comments after finally finishing the audiobook of Stephen King's Cell

First off, Campbell Scott's narration wasn't great. This is my second go at this audiobook, because I got bored/disgusted about two chapters in the first time. I was in a more receptive mood this time, I guess, because I was in Boston last year, and I could kind of pick out the landmarks in my head. It still took quite a while for the characters to grab me, though, and I think the dull reading was at least a little to blame. It was disappointing, really...most Stephen King audiobooks have great narration. You'd think that when his stories started to go downhill in the past few years, King'd start getting better narrators. You know, to compensate.

And secondly? THE ENDING SUCKED. Not from a literary standpoint, I suppose, though I'm certainly no expert on that. I didn't pick up this book because I wanted a work of literary genius, anyway. All I wanted was a good story to pass my commute by (And zombies. Bring on the zombies!). Part of a good story is WRAPPING IT THE F--K UP AT THE END. Criminey, I haven't been so pissed about an ending since Gone With The Wind.

a couple things you shouldn't bother trying

Today has not been a good day for trying new things. Here are a couple that bombed miserably:

1. Think Thin, Be Thin by Doris Wild Helmering. I can't really put my finger on what quality of this book made it so irritating for me. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mindset to enjoy the book, or I'm just anxious to get any book finished so I can return it and Never Let Me Go (soo good!) to booksfree and get some new ones, but I quit after 15 chapters. That sounds like a lot, until you see that each chapter is about a page and a half long--it really amounts to a half-hour of boredom and skimming. There was nothing in those first 15 that hadn't been said better in a million other places. Or at least more entertainingly.

2. Dannon Light & Fit Crave Control. You'd think I'd learn my lesson with the Dannon L&F varieties. I prefer Yoplait in every way, but then Dannon will release one of these "Control" varieties and I fall for it every goddamn time. This one even seemed like a good idea--yogurt with the cereal already in it. It saves a step, right? Well, after tasting it, I think I'll just keep dumping the grape nuts into my Yoplait. Ugh. Whatever fiber source they threw in this stuff tastes and feels like shredded bread crusts. Hey--maybe that's their secret! If so, it's one that they should have kept to themselves.

Review: Mindless Eating, by Brian Wansink

The other day, I was killing time at the bookstore because....I don't remember why. Because that's what I do when I have time to myself, I guess. Anyway, on my way from datebooks to fiction, I passed through the diet book section and Mindless Eating caught my attention*. After reading a little bit in the store, I was intrigued enough to buy it.

I love backstories, trivia, the "why" behind history and ordinary things. One of my favorite books of all time is A Short History of Nearly Everything, not because I care all that much about the origins of life on this planet, but because it had all these little asides about the personalities of the scientists making the discoveries, and details about how they stumbled upon them. I also loved Blink and The Tipping Point, about how intuition and fads work. 1776 is also currently on my bookshelf, waiting for me to pick it up again between trashy mystery novels.

So it should come as no surprise that I enjoyed Mindless Eating--it's the same sort of book, really. It's full of experiment stories, practical suggestions, etc., without the "sales pitch" feel of a typical diet book. Though I had already heard of many of the studies he talks about and there were no earth-shattering new revelations, the details were interesting, and the tips about "re-engineering your environment" to switch from mindless overeating to mindless weight loss are very practical. Some of them overlap other books I've read (smaller plates/single serving containers, using "signal clothes" to measure progress instead of the scale), but some were new to me--making a checklist of 3 small changes, the "half-plate rule."

So, while it's not anything we haven't heard before, it is an entertaining read filled with good, practical information and interesting lab anecdotes. It's also short--I finished it in just two days. Two thumbs up!

*And holy shit--I totally should have waited until I got home and bought it on amazon instead. I could have saved $10!

don't say I never gave you nothin'...

For any of you who have been thinking about trying those workout skirts that I reviewed a few months ago, SkirtSports is having their Customer Appreciation sale through Sunday--40% off all online orders! I just scored a GymGirl for less than $50 (including shipping), with the sale and a small member points discount. Sweet!

Also, heads-up for the bigger girls, they have one color, black/smooch, that they say runs a little roomier than the others. That's the one I ordered, so I'm anxious to see how big the difference actually is.

And while I'm on the subject of shopping...

I just got my first igigi order in the mail yesterday--a wrap shirt and wrap dress, both in size 14/16. The neckline is a little lower than I'd like, but they're otherwise great. Very comfy and flattering, particularly the dress. I'm wearing the shirt today (with a camisole, so I don't flash the coworkers), but only because I'm going to have to buy shoes before I can wear the dress. Two thumbs up!

Review: Skirtsports GymGirl & BikeGirl

I was originally going to post this with a group of other reviews of things I've tried lately, but then it got long and I ran out of steam somewhere in the middle. So, rather than just waste that time, I figured I'd post the one review I did manage to complete. :)

I'm a regular reader of the Vine, and there was a question there a few weeks ago about workout clothes that don't look gross if you sweat a lot, or something like that. One of the items on the list of reader suggestions was the GymGirl workout skirt. Being a sucker for workout skirts of any kind, I had to check them out. After reading the website and noticing the sale section, I ordered a GymGirl in XL (color: ink). Serendipitously, they had a sale on BikeGirls about a week later, so I picked up one of those, too (black-on-black, XXL because the black runs small).

