a walk around the Charles River. Yah.

Year 2, Day 248: Waiting for the World to Change

Waiting On The World To Change—John Mayer

Me and all my friends
we're all misunderstood
they say we stand for nothing and
there's no way we ever could
now we see everything that's going wrong
with the world and those who lead it
we just feel like we don't have the means
to rise above and beat it

so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

it's hard to beat the system
when we're standing at a distance
so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change
now if we had the power
to bring our neighbors home from war
they would have never missed a Christmas
no more ribbons on their door
and when you trust your television
what you get is what you got
cause when they own the information, oh
they can bend it all they want

that's why we're waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

it's not that we don't care,
we just know that the fight ain't fair
so we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

and we're still waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting waiting on the world to change
one day our generation
is gonna rule the population
so we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

Preworkout Breakfast
1 Slice Balthazar Bread
1 Tablespoon Super Chunky Peanut Butter
Green Tea

Postworkout Snack (Real Breakfast)
Heritage Flakes
Kashi Go Lean
Blueberries
Banana
Coffee

Lunch
Robert's Turkey Crumble
Crispy Lettuce Leaves
a few bites of hot dog
a few bites of popcorn

Dinner
Emily's Lime & Wheat Shrimp
String Beans

I got to the gym at 8:15AM this morning, and it was great timing. No one was there and I had the place to myself. I was a little worried about the size of the crowd I would find since the parking lot was so full. But the real crush of people came at 9:30AM when I was leaving. Today, totally by accident, I pushed the 'hill' setting. It made, unsurprisingly, for a much harder workout! I only got to 6 miles in 60 minutes and by then I was quite tired and thought I had hurt myself (I didn't), but mile four remains an ass-kicker no matter what. DON'T FORGET TO VOTE.

Year 2, Day 247: Hail, Hail Freedonia

Whenever I read about the state of affairs today, I can't help thinking of Groucho Marx in Duck Soup. Below, the lyrics he sings upon taking on the responsibility of leading the Government of Freedonia. You'll note some EERIE parallels to what's going on in today's political landscape. Don't Forget to Vote on Tuesday.

RUFUS T. FIREFLY:

These are the laws of my administration
No one's allowed to smoke
Or tell a dirty joke
And whistling is forbidden...
If chewing gum is chewed
The chewer is pursued.
And in the hoosegow hidden...
If any form of pleasure is exhibited
Report to me and it will be prohibited.
I'll put my foot down, so shall it be.
This is the land of the free.

The last man nearly ruined this place
He didn't know what to do with it
If you think this country's bad off now
Just wait 'til I get through with it
The country's taxes must be fixed
And I know what to do with it
If you think you're paying too much now
Just wait 'til I get through with it...

I will not stand for anything that's crooked or unfair
I'm strictly on the up and up
So everyone beware
If anyone's caught taking graft
And I don't get my share
We stand 'em up against the wall
And pop goes the weasel.

If you haven't seen this movie at all or recently, I recommend you go out and buy it (whatever that means now, probably at Amazon.com)
----------

Breakfast
2 Fried Eggs
3 Strips Turkey Bacon
Green Tea

Snack
1 Slice Balthazar bread w/ Butter
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
1.5 oz Boston Lite Popcorn

Lunch: Robert's Turkey Crumble
with Lettuce Wraps

Dinner:
Big Salad
Chicken White Meat

Not much going on today. Having Fridays off makes Saturdays feel like Sundays, but at some point you realize it's Saturday and some things are still open. However, in my case, it was still not soon enough to get to the post office. So I concentrated on getting some long put-off things in order, including catching up on my blog writing.

Year 2, Day 246: Friday at Tower

Went to the gym today and again did 6.5 miles on the elliptical at level 4. I thought I was going to be bumped off the machine at 10:00AM, but the place emptied out and I continued on till I hit 60 minutes. Miles 3 & 4 remain so very hard, but I feel like I could go for 7 or 8 miles— after 5 it becomes very easy, and I'm not sure if it's physical, from breaking through some kind of wall or endorphin release, or mental, because I know I've hit my goal and everything else is just gravy (without flour, please).

