Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Day of Awesomeness

So right after my last post, B-May and I whipped up some dinner. And it was literally whipped up in a food processor - B-May made pesto from scratch and we enjoyed spinach almond pesto pasta. Unfortunately it was a brightly colored dinner in a brightly colored dish so it doesn't pop nearly as well as it did for my taste buds:

In a more common theme of this blog, I have to say that yesterday was gorgeous! And in keeping with our enthusiasm to embrace these days, B-May and I were up early (though not that early) and out for a day of activities!
With the day ahead of us, we fueled up on oatmeal filled with pumpkin puree and cinnamon and other spices for a delicious pre-run breakfast.

Without being too full, we set off for the Rockingham Trail, a multi-use bike path running from nearby Newfields all the way to Manchester. Apparently it's 25 miles long one-way, but we had some pressing events in our calendar and decided on an out-and-back of...7 miles! The farthest we've ever run! It was amazing cruising down the old railroad bed, completely alone in a beautiful wilderness with only a few quiet country road crossings. I should admit that my feet took an absolute beating on the rocky portions since I was wearing my ruby red slippers but when not negotiating crushed stones the size of sharply cut golf balls, I felt great.

When we finished our run, we were neither tired nor sore. Amazing! With minimal time to spare, we headed down the road to Applecrest Farm for some P.Y.O. (pick your own) apples. For $15 we trotted across the road and into a vast orchard of apple trees, their branches drooping to the ground under the weight of enormous Macintosh apples!

We figured for the price of the peck, we could allow ourselves a freebie snack - the first thing we ate since our run. Look at size of these things!

Just a selection of our bounty for the day. We filled the bag to the brim and then some. Now of course the challenge is eating the lot before they go bad.

With a pressing dentist appointment in Massachusetts, B-May and I stopped for a picnic at the center of Hampton Falls. I award myself points for modifying my summer sandwich staple: In addition to turkey and swiss cheese, I added red pepper hummus, baby spinach leaves, and guacamole from the other night. All this on an Arnold's Thin and I was quite content with my lunch! I got suckered into a 16oz, 99-cent can of Coca-Cola to wash it all down but did not come close to finishing. It's for the better.

When we got back from Massachusetts, it was classic afternoon snacktime. Here's my idea of it:

A chocolate frappe! Mixed up the remaining ice cream in the freezer with chocolate syrup and skim milk. We figured that we really didn't eat enough given the amount of running we did so it was unanimously allowed to indulge accordingly.

We met up with my folks who were "camping" (actually, one could google "glamping" instead) and they took us out to dinner. I easily put down a plate of "rashers" - pork tenderloin with asparagus and potatoes - not to mention a generous helping of onion rings and cheese fondue for appetizers.

This morning, B-May reminded me of leftovers from her and couple friends' recent visit to "The Friendly Toast." Chocolate chip banana peanut butter pancakes. They're called "The King" after some delicacy enamored by and perhaps invented by Elvis Presley himself.

Put some apple slices on top for good measure to mark the beginning of our assault on the plethora of apples we picked. Excellent breakfast!

Off to read in the park on this beautiful day. Later!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Ups and Downs

Good evening!

On Saturday B-May and I ran a race! Well, it was a race for the snot-nosed kids from Exeter High School who chidded obnoxious interruptions throughout the 5k. They probably been forced to run it by their teachers or more likely their coaches but we were not forced and we were not forced to CRUSH IT! In a driving rain we ran the fastest 5k times either of us had ever run. I finished in just over 26 minutes and B-May kept me in her sights the entire time and came across the line about a minute and a half behind me. It's very encouraging for us to consider the improvements we have made on our times and our running overall. Tomorrow we are planning on a six mile "trail run" not too far from the house. The key of course is confidence - the belief that twice the distance of what we ran yesterday, is attainable.
So that's the news from the running front. Everything is going well with the Five Fingers and I've never felt stronger before, during or after any run. I realize it's a combination of the shoes but mostly my gait and stride which have been so radically altered it's still a little awkward.
Pretty soon I will start swimming at the city pool. I'm excited to finally put my money where my mouth is.

