Technology is a tool

Obviously I am not keeping up here. Accordingly, I am moving the little stuff to Twitter and putting a Twitter feed at the top. Cross your fingers for me.

Breakfast Tuesday March 3, 2009

I hit the lodge for the breakfast bar. The first time I ever had breakfast bar I was in Disney World. I think I was 9 when my paternal grandparents took me.

Today I had eggs, some tator tots, a sausage patty, grapes, coffee, and pineapple.

Workout Tuesday March 3, 2009

I got up early and hit Crossfit Manhattan before work for the new 8AM class. Jacinto was the trainer. Rumor has it that he's 70. I hope I'm as fit as he is when I'm 50.

"Barbara"

Five rounds, each for time of:
20 Pull-ups
30 Push-ups
40 Sit-ups
50 Squats

Rest precisely three minutes between each round.

My ribs still hurt after dumping the scooter on Saturday, so the whole thing was fairly painful, and by the third round, I pulled the chord. Pretty lame, but I was doing kipping pull-ups and real push-ups. Last time I started with a band for the pull-ups, and by the third round was doing modified push-ups. So, although I did all 5 rounds last time, this was a bit of an improvement.

Dinner Monday March 2, 2009

A burger again. Cooking for one is a bitch. I have to blaze through whatever it is before it goes bad. Happily, my burger mix turned out delicious, so it's easy enough.

Dinner was a burger, like last night, with broccoli rabe, also like last night.

Lunch Monday March 2, 2009

Another Green Symphony day. I loaded it up with a potato samosa, collard greens, chicken enchilada, beets, tofu and pea salad, and feta and lettuce salad.

Somehow I didn't have my credit card and I didn't have any cash. The guy had me leave my name and phone number and then let me take it. He's such a cool, mellow guy.

Workout Monday March 2, 2009

Deadlift 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps
265-285-305-315-335(fail)-335(fail)-285

I over shot the mark a but, and probably should have stepped to 325. I got the weight off the ground on both of my 335 failures, but my back was in bad shape so I didn't go all the way up. The second time I was nearly there, but it was bad.

Regardless, I am happy. This was a PR day by 20 pounds, I didn't injure myself, and I'm not even sore. I credit substituting good mornings into my warm-up. They really establish the hip bend/straight back connection.

Breakfast Monday March 2, 2009

This morning was a quick and easy one. Raw milk cottage cheese, strawberries, granola, and coffee with raw milk.

Dinner Sunday March 1, 2009

When I finally got home from shooting, I had some bread and cheese. My diet is so low carb these days that I think I got a little hypoglycemic and nodded off. When I woke up, I realized I had missed my dinner invitation at Shanon's, so I took advantage of the hamburger I had defrosted the other day.


I looked up a few hamburger recipes on the web, and it quickly became clear that they were variations on a theme. One egg, maybe some garlic, maybe some other spices. Occasionally I saw bread crumbs.

I opted for an egg, a few cloves of garlic and a little horse radish. I wasn't too sure how to tell when it was done, so I cooked one side, turned it over and added the cheese, and removed it from the heat when the cheese was done. The middle of the burger was not as pink as the burger I had at Dumont, but it was so juicy I think it was OK. Next time I will ask around for tips and use a higher heat.

Meal:

• Burger with horseradish
  
• Toppings were tomato and bread and butter pickles
• Broccoli rabe

Broccoli rabe is my new favorite vegetable.

Breakfast Sunday March 1, 2009

Breakfast was two eggs, scrapple, strawberries, and coffee with milk. Scrapple seems to be some sort of farmers' sausage with cornmeal. It was not bad, but I had such a bad go at cooking it I was a little nervous to eat it. It had a nicely-spiced flavor, with the corn meal providing a pleasant texture.

Dinner Saturday February 28, 2009

After waiting and waiting for Monster Track to start and then running around almost-fruitlessly to catch some of it, I was cold, starving and fairly cranky. So after catching the last manifest hand-off at Affinity I dropped all my gear (which was A LOT), parked the scooter, and ordered a lamb burger from Wombat 613.


I had time to take Yatika to pick up some dry clothes at my place. He had sweat too much and was freezing.

The burger was almost but not quite dry, but still pretty good. It came with under-cooked parsley fries. They were tasty. but somewhat raw.

Breakfast Saturday February 28, 2009

Another neo-classical breakfast. Two strips of bacon, two eggs, a few pieces of hearty sourdough toast, and of course coffee with milk. The Bacon is from Triangle Organic, and is the best I've had. Although Henry was on point with his Flying Pigs recommendation, the Triangle Organics bacon is a more solid choice. As delicious as Flying Pigs was, it was also very showy, sort of like so-called craft brews. Triangle tastes like small 'b' bacon; Flying Pig tastes like re-imagined bacon.

