Food Stuffs: 04/05

7am, breakfast:  banana (105 calories)

11:45am, lunch: carrots (2oz, 25 calories)

applesauce (1/2 cup, 70 calories)

minneola orange (70 calories)

Wasa Sourdough Crispbread (2 crackers, 70 calories)

peanut butter (1 tbsp, 105 calories)

4:30pm, snack: Wasa Sourdough Crispbread (1 cracker, 35 calories)

8pm, dinner: short grain rice (1 cup, 170 calories)

yellow lentil dahl (3/4 cup, 235 calories)

9:30pm, movie: homemade popcorn (~6.5 cups, 360 calories)

total calories: 1,245

exercise: I spent four hours at the gym (as I usually do on Tuesdays because Ian works).  I did personal training, ran, and went to Zumba and yoga.

notes:  Today was unusually low in fruit and vegetables.  More grain than usual.

Oregon Humane Society

Every Tuesday I spend at least a couple of hours volunteering at the shelter.  During the (slightly over) two hours I was there today, I showed four cats and all four were adopted.  A good day indeed.

It's on a super busy street, basically a highway.  Walking from volunteer parking to the entrance always sucks.

One of the coolest things about this shelter is that there is a teaching veterinary hospital in it.  There are giant windows where the spay and neuter surgeries happen, so you can watch.  I think that's a pretty positive thing for the general public.

Sorry about the blurry photos.  This is Shiloh.  He weighs 21 pounds and has the tiniest squeak you've ever heard for a meow.  He was adopted today by a couple who was really excited about getting him healthy.

These are called colony rooms.  6-8 cats coexist in these rooms.  Companies sponsor them and are allowed to design them as they choose:

Here's the website if you want to learn more about it.

I Just Might

I've decided that becoming a teacher may not be my calling. Don't get me wrong, it has nothing to do with a lack of desire or passion for education. It comes from the very simple and real threat of government decimation of of the education budget. Hell, even the term decimation doesn't do the damage down to students and teacher justice. Decimation comes from a Roman form of extreme discipline. The leader of phalanx would walk down the lines and kill every tenth man, but that's only a mere 10% slaughter. That's nothing compared to what we are seeing today.

Not only is education being cut, but the rights of teachers unions to even fight for their rights is being cut too. Thank you Mark Dayton, you son of a bitch. So with this clear and present danger to education, and the already putty filled heads of adolescents that think Snooky and "The Situation" aren't possibly retarded, I say "Ne" to teaching, for now. I'm not giving up, just giving in.

However, I have decided that I want to own my own Pizzeria. This is something that I have wanted to do for a long time, but simply have had no money to do so. I may have just been given a break. On, the almighty and all knowing, Craigslist, or the "left hand of doom" depending on your viewpoint, I found an establish 25 year old Pizzeria for sale for $20,000. And I just might, assuming he says "yes," I can get the money, the place isn't a rat hole, I can make a profit, et cetera, do it. Really what I'm saying is that an opportunity has presented itself and I might take it. We will have to see. The name of the restaurant was never divulged, but through carefully deciphering the age of the ria and location I believe it to be....

This means little to anyone else, but this place is a stones throw from PGE Park and a slight walk from Powell's books. I can get both drunk sports fans AND overeducated self important "readers." Really how can we lose. I finally pull out we, because Casey has pulled up no objections as of yet. This isn't her dream, but I think she knows that it's mine. So she is, at the very least, letting me pursue it.

What do you think?

I Just Might

I've decided that becoming a teacher may not be my calling. Don't get me wrong, it has nothing to do with a lack of desire or passion for education. It comes from the very simple and real threat of government decimation of of the education budget. Hell, even the term decimation doesn't do the damage down to students and teacher justice. Decimation comes from a Roman form of extreme discipline. The leader of phalanx would walk down the lines and kill every tenth man, but that's only a mere 10% slaughter. That's nothing compared to what we are seeing today.

Not only is education being cut, but the rights of teachers unions to even fight for their rights is being cut too. Thank you Mark Dayton, you son of a bitch. So with this clear and present danger to education, and the already putty filled heads of adolescents that think Snooky and "The Situation" aren't possibly retarded, I say "Ne" to teaching, for now. I'm not giving up, just giving in.

