Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Frustrated Blog


Welcome back! Good to see you all today.

Today was kind of frustrating. Yesterday I felt like my colleagues and I got a lot of work accomplished. Today? Not so much. As one of them said though, the details take much longer than the outline, and I guess that's true. Tomorrow we have about 8 tasks to complete before I will feel like we are done, so hopefully that happens so we can move on to the next unit.

Noah is behind in his school work due to the last few weeks of testing and him being so busy outside of school. I know Malia is right that it doesn't matter if he is behind since there are plenty of days built in for him to get his work done, but I hate that he is behind! Going to try to get him caught up before I am gone for 2 nights next week. Should be interesting.

Chickens are coming along, though to paraphrase Arthur Carlson, "As God is my witness, I didn't think chickens could fly." I'd never seen a chicken fly before, but apparently, our little girls are starting to "jump" really high and we will need to start clipping their wings. Did not know that. Guh.

Weight loss is what it is. Current weight this morning was 225.2 lbs. Trending downwards again, but I have a feeling tomorrow will be higher. Something about lunch tells me it had sugar or something sweet in it. Guess I should have asked! It was pretty good though, and not something I would have ordered a year ago, that's for sure!

Food Diary for Tuesday the 30th of April:

Breakfast: 2 eggs, fried in Kerrygold Butter
                2 slices of Canadian Bacon
                10 oz of Coffee with Kal Stevia Sweetener

AM Snack:  2 US Wellness Beef Sticks
                   25 Sugar Snap Peas
                 
Lunch: Shrimp Ala Diablo (Shrimp, Zucchini, and Yellow Squash in a spicy(?) sauce)

PM Snack: 10 Macadamia nuts

Dinner:  Taco Salad
             4 squares of Lindt 90% Cacao Bar
             20 oz of coffee with Kal Stevia Sweetener

Water: About 80 oz

Sleep: about 6 hours of sleep

Exercise: Walking the Dog
               Walking about a 1/2 mile from my car to the Ed Building at UNR
               12 flights of stairs (Several flights, various times of day)

Ok, calling it a night to go read. Just realized I have about 15 books I would like to read between now and August, so it's time to start my summer reading NOW!

Monday, April 29, 2013

Post-Birthday blog

Hello! Welcome back to my small little space on the Internet!

Yesterday was my birthday! Woot! 43 years old. Don't feel a day over 45! Oh...wait...

Anyway, it was a good day. Malia let me be lazy all day with the exception of cooking meals and my dessert. I played video games, read, watched some TV, and played with the chickens. It was a nice day all in all.

The boys were gone and Malia was working in the yard, which I did feel guilty about as I was playing on the computer. At one point I thought I might close the blinds so I didn't have to see her working, but that would have been mean, so I just did my best to ignore the guilt and keep playing. My heart's not really into video games right now. I don't really have a game that I HAVE to play right now. I've tried some of the old favorites (Portal and WoW), some games I own but never got into (DC Universe), and new games (EVE Online and Age of Conan Unchained), but nothing seems to be that great.

I read from a couple different books, How to Goblin-proof Your Chicken Coop (Not very easy, actually. It involves moving the Ley Lines away from your property by constructing an object of power that is far enough away from, yet close enough to, your property to bend the line. Goblins are notorious for following Ley Lines, apparently!), the 4th book in the Dresden Files series, and a Paleo Cookbook looking for something good to eat.

Then it dawned on me why I was feeling so out of sorts.

Saturday Malia kept me busy to keep me from thinking too much about Dad. March through April is a tough time for me because it's when I think about him the most. I love my dad. I wish he had made better choices with his health, but nothing could help him beat his addiction to cigarettes. It was frustrating to watch him deteriorate over the years, knowing what he was doing to himself and the rest of us. I know there was nothing I could do to stop it, but since I am who I am, I always felt I should have at least tried to talk to him about it. It's sad that he left us so young.

It's been 6 years now, and I miss him all the time. I think about the things he missed with me, the boys, and the rest of the family. I know I would have continued to drive him crazy with my love for a certain sports team from the hated city of Pittsburgh. He would have been disappointed with the Browns season again, but hopeful for the upcoming season. I think he would have been okay with the Ravens winning the Super Bowl. He let go of losing the Browns to Baltimore after the Browns came back, though it was against the Niners and he did have a soft spot for them as well.

