What the big dog eats...

The portions are off a little on this plate. This is whole wheat couscous with swordfish in a grapefruit marmalade glaze. The grapefruit marmalade was made from the grapefruit tree in my yard. We jerk spiced it. I mixed a little marmalade with a little olive oil and made a glaze.
Here is some Mahi Mahi, cooked up in a non-stick pan with a touch of lime, then I cooked up a Roma tomato with some basil and white kidney beans. Steam a little broccoli and we're good to go.
Here is some chicken andouille sausage with some rice and beans. Small portions of both the rice and beans and sausage. Lots of flavor, not much fat. Broccoli with lemon juice.


With the notable exception of the Ritter Sport, all you see is green vegetables. With Body for Life you can eat vegetables until the cows come home. I'll have broccoli with my lunch or maybe some zucchini. I'll grill the asparagus with dinner. I'll put fresh lemon on the broccoli and brush the asparagus with olive oil. Beauregard lets you know that there is meat further down in the bag.

I'm building a Body for Life

One of the silly things that's in Bill Phillips' book is a cadence for weight lifting. The cadence is "I'm building" on the negative and "a body for life" on the positive. Sometimes I use it in the gym. Not very often because when you lift the mass that I do, your brain can't handle more than "PRESS", or "PULL"! But I'll find myself doing it on ab work or good mornings or something that I have 10 or more reps to complete. Right now, I feel like I'm building a Body for Life. Boredom is my worse enemy, and I end up spending a ton of time contemplating things. Right now, I've been contemplating that fact that I turn 50 in a mere 15 months. It was 17 months when I started contemplating, but it's gotten more and more out of hand as we head into September 2007. I don't obsess, but I do show 14 of the 19 markers for ADD, and my intellect is often restless. But I really need something to show for myself by the time I turn 50.

Today's numbers
Weight 210 (yay)
Fat 35.9
BMI 35.9

I didn't work out yesterday, simply because my hip was better after the visit to Dr. Elkind so I felt it prudent to actually rest it for a day. Alright, the fact that I'm playing 18 holes today and I am afraid I will undo her handiwork today has played into that decision.

Bon Mots and Cheap Shots

This morning's weigh in:

Weight 210
Fat 36.5
BMI 35.9

Just by keeping my head screwed on correctly, things are heading in the right directions. It's taken me almost four weeks, but I have 8 pounds off of me. I had Dr. Elkind work on my aching hip yesterday. She does ART just like I get at Fitwell. I seem to have a hip flexor/IT band injury. It's hindered nearly everything I do. Yesterday I broke down and left work early to go see her. While she does the same thing as Fitwell, she's a lot more intense. Fitwell is a lot more gentle in their approach. Sometimes I just need the crap beat out of me. Today my hip is oodles better. She rocks.

Tomorrow, I'm playing 18 at San Geronomo. The last time I played with these guys I got high score, and not in a good way. I haven't been able to practice because of the hip flexor so either tomorrow will be really good, or really long.

Food choices

Breakfast
Oatmeal and ff cottage cheese
Snack
Jerky and ff yogurt
Lunch
Curried chicken grape salad
Snack
Apple and string cheese
Dinner
Chicken andouille sausage sauteed up with brown rice and red beans
Brocoli
Dessert
Ricotta and blueberries

Grape, Rattle and Roll

This was the name of the event yesterday at Chalone Vineyards. Personally, I hate 1950's themed events. Afterall, is there a reason for the poodle skirt? I think not. In the wine world this will also equal old guys with slicked back hair to match their receding hair line and a ton of bowling shirts because we're all fat by this stage in our lives. The Highlands did the food and that was a boon. A little mixed up with too many different themes, but every one was well executed. I had a hard time putting the mango chicken on the plate next to the grilled sausages and warmed potato salad, next to the shrimp and fennel salad, next to the grilled salmon and string beans. Still, every item was delicious. The dessert I was unable to dissect, but it was pineapple with a custardy base on a base of what looked to be pineapple gelatin. It may have had some sort of bird pudding in it or something. Anyway, it was refreshing, delicious and very different to anything I've ever had.

