This week I have been attending the International Blaise Users Conference in Annapolis, MD. There have been presentations on the new version of Blaise that is coming out in a few weeks, including a new way to program a stand-alone survey that won't require our software. It involves a lot of XML work, so it's a good thing I took some training on it. There's other enhancements they have made to the existing language that I would like to try out because it looks like one of them will be useful in a survey that I work on. I also have plans to test another survey in the new version of Blaise.
There have also been a variety of papers and demonstrations presented at the conference, everything from programming tips and tricks, to tools that could enhance some features of Blaise. I'm in talks with someone from U of M to obtain a tool they're using for error reporting and "playback" (have the tool use the keystroke log to go through every keystroke in the survey up to a certain point) to see if it can be modified for our own usage.
There's been a number of social events as well, so it's meant lots of networking; if I ever decide I want to move to another country, I might have a shot at finding a job as a Blaise programmer. There's folks here from Canada, the Netherlands, the UK, France, South Korea, Finland, Australia, and elsewhere. Last night I went off to a haunted pub crawl where we had a tour guide lead us to known haunted spots in Annapolis such as the Maryland Inn, St. Anne's Church, the State House, and the Sly Fox pub, and at each place we would hear stories of tragedies that had struck someone and sightings of spirits that had occurred. While it wasn't scary, it was entertaining, and who knows, maybe when I bring up my pictures on my computer I'll discover an extra subject in the photos.
Today is another tour of places in Annapolis, tomorrow a few of us are going sailing on the Chesapeake Bay in the early evening. After that, it will be a nice weekend, then it's back to the old grind Monday morning. Already I have some work cut out for me because of course no one calls me with problems except when I'm out of the office!
I am so back on the dietary change Saturday, I've been a bit bad this week, though I have kept some form of discipline for myself.
September 27, 2007
September 22, 2007
Customers and Retail Folk Suck...
...or why it took 4 stores to find vacuum cleaner bags!
Seriously, Thursday night was the errand run from Hell. I went and got my bike from the shop, got my Camelbak and then headed to Target to get vacuum bags for the vacuum cleaner that Joshua gave me. Eureka Type U vacuum bag was what I was looking for.
I get to Target and I locate the bags...that's great...except both of the packs have been opened up. I threw them back onto the shelf and walked out of there. I'm sure they weren't poisoned or anything, but seriously, who the fuck opens up a pack of vacuum bags in the store?! They're all marked with the brand name and bag type that they fit. They could have still been good, but it was the principle of the thing, I shouldn't have to buy products that may have been tampered with.
So it's off to K-Mart. No bags for my vacuum cleaner; on the shelf spot where the bags should have been was a completely different set of bags. So clearly some stocker can't read, or they just don't give a shit.
Next it's off to Giant, and this is a long shot because Giant is a supermarket. No bags for my vacuum.
Finally, I go to the Safeway, and they have my bags. Hurrah, right? Wrong. This Safeway is hell when it comes to trying to get through their checkout lines because they always seem to be understaffed. You can go in there and you will find only four out of ten lanes open, and the lines extend to at least 1/3 of the aisle back. So I get the lovely pleasure of waiting, waiting, and waiting before I can finally get out of there and go home. By the time I got home, it was wayyyyyyy too late to even think of trying to clean my house...unless I wanted to piss off my neighbors.
At least I got my damn bags, I bought six of them just so I don't have to deal with that again for at least another year.
Seriously, Thursday night was the errand run from Hell. I went and got my bike from the shop, got my Camelbak and then headed to Target to get vacuum bags for the vacuum cleaner that Joshua gave me. Eureka Type U vacuum bag was what I was looking for.
I get to Target and I locate the bags...that's great...except both of the packs have been opened up. I threw them back onto the shelf and walked out of there. I'm sure they weren't poisoned or anything, but seriously, who the fuck opens up a pack of vacuum bags in the store?! They're all marked with the brand name and bag type that they fit. They could have still been good, but it was the principle of the thing, I shouldn't have to buy products that may have been tampered with.
