A Sensible Dinner - Pearlieq's Journal

[pearlieq]

4/6/08

10:30am

--1 sm bowl granola

Ah, we have the whole day to oursleves! We need to go over the taxes and get those ready to send in, but other than that, nothing!

It's supposed to be a really nice day too. I'm looking forward to getting out.

2:00pm

--2 soft breadsticks
--the broth from a bowl of french onion soup
--1 BLT
--1 yeast roll w/2 whipped butter tubs and one jelly packet
--more than a few of DH's fries w/ranch dressing
--2 or 3 melon chunks

Typical Sunday morning. DH wanders downstairs around 1pm, starving hungry. I was also super hungry and by the time we made it to the local diner, I was ready to eat my napkin! I wound up really overdoing it on the breadbasket and DH's fries. This place has the best ranch dressing and it's soooooo good with their fries.

I'm fighting the urge to munch all afternoon. I need to find something to do with myself. DH's cast is really bothering him, so after running a few errands we had to go back home. We've got all the windows open to enjoy the spring air, but it still pains me to be indoors. I think I'm going to head to the grocery store. At least that gets me out a little bit!

7:45pm

--1 footlong sweet onion chicken teriyaki sub
-- big handful of sour cream & onion ruffles
--the end of a leftover Coke
--3 good sized chocolate chunk cookies
--12oz milk

Yipes I'm full! That's the problem with letting yourself get super hungry before you eat!

DH and I are kicking around the idea of buying the deluxe dining plan for our upcoming trip. We can see some upsides to it, but it could easily turn into Eatapalooza 2008, so I'm going to have to mull it over a bit more.

 

[toystoryduo]

Hi pearlieq~

I know what you mean about the party thing. We went to a Christmas party last year and everyone was drinking like crazy! My DH and I don't drink often so we felt really out of place.

Were you able to get your taxes done? The weather was too nice here to work on taxes this weekend. I will get them done soon though.....I have no choice!

Hope you have a great day ahead!

 

[pearlieq]

4/7/08

9:45am

--1 light yogurt cup
--1 apple
--a healthy sprinkle of granola

Yum!

Poor DH is off this morning to get his cast cut off and redone. I don't think he'd recommend this experience to anyone. But at least we're at the halfway point.

I've got some work to do this morning, and then grocery shopping is definitely on my list for this afternoon/evening. Our fridge is pretty much holding soda and condiments!

12:00pm

--1/2 side salad w/ranch
--1/3 prime rib french dip sandwich
--1/2 barbecue chicken wrap
--1/2 order fries

Ugh. DH strikes again. He came home from his dr appointment this morning pushing to go out for lunch. It did sound like fun, but I was just getting hungry, so I was having a hard time thinking of something that sounded good.

Unfortunately, there aren't really that many "good" restaurants very close to us. And since it's the middle of the workday, I needed to stay close to home. So, basically our choices were fast food, a bunch of mom-and-pop diners, and basic casual places like Chili's or Applebees. Nothing sounded good. I didn't want a greasy burger or sandwich, and I really didn't feel like dropping lots of money on lunch, which is what would have happened with DH at a Chili's/Applebees because he never pays any attention to prices. He just orders whatever he wants and usually pushes for appetizers on top of our meal, so I can't even get out of a mediocre meal at Applebees for less than $40!

I wish we had some nicer places by us, or some good cafes/fast casual shops. I'm so sick of paying a lot of money for greasy, insipid food. I suppose the obvious solution would be to cook at home, but we really do like to go out. I just wish we had better options locally.

We wound up at Red Robin. I'm not a huge fan, but I realized that nothing was going to sound great to me, so I told DH to pick whatever we wanted. I figured at least one of us should be happy. It was great to spend time with DH, but we wound up spending $36 on, essentially, a couple of sandwiches. They tasted OK, but nothing earth-shattering. What a waste...

3:00pm

--2 good-sized chocolate chip cookies

A little afternoon snack. I was feeling hungry, now I'm stuffed. If I didn't know any better I'd say someone snuck in and lap-banded me without my knowledge or something. I dunno.

Work sucks.

