My morning walk

This morning, when I got to work, I looked around my office and realized that I didn't want to be there. I was tired of looking at the same old things, reading the same old stuff, and sitting in my crappy chair. So I decided to take a walk to Picnic Point.



I set out on my journey around 7:30. On my way to Picnic Point, I walked along the shore of Lake Mendota. Nothing spectacular there, just a lot of people riding their bikes to work. So I listened to my book on my mp3 player.. it's called Battlefield Earth, by L. Ron Hubbard. It's kind of like Planet of the Apes with aliens instead of apes.

When I reach the entrance to Picnic Point trail, I remove my headphones and put away my sunglasses. The trail is open to pedestrians and bikers are reluctantly allowed to use it, too. The beginning of the trail has an open space of grass that is frequently mowed, perfect for setting out a blanket and having a picnic. I see a rabbit hop from the woods onto the grass and start nibbling some clover. On the right side of the trail is a small stand of trees and shrubs, and beyond them, Lake Mendota. I hear many birds chirping and squawking, and I see them flying around in the trees. I smell the aroma of the lake, the scent of the grass, and at once I feel at peace.

The trail continues to a more wooded area, and I soon find myself enveloped in the trees. There are many deciduous trees with branches that reach over the trail, forming a canopy. The air feels cool and pleasant on my skin.

As I continue my walk, I notice a huge spiderweb on my left, among the branches of the bushes and trees, still moist from the morning dew. There's a spider right in the middle of the web. I realize I wouldn't be able to see that spiderweb if it were later in the day. I think about stopping to take a closer look, but decide to keep moving on.

I have a feeling Picnic Point was once a campground. As I continue my walk, I see spots of open grass, which would be perfect for setting up a tent, and firepits, where many hot dogs and marshmallows were roasted over an open flame. I believe camping is no longer allowed on Picnic Point, but I would like to have a small fire sometime and dine on hot dogs and s'mores while sticking my toes into the lake.

I get to the narrowest part of the trail, which is the location of a sandy beach. There's a slab of concrete with four 2" posts sticking out of each corner, and I know it's where a lifeguard's chair had once been. To the east are some restrooms with vault toilets (some people call them outhouses, but they're not the same thing). By now, even though I'd been walking in the shade and it's morning, I am sweating. I briefly daydream about taking my clothes off and going skinnydipping, but the area gets a lot of traffic and I don't think that would be such a good idea.

At about this point I hear someone speaking over a megaphone on the water. I peer into the lake, and see the UW Rowing Team at their early morning practice. I hear the man on the megaphone for the rest of my walk.

Eventually I reach Picnic Point, a surprising disappointment. For being such a wonderful, glorious piece of land, the actual Point itself isn't much to look at. It's an open, grassy/sandy area with a few wooden benches and a telephone pole. To get to the water, one must trek down a steep bank and even then, there is really no place to stand. I would not want to have a picnic at Picnic Point because it's hot and sunny and there isn't too much shade.

On my way back down the trail, I take a side trail that runs along the water. I am struck by the beauty of two enormous willow trees, and suddenly wish I could climb them. However, the lowest branch is about 20 feet off the ground and I realize that would be impossible. I continue down the trail.

I step through the trees to the water's edge when I see a sandy beach area. I stand on the beach, admiring the fog on the lake and the ducks in the water. The side of the lake I'm on is not in the path of the wind, so the water barely laps up onto the shore. It's very quiet and peaceful. I wish I had worn my sandals so I could wade in the water, but I don't take the time to remove my shoes and socks. I wish I had taken up meditation as a hobby, because this would have been the perfect place to meditate.

When I step out of the trees and back onto the trail, I see a man, a runner, and we almost crash into each other. We both apologize, and the man says I have a beautiful smile. He's about 40, bald, wide smile, average height, stocky. He speaks with a European accent of some kind. As we chat, he asks me where I got my eyes from. I say from my grandparents. Why do foreign dudes have such crappy pick-up lines? I don't mean to generalize, but that seems to be a trend that I've noticed. Anyhow, I tell him I need to get back to my walk and he takes off down the trail.