So it's off to K-Mart. No bags for my vacuum cleaner; on the shelf spot where the bags should have been was a completely different set of bags. So clearly some stocker can't read, or they just don't give a shit.
Next it's off to Giant, and this is a long shot because Giant is a supermarket. No bags for my vacuum.
Finally, I go to the Safeway, and they have my bags. Hurrah, right? Wrong. This Safeway is hell when it comes to trying to get through their checkout lines because they always seem to be understaffed. You can go in there and you will find only four out of ten lanes open, and the lines extend to at least 1/3 of the aisle back. So I get the lovely pleasure of waiting, waiting, and waiting before I can finally get out of there and go home. By the time I got home, it was wayyyyyyy too late to even think of trying to clean my house...unless I wanted to piss off my neighbors.
At least I got my damn bags, I bought six of them just so I don't have to deal with that again for at least another year.
September 19, 2007
September 18, 2007
Unmarried and Single Americans Week
Original Release
Unmarried and Single Americans Week
Sept. 16-22, 2007
“National Singles Week” was started by the Buckeye Singles Council in Ohio in the 1980s to celebrate single life and recognize singles and their contributions to society. The week is now widely observed during the third full week of September (Sept. 16-22 in 2007) as “Unmarried and Single Americans Week,” an acknowledgment that many unmarried Americans do not identify with the word “single” because they are parents, have partners or are widowed.
Single Life
92 million
Number of unmarried and single Americans 18 and older in 2006. This group comprised 42 percent of all U.S. residents 18 and older. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/009842.html>
54%
Percentage of unmarried and single Americans 18 and older who are women. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/009842.html>
60%
Percentage of unmarried and single Americans 18 and older who have never been married. Another 25 percent are divorced, and 15 percent are widowed. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/009842.html>
15 million
Number of unmarried and single Americans 65 and older. These older Americans comprise 16 percent of all unmarried and single people 18 and older. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/009842.html>
86
Number of unmarried men 18 and older for every 100 unmarried women in the United States. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/009842.html>
50.7 million
Number of households maintained by unmarried men or women. These households comprise 44 percent of households nationwide. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/009842.html>
30.5 million
Number of people who live alone. They comprise 27 percent of all households, up from 17 percent in 1970. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/009842.html>
Parenting
32%
Percentage of births to unmarried women during the year ending in June 2004. <http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/fertility.html>
12.9 million
Number of single parents living with their children in 2006. Of these, 10.4 million were single mothers. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/009842.html>
9%
Percentage of households headed by single parents in 2006, up from 5 percent in 1970. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/009842.html>
39%
Percentage of opposite-sex, unmarried-partner households that include children. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/009842.html>
712,000
Number of unmarried grandparents who were caregivers for their grandchildren in 2005. They comprised nearly three in 10 grandparents who were responsible for their grandchildren. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey)
Unmarried Couples
5 million
Number of unmarried-partner households in 2006. These households consist of a householder living with someone of the opposite sex who was identified as their unmarried partner. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_households/009842.html>
Dating
904
The number of dating service establishments nationwide as of 2002. These establishments, which include Internet dating services, employed nearly 4,300 people and pulled in $489 million in revenues. <http://www.census.gov/econ/census02/guide/SUBSUMM.HTM>
Voters
36%
Percentage of voters in the 2004 presidential election who were unmarried. (Source: Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2004, at <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/voting/004986.html>)
Education
83%
Percentage of unmarried people 25 and older in 2006 who were high school graduates. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/009749.html>
24%
Percentage of unmarried people 25 and older in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree or more education. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/009749.html>
“Special Editions” of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Facts for Features are issued to provide background information for lesser-known observances, anniversaries of historic events and other timely topics in the news.
Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: <pio@census.gov>.
Dammit!
Court Upholds Md. Gay Marriage Ban
BALTIMORE (AP) - Maryland's highest court on Tuesday upheld a state law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman, ending a lawsuit filed by same-sex couples who claimed they were being denied fundamental rights...