He wasn't the greatest man, but he had some pretty awesome streaks in him. He had a wicked sense of humor. He had a very infectious laugh. I wish my boys would have been able to know him longer.


Love ya, Dad!

Today my weight was back up to 225.2 lbs. I did eat almost a whole 8 x 8 inch pan of Paleo Brownies though, so I'll take the blame for that one! They were pretty darn okay though.Not as good as wheat flour and white sugar brownies, but good enough to make it worth eating them. I have been having food cravings that I can't quite satisfy for the past few days. I think I am back into withdrawals after the last few weeks of eating not so great. That bacon, potato, egg, and cheese dutch oven breakfast was really good, and I think that is what I want more of! Tater tots for the win! GRRRRRR.

Food diary is pretty boring today, so going to skip it. I ate the usual breakfast, steak and salad for lunch, grilled chicken breast and salad for dinner, and some macadamias, dark chocolate and pepperoni for snack. Not enough veggies today, so tomorrow I will rectify that. Got a good work out today that included walking and climbing a bunch of stairs and up and down hills.

Good times!

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Friday Night and Saturday Morning

Sorry for the lack of a post on Friday night. I spent the evening on the couch with my two favorite ladies, Malia and Zooey. Ok, well Malia was on the couch next to me and Zooey was on the TV, but...

Got home to a childless home. Malia had gotten the boys off to go on their scouting camping trip, so it's just the two of us until Sunday afternoon. So, it was dinner on the couch in front of the TV. We had 2 episodes of Big Bang Theory. Mom still wonders why we don't let the boys watch that show. I give you Exhibit A:


and Exhibit B:



and 4 episodes of New Girl (also not a show for the kids), followed by 1.5(ish) episodes of Game of Thrones. It was a nice evening in.

Today was yard work and chicken pickin'. Brought home 6 baby chicks this morning. Hopefully they will all survive and begin laying eggs in a few months! If they produce around what they should we should have almost 1000 eggs a year! Woot! Plenty for us, family, friends, and the neighbors.

Weight was done to 225 this morning! Woot woot! Lowest point in a month, so that's good. Next few weeks will be weird, so getting to 200 by June is looking like less of a possibility now. Bummer, but who knows?

I'll update the food portion tonight or tomorrow!

Have a great one!

Thursday, April 25, 2013

This too shall pass

Good advice. Good video. Good memories based off of finding this video. Thanks to Marissa for showing this to me 3 years ago!


I'm feeling a bit better today. I get in a dive and can't pull myself out. So I hit bottom and start the climb again. It's frustrating, but not sure what to do about it. I get so overwhelmed sometimes that there is just no light in the tunnel.

Sigh...

I love going to my Thursday and Friday school. There is a really solid group of people there who are genuinely happy to see me every week. Thanks to Krista, Amanda, Jean, Bre, Jenny, Troy, and everyone else who makes me feel welcome! I couldn't make it through the week without knowing all of you are waiting for me!

As you know by now, I've been trying to change my eating habits since February. The last few weeks have been rough, as I keep losing the same few pounds over and over. Of course I've gone off the wagon a few too many times these last few weeks: the Disneyland trip, the camping trip, and the Great Chocolate Chip Croissant Incident of 2013. However, looking back over my diary, I can see a couple other places I have slipped up. I've been eating way more meat than veggies in the past few weeks. I've also almost completely stopped working out. I haven't ridden the bike enough and I have only lifted once or twice in the past month as well. I've added too many nuts, and I think I'm going to switch to coconut oil to fry my eggs in instead of butter. Oh, and I haven't been getting nearly enough sleep!

So, it's time to get back on track. Giving myself a few more days to settle back down, and then hitting the ground running on Monday again. It's my birthday Sunday, so I don't plan on being perfect. Saturday is going to be a tough day as well. Friday I know I will be getting home late after going to the grocery store, so this weekend is going to be shot. That's okay though. Monday will be a good time to re-ignite the fire.