5:45pm

--a little less than half of a family size chicken/rice entree
--1/2 cup pineapple
--1 mini bagel w/margarine

DH and I got to have a nice dinner together. Work still sucks, but it sucks a little less because my stupid early meeting got cancelled. I still have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day.

9:00pm

--large handful Ruffles
--2 chocolate chip cookies
--1 cup milk

As usual, I'm hungry. I always am when we cook dinner in. This hit the spot. Not terribly nutritious, but at least not totally out of control.

 

[pearlieq]

4/8/08

9:00am

--1 Activia light cup
--1 chocolate chip cookie

This was kind of an impulsive grab. Next time I should grab a South Beach bar or something. I was just hungry and it sounded good. It's kind of like having a doughnut and a Diet Coke for breakfast, right?

I have no idea what today is going to hold, work-wise, but I think this is going to be a long week. DH is going to be gone until late this evening, so I think I'm going to treat myself to Chinese food and Sense & Sensibility tonight. I'm looking forward to it already!

12:00pm

--2 big grilled cheese sandwiches
--large handful chips
--2 chocolate chip cookies
--1 cup milk

A few carbs to go with my stress. It hasn't gotten too bad for me personally yet, but my whole team is up in arms. It's really not a good environment. We had a team meeting this morning and it was pretty evenly split between people who were furious, people who were just defeated, and people who were laughing to keep from crying.

I'm just not willing to go through what I did last year. All of the "above & beyond" has been drained out of me. I'll put in my 8 hours, but that's it. This job, while I would like to keep it for a while longer, is just not worth it.

 

[toystoryduo]

Hi pearlieq~

How is the Activia yogurt? Is it tasty? My MIL really likes it and wants me to try it.

I'm sorry to hear that it may be a long week ahead workwise. I'm sending your way. I think your plan to treat yourself to some good food and a good book (or movie) sounds great!

Have a wonderful day!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Pearlieq: I am so sorry you have this work stress, that really stinks given the things you are going through with your mom. You are a good daughter to go over there and clean up her frig, a weaker person would have thrown in the towel or just bought a new frig! I think you are making headway with your portions, that is progress! I hate to cook too and we often end up eating out. We don't have a lot in the way of gourmet places around here either. Its fast food or chain food I'm afraid! Just keep doing what you are doing, you are making yourself accountable and you are getting in touch with food and feelings. Thats an awesome foundation for success. Hang in there with work.

 

[toystoryduo]

pearlieq~

I'm sorry to hear about the stress at work. I'm sending some your way. I hope the situation at work improves soon.

Have a great Wednesday!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Hey Pearlieq, hope you had a great day today!

 

[Lesli54]

Just letting you know that I am back and will catch up on your journal later. Sounds like the work situation is a real drag right now. Hang in there, I know that you will think things through and figure out how to best deal with the situation, even if that means leaving. I had a job once that made me cry on my way to work, it was so stressful. Needless to say, as soon as something came along, I was out of there. Sending you support in the meantime.

 

[pearlieq]

4/10/08

8:30am

--1/2 order lasagna
--1 garlic roll
--1 glass Coke

Oh, where to start, where to start? When was I even here last? Tuesday?

This has been a rotten week so far. Work really stinks. Basically, annoying guy set off a huge firestorm with our client that sent us scrambling for days to check and recheck everything we've done for the last 18 months. He basically accused us, in front of the client, of not doing our jobs, or doing them very shabbily. It's completely untrue and deeply insulting, given what many of us have given up to get things going for this client.

Frankly, for doing that and for creating the problems we have now, I think annoying guy should be fired. But no one seems to have any control over him. On top of his usual disrespect (treating people like servants, showing up to meetings 20 minutes late and completely unprepared, etc.) he created a hugely damaging issue this week. It's just so frustrating and demoralizing.

So that's pretty much been my week. It has thrown everything off. I haven't cooked since Monday, I'm pounding Ruffles and sugar soda like it's going out of style, and basically reacting in my same maladaptive way. Sigh.

At least it should be over(ish) soon. And I'm going to WDW in 2 1/2 weeks.

