Stirfry of garlic, mushrooms, kale and broccoli on some leftover brown rice, sprinkled with hemp hearts and Udo's oil blend.  Mmhmm.  

Unquestioned Inner smile of the day:  I watched a mouse scurry across Burnaby Street at 17:25.

Red Thai Curry While Watching Hockey

My curry started out looking great!  And then it all went to hell.  (I left the burner on with the curry still sitting there while I watched the last 2 periods of the Canucks' game.) I won't need a detox cleanse after this.

So I've been eating lots of stir fries.

Once when I ran out of stir fry ingredients, I steamed bok choy and doused it with Udo's oil and hemp seems.  Delish.

And I made a Thai red curry with shrimp, kale, broccoli, mushrooms, garlic and avocado on brown rice.  My first time!

Spicy Evening

 For dinner, I made (heated on the stove) a spicy-as-hell Thai Coconut Soup.

This is Michelle right after I showed her a photo of myself in a corset.

Real Chocolate Cake; Vegetable Pie; With Salad; Snow. & Harry Potter, that asshole.

On Wednesday (a week ago) we baked a chocolate cake -- a real one, with melted chocolate and butter! -- and a vegetable pie (with crème fraiche and grated parmesan cheese on top) in record time so we could catch the 9:30pm viewing of the latest Harry Potter movie: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, PART 1.  Swann didn't understand the British accents, and I didn't understand what was happening with the sauce recipe, but it all turned out well in the end.  Actually the movie didn't end; the credits rolled midway and left me hungering for more, more!  I want to know what happens next!  If you want to know how we made the foods pictured above, I'll tell you in a couple of months to a year when I download a leaked copy of Part 2.  It's only fair.

Kingyo: Prawns with Eyeballs Intact

Today, we went for a long walk from Davie to Robson and looked at home furnishings in warm stores.  Outside was freakin' cold but beautiful.  (Typical combination.)

We looked through cookbooks and decided we were hungry for fish, so we made a perpendicular bee-line for Kingyo.  It was nice and almost empty at 2:30pm on a Sunday (likely since they take the last order for lunch at 3pm).  So.  We sat down (at a table). I salivated in anticipation of rewarding my tastebuds with some deep-fried seafood.  Read over the menu -- no tempura!  I wanted the prawn tempura but they didn't have it for lunch--gasp--so.... I ordered whatever else was on the appetizer menu with the word prawn in it.

Prawn sashimi is rather gooey in one's mouth.  Which is fine, except when that one's mouth is mine.  I ate a couple when the prawns weren't looking at me.  Swann was the hero and finished off my plate.  I think she secretly liked it.

Also: ahi-tuna appetizer (the appetizer Swann ordered but I ate) and two pieces of (delicious) fish with an assortment of sides.  We couldn't figure out how to eat the fish that wasn't salmon, but we persevered and I think it ended successfully as a WIN for us.

Stir-fry with an egg.

This morning, I:

• Woke up, got my assignment for next week
• Went for a walk in the sun while talking to my Grandma
• Did some errands
• Made this stir-fry and omelette thing
• Made tea, with no milk/sugar
• GOT PUMPED and now doing workage.

The ingredients in my stir-fry: oil, then red onion and mushrooms, then some broccoli and bok choy.  One scrambled egg on the side.  I was still hungry after eating this entire portion, so instead of making something else that would have been too much, I made some tea -- and it filled me!  I'm learning these things.

Some snacks.

The Udder Guy's chocolate ice cream.  Ice cream is never really as satisfying 

as I think it's going to be.  Let this be a reminder while the memory is up-close and recent.

Weekend at the beach.  Drank lots of water. 

Biked to the depot in North Van by 5am.  

The showers began on the Lions Gate Bridge.  

Biked back home after 1pm.  Made a

strawberry/cherry/banana smoothie.  

Someone gave me two chocolate bars.  Why?!

As usual, I ate the junk food gifts right away so I wouldn't think about them later.