And with a healthy bit of cycling (just tipped over 1,000 miles of riding this summer) that completes the triathlon update.
Now, the bad news. After my leisurely ride and last post, B-May (and I, sort of) made a pie of spaghetti! There was a combination of cheese sauces and pasta and tomato sauces and everything else I have since forgotten (I finished the last leftover for lunch today).
THEN we decided that it was necessary to hop on down to the local Hannaford for some ice cream. And then we ate it. Stupid, but amazing.

I partied Thursday night (which is a gross understatement) and had a few more beers last night with some friends from out of town. In addition to $1 PBRs at a pub in Dover, I created a debt of nearly an entire bag of chips and a tub of salsa to a buddy after raiding his fridge early Friday morning.


Hooray! Hangover food. Initially a breakfast sandwich (egg and cheese) before the lighter fare of toast for my pissed off stomach.

With such a void in my healthy lifestyle I will spare the reader and myself the rigors of food accounting. Instead, here's a slew of pictures of with sparse captions!

Post-race food from Me and Ollies! Bagels with cream cheese and a cup of coffee. Here's a muffin from Caffe Killim (sp?) down the street from us. It was delicious and cheap! I got a cup of coffee - freshly brewed Turkish Blend - as well on this stop from earlier this weekend. Delicious and cheap indeed!Hooray again! This time for the end of Eggo waffles. With no intentions of buying more, that's the last of this long-time habit. The horizon is filled with healthy alternatives!

Later!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Leisurely Ride

Yesterday, I decided that on my ride to work that I would not break a sweat. Just enjoy a smooth and calm (despite traffic!) ride to work. I wore jeans and made no effort to look the part of cyclist with all the gear necessary to pass for the role. The reason I bring this up is to illustrate that we sometimes need to just take it easy. Especially when it comes to exercise. I once read in Bicycling Magazine a column that encouraged its readers to strip their bike of a cyclocomputer and just ride without knowing how far or how fast you're going. The emphasis was enjoying the act of riding a bicycle and not just using it as a means of churning lactic acid. Perhaps it was the lingering effects of my speed 5k earlier in the day but I gotta say, it felt right just enjoying the bicycle for the beautiful and wonderfully efficient machine it is. And the ride home from work - at 10pm there are almost no cars on the backroads of Portsmouth and I enjoyed an equally calming and quiet ride home as well.

For the most part, I am content with my food intakes yesterday. Shortly after my last post, I broiled up the leftover slices of Saturday's pizza and the remaining black bean burger. In addition to actual hamburger roles (all white baby!) from my folks' BBQ, I paired up the burger with some grilled veggies - asparagus, peppers, onions and others I am not able to name:



I must report also that after my lunch before I set off on my leisurely cruise to work, I had such a craving for chocolate. But willpower prevailed! I had a glass of water and brushed my teeth - another remedy to discount the sweet tooth - and off I went.

For dinner I made a pathetic lemon-pepper chicken sandwich with a slice of cheese melted on top. Again, leftovers from the BBQ. It was of course delicious though lacking in much flavor. Fortunately I was enveloped in my reading of Under the Banner of Heaven too much to notice until now, really. This sad excuse for a sandwich went with a corn salsa that ALSO came from the BBQ. Lots of leftovers!


Then, on my ride home I asked B-May to nuke a slice of my aunt's birthday cake ALSO from the BBQ. While we watched the entire first disc of the fifth season of The Office I had that with some milk and later a beer. Then I broke down with another sweet tooth craving, so inconsolable I succumbed to a package of Funny Bones. Terrible little treats but reminiscent of my childhood and while "comfort food" is not a label I can attach to them, every once in a while I pick up this cheap snack at the corner store.