Yesterday I posted that we were looking at getting 1/2 a side of beef from a friend of ours. Looks like that's coming through, so we have a few weeks to get the freezer in order. There is a bunch of stuff in there right now, but we should be able to get all 150 lbs of it in there in a few weeks. Kind of excited. That should last us a good while, costs a fraction of what I was spending at US Wellness (still a great company with great products I plan on buying, especially their hot dogs, jerky, and snack sticks!), and it's local so supporting the local farmer! Woot!

Also getting closer to having chickens. Looks like by the weekend we may have them. That means building a chicken coop over the next few weeks as well. Should be fun...

Found out I will be going on a 3 day trip for work in a few weeks. No control over my food, so I am going to try something out. If this works, it could be interesting. I know I need more veggies, but I think I will be able to only eat the veggies I am served if I bring my own food for the rest of the meal. That's where these little beauties come in:

Primal Pacs are real, unprocessed nuts, jerky, and dried fruit. I figure if I eat these for most of my meals and snacks, along with the fresh veggies and (hopefully) eggs for breakfast, I should be good to go. It's still a few weeks away, so I will update after the experiment. It could be a good thing if I can do this and make it 3 days. Maybe I can make it a week when I go to the Scout Camp in July.

Food Diary for Tuesday the 23rd of April:

Breakfast: 2 eggs, fried in Kerrygold Butter
                2 slices of Canadian Bacon
                10 oz of Coffee with Kal Stevia Sweetener

AM Snack:  1 stick of US Wellness Spicy Beef Jerky
                   15 Sugar Snap Peas
                 
Lunch: 1 US Wellness No Sugar Added Hot Dog
           Salad w/Olive oil and Balsamic Vinegar

PM Snack: 10 Macadamia nuts
                  2 oz of Pepperoni

Dinner:  Lamb Meatballs
             Callaloo soup (Noah made it for a school assignment)

Water: About 80 oz

Sleep: about 4 hours of sleep

Exercise: Normal Walking around
               Light Gardening

Thanks for stopping by!


Wednesday, April 24, 2013

It's my party...

Nothing new to add today. Not in much of a mood to write tonight.

Weight was 229 after having a bad Tuesday. Been losing the same 3 pounds for a month now. Discouraging doesn't even begin to cover it.

No cheating today and had some really good hot dogs for dinner (sugar free, 100% grass fed beef from US Wellness Beef). Definitely going to order more of those along with the other sausages, jerky, and snack sticks. Might have 1/2 a cow locally so I may not need to order more of the steaks and ground beef. Will hopefully learn more tomorrow.

See ya!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

What, me worry?

What? No comments on my horrible Photoshop job? I thought'd I'd hear something about that for sure! Oh well.

Crazy day. Had less than half of my students all day, so that was fun. Luckily I wasn't doing anything important.

Quickly running out of time for this school year and now I may have to go in for jury duty. I'm all for jury duty, but now is not the best time for me to miss even more work. I sent in my paperwork electronically, so we shall see. More stress? Noooooooo.

Oh well. Guess there is no point worrying about it. Ha. Like that's going to happen.

Food Diary for Tuesday the 23rd of April:

Breakfast: 2 eggs, fried in Kerrygold Butter
                2 slices of Canadian Bacon
                10 oz of Coffee with Kal Stevia Sweetener

AM Snack:  2 stick of US Wellness Spicy Beef Jerky
                   1 Orange Bell Pepper
                   1 Chocolate Chip Croissant
                 
Lunch: Paleo Frittata
           Salad w/Olive oil and Balsamic Vinegar

PM Snack: 10 Macadamia nuts
                  2 oz of Pepperoni

Dinner:  Lemon Chicken
             Big ol' salad w/Olive oil and Balsamic Vinegar

Water: About 80 oz

Sleep: about 4 hours of sleep

Exercise: Walked the dog

Another day, another dollar. Later!


Monday, April 22, 2013

Goal Picture

Welcome back! So, I did a (basically) week's worth of Top 10 lists. I've got a few more of those up my sleeves for a later date (Disney movies, cartoons, actors, actresses). I'll break those out in a month of so, I guess.