They both arrived shortly before we left for Wisconsin, and I've worn the GymGirl once and the BikeGirl twice.

OPEN WIDE for reviews.

NOTE: Because my GymGirl is about 10 lbs. too small right now (XXL black was not available on the sale page), this review is based more on the BikeGirl. Since their designs are basically the same, the items below should apply to both, once I get to a size where I feel more comfortable wearing the GymGirl in public.

The one thing I will say about the GymGirl that doesn't apply to the BikeGirl: The inseam's a little too short for those of us with thunder thighs. On the one workout I did, was forever pulling on the shorts to keep them from rolling up. I have this same issue with combo shorts in my correct size if the inseam is too short (<4 inches), so I know it's not just that the skirt is too small.

The pros:

1. Stretchy, breathable, blissfully comfortable (even a size too small). The mesh shorts are awesome.

2. The chamois on the BikeGirl isn't half bad. I mean, I wouldn't want to ride a century in it, but it beats the stuffing out of Terry's Commuter skort chamois, and it's more than sufficient for my 11-mile commute.

3. I totally love the iPod pocket*. On our trail ride, that stretchy little pocket carried my cell phone, a credit card, cash, driver's license, and car keys. I thought for sure one of the large items would slip out, with it being on my thigh and everything, but it held. I haven't had a chance to actually use it as an iPod pocket, but I like that it has a headphone passthrough hole in the skirt part. Too cool.

Cons:

1. The leg grippers on the BikeGirl (which, combined with a very-slightly longer inseam, are what keep them from having the GymGirl problem mentioned above) are smooth plastic. This works well enough for keeping the shorts in place, but leaves a red mark on my leg after my commute. I think it's because it gets sweaty under there, then the plastic slides around a little and chafes. The nubbly rubber grippers on my other bike shorts do not do this, so I'm pretty sure it's the smoothness.

2. They're expensive. I'm mostly of the "pay for quality" camp, but even the sale prices on these things made me wince a little before hitting the "add to cart" button.

3. Like most workout clothes, these skirts are designed for athletic bodies. Flat tummies, pleasantly muscular legs, marked lack of saddlebags. For instance, this model. Though my GymGirl looks exactly like hers on a hanger, it does not look anything like hers when I'm running. The slippery fabric of the skirt makes it ride up higher than the shorts most of the time, and I've already mentioned my shorts issues. I found myself doing a funky little dance on the treadmill, what with the adjusting of the shorts and the yanking of the skirt. I was glad I was alone in the workout room. :) While I don't have the shorts problem on the BikeGirl, the skirt is the same.

This is a minor complaint, however, since it's true of just about everything. I only mention it because there are other workout clothes that are more flattering/lower maintenance for larger sizes--yoga pants, capris, compression shorts/loose running shorts combo, etc. These skirts are still cute and definitely very comfortable, but I feel a little self-conscious wearing them nonetheless. They have a "I might be too fat for this outfit" feeling for me, kind of like low-rise pants. Your mileage may vary, of course.

The verdict:

Comfortable, well-made, and cute--thumbs up! The issues I had with them were minor, and had a lot more to do with my pear-shaped body than the skirts themselves. If you're less than, say, 30 lbs overweight, carry your weight differently, or even just have fewer body image issues--I say work it, girl. :)

*they call it an "mp3 player pocket" on the GymGirl, and a "hidden pocket" on the BikeGirl. I'm not sure if that's an implicit message against riding with earphones or what, but I can tell you that the BikeGirl has the same headphone port through the skirt as the GymGirl. You know, in case that's a selling point for you.

smelly stuff

The weather was in the 60s-70s today for the first time in a week or so, so I decided to bike to work. Since the co-worker I normally eat lunch with is on vacation and I didn't bring any cash for the in-office caterer, I walked to lunch (I really should do this more often anyway, since there's a shopping center less than a mile away with several lunch options).

After eating a fuji apple chicken salad at Panera (which contained NO APPLES - I think they just forgot to put them on, but it was good enough without them that I didn't complain...well, until now, I guess), I went over to the Bath & Body Works. The hand cream I keep in my desk drawer is nearly gone, so I figured I'd stock up. One of the employees was raving about the new fragrances, and I couldn't find the stupid hand cream, so I went over there to check them out. Completely fell in love with the Japanese Cherry Blossom, so I picked up a bottle of lotion. I looked around a little more, still couldn't find the hand cream. I was running out of lunch hour, so I asked one of the staff what hand cream she recommends. She directed me to the Le Couvent des Minimes Gardener's Hand Healer (whose samples happened to be right next to a tub of the hand creams I had spent the last 10 minutes searching for...d'oh!). Love! 20% shea butter, smells like lemon drops. I bought three 25ml sample sizes, because they were on sale for $3 and the full-size tube is $15 for 75ml. I was tempted to buy 5, since it would almost be like getting two free! But I didn't.

So, those are my product recommendations for today...Japanese Cherry Blossom and Gardener's Hand Healer.