I was feeling flattered about being noticed by someone, so for the rest of my walk I was kind of daydreaming. I made it back to work, ate some yogurt, and got ready for a day of thinking.

Today's Lunch:
Whole-wheat fettuccini with broccoli, green pepper, carrots, and leftover pork in a spicy peanut sauce (recipe posted on AGD recipe site).
Spiced pickled beets (recipe here)
Apple
Popcorn (yes! Popcorn day at work!)

Strange dream...

I had a dream a couple nights ago.. actually, it was after I looked at these "redneck" wedding pics that Katie G. sent out. Here's one of them:



So in my dream, I met a guy who looked similar to the guy in the photo, except he had better teeth and his facial features didn't look so... neanderthal. But he was also kind of "country."

We met at a party Zach and I were at. As the guy and I talked, we really hit it off and I felt an incredibly strong connection with him. One thing I really remember is that he held up a huge magnifying glass with Saran Wrap covering one side of the glass. He told me the Saran Wrap is what makes the magnifying glass work, and I was just so amazed by that.

After spending only a few hours together, we were ready to plan the rest of our lives together and we proclaiming our undying love to each other. I remember seeing Zach in the other room, kind of wondering what I was doing with this other guy, but not ready to let me go. Then I woke up.

Very strange. Maybe I'll look it up on one of those dream-analysis websites.

Today's Lunch:
Ham sandwich on whole wheat bread with mustard
"Lumberjack" ice cream cone from Babcock Hall Dairy Store
Apple

How to choose and plant a tree in your yard

This post is dedicated to Alanna, whose simple question of "what trees will grow in my soil?" led to a thorough (and wonderful) explanation from my boyfriend Zach. I am relaying this information to everyone, since the world needs to learn a few things about planting trees.

According to Zach, you should purchase a tree from a local, reputable (i.e. not Wal-Mart) nursery. The nursery will stock items that grow in your area, and can help you pick out a tree that's suitable for your wants and needs. However, before you go to the nursery, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself when choosing a tree for your yard.

1. What do I want the tree to do? Do you want it for looks or shade?
2. How big do I want it? Very important! Some trees, like our red bud, only grow up to 15 feet. Others, like maples, will keep growing until they die or until you cut them down. Another thing to consider is how far the crown will spread. Some trees grow straight up, like an ash, and others spread out a lot, like maple. So you need to consider this when you're shopping and when you're planting. If you want a tree for shade, get one with a nice crown and make sure it's spaced sufficiently from other trees and your house. If you want a tree that doesn't get huge, get an ornamental.
   
3. What color? This may sound kind of silly, but it's something to consider. Some trees have leaves that will change color in the fall. Some trees have leaves that will always be the same color. And some trees will have flowers in the spring, green leaves in the summer, and colored leaves in the fall. Think about what colors you like and when you want to see them. If you're going to plant two ornamentals, for example, maybe you want one that flowers in the spring and another that flowers in the summer or fall.
4. What size leaves and flowers? Another thing to think about. The size of leaves can affect how much shade the tree provides, and the size of flowers can affect the "statement" you're trying to make. For example, a magnolia has big, beautiful blossoms and a redbud has smaller blossoms, so maybe you'd want to put the magnolia in a spot where it won't draw attention from other trees and shrubs. Also, some leaves are huge (like maple trees) and some are small (like arborvitaes). Think about the statement you're trying to make with the tree, and decide how big the leaves and flowers should be.

Okay, so hopefully you've thought these questions through and are ready to go to the nursery. When you get to the nursery, you should tell them what you want the tree to do and ask some questions. Considerations:

1. How high will the tree grow? How big will the crown get?
2. What will the tree look like in all 4 seasons? Will it flower in fall or spring?
   