I'm sure you've all heard the idea that it takes 21 days for a habit to form and to break old habits. I'd just like to say that it's a bunch of phooey. Besides anecdotal evidence (I still crave sweets everyday, I have to push myself to exercise and get to bed early), there is this link which says the same thing. There is no clinical evidence to prove it, mostly empirical evidence. It's a matter of creating a new pattern and trying to avoid the old one. I struggle everyday. I try not to turn this blog into a whine fest about it, but dang it, it's hard! So, I keep soldiering on, trying to avoid temptation and have the goal in mind. I'd like to look like this by the time I get to Hawaii:


Not likely.

However, it would be nicer to be close to that!

So, since it's been awhile, I decided it was time to post the 90 day weight scale. Still trending downward. A couple upward blips. The biggest was over the Spring Break trip to Disneyland, but that was to be expected. I am back to the weight I was before I left, so that's a good thing. Now it's time to get into those low 220s!


Today's weigh in was back up at 228 lbs. Would love to be below 225, but don't see it happening this week. I still feel better than I did when I was 260, don't get me wrong, I'd just like to drop down to the weight my drivers license says I am!

Anyway...didn't sleep well last night. Worried about a lot of things. Can't control most of them, so it's just one of those things. 

3 big events later this week. Friday Marc goes on his first Boy Scout camp out, Saturday is the 6th anniversary of Dad's passing, and Sunday is my 43rd birthday. Feels weird.

Food Diary for Monday the 22nd of April:

Breakfast: 2 eggs, fried in Kerrygold Butter
                2 slices of Canadian Bacon
                10 oz of Coffee with Kal Stevia Sweetener

AM Snack: 2 stick of US Wellness Spicy Beef Jerky
                   12 Green Beans
                 
Lunch:  "Quinoa" Pasta Spaghetti

PM Snack: 3 pieces of Chocolate Macadamia Bark
                  3 oz of Pepperoni
                  2 Slices of Canadian Bacon

Dinner:  Paleo Frittata (Eggs, sweet potato, zucchini, Canadian bacon

Water: About 80 oz

Sleep: about 4 hours of sleep

Exercise: Walked the dog


Sunday, April 21, 2013

I wanna live

...in a world full of heroes.

Last of the Top 10 lists for the week, and today it's my favorite comic book characters. I expanded from super-heroes, so I could include a couple other types of characters. Once again, my favorites. Most you probably have never heard of.

10) Superman

Superman always seemed a little too powerful, but was such a fun character, it was hard not to like him. I rank him 10th, because he's not the hero I would most want to be.


9) Captain America

Captain America is probably one of the characters who defines what I wish most people would be. Honest, courageous, and someone who puts others above himself. I always liked the Steve Rogers version of Cap best, and, while I enjoyed the Bucky Barnes version, it was nice to have Steve back in the red, white, and blue.

8) The Tick

Speaking of blue, there is the Tick. I really like the Tick. His brand of insanity, mixed with his righteous cause of good makes him someone to be feared and loved at the same time!

7) The Rocketeer


I was super impressed with The Rocketeer when I first came across his comics. They were told in a fun way, and the art deco style of art was really cool. I love the movie that came along by Disney as well. I know it wasn't the best movie of all time, but it's in my top 15.

6) Silver Surfer


I always liked the Silver Surfer. He seemed so smart and powerful at the same time. This was a guy you didn't want to mess with. He has a simple yet cool look. All silver and ripped! Plus he surfed. In space! How cool is that?

5) Grendel

Hunter Rose is what Batman would be without a strong moral compass. I liked Hunter and wished there had been more stories featuring him. Maybe someday I will go back and look for some of the older issues I never got.

4) Groo


The reason I had to switch from super-heroes, to just comic book characters. Groo. The inept barbarian who always seemed to make things turn out ok for himself in the end. I have just about every issue of every Groo series. I got to meet Sergio once. Very nice man. Sold me a a great piece of art for a fraction of what it was probably worth. It's so cool!

3) Nexus


Nexus. Interstellar assassin. Most powerful man in his universe. Another tragic hero. I thought Baron and Rude told some really good stories featuring Nexus. There was more than just heroism to this guy. His stories was deep and I enjoyed reading them.

2) The Badger


Heh. The Badger. I loved this guy! He was insane. Master at martial arts, could talk to animals, was a bodyguard for a druid. Oh yeah, and had multiple personalities. Most of the time he was played for laughs, but Mike Baron told some really interesting stories with this character. I really enjoyed this series.