Oh, and at the depot I grabbed a veggie sandwich from Tim Horton's during break.

Do you feel enriched?! I sure do. My sandwich was too, probably.  Anyway, the ride through Stanley Park this morning was a smörgåsbord of scents.  When someone asks me how I'm liking sorting the double X for 2 hours, I tell them, "it's a smörgåsbord of stimulation."  I don't like when people ask me stupid questions just to make small talk, or to set me up to complain about something, as I am doing now.  :-p  La la la.  But this doesn't count because I am enjoying it.

Over the Past Couple of Days

Avocado sandwich.

Blueberry muffin (times 4).  Chocolate chip muffin during Moya Greene Q&A.

Veggie sandwich from Tim Horton's.

Starbucks spinach-feta wrap.

Carrots.

Banana and strawberry smoothies.

Pineapples and grapes during breaks.

Babybel cheese from friend.  ["The enzymes (rennet) in the original and light Mini Babybel cheeses (red wax) are suitable for vegetarians. The enzymes in other varieties of Babybel cheeses are animal-based." [WP]]

Roasted potatoes with dried herbs. 

Salmonberries from the side of a quiet road after finishing a route in West Van.

This Week, I Ate (including, but not limited to, the following)...

Chocolate yogurt with pistachios and strawberries.

Spinach/egg-white/feta wrap during bike ride.

Sandwich w/ avocado, tomatoes and lettuce.

Ciabatta with artichokes and veggies in Deep Cove.

Greasy tomato and cheese pizza.

I didn't eat that.

Spinach, strawberries and banana smoothie.

After softball today, I ate this carrot.

I was too tired to make something fancy, so dinner consisted of some cheese, 

half of a red pepper I had leftover from lunch (I had more than that for lunch), 

some green leaf lettuce and water.  I love feeling tired after exercise.

"Close your eyes...close your eyes... breathe the air... out there... fantasize, fantasize we are open..."  I'm listening to The Cranberries.  I haven't eaten any in a while; my smoothies these days are mainly strawberry/banana/spinach mixtures.  I don't know which meals to update you on today... Hi Mom...

I have 2 avocados on my windowsill, ripening (it's raining outside).

The other day I went to Seattle on a spontaneous roadtrip.  We chose the sunniest day of the week and had a grand ol' time navigating through the local bike shops and a million, "What can I help you find today"s for clipless pedals and dorky road shoes.  I didn't get any, if you know what I mean, but I did buy some Rosarita refried beans, Tillamook cheese (no animal rennet), and some Seventh Generation toilet paper.

My favourite homemade meal of the week goes to some baked Yukon Gold potatoes with dried herbs, campari tomatoes and red peppers as the prestigious base, topped with an elegant showing of too much sliced cheese, a spoonful of refried beans and half an avocado.

 

 

I had fun today.  I wore my sunglasses throughout the rainy morning and was rewarded with a sunny afternoon.  I'm sure the people I met in the morning still thought I was a weirdo.  Anyway, for the week I'm covering a walk that's owned by someone with ~ 30 years' seniority.  Jackpot on easy street for me...  I still came home physically exhausted.

I stopped at the Steamrollers on Robson Street on my walk back to the depot, weaving through hordes of smiling people.  I couldn't be upset though with the blue sky overhead, the sun shining in my eyes and my toes stepping on the heels of the people walking in front of me.  

My post-postie smoothie: frozen strawberries/blackberries/blueberries/raspberries with one ripe banana and a handful of spinach.

A nap and then a veggie sub from subway.  I meant to save half of it for breakfast tomorrow, but that didn't happen.  I'll have water for breakfast!  Mmmm.  Pure.  Bedtime.

Today's short run on the sea wall kicked my ass.  It was the hardest run yet! Let me count the ways in which I rationalize this:

Yesterday: made spelt linguine with tomato sauce and spinach.  Ate it all.  Made apple crisp and ate it all.  Worked on courses (played with websites and chatted on msn) until 3am.