This probably goes without saying, but I had walked halfway back to the office before I realized that I never even bought the thing I came in for. :)

first impressions on the Marin

I rode the new bike for my commute today. It was mostly fine, and traffic was lighter than usual. I was in the locker room in under an hour, but I forgot to check the exact time. I'm not used to the odometer on this bike either, so trying to find the total ride time would have taken more bother than I had time for. I'm probably going to take it in and have them put a Cateye on it instead, so I only have to remember one interface. It's also nice to have the cadence meter.

As for the bike itself, the first thing I noticed is that it doesn't feel nearly as quick or responsive as the Pilot. This surprised me a little, because it's not really that much heavier (23-24 lbs v. just over 20), and the fit actually suits my short arms better than Amelia does. Maybe part of it is getting used to the bike, but I felt...I don't know. Sluggish, I guess. I had trouble finding a comfortable spinning gear, and it took longer to accelerate. Out-of-the-saddle riding felt less controlled. I read in a review somewhere one time that the features on middle-range road bikes ($1200-1500) don't so much enhance performance, but let the bike get out of your way. I'm paraphrasing, obviously, but after commuting with this bike v. the Pilot I can kind of see what they mean. Some of it in this case was going to wider, lower pressure tires, but still. It was like going from a sporty little coupe to a minivan. However, since I bought this bike for the same reason I would buy a minivan, I'm not complaining too much. :)

Other things that will take some getting used to: wrestling my water bottle from the bottle cage (the frame is too small to allow much clearance), the saddle (I really don't want to buy another one), and the tip-and-twist maneuver required to get it on/off the trunk rack.

On the good side, I love the shifters. They're sort of ugly and bulky, but I like the push-button feel and the display telling me which gear I'm in. The bar ends are good for varying hand position a bit, and I never have trouble reaching the brakes. I haven't had occasion to use the light yet, but it seems bright enough to see by. I did use the blinking taillight this morning, because it was cloudy and sort of dim. The 28c/85psi tires are better at taking road bumps than the 23/110 I'm accustomed to. Every time I hit a patch of broken pavement on the Pilot, I had to brace myself and worry that it would break something. The Fairfax takes 'em in stride, and is less delicate all-around.

So, in summary, while I wouldn't want her as my only bike, it looks like she's well suited to short distances. It will also be nice to have for paved path rides with Noah, and I'll probably take her to Austin for the urban assault race, also.

Products to swear by, at

I haven't done a 'stuff I use' post in a while, so I figure now's a good a time as any.

The reviews are for various products I've tried and/or used religiously in the last few months, in the order I thought of them. I've tried to keep them short, but probably failed. :)

Pearl Izumi Attack shorts, 2006 - My favorites of the PI shorts are the Ultrasensors, but my post-elephant body has temporarily outgrown both pairs I own. So, I was thrilled when my bike shop had a $20-off sale on the Attacks. I have a pair of the 2005s, and they have the same chamois as the Ultrasensor. The inseam is a little shorter and the material is different, but they're good shorts. With the discount it made it worth it to pick up another pair in XL.

Well. They have apparently revamped the design for 2006, and while they still work well, I don't like them as much as the 2005 version. The 2006 XL is smaller than the 2005, or the material is less stretchy. They also feel shorter than last year, and don't have the same chamois as the Ultrasensor anymore. (I can understand that, I guess...the Attacks are $20 cheaper.) The new chamois is still better than every other brand of shorts I've tried (I've only tried sub-$100 shorts, so know nothing of the high-end brands), but not as good as my other ones. There's no chafing, still, but I notice pressure more than in my '05 Ultrasensors/Attacks.

So, while I still recommend them, I prefer the '05s.

Trek Sonic Elite helmet - I got this at the same sale I bought the Attacks, and it was the better of the two purchases. Much lighter than my old helmet, and very comfortable. Guess which color I have. ;)

Odwalla Bars - I love these. Buying the Superfood one was a little scary (because the Superfood drink is spinach green, which kind of freaks me out), but it turned out to be the best of the bunch. The Berries GoMega is also really good. I thought I'd like the Cranberry C-Monster more than I did, but it wasn't bad. I plan to try the rest of them eventually...they make a good mid-afternoon snack.

Terry Butterfly Ti saddle - I bought one of these about 4-5 months ago, because Team Estrogen had a clearance sale on the '04 model. I got a great price on it, and I rode it for a few months. Ultimately, though, I ended up putting the Liberator back on my bike. For the kind of riding I do (not racing, mostly upright), the Liberator was a better fit for me. I think the Butterfly's nose might be just a tad too long, and the cutout never felt like it was in the right place. I think it'd be better for someone with a more stretched-out riding position, but it just didn't work for me. (Anyone want a used one--cheap? Email the address on the sidebar.)

Champion C9 - This entire line is well made for the price. My favorite product is the one thing that I can't find online--I don't even know what it's called. It's a tank, I guess, but loose and with no shelf bra. It's almost identical to the Prospirit ones I reviewed last year, which I have worn and washed so many times that the labels have completely worn away. I have the C9 version in orange and hot pink, and they're great for walks, spin classes, and gym workouts. If they had back pockets, I would wear them on the real bike, too.