Breakfast this morning was less than enchanting - eggs and toast. Thought I should get a move on the eggs before they go bad - B-May and I have been pretty good about now throwing away food since our move. Gotta keep it up!

Later!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Bleh bleh bleh

In the immortal words of Snoopy, "bleh." It's been a while since I've written and my frustration comes from the emptiness of something I thought I had: willpower. Willpower is the very basis of my training and a clear alternative to the name of this blog. Willpower wakes me up in the morning and gets me up to speed on training runs. Willpower prevents me from eating a bowl of ice cream right before going to bed. Willpower finds me on my bike to commute rather than my car. And willpower should have been the device and means to keep me updating this project daily. Granted, it's a minor slip but since I've last updated, I have no photos to show and no good news for my inner food accountant. (To be fair to myself, there is one exception which is posted below.) That being said,

Labor Day Weekend was just lovely. B-May and I entertained a friend of mine, Liz, from high school on Saturday night and we went out for pizza and beer. Not just any pizza though - a Mayor Foley at Portsmouth Gaslight Co. Delicious veggie pie accented throughout with a sweet tomato sauce. Mental note: buy sweet tomato sauce.
The next morning the three of us had a couple slices of toast each and shortly thereafter set out for a three mile run. We got the loop right this time - and finished just above 30 minutes. We felt like we were going fast but apparently we weren't. My Vibram Five Fingers which I will hereafter refer to as "Ruby Red Slippers" have proven their worth. I worry that my gait is relapsing back to a heel strike, but with this morning's run (fast forward two days for a second here) I am not so worried. More on that in a second.

So B-May went to work but not before a cup of Breaking New Grounds coffee, Costa Rican La Minita - perfect. Liz and I walked everywhere in the city. Portsmouth was once again blessed with a beautiful, temperate day. We break-ed once for lunch at Me and Ollie's where I had a turkey chipotle BBQ sandwich and a (stupid) soda. I most assuredly will get that sandwich again so stay tuned for some digital artwork of its crunchy, saucy construction.

After four hours of walking, we stopped in at Popovers for a lethal slice of carrot cake and a much-needed bottle of water. Waiting for B-May I tried Liz's Frozen Cappuccino which was delicious very very much. B-May caught up with us as we soaked up the afternoon people-watching. She couldn't tame her own craving for something hot and sweet and soon walked out with a chai latte. In her own words, "I'm addicted."
That night we dropped off Liz where she was staying with another friend in Massachusetts and the two of us headed to our respective folks' houses for the night. Around an enchanting fire in my backyard I toasted some marshmallows and even though I followed the sweets with a warming bowl of oatmeal, I couldn't talk myself out of a bowl of chocolate chip ice cream and chocolate sauce (FAILURE) as my Dad and I played Wii Sports Resort to the midnight hour.

Woke up to some comfort food - pancakes and milk - and helped prepare the house for the BBQ that afternoon. With the help of good friends from college and B-May, I snacked on shrimp cocktails, ginger ale, orange soda, veggies with all sorts of dip and tortilla chips with four different salsas and of course guacamole. That was unfortunately just the snacking but thankfully my folks are Weight-Watchers-driven and the following meal of lemon spiced and teriyaki chicken with grilled veggies and orzo salad was entirely from Weight Watchers cookbooks. We of course roasted a few more marshmallows and put together a couple S'mores and we all shared our first Octoberfest from Samuel Adams of the season.

Overall, I had two wonderful days, nearly both of which spent entirely outside. Between walking all over Portsmouth to hundreds of cannonballs and diving practice in the pool with friends, I was more than content.

Today B-May and set off for another 5k in the neighborhood. My misjudgement of distance resulted in times that measured a run that was only 3.0 miles and not the 3.1 we expect to do on Saturday at Exeter High School's Kick'n Into Gear 5k Road Race. Regardless, I think we did pretty darn good. For myself, I gunned it. I shouldn't have as my calves are hating me for it but I wanted to see what was possible. Well, here's the result: 24:56 in 3.0 miles. Without question, my best effort. And B-May was delighted to see that she completed the same distance in just under 30 minutes when she felt she was going slower than usual. Cheers to both of us!
Okay, so now that I'm all caught up, I do have this to share: earlier last week I ambitiously made my own black bean and corn burgers! Check it out!