 

  

  

 

Today: made a banana-spinach-strawberry smoothie and ate half of a vegetarian pizza with avocado at 12pm.

And then we ran at 1pm.  I stopped twice (oh, the horror).  Came home, drank water, plus finished the remaining 1/4 cup of smoothie and the remaining 1/2 pizza just now.

The other day I finished my pleasure reading, 'What I Talk About When I Talk About Running' by Haruki Murakami.  Here's a taste:

And how great was my time?  Truth be told, not so great. At least, not as good as I'd been secretly hoping for. If possible, I was hoping to be able to wind up this book with a powerful statement like, 'Thanks to all the hard training I did, I was able to post a great time at the New York City Marathon. When I finished I was really moved,' and casually stroll off into the sunset with the theme song from Rocky blaring in the background. Until I actually ran the race I still clung to the hope that things would turn out that way, and was looking forward to this dramatic finale. That was my Plan A. A really great plan, I figured.

But in real life things don't go so smoothly. At certain points in our lives, when we really need a clear-cut solution, the person who knocks at our door is, more likely than not, a messenger bearing bad news. It isn't always the case, but from experience I'd say the gloomy reports far outnumber the others.  

Thanks for the uplifting book, Michelle!  He adds a somewhat encouraging piece near the end because that's just the way books like this have to end; can't have a bunch of readers who feel the pointlessness of their wasted lives, running around:

Even if, seen from the outside, or from some higher vantage point, this sort of life looks pointless or futile, or even extremely inefficient, it doesn't bother me. Maybe it's some pointless act like, as I've said before, pouring water into an old pan that has a hole in the bottom, but at least the effort you put into it remains. Whether it's good for anything or not, cool or totally uncool, in the final analysis what's most important is what you can't see but can feel in your heart. To be able to grasp something of value, sometimes you have to perform seemingly inefficient acts. But even activities that appear fruitless don't necessarily end up so. That's the feeling I have, as someone who's felt this, who's experienced it.

I also find it funny that in an entry a few days ago, I left unfinished a sentence about 'mindfulness'.  So telling.

Amendment to last week's running stats: we ran a mere 32 laps, not the triumphant 33.  I must have been thinking about Jesus, as per usual.

This week we ran 34 laps. Why?  Why the hell not?!  I didn't have a goal in mind, but because I hang out with people who do, I ended up running 34 laps.  I would have stopped at 7.  No, I wouldn't have been out there running in the first place.  Yay for me that I surround myself with winners.

I've been eating mainly bananas, spinach, frozen strawberries (smoothies); bananas and peanut butter (a new obsession that keeps me powered on days when I'm active and don't have time to eat until eight hours later); pasta with organic tomato sauce and avocado; and my steamrollers.  Occasionally I'll opt for a veggie curry combination plate from Thai Away Home when I'm feeling cozy.  I like to play with my rice and let it absorb all the coconut curry while I read my books on mindfulness

After finishing the run last night I couldn't finish my #3 veggie steamroller; a good trade-off.

And here's one of the pasta meals I've been making, inspired by my stay in North Van.

Fancy presentation, I know.  And yes, I ate it out of the pot like that because I can and I like to.

One of the sandwiches I made this week: aged white cheddar (evil, I know -- I felt the spawn try to break through my stomach a la Alien (1979)); red bell pepper, green leaf lettuce, sweet cocktail tomato and avocado.

 

Then I ran out of avocado, so started making salads instead.

Tonight's post-yoga smoothie (frozen strawberries, a handful of spinach and two medium-sized bananas) hit the spot.  I made it home just in time (well, 19 minutes into the drama) for The Biggest Loser.  Going to North Van for a few days starting tomorrow morning.

And yes, yoga was fun.  My core feels it. Today we did some exercises for stimulating the heart chakra.  Other than my brief yet periodic laughing fit(s) during the mantra "Ong sohung", all went well.