Adidas Climacool sports bras* - I only buy them when I happen upon a sale, so I only have two. They are the hands-down favorites of my collection, though--good moisture wicking, decent coverage and support. If you're bigger than a D, they might feel a little bouncy, but for my B/Cs, they offer plenty of support without feeling binding.

*This is not the model I have, but it's the closest I could find. I think mine are both past years' models.

Coppertone continuous spray sunscreen - Maybe a little bit pricey, but when weighed against the raging sunburn I get because I'm too lazy/inflexible to fully apply the sunscreen lotion? Well worth it. Spray, dress, go. Easy as that. I don't use it on my face, though...I have an SPF 15 moisturizer that works well enough, without the vaguely chemical smell.

Goody Stay-Put hair accessories - I had to restock my ponytail (or in my case, pigtail) holders the other day, so I picked up several different varieties of these at Target. The elastics are excellent, though they tend to be a little snarly coming out. The headwraps are hit-or-miss. The wide one was good, but I had trouble with the thin and middle-thickness ones falling out, particularly when I was wearing a ponytail. They were more reliable with pigtails, but I still felt like they were slipping a little bit. I think part of it was that they were a little too big for my head. And my head isn't freakishly small, so maybe I'm just wearing the things wrong. At any rate, I swear by the elastics, swear at the headwraps.

Crank Bros. speed lever - Best. Bike. Tool. Ever. It was taking me 20 minutes to change a tire with regular tire levers, and I can do it with this thing in less than five. The best part of it is the little hook on the bottom (see link), which forces the tire bead back into the rim, even during those last tough inches. (It might tear up the tire a bit over time, but for wusses like me, it's a small price to pay.)

Timbuk2 large seat pack - I bought this specifically to hold my dearly-beloved speed lever...it wouldn't fit in my old seat pack. :) It's a great bag...fits a spare tube, CO2 pump, multitool, speedlever, my car keys, and still has room for a credit card/cash and a pair of gloves. There was that little incident with the strap at the Space Race, but I think that was more a function of seat/shorts position than the strap itself. I haven't had a problem since, anyway.

eBags Kalya tote - As much as I love Gigantor, after a year of daily use, her charms are starting to wear off. I've been losing things in the bottom of the bag lately because it's so big, it's too heavy, there's no separate compartment for dirty clothes, etc. So, once again, I found myself bag shopping. And after much searching, I settled on this one.

I've had it for two days now, and it's mostly good. I like the color (pink) and the overall style. It's pretty light. I like the iPod compartment, though I kind of have to cram my headphones in there...the little poke-through headphone port is useless to me, since I never use my ipod and my bag at the same time, but it's a nice thought for those that do. I like how the water bottle compartment zips to fit, and the front flap pocket with the different compartments and the key lanyard is a nice feature. One workout's worth of gear and supplies fits inside without employing a complicated packing system and/or a shoehorn. I also like the little pouch pockets to keep shampoo bottles and such contained.

Now, the cons. It's a little smaller than I'd like, since I can't fit a decent-sized bath towel in there on those days I want to shower at the gym. While it does have a zipper pocket on the inside where I can hide/stow dirty clothes, it's not terribly big. So I can, say, quarantine my dirty underwear, but I can't stuff an entire outfit in the stink chamber and also carry a clean set of clothes in the main compartment. The single most annoying thing about this bag, though, is the handles. Or, actually, the complete LACK of handles. It has a shoulder strap--which is really quite comfortable, no complaints there. However, when I go to set it down somewhere, it's more of a hunch-and-throw motion than the lift-and-place I've grown accustomed to.

So, overall, I like it. If they added a set of clutch handles by the top zipper and made it even 10% bigger, it would be my One True Bag.

Starbucks blackberry green tea frappuccino I was intrigued by this drink when it first came out. I am noncommittal about green tea, but I love blackberries...would I like this? I didn't try it for a week or two, because caffeine is my primary objective on a Starbucks run and this doesn't have much of it. Besides, it has nearly triple the calories of my nonfat latte, so I had to plan ahead.

I finally tried the thing on my way home from the Space Race a couple weeks ago. It was fine, but not something I'd ever order again. The blackberry syrup was a little too sweet, and the green tea was as bleh as always. It was nice to drink something sweet and cold after 3 hours on the bike, but for my frappuccino dollar (or 4), I would have been happier with a caffe vanilla light.

-----------------------

So, that's about it for the reviews for now. I recently got a couple jerseys, and I have a pair of shoes on order, so there will probably be more reviews coming once I have a chance to try them out.

Review: Lean Cuisine Steak, Cheddar, and Mushroom Panini

I went to the store earlier this week to restock my Lean Cuisine arsenal, and found that they had come out with these new Panini sandwich meals. Since I was up for a little variety, I put one in the cart. I would have done more than one, but the only variety they had was the steak/cheddar/mushroom, and I didn't want to get multiple packages of the same thing in case I didn't like it.

Well, I tried it today, and it was better than I thought it would be.

Pros:

-It's darn tasty. I'm not a huge cheesesteak fan, generally, but this is a perfectly passable sandwich.

-That grilling tray actually works. The bread was crispy and had grill marks...it felt almost like the real thing.