2:00pm

--sm order beef & broccoli
--sm carton rice, w/butter
--more Coke

Food grabbed quickly between tasks today.

7:00pm

--1 bowl Raisin Bran Crunch

I think I ate some more this afternoon. I remember the rest of the Ruffles and the Coke, and maybe a couple of jelly beans. Was that it? I have food amnesia.

9:00pm

--1 Baconator sandwich
--1 crispy chicken sandwich, plain.

OK, note to anyone listening. Do not, under any circumstances, order a hamburger called a Baconator.

I was really hungry when DH called offering to pick up dinner on his way home (he got stuck late at a Dr appt.). Bacon sounded good, but their little junior bacon cheeseburger sounded too small. So, I went with the other opetion, the Baconator.

Hopefully, if I sit real still for the rest of the night, I won't have a heart attack.

You'd think it would taste great, but it was really too greasy and fatty to enjoy. It comes with a side of self-loating and a fear of imminent death. It's just sitting my stomach.

I'm glad I at least had sense enough not to get fries and a drink. But really, heed the warning. No Baconator!

 

[pearlieq]

4/11/08 - Finally Friday!

9:15am

--1 Activia light cup
--1 small banana

Tracy--the Activia cups taste pretty good. I don't know if I've noticed any specific benefit, but I've only been eating them sporadically. As yogurt cups go, they're handy, taste good, and have 3 grams of fiber each. I'll probably keep buying them. I will warn you that the raspberry cups have seeds in them, which get stuck in my teeth. Yes, I'm actually a 90 year old woman.

I have no idea what to expect, work-wise, today. I'm scheduled for client meeting all afternoon, but annoying guy is running them. I don't know if I'm going to be just hanging out and listening in or if I'm going to be on the spot with questions. This thing is just SO badly managed!

Whatever, though. At least it's Friday. DH and I are going over to mom's in the morning for chores, and then I think we'll get together with her tomorrow evening as well. Sunday we're going to an open house to see a friend of ours who has been ill. It's kind of a "I'm feeling better, come see me!" party. Should be nice.

Somewhere in there we need to get the taxes together, and all of the blankets, linens, and pillows on our bed need a bath. That should pretty much fill up the weekend.

11:30am

--1 1/2 pieces leftover pan pizza

I was very hungry and having another mad craving for Chinese food. Unfortunately, that wasn't practical right now, but DH's leftover pizza from the other night did the trick.

I've decided DH and I need to get out tonight. I've got to find us something fun to do.

2:00pm

--1 small banana

I'm stuck on the conference call from hell. It's been over an hour and they have yet to cover anything relevant to me. Ugh. I'm supposed to be on for the next 2 hours.

Not to mention, one half of our dynamic duo of a management team stressed a million times yesterday that we wouldn't be reviewing one specific schematic that we were all working on. So what is her opening question in the meeting in front of the client? "So, do you guys want to go through X schematic?" UGH! I'm not sure how this could be any worse managed.

It kind of stinks because it's affecting me physically. My stomach is in knots, I'm queasy, and I feel a headache coming on. Not good!

4:00pm

--2 pieces wheat toast w/margarine & jam
--scant 1/4 cup jelly beans

5:00pm

--1 bowl raisin bran crunch

Still hungry

6:30pm

--1/2 sesame chicken combo platter w/eggroll
--1/2 order Chinese donuts

MUST stop ordering Chinese donuts. They are little bits of fried dough coated in sugar. Baby carb bombs.

9:30pm

--large piece raspberry coffee cake.

Sadly, not good. Oh well. We've wound up having a very quiet night of Chinese food and TiVo. I wouldn't mind a bit more excitement, but we'd both had a long day. I really wish there was more to do around here. We need to get better about making an effort to make plans, have people over, etc.

At least I know what we're doing two weekends from now!

 

[toystoryduo]

pearlieq,

I'm sorry to hear about all of the stress at work right now. I'm sending more your way...I hope it gets better for you soon.

Thanks for the info about the Activia yogurt.

I hope you have a good weekend. We're still working on taxes too. I can't wait until April 15th is over!

