Category Archives: Football

Day 438: A Look Back At The Beginning Of This Mess Edition

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So like I said on my Facebook page, I don’t have a lot of time to write because finals make me sad. I’ve never been much of a test taker. I can write a paper like nobody’s business (obviously I like writing at least a little bit) but tests come really hard to me (especially when they are at 7:30 am.) Anyways, a few weeks back, I was interviewed by my friend Kate about blogging for a paper she was writing. She asked me about The Fotographing Fat Kid and how the blog took shape. Well, before it was a weight loss blog, it was a place for me to rant and say weird things. I thought I would share this post with you so you have something interesting to read tonight. This was the post that started it all so to speak. Just to give you some context, I am around 360 pounds at this point, Megan has just bought a scale and I am frankly scared for my life. Up until this point in 2010, I had worked hard to lose weight, but I just kept falling back in to old habits where I would eat my emotions… a lot. So I hope you enjoy it, and I will have a fresh new blog out tomorrow with that fresh new blog scent. See ya tomorrow.

PS: realizing all of the note cards you have written up are pointless and not helping you study less than 12 hours before your final is no fun….

Day 437: Monday of Finals

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Why hello there little fella… lost?

Well if you are lost and you have landed on this blog, welcome to the awesomeness!

So today was the first day of getting the train back on the rails so to speak. We figured finals would be a good time to get everything back in order and so far so good. However, I’ve already decided I need to change one of my resolutions from last night for 2012. One of my resolutions was to get in to the 180’s by the end of the year and I’ve decided to tweak that just a little bit. By December 31st, 2012, I want to be half the man I used to be. I want to have lost 50% of my body weight from when I started this journey in 2010. My official beginning weigh in weight was 357 whopping pounds even. So if you do simple math (which I can’t do. God invented calculators for a reason folks!) that means for me to have lost 50% that would mean I would be at 178.5 pounds. Not too much more than what I was looking at, but it gives me an actual goal to look ahead to and stay focused on. So with yesterday’s weigh in, I will have to lose 65.5 pounds in about 377 days. That’s plenty of time right? Like I said last night, this goal will have to align for this ultimate goal to be complete. Here goes nothing…

 

 

 

Breakfast: I woke up early so I could proctor a 7:30 am final (hooray) so I just had a banana to get me through. Then after the final, Megan met me up on campus at Einstein’s to have bagels and my favorite coffee in the world (seriously, their hazelnut vanilla coffee is the bomb. It will literally blow up in your mouth and shrapnel of deliciousness with demolish your tastebuds.) Anyways, I had an everything bagel with cream cheese. It was pretty good and it held me over pretty well.

Lunch: For lunch, I made microwaved a Chicken Suaza Smart One. Delicious, but nothing too exciting there. Just a good ol’ lunch.For dessert I had an orange.

Pre-Workout Snack: Before we headed over to Leach, I had a piece of toast with peanut butter. It was amazing. I also had some caramel rice cakes because they are awesome too.

 

 

 

Workout time!: Once again, I have made Leach my second home on campus. Even though we went during “rush hour” I was still able to snag one of the last working bikes to do about a 30 minute ride. For the longest time, I was scared of the bikes. The small seat hurt my large butt, and it wore me out. Now, my butt is fine (in more ways than one ;)) and it still wears me out, but the latter is okay with me. Like I said, I did a 30 minute ride and by the end of it I was soaked and my entire body hurt from my shoulders to my hips. I was just overall sore. It felt awesome. I can’t wait to get better at the bike so I can maybe get up the courage to try a 40 minute spin class at FSU. Anyone care to join me? Misery loves company…

After I got home I had another banana.

 

Dinner: Megan made some awesome chili for dinner. It was… well, awesome. Like yesterday with the mac n cheese, I was able to limit myself to just one bowl while being able to be content with what I had. My issues with seconds has always been that I just want to keep eating because it’s so good, not necessarily that I am still hungry. I’m finally learning how to handle that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dessert: So like I said a while back, I wanted y’all to call me out if I had toppings on my froyo the next time I go. Well, I think you’ll be pretty proud. Look mom! No toppings! Now I know what you might be thinking, and yes that is a waffle bowl. What I have found out is that if I use the waffle bowl as a delicious container, then I don’t get as much froyo overall. And since a waffle bowl that size is not that many calories, it totally makes it worth it. So judge if you must, but get over it.