Full Story
Looks like I'll be writing letters to my state delegates and senator.
BALTIMORE (AP) - Maryland's highest court on Tuesday upheld a state law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman, ending a lawsuit filed by same-sex couples who claimed they were being denied fundamental rights...
Full Story
Looks like I'll be writing letters to my state delegates and senator.
Breaking News
I have it on good authority that the Maryland Court of Appeals will be handing down their decision on if committed same-sex couples should have the same rights and benefits as married opposite-sex couples. It should happen this morning.
No matter what the decision, if the decision does come down this morning (before 2 PM), there will be a rally this evening at St Georges in Glenn Dale.
Let's hope it's a good decision though, I'll be hoping for one.
No matter what the decision, if the decision does come down this morning (before 2 PM), there will be a rally this evening at St Georges in Glenn Dale.
Let's hope it's a good decision though, I'll be hoping for one.
September 17, 2007
Mmmmmm, Great Salad
I have created a salad that does not require any kind of dressing to enhance the flavor, and even if it did, only a small splash of red wine vinegar would do.
In a bowl, I toss together some spinach leaves, red leaf lettuce, baby carrots, chopped red (or orange) pepper, cilantro (tear it up to release the flavor), shredded cooked chicken (baked with pepper and garlic powder), and a bit of crumbled tomato and basil flavored feta. I had this at work today and I found I didn't miss throwing on some sort of dressing. Of course I have another salad ready to go for work tomorrow.
I have been using the salad spinner a lot as well. It has been rather useful in keeping all of my greens fresh for longer. Now if something like that could be done with fruit. I had some nectarines go bad on me rather quickly (2-3 days, wtf?!) which was no fun because I do like having something like that to snack on. It's much better for me than chocolate.
I also have some newly baked banana nut muffins to enjoy for the next few days as well. I love to bake, but I had fallen out of the habit for various reasons, the biggest being that I was continually being told I was making someone fat because I liked to bake stuff. When it goes as far as that you're ordered never to use a certain recipe again, there's a problem. Well now I can dive back into the recipes again, considering that I do know where my limits are.
In a bowl, I toss together some spinach leaves, red leaf lettuce, baby carrots, chopped red (or orange) pepper, cilantro (tear it up to release the flavor), shredded cooked chicken (baked with pepper and garlic powder), and a bit of crumbled tomato and basil flavored feta. I had this at work today and I found I didn't miss throwing on some sort of dressing. Of course I have another salad ready to go for work tomorrow.
I have been using the salad spinner a lot as well. It has been rather useful in keeping all of my greens fresh for longer. Now if something like that could be done with fruit. I had some nectarines go bad on me rather quickly (2-3 days, wtf?!) which was no fun because I do like having something like that to snack on. It's much better for me than chocolate.
I also have some newly baked banana nut muffins to enjoy for the next few days as well. I love to bake, but I had fallen out of the habit for various reasons, the biggest being that I was continually being told I was making someone fat because I liked to bake stuff. When it goes as far as that you're ordered never to use a certain recipe again, there's a problem. Well now I can dive back into the recipes again, considering that I do know where my limits are.
Guilty Pleasure
As much as I used to dislike Avril Lavigne, this is one song that has become quite the guilty pleasure for me. She also looks pretty hot in the video...I'd consider hitting that.
Lordy...
The next time I take an R12 bus home, make sure it says New Carrollton, and not Deanwood Station. Yes, I got on the wrong bus. Thankfully I was able to hop off the bus at college park and just wait for the R12 New Carrollton to come by. I lost about an hour, but oh well.
I decided to turn some of my overripe bananas (they were green when I bought em!) into banana nut muffins. I must say it's nice to be a 3 minute walk from a supermarket because i had to run over there to get baking soda, and I got some walnuts as well. Now I can smell them baking and it's driving me crazy.
This Saturday, I think I'm going to head into the city in the morning and meet up with the DC Front Runners to check them out. I'd get some exercise, and I could meet other people, it should be a win-win all around.