(Which is more or less what I made sans some ingredients and the relish. Over it)



So the mixture, as it was coming along, looked like it lacked a bit of moisture so I improvised!

Here they are before the grill and to my surprise, they retained their shape nicely!

The finished product. Toss on spinach with a liberal dab of BBQ sauce with some applesauce and my soda substitute and you have one delicious, healthy lunch! Oo-rah!

Later!

Friday, September 4, 2009

Crushing it!

Okay, so first the bad news: we didn't run an entire 5K because the roads of Portsmouth can be very confusing and my calves were sore and my arches were feeling it hardcore after my run the other night. (Been a while since an update!) Good news: we were crushing it! Seriously, we put two miles down in fifteen minutes. That is by far the best time we've ever run. Ever! A friend at work suggested that my quickened pace was the result of a placebo effect stemming from the new "shoes" and while I am inclinced to agree, I would argue that a shortened stride and better, more natural form were the major contributors. And the cherry on top of the whole experience: I could have quite going. It was sweet. Now of course, I must consider the effects of this super-run on my calves which are straining to re-learn how to run altogether. I blocked out yesterday and today to allow for rest and stretching. I should be up for a short jog either tomorrow or a longer, three to five mile trip on Sunday. We'll see!

To remain on the topic of triathlons and requiste training, I have begun research into joining the local YMCA for the winter season. Funds are of course, a limiting factor but with small sacrifices here and there, I think I'll be able to pull it off.

So more bad news: we tore it up the night of the run. And my tore it up, I mean went to a Scotch and Pizza party hosted by a co-worker in Dover. From there, we hiked down to a local barroom to see the jazz man rip on some funk well into the night. Got home by roughly midnight but not before drawing myself the total hypocrite, and succumbing to the craving of:

Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream from Ben and Jerry's. A terrible failure that had me questioning if I would ever wake up from my food coma. As it turned out, I would rather toil in and out of consciousness than endure the day at work that followed the next morning.

Perhaps it was the full moon, but just the weirdest stuff happened at work. I will omit all the details in the interest of retaining a dwindling interest in this very blog, but it was thoroughly exhausting and stressful. But as they always do, the day promised to be a good one. I haven't got a photo but I enjoyed a bowl of oatmeal with bananas and cinnamon for breakfast. B-May has got me hooked on oatmeal for breakfast. I'm all for it! Lunch was leftover "mexican" - our concoction of turkey meat, spices and veggies. Finished with some Yorks and found it difficult to swallow as I got into my newest read: Under the Banner of Heaven. Written by Jon Krakauer, it's a story about Mormonism and the schismatic sects that split from the core church and their adherence to the long-deposed tenet of polygamy. It's gut-wrenching at times, particularly when relating the main storyline of a vicious murder committed to fulfill a spiritual vision. Anyways,

B-May and I hosted a college buddy for the night and we headed down Route 1 to Wings Your Way where, we ingested a pitcher of beer and perfect recipe for another food coma. I had an enormous chicken tender/ranch dressing wrap with onion rings and did more than my share of finishing 20 wings. As it turned out, we were home by 830 and from the combination of grease, beer, and weirdness that defined the day, I was asleep by 930.

Today so far has been wonderful. B-May cooked up a special helping of oatmeal with vanilla, bananas, pecans, and peanut butter for a perfect breakfast - it was just missing milk. So, within thirty minutes of cleaning the dishes, I was off to get groceries. I realized that I failed on this trip on two fronts: fruits and vegetables. The very basis of Taming the Craving and I haven't got the slightest clue about what to buy, or if depending on price and ripeness or seasonal availability. One of my goals is to develop a stronger sense of autonomy concerning this aisle of the grocery store especially and I totally dropped the ball today. Oh well, there's plenty of time for education and with fall around the corner, I'm confident a love for apples and cider donuts will make it a null point!