Well that’s about it for today. I don’t have a final tomorrow, but I do on Wednesday morning at 7:30 am (WHO THE CRAP THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA? WHO IS UP AND FUNCTIONING THAT EARLY!?!) so I’ll be studying for that all day, along with some gym time in there to get the endorphins kicking. See ya tomorrow.

PS: Check out my new Fotographing Fat Kid meme generator! Are you creative? Make one and then let me know so I can check it out. Better yet, upload it to my awesome Facebook Page. NOW GO GET THOSE CREATIVE JUICES FLOWING!

Day 436: Weigh In and Resolutions Edition

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So this past week was a little crazy with unintentionally purging 8 pounds in Stomachflufest 2k11 and then just hopping around the scale. This morning, I had gained 3.2 pounds which put me at 244 even. Not too bad but I’m not thrilled. I have some big plans and gaining more weight is not a part of it. This week is going to be a lot different. A lot of working out and eating right. Starting with today.

Breakfast: I just had some Cheerios. Win.

Lunch: Blogging fail: I thought I had taken a picture of it but I hadn’t. Lame. Anyways, Megan made the classic creamy stovetop mac n cheese with broccoli. I usually eat two servings easy (because it is so awesome) but instead, I just had one serving and more broccoli instead. Smart choice FTW!

Snack: I had a cup of dry Cheerios which takes forever to eat which helps you snack slower and be fuller quicker (or something like that.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Workout!: It was time for a much needed workout so we finally decided to head up to campus for some workout awesomeness. For the first time in a long time, I decided to lift for a while. I had forgotten how much I loved the feeling of sore arms after a good workout. Anyways, I lifted for about 30 minutes or so (which isn’t a super long time I know) and then I did the weight loss setting on the elliptical. It was alternating five minutes of quick moving and five minutes of moving through molasses. It was intense, but an awesome sweat and a bunch of calories burnt in not a lot of time. SAWS!!!

Dinner: After SAWS awesomeness, we went to Publix and picked up some sirloins for dinner. I cooked those up and we had it with some leftover mac n cheese and some of the 40 calorie broccoli and cheese pack. In any other situation this would be a decedent meal, but when you make the right changes when you cook you can cut calories pretty quickly!

Dessert: After grocery shopping and seeing our friend Catherine’s awesome band The Ned Devine’s play, we came home to the Cowboys game and made lite sundaes with lite chocolate syrup and yummy yogurt blend ice cream. Pretty awesome dessert for the game. (How bout them Cowboys BTW?)

So today wasn’t too bad. This week is going to be a good week food wise. We have our meals planned out already which will really help keep us on the right track. Alright, let’s talk about new years resolutions!

Resolution Time!!!: So I’ve been wanting to post this all week, but I didn’t have enough time to dedicate the time I wanted to this part of the post. Anyways, every year I come up with some off-the-cuff, random resolutions that aren’t things I really want to work on or care about (lame I know) so this year I decided I was going to come up with my resolutions now to make my resolutions in to habits by the time 2k12 rolls around. These resolutions were picked specifically to get back on track to where I need to be. Although it’s safe to say I’ve made some awesome progress since being 357 pounds in September of 2010, I want to keep the pace I was going and get to where I need to be physically and even mentally. So here we go…