I decided to turn some of my overripe bananas (they were green when I bought em!) into banana nut muffins. I must say it's nice to be a 3 minute walk from a supermarket because i had to run over there to get baking soda, and I got some walnuts as well. Now I can smell them baking and it's driving me crazy.
This Saturday, I think I'm going to head into the city in the morning and meet up with the DC Front Runners to check them out. I'd get some exercise, and I could meet other people, it should be a win-win all around.
More Exercise
Since the weather has finally cooled off, I am going to start running again. Today was my first day, I made a loop from Crescent Road up to Ridge Road and back down again for a total of 3.3 miles of running. I actually did quite well for myself because there was very little time that I had to walk during that loop. I think I will keep this one up and then start adding more distance. So if you're out and about in Old Greenbelt, you just might see me out there.
Also, I decided instead of buying a new bike that I would get my current one tuned back up so I can start riding to Metro again. It looks like I'll be getting about 5 miles of riding in, so that will be some good exercise, plus I'll save money when I don't have to take the bus! This decision came about because I decided to take a shot at the local bike shop and see what they would say about my bike. It turned out that a regular tune-up plus a new chain could get my bike up and running without issue, and it was about 1/3-1/5 of the cost of buying a new bike, so you know what I would rather do. Really, my current bike is not a bad bike anyway, but I will admit the styles have changed a lot since it was purchased 17 years ago by my dad. Still, I'd rather just keep riding it until it finally falls apart, then I can consider a new bike.
Also, I decided instead of buying a new bike that I would get my current one tuned back up so I can start riding to Metro again. It looks like I'll be getting about 5 miles of riding in, so that will be some good exercise, plus I'll save money when I don't have to take the bus! This decision came about because I decided to take a shot at the local bike shop and see what they would say about my bike. It turned out that a regular tune-up plus a new chain could get my bike up and running without issue, and it was about 1/3-1/5 of the cost of buying a new bike, so you know what I would rather do. Really, my current bike is not a bad bike anyway, but I will admit the styles have changed a lot since it was purchased 17 years ago by my dad. Still, I'd rather just keep riding it until it finally falls apart, then I can consider a new bike.
Trying Something Different
The other day at Costco I found this pack of FujiSan California Rolls and I decided I would give it a shot to see if it was any good. It came with packets of ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce, however, I skipped their soy sauce and substituted my own.
It actually was not half-bad, the rolls were pretty well made, the wasabi actually kicked my ass a bit, and the ginger was flavorful. It was also pretty nutritious as one serving (3 rolls) were 100 calories (10 from fat) and 1 gram of fat. I didn't finish the package in one setting, so believe me, there was more than enough.
Speaking of nutrition, I also was well behaved today at the local Ruby Tuesdays. I would recommend that if you're like me and can't do just salad for lunch because you do like being carnivorous, get the mini turkey burgers and salad bar. You'll get two mini turkey burgers (skip the fries) and all the salad bar you can eat, and it's the same price or lower than most entrees. Of course, it also means behaving at the salad bar as well. Skip the pasta salads and other pre-made ones, and go light on cheese and/or dressing. If you can, just use a bit of red-wine vinegar for your dressing. If there was anything that was really "bad" in my salads, it would have to be the dried cranberries, but now I know of something I can snack on that will take care of the sweet tooth.
I unfortunately can't get any nutritional information on the turkey burgers as the Ruby Tuesdays website only has nutritional information for the mini beef burgers. The next time I order them, I may consider asking for no mayo, but considering how little there was, I might let that one slide.
September 13, 2007
That Was Fun
So I made sure to take Dax's advice and eat nothing but salad before heading to Fogo de Chão last night. Of course the advice worked as myself and others stuffed themselves silly with meat and more meat. That place is so worth it for a special occasion. However, for my birthday, it may be about eating sushi and lots of it. I was told once by Joshua that there is a great place to get a big portion of sushi in NoVA, I just have to ask him where it is.
