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| Saturday, March 29, 2003 Breakfast: Kellogg's Fruit Harvest cereal Lunch: Beef Bourguignon Dinner: Pasteur I went to a Lifehouse concert on Wednesday which was tons better than what I had expected. Had I known that they're produced by SKG, I might've been prepared for how good they are live but I can't complain about being pleasantly surprised. I went to Pasteur with Dave. Another restaurant to knock off my list of places to check out. It's supposed to be a fusion of French and Vietnamese but the individual dishes weren't a marriage of the two cuisines. Rather, the appetizers were Vietnamese and the entrees were French which isn't a bad thing. If you go there, don't get the tiramisu. It's dry and too generous with the rum. If you've gone out to eat with me, you'd know it's a big deal if I think a tiramisu has too much rum. I'm taking my Health Plan Finance and Risk Management test on Monday. I'm pretty sure I'll pass but tests always make me nervous. Wish me luck! Monday, March 24, 2003 Breakfast: grande skim, toffee nut latte Lunch: Filet o' fish sandwich from McDonald's Dinner: Fondue Stube Last night, I picked up my brother from the airport and we had dinner at Chicago Kalbi. When I got home, I parked about a half block away from my apartment. I locked the car doors and looked around the streets to see who else was out and about. I noticed a couple of men walking on the opposite side of the street towards me. I then noticed that they were watching me, too. I pretended to not notice and walked determinedly towards my apartment. I took a backward glance and saw one of the guys trotting away down another street and the other appeared to be walking back home. I was puzzled for a bit and then it hit me. They're probably Muslim or look Middle-Eastern enough and were playing it safe by walking together. As much as I think this war is unnervingly real, I don't fear for my personal safety in everyday situations. Every now and then, I think of hypothetical terrorist scenarios I might find myself stuck in but I'm not worried about getting lynched which is a much more real threat for Muslim-Americans. I'm thankful I didn't see the footage on the captured and/or dead American soldiers. I can only imagine the horror of being captured, wondering what's going to happen to you, being tormented... what a terrible price. Yet I admire the loyalty and determination to fight a war for a cause. Personally, the cause isn't clear cut but I am grateful to the men and women who are sacrificing themselves to make my life a little more secure. Wednesday, March 19, 2003 Breakfast: grande skim, no foam latte Lunch: Potbelly's roast beef sandwich, brie, half of a brownie Dinner: leftover chicken There's news that the first missile has been launched by the US against Baghdad. This war feels so real unlike the Persian Gulf War. I'm a bit fearful. I'm grateful my parents are over a hundred miles away from Los Angeles. I'm glad Dave's here in Chicago versus San Francisco. I'm glad Chicago's in the Midwest. It's heart wrenching to think of the lives that will be lost and the families who will grieve. Tuesday, March 18, 2003 Breakfast: grande skim, toffee nut latte Lunch: beef pepper steak with white rice Dinner: braised chicken with tomato and olives Good ending to a bad day. I came home and decided that I would stop thinking about the ridiculous "conversation" at the end of my work day. So I decided to make dinner and I'd have to say that cooking is the best therapy for your money. For anger, cleaning and quartering a whole chicken helps you work out your angst. Finely chopping onions, mincing garlic, etc. helps you focus your energies and thoughts which is always good when emotions are running high. For the homeopaths, simmering herbs provide aromatherapy. And, of course, nothing is more soothing than a warm meal (unless it's a good massage). And the fun continued. I've been having problems sleeping so I figured that two weeks off from the gym was long enough. Didn't get my cardio in but I compensated with a harder than usual strength routine. Some days I miss my old gyms. There's LPAC which was beautiful and filled with beautiful people. The overcrowding did get tiring especially when you're waiting on a machine and a guy who's there just to hit on a girl is monopolizing one. And then there's Quads. This was a no frill bodybuilders' gym (as long as you overlook the juice bar and spinning room). This place was great because I could work out in shorts and a sports bra without feeling exposed. Did I mention that it's in Boys Town? The Y is acceptable. They have good equipment and they take care of them. A few of the employees are creepy though which dampens my workout experience. Enough of the gym review. Today is now a good day. |