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean
Heritage Flakes
Blueberries
Banana
Green Tea

Snack
Coffee
1 Handful of Nuts
Cheese of 1/2 a slice of Pizza
1/2 popcorn

Lunch: Legal Seafoods
6 Oysters
Grilled Swordfish
Sauteed Spinach
Salad with Balsamic Vinegar

Dinner: Robert's Turkey Crumble

In a move of spousal indulgence, Emily agreed to go to Tower Records with me. As they are having a much more orderly and slow disassembly, their store was not nearly as depressing. Also, the Friday afternoon shift differs about as much as you can from the Saturday night shift. We spent about the same amount of $$ and walked away with a "remember when" kind of attitude.

Year 2, Day 245: KFC Changes its Oil

This week there has been a lot written about KFC Corporation (A Yum Brand), formerly known (and soon to be again) as Kentucky Fried Chicken. This is because they agreed to change their oil from the heart and body-damaging partially hydrogenated oils with a new kind of un-partially hydrogenated oil. It's great to see humongous companies do this, and somehow gives he hope that we are living in an era where there is a return to sense, after nearly two decades of wreaking havoc on the bodies of our nation. (It is sad that several lawsuits probably led to this change, though). It is also fantastic to check out food news every day and see pretzel companies switch to real wheat flour, instead of enriched white flour, and see the Frito Lay companies get rid of these fats. Twenty years after the fact, even big corporate can admit: we made a mistake. Partially hydrogenated fats=bad. Next: High fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors? Do really need artificial color? My parental sense tells me kids will eat anything strawberry flavored. Whether it's pink or not is totally, and unequivocally, irrelevant.

Zero Trans Fat Cooking Oil in KFC

KFC Corporation announced today it is converting all of its 5,500 restaurants in the United States to a zero grams trans fat cooking oil. The new oil, a low linolenic soybean oil, will replace the partially hydrogenated soybean oil in current use in KFC restaurants. The conversion, which follows over two years of extensive testing of oil options to identify the same taste profile, has already begun in many KFC restaurants and is scheduled to be completed by the end of April 2007 nationwide. (So don't run out right now—Ed.)

Once the transition is complete, KFC's most popular signature products, including Original Recipe and Extra Crispy chicken, will contain zero grams of trans fat. Other products that will have zero grams of trans fat are: Crispy Strips, Wings, Boneless Wings, Honey BBQ, Buffalo and Crispy Snacker Sandwiches, Popcorn Chicken, Twisters and Potato Wedges. Many KFC menu items today already contain zero grams of trans fat, including: all Tender Roast Products, Honey BBQ Sandwich, Honey BBQ Snacker, and many side dishes such as Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, Corn on the Cob and Coleslaw.

(They didn't mention the unneeded sugar, exorbitant amount of carbs or artificial flavors and colors and emulsifiers that are used, did they?—Ed.)

Breakfast
4 Slices of Virginia Ham
1 Slice Balthazar Bread
Green Tea

Snack
1 Extra Smokey
2 Pieces Beef Jerky
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
1/2 oz Popcorn

Lunch: Russo's ($5.97)
Red leaf, red pepper, red onion
broccoli, mushrooms, feta, chicken
balsamic vinegar
pepperocini

Dinner
93% Sirloin Burger
Sauteed Onions
Pickles
Broccoli

Dessert
2 Chocolate Kisses

I must say that coincidentally, I happened to be watching the Food Channel's special on Fast Food and that the first segment was about Harlen Sanders and his invention of Kentucky Fried Chicken. It's your typical American, go-for-broke rags'n'riches story, but the part of the story that hit me was how Colonel Sanders (Kentucky actually made him an official Colonel, and contrary to Internet company hallway talk, that is his likeness on the package) was a trailblazer in the way he sold his chicken. Apparently at the time, there wasn't really any "take-out" food (with Chinese probably being the lone exception, and then only in urban metropoli). Chicken was the province of the Sunday Night meal and in the words of one of the talking heads, fried chicken was "A meal everyone wanted to eat but no one wanted to make." The program described KFC as an agent of 'liberation' for mothers and grandmothers around the country, and further described the bucket as a unique way to present the package. I must admit that my own family relied on 'getting a bucket of chicken' quite often, though my brother and I often came to blows about what type. I liked the short-lived barbecue variety, while he was an extra crispy fan. Of course, I now know that the Colonel's secret was that he used a whole wheat pastry flour instead of an all-purpose baking dough for his dredge; thereby the "softer" crispy chicken, with just SO many carbs. I ate at KFC as recently as 2002 and I must say that I really, really liked it. And it's those memories I'll cherish...