Operation Manboob Obliteration: (For this one I was going to photoshop my head on to Helen Mirren’s body from the cover of “Calendar Girls” from 2003 (IMDB it) but I don’t have a lot of photoshopping skills… oh who am I kidding, I’m just lazy.) All my life, my obscenely large manboobs have been the target of persecution growing up. I don’t know why, but since 5th grade, a large concentration of fat has congregated in my chest region. They make me feel awkward, they make me feel fat, and they are the only part of my body that I wish I could have changed. Since I have been losing weight, the girls have shrunk considerably which has been nice, but the evidence is still there. I’m still scared to take off my shirt in public because I feel like they are my biggest physical flaw. Anyways, as you’ll read in a sec, one of my resolutions is to do more strength training, which in turn I hope will eradicate my man jugs. It’s time for them to go. I know this is going to require more time in the gym and odds are there will be loose skin involved, but it’s still better than having them full of fat. Manboobs, it’s time to go.
225 by 25: This is more of a short term goal, but again it will help kick start the other resolutions. My birthday is on January 13th (and yes, it’s a Friday the 13th birthday. Score!) and this year, I am turning the big 2-5. I feel freakin’ old and it scares the crap out of me. Initially, I wanted to be onderland by my birthday, but since I wasn’t disciplined enough to keep on track this semester, it would be unhealthy and impossible to lose that much by then. So instead, I’m shooting to reach 225 pounds by my birthday in about 34 days or so. It’s going to take some work (especially with this weeks gain) but it’s definitely possible. I do think it’s cool though that this time last year I was trying to break out of the 300’s by my birthday. My what a year can do…
Reach the 180’s: So ultimately, I want to get down to 157 to if anything say that I have lost 200 pounds (which would be insanely awesome) but by the end of 2012, I want to at least reach the 180’s. Right now, 180 even is 64 pounds away. It seems possible, but that will mean that I need to stay on track. These other resolutions will determine if this happens, but I see it as an achievable goal. At this point, the thought of even being in the 100’s sounds so awesome! AAAAAHHHHHH NO MORE JUNK FOOD!!!!!
Tie a Bowtie: (Okay, this won’t help with weight loss…) So one of my resolutions for this year was to learn how to tie a bowtie. It’s kind of hard, but I have some really awesome self tie bowties that I want to wear so I need to get to it!
Leave some more food on my plate: When I first started this whole weight loss ordeal, I had no issue leaving food on my plate and not eating seconds unless I had the points. I’m going to get back to that point. If I’m full, I shouldn’t eat any more. Like the old adage says “waste makes waste” I have enough “waste” in my body that I need to burn off as it is. Why add to it? (I was talking about fat as “waste” and not poop. Just thought I should clarify that.)
Run a 10k: In October, I was a running fiend. I had so much fun gearing up and training for the Trick-or-Trot, I want to keep running in my work out regiment because it really centers me. Anyways, I ran the 10k distance (6.2 miles) a few times while I was training and it was totally doable. I’m going to sign up for one at some point this year and maybe even train for a half-marathon, but one thing at a time right?
Eat out much less: One thing that has been catching me up this semester was eating out. When time is money like it is in grad school, eating out is so easy to do since it’s quick, good yet generally not good in the weight loss criteria. Anyways, luckily Megan will have be at home a little more this semester because she is starting her thesis so we are hoping that will make it a little easier during meal times to eat at home.
Do more strength Training: Along with my manboobage, I have developed a nice layer of loose skin across my body. While I do want more loose skin from weight loss, I really want to gain to muscle, because after all, if I’m going to lose all the weight, I might as well look good doing it right? Now strength training has never been my strong point. Give me an elliptical or a racquetball court any day, but there’s something about being around a bunch of Jersey-Shore-Meat-Headed-Roid-Raging bros that just reverts me back to insecure 8th grade Nathan. It’s the last mental hurdle I need to get across in my plan to dominate the gym. Anyways, FSU offers eight free lessons a semester but it’s first come first serve and so far I have missed it every time. This upcoming semester I’m totally going to get a spot. Also, I still have my friend’s copy of Insanity which really helped as well (it tones you quick if you stick with it) and I want to go through that (don’t worry Jacob and Emily, you can have your copy back whenever you like:)) Either way, since I am kind of short (5’9ish) I think it would help me not look so much like Danny Devito when I wear a suit too.
Finish strong in Grad School: Ah yes, Grad school. Yeah you suck. It’s time to end this and retire in to the real world where you go to work and not have homework to worry about. (I guess another resolution should be find a job…)

So there you have it. My resolutions for 2012. It should be an awesome year. Bring it on. See ya tomorrow.