Lunch Friday February 27, 2009

Continuing on with the lighter theme, I didn't forgo meat, but it was only a little and it wasn't red.

For lunch I went to Green Symphony with Andrew. I loaded up my plate with a potato samosa, some pesto chicken salad, roasted mushrooms and braised cauliflower. I treated myself to a pecan bar and washed it all down with Pellogrino water.

Breakfast Friday February 27, 2009

After a full week of eating meat, it was time to lighten it up a bit and have some more fruits and vegetables. So I started with breakfast. Today I had raw milk cottage cheese with granola and strawberries. It was all washed down with the regular stove-top espresso with raw milk.

Raw milk cottage cheese is truly amazing. Eating it is like eating sweet butter, but not quite as rich. So you can actually have an entire cup and not just a pat.

Dinner Thursday February 26, 2009

Tonight was man-networking night at Primehouse as organized by Marcus. I showed up right after my WOD, so I was pretty mellow. I was so mellow that Marcus couldn't believe it. Once we had a quorum and were seated, the bread got my blood sugar back up to the point were I was foaming at the mouth in a more typical fashion.

Happily they had extended their restaurant week offering, which we all went for with a side apiece and some wine. Mine was a beet salad. So that tallied up to:
Beet Salad
Lobster Cassoulet
Petit Filet Mignon
Chocolate Hazelnut Torte

It was a delicious dinner with good conversation. I definitely agree with review that said Primehouse was a little gimmicky but had great meat. I had my filet medium rare, and it was very tender and had a nice beef flavor. Next time I eat steak, I will give rare a shot. I discussed this possibilty with a co-worker, and he told me a story about ordering steak rare and it being cold in hte middle. I will risk it.

Lunch Thursday February 26, 2009

Andrew and Josh were supposed to take me to Keen's, but Josh had to bail and Andrew was pressed for time. So instead he and I went to Edison's. As I already noted, I've been increasingly adventurous and decreasingly careful about what I eat. Accordingly, it seemed like a perfect time to order a Reuben. So I did.

When it arrived, they brought a knife and fork. I asked Andrew if i was supposed to use them, and he said he would just "sandwich it up". So folded it over and got to work. I went all they way, but this is what it looked like just before I finished it up.

The thing was a serious gut bomb, and I felt like I was going to pass out. Jen informed me that's why people drink coffee after lunch, and in Spain the do pass out. Live and learn.

Breakfast Thursday February 26, 2009

It's been a pretty heavy week of meat eating, and it isn't stopping. I have burger lunch plans with Andrew and man night dinner plans with Marcus and company. So this morning I didn't have any eggs or bacon. I went with some cottage cheese and granola. Both are from Triangle Organic and amazing.

Dinner Wednesday February 25, 2009

Tonight was dinner with my old roommate and law school classmate Mike at Dumont Burger. I hadn't seen him in years, but periodically he will ambush me on Google chat or send me a random text asking me my opinion on something.

We met in front of the restaurant and both agreed that neither of us had changed much.

He and I ordered burgers. I had mine with Gruyere cheese, he kept his naked. I got the salad, he went with fries. And I had a beer. Sierra Nevada ESB. The burger went down real easy. I preferred it to the Muggs burger, but I will have to go back and confirm. I think I found the onions and mushrooms at Muggs distracting.

Wednesday Lunch February 25, 2009

Today I returned to the Biryani Cart, this time designs on their sandwich cart extension. Matt accompanied me. I steered him toward the chicken kati rolls I had yesterday. Today I went for the New York Cheese Steak.

Much to his dismay, I ate my lunch in Andrew's office. He made me throw my trash out somewhere besides his office. He insisted it was unctuous, but after looking it up, I don't agree. But I do agree that it smelled pretty intense. The taste wasn't that great, and later it made me want to go to sleep.

Breakfast Wednesday February 25, 2009

I had the new classic for breakfast. Bacon, eggs, toast, and coffee. The bacon was from the milk club. I can't recall which farmer, but it was good. A smaller cut than the bacon I got from the farmers market. It had a nice, mild, and balanced flavor.

Tuesday Dinner February 24, 2009

I was supposed to make fish for me and my friend Sara who was coming over to look at Empire footage with me. But I got too hung up leaving later than expected from work and then squeezing in a milk and meat pick-up and a Crossfit workout. So we went to The Lodge.

I ordered the chili rubbed brisket with mashed potatoes and kale. Sara had the black and blue tuna with broccoli rabe. I was starving and ordered chicken fingers as an appetizer. Everything really is better fried.

The brisket was really good. It had a rich gravy and was very tender. The addition of the chili was a nice subtle touch, with occasional heat. This made brisket four dinners in a row.