Year 2, Day 244: Virgin Records

Virgin Records is the store that took America by storm and replaced Tower Records in its Boston location (causing it to move to an unprofitable Fenway location, where it closed about a year later). It was an international brand and quite a big deal when it arrived in Boston's most premier spot on Mass. Ave, at the crossroads of the city. Recently, looking for a CD for my brother-in-law's birthday, I tried to find its phone number on the Internet. Not listed— in fact, going out of business. What? And just a few weeks after Tower Records filed for bankruptcy? What's going on there? Every one has had a favorite store close— it can feel like a close friend moving far away, or dying (depending on your relationship to the store and its fate). But Tower and Virgin paint a picture of an INDUSTRY that has ALREADY died, and we are just experiencing the 'phantom pain' when we sadly wave goodbye. With these stores and others gone, the last of the CD Megastores is gone. Sure, you'll be able to buy at Borders and Target, but the specialty, 'deep-catalog' stores will not last out the decade. Last Saturday, Emily put the kids to bed while I took myself downtown for the last time to spend an hour communing with my past. I could write a whole book on my experience with Tower Records, from my temple-like experience with it at the West 4th Street location to my sheer joy when it opened in Boston in 1988. The scene was so absolutely depressing, with people like ants crawling over all of the discarded, unwanted and bargain bin crumbs. Of course, there was very little "A" product left (Beatles, etc.) and so I steeled myself and went methodically through every letter looking for CDs that I had wanted but couldn't buy at the ridiculous prices (part of the reason the industry became comatose) now at 50-75% off. Though the music playing over the PA system was loud enough to permanently damage my hearing, it was actually the quality of it that was so disturbing. It was atonal punk-metal, that was akin to torture and I'm sure is used a method of ridding the store of customers. If it were necessary to turn that music into a color so you could understand it, it would be vomit color with a grey tinge. 45 minutes later I had so many CDs that I had to resort to using a shopping basket. I probably had $300 in merchandise when I got on line. Coming to my senses at the checkout, I shed many I deemed irresponsible even for me (Am I really going to listen to Englebert Humberdink's Christmas LP?) and I walked out with about 1/3 of that cost. Though I had saved money, I was so overwhelmed with my experience and what it meant to lose CD stores that I was totally unnerved driving home. I had just made peace recently with relegating my vinyl records to the attic, now this? I had worshiped at the altar of vinyl. I spent my childhood studying album jackets. I found CDs "cute" but not the big exciting canvas of vinyl LPs. I guess it's a sign of being old, because everything is moving just a little too quickly. It's not that I mind the replacement— I am both a big fan and early adapter of the iTunes music store. But I thought it was an 'and', not a 'instead of.' But with digital music, what is there left to hold? To examine?

Virgin is scheduled to shut its doors November 4th. Tower is going to close around Thanksgiving. I will continue to buy CDs until I don't have something to play them on anymore...

Breakfast
5 Slices of Ham
1 Slice Balthazar Multigrain Bread
Green Tea

Snackendorfer
4 pieces beef jerky
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
20 Unsalted, Roasted Almonds

Lunch: Peter's Kitchen
Chicken Kebab salad with feta
balsamic vinegar

Dinner: Sashimi
3 Slices of Salmon, Whitefish and Tuna
Salad
Edamame
1 Bag (5/8 oz) of Smartfood

In a surprise of Mother Nature, a second 65 degree day hit our fair city and this prompted our gang to want to go-a-walking. I didn't have my sneakers, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity-- we all saw that the rest of the week would be cold, rainy and grim. I had my Timberland loafers on, and this particular walk felt like I was dragging my good shoes across the scratchy pits of shoe-kill. Though it was great to get out there and feel the sun on my face, I was wincing every time I felt I was shortening my shoe's lifespan. I must tell you, having shoes I care about is a new experience for me. I must not get used to it.