3. What is the general life span of this tree?
4. How far away should I plant it from other trees, my house, etc.?
5. Will this tree need pruning? When's the best time to do it? What other special care should it get?

Zach also said that some nurseries will give a 1-year guarantee on the life of the tree. It doesn't hurt to ask what their policy is on guarantees.

Finally, when you're about to buy the tree, check out the stem. Make sure it hasn't been dinged up while being delivered to the nursery. If the root system of the tree is visible (i.e. in a sack rather than in a pot), look for damaged roots.

Okay, so you bought the tree and are bringing it home. Some important points about planting:

• If the tree is in a container (rather than a sack), plant it as soon as possible.
• When planting the tree, do not plant too deep. This cannot be stressed enough, as Zach sees this happen all the time and people's trees end up dying. Or they put wood chips all around the stem, thus burying the tree in wood chips, which is just as bad as burying it in soil. Bad. Very bad.
  

You want to plant the tree so that the soil ends just above the highest root and you can still see the trunk's flare. I don't know if this is visible on little seedlings, but it's something to consider.

• Lastly, if the tree comes in a burlap sack, take the sack off before planting it. Zach's company does a lot of removals of dead trees where the person who planted it left the sack on. The roots have nowhere to grow and they end up dying. Plus, the sack becomes rotten and that doesn't make the tree happy, either.

So I hope this helps! Zach thought maples, birches, ash, cherry, and redbuds would do well for Alanna, but I'm wondering if the soil is too clay-ey for them. So see what your nursery has and hopefully there's something out there for you.

Today's Lunch:
Egg salad made with celery, pickles, and Light Miracle Whip on whole wheat pita
Apple
Banana
3 Hershey's dark chocolate kisses

Weekend of motivation

I've really been sloughing off around the house lately. I haven't felt like cooking or doing dishes or anything, so Zach and I have been living on mac & cheese and leftovers and going out to eat (bad, because I'm on a budget).

Well, on sunday I became useful again. Here's what I accomplished:

• Washed a stack of dishes
• Cleaned the sink, even used a toothbrush to clean the trim between the sink and the countertop (it was nasty)
  
• Cleaned the bathroom (it was my turn)
• Soaked the tub with Oxy-Clean
• Went grocery shopping
• Put away some clutter that was accumulating in dining room
• Got rid of some old bathroom reading material
  

And I did a lot of cooking. Here's what I made:

• Two French Silk pies (for people at work). They have a pecan crust and the filling is to die for (but contains raw eggs). The recipe is from Martha Stewart.. you can see it here.
• A strawberry-rhubarb pie - it's beautiful!
  
• Pork lo mein.. the recipe is on the AGD Recipe site.

Okay, I guess that doesn't look like a lot, but I spent hours in the kitchen. First I had to grind the pecans for the pie crusts. Then I had to bake the crusts and wait for them to cool. In the meantime, I made the dough for the strawberry-rhubarb pie crust and let it chill. Then I made the French Silk pie filling.. which was very time consuming because I had to wait for the melted chocolate to cool and it took longer than I thought it would. When the F.S. pies were finished, I made the strawberry-rhubarb pie filling, which involved washing and drying strawberries and cutting them up (I already had the rhubarb ready to go). Then I baked the pie.. and in the meantime, I started making my pork lo mein. I bought a pork tenderloin roast at the Pig (Piggly Wiggly for those who don't live in WI) for $1.79/lb (yeah!). So I had to trim the fat and slice it into strips for the stir fry. Then I washed and cut up the veggies. Then I stir-fried it all in my wonderful new wok while my pasta cooked. Then I made the sauce for it. Whew! And throughout this all, I probably did the dishes about 5 times. And if anyone actually made it through this entire paragraph, I am very proud of you, because I realize it's boring. And now I'm going to be done writing...