Speaking of Joshua, there are plans to have him help me search for a bike. I took a look at buying parts to fix my old bike, and it's really not worth it anymore. Even if I were to buy parts off of Ebay, it's still going to cost about as much as the bike is worth, so it's time for a new one. I want to do more riding anyway so I can save on bus fare.
I have a gripe with the Metro website. I looked at Greenbelt station to see if there was information on bike lockers (if I'm buying a new bike, it's going in a locker, not on a rack.) and all they had was a phone number I could call. So I call the number, and I am basically instructed to leave a voicemail with my name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and station that I am asking about...or for faster service I can e-mail all of this information to bikenride@wmata.com Well why isn't this E-mail address on the website so I can e-mail them for information instead of listening to a recorded voicemail prompt? It gets better though, when I get the auto-reply to my E-mail, they also mention they want an approximate date that I need the locker. Why didn't the voicemail say so?! Besides that, if the rate is a flat rate (which I bet it is) then why don't they just publish that on the site as well? So Metro could stand to improve on how they handle this, especially because DC supposedly wants more of us to stop using our cars.
If the rate is lower than what it would cost me to take the bus to and from Greenbelt station ($32 a month) then I will definitely consider it, otherwise I'm going to have to think about it.
As for another gripe, Pepco has pissed me off because of the final bill I received for the old apartment. August ended up being a higher bill than July's, and it was an estimated reading. I call bullshit on it simply because unlike in July when I ran the A/c every day, I turned off the A/c for the last ten days of that bill, so in my mind, the usage and the rate should have been lower. I put in an E-mail disputing the bill, and currently the bill is under investigation. Supposedly I don't have to pay the disputed amount until their investigation is over, which takes 6-8 weeks. Still, I'm going to call next week and make sure that it's what their system says, because I don't need to be getting a nasty gram next month saying that I failed to pay that bill. I'm also setting aside the disputed amount in my savings so that even if they come back and say "pay it in full" then I will have the money all ready to go.
As for the new apartment, I have everything put away, the only thing left to do is put up my wall stuff, and that will get done this weekend. These walls are practically concrete, so I'm going to have to hammer things in, and considering that I normally get home at 7 PM, that's rather rude to be making that much noise at that time.
I don't know what my weekend is shaping up to be just yet, other than the self-defense class I was going to take has been deferred until December. So now my Saturday is free, I may be doing the bike shopping thing, but otherwise this could also just be a weekend to veg out. Tomorrow night is Other Friday dinner, I'm sure the talk will be about how the restaurant we usually go to is likely to close down within the next few weeks or so. I guess it's time to find a new place to meet.
Speaking of Joshua, there are plans to have him help me search for a bike. I took a look at buying parts to fix my old bike, and it's really not worth it anymore. Even if I were to buy parts off of Ebay, it's still going to cost about as much as the bike is worth, so it's time for a new one. I want to do more riding anyway so I can save on bus fare.
I have a gripe with the Metro website. I looked at Greenbelt station to see if there was information on bike lockers (if I'm buying a new bike, it's going in a locker, not on a rack.) and all they had was a phone number I could call. So I call the number, and I am basically instructed to leave a voicemail with my name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and station that I am asking about...or for faster service I can e-mail all of this information to bikenride@wmata.com Well why isn't this E-mail address on the website so I can e-mail them for information instead of listening to a recorded voicemail prompt? It gets better though, when I get the auto-reply to my E-mail, they also mention they want an approximate date that I need the locker. Why didn't the voicemail say so?! Besides that, if the rate is a flat rate (which I bet it is) then why don't they just publish that on the site as well? So Metro could stand to improve on how they handle this, especially because DC supposedly wants more of us to stop using our cars.
If the rate is lower than what it would cost me to take the bus to and from Greenbelt station ($32 a month) then I will definitely consider it, otherwise I'm going to have to think about it.