Day 434: Friday But You Are Really Reading This Saturday Edition

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Why hello my favorite reader (everyone thinks I’m talking to them, but I’m really talking to you…)

Sorry yesterday Thursday didn’t happen, but I can proudly say that I went to TCBY yesterday and didn’t have a single topping on my froyo! WHABAM! Just another small step to cut calories and drop some pounds! On the other hand, it has kind of been a crazy week food wise. Between my body recovery from Purgefest 2K11 on Sunday and the week before finals being totally bananas. We have eaten out a lot and I haven’t made the best decisions while being out and about. I’ve been taking the comfort food route this week, but about halfway through this week I realized I don’t want that in my body. It was a wake up call that I needed to do better and to finish out this week strong. Even if I don’t lose a ton this week, I’m going to have a lot more time to work out during finals week which will be awesome. Should be a good week (except for all the test crap.)

Breakfast: I just had a bowl of Cheerios which was delicious. (Who doesn’t love Cheerios? If you don’t like them don’t respond because I still want to be your friend.)

Lunch: Today, I found out how to make frozen meals bearable when you eat them almost every day. After I microwaved my lasagna florentine smart one, I microwaved some 40 calorie broccoli and cheese pack and then put it all on a plate. It looked like a real meal! It also helped that it tasted delicious (that always helps.)

Snack: I had a couple of servings (code word for handfuls) of Quaker caramel rice crisps. They were fantastic.

 

 

 

Dinner: Before we made our way to Thomasville for the Victorian Christmas Festival, we went to Jimmy John’s for dinner. I had the Beach Club, which was swelltastic. Plus, they gave me Picklezilla! Another win at the JJ.

 

 

 

 

 

Thomasville Trip: Tonight, our young pros ministry from church decided to head up to Thomasville, Georgia for their annual Victorian Christmas. People were all dressed up in their Victorian garb (we weren’t because we’re normal) and needless to say it was quite an experience. It did make me miss living in a small town because you could really feel the community spirit in the air. Anyways, there were plenty of street vendors with a smorgasbord of awesome fair-like food. We went with the classic kettle corn which was delicious, but definitely addicting. I was still able to maintain my eating composure though which was good. I also had a BBQ sandwich and then some coffee from my favorite coffee place around: Grassroots Coffee. It was awesome as well.

So today was pretty good overall. Tomorrow (or today pending on your timezone), I’m going to lay out my New Year’s resolution. A lot of times people  (like the old me) would say “I’ll start losing next week” and then still act the same way up until that point. That is not the right way to do it. Once you make that decision in your heart, the rest of your body needs to follow suit and get it together! Anyways, so get stoked about that. I hope you’ll like it. See ya tomorrow.

Day 428: A Boring Saturday

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Nothing like a boring Saturday full of homework and non-fun stuff to make you wish we weren’t in grad school any more. It was not the funnest Saturday, but the end is sight. (While we only have a two week winter break, I’m going to make the most of it by doing nothing.) Also, I know I went on a huge schpeal about being consistent with blogging earlier this week, but it is just so hard with so much going on with school. I really need to keep blogging though, if anything for my sanity and at least some shred of disciple and accountability to keep at it.

So food today wasn’t bad, but it was just weird with the timing of meals so I don’t know how that will play in to the weigh in tomorrow. Here’s what I’m talking about…

Breakfast: I got up pretty early for a Saturday to get some homework done. I had a wafflewich with peanut butter and honey which was delicious. Nothing too new.

Breakfast Part 2: Son of Breakfast (What am I talking about?): After Megan got up, we decided to have a brunch of sorts so I took a writing break and went to Bruegger’s Bagels. We had talked about going there earlier this week and the plan was to walk to Bruegger’s, but I was running short on time. In hindsight, I should have took the time and get at least a little exercise in today. That’s the mindset I need to get back in to if I want to meet my goals because every little does count.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snack: I think I have a problem (and I don’t mean that in a funny way). I might be addicted to frozen yogurt. If it was just yogurt it would be okay, but I have become a topping fiend which is where the calories really are. I’ve decided that the next time I got for FroYo, I’m doing no toppings and straight yogurt. (And if I put up a picture of FroYo with toppings next time, I better get some backlash in comment form. I need that accountability at this point.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner: With Megan being sick, I was thinking “hey! I have a get out of jail free card” for dinner because I’m an idiot. I had my favorite curry from Mr. Roboto’s, but it just didn’t taste the same. Something that rich used to satisfy me, but this time around it made me physically sick (frankly, looking at this picture is making me sick right now.) About halfway in, I was almost full, I should have just quit then, but I didn’t listen to my body like I should have. I’m still having issues with eating everything on my plate and I’m going to get back to that.

