AngloAm’s Weblog

Neal came, but I’d not managed to write up my week’s eating so we estimated what I’d eaten. I never thought I’d agree that it is important to keep a record but boy, it is. Some things were real eye-openers. For example, the kind of delicious burrito that I used to get at Chipotle, that I used to think had to be ‘good for you’ because it had no fried foods, is incredibly high in calories and fat. I used to get these yogurt parfaits at Starbucks and thought of them as healthy but they too are very high in fat.

I do have to wonder though if he doesn’t skimp on the strength training because he feels I need to be motivated on the intake side more; C timed him and it was a total of 45 minutes out of our 75 together on discussing my intake (and his plans to go from meeting in people’s houses to opening his own studio). Regarding that last point, I’m none too sure about it. Since I will have to drive to him, it seems like an increase in inconvenience to me, without a corresponding benefit. He’s selling it on the idea that there’ll be more equipment available for us but…I dunno.

He also wants me to be sure and walk every day even in this freezing cold, or to go to the ‘rec center.’ That worries me. I never enjoyed the gym; I always felt like I didn’t belong, that I was being laughed at, belittled. It’s also (whine whine whine) not that convenient for me to go there; I’d have to head over after picking up C and dropping him off at home; it’s not like when I was single and my time was my own. I’m not blaming him; I love spending time with him. My plan is to see what I can do to keep my motivation up this next week; other than maybe tomorrow when it’s forecast to be actively pouring cold rain, if I can layer up and walk outside, then I will but as Neal pointed out, if not, then I have to do something. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, at public gyms, there’s very rarely any real eye candy.

We (C & I) discussed buying a treadmill today; my friend K has one but I’m not sure. To get one to accommodate my…er…needs (weight) it’d have to be huge, and expensive. We do just have the space with a whole inch to spare!, but it would appear that we’ll have to spend not the $x that he thought, but around $2x, which is what I’d thought. But as I say, for the winter, something’s got to give. C feels very pressured now to find one that fits our budget and my…er…needs, which is unfair but that’s how lovely he is. I know I don’t need bells and whistles, just a basic with maybe a little incline (not much).

We’ll have to see. I bet that they’ll rocket up in price after the New Year with all those people making resolutions. We’re already spending so much money on me – $400 a month just for Neal, etc., etc., etc. I think it’s worth noting that Neal never recommended a treadmill, just going to the gym. What do you think?

Speaking of Intake…

Last night for our beloved “Friday Night Club” we all went to Il Mee in Arlington, Virginia, for all you can eat bulgogi. Mmmm. It works like this – after you eat some fairly good sushi, you get piles of thin sliced raw meat. It can be beef, pork or chicken, and the latter two can be highly spiced or merely lightly marinated. You bring them back to your table and the ‘ladies’ come by and light little grills built right into your table, and help you grill your meat right there. You can also toss garlic slices and other things on the grill. When the meat’s done, you take some, add some gojujang (hot garlic paste) or denjang (fermented soy bean paste) and some rice, if you like, and make little packages wrapped up in big romaine lettuce leaves. Oh, it’s so good and what makes it especially fun is the way you ‘play’ with your food, everyone can make their packages as they like and it’s generally a good time. I do like the bulgogi, but I also like that they always have ddeukbogee and lovely pancakes as well, and that there’s enough vegetarian dishes for my vegetarian godson to eat well, too.

I love Korean food. I really have to try making budae jjigae (Army Base Stew) some time as the idea sounds delicious. There’s an excellent recipe here, with this picture; doesn’t it look yummy? You can click on the thumbnail to see it bigger and more delectable. At the recipe you can see the history behind this half-American dish.

We were ‘good’ today, just a small bowl of Pho for me, with only one fresh garden roll. A few pistachios. A hard walk past the bakery. A cappuccino. And a gyros to be delivered in a few moments.

Speaking of good…

Doesn’t Carlos Ponce look like he knows a joke, with that lovely little half smile? And yet as you can see, he can also look appealing when he looks more pensive, more thoughtful. Perhaps he’s feeling ignored; here is singing a rather nice ballad called Escúchame (“Listen to me”)…

He does cheer up nicely, here he is from that same photo shoot for Ocean Drive En Español, looking like he’s just told the secret joke, and here he is trying to cheer all of the rest of us up, in our late, cold autumn, as he sits on the dock of his bay. As with all these pictures, if you want him to grow before your very eyes, you know what to do.

(I bet you know what you’d do with him on a dock.)