1) Batman

And of course, the Batman. My all time favorite since I can remember. I really think he is the best super-hero ever. A normal man, who stands up against the strongest opponents, and usually walks away the winner. His story is legendary, as is his look. Any character I play in a role playing game always has some element of Bruce to him. Best. Hero. Ever.

Today was a crazy day. Glad it's over. LOTS of shopping, but it's good to have food in the house again!

Speaking of food, weight was at 227 today. So, back to the pre-Disneyland weight. We shall see how long it takes to get to 220. Hopefully in two weeks!

Food Diary for Sunday the 21st of April:

Breakfast: 2 eggs, fried in Kerrygold Butter
                2 Beef Breakfast Sliders
                10 oz of Coffee with Kal Stevia Sweetener

AM Snack: Nothing
                 
Lunch:  Bowl of Beef Soup
            Bacon Meatloaf

PM Snack: 3 pieces of Chocolate Macadamia Bark

Dinner:  "Quinoa" Pasta Spaghetti (The first ingredient on the box is Corn Flour. GRRR. Tasted a bit like Corn flakes, but it was sooo good to eat pasta!)
             Big ol Salad with Balsamic and Olive Oil
             10 Macadamia Nuts

Water: About 80 oz

Sleep: about 6 hours of sleep

Exercise: Normal Walking around

That's it for Sunday! Hope you had a great day!



Shall we Play a Game?

Well, I survived the overnight camping trip, and if I'm being honest I had a good time. I earned my Scoutmaster training so I can take the boys to summer camp this year. I met some nice people. I got to cook a large amount of tater tots, bacon, eggs, and cheese in a dutch oven. I haven't eaten that many potatoes in months. Holy cow it was good though!

So, today's top 10 list is Games. I wasn't very specific about what kind of games though, so even as I write this, I am having a hard time deciding which type of games to talk about. SO...It's a double Top 10 List! First up is Video Games, followed by Pen and Pencil and Tabletop Games! But since I'm lazy today? No descriptions, just lists and pictures!

I've been playing video games for as long as I can remember. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but it is what it is. Not much going on in the way of video games these days. I'm trying to find a new favorite, but so far it's been a bust. Oh well. Probably not a bad thing!
10) Tetris

9) Tomb Raider
8) Plants vs Zombies

7) River Raid

6) Pitfall

5) Justice League Heroes

4) The Longest Journey

3) Portal

2) World of Warcraft

1) City of Heroes

Tabletop games have been a part of my life for a long time, but it's not until two events came along that got me back in to them. My friend, Tim, invited me to come play games with him and some friends, and Wil Wheaton's YouTube show, Tabletop. I really like this show, the games, the host, the guests, you name it. It's a fun way to get introduced to tabletop games. Many of the games on the list below are because of this show. Thanks, Wil!

10) Incan Gold

9) BS! (aka I Doubt It)

8) Chess

7) Castle Panic

6) Ascending Empires
5) Tsuro

4) Small World

3) Dungeons and Dragons

2) DC Heroes

1) Groo Card Game

There ya go!  A two-fer on a Sunday morning. Tonight I will do my last Top 10 for the week, Super-Heroes and a full weight and eating run down.

See you soon!

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Read a Good Book Lately?

By now you know the drill. My Top 10 books. Again, I'm not going for best literature, although some of these books would qualify. These are the books I really liked when growing up or really like now. Comments here or on the Facebook page if you are feeling so inclined.

10) X-Wing Rogue Squadron Series

The X-Wing Rogue Squadron series picks up after the movies and focuses on a group of X-Wing pilots and their missions throughout the galaxy to defeat the remnants of the Empire. The writing wasn't always the best, but it was a fun look at what happened after the death of the Emperor and the rise of the New Republic.

9) Harry Potter

I liked the Harry Potter series pretty much all the way through. The last book was okay, though I thought there was to much "What do you want to do? I don't know, what do you want to do?" I like how she wrapped the series up. Some of the deaths along the way were a little tough, but they usually made sense within the context of the story. Well worth the read, and definitely not a children's only book by the end. 