Today's Lunch:
2 barbecued chicken drumsticks
Green beans
Garlic toast from that Italian restaurant in Horicon
Apple

Evil Art Fair people

On saturday, Zach and I volunteered at the Art Fair on the Square. We worked at a concession stand that sold beer, brats, hot dogs, pre-made subs, and pickles-on-a-stick. I was working the cash register, and Zach started out as a runner (bringing food to the counter). Well, the Art Fair people who were kind of "in charge" of our stand asked Zach to work a beer line, where they gave him a little apron with change in it. So he did that for a while. Then, one of the Art Fair people started working the beer line next to him. The demand for beer wasn't overwhelming, and Zach was like, "wtf?" Then, after awhile, another Evil Art Fair person took his apron from him. So he was kind of kicked out of selling beer. So Zach went to the grill in the back and helped grill the brats and hot dogs. He really enjoyed that because he was in the sun and could work on his tan, and he got free beer. So he did it for the rest of the shift.

When our shift was over, the people who were supposed to work the next shift were short-staffed. So Zach offered to stay and help cook the food. I was tired from yelling food orders and dealing with crabby customers for 3-1/2 hours, so I took a walk to look at the artwork. When I came back, Zach was sitting on the curb. I asked him what happened, and he said the Evil Art Fair people kicked him out because they thought he was just staying after to drink free beer. He said he had filled up his beer cup an hour ago and had been nursing it since. He was very sad that they didn't trust him or want his help any more.

The Art Fair left a bad taste in his mouth. I don't think I'll be volunteering him for this again next year!

I did something important

Finally! I did some work that required brain power and I feel great about it.

I used some calculations to find the amount of water exhaled by kangaroo rats and how it varies by the relative humidity and temperature of the environment. After reading about this stuff for weeks, it feels great to have finally figured it out.

Now I get to go home.

Ropes and my house

Yesterday I took the day off to watch Zach compete in the Wisconsin Arborist Association annual Tree Climbing Competition. It was in West Bend, which is north of Milwaukee. There were 40 competitors who competed in 5 different events. The events were:

• Footlock, where climbers had to climb a 50 foot rope using the footlock method in less than a minute;
• Speed climb, where climbers used a rope and tree limbs to climb a tree in less than a minute;
• Throw line, where climbers stood on the ground and threw a weighted line around a specific branch in a tree. Some branches were worth more points than others;
• Aerial rescue, where climbers had to rescue a 150-lb dummy out of a tree ensuring it made it to the ground safely; and
• Work climb, where climbers started at the top of the tree and worked their way down, completing tasks at five different stations. They had to jump out of the tree and land inside a target.

Now I'm inspired to learn how to footlock, so I'm going to try to master it by practicing on the tree in our backyard.

Hey - I just realized I haven't posted any pictures of my house except the scary basement.

Here's the front of my house:


And the back:


Cute, huh? Yes, that's a 3-season porch in the back. I like to sit out there and read and listen to the birds.

This weekend Z and I are volunteering at the Madison Art Fair on the Square. We're selling beer and brats - nutrition staples for Wisconsinites.

And that's about it, since I'm broke.

Today's Lunch:
Leftover ravioli from Barduccios in Horicon, WI (really good food for a small town)
Nectarine

July 4th

My 4th of July was very laid back. I celebrated our country's independence by eating a hot dog while reading the latest issue of Time magazine. There was a big to-do in Evansville, with baseball games and live music and food stands. So Zach and I checked it out and had some deep-fried cheese curds and strawberry-rhubarb pie a la mode. It was fun.

We skipped the parade because sitting on a hot roadside among crowds of people watching politicians go by is not my idea of a great time. The fireworks didn't start until 9:00, and I needed to go to bed so I didn't watch them (ah, the beauty of riding the state van to work - I get a free commute, but I have to get up at 5:00).