As for another gripe, Pepco has pissed me off because of the final bill I received for the old apartment. August ended up being a higher bill than July's, and it was an estimated reading. I call bullshit on it simply because unlike in July when I ran the A/c every day, I turned off the A/c for the last ten days of that bill, so in my mind, the usage and the rate should have been lower. I put in an E-mail disputing the bill, and currently the bill is under investigation. Supposedly I don't have to pay the disputed amount until their investigation is over, which takes 6-8 weeks. Still, I'm going to call next week and make sure that it's what their system says, because I don't need to be getting a nasty gram next month saying that I failed to pay that bill. I'm also setting aside the disputed amount in my savings so that even if they come back and say "pay it in full" then I will have the money all ready to go.
As for the new apartment, I have everything put away, the only thing left to do is put up my wall stuff, and that will get done this weekend. These walls are practically concrete, so I'm going to have to hammer things in, and considering that I normally get home at 7 PM, that's rather rude to be making that much noise at that time.
I don't know what my weekend is shaping up to be just yet, other than the self-defense class I was going to take has been deferred until December. So now my Saturday is free, I may be doing the bike shopping thing, but otherwise this could also just be a weekend to veg out. Tomorrow night is Other Friday dinner, I'm sure the talk will be about how the restaurant we usually go to is likely to close down within the next few weeks or so. I guess it's time to find a new place to meet.
September 12, 2007
All Done!
Well...95% of the way.
This past Saturday I moved out of my old apartment and into my new one. With the help I received, I was out of there and into the new place within 1.5 hours. It also didn't hurt that I did a lot of consolidating before I left, so I really did not have that many things to bring over. I just had a lot of boxes, some of them being rather heavy. I've been informed that the next time I move, I am to pack my books into much smaller boxes.
So everything was brought over, people kept talking about how cute my new place was, and that it looked like I was going to enjoy being here. I bought lunch for everyone so we sat around on the few intact pieces of furniture I had and enjoyed ourselves before people took off. I spent the rest of Saturday unpacking boxes and trying to arrange things.
I discovered that using two futon mattresses on top of a sleeper sofa mattress is not going to work for me to sleep, simply because it's too soft. I really do prefer a firm bed, so now it's just one futon mattress, I'll put the other up on Freecycle (it's where I got this one anyway). Almost everything is put away and/or set up, the only major thing left is to get rid of some cardboard, and organize the desk that's in my room now.
Saturday night I picked up things at various stores. There was a sale on a blender with a food processor attachment at Macys, so I picked that up as a sort of housewarming gift for myself. I used a 20% off coupon at Bed Bath and Beyond for a salad spinner. Then it was off to Target to pick up the necessities to get going with the new place. I managed to pick up everything I needed except for a mop, and that was simply because all the mops were in the wrong places and the price check was inconveniently placed that after the 3rd mop that was in the wrong spot I said forget it and moved on.
Sunday morning was church, then it was off to Ikea with Kris and Matthew to pick up other items for the home. I got a few basic items, including a new desk chair. They didn't have the color I wanted, so I'm going to check back in a few weeks and when they do have the color I want, then my current chair will become the desk chair for the bedroom, and the new one will be my computer chair. I spent the rest of the afternoon getting unpacked. I was quite proud of myself by the late evening as I had finally gotten the bulk of important items in place.
Monday morning rolled around and first it was off to get some breakfast down at the Silver Diner. I had their country skillet, which was very tasty. I'll have to hit their breakfast specials more often. Ran over to the City of Greenbelt to pick up a form to get a permit for a gathering for GreenBeLT Pride, then decided to stop in and get my hair cut. I'm sure I'll surprise a few people when they see me again, but they'll probably like it as well. I spent the rest of the day getting most unpacking done. I also flattened and put boxes in the car because there's a friend of mine who needs them because her friend is getting ready to move. I also moved unused things to the storage unit downstairs. I am impressed with myself, my boxes only took up about 1/4-1/3 of the unit, and it's not very big as it is. I was able to wheel in my bike as well to take up another part of the floor space. I hit Ikea to exchange an item, then ran to the grocery store so I could stock up on the basics. Despite being hungry by then, I was still very disciplined in what I bought and I stuck very closely to the basics.
