It Smells Like Play-Doh or Stuff People Say To Me, VII

I couldn't do that -- counting calories and watching everything I eat -- but kudos to you.

My nephew, Dylan, while we were at a wedding reception for one of our aunts

It smells like Play-Doh.

Dylan's comment about my Margaritaville hummus.

Me: Is that Chobani pineapple?

Melinda: Yes.

Me: Did you get it from Target on Chippewa?

Melinda: Yes. The woman at Target said they disappear really fast. I told her that's because of my coworker...

Don't forget: don't unclip the last two.

Helga to me as I seconded a route. I'm very glad that she reminded me.

You looked like you were afraid that you were going to fall. That's my job. That's what I'm here for...

Patti reminding me of her belayer responsibilities as I struggled on a route.

Associate: I missed you on Saturday.

Me: (Crumpled brow)

Associate: At the naked bike ride.

Me: (explosive laughter)

Climber: It's nice to watch someone else climb when you're trying to figure out a route. I did what she just did on that part but she's (Patti) a lot more graceful.

A climber waiting for the autobelay. The guy is completely right; Patti is a graceful climber.

I was cheering for you (as I climbed "Dig In"), spit flew out of my mouth then came back and hit me in the face.

We were talking about oddness and Laura gave me an example of the odd things that happen to her.

I'm a breathing coach too...

Massage therapist

The skinny people who complain about needing to lose weight...we should force feed them lard.

A friend who's trying to lose weight

(Even More) Stuff People Say To Me

I had forgotten. I don't remember you being that big; that must have been when you were at your biggest. Don't do that anymore.


One of my colleagues after she came across a picture of me from a luncheon that we attended years ago.

You were wearing black; that didn't help. You know, you were just you then but now I notice the difference., Same coworker after more old pictures surfaced

Where did you get that from (ying yang pendant) and why are you wearing it?, Acquaintance

Since you're athletic..., Another Acquaintance

You were a good subject. Thank you., Student massage therapist.

Slopers are just good for finding the next foothold.

Tim and I arrived at the climbing gym at the same time one day. We climbed together and since he was rocking the 5.11+'s, I picked his brain.

OCD...Jeremy's quiet comment to me after I inquired again about how many routes he had climbed. I like to count routes and, apparently, I like to know if other people are counting too.

You can make your own hummus. (Said by several people)

You're so secretive. I'm like a river. I just flow. I say everything..., Colleague

Beautician (watching as I get my hair cut): I want to cut my hair but I've been growing it out.

My Barber: Maybe you can cut it for the summer. I've been doing her hair for about eight years now.

Me: I think about growing it out every now and then but then I immediately change my mind.

My Barber: I keep expecting her to come in and ask for highlights.

Me: My hair is too short for highlights.

Barber and Beautician: No, it's not.

Me: I can't believe that Michael is more into running. Who knew? The secret lives of rock climbers.

Patti: Climber...Runner
Climber...Swimmer
Climber...Couch Potato

Are you drinking plenty of fluids?...They have Emergen-C on sale at Walgreens...If you need anything, let me know..., Chorus heard through the monster February cold of 2011.

Pulling A Muscle...Card

I've been doing my civic duty -- the same phrase that the judge used as an explanation to one rowdy juror before he sent the rowdy one to timeout. "You know what to do with him," said the judge to the deputy.

I've been spending most of my time in Citygarden for lunch. It is, as advertised, an oasis in the middle of the city.

This one juror (#612) who, at first, didn't want to go joined me then said, "It is peaceful..."


Yogis near Citygarden

When I started dipping into a little container, Juror #612 asked me what I was eating (hummus and Crisp 'N Light Wasa crackers). After her quizzical look, I explained that I was trying to eat healthier and she said, "Congratulations but I'm not doing that." Number 612 had me cracking up. She congratulated me several times but ended on that ...but I'm not doing that note.

We are provided coffee and donuts every morning. This one girl picked up the long john with white icing and, like, I didn't want the donut but envied her laissez–faire attitude about the whole matter. She doesn't have an ounce of fat either but as Dr. Phil told Oprah about her slow metabolism that ain't you...I don't have that body type so I just moved on in my mind.

Here are some more pictures from the Citygarden.





Diane Fit... left me a comment once and mentioned that when her scale was stuck, it was usually food and I'm sure it's the same in my case. It's tweak time but it's also non-scale victory time. The scale has moved a smidgen but then it took one pound back this morning. However, when I saw this picture that I snapped in Citygarden, I was surprised by how lean I look. I'm going to have to say it's muscle and I'll take whatever I can get.


And, finally, I leave you with Garfield. Happy Friday...

Any non-scale victories in your neck of the woods of late?

Nooowwwww, how will you navigate through Thanksgiving?

