Tuesday

I started out the day like usual: 

Coffee w/M&S x2

Bowl of cereal (half Kashi Bluberry/half Rasin Bran Crunch)

Lunch was similar to yesterday: 

Yogurt

Turkey sandwhich (cheese & Miracle Whip)

Banana

Tangerine

Today, work was productive. I got a bit done on the Ethiopia project and a couple of things with Tanzania. I'm due for a big raise at my job. It's something that was discussed at strategic length with my supervisor in the fall of this year. I was told that the raise was going to go into effect after the first of the year. Unfortunately, I have heard little else about that raise until today, when I asked my supervisor to look into it. I'm not sure why this process is being done with me so tangentially involved. It is something that I do not appreciate and is causing some discontent with the organization that I'm working for. I finished my PhD in November...and as far as I'm concerned this raise should have gone into effect immediately afterwards. 

Snack after work: 

Few handfuls of pretzels

glass of lemonade

half of peanutbutter sandwich

Dinner is leftovers: 

TBD

Monday

Considering it was the weekend, I did pretty well on the eating front those days. Monday was a little bit different. 

Monday (daytime), I was fine as well, but that evening I went to watch some football at Ted's house. He's a Texas alum and I was there until the final drive when Texas punched it into the endzone and pulled ahead of Ohio State for good. It was a good game with some good comedic conversation. As for the teams, I felt they were very evenly matched and it displayed some very good coaching on the part of both coaches. Adjustments were made throughout that had very direct impact on ball movement. It would be a good game to use and an example of how football strategy is implemented (mixing offensive attacks, hurry-up offense, shadowing a quarterback, pass-rushing, and making adjustments to cover pass-rushes). 

Monday Breakfast

Coffee w/M&S x2

Raisin crunch cereal

Lunch

Banana

Sandwhich bag of carrots

Apple

Turkey and cheese sandwich (it will always have Miracle Whip on it)

Yogurt

Water consumption at work (2 bottles)

Worked out at the gym in my office. It was pretty good. 30 minutes running (treadmill) and the super-set upper body workout. 1 set of crunches.

Dinner

Hamburg slop (made by Greedy: very tastey, classified as "comfort food")

During Texas game: 

5 beers (2 Miller Lites & 3 Sierra Nevadas)

Snacky food that was more like rabbit food

2 beef jerky sticks (I was watching Texas football)

Sunday Morning

Breakfast

Started the day early with the baby. She took her bottle and went back to sleep. Harper came downstairs sometime around 7:15. 

After my wife got up, we made some 

pancakes

eggs 

& sausages

Coffee 

& small glass of orange juice

Breakfast was very nice, but proceeded with a LARGE argument between my wife and I. The argument centered on the salary that I am presently receiving, the limitations that this presents and whether or not she should get a job (or I another job). Since completing my PhD, I have had additional pressure from my wife to identify and get a job that pays a heftier salary. I'm scheduled for a substantial raise, but to live the lifestyle we would like (having her at home) my present position may not cut it. The argument struck at fundamental perceptions of divergent perspectives on issues, problem solving and blame. It didn't end quickly and included some very loud shouting in front of the girls. 

My wife left the house (as previously scheduled) to take care of some errands. During this time, my two daughters and I watched some Sponge Bob. After putting the younger one down for her nap, Harper asked me if I wanted to play Mulan and Shang (from Disney's Mulan). This is not a game, but rather "pretend". She knows that this is my favorite of the princesses (mostly because she's the only one who can fight). The predominant activity for Mulan and Shang was to dance, which more or less consisted of me holding her tight and spinning in a circle. It was a very sweet gesture and showed me that she hears it all, especially the bad. 

Later, 

gingerbread cookie (Christmas gift)

My wife was upstairs playing with the baby on the floor. I could hear them all through the monitor. Harper proclaimed that she was scared. I thought, what could she be afraid of? She's in the room with her mother and sister. When my wife asked, what she was afraid of she said, "monsters". After stating this, i could hear her run downstairs, when she turned the corner, she was looking for me. I asked if something was the matter. She asked me if I was leaving. I said, "Nope", picked her up and hugged her for a few minutes, asked her for a kiss and distracted her by asking if she wanted something to drink.