 

[pearlieq]

4/12/08

9:00am

--1 pkt weight control oatmeal
--2 mini boxes raisins
--1 Activia cup

Breakfast at my mom's. Unfortunately, it wasn't really good news from the PET scan. The cancer spread to a lot more bone sites, mostly in her upper body. And there's still activity in the lower body sites, even after radiation. It appears to be pretty aggressive and growing fast, though luckily it's still all in her bones as far as we know. There's also a very small something on her liver, but it's too small to know what it is yet.

The next think her oncologist wants to try is an oral version of one of the chemo drugs she had during the first round. This is hardcore stuff--the list of side effects is a mile long and each one is scarier than the next. She actually tolerated it OK the first time, but who know how this new form will go. She's really worried about trying to work through this, but she has to make it until next January to be able to retire. We're all so worried and just trying to figure out what to do.

1:30pm

--3 pieces pizza
--3 pieces crazy bread
--1 nsa Drumstick cone

DH came over later in the afternoon to help with some things at moms. We were very hungry, so we got pizza from the Little Caesar's up the road. It was a lot better than I remember.

At least today was pretty productive--we got a lot done. We had hoped to be able to hang out with mom tonight, but she wasn't up to it, and she still had her taxes to do.

There's just so much I want to do for her and do with her, and it's really hard to accept that we just don't have unlimited time or money. We'll do the best we can, I guess.

8:30pm

--2 pieces fried mozzarella w/marinara
--4 sm pieces Italian bread w/dipping oil, herbs, and cheese (yum!)
--not quite half an order of chicken mezzaluna with tomato cream sauce
--1/2 sm piece lasagna
--1/3 cup broccoli w/oil & garlic
--few bites chicken parmesan
--really tasty poundcake/fruit/pudding dessert (fairly reasonable size, for a restaurant)

DH and I went out for a lovely dinner tonight at a restaurant called Carrabba's. It was really very tasty--I liked the bread with the herb and cheese oil a lot. The mezzaluna were great, and the lasagna was out of this world! It was very creamy and rich. The dessert was really fantastic, too. It was pound cake topped with strawberries, crushed pineapple, banana pudding, and whipped cream. Delicious!

On the plus side, I ordered water to drink, and didn't eat to the point I was painfully stuffed. I suppose that sounds a little funny, but for me that's pretty good. I wasn't too crazy about the fried mozzarella, and I wish I'd stopped eating it sooner, but at least I did leave one piece behind. I also stopped eating the chicken parm when I realized I didn't care for it too much (I think they have an herb in their breading mixture that I don't care for).

 

[Amy&Dan]

Pearlieq: I am so sorry that pet scan didn't come back with better news. Hopefully the oral chemo will do what it needs to do. Just know that I am thinking about you and really send prayers and well wishes your way. You are going to get through this and your mom is lucky to have you and she clearly knows that. One good thing about a thing like this, it really makes you cherish the ones you love.

Hang in there with the work stress and take no you know what off of anybody. With all you are going through, you don't need to have that in your life too (like you didn't figure that out on your own).

Have a nice weekend and Chinese Donuts sound really good. I may have to try those little carb bombs myself!

 

[pearlieq]

4/13/08

10:30am

--3 eggs, scrambled with abt. 1/2oz. cojack cheese on top
--3 light sausage links
--2 pieces Brownberry toast w/margarine
--1 cup sliced strawberries

We were going to go out for breakfast, but I managed to convine DH to cook in. I like going out as much as the next girl, but I can get eggs & toast on the table in 5 minutes and save us $20.

We're going to our friend's party later this afternoon. It will be really good to see them--the husband was in the hospital for quite a while and they've had a lot to deal with.

I can't arrive at someone's house empty-handed, but we struggled a while to figure out what to bring. She's had weight loss surgery and he's got a very difficult case of diabetes, so food was out. He's nearly blind, so reading material and movies were out. We finally settled on a remote control Jeep. He's very much a kid at heart, and we figured he could amuse himself with that when he gets bored.

Other than that, I may make a grocery store run, and, of course, ye olde taxes need to get finished.

