Planning Ahead

I mentioned my happy purchases at Ocean State Job Lot. Here's what I picked up for annuals. Plus, the Niece sent me this lovely gift certificate for one of my favorite high end nurseries. (Thanks again, sweetie!) I know I've got a month and half before I can even think of starting to work in the garden again, but it keeps me going. Just think, I'll be boring you all to tears in no time with pictures of my garden! Won't that be exciting? Too bad, you have to see them. I'm just hoping that the squirrels haven't eaten all of my tulips. I need more hawks, since they won't let me discharge a shotgun in city limits. I mean, what's the big deal?

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to agonize over the White Flower Farm catalog.

Hot soup

I think I may have a new favorite soup. (Thanks for the photo B.)

Good Will Shopping

Sunday morning Mike called up to verify that we were indeed getting together to catch up on events and stuff our faces, so after a certain amount of figuring out logistics, I trotted on my merry way to the gym. I virtuously spent my proscribed 45 minutes on the aerobic machines, took a shower and headed out the door to meet up with Mike.

I called Mike and after agreeing on a meeting place, I sallied off to Davis Square in search of brunch. Mike had suggested a place, Mr. Crepe. The idea of crepes quickly supplanted Eggs Benedict, since I honestly cannot remember the last time I had crepes. Mike went for the sundried tomato and pesto number and I had one that featured goat cheese, mango chutney and chicken. We were both equally pleased and the coffee was quite good. (Not to mention the busboy, who looked like he'd be pretty tasty too) We managed to get a fair amount of catching up and gossiping in over lunch. Mike caught me up on his new life in Somerville after living for a year in Dorchester in a not particularly nice neighborhood. The change seems to have been really good for him and he seems happier and more focused than he has ever since to move out of JP and into Dot.

Good as the food was, Mr. Crepe was not really conducive to lingering and Sunday brunch time anywhere isn't really the best time to have a leisurely meal anyway. However we haven't seen each other for a while, so more visiting seemed in order. Mike suggested heading off to Goodwill. Once again, an experience I have not indulged in, in quite some time. So off we trotted down the street to Goodwill. I really have to hit thrift stores more often. I had pretty much forgotten that you really can come upon just about anything in second hand stores. Even if you don't buy anything it is just a visual feast. Strange things from your past will peek out at you, books that you have never heard of and probably wouldn't even glance at ordinarily while perusing the shelves in a bookstore, clothes you wouldn't be caught dead in and yet are so much fun to look at. Second hand stores have a narrative effect that you don't get in regular retail stores. These things were once part of someone else's life and can convey stories. Bad gifts? Beloved treasures? How and why did these objects land in Goodwill finally, where they would begin a whole new life and perhaps wind up back in Goodwill someday. It reminds me of a Neil Gaiman short story, where an elderly lady buys a bowl at an Oxfam shop, that turns out to be the Holy Grail. Mike wound up with a snazzy new/old blue plaid wool jacket and I walked out with a long sleeve t-shirt and a new aloha shirt. (The Ganome has an extensive collection and is weak in the presence of cut rate loud shirts, though this one was rather staid, it was none the less irresistable)

Then it was off to see Mike's new digs. The place is a cooperative living arrangement and reminded me of my own funky Cambridge days. If it is shabby and falling apart it is in a way that I found sort of comforting in that it brought back a lot of fun memories for me. It seems to suit Mike fine, and we had a very comfortable time sitting in the kitchen, comparing notes on life, weighing in with our opinions of men in general as well as a couple of particulars, murmuring vaguely about our plans for our neighboring gardens this summer and just chatting about nothing in particular. I had a great time and I hope Mike did as well. It reminded me of some of the many reasons why I enjoy his friendship and makes me look forward to the summer all the more, since it means we will probably see more of each other, just by virtue of spending time in the garden. Finally, it was time for me to move along home and Mike to meet up with one of his lucky dating contestants. He walked me to Davis Square station, and we said our good byes with the rather optimistic hope that we would see each other before the gardening season really began. All in all a nice way to while away a lazy Sunday. What more could you ask for?

Off the wagon

I am suppose to be on this diet.

weight training days 165 grams of carbs daily no more than 35 per meal,,,,,, x4 = 140 calories every three hours

non weight training days / or cardio only 125 grams daily same principle

protein sources at this point,,,, meat, egg whites or whey, fish only / no yogurt! too high in carbs and too low in protein

protein 165-200 grams daily no more than 45 per meal every 3 hours

FAT PEANUT BUTTER MINIMALLY AS NEEDED FOR SOME ENERGY AND TO KILL HUNGER!

eat as many green veggies, no oil! as you want plain

water 1 gallon daily!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mulit 2x daily

b complex 1-2 daily

1000 mgs c daily

This is the diet I got in my email from Le Soigneur.

However, I went out for some low rent retail with C yesterday. We went to Ocean State Job Lot, an outlet store which, in the words of C, carries everything from the ridiculous to the sublime. Yesterday alone I saw some very slick stainless steel German bathroom scales and some fake silk artificial flowers. I am still wondering at the strangeness of something that is artificially artificial. Sort of the decorative equivalent of a knock off of a Hostess Twinkie. There is something wonderfully cheesy about the place and there is a smoke damaged odor to it that brings up memories of the Army Navy stores I haunted when I was a teenager. After buying seeds for the garden, zinnias for some reason are going to feature large in this years annual beds, and some extremely cheap sweatshirts, once again for gardening purposes we headed back to town. C suggested picking up lunch from Canto 6, a great little bakery/sandwich shop in JP. So, rather than having skinless chicken breast and brown rice, I had roast beef on ciabatta, with blue cheese, mayo and arugula, and pistachio shortbread for dessert. To further complicate, I am meeting Mike for brunch, (provided he remembers) and I seriously doubt I am going to be seeking out the lo-cal option. I seem to have had a delayed reaction to being allowed to eat anything I wanted earlier in the week and not really wanting to, and now living the high life this weekend. Maybe it is delayed reaction to a tough work week. I don't feel particularly rebellious, or discouraged about the way things are going in my workout/diet life. Maybe it was just timing. My schedule for a needed R&R and my life's schedule not coinciding. At any rate, I doubt I will do all that much damage, and come tomorrow I will be ready to face some rather dull fare for the next few weeks.

I deserve a break. I have been putting up with a fair amount of crazy at work, and last night had to put up with a certain amount of crazy from the maternal unit over the phone. It is Sunday morning the sun is shining, the birds are singing and there is hope that things will turn another corner and life will start marching down a quieter street. In the meantime, I'm thinking Eggs Benedict.