I did notice a commercial on TV with "Born in the U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen as the background music. I can't remember what the commercial was for - probably a store was having a 4th of July sale. I can understand why people think the song is appropriate for Independence Day - "Born in the U.S.A." sounds pretty freakin' patriotic. However, if you listen to the lyrics carefully, you will notice the song is about the Vietnam War, and how so-called "troublemakers" were encouraged to enlist. Then, upon arrival back in the states, there were no jobs left for these poor people. To make things worse, many were experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder.

Born in the U.S.A.

Born down in a dead man's town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog that's been beat too much
'Til you spend half your life just covering up

[Chorus]
Born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.

I got in a little hometown jam
So they put a rifle in my hand
Sent me off to a foreign land
To go and kill the yellow man

[Chorus]

Come back home to the refinery
Hiring man says "Son, if it was up to me"
Went down to see my V.A. man
He said "Son, don't you understand?"

[Chorus]

I had a buddy at Khe Sahn
Fighting off the Viet Cong
They're still there, he's all gone

He had a woman he loved in Saigon
I got a picture of him in her arms now

Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
I'm ten years burning down the road
Nowhere to run, ain't got nowhere to go

Born in the U.S.A. (x3)
I'm a long gone daddy in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A. (x3)
I'm a cool rocking daddy in the U.S.A.

Today's Lunch:
Sara Lee turkey sandwich with yellow mustard on whole wheat
Apple
Nectarine
Maybe some chips

Side effects

Last week my doctor prescribed a new anti-depressant for me. It's called Cymbalta, and it's cool because it regulates serotonin uptake and norepinephrine uptake.

I had previously been taking Lexapro, which was a decent antidepressant, but my doctor thought I needed something to regulate anxiety as well (I guess that's obvious by reading some of my blogs about work - yikes!). Lexapro just regulates serotonin uptake, not norepinephrine uptake, and norepinephrine is the stuff that helps with anxiety.

I first took the 30 mg dose for a week, just to ease into the new stuff. Last night I took my first 60 mg dose, and today I am feeling the side effects. I feel like I'm buzzing, like I've had a few beers or something. And I'm almost kind of dizzy. It's not the unpleasant numbness that I'd been feeling before when I was depressed, it's just this strange sensation in my head. I also feel like I'm having heart palpitations, but when I check my pulse it feels normal, so I'm not worried.

I looked up some of the side effects of Cymbalta on the internet and noticed a few reports of dizziness, but many of the side effects went away within a few weeks. Also, I remember my doctor telling me that the first week I'm on it may be a difficult week for me. Luckily I'm only working 3 days this week, so this is a good week for weird, trippy side effects.

Today's lunch:
Hummus in a whole wheat pita pocket
Carrots and celery
(writing this down made me realize how weak my lunch is. I may have to see my friend the vending machine later on)

I want to be a ... wild foods chef

I think it would be fun to learn how to identify, harvest, and prepare the foods that grow in the wild. Our ancestors didn't grow up with a McDonald's on every corner, folks. They had to learn how to identify roots and plants and find a way to eat them. They needed to know this in order to survive.

It would be neat to learn how to identify such plants, like fiddleheads and lamb's quarters and dandelion greens. And even better, I'd like to experiment with these plants and come up with some recipes for them that taste wonderful. The words "organic," "sustainable," and "local" are often applied to food. I predict the words "native" and "endemic" will soon be popping up in the food industry.

And I've always enjoyed walking in the woods, so I could teach a wild foods cooking class, and bring my students into the woods. I could teach them how to identify native plants that are edible; then, when back in the classroom, show them how they can be used to prepare meals.

Cattail root, anyone?

Today's Lunch:
Went to a salad bar at Dayton Street Cafe. Had a salad made with various dark leafy greens, tomatoes, carrots, onion, cucumber, and sunflower seeds sprinkled with a little ranch dressing. Also had a potato roll with butter, two crackers with colby-jack, nachos, and a german chocolate bar. It was sooo good.