Today it was back to work, then a planning meeting for National Coming Out Day, then homeward to cook some chicken so I have food for a few days. I finally got all of my clothes put away as well, along with got some boxes prepared of items that i really don't need, so I'm donating them to the church yard sale in a few weeks.
Tomorrow it's work, then it's out to Fogo de Chão for my friend Brian's birthday. I've been there before, it should be a lot of fun. I can't wait, and it also means I'm not eating very much tomorrow before I get there, as I am sure others will be doing ;-)
As for what is left here, I just have to take those things to church and I should be all set to go from here. My Netflix movies also arrive tomorrow so I won't be missing cable anytime soon.
This past Saturday I moved out of my old apartment and into my new one. With the help I received, I was out of there and into the new place within 1.5 hours. It also didn't hurt that I did a lot of consolidating before I left, so I really did not have that many things to bring over. I just had a lot of boxes, some of them being rather heavy. I've been informed that the next time I move, I am to pack my books into much smaller boxes.
So everything was brought over, people kept talking about how cute my new place was, and that it looked like I was going to enjoy being here. I bought lunch for everyone so we sat around on the few intact pieces of furniture I had and enjoyed ourselves before people took off. I spent the rest of Saturday unpacking boxes and trying to arrange things.
I discovered that using two futon mattresses on top of a sleeper sofa mattress is not going to work for me to sleep, simply because it's too soft. I really do prefer a firm bed, so now it's just one futon mattress, I'll put the other up on Freecycle (it's where I got this one anyway). Almost everything is put away and/or set up, the only major thing left is to get rid of some cardboard, and organize the desk that's in my room now.
Saturday night I picked up things at various stores. There was a sale on a blender with a food processor attachment at Macys, so I picked that up as a sort of housewarming gift for myself. I used a 20% off coupon at Bed Bath and Beyond for a salad spinner. Then it was off to Target to pick up the necessities to get going with the new place. I managed to pick up everything I needed except for a mop, and that was simply because all the mops were in the wrong places and the price check was inconveniently placed that after the 3rd mop that was in the wrong spot I said forget it and moved on.
Sunday morning was church, then it was off to Ikea with Kris and Matthew to pick up other items for the home. I got a few basic items, including a new desk chair. They didn't have the color I wanted, so I'm going to check back in a few weeks and when they do have the color I want, then my current chair will become the desk chair for the bedroom, and the new one will be my computer chair. I spent the rest of the afternoon getting unpacked. I was quite proud of myself by the late evening as I had finally gotten the bulk of important items in place.
Monday morning rolled around and first it was off to get some breakfast down at the Silver Diner. I had their country skillet, which was very tasty. I'll have to hit their breakfast specials more often. Ran over to the City of Greenbelt to pick up a form to get a permit for a gathering for GreenBeLT Pride, then decided to stop in and get my hair cut. I'm sure I'll surprise a few people when they see me again, but they'll probably like it as well. I spent the rest of the day getting most unpacking done. I also flattened and put boxes in the car because there's a friend of mine who needs them because her friend is getting ready to move. I also moved unused things to the storage unit downstairs. I am impressed with myself, my boxes only took up about 1/4-1/3 of the unit, and it's not very big as it is. I was able to wheel in my bike as well to take up another part of the floor space. I hit Ikea to exchange an item, then ran to the grocery store so I could stock up on the basics. Despite being hungry by then, I was still very disciplined in what I bought and I stuck very closely to the basics.
Today it was back to work, then a planning meeting for National Coming Out Day, then homeward to cook some chicken so I have food for a few days. I finally got all of my clothes put away as well, along with got some boxes prepared of items that i really don't need, so I'm donating them to the church yard sale in a few weeks.
Tomorrow it's work, then it's out to Fogo de Chão for my friend Brian's birthday. I've been there before, it should be a lot of fun. I can't wait, and it also means I'm not eating very much tomorrow before I get there, as I am sure others will be doing ;-)
As for what is left here, I just have to take those things to church and I should be all set to go from here. My Netflix movies also arrive tomorrow so I won't be missing cable anytime soon.