The wine was another story. Diageo brands include Chalone, BV, Acacia, Sterling, Jade Mountain, Beauzeaux, Canoe Ridge and numerous others I did not taste. I'm not a fan of Sterling, never have been. Yesterday was no exception. Just flat for what it was. The wine maker was there which made it even sadder. Chalone probably had the best wine there. I met their winemaker. I believe his name was Dan Cook. A mountain of a man, but seemed to be a good guy. Acacia had one wine I liked, their Beckstoffer Pinot Noir was very good, but I don't know that it was $70 worth of good. Jade Mountain had a few interesting offerings. One was actually grown in Contra Costa County, out by the Sacramento River in Antioch. Beyond that it was a pretty dismal wine day. Certainly not worth the 3 hour drive.

After an epic free day
Weight 214
FAT 35.6
BMI 36.5

Bon Mots and Cheap Shots

With a nod to Herb Caen:

This is not how you support the troops!

This morning I'm driving down Treat en route to my morning workout. As I turn onto Treat this guy behind me is totally up my ass. Strangely, I'm driving the speed limit, it's 5:30 in the morning. One guy driving a mini-van and he guns it and goes around me and speeds off down Treat at least 60 mph in a 40 mph zone. As he whizzes by I see the "Support our Troops" yellow ribbon. Now where I come from, wasting gas because you're a selfish bastard so my friend's sons can risk their lives in Iraq does not support the troops. It puts them in grave danger and if you're not willing to do your fair share, you're an asshole buddy. I'm really sick and tired of this entitlement attitude that people in this country have adopted. (which I also blame on Reagan) We are part of a greater society and we need to do our part, individually, to be a responsible member of that society. Nuff said.

Oh, don't quit now...

Hey Bush Administration! Would it break the bank to give the troops that last .5% pay raise? Especially after those bonuses paid to the Veteran's Administration? Gee GW, for a PFC we'd be talking $6.00 a month. Do you think you can spare it? Pay our service people. You disgust me.

This is how you do it

This morning's weigh in:

Weight 212
Fat 36.3
BMI 36.2

It's nice to live in a neighborhood

Last night as I got home from my walk with Beauregard, we saw a little white dog in the middle of the street. When ever I see a dog in the street, I do my best to get them out of the street safely. I always think of Scooby. This was a little albino chihuahua. The little guy was scared as shit. A neighbor lady came out and tried to coax him over to her, he kept going up the street, so I got in the car and drove past him and up the street hoping to cut him off at the pass but he was way too scared. He started running towards Treat and got past me. I figured letting him get to Treat was more dangerous than just walking away. He ran into some one's yard and we left some dog treats out for him and hoped for the best. It's nice to know people will try and help. I hope the little guy was okay. Treat is where my friend's Doberman Bud was hit by a car around 10 or 15 years ago. She lives off Treat and someone broke into her house and there was all 95 pound of Bud, ready for some thief tartar. He chased them but they got away. Unfortunately, he was hit by a car on Treat. She found him laying in the median. They rushed him to Contra Costa Emergency Veterinarian and they saved his life, to the tune of $10,000 back then. My friend told me she could never put her dog down for doing his job. I learned something from her that day.

Why Washington Mutual Bank sucks hind tit

Three weeks ago, I put an ad on Craigslist to sell my 2001 525i. Shouldn't be that much of a stretch. I needed the title, so I pulled $11,500 out of my brokerage account and deposited it into my Washington Mutual Bank checking account. I put this check in the bank on April 15th while walking Beauregard. On April 18th, I checked my brokerage account and the check had cleared, so WAMU had the money. I called them to let them know and ask them to release the hold.

No, we can't release that hold.
Really? But you already have my money.
Procedure says we can't release that money.
Oh yes you can and you will.
No, that money can only be released by the branch that took the deposit, they put the hold on it. You have to go in there.

I got iced by the Ass Clowns at Alliance Title, last October. Since February, I've been working in San Francisco. I leave the house at 7am and don't return until 6pm. I can't make it to the bank around the corner from my house while their open. Sorry. So on April 25th, the pay off check to BMW came through WAMU. No one, not one soul with a brain looked at my account or that check or any thing else. They just bounced it AND charged me $27 even though they had the money already. No one took into consideration that I had been writing checks to BMW for years. No one considered that the check in question was a check from me, to me, endorsed my me or the fact that I've had an account with them, complete with direct deposit for 10 years!

So I gather up all my crap and go down to the WAMU in the financial district. Low and behold, this girl could have released the hold, but the ass pirates at 1-800-788-7000 wouldn't tell me that. They did tell me that the branch put the hold on the check which was also a lie. I talked to the branch yesterday and they don't even look at ATM deposits, the send them directly to Chatsworth. Liars. Now it's too late and the check has bounced, but she can at least reverse the charges and give me a cashier's check with no charge. Now I have BMW's $15 returned item charge and FEDEX both ways at $23.92 and $24.03 respectively because by now I have have a purchaser for the car. Don't ask me why FEDEX charges $14.10 for corporate rate to anywhere in the country but J.Q. Public gets it up the butt. Anyway, I was expecting around $40 in FEDEX charges, but it ended up to be $47.95 plus the $15.00, plus the extra interest for two weeks which turned out to be $7.00 for a total of $69.95 pissed out the window because of who I do business with.

The truth of the matter is, it's our money. Every one of us. They had use of that $11,000 for 11 days. They made interest on it in overnight floats. It is unconscionable that they make that money and then make more money off of me and then cost me nearly $70 more dollars because of their incompetence. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, they're all the same.

Housing Alert

I think I might have gotten that place...we'll see. It's a dump...

Spiders as big as Buicks

This place I'm living in hasn't really been taken care of in years. I can see where grubs have gotten at the front lawn. (Which means they're after the back lawn too). I saw these beetle nests when I was cutting the front lawn two weeks ago. The Deaf Guy next door was hanging around when I was fooling with them and came out and looked. He came back with some insecticide and showed me on the bottle what they were. Then I came out and found him spraying down the nest. Well, yesterday I finished the job, since I knew they were throughout the lawn. Around the garage door tons of them came up the front of the house to get away from the insecticide. Along with them was this big black spider roughly as big in diameter as a golf ball. Gack! I hate spiders. This house has the nastiest ones I've ever seen. I sprayed them all down a few more times and I think they are all gone along with their giant spider friend Delta 88.

Spent an hour and a half on the bike yesterday. Got to the base of Ygnacio Valley and back, it was calm. Looked at two potential homes to buy. One is just down my line. Nasty green carpet that looks like something Linda Blair spewed in her youth.

This week's food

Breakfast:
Oatmeal and FF cottage cheese
Snack
FF Yopait yogurt and Turkey Jerky
Lunch
Chicken, brown rice and brocoli
Snack
Grapes, banana and string cheese
Dinner
Mahi mahi, WW pasta and asparagus
Dessert
Ricotta and fruit

This morning's weigh in, after a week at it:
Weight 215
Fat 36.6
BMI 36.6

Quick weigh in

Weight 215
FAT 36.8
BMI 36.6

I'm off on a 2 hour or maybe an hour and a half bike ride. The wind has died down and it's gorgeous here. Today ends one week of acting pretty damned right on my new BFL challenge. Tomorrow morning's weigh in will be of great interest.

Who is afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Kathleen Turner is a lot scarier. Scary good. Bill Irwin is even scarier. He was spectacular as George. Last night, Kathleen Turner was Martha. What a great show. My friend thought the gal who played Honey, Kathleen Early was a little weak, but I thought she did a good job. I thought the guy who played Nick was a little weak and I'm not sure who played Nick last night. I think the charactor Honey just annoyed my friend. The banter between George and Martha was excellent. I'd never heard of Bill Irwin, but looking at his bio, he's been around for a very long time and has impressive credits. Apparently he was even in the Pickle Family Circus. Kathleen Turner's voice got more and more muddled as the performance went on. I was thinking how hard it must be to bring your speech patterns to a point of total drunkeness, gradually on stage. I've always like her and she totally sold me last night. Bill Irwin reminded me a little of John Waters, which made me giggle, knowing that Kathleen Turner had been Serial Mom. I do so love the theatre!
Yesterday was a bit of a free day, so I'm going to leave it that way and get back to business today. An escrow officer who'd been with the company for 20 years left yesterday so they brought in ribs. I had a beef rib, a couple of mozzerello sticks, a piece of corn bread, a couple of buffalo wings and a potato skin. Then I had some fried pita and hummus for dinner. Yeah, that sounds like a free food day.

Weight 215
Fat 36.4
BMI 36.6

Hoping to keep it rolling

This morning's weigh in:

Weight 213
FAT 37.0
BMI 36.3

Now dropping a quick six pounds in a week is a beautiful thing. Today they're bringing in lunch and it is my goal to have a Body for Life lunch, even though it's Tony Roma's. Hopefully I can talk them into bringing in some chicken, then if they have some corn, I'm home free.

Things are looking up

Today's weigh in:

Weight 214
Fat 36.9
BMI 36.5

Now I have to make it through a breakfast meeting with no sinning today. I am focused, I will perservere. Tomorrow they're bringing in ribs. I'm going to ask them to order me a chicken breast. I've made great progress this week and I'm not going backwards.

The heat has gone away, and it's normal weather here. I'm hoping for a still evening and a killer bike ride tonight.

Start slow, taper off?

OK, not a bang up start.

Weight 218
Fat 36.8
BMI 37.1

But I didn't get to the gym yesterday. I also didn't eat anything that I wasn't supposed to. I also kept my portions accurate. I didn't make an afternoon Peet's run (although that may be inevidible today).

I did take a weed whacker to the shoots coming out of the lawn in the back yard. It was 90 degrees when I got home from work. I did do laundry last night and clean the kitchen. I did not sleep well as it almost 80 in the bedroom and something is wrong with Beau's leg or back. He woke up crying in the night. The night before last, I tried to scoot him over and he yelped and snapped air. Last night he got out of bed and couldn't get back up there. I sure hope it's a sore muscle. I don't want my baby boy to be getting old.

Here we go!

Starting a new challenge today. Off to a great start by waking up late, screwing around and not getting to the gym, for the first time in months. I'm not going to sweat the small stuff. Starting figures:

Weight 218
FAT 36.9
BMI 37.1

I haven't decided if I'm going to make up the workout tonight or just spend some time getting my life in order. I went to the Clayton Art and Wine Festival Saturday with Mrs. H and Mr. H and the whole famdamily. Had a glass of wine at their house, walked down, had two pints of beer, walked back to the house, had four or five more glasses of wine and got my drunk ass driven home. Yesterday I could have done some prep work, but I couldn't think, at all. I was mentally flatlining. I managed to steam some brocoli. Saturday I Q'ed up some chicken, I had a little left over brown rice so here we go.

Breakfast

Oatmeal and ff cottage cheese

Snack

FF yogurt and Turkey jerky

Lunch

BBQ chicken, brown rice and brocoli

Snack

Apple and string cheese

Dinner

Salmon, baked potato and spinach salad

Dessert

Ricotta and blueberries.

Disgusting pictures to follow.

Stop. Rewind. Play.

After reading through the blog yesterday, or last night rather, I decided I really did need to rededicate myself to what I want to accomplish. I'm so overwhelmed, having taken a huge (read $50k) cut in pay to get back to work, and get the job I really should have, that I became paralyzed. I went to the BFL webpage and looked at what previous champions ate, since I know what my problem is. I put the book where I'd pick it up rather frequently, and I planned next week's food.

Breakfast

Oatmeal and FF cottage cheese

Snack 1

Beef or turkey jerky
FF yogurt

Lunch

Chicken breast and rice, probably with brocoli

Snack 2

Apple
String cheese

Dinner

Fish
Baked potato DRY
Asparagus

Dessert

LF ricotta
Fruit

Beginning pictures to come in a day or two.

It's time.