Apologies for so much text and lack of pictures. But let's be serious, the only one that mattered and that would remembed is already posted. (Thank you vermont!) So I'm mulling over what to make for lunch...

Later!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Picnics and Perishables

Did you see yesterday?! It was gorgeous! Absolutely beautiful day and a killer one to spend outside. B-May and I made the most of it but spent a considerable amount of time in the car. It was alright because we did some pretty cool stuff. But even before we set out for a journey for the day, check this out:

We had a couple peaches leftover from our picking on Sunday and decided it was do or die for the remaining fruits. B-May mashed them up into a pancake/waffle batter and added some pecans! Brilliant! Delicious homemade waffles with a little bit of a crunch and sweet, fruity aftertaste. Totally recommended that you steal that idea.

Just remembered we stopped in town to take care of a few errands and picked up a Costa Rican La Minita coffee at Breaking New Grounds. Not bad at all!

Our adventure took us to the SEE Science Center in Manchester. We are considerable fans of the Museum of Science in Boston and looked forward to what our new state, New Hampshire had to offer. Upon arrival, we saw kids running around, kids crying and kids playing with the mostly "hands-on" exhibits at the Science Center. For reasons below, we coughed up the admission fee and sauntered in. Here's a quick review of the fun stuff we found:

First: build an arch. I've never done this before. It was totally awesome to see opposing forces hold together this ancient staple of architecture. As I said to B-May, I don't know science, but what I do know, I love it! The Science Center presented its guests with a number of these puzzles like the arch from before. The challenge here was to stack 14 bolts on the singular red one. We cheated after an embarrassingly short time and were quite impressed with the solution that called for this peculiar construction.

And here is a photo of B-May levitating a ball! It was under a scientific leaf blower and challenged us to float two balls at once. That didn't happen. We're such amateurs.

Then there were these two chairs that reduced one's body weight to either a fifth or a seventh. B-May is seen above pulling her own weight up. It was rather simple. Yet, when she tried to pull me up the same chair but at a different angle than where I was sitting, this resulted:

...she fell down. It was cute though. So from my vantage at the top of the pulleys, I could see the exhibit we really came to the Science Center for. A re-creation of the old mills in Manchester made entirely out of...LEGOs!!!

As a lifelong enthusiast of LEGOs courtesy of an enabling grandmother, I was truly taken back by the sheer scale and size of this project. I won't ramble on about it, but I cannot recommend it highly enough. Seriously, incredible.

So the plan was to find a place to have a picnic lunch in the city and then go explore some of Manchester. Perhaps we did something wrong but...nothing did look worthy of exploring and the parks were less than appealing. Maybe we're just close-minded, or spoiled by our home in Portsmouth but we split town soon after. Driving back on 101 we exited towards Epping, hoping for another quiet town to enjoy a picnic in a park or something. Remember how beautiful it was? We just wanted to get outside. But alas, we drove through Epping in too short a while and through a series of backroads, ended up in Exeter again which proved a fine backdrop to the day and a nice place for lunch on a blanket.

Before we got to this parkway (I guess that's what it technically is), we stopped at a sandwich shop which is sure to make a bigger appearance in this blog soon enough - I forget the name for now. Picked up some chips and a soda to complement my chicken, mushroom, tomato, zucchini, and spinach sandwich, served up on a deliciously crumbly Arnold Multi-Grain Sandiwch Thin.

So yea, there's a Coke in the picture but I rarely have them and damn their marketing - it seemed like a cool refreshing summer drink. Anyways, we hightailed it back to town and stopped at a bakery to find that their pastries were running two for the price of one so late in the afternoon. Well of course we'll take two! They are pictured a little further down.