The big day, Thanksgiving, is one week away and I think about it. I do. If I let my mind go in that direction, I think about how I'll miss German chocolate cake, macaroni and cheese and candied yams. I was recently asked the above question by someone I was having a e-mail conversation with and here's my response:


I really approach Thanksgiving the way I approach any other day. However, I do make an exception for sweet potato pie and, even with SP pie, I've found a lower calorie recipe for sweet potato puree. So, I'm even going to put the kibosh on sweet potato pie soon.

I'll eat the turkey and green beans but I'll pass on the dressing, mac and cheese etc.

There's a feature in Fitness magazine called You ate it, negate it. When I see how long it takes to burn off calories for, say, key lime pie, it makes me lose my desire for that item.

I did 65 minutes on the AMT yesterday and it wasn't all fun and games but I gutted it out.

In general, when I think about how much time I've spent in the gym and on my way to the gym, I don't take food lightly anymore. And every book that I read says the same thing: diet and exercise -- you won't be successful unless you pair the two.

And, now, I don't even feel like I'm sacrificing a lot in the taste department if I eat reduced Swiss cheese as opposed to the non-reduced Swiss version.

As early as this week, I decided to clamp down even harder on casual consumption of food. Even my family has gotten on board, to a certain extent, asking me if I'll eat a certain item. Sometimes the answer is no and it's okay for both parties. I used to feel a bit guilty and a bit like I was missing out on something -- especially when the cook made something that I used to fawn over but, in the end, it's quality time that you're spending with that person and not what dish they made.

Several of us are supposed to go out-of-town and I'm already thinking ahead regarding packing lunch and snacks. I fear, though, that there won't be enough room for my almond butter, hummus, Kashi bars and Lesser Evil veggie sticks.

An Explanation of Whittling Down

I had a work-related function to host yesterday. Bosnian pita is one of my weaknesses. I try not to eat too much bread these days but, honestly, after gathering the food and putting it out, I didn't have much of an appetite until it was time to clean up. Neither the pita nor the sweets ended up tempting me too much.



As we were clearing the table, I grabbed some tortilla chips and dipped them in salsa and hummus. I always think that I want an olive until I toss it in my mouth and I'm shocked by the saltiness. I chased the olive with a grape and was surprised by how good the combination of olive and grape tasted.

I was standing next to one of the attendees and explaining my method of whittling down and she wasn't on board with my exiling things like fried foods. She believes that once you exile a food it becomes more tempting. I see her point but, for right now, exiling certain foods works for me. I should probably try banning a few more foods. In addition to Bosnian pita, we also had sambosa from Meskerem, an Ethiopian restaurant and we had some fried vegetable situation from Taste of India.

Fried vegetables crack me up; they're like a backhanded compliment, if you ask me. My family used to tease me about not eating greens; they insisted that they had picked up the wrong baby from the hospital but I would rather not eat them that eat them with, say, sugar like one of my aunts used to eat them. As a matter of fact, I had to break myself (long time ago) of seasoning my rice with sugar. Oh, the things that I/we used to do.

Rescue Me

I don't think that I've eaten out since Jan. of '09. Frankly, I'm still apprehensive about dining out because I want to know what goes into my meal. However, I don't want to be like Sally in When Harry Met Sally who doesn't eat between meals or is a super picky nuisance when ordering at a restaurant.

I wanted to treat myself today and I thought I might give Stir Crazy, a restaurant that I used to frequent, a try but I couldn't find nutrition information online.

I finally decided to try Kaldi's Coffee's baked falafel which was quite tasty.

Greek Pita $6.99
baked falafel, hummus, and Mediterranean rice in a pita, grilled
and served hot with Kalamata olives, feta, fresh tomato relish
and Tahini dressing

Somebody rescue me because I felt like quite the glutton for eating the whole falafel sandwich and imagined that I had used up all of my calories for the day. I wondered what was Kaldi's idea of Mediterranean rice but, finally, I rationalized that I couldn't possibly gain a pound in a day and that I need to learn how to eat out without biting my proverbial fingernails. I'm incorrigible, though, because I just wondered about the calorie count of fingernails.

Cooking Outside The Bag

Lately, I've been relying on food in bags like Trader Joe's Marinated Chicken, Birds Eye Steamfresh vegetables and Alexia Oven Fries etc. for dinner.

I tired of cooking even though I'm constantly getting cookbooks from the library.

And, sometimes, by the time I get home from the gym, I don't even feel like warming anything up; I just make a sandwich and have some Wasa crackers and hummus on the side.

I saw No-Cheese Lasagna in Bob Greene's cookbook and finally decided to try it.

Bob Greene's No-Cheese Vegetable Lasagna

The most labor intensive part of this recipe was chopping the onions, garlic and tomatoes. Blending the basil,


almonds, walnuts and onions etc. was a bit messy but the flavor it produces is definitely worth the disorder. The basil mixture actually had a cheese-like consistency. I thought about sprinkling some Parmesan on the finished product but the No-Cheese situation held its own.

I would make this recipe again but I would add, at least, mushrooms to the mix.