There is some football on tv...SO:

Chips & salsa

2 beers

handful of pretzels

Dinner was had around 9:00pm. 

Slow cooked Chicken

Rice

Asparagus

2 Recees peanut butter cups

Not so typical Football day

Breakfast

Thomas' Everything bagel w/Cream cheese

coffee w/M&S

small glass orange juice

1 clementine 

Before eating lunch, I ran 5 miles pretty slowly with Ted. The run was not impossible, but I'm confident that neither Ted, nor I really felt great afterwards. My feet are a little sore, which for me is a clear indication that I'm WAY out of shape. 

One of my objectives when running with Ted is to talk the entire time. This does slow us down, but speaking for myself, I need the time to speak with another guy and process various issues that come along with kids, health, money, etc. Our discussion today focused on the holidays and my gripes about 10 days at my in-laws. The gripe is not my in-laws themselves, but rather the anxiety associated with not being at work, not moving various projects ahead. We also discussed recent occurrences within our group of friends, travel and kids. It's funny, kids come into my discussions so frequently at this stage of life that I can't really remember what that time was filled with before. I'm guessing that those segments of conversations weren't tied to anything/person who was as important.

Lunch 2:00pm

two PBJ sandwiches on mega-wheat bread

small glass of milk

Later 

2 handfuls of grapes

three bites of daughter's chicken noodle soup

Tonight the playroom was due for a cleaning. Harper's stuff was everywhere. It's amazing to consider how much crap she actually has. We discuss the potential of moving abroad frequently and I wonder what her toy collection would look like if we lived in a place like Addis, Ethiopia, or Dar, Tanzania? Would she (and we) be able to adjust to local toys (not that there are quite as many available)? 

Dinner

Pork tenderloin

rice

salad

dessert = 4 of those Lindt chocolate balls (not Chef's "chocolate, salty balls")

Watching the Chargers, Colts game now and wondering who will pull it out in this overtime period. I've never like Payton Manning, but I've become a LT hater at this point. He's out of the game right now, was out last post-season and I'm just starting to think that he's soft AND who am I to call anyone soft, sitting here writing my harcore food journal? there is a guy who has a show on Discovery Channel about "Dirty Jobs". He shovels crap and cleans grease traps and stuff. Pretty crazy stuff. After watching season after season of NFL, I think that one of the CRAZIEST jobs out there has to be kickoff/punt-returner in the NFL. I think that I would die if I was ever hit that hard. 

Crappy Dinner, even worse football game.

Watching some BAMA football. 

Had two plates of spinach spaghetti with jar sauce, some parm cheese and a couple of pieces of good funky seed-whole wheat bread.

 

Washed it down with a small Snickers bar...honestly, the little one.

I have some beers in the fridge, but am trying to stay away from just sitting her for the next 2 hours downing beers. 

Typical weekend night...9:30 and wife and girls are asleep. 

Later...BAMA got crushed. Utah worked the hell out of them.

The more I looked a the tool below, I don't really think it meets my interests for this site. 

This afternoon

1 orange

1 pull from Diet Coke

1/2 apple (split with daughter)

Never really had a chance to exercise today. There was some confusion about timing and such with my wife. 

Getting ready to have an old-fashioned bachelor special: spaghetti and sauce from a jar. You'd think I had a race tomorrow. I am going to schedule a long run, or some extended exercise of some sort. 

 

So, I've found this food diary thing and added it to the bottom of this blog. 

I'm going to have to think about how to use it and this blog at the same time effectively.

Day 2

Breakfast: 

Kashi blueberry cereal w/milk

Coffee M&S x2

Lunch: 

Taco Bell - 2 chicken soft tacos, 1 chicken fresco burrito

half bottle of diet coke

Had to leave work early to pick up family at airport. It's Friday, not sure about exercise right now, but a run may be in the picture. 

Initial Post

Food Today: 

Coffee w/milk & Splenda (Coffee M&S)

Kashi Cereal, blueberry type

Orange juice

Pretzels

2 diet cokes

Apple

4 slices Papa John's Pizza

3 beers

Few chips & salsa

Pasta with sausage & pepers

4 Lindt chocolate truffles

Workout: 

4 mile run in hood