-The mushrooms were surprisingly un-rubbery (unlike the ones in my Stouffer's garlic chicken pasta yesterday..ugh), and the cheese was decent.

Cons:

-At 300 calories and 9g of fat, it's one of the heavier choices on the LC product list. Its 730mg of sodium is a little high, also.

-It's sort of labor-intensive, and works better if you have utensils at your disposal. Here are the steps I had to take to cook and eat this thing:

1. Open box on one side.
2. Read directions and realize that I opened the box wrong.
3. Re-open box, using pull-tab and tearing open the top of the box at the perforations.
4. Remove meal from box.
5. Remove meal and grilling tray from plastic casing. (Scissors would have made this part much more pleasant. Their pull-apart adhesive must be designed by NASA, perhaps to hold the shuttle together during re-entry. Criminey.)
6. Flip the top of the box over the back, creating the cooking platform.
7. Carefully balance the open-face sandwich and grilling tray and slide it onto the cooking platform.
8. Realize that the cooking platform has obscured the cooking directions on the back of the box, which I had not read completely.
9. Tilt the sandwich slightly on the cooking platform to reveal how long to nuke the stupid thing, spilling more meat and cheese on the floor.
10. Place in microwave for 3 minutes.
11. Remove from microwave.
12. Attempt to pry sandwich from grilling tray with fingers.
13. Get fork and knife from caterer.
14. Chisel sandwich from grilling tray with fork and knife.
15. Put sandwich together.
16. Cut in half.
17. Enjoy. FINALLY.

Your experience may vary, of course, but by the end I was longing for a meal of the more open-vent-nuke-stir-eat variety.

-It's just the sandwich. I like to have a little something to go with my sandwich...chips, salad, whatever. So I'm using 6 points for the sandwich, and then also have to spend something for a side item to make it feel like a complete meal. In my case, my total meal was 11 points--sandwich(6), chips(4), and an orange(1). Still a small meal when compared to what I could get at any restaurant in this area, but nearly half of my daily points allowance nonetheless. I could have reduced that by getting a salad instead of bringing chips, but I had no cash today.

So, yeah. I give it a thumbs-up overall, and am looking forward to trying the other varieties (except the Southwest Chicken--I don't have the best of luck with LC's definition of "Southwest" anything).

raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...

I have nothing resembling content to post today, so I think I'll recommend a few of my favorite things:

Cycling stuff

Zoic Wildcat jersey - My red one of these has been my favorite jersey since I bought it early in the summer. I just bought 2 more in lavender and sage (and a size smaller!) last week, and I love them just as much. The fit is similar to a feminine-cut t-shirt, and flattering even for those of us with ample hips (though the seam across the chest may be too high for someone also blessed with ample boobs...it's fine for my borderline B/C-cups). The cap sleeves are enough to protect my shoulders without being too hot in the summer. And I LOVE the zippered pockets, though I sometimes wish they were a little deeper.

Pearl Izumi (PI) shorts - I have the Ultrasensors and the Attacks, and I love them both nearly equally. Right now, I prefer the Attacks slightly because they're a size bigger, but once my ass shrinks a bit more I suspect that I'll flip the other way. What really makes these shorts is the PRT chamois, which is the best of any I've tried for eliminating chafing and pressure.

PI Vortex shoes - these are the shoes I bought with my work fitness incentive back in June, and they're some of the best $75 I ever spent. They're my first pair of road shoes, though, so I can't really compare and contrast. I can say that they're worlds better than my recessed cleat spinning shoes, though--lighter, better ventilated, easier to get in and out of. They also have hole patterns to accept most types of cleats.

Terry Liberator saddle - Third time was the charm on this...I didn't like the saddle that came on my bike, so I originally replaced it with a different one which I liked only marginally better. I was hesitant to try a Terry saddle because they're more expensive than I wanted to go, but I eventually just went ahead with it. Though it's supposedly designed more for more upright riding positions, the cutout in this one seems to be in the right place for me.

And of course, let's not forget...

Trek Pilot 2.1 (the '05 model) - After nearly 1000 miles, I still love her as much as ever. There are times I wish that I had gone with a bike with more traditional riding position, but it's mostly at group rides when I look around and feel like I'm not one of the cool kids. She's comfortable on long rides, durable (as someone with a talent for falling and/or dropping things, this is important for me) and I keep getting faster all the time.

Running Stuff

I don't feel like I can really call myself a runner, but lord knows I've tried as many types of clothing and shoes as your average marathoner. Here are my favorites.

Ryka running shoes - I've tried the Solace and the KM7, and the Solace is the clear winner for me. Before I tried Ryka shoes, I was a devoted New Balance fan, but now I wouldn't go back. These shoes fit like no others I've tried. I'm on my second pair of Solaces, and I still wear the first pair for elliptical workouts and the occasional walk.

Target/Champion C9 anything - I currently have 3 pairs of...I guess you would call them liner shorts, since I don't think they're really compression shorts. I also have a pair of nylon running shorts, a seamless sports bra, and an orange hoodie, all of which I love. The only thing from that line that I tried and didn't like was the liner/short combo running shorts. I don't think the problem was with the shorts, though, as much as with my huge-ass thighs. The built-in liner rode up, and there was that whole chub-rub thing going on. The rest of the liners I have don't do that, which is a quality that's not all that easy to find in cheap workout shorts. They also hold up well to frequent washings.