So you are probably thinking “man Nathan, you sound pretty pissed in this post.” If you thought that, you are absolutely right. Honestly, I have been weighing this week to see where I am after gaining 8 pounds over Thanksgiving. At one point I was back down to 243 (I was at 242 before the trip) so I would have gained and lost 8 pounds within a week which would have been legit. Well I weighed this morning and even though I had worked out a lot this week, I was back up to 245. Like usual, I have no clue how it’s going to go tomorrow, but we’ll see. Either way, workout will be happening this week. See ya tomorrow.

Day 424: Getting Back in to the Swing of Things Edition

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So… sorry I didn’t report my weigh in yesterday. It was kind of an unusual day. There have been days where I haven’t blogged not necessarily because I’m a little ashamed of how I did, but it does play a factor in to whether I make it a priority that day. It’s a bad habit that I really need to drop because I know I have your support and love no matter what. It use to be that not blogging was not an option, and I need to be in that mindset in order to make this blog what I want it to be: an online diary/food journal where I can bounce ideas off of my homies and in turn hopefully inspire some people to make a positive change in their life.

Alright, so one of my goals this month was to not gain any weight over Thanksgiving. Last year, I lost a bunch like a boss. Well this year, I blew it out of the water 🙂 in a horrible way :(. I gained 8 pounds last week. We all have trigger foods, and this week I didn’t guard myself from them like I should have. On Sunday, I did mention that I ate small slices of pie, but those small slices still add up very quickly. I thought I was doing okay, but this proved to me that my issues with food are still real and apparent in my life. The weigh in on Monday was a wake up call, but it also scared me because I was kind of working without a net so to speak last week, and I failed miserably. All my life, I have been in eating extremes, I’m either doing really well and losing weight constantly or I’m eating wrong and gaining weight rapidly (i.e. all my life). I’m really worried about how I’m going to maintain when I meet my goal. As with everything though, I’m going to face this head beast head on and dominate.

Non Scale Victory: Last night, we put up the Christmas tree and although I feel really chunky this week, I have this to hang my hat on….

This was the old us from 2009. We still lived in Abilene, Texas in our 400 square foot apartment (I’m still not sure how I maneuvered in that apartment, but I remember it not going that well…) Anyways, As you can see, I was pretty huge and my life was just in a rough place on a lot of levels. I’m wearing a XXL sweater.

 

 

 

 

This was me in our new place in Tallahassee last year. I had just started our weight loss journey and I had just bought my first XL shirt well… ever.

 

 

 

 

 

This is me last night, about two years later. Rocking one of my first size Large shirts. There is a lot less chin and a lot less boob in this shot. I know this week has been rough, but this made me feel really good. Regardless, I have made great strides in the past two years. For some that feels like too much time to make such a change (I used to be one of them) but the time has flown by and I still feel much better than I did in that gray sweater and size 52 shorts.

The rest of this week is about getting my body back in to shape, not just physically, but also my mental relationship with food by telling myself it’s okay to be a little hungry and that grazing is a bad habit. Tomorrow, expect a picture of a points list of what I ate. Also, expect a video. See ya tomorrow.

Day 415: Super Awesome Weigh In Day!

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What is up yo!

Sorry it has been a while since I have blogged and that November has been a lackluster of a blogging month.  Between tons of school, traveling across the country and FSU losing in a severely depressing fashion, it’s been pretty crazy around here. Anyways, so last week I ate my share of food in San Francisco and I gained a little weight. This week, I really stuck to my eating plan and even got to work out a little bit. It paid off! I lost 3.6 pounds during this short week! WHABAM! Which means I have lost exactly 115 pounds (wow, I did just write that number. Holy crap.) So if I stick with my plan and workout during this week, there’s a good chance I’ll make my goal to 235. Either way, breaking out of the 240’s would be awesome. However, today was kind of bad. Yum.

Breakfast: I had a wafflewich with even a cut up banana. It was amazing.