Still doing the daily spinach-banana-frozen strawberry smoothies.  I'm leaving this photo sideways to illustrate how smoothies offer you a new perspective on life, or something.

Today we ran 5 km at a faster pace and my legs are feeling okay with that, as opposed to the soreness from going the longer distances at a slower pace.  Fueled by two Costco muffins left on the table for me by my thoughtful roommate, I was hurting right away.  I can tell when I'm suffering on a run because I can hear myself breathing harder and people look at me with concern.  Their concerned looks serve only to make me suck it up and suffer more greatly in silence.  I also put on a front of serenity and poise when I run near attractive people, or near children that look admiringly at us as ideals of human achievement.  Gotta do it for the kids.  Then collapse around the corner.

So, yeah; I ate muffins for breakfast.  They were the sugar kind.  Maple-flavoured, perhaps.

I also gave myself water.

After the run, my magical running buddy (yes I said buddy) treated me to some chocolate frozen yogurt with pistachio nuts.  Thank-you!  Tomorrow, we do Steamrollers.

I feel well.

Previous night: Last night I ate mainly cashews from the Superstore and bananas with peanut butter (peanuts and nothing else in the ingredient list).

Night before that: We shared a large Flying Wedge Broken Hearts pizza with Caribbean dipping sauce.  On a dare, we each had a large hazelnut chocolate bar to see who could eat more of it before feeling sick.  I won!  I out-ate Lori!

Last night I ate mixed veggies in a yellow coconut curry, with rice, salad and a deep-fried veggie spring roll that let loose all my inhibitions.  I use fancy plates, I know.

For breakfast I ate a banana with some peanut butter on it.

Somehow, this inner seal on the peanut butter made my day.  I'm a sucker for thoughtful marketing gimmicks, dammit!  Whatever; little touches go far.  Kudos to Kraft for capitalizing on my pre-route anxiety during the busiest week of the year.  KUDOS. <-- I stole the all-capitals thing from Michelle.

Had a busy day of North Van adventures.  I didn't bring any food or water with me today.  Right now I'm zonked.  Wiped.  Ready for bed.

On my way home, I picked up a veggie burrito.

That's it.

Oh, and a dear in #309 left me a Christmas card with a Tim Horton's gift certificate inside.  I know I said to Michael that her thinking of the lowly postie, 'makes me want to cry,' but what you may not know is that I actually did cry a little about it.  Why?  I don't know... maybe because I like people and I'm exhausted  and have no energy available to repress emotion or something.  Goodnight.

For dinner last night, I chose sweet potatoes and avocado.  It's a pleasing combination of colours, tastes and textures.  I think I've mentioned that before.  Anyway, here's some bonus materal pictured above -- some of my notes I was taking on Power Reading while listening to Brian Tracy audio books, haaa.

I tried to go to bed early last night (earlier than the usual 3 am).  I was zonked by 10 so I went to bed... and lay awake until 2 am.  Awesome.

Breakfast: a hardboiled egg and a chocolate chip cookie.  Not the best choice, but it's what I had in the house.

Today we did some exercising in the rain!  Sea wall = pwned.  And the preceding sentence captures just how cool I felt while running and texting.

Post-run smoothie: a banana and strawberries.  My phone is happily drying and recharging.  I love my life.  I don't love running.

This morning I turned on the oven, removed a frozen pizza from the freezer, then made a salad (fresh spring mix, tomatoes, avocado and cucumber) and decided I didn't actually NEED to eat an entire pizza.  Maybe tomorrow.  So, I returned the pizza to the freezer and hardboiled 3 eggs instead.

For lunch, I shared a Jonny-O burrito and KTB tacos @ Budgies Burritos.  It was the tastiest burrito I've had in a long time; two hipster thumbs-up.  I took a photo of the meal and then accidentally deleted it.

Dinner: 2 smoothies of banana, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries.

[I Baked a Pile of Cookies.]