Slumber Party 2-Night

Tonight my friend Petra is coming home with me and she's going to spend the night at my house. I'm really excited! She'll finally get to see the house, and we're going to have meatloaf and potatoes for dinner, and then I'd like to take a walk to show her around my neighborhood, and then we're going to watch a movie. The only downside is that I won't be able to have my daily Lost fix, but I can go without it for one day.

Today's Lunch:
Sara Lee turkey sandwich on whole wheat with yellow mustard
Lay's BBQ potato chips
Apple

Zach's Laws of Cuisine

I've noticed that Zach has some particular eating habits that are so subtle that he may not even notice them. But after eating countless meals together, I've noticed that my boyfriend can be very picky about the foods he eats. So I've come up with Zach's Laws of Cuisine:

1. The food must be wet. For example, he smothers oodles of mayonnaise and mustard on his sandwiches, because otherwise they're too dry. He also cooks the noodles for his macaroni and cheese for 10 minutes so that they're mushy, then when he's stirring the noodles, butter, milk and cheese powder around, it makes this disgusting wet slurping sound.
   
2. The food must be spicy. He puts hot sauce and salsa on everything. I made a savory rice and lentil casserole, which had Italian spices in it. He doctored it up with salsa so that it was a Mexitalian meal. What the heck?
   
3. There's a condiment for everything. Our refrigerator has 4 types of mustard, 2 kinds of hot sauce, 2 types of olives, 2 kinds of barbeque sauce, pickles and relish, etc. Today he was eating leftover pizza for breakfast and dipping it in ketchup. In my opinion, the purpose of eating food is defeated when its flavor is completely covered up by the taste of condiments.
   
4. It must be coated in mayonnaise. This goes for any creamy salad, like potato salad, macaroni salad, and coleslaw. It has to be Hellmann's Mayo; no Miracle Whip allowed. And it has to be the full-fat version. I can't stand the thought of eating an entire 1/2 lb. of mayo in a potato salad, so I just don't make it.
5. The lettuce must be iceberg. Ew. No nutrition, no vitamins, awful taste. I prefer the fancy leafy stuff. He thinks it looks like a weed.
   
6. The tuna fish must be Bumble Bee. I think Zach once had a bad experience with another brand, so now he thinks Bumble Bee is the only good one out there. To me, they all taste the same. Other particular brands: Ball Park hot dogs, Heinz ketchup, Bush's baked beans, Edy's ice cream, Charmin toilet paper...
   
7. The bacon mustn't be crisp. He's one of those weird people who like it chewy. The time I broiled it in the oven, he ate it and said, "thank you baby, it's just like what mom used to make."
8. The milk can't be named after anyone. We were grocery shopping and I went to put some Dean's milk in the cart. He was like, "No! I like the other kind more!" I asked, "What's the difference?" and he said, "I just don't like the idea of buying milk that has someone's last name on it." I'm still trying to figure that one out.
   
9. Sour cream and cream cheese are too fattening to eat, but ice cream may be consumed by the pint. I've tried to reason with him on this one, but it's no use.
   
10. The juice may not be from concentrate. He's a big fan of Simply Orange. But I can't complain - it's pretty good stuff.

I'm sure we all have some eating quirks that we don't necessarily notice. Do you have any?

Today's Lunch:
Sara Lee honey-ham sandwich with yellow mustard on whole wheat bread
Beet greens (threw them away because they tasted yucky)
Apple
A few peanuts
Pretzels

The Shopping Monster

I don't know what it was, but I was in the mood to spend money on wednesday. I drove myself to work that day because I missed my van, and a couple of days before I received a $50 gift card to Williams-Sonoma as a house-warming gift. The card was burning a hole in my purse and I was motivated to go shopping.

So I left work at about 3:00 and drove to Williams-Sonoma in the mall. I am in dire need of a new large frying pan, so I looked at theirs. However, they were in the neighborhood of $150 apiece, and even with the gift card, I wasn't willing to pay $100 for a frying pan at a store that doesn't offer discounts or clearance items. I'd rather look around for a deal.