Target Prospirit drymax? tanks (can't find them online) - I have two of these, and would have more if my local Target ever had *%&$! size larges in stock in non-hideous colors. They're not too loose, not too tight, long enough to provide at least a little butt coverage, super light, have no tags, do a decent job of moisture-wicking, and--most importantly--only cost about $12. They also hold up well to frequent washings (though I have completely washed off the "tag" printed on the inside back of one of them).

Other stuff

iPod Shuffle - You know I love my Mini, but for workouts? It's Shuffle all the way. I totally miss mine. I haven't had time to make it to the Apple store since it broke, but I have high hopes that they'll replace it under warranty. Maybe I'll give that a shot tonight.

Team Estrogen - God, I love this site. Every order I have ever placed with them has arrived on my doorstep in less than 2 days--standard shipping! Their forums are also a good read...best place on the web for cycling info for women, if you ask me.

Starbucks nonfat pumpkin spice latte - It's not at all diet friendly, at 7 points/390 calories for even the non-fat version (grande). Sure, I could order it without the whipped cream (shaves off 100 calories and ALL the fat), but I can say from experience that it kind of sucks without the whip. Even with whip, it's still a poor substitute for the gingerbread latte, which doesn't come out till next month. I swear, that thing is responsible for at least 3 of my 5-7 lbs of holiday weight gain each year. Mmmm...gingerbread.

I caught you a delicious bass*

I had planned to eat fish for dinner last night, so I went to the store to get some salmon on my way home. I think everyone else had the same idea, though, because there were only a couple raggedy-looking salmon fillets left in the case. They were so small that by the time I cut off the skin there would be nothing left of them.

Looking around the seafood case, I noticed some nice tilapia, red snapper, and a Chilean sea bass filet. There weren't enough of any one fish to feed all three of us, so I bought one of each. I was especially excited about the sea bass, because I've heard good things about it but never actually tried it.

I seasoned and broiled them all, and I have to say...I don't think the sea bass was worth the price. It stayed moister than all the rest, but I didn't really care for the flavor. It was very fishy...but maybe because it was pre-packaged. It could have been yesterday's fish. Still...unimpressed.

*My 15-year-old brother can do a perfect Napoleon Dynamite impression. He can also do Napoleon's brother pretty well. The poor kid...once we discovered he had this talent, we were relentless. "Jared, do 'you gonna eat those tots'!" "How about a 'it's flippin' sweet', huh?" "Jared, go feed Tina!" "Jared, tell us about the liger!" And when we couldn't think of any more Napoleon, we moved on to the brother--"Tell us about your online girlfriend."

After a day or so of this, I think he asked us to drive him home just out of self-defense. :)

Review: Dannon Light n Fit with Fiber

I'm not a huge yogurt person...every once in a while, I'll get a hankerin', pick up a six-pack, eat two, and let the other 4 expire. But since I was starting my modified Core plan this week, I decided that non-fat yogurts would make a good quick breakfast in the morning. However, I've found that yogurt breakfasts find me famished by 10:30, so I usually add a spoonful of grape nuts for crunchiness and a little fiber for staying power.

So, I was all extra happy to see yogurt with fiber already in it--this seemed like a great idea. And they're sweetened with Splenda?! It's nature's perfect food. ;) My store only had peach, so I grabbed a six-pack of those and an 8-pack of Y0plait Lights.

I tried one of the Dannons on Tuesday, and I was a little afraid that they would have an artificial sweetness to them like the Dannon C@rb Control. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the taste and texture. It tasted like ordinary non-fat yogurt, and I think I actually felt/spotted some peach chunks in there. With its 3g of fiber per 4 oz cup, it kept me satisfied longer than most yogurts do. Because of the splenda, it's also about 2/3 the calories of your typical light yogurt.

My only complaint is that I've only been able to find peach and apple in my local stores so far, neither of which are bad, but they're not my flavors of choice. Judging from the picture above (which I ripped off from some online grocery--Dannon didn't have anything about this product on its site), they do also offer it in strawberry. When it arrives at my HEB, I'll definitely give that flavor a shot also.

Review: Lean Cuisine Chicken Pecan

Well, I tried the Spa cuisine Chicken Pecan today, and the best thing I can say about it is that it wasn't as bad as the Pork with Cherry Sauce. It was way too sweet, and the rice was very...puffy. Again, this could be caused by overcooking, but still. I won't be buying this one again.

So now I have tried every variety in the new Spa Cuisine lineup except the lemon chicken, which I will not try because I don't even like good lemon chicken.

The good:

Rosemary Chicken
Chicken in Peanut Sauce
Lemongrass Chicken

The eh:

Salmon with Basil
Chicken Mediterranean

The bad:

Pork w/Cherry Sauce
Chicken Pecan

So, of course, your mileage may vary. At least this is more honest than the reviews at the Lean Cuisine website, which are universally positive even on the meals that I KNOW taste like ass. Do they delete the bad ones, I wonder? I should submit a review for Pork w/Cherry Sauce and find out.