After we got back, we decided the day was still too wonderful to sit inside and so we walked down to Four Tree Island where I started reading Born to Run in order to do a little reading of our own. We left when our toes got too cold for comfort. Came back and threw together the main ingredient B-May was concerned was going to go bad: turkey meat. She had been thawing it for some time and we fried it with some leftover rice from the stuffed eggplant and a slew of veggies from corn to black beans and a hint of salsa with all sorts of wonderful spices to end up with this!

We love eating out of bowls and so we rightly filled up on this Mexican-inspired solution to thawing meat. I decided it was the kind of hearty meal that called for more carbohydrates and had a Tuckerman Ravine Pale Ale. An excellent combination but I left room for the pastries from that afternoon:

We're looking at a raspberry turnover and an apple/raisin/raspberry strudel. Washed it down with some decaffeinated green tea and enjoyed a quiet evening of research on weekend activities while watching the Red Sox.

And for today, I had one and a half of the remaining peach and pecan waffles with some milk. Spent the day working with my parents on my Gram's house in South Portland, Maine where we enjoyed Amato's for lunch. I haven't got a photo but I wolfed down a foccacia (sp?) turkey sandwich loaded with veggies. Gram also had some un-salted potato chips so I had a couple of those too.

After leaving, we stopped at The Maine Running Company where I picked up my newest toy: Vibram Five Fingers. I won't elaborate until after my run this afternoon but I anticipate some wonderful and wonderfully weird things to happen!

Monday, August 31, 2009

Running!

Holy crap! B-May and I just went for a killer run. Well, it's of course all relative what makes a run killer but I have never successfully run 50 minutes. Which I totally did today! Not only that, but I felt really really good. Seriously, no labored breathing, no aching feet, legs, etc. No heaving chest or cramps of any kind. And I wore Chuck Taylors! Incredible. Maybe there is something to this ancient practice of running...B-May took me to Newcastle (Island?) just before dark. Perhaps it was a bit longer than we should have struck out for given the receding daylight but it was cool and a welcome breeze was coming off the bay always at the right moments. In the end, the longest run of my short running career was my by far my favorite.
For the record, B-May and I started running last summer as the remedy for a summer of lethargy and recooperation from the rigors of college - tests and tequila. We signed up for a 5K in Somerville, MA and started training just about a year ago today. We ran intervals, juggling walking and running. Throughout the fall and some of the winter, we ran a monthly event usually somewhere in Boston. Well, now another season begins and we are 100% stronger than last year and hoping to really kill it. Should. be. awesome.

So today I tried to have a green tea with my breakfast of Eggo's. (Ooops.) Instead, I was running a little later than I thought so I gave it to B-May. At work, I snacked briefly on cereal and a sizeable Gatorade that I got yesterday to remedy the festivities from two nights ago.

Cold and refreshing. Apparently these things are really not that good for you but I like the purple ones regardless. Lunch was pizza leftovers and the standard granola bar with two Yorks. I'm pretty sure I'm out of bars and running low on the Yorks. Add it to the list!

Rode my bike home and soon after headed out with B-May for the run above and prepared a unique dinner (for me, at least).

Stuffed eggplants. Never thought I'd be that guy eating stuffed eggplants. Let alone actually liking it! She chiseled out two eggplants and added the guts to a bed of vegetables in a stir-fry with a healthy dose of garlic. It was baked for twenty minutes with some cheese drizzled on top just before taking it out. Really, I must admit, it was quite good. "Clean plate club" to quote everyone's youth. We have two other "boats" for leftovers and I'm looking forward to it for tomorrow's dinner. To satisfy my sweet tooth, I pulled out a couple Ghiradelli Milk Chocolates (four makes a serving!) with some cold skim milk and I believed that successfully tamed the craving.

And just because I miss my dog, Kasey, so much, here's a photo!

Sunday, August 30, 2009

A Few Steps Backwards...

In the time since my last post, I have acquired a coach for my triathlons. He has bestowed on me that I need to buy and wear and train in a Speedo. It's "where we separate the men from the boys" he says. He told me more importantly though, that I need to get serious.