However, I have decided that I want to own my own Pizzeria. This is something that I have wanted to do for a long time, but simply have had no money to do so. I may have just been given a break. On, the almighty and all knowing, Craigslist, or the "left hand of doom" depending on your viewpoint, I found an 25 years established Pizzeria for sale for $20,000. And I just might, assuming he says "yes," I can get the money, the place isn't a rat hole, I can make a profit, et cetera. Really what I'm saying is that an opportunity has presented itself and I might take it. We will have to see. The name of the restaurant was never divulged, but through carefully deciphering the age of the ria and location I believe it to be....

This means little to anyone else, but this place is a stones throw from PGE Park and a slight walk from Powell's books. I can get both drunk sports fans AND overeducated self important "readers." Really how can we lose. I finally pull out we, because Casey has pulled up no objections as of yet. This isn't her dream, but I think she knows that it's mine. So she is, at the very least, letting me pursue it.

What do you think?

Nom!

Over seven months back in the states and I'm still having trouble keeping my eating on track.  What is it about being home that makes me less motivated?  No, that's too easy.  What is it about me in the United States that makes me care less, make excuses and say I'll eat better tomorrow?

Exercise is no trouble for me and I keep track of calories every day.  I do stupendously until dinner time.  It's not dinner that's the trouble, I'm good at portion sizes.  It's snacking.  Granted, I eat mostly healthy snacks, but too much is still too much.  It's in the evening that my body decides that we should consume constantly.  Until bedtime.  I've given myself stomach aches.  It's absurd.  It's not me.  Or, at least, it wasn't.

So, I'm going to try something a little different.  Apparently, being accountable to myself isn't enough.  So, at the end of everyday, I'll take the calorie log from my phone and post it to the blog.  Then that'll be it.  No more eating after that.  Maybe the eyes of others will help me reconsider macking on graham crackers or having quite so much peanut butter with that banana.

Plus, it kind of fits with April's challenge.

Seasonal Food Only

It's April!  We haven't been grocery shopping yet.  We go once a week and we went right at the end of March.  But, from here until the 30th we're only to buy what's in season.  I'll be trying to stick to Oregon and Washington, but I might make an exception (but never outside of North America) or two for things like citrus.  I really don't want to miss out on the end of that season.  

I'm a little sad about bananas.  I recently rediscovered them with peanut butter.  Usually, I'm not a banana eater. You know how it is.  Now that they're off limits, well, I want them.

So, according to "eat the seasons," here's what's around in the beginning of April for North America:

Veggies

artichoke, asparagus, avocado, broccoli, broccolini, celery root, fennel, kale, mache, potatoes (maincrop), rhubarb, sunchoke, turnips

Fruit

blood oranges, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, pineapple

According to the app on my phone, here's what's in season for Oregon and Washington:

Veggies

bamboo shoots, cauliflower, green onions, herbs, leaf lettuce, mushrooms, peas, spinach, rhubarb

Fruit

winter pears

Not much agreement, right?  It looks like I'm in need of more research.  I'm not sure which sources to trust.  In Korea, it was obvious when something was in season (prices dropped to dirt cheap and it became abundant) and when something isn't (it doubled or tripled in price and became scarce).  Here, it's not easy at all.  Anyone have some good, reliable resources for seasonal food by region?

Hip to be Square

Ian's parents came to visit this weekend.  With them they brought Judy's old record player (THANKS!).  A General Electric Deluxe Trimline 600, to be exact.  That's also Ian's new Holga that they got him for his birthday.  And they picked up a bike and packed the street bike that Bruce gave Ian for the Seattle to Portland.  (Read: Ian is spoiled.  Just kidding, it was his birthday in February.)

Closed.

Ta da!

After Al and Judy left for home, we ran over to Everyday Music and picked out some records.  All but the She & Him are from the $0.50 section.  We got:  The Best of Bill Cosby, 1812 Overture Stereo Spectacular, Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits, Original Broadway Cast Recording of Hair, The Musical, Carol King "Tapestry," She & Him "Volume Two," Old Time Radio Hits, Captain &Tennille "Love Will Keep us Together," Peter, Paul and Mary "See What Tomorrow Brings"

Eclectic!

The sound is amazing.  The very first thing we listened to was the 1812 Overture.  I think we need a new needle, but there's significantly less crackle and pop than I expected (especially since the records were fifty cents a piece).

Random:  I spoke with someone in Hoquiam today at work.  It was weird.