September 05, 2007
Food thoughts
I came to a realization today in regard to my previous diet and how I am trying to change things now.
One thing I was doing wrong in one sense was that I had gotten into a long time habit of making only the main course of a meal and eating that, and never pairing any side dishes with it. Since the main dish tends to be the dish that most people (myself included) make that has more of the calories, fats, and other stuff, I would end up eating more of that, and therefore create an imbalance when it came to my nutrition.
A good example would be the turkey feta burgers I created tonight, in the past I would eat only the burgers and I would eat two to three of them. So of course I get plenty of protein, but I also get a bit more fat and calories than I should be eating for just this one meal. So tonight besides the burgers I had a bowl of some steamed corn, and it turned out that I only needed to cook and eat one burger and I was full enough. So not only did I cut calories, I got more nutrition out of the meal as well.
I find that I still think about getting some fast food, but now I really think about if there is something better I could make at home. I was picking up some boxes from a friend tonight and nearby is a Wendys, well I kept thinking that maybe I would go there, but I found myself driving on past and thinking to myself that it would be better to just get something at home. Now because I am getting ready to move and I have packed all of my cooking stuff, it does provide more of a temptation to just eat bad stuff, but I am determined to stick out as much of my lifestyle changing as I can this week.
One thing I was doing wrong in one sense was that I had gotten into a long time habit of making only the main course of a meal and eating that, and never pairing any side dishes with it. Since the main dish tends to be the dish that most people (myself included) make that has more of the calories, fats, and other stuff, I would end up eating more of that, and therefore create an imbalance when it came to my nutrition.
A good example would be the turkey feta burgers I created tonight, in the past I would eat only the burgers and I would eat two to three of them. So of course I get plenty of protein, but I also get a bit more fat and calories than I should be eating for just this one meal. So tonight besides the burgers I had a bowl of some steamed corn, and it turned out that I only needed to cook and eat one burger and I was full enough. So not only did I cut calories, I got more nutrition out of the meal as well.
I find that I still think about getting some fast food, but now I really think about if there is something better I could make at home. I was picking up some boxes from a friend tonight and nearby is a Wendys, well I kept thinking that maybe I would go there, but I found myself driving on past and thinking to myself that it would be better to just get something at home. Now because I am getting ready to move and I have packed all of my cooking stuff, it does provide more of a temptation to just eat bad stuff, but I am determined to stick out as much of my lifestyle changing as I can this week.
September 04, 2007
Another Successful Kitchen Experiment
So I have a newly created recipe to share, try it and enjoy!
Turkey-Feta Burgers
1 lb. ground turkey
1/3 c. crumbled feta (basil tomato flavored works great!)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 lime
Combine turkey, feta, and pepper in a bowl, juice the lime into the bowl and mix. Let sit for 15 minutes, then either grill, bake, or pan-fry until middle turns gray.
As for adding a bun and condiments, that's up to you, I ate one with just the bun and it was perfect for me. Pair this with some steamed veggies for a healthier meal than what you would find at your local fast food joint (and much tastier too!).
The next time I try this, I'm going to try some TVP in the meat as well, I'm thinking buffalo feta turkey burgers *evil laugh*
Turkey-Feta Burgers
1 lb. ground turkey
1/3 c. crumbled feta (basil tomato flavored works great!)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 lime
Combine turkey, feta, and pepper in a bowl, juice the lime into the bowl and mix. Let sit for 15 minutes, then either grill, bake, or pan-fry until middle turns gray.
As for adding a bun and condiments, that's up to you, I ate one with just the bun and it was perfect for me. Pair this with some steamed veggies for a healthier meal than what you would find at your local fast food joint (and much tastier too!).
The next time I try this, I'm going to try some TVP in the meat as well, I'm thinking buffalo feta turkey burgers *evil laugh*
September 02, 2007
Another Casualty
Well there's been another casualty of my personal items thanks to the pissing kitty, this time it's my sleeping bag. There's no way I'll be able to save that one.
I guess I won't be camping any time soon.
I guess I won't be camping any time soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)