Lunch: Megan wasn’t feeling well today so I had to cook… so I ordered Pizza Hut for lunch. We ordered the big box deal that had two medium pizzas, 8 wings and bread sticks. We figured that way we would have some leftovers for the short week. I had four slices, a bread stick and five wings. I did overdo it and it sucks, but it is what it is.

SAWS!: I went to Leach this evening for some much needed exercise. Lately, I’ve just felt sluggish and flabby. My body was telling me it was time to burn some calories. I did work on the elliptical for 30 minutes on a cross training setting. It felt awesome to actually sweat. I am officially addicted to working again. I can’t wait to workout in the morning.

Dinner: For dinner, I picked up a BBQ rotisserie from Publix and Megan made some mashed potatoes and corn. It was delicious, but again, I ate too much for dinner. 

So today wasn’t great, but tomorrow will be much better. So stoked. See ya tomorrow.

Day 407: Where in the World is The Fotographing Fat Kid?

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So you’re probably wondering why I haven’t posted this week at all (I’m pretty sure it is a record, but a bad record like the number of jelly beans you can fit up your nose.) It’s been a crazy week to say the least. I am currently in San Francisco! Megan is here for a conference, so I tagged along and I’m staying with my old ACU bud Spencer. This is my first time time to visit California and I freaking love it. The weather is awesome, the people are cool and the food is ridiculous. Which brings me to my next point, this town is a foodie’s dream. There is absolutely no reason to ever go to a chain, especially coffee places like Starbucks. So far, the places we have gone to have been just awesome. I’m not going to lie, I haven’t really been keeping close to my diet this week. I could say that I’m on vacation, hiking up the 45 degree angle hills burns enough calories, and that my hike around the Golden Gate Bridge/the ocean should cover it, but I won’t. I should be better and I’m going to try to be better the rest of the week. It’s just so hard when there are so many new places to try. Thoughts?

Anyways, I’ve enjoyed my trip so far and while I’m still going to enjoy it in regards to eating, I’m going to take it from a different approach which will mean more portion control and water drinking. (Sorry for such a ginormous run on sentence.) I won’t be able to weigh tomorrow, so weigh in will be on Tuesday with a full report then. I really want to drop some weight before seeing my family in Texas over Thanksgiving, plus I want to get to my 235 goal for November. I’ll have to get busy!

So here are a few pics of the trip so far. Like I said earlier, I hiked up to the Hall of Legions and then took the coastal trail towards the Golden Gate Bridge. As I was getting close, it started to pour so I called it good for now. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 401: A Good Ol’ Weigh Sunday In!

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So yeah, I didn’t post on my 400th day like I should have. My B.

My parents got in to town yesterday so we have had a blast just chilling and enjoying the sight and sound (yes, that is suppose to be singular) of Tallahassee. Anyways, even though I didn’t make time to run, I was still able to lose 1.8 pounds this week! I’m pretty stoked about it! At this point, I have lost 114.2 pounds so far so November is looking alright. Good times.

Breakfast: We crashed the La Quinta breakfast bar this morning. It was nothing special as far as continental breakfasts go so I just had a bagel and some raisin bran. Good stuff.

Lunch: After church, we went to my Dad’s favorite place in Tallahassee: Barnacle Bill’s Seafood Extravaganza. We split an order of steamed oysters and I had the stone crabs with hush puppies and new potatoes. The stone crabs were served chilled which was a little weird, but pretty good nonetheless.

 

 

 

 

 

Afternoon Dessert: My mom wanted to go to some of the “greatest hits” from the blog so we went to TCBY for some froyo awesomeness. I had a mix of white chocolate mousse, pumpkin, and peanut butter. Yes, I know that sounds like a bizarre combo, but it was fantastico.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner: My Dad brought me his old Weber grill from home (which is better than the one I’ve been using that I found by the trash can) so I tried broke it in tonight with some burgers. We bought some ground beef from Earth Fare along with some natural charcoal from Earth Fare as well. The burgers past the MacDonald family test and so did the bratwursts! We also got some fries from Wing Stop as a side. They were awesome of course.

So today was alright food wise and I’m really going to work to rock this week. See ya tomorrow.