1:30pm

--1 med bowl nachos w/beef, shredded cheese, & sour cream
--2 cups Kool-Aid
--1 cupcake
--1 sugar cookie
--2 sm squares apple strudel

I think that was it. I didn't eat nearly as much as I thought I would. It was nice to see our friends--they're both looking really good and seem to be managing well. They had fun with the remote control car.

We finished the taxes when we got home. As it turns out, we owed the Feds a little less than we thought we would, and we wound up getting a refund from the state. I was happy! It washes out to a little less than half of what I was expecting. So yay.

I think that's all the excitement we're going to have today. I'm going to head to the grocery store, and DH is just relaxing. You'd think two people with very few responsibilites and reasonably decent means would lead a more exciting life, wouldn't you?

7:30pm

--my leftover orange chicken

It's kind of a 2 part dinner tonight. We had some leftover Chinese, but not really enough for a whole meal. So, DH got sandwiches from Subway and we mixed that with the leftovers. I'm not ready for my sandwich yet, so I'll get it a little later.

10:00pm

--the top of the rest of my coffee cake
--1 glass milk

I got rid of the rest of the pastry, but saved the top part with the filling and icing. That's the best part anyway. I never wound up getting around to my sandwich, but that's OK. It will be nice tomorrow.

Magellan is being such a little imp tonight! Every time we turn around he is harassing and pouncing on his sister! I don't know what has gotten into him tonight. Maybe a round of fetch will get some of this energy out of him.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Hi Pearlieq: Great job staying in for breakfast. You saved some money and a bunch of calories! That is so sweet you brought your friend that gift, I hope they both do well with their health issues. Diabetes is so scary. Congrats on not owing as much to the feds as you thought, that must be a huge relief! I think its great you had a quiet day. Sounds exciting to me (but I am a homebody who loves to veg ) Hope the rest of your weekend was a good one!

 

[Lesli54]

Good evening, Pearlieq!

Finally, I have caught up on your journal. So many parties lately, how do you keep it up? On the note of journaling honestly, yes, it is painful sometimes, but if we don't then we are still fooling ourselves. Also, you mentioned the "something's wrong" factor. I know the thought that goes through one's head that it could be a medical thing, but maybe you should consider that it is more a mental thing. You do have a lot of stress going on, but there may also be some other emotional issues or thought processes that you haven't really dealt with. Check out some books that deal with those types of issues or processes (Bob Greene's Best Life, Dr. Phil, and there are others). I will be honest, some of it is "painful" to come to terms with, but I would rather deal with the mental issues because I can change those things much more easily than I can change a physical "something's wrong". It's at least worth looking into. I can say that by doing this, I was loosing quite a bit of weight last time since I wasn't substituting food for feelings. This time there are different stressors, so I need to work at it again, but I do know that the work I did before wasn't wasted since this last Christmas, I was able to look at my Dad in a different way and begin new conversations with him which really eased the tensions.

Too bad you are going to WDW so soon.......only because we will miss each other by a few weeks. It sounds like your DH will be thankful to get that cast off in time.

My heart goes out to you in helping your mom deal with her health. I know this is a tough time, but hopefully, you guys will take advantage of every moment you can and try to keep a positive attitude as much as possible because that will greatly help the spirits. Keeping you in my prayers.

 

[toystoryduo]

pearlieq~

I am so sorry to hear about your mom's pet scan results. We will be praying for her and for you as well.

Great job having breakfast at home! We went out to eat this morning with my in laws and 3 out of the 5 adults were served spoiled food! We probably should have stayed home for breakfast too. We would have saved money, calories, and the headache of sending the food back.

We got our taxes done today too! Now, we both can celebrate!

I hope you have a good evening! Sending for your week ahead.

 

[pearlieq]

4/14/2008

8:45am

--half of my sandwich from last night.

Yum!!! This is so tasty. I predict the other half does not have long to live.

I talked to my mom this morning--so far, so good on the new meds. She's been on them for a day now, and side effects are supposed to show up pretty quickly if they're going to show up. Hopefully she'll do OK. Thanks so much for the prayers and good wishes.