8) Battlefield Earth

Interesting man, L. Ron Hubbard. He wrote some amazing sci-fi, including Battlefield Earth. The story of Johnnie Goodboy Tyler and his attempt to unite the remaining humans against their evil overlords, the Psychlos. I honestly don't remember much about this book except that it was HUGE, my neighbor's mom warned me to be careful reading it because it was written by a "religious nut", and one day while reading it on  the long bus ride home, a girl (Chandra Rucker. OMG, why did I suddenly remember that? Doubt I spelled her name right, but still...) wrote on one of the pages. I remember being really into this book, and since it was such a long book, over 1000 pages, it took a long time to read. I doubt I would find this as interesting now as I did then, but who knows. All I know is that Neil Gaiman liked it, as did Frederik Pohl, and Kevin J. Anderson. But then again Mitt Romney lists it as his favorite book, so... 

7) Dark Tower Series

My dad was a HUGE Stephen King fan. I can't remember if he liked this series or not. Something is telling me he didn't, but I loved it and the only other King novel I read was Dragon Eyes, which I know dad didn't like. I liked the main character, Roland. I liked the story of his travel to the Tower and his quest to save what's left of himself and the world. He comes across many interesting characters along the way who help form his "family." Well worth the read.

6) American Gods

American Gods is a great story. I was familiar with Neil's comic book work before I read any of his novels. I really liked his take on American Society and what we worship as compared to the Old Gods. It's a really interesting look at America and how we deal with culture. The main character's journey through the book is really interesting and the way he handles himself among the gods is quite interesting.

5) Icewind Dale Trilogy

R.A. Salvatore's Dungeon and Dragons masterpiece. This is our first introduction to the world of Drizzt Do'Urden, a dark elf ranger banished from his underground homeland. Drizzt joins forces with the barbarian Wulfgar, the halfling Regis, the dwarf Bruenor, and the human Catti-Brie to save each other, their homes, and at various times, their entire civilization! This series starts in this trilogy, and continues to this day with several books added to the story. I've read many of them, but the last book I bought had such tiny print that I kept getting headaches trying to read it and had to stop.

4) Sword of Shanara

Another book I read in middle school and has followed me into adulthood, the story of the Shannara books started with a simple tale similar to most of the other books I had started reading, swords, sorcery, and fantastic imaginary races (elves, dwarves, etc...). The twist here was that somethings didn't belong. There was mention of a "Great War" that destroyed society and allowed the world to eventually re-start, with the return of the lost races. It wasn't until years later that Terry Brooks began to put all of this into play. While he continued telling the future world of the Shannara Clan, he began a series of books called The Word and the Void, which then lead into The Genesis of Shannara, and finally the Legends of Shannara. I really got caught up in this series a few summers ago and read all the Word and the Void, Genesis and Legends books within a 2 month period. His stories were somewhat formulaic, we met the hero who doesn't know what's going on in the world, the hero finds out and must flee the safety of home, hero meets people who help piece together the problem, hero struggles against all odds to defeat the villain. I liked The Genesis of Shannara books quite a bit, because they looked at the post-apocalypse world and how the Shannara series began. It's a great read if you've never read them, just be prepared for a lot of characters and a really long story!

3) Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn

Tad Williams takes a great take on the traditional hero from nothing character. Again, a story I began reading  as a teen. I really liked this series at the time and it just got better as it went on. It's well worth the read and I imagine some day I will re-read them again. Simon is a great character who really grows throughout the series and becomes someone you really enjoy reading about.

2) The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings

I've discussed my love for this series before. Well worth the read if you haven't read it yet.

1) The Kingkiller Chronicle

Best books ever. I can't recommend this series enough. I am so anxious for the third book in the series to come out. I know he is working on it, and who am I to rush genius? That being said, sooner would be better than later!The book is divided into two different time periods, the past (which is what most of the book is about), and the present. The main character, Kvothe (Kv + (Quothe -Qu) = Kvothe), tells the story of his life. I really don't want to ruin any aspect of the story, so, if you are looking for some good summer reading, go out and grab these books. You will not be disappointed.

Weight was up 0.2 lbs to 228.8 today. Hoping to get back to 225 by the end of next week. Weight loss has really slowed down now. Going to have to find some way to get back into that 2 pounds a week grove.

