$4 dinner for two

i think another reason for my weight loss is the economy.  i'm a lot more conscious of how often or not i go out to eat now and what/how much is purchased at the grocery store.  also, instead of eating until i'm full i eat until i'm comfortable and tell myself that i can eat any leftovers for lunch the next day.  finally, we don't keep as much wine/alcohol in stock, because -- though some would beg to differ -- it's not a necessity!

i actually went out to dinner last tuesday with some girlfriends who are a bit older (36-40) and judging by their designer handbags (gucci, louis vuitton), jewels and clothing and jet-setting lives are just a little (har har) more financially secure than i am at this point in my life, just 2.5 years out of college.  anyways, we met at roux on santana row at 7 pm for drinks (i think i mentioned on a tuesday night) and then progressed to dinner around 830.  i'd been to roux before with them so knew to expect some pricey drinks and entrees.  therefore, i made the conscious decision to eat a little something before meeting up with them and to splurge on a $12 drink.  i also don't like going to bed on a full stomach and dinner didn't end until the last bite was taken after 10 p.m, so even though i was teased a bit for not ordering an entree (actually, some of them praised my will-power), i was happy with my decision when i could roll straight into bed that night sans the feeling of a lead ball in my stomach.

oh, which brings me to the title of my blog: shrek and i usually find we eat out for about $22 total, but last night i picked up a thin crust frozen pizza and the two of us ate for $4.  niiiiice.

i'm here! really

okay, my last post certainly wasn't as long ago as some of you led me to believe.  but, yes, i admit i'm pushing a month without posting.  my apologies, but i've been swamped at work.  our company downsized about 25% a month ago which led to my new position as "office manager" and taking over the office duties of 4 of the people who left.  now, instead of running around town as a personal assistant i'm tied to my desk and sedentary for 9 hours straight. (i often just take my lunch at my desk.)  

before the change i relished coming home and unwinding by putting my feet up, surfing the internet and vegging out.  now with this new desk position the last thing i want to do is look at a computer or even watch tv.  really. this means i'm also out of the loop at the water cooler now.  everyone was buzzing about the moroccan chrismas episode on the office last night and i had to gracefully bow out of the conversation because i didn't want them to spoil the episode for me since i usually catch up on shows over the weekend whilst waiting for my laundry to complete.  

however, a surprising twist came with this transition: it's GREAT MOTIVATION to work out in the morning.  when my alarm clock goes off now, all i have to do is think about sitting at my desk for 9 hours straight and i'm up!  i'm actually back in my size 27s and they are LOOSE!  i think last year at this time my 28s were snug :X  partially due to all the companies we do business with sending us sweets.  with the shitty economy we got a lot of e-cards this year, which my hips certainly don't mind!

 

car woes

my poor little honda has been conking out on me.  as i slow down to a stop at a sign or light to turn, all the lights on the dash go crazy, i lose power steering and my gas pedal won't let me push down on it.  in the past week i've become a pro at flipping on my emergency blinkers and idling over to the side of the road to turn off and on the in a matter of seconds. (although, it seems like a lot longer with cars behind me!)  called around to some honda shops and garages and explained my problem.  most agreed it must be the alternator.  i took it into kragen for a free alternator test and low and behold, it was indeed the alternator!  was mighty proud of myself for accurately describing the problem over the phone since i am not a car person.  purchased a new one with a lifetime warranty for $292 (ouch!) and assisted shrek as he installed it the next day.  am really liking having such a handy boyfriend around :)

car woes don't stop there, unfortunately.  shifting's been a bit rough and i realized i was way overdue (about 9,000 miles!) for a major service.  saved about $150 by taking it to a generic automotive garage (found with excellent yelp reviews) instead of the honda dealership.  still paid a pretty penny, tho, but what's that saying?  something about an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?  yeah, the kicker is after all that my car conked out on me AGAIN on my way home from work!  what's the deal?!  

yes please

i was telling my mom today over the phone that shrek and i completed our christmas shopping this weekend(!) and she mentioned she had yet to receive mindy's annual christmas wish list.  man, that makes me look so spoiled.

...but just to prove you wrong: mom always gives me a hard time when she receives it just because it's annoyingly practical.  in college i asked for target and safeway gift cards.  last year i asked for an eye exam and contacts (this is before i had vision coverage and my contacts run $500 for a year's supply  :X ) or just to pay for my plane ticket home to see them.  shrek got me right away: for valentine's day he gave me mace and a year's supply of my favorite candy bar :P

this year i'd like/need a new pair of running shoes.  after my brush with compartment syndrome in h.s., i found the only shoes that really work for me are these:

women's mizuno wave rider 11, size 9.  not necessarily in that color, but it works, too.

finally.

mom's coming to visit me for christmas!  

she hasn't been to see me since i moved into my 2-bedroom apt. nor has she seen where i've been working for over a year.  it's about time, lady!  :D

strike a pose

was messing around with the apps on my mac today and found photo booth.  shrek and i got some belly-aching laughs outta it.  check it out:

heaven in a half pint

last night shrek and i discovered ben and jerry's s'mores ice cream.  check it out: rich chocolate ice cream, chocolate chunks, marshmallow and graham cracker swirl (yes, graham cracker SWIRL--who knew?!).  and now that little half pint is GONE and already replaced with a new one in the freezer. :D 

mmmm

a lighter look at the presidential election

as shrek and i watched the election results last tuesday, i shared one of my past presidential election memories with him -- how when i was in eighth grade my classmates and i had the option to return to school later that evening to watch the election results roll in as we colored each state red or blue depending on which way it voted.  i finished my story with,  "yeah, i think it was '98 and clinton won." 

an odd look crossed over shrek's face and he said, "'98?!  i graduated from high school in '97.  i was in college and you were coloring in eighth grade?!"

haha

well, it turns out that my memory was a little off: i was actually in seventh grade and it was '96, so shrek was still in h.s. -- even though he could still vote.  phew!  doesn't sound half as bad for reason :P

  

what you don't know can hurt you...!

especially when it comes to food.  i just discovered the caloric and fat content of my beloved noah's spinach and bacon breakfast panini.  seriously, there are weeks that i devour one a day as a snack because i'm so ferociously hungry around 9 a.m. and i want something hearty.  these things are great but i think i'm going to have to limit it to once a month now.  my pocketbook will appreciate it, too.

check it out: 770 calories + 49 grams of fat!?  :(  

on the plus side, i managed to make it to the gym sunday-friday!!  (and look, here i am the morning before daylight savings which i was so looking forward to, and up at 5!)  that and cutting out those bfast sandwiches must be the reason my coworker asked if i'd been losing weight :)

mailed it in last week!