1:15pm

--3 crispy strips w/3 pkts honey
--1 biscuit
--1 side coleslaw
--1 side mac & cheese
--4 boneless wings

I was starving by the time DH made it home with lunch. He had his cast redone this morning. It's not quite as long as the old one, but it's still just as heavy, according to him. He's going to have it until next Thursday, 3 days before we leave! Hopefully all goes well.

It's been a pretty quiet day so far. Just some routine stuff at work and some laundry. I actually got myself excited about laundry when I realized I could set things aside to pack! Hey, whatever works!

4:30pm

--the other half of my sandwich

5:00pm

--scant 1/4 cup jelly beans

Some afternoon munching. I had some files to finish up for work--it was just the tedious stuff (formatting, parsing, etc) but it felt better just to stick around a little later and get it done.

7:30pm

--6 pierogis
--2 servings light smoked sausage
--1 applesauce cup
--1 T sour cream
--3/4 cup peas

Hey! We cooked dinner in. We do so much better when it's easy and brainless. All I have to do for this one is dump things in a pot of boiling water and pop open a can of peas. I can handle that.

9:00pm

--firsts and seconds on a homemade dessert cake

I had this very tasty dessert at the restaurant we went to Saturday, and DH and I figured we could probably recreate it in a diabetic-friendly fashion. I bought a box of the new Pillsbury Reduced Sugar yellow cake mix and made up half the box in a 2.5 qt casserole. Once that was cool, we layered on crushed pineapple, sliced bananas, sugar free vanilla pudding, and sugar free cool whip.

DH loved it. I thought it was pretty good too, but I need to tweak it a bit. I think it needed a bit more pineapple, and a bit more flavor in the pudding layer--maybe coconut? But it's a solid dessert option and it's going to be fun to experiment with it.

 

[pearlieq]

4/15/08 - Happy Tax Day!

10:00am

--1 portion leftover dessert cake

I love all the people here who have sensible things like eggs, oatmeal, and yogurt for breakfast. Not here! Dessert cake? Why not? It has fruit, it has dairy. At least it's not too sugary.

I'm having an irritating morning with Annoying Guy. He's either being deliberately dense or only ready every other line of my emails. Here's this morning's exchange:

AG: Did you get a chance to look at those data points we talked about last week?

ME: As I mentioned to you multiple times last week, the file you provided me doesn't actually include the data points. It includes information about them, but not the actual points that I can look up.

AG: Here's a copy of the file. It's on tab one.

ME: Yes, this is the file that we're talking about. Unfortunately, it still doesn't have the data points I need to look up. Could you add them in?

ARGH! I wonder how long this exchange is going to go on. And when I'm finally going to snap!

12:30pm

--1/2 bowl chicken soup
--1 roll w/whipped butter & jelly
--1/2 breadstick
--1/2 chicken tender wrap
--a few of DH's fries w/ranch
--a few bites fruit
--1 1/2 Cokes
--raspberry sherbet ice cream cone

Lunch out with DH! I love this part of him working from home--it's great to have my favorite lunch buddy right there.

Our meal was quite good--I feel like a grazed my way through it. A bit of this and a bit of that. I got a regular Coke because I felt a TOM-induced headache coming on. That and the Advil I popped seemed to take care of things. I realized after all that grazing that I really didn't need to eat the other half of my sandwich, so I asked them to box it up. Yay me!

Back to a dull afternoon of updating documentation. Anyone wanna trade?

4:00pm

--the other half of my sandwich.

At least it was a pretty productive afternoon. I got a bit piece of documentation almost done. I just need to polish it up tomorrow and then get it off my desk!

7:30pm

--2 sausage, egg, & cheese bisuits
--1 pkt Pop Tarts
--10 chocolate cookies
--1 glass milk

I could have lived with it all except of all those cookies. I just started eating and kept going. Not great. At least I resisted when DH offered to bring home food after his class. I think I've done enough for one day.

DH has been gone all evening, so after I finished up my work I settled in front of the TV to watch a movie I'd recorded. It was an English drawing-room piece, and I had seen it in high school, though I must not have paid attention very well. I watched it again today and had gotten absorbed in the love story. Unfortunately, the movie only let them be together for about 3 minutes, then he was killed in the trenches in WWI. Quite a bummer of an ending, wouldnt you say?