And I will, I promise. But with the training and the fact I'm by no means a couch potato (except for Saturday morning ), I can allow myself some...cookies...for example! So on Friday, I had an extremely productive morning cleaning and preping the apartment for visitors on Saturday (see below) and went for a quick two mile run. Not trying to break any records but with a new gait and reverting to simple shoes, I'm working different muscle groups than ever before. I actually caught the name of them, one being the solius. The other - I forget. Bottom line, I felt amazing! I gave high-fives to little children and just kept running! My breathing was light and I finished not from exhaustion but rather erring on the side of caution and not running myself too thin too quickly. How good of me! Then with time to spare, I walked to work! It was wonderful not rushing to the whims of traffic, be it on a bike or a car. I munched on this very plain sandwich and a can of Arizona Iced Tea during my trip.






Boring but it was satisfying and filling. Three hours later, I took my break at work and munched on this:

Cheeseburger casserole with a seltzer water. Quite good and also very filling. I'll post the recipe later when I find it. B-May has a voluminous collection of recipes so it may take me a while to dig it all up. So after this meal I'm feeling pretty serious about healthy eating and enjoying the feeling of having exercised and accepting a ride home from a co-worker in another effort of going green. Then when I got home, B-May and decided on these: Peanut butter oatmeal cookies! Amazing. Found the recipe online and cut out the shortening to make them a little lighter than they were intended to be. Correction: B-May says we didn't use shortening because we don't have it. She's reading over my shoulder. It's. awkward.

Got to bed at a reasonable hour looking forward to another bright and healthy day. Alas, it was not to be.

Well, here's a little bit of a tease. Oats and honey cereal (dry, naturally) with a couple slices of toast and for the first time ever, a half of grapefruit. After a blunderous attempt, how the hell do you eat these things? It's all grounded up into a pulp and juice got all collected at the bottom and it would have been a terrible mess had it not been for a spoon. So then, in my defense it was a terribly rainy day (I haven't ridden my bike to work since Thursday) and I planted myself in front of the PS2 for the morning. While blasting away stormtroopers I sipped a freshly grounded El Salvador Matalapas from Portsmouth's trendiest coffeeshop Breaking New Grounds. Fantastic. Then...

I spent too much time potato-ing on the couch and was nearly late for work. Had to eat lunch though, so, dammit.

I won't show the gory details, but yup. Fast food. It totally sucked! I was craving mushrooms or something but it seemed like a good idea at the time. And it always does. Stupid move that I paid for the rest of the night. With a complete lack of appetite I only put down a couple Combos and some more peanut butter oatmeal cookies.


Got home from work and found two good friends sitting around the table drinking beers! (And wine too for one). B-May and I commenced a night of revelry that brought us from the apartment to the brewery to two closed bars and then back to the apartment for the remainder of the cookies (and there were a lot) which I pretty much singlehandedly finished. Cheez-its, cookies, bread - they all fell victim to the festivities.

Breakfast today was out at Popovers for the nominal popover and a breakfast sandwich I would have enjoyed more if I couldn't taste beer in every unwanted burp. At work, finally finished up the salmon and pasta with all sorts of veggies and granola bar. It's pretty much a staple but it's not the step backwards I've been wrestling with this weekend.

Good stuff, again would have enjoyed it more if I didn't have residue of Tums on my teeth. Got home and B-May and I made this return to the wonderful!All's well that ends well! From L-R: Veggie Pizza with onions, zucchini, tomato sauce, and mushrooms. To the right, BBQ Chicken pizza with red onions and Sweet Baby Rays sauce. I have to get better about writing daily because it's no fun for anyone to read a litany of food accounting. Right now, B-May is pushing me to try a cookie. Taming the craving be damned when a beautiful woman asks you to try a scrumptuous cookie! Thankfully though, for the integrity of this blog, she rarely plays the role of the temptress.

Later!