Food Diary for Thursday the 18th of April:

Breakfast: 2 eggs, fried in Kerrygold Butter
                2 slices of Canadian Bacon
                10 oz of Coffee with Kal Stevia Sweetener and Trader Joe's Organic Heavy Cream

AM Snack: Nothing
                 
Lunch:  Big Ol' Salad w/balsamic and olive oil
            Bacon Meatloaf

PM Snack: Nothing

Dinner:  Beef Round Roast
             Big ol Salad with Balsamic and Olive Oil
             10 Macadamia Nuts
             2 Squares of Lindt 88% Cacao

Water: About 80 oz

Sleep: about 6 hours of sleep

Exercise: Normal Walking around

No blog tomorrow as I will be AFK until Saturday PM. Hope you all have something else to keep you entertained for a Friday night!



Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Turn up the Music!

Okay, for those who thought my movies and TV selections were weird, I can't wait to see what you think about my favorite music! I'm guessing some people will think I just made up some of the groups!

My musical tastes have changed over the years. My first musical memories are of my parents listening to rock music. I grew up with healthy doses of Pink Floyd, Rush, Bob Seger, Ted Nugent, etc.

During the 80's I began to find my own musical tastes. I remember dad taking me to Wherehouse Records on Moana Lane and picking up tapes of Huey Lewis and the News, The Police, and Wang Chung (don't judge me!). Later I moved into groups like Night Ranger, Y&T, Tesla, and Warrant.

By the 90's I was listening to groups like Live, The Goo Goo Dolls, Bush, Soundgarden, Eve 6, and Alice in Chains. Later in the 90's, I jumped into the Swing Music scene and listened to bands like Cherry Poppin Daddies, Royal Crown Revue, and The Bryan Setzer Orchestra. This phase lasted into the early 2000's.

Nowadays, my tastes have gone less mainstream. I listen to Pandora and have an odd selection of music. While I am writing this post some of the bands I have listened to are: The Lonely Island, Garfunkel and Oates, Tenacious D, The Axis of Awesome, Flight of the Conchords, Tripod, Jonathan Coulton, and Epic Rap Battles of History.

Below, I've listed what I would say are my 10 favorite bands. Some are nostalgic, most are current favorites that get a regular play on my iPod.

10) Night Ranger


This was my first hair band concert. My favorite Night Ranger songs are (You can Still) Rock in America, Don't Tell Me You Love Me, Sing Me Away, and Four in the Morning. I was introduced to this band by my good friend Stephen. I haven't listened to them in years and just found out they released an album in 2011. I'm gonna have to check it out. 

9) Pink Floyd


This is a nostalgic choice. Floyd was my dad's favorite and they've always held a special place in my musical heart. I still remember singing Wish You Were Here during a party in college and my friend Aileen being surprised that I knew the words since I didn't fit the stereotype of a Floyd fan. Favorite songs: Comfortably Numb, Wish You Were Here, On the Turning Away, Brain Damage, and Us and Them.

8) Bob Seger

This is another nostalgic choice. Seger was mom's favorite and thus another important band to me. So many good songs. I remember growing up wanting to play the saxophone so I could be like Alto Reed, which is probably one of the coolest names ever. Favorite songs: Turn the Page, Mainstreet, his version of Nutbush City Limits, New Coat of Paint, and Real Mean Bottle.

7) Cake

The first time I heard Cake was when John and I were driving through Carson City and the song The Distance came on the radio. I remember being struck by the lead singers voice. It was really powerful and so much different than anything I was listening to at the time. Since then, I have purchased many more of their songs and they get a regular rotation. Favorite songs: The Distance, Shadow Stabbing, Multiply the Heartaches, Short Skirt, Long Jacket, Stickshifts and Safetybelts, and It's Coming Down.

6) I Fight Dragons

I honestly can't remember how I got into this group. I think I was reading about video games and how some bands were using the old 8-bit game music in their songs and came across I Fight Dragons. They are a really fun band. Cool stuff using the old game music. A couple of the songs I remember from playing the games back in the day. Favorite songs: The Faster the Treadmill, Heads Up, Hearts Down, Save World Get Girl, cRaZie$, and Give It Up.