Review: Lean Cuisine Pork with Cherry Sauce (One-Word Edition)

Ew.

Reviews: Lean Cuisine Chicken Mediterranean & Crystal Light On-the-Go packets

After a Spa Cuisine quest that took me through 4 different neighborhoods and three supermarket chains, I managed to stock up on box lunches for this week. The lineup: Chicken Mediterranean, Pork with Cherry Sauce, Chicken in Peanut Sauce, Chicken Pecan, and some sort of pasta thing stuffed with pseudo-cheese. Mmmm...cheeeeese.

Monday, I sort of blew it, because I got a lunch invitation for BBQ. I go out to lunch with people so infrequently that I hate turning anyone down. I gues I think it makes me look antisocial, or something. So I went for BBQ, and it threw off both my point count for the day and my Lean Cuisine schedule.

With no imminent lunch plans and a sculpting class to go to, I started yesterday with Chicken Mediterranean. It wasn't bad, but I thought the pasta was a little mushy. Maybe I cooked it a bit too long, I don't know. I had it in for 6-ish minutes, and the directions said 5.5 - 6.5, but usually the work microwaves need to cook toward the longer end of the range. At any rate, the flavor was okay, the chicken was chickeny (as opposed to rubbery or spongy). I'll probably buy it again because it's only 4 points, but I won't look forward to eating it like I would the lemongrass or rosemary chicken.

And now, the second review--Crystal Light On-The-Go.

I drink somewhere between 1.5 and 3L of water a day, all in half-liter bottles. While I don't hate water, there are times that I'd like it to have a little more flavor than it does. Since the only choices at work are soda or water, though, tasteless generally wins out.

So when I saw a Crystal Light to Go display while buying my Lean Cuisines, I had mixed feelings:

1. Drink mix for people who can't be bothered to measure water. It's like Lunchables for drinks.

2. Hey, I'm one of those people! Damn, but those would be handy.

So I bought two 10-packs--the iced tea, and the lemonade. I was a little disappointed that they didn't have raspberry ice, since that's my preferred flavor*.

So far, I've only tasted the iced tea variety, and it's...Crystal Light, basically. The packet is just enough for a 1/2L bottle of water, and it's given me a nice variety for only 10 extra calories per bottle. I use just 2 a day--one at lunch, and one late afternoon. So, even though it's more expensive than just making a pitcher at home and pouring it into bottles, the convenience factor is worth the price for me.

*though they do offer the raspberry ice in OTG packs--they just didn't stock them at that particular store, I guess.

Two! Two rave reviews! Ah-ah-ah-ah!

(For best effect, the title should be spoken with a Count Von Count accent.)

Review 1: I ate the Lemongrass Chicken Lean Cuisine meal for lunch today, and at first it wasn't as good as I had hoped. But the more I ate of it (cooled and stirred up a bit), the more I liked it. When it was gone, I was sort of sad. I don't think it's better than the rosemary chicken, but it's definitely up there with the chicken in peanut sauce. And it leaves the salmon in the dust.

Review 2: Chantico. Oh my. This is the chocolate addict's equivalent of mainlining heroin (not that I know anything about that). At almost 400 calories and over 20 grams of fat for six ounces, it's definitely not something I can have very often. But when I've got a serious chocolate craving, this is where I'll be headed.

And for those of you who are as hung up on correct pronunciation as I am (I wouldn't even order it by name--I had to ask the barista how to say it first)--it's shawn-TEE-co. And it's divine.

UPDATE: So divine, in fact, that I didn't notice until just now (20 minutes after walking into the office, and after I had waved hello to at least 5 co-workers) that I had dripped it all over the front of my shirt. Guess who won't be leaving her office again this afternoon? Good thing the departmental meeting was cancelled.

Sigh. I really should just start wearing a bib everywhere I go. :)

Update on the rosemary chicken

Holy...oh my...that's good! If I didn't have a tendency to spill all over myself, and I wasn't..you know..31 years old and human, I may have licked the plate. Much better than the salmon.

The office deli was either out of side salads or didn't make any today, so hopefully this dinner will be filling enough to hold me until after the sculpting class. Then I can run to one of the fast food places for a salad instead...that will actually work out better, maybe, since my stomach will have something to keep it busy during the late afternoon munchy-time.

Review: McDonald's Fiesta Salad

When I got in my car at 11:30, I was on my way to Boston Market for their classic rotisserie salad. I was even looking forward to it, though the nearest Boston Market is about 10 miles away. But then, right about the time I approached the McDonald's, a McDonald's commercial came on the radio. I took this as a sign from God that I should try that new Fiesta Salad.

And lo, it was good. I was a little concerned about the meat, since we are talking McDonald's here...would it be seasoned well? As it turns out, it was pretty tasty. No less taco-ey tasting than, say, Taco Bell meat. The tortilla strips were sufficiently crunchy, the salsa not overly mushy, the lettuce looked fresh and varied, lettuce was more plentiful than the cheese, and the long wide strips of carrot made them easy to pick out and throw away (not a big fan of the carrots).

