Fatties

So my drive thru idea needs a little more explanation I think.

My target group are people like me. Fat, hating it, and too lazy to do anything about it. Perfect for Michigan.

My menu structure will take the work out of eating right. The food will appeal to people who live to eat, as opposed to people in HI, who eat to live. The meals will be under a certain number of fat grams, calories and sodium. The meals will be properly proportioned. There will be a veggie category, a carb category and a protein category to choose from. There might be a dessert you can add on, that will be small and fairly healthy as well. If someone ate at my drive thru for all 3 meals they would either lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.

The menu would be simple, with maybe 4 choices in each category, plus an extra choice in each category that will change daily, so you will have variety, but can also count on having something to fall back on if you don't like the daily special.

This is my first time writing this down, so keep that in mind when reading and of course suggestions are welcome:

Group A
Veggies

Garden salad - small dressing portions
Mixed steamed veggies - lightly seasoned
Steamed broccoli - yum!

Group B
Carbs

Baked potato - small portion butter/sour cream on the side
Baked Sweet potato fries - anyone try these?
Seasonal fruit bowl - mmm... pineapple, melons, Michigan cherries...

Group C
Protein

Skinless seasoned chicken - juicy and hot
Tofu something - beats me but I need something vegetarian... oh some veggie burgers age good!
lean beef tips maybe?

So those are some ideas for the stuff that's always there. You pick A, B, and C and pay a flat rate. I was thinking 4 in each category, but I gotta get back to work. Maybe there could be something that was all 3 in 1 pot... stew. Plus don't forget the daily special food to add... maybe that's enough.

2nd Post before bed

Gad, you know this idea is exciting. It's really annoying me actually. Here is a look at the location that inspired this idea:

6778 Middlebelt Road
Garden City, MI 48135


View Larger Map

I don't know why it wont work, but if you click "view larger map" you'll see it.

The Mission Statement

Provide healthy whole food meals that are filling and flavorful.

I somehow ended up at www.sba.gov. I think it is a very helpful site. What I am going to do is play with this idea, even thought I feel foolish for wasting my time on something that could never happen. I know, it could happen. I could open up a fast food joint and revolutionize the food industry. I could single handedly remove Michigan from the top 10 list of fattest states. I would be self employed and teach Sadie the value of working hard. But I feel like I am wasting my time. I'm a bored office manager and lazy to boot. I'm also bored out of my mind with life and might just blossom doing something this cool.

I mean this is a good idea, right? I eat out many days a week, especially at lunch time when I'm working. I do not have time to cook a good breakfast and dinner lately is only healthy because I have a mother that stays at my house and cooks for Sadie and I. Every time I eat out it is a struggle to find something that I want to eat, is fast and easy to get, and is healthy.

I have many ideas for this restaurant. I have many Mission Statements running through my head. I have many names for the business, though none of them are good enough yet. I have many ideas for the food offered, the people who will eat the food, the prices of the food, the location, where the ingredients will come from.

I welcome input. The name is so important. It should convey so much in a word or two.

I plan on using the thesaurus for the following words:

good
healthy
fast
delicious
inexpensive
easy


I came up with all kinds of names Friday night in bed, while Mark was probably wishing I'd shut up and go to sleep. Neither of us have a good memory, so these are off the top of my head:

Tried and True (Healthful Meals) - I remember that one
Fit Meals
Wholesome Meals
Hearty Fare
Simply Sinless

yawn

I'm just going through these words hoping to think of something clever. I'm going to bed.

Auto Accident

I was driving down Middlebelt road dreaming about the fantastic new restaurant I could open at the old Dairy King, when the traffic came to a halt. The accident was at Joy, which is where I was turning, so I continued on, hoping the cars were still there so I could see. I always feel bad for wanting to see, but I want to see. I want to see a car reduced to a chunk of car bits. I want to see the owners of the cars standing around, unhurt, of course.

I arrived at the scene within a couple of minutes just as the wreckers were getting in to position. A sedan was pushed up under the backside of a large pick-up. There was also a minivan quite damaged on the other side of the intersection. I came up with my theory on how the accident happened, based on the damage and position of the vehicles. I guess I like to do that.

Then I found myself choking on tears. What's up with that. It happens every time I see an accident scene now that I think about it. It is very upsetting for me to actually see an accident happen.

So my theory on what is goin on in my head, because I really have no idea:


I am empathizing with the victims of the accident. It is life changing to be in an accident. I must really have been upset by my car accident back in KC. That was a very traumatic incident for me. I can't think of anything else that I can empathize so much with that it brings me to tears. Actually, I have fantasies about accidents. It often involves Sadie and I and Sadie is ok, but I am dying and yelling "is Sadie ok?". If the idea of Sadie being killed in the accident enters my brain it is automatically followed by my suicide. Sorry guys. Anyway, I guess seeing the accidents kinda takes me back to my accident. There was blood and ambulances and pain and shock. I was out of it for much of it, thought Jesse said we were talking. That accident taught me that life can be horribly altered within seconds. It taught me that it can come out of no where, and sometimes there isn't even a second to mentally prepare. That was the most disturbing to me. I didn't see it coming. It could happen again and there's noting I can do about it. Maybe seeing the accident on the way to pick up Sadie today reminded me.

Boycotts

I kinda want to spend a day on this and I bet I would still not be done, but I will start. My thought here is that it seems like there is a good reason to boycott so many businesses. For instance:

( http://www.iamscruelty.com/ )Iams and P&G Cause Animals to Suffer Needlessly For nearly 10 months in 2002 and early 2003, a PETA investigator went undercover at an Iams contract testing laboratory, where a dark, sordid secret was discovered beneath the dog- and cat-food manufacturer’s wholesome image. Our investigator found dogs who had gone crazy from intense confinement in barren steel cages and cement cells, dogs who had been left on a filthy paint-chipped floor after chunks of muscle had been hacked from their thighs, dogs who had been surgically debarked, and horribly sick dogs and cats who were languishing in their cages, neglected and left to suffer without veterinary care.

Therefore boycott: (X means I use at least occasionally)


Febreze Air Fresheners
Old Spice
Secret X
Charmin X
Dreft
Luvs
Pampers
Puffs X
Duracell X
Ivory
Noxzema
Olay X
Safeguard
Zest
CoverGirl X
Max Factor X
Cascade X
Dawn X
Joy
Always X
Tampax X
Aussie X
Head & Shoulders
Herbal Essences
Infusium 23
Pantene
Clairol
Align
Braun
Fibersure
Metamucil
Pepto-Bismol
Prilosec OTC
ThermaCare
Vicks X
Bounty X
Mr. Clean
Mr. Clean AutoDry Carwash
Swiffer
Bounce X
Cheer
Downy X
Era
Gain
Tide X
Crest
Fixodent
Gleem
Scope
Oral-B
Eukanuba
Iams
Actonel
Asacol
Dantrium
Dantrium IV
Didronel
Enablex
Macrobid
Macrodantin
BOSS
bruno banani
ESCADA
GhostGiorgio Beverly Hills
Valentino
Braun
Gillette X
Noxzema
Folgers
Home Café
Millstone
Pringles X

OK, yikes. I use a LOT of P & G products!!

And how about THIS:

avoid buying products and services from countries that aