Wednesday, August 24

Hey ... Eat!

We eat out often. A lot more than we should but with only two people in the house, it's so darn easy.

Unfortunately, most places have limited options for a vegetarian and those options sometimes aren't too healthy. I try to make good decisions wherever we go (although occasionally the fries are calling too loudly) but even if I try to make a healthy choice, the choice isn't always there. I wish all fast food restaurants would start carrying healthy salads and start encouraging people to make lifestyle changes because there are times when you're on the go and you need food fast. But it shouldn't have to be shit. Wendy's has done a great job trying to make the combo meal healthier. You'll see from the list below that I do end up getting bean burritos, which aren't super fantastic -- but beans do have protein! I actually think the worst part of a burrito is the tortilla, which is why I love Taco Time's veggie burrito; they use whole wheat.

Anyway, we gotta keep trying! Fight the bulge!

For your enjoyment, a list of the items I order when we patronize fast food joints:
  • In-N-Out: grilled cheese ... and fries
  • Burger King: veggie burger
  • Wendy's: berry almond salad (new item!) and baked potato
  • Carl's Jr: IF they have a Green Burrito branch -- bean and cheese burrito, if not -- Diet Coke
  • Taco Time: veggie burrito
  • Taco Bell: cheesy bean & rice burrito or potato tacos
  • DelTaco: veggie works burrito
  • Cafe Rio: veggie salad or single cheese enchilada or quesadilla with black beans ... and chips and salsa
  • Noodles & Co: thai curry soup
  • Rubio's: fish tacos or big burrito especial sans meat
  • Rumbi: brown rice bowl with tofu
  • Sonic: Diet Pepsi
  • McDonald's: Asian salad (if they have it)
  • Greek Souvlaki: greek salad, hold the onions and olives
  • Panda Express: fried rice with mixed veggies and spring rolls
  • KFC: Diet Pepsi
  • Subway: veggie footlong on wheat with avocado

Tuesday, August 23

The End of Leisure

My my. Fancy seeing you here. It's been a month and in that span of time I've been up to no good.

I applied for a different position at work. It sounded SO exciting and challenging and I wanted it. But I wasn't really qualified and I could tell that my application was weak. I was not selected for an interview. It's a bummer but I am absolutely not surprised. Looking on the positive side, I am valued at my current office and with school starting I may not want to be learning a brand new job and going away for training.

I stopped going to the gym and started being lax on my diet. I gained three pounds before vacation but, GOOD NEWS, I only gained one pound while on vacation. I think the healthy eating and activity really helped. For the most part I ate apples and toast and salad; can't go too wrong there. The last night, however, we went to dinner at O Bistro. We had mussels in garlic wine sauce, delicious bread, and scallop and shrimp fettucine. In addition to some seriously gourmet food, we had a tableside magic show. It was amazing. He performed sleight of hand right before our very eyes, right on our table. Amazing.

The beachy time was wonderful. The first few days were nice and sunny -- I got burnt knees and a few tanlines despite numerous applications of 50SPF. We played beach volleyball, basketball (at which I suck), rode bikes, and frolicked in the sand and sea. My husband would boogie board for hours each day. He was definitely becoming a pro; catching the really big waves and riding them all the way in. It was exciting to see. I'm a humble boogie boarder myself. I catch smallish waves and to me, they are thrilling. The first day I banged up my knee (later to be sunburnt) and developed a nice scab. As an adult I don't have too many opportunities for scabs and I'm enjoying the itchiness that comes with healing. Plus, it looks kind of bad ass.

In addition to engaging in beach activities a la Baywatch, we also went on a tour of the Midway -- an air carrier, now decommissioned, and floating in the harbor near Coronado. Me and the hubs, we love tours and museumy stuff. He got to enter a flight simulator with my brother in law and they "flew" and "gunned down" enemy aircrafts. I can't believe that pilots are able to land and fly planes from a boat. And of course, we went to Sea World. It was bittersweet because of the whole captive-animal thing; I cried a little. We did buy the puppy a stuffed squeaker baby penguin. She is trying to eat the eyes out of its head.

But all that rest and relaxation is at an end. Tonight I start graduate school with a four (that's right FOUR) hour Teams Class. And on Thursday I do another four hour stint of Finance (ick times eleven). I love that school is only two nights a week. I hate that the classes are four hours a piece. My hope is that they will fly by because they're so interesting/hard/I'm-so-fucking-awesome. I've got my stylish bag packed with post-its, pens, highlighters, legal pad, texts, and laptop. The department actually distributed each of us a backpack but it's too manly (and functional) for me. No no, I need something to lug all my crap around that's sort of impractical and chic: enter black crocodile tote. Of course, my latop only weighs three pounds and I only have one textbook until the mid-semester break so fashionableness definitely won out.

I'm also back to the gym, back on a somewhat diet, and back to my same old job. And back to blogging.