Overall, the salad was no better or worse than the average taco salad that you would get anywhere else, but at least the nutritional values on this one are good--With the salsa and sour cream, it weighs in at 450 calories (10 points). The fat content (27g) is a little high for people who care about such things, but I am not one of those people (at least not until it gets to 50g or more, and/or is swimming in grease). I also don't like sour cream, so my salad was less 5g of fat, and my calories were reduced to 390 (9 points). Considering that the Boston Market salad I was planning is 11.5 points with dressing (and half the provided dressing at that), I actually made a better points choice by going to McDonalds. Not necessarily a better nutrition choice, but again--as long as it's not heart-stoppingly unhealthy, I'm not too concerned. Also, since I got the happy meal, it came with a toy! Excuse me, "stepometer". I got a red one. :)

Overall, 2 thumbs up.

mmm....assy

I tried that KFC oven roasted strips meal today. In the immortal words of Mr. Horse on Ren & Stimpy: "No sir, I didn't like it."

I'm not sure which was worst...the shake-n-bakeish outer coating of the chicken, the gluey texture of the rice, or the--brace yourself--PIMENTOS IN THE GREEN BEANS.

THEY PUT PIMENTOS WITH THE BEANS. People, my hatred of pimentos runs deep. So deep that I don't even care enough to look up the word to see if I'm spelling it right (it's either pimentos or pimientos--those noxious red things with which green olives and lunch meat loaves are ruined). Those of you that know my spelling-bee-winning history know just how deep that is.

The biscuit was the best thing about the meal, and I had to pay extra for it. Sigh. I had such high hopes. At least I only wasted 8 points on it. Probably closer to 6, since I could only stomach about 1/3 of the rice and none of the beans.

(It should be noted that this was just one KFC, and the last time I had beans at a different KFC, they were pimento-free. That's still no excuse for the rest of the meal, which I'm sure is universally ass-tasting. But, your mileage may vary.)

Walk your way slim: Feh.

I just got through walking on the treadmill and riding the stationary bike over at the work gym. It didn't go too badly. I read most of the rest of 1984, and I didn't pass out at all. Not that I expected to, but with my recent activity level, passing out during an hour of deliberate exercise wasn't outside the realm of possibility.

What I really wanted to mention is that I didn't like the Prevention Walk Your Way Slim DVD that I tried the other night. I didn't hate it, and the instructor isn't nearly as annoying as Leslie Sansone. However, it's not so much walking as aerobics, and the moves are too complicated for me to master. After about 10 minutes, I got frustrated because my body would not move that way, so I turned it off and went back to WATP. Leslie may be a chatty little twit, but at least I don't have to have any dancing/balance/contortionist ability to do the workout.

As an aside, when I put in the Prevention DVD, I took one look at the woman doing the level 1 moves, and said, "Hey, that's that grandma from WATP!" Then after I put in the WATP DVD, I confirmed that it was the same person (Debbie)...only she seemed smaller to me in the WATP DVD. Either it's a trick of the camera or my imagination, or she's put on weight since she did the WATP series. Not sure how to feel about that.

that recipe

Oh, and by the way...I did make that chicken and pine nuts thing yesterday for lunch. It was pretty tasty, though next time I'm leaving out the tarragon. It made it too sweet, or smoky, or something. I've discovered that I really like pine nuts, though. And with asparagus, my absolute favorite vegetable? Nutty goodness.

I think I'm in love...

blueberry heaven. Extra scoop of protein. 10 points for 32 oz. Yummy.

the verdict

First WW recipe tried: Sesame Chicken

Assessment: Not bad. Pretty easy to make, tastes good, though not anything like any sesame chicken I've ever had. Very sweet. (Maybe I bought the wrong spices.)

Make it again?: Maybe.

WATP

I did the 4-mile WATP dvd last night, and I think it's my favorite of the ones I have. I like that I don't need the weights, and there isn't as much mindless chatter. The music is also better, IMO. The pace wears me out, though...I had to not do some of the arm motions because my body started getting confused. That rhythm sector, again. It seems to screw up more when I get tired.

Anyhoo...just wanted to share.

these shoes are made for walkin'

my new walking shoes arrived today. I took them for a test run er, walk to pick up Noah from day care, and wow--Could I ever tell the difference!

I walked 3 miles in my regular cross-training shoes yesterday, and my right hip was pretty sore as I was walking around work today. The only way I could get it to not hurt was to consciously point my right toe straight ahead (normally, I waddle slightly--my toes point outward a little). The supports in these new shoes seem to make that correction naturally, so that I could walk in them without the joint hurting. Hopefully this means that I'll be able to do the long walks in them and not get sore in the first place.

One thing I did notice was that my calves were feeling the burn more in these than they were in my other shoes. Maybe it has something to do with the gait modifications...I imagine walking like a normal person uses different muscles than my natural stride. I also think the heels on these shoes are a bit higher than my old ones, which is probably a major contributing factor too. I'm cool with this, though--walking is supposed to be felt in the calves, right?

This was their first time out of the box, so they have a few minor discomforts...a little tight in places, and I probably should have gotten a half-size bigger. They aren't too small, and I'm pretty sure my feet are done growing, but it would be nice to have just a little extra room at the toes. Other than that, they're perfect! I can't wait to really break 'em in.