So I moved on to the knives. I have a set of knives, but they're pretty old and kind of junky. I heard that all a person really needs to get by in cooking is a decent chef's knife and a paring knife...and maybe a bread knife...I can't remember. Well, I ended up spending $50 on this Henckels Professional S Series Chef's Knife. I love it!


After making a stir-fry tuesday night in my crappy frying pan that's all warped, I decided I needed a wok. I heard on The Splendid Table about a wok store in San Francisco, where they have traditional cast-iron Chinese woks that cost only $15 apiece. So I went to website for The Wok Shop and purchased a wok. I can't wait for it to come in.

My day off

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday, so I figured I would take the day off and get some things done around the house. Here's my day, in a nutshell.

• 7:30 - Zach wakes me up to say he's leaving for work. Try to go back to sleep.
• 8:00 - Officially awake. Cat lays on bed with me and I pet her. I read my book (A Superior Death, by Nevada Barr. It takes place on Isle Royale, and for that purpose was at the top of my list of must-reads).
• 8:30 - Get out of bed. Go into the kitchen, looking foward to a bowl of frosted mini wheats (the generic version, of course). Pour cereal into bowl, then realize we didn't have milk. Ate cereal with water in it. It became very mushy very quickly. Threw the last few bites into the garbage. Ate a banana.
• 9:00 - Watch Regis and Kelly.
• 10:00 - Take shower.
• 10:15 - Gather items to run errands. Place them in my little tote bag.
• 10:30 - Ride bike to doctor's office. Stop at courthouse/EMS headquarters/utilities building on the way. Pay water and light bill.
• 10:45 - Doctor's appointment. Have a heart attack when I realize I've gained 5 pounds in the last few months.
  
• 11:15 - Stop at pharmacy on the way home. While prescription is being filled, go to library and check out the first season of Lost (to see what the big freakin' deal is).
• 11:45 - Get home. Eat watermelon while watching Pilot Episode Part 1 of Lost.
• 12:30 - Start watching Pilot Episode Part 2 of Lost. Am officially addicted.
• 1:15 - Start laundry. Sort clothes while watching 3rd episode of Lost. Pause the show when the washer or dryer beeps. Munch on some veggie crackers, the really fattening kind. Eat an apple with natural peanut butter.
  
• 2:30 - Make a couple of phone calls. To reward myself, watch 4th episode of Lost. This show rocks!
• 4:00 - Eat a half sandwich of ham and swiss cheese with mustard on farmer's market potato bread.
  
• 4:15 - Realize I desperately need weights for my aerobics class at 6:30. Run to Janesville, go to K-Mart, purchase 3-lb weights and an exercise band. Also buy ice cube trays and a plastic pitcher for making lemonade.
• 5:30 - Begin doing dishes.
• 6:15 - Zach gets home as I'm getting ready for aerobics.
• 6:30 - Aerobics class.
• 7:30 - Eat some of Zach's Chinese food. Eat 2 fortune cookies. Eat some watermelon.
  
• 8:00 - Watch TV with Zach (So You Think You Can Dance?) and do random errands around the house.
• 9:30 - Go to bed.

I didn't quite succeed in doing everything I wanted to do, but doing the laundry was a major feat in itself.

Today's Lunch:
Honey-Ham sandwich with yellow mustard on whole wheat
Beet greens cooked with onion and salt and seasoned with a dash of balsamic vinegar
Apple

Lunch update: My coworker Bob said a group of people were going to the Blue Moon for lunch and invited me to join them. Since my lunch was kind of crappy, I decided to go. So I really had:
Grilled salmon with dill sauce
Mashed redskin potatoes
Roll
Coleslaw, but not the icky creamy kind - the dressing was very light and contained celery seeds and mustard seeds, which I love in coleslaw
A few french fries