Year 2, Day 243: Halloween

Halloween is among my favorite holidays, and why not? Unless you are a pagan or witch, there are no religious ceremonies to attend, and at the end of the night you get to count up your candy. I did go through a period of not enjoying Halloween, which I suppose everyone does. That is the period when you are an angst-ridden teen who feels too 'old' to trick or treat but you are too young to drive to any parties where you could mix or mingle with other hormonal classmates. It didn't help that I also was rampantly paranoid that the ne'er-do-wells who erupt in every small town with their baseball bats, toilet paper and eggs would have singled me out as ripe for the picking. When I got my license, and later in college, I rediscovered my joy of halloween, made manifest by throwing loud raucous parties that featured a keg, endless mix tapes and very often, I'm afraid, the local authorities.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean
Heritage Oat Flakes (purchased by mistake and now I must eat 128 oz of them)
Blueberries
Banana
Coffee

Snack
4 Pieces Beef Jerky
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar

Lunch: Peter's Kitchen
Chicken Kebab Salad
Balsamic Vinegar

Dinner:
Emily's Hungarian Chicken
Asparagus
Pickles
1/2 oz Popcorn

Despite a good walk around the neighborhood (which I helped plan this year), I indulged in absolutely no candy. Ruby was interested (that's a generous description) as to why I didn't eat any candy. She wanted to know if adults didn't eat candy. I said she knew that wasn't true because she had seen adults eat candy, even in her own house. I'm not sure I knew how to explain it to her except with the very unkid-friendly statement that candy has 'little or no nutritional value' and too much can make you feel bad. She promised never to eat candy for dinner. We agreed that was a good idea. But I certainly did reflect on past Halloweens where the overage of candy was gleefully counted, divided and consumed by yours truly. Though I have savored all candy at one time, I think the winner of "if you could only eat one" contest is probably still the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup—but NEVER the small, foiled wrapped ones. Only the big, single or double orange-packaged ones. Ruby asked me if I was "in love with Reese's Cups," which she continually calls "Reese's Bites." I told her I loved them but I was not in love with them.

Year 2, Day 242: Twas the Night Before All Hallow's Eve

Most Mondays can feel like waking up from a night of binge-drinking (metaphorically speaking) but the Monday after Daylight Savings Time seems even worse because somehow it's darker and colder. Just trying to figure out where I left off on Friday was a challenge, but with a Russo's salad I was able to get through it. I knew I was in trouble though when I saw the price of my salad—$4.58— I think an all time low. I knew I would be hungry later. Then, I heard that the oldest son of the nurse at Ruby's school was killed in an auto accident. She is a wonderful and beloved woman and, well, I just pulled up my chair to the almonds, and it was all over.


Breakfast
2 Soft-Boiled Eggs plus 1 Yolk
2 small pieces of Balthazar Rye
Green Tea

Snackz
3 Pieces Beef Jerky
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar
35 Almonds
1 oz Boston Lite Popcorn

Lunch: Russo's ($4.58)
Red leaf, red pepper, red onion
broccoli, mushroom, feta, chicken
balsamic vinegar

Dinner:
Flounder a la Emily
Green Beans (Though Magnolia ate most of them)
A little bit of left over Blue Ribbon BBQ

When I got home it was time for our annual "Prepare the Candy" for the little trickortreatatti. This has been a banner year for Halloween at our house; we dressed up our porch and Maria helped Ruby carve pumpkins and tonight we isolated the candy and the games (little mazes with balls) and mini-playdohs. I got nice plastic bags with orange twisty-ties, not the paper kind. Ruby and I knocked out about 35 bags in an hour. We had a great time, but like clockwork, Emily was yelling about how there's too much candy, and how we were 'over budget.' She's really not into the spirit of Halloween, me thinks. Tomorrow night, at 64 degrees, we'll see who's right.