5) Presidents of the United States

This was a band I really liked back in the day, and then got out of within a few years. It wasn't until recently that I started listening to them again through Pandora. Just crazy, weird songs about bugs and two string, one string, no string guitars. Bizarre, but funny stuff at a time when everything was so serious. Favorite songs: Kitty, Dune Buggy, Back Porch, Japan, Naked and Famous, Munky River, and Tiki Gods.

4) Barenaked Ladies

This band was introduced to my by my friend Tess. Good stuff. They were a band that wrote some really deep stuff in one track, and in the next they were cracking a joke about making you say underwear. During part of their career they even recorded children's albums. It was fun introducing the boys to them at an early age, even if the name can raise some eyebrows! Favorite songs: If I had a $1000000, Bank Job, Wind it Up, When I Fall, One Week, and Another Postcard.

3) No More Kings

No More Kings. Yep. Named for the Schoolhouse Rock song. Another band I stumbled across by accident. Surfing for new music and this band came up on Pandora. Very eclectic selection of songs. They have a very diverse style. Some numbers are dance songs. Others are somber. They just released an old-timey song called Knikkerbakker. There are a ton of cultural references in their songs. Songs about Knight Rider, Zombies, the robot from Short Circuit, Richard Nixon, The Karate Kid, and Bruce Lee to name a few. One song I must mention that drives me crazy is called Schroeder. It's about the piano player from Peanuts. However, the girl they mention that's in love with him is Sally Brown. Now, maybe they are going for a different take on the story, but it's Lucy that loves Schroeder! Anyway... Favorite songs: Critical Hit, Enter the Dragon, The Living Dead, Leaving Lilliput, God Breathed, and This. 

2) Kirby Krackle

I got turned on to Kirby Krackle from reading an article on a comic book website about how the Joe Quesada, former Marvel Comics Editor in Chief, got up on stage and jammed with this group. I had never heard of them before then. However, I instantly fell in love with them. Their songs are all about things I can relate to. Mostly super-heroes, but other things I grew up with, like Transformers, cartoons, Star Wars, and video games. Favorite songs: Hunt 'Em All Down, Rainbow Bridge, Nerd Money, Back to the Beginning, Ring Capacity, On and On, and Going Home.

1) Jonathan Coulton

Jonathan Coulton is my idol. He did what I only dreamed of doing. He quit his job and through hard work and perseverance became an Internet legend. He tends to write songs with sci-fi themes, zombies, love, lost love, and just...look...he's really talented and he can sing about whatever he wants, okay?!?! I was first introduced to his music during a Rifftrax event. He sang Re: Your Brains, and by the next morning, I had downloaded every song he had put out at the time. Favorite songs? Way too many to list, so here are the top 10 songs according to my iTunes playlist record. (Whoa! A top 10 list in a top 10 list!)

1) Still Alive (J.C. Mix)
2) Sticking It To Myself
3) W's Duty
4) The Big Boom
5) Big Bad World One
6) See You All In Hell
7) Under The Pines
8) Brand New Sucker
9) I Feel Fantastic
10) My Monkey

However, there are several other songs I like more than those. Redshirt, My Beige Bear, Space Doggity, I Crush Everything, Big Dick Farts A Polka, Ikea, I'm Your Moon, Code Monkey, The First of May...

Oh man! The list goes on and on! Check him out! You won't regret it.

Phew. I sat down to write this post 3.5 hours ago. This has taken so long to write!

Weight was down to 228.6 today. Cool, but we shall see what tomorrow brings.

Food Diary for Wednesday the 17th of April:

Breakfast: 2 eggs, fried in Kerrygold Butter
                2 slices of Canadian Bacon
                10 oz of Coffee with Kal Stevia Sweetener and Trader Joe's Organic Heavy Cream

AM Snack: 10 Macadamias
                 
Lunch:  Big Ol' Salad w/balsamic and olive oil
            Better Butter Chicken

PM Snack: 10 Green Beans

Dinner:  Bacon Meatloaf
             Big ol Salad with Balsamic and Olive Oil
             2 of Noah's Chocolate Chip Cookies
             2 Squares of Lindt 88% Cacao

Water: About 80 oz

Sleep: about 6 hours of sleep

Exercise: Normal Walking around

Tomorrow it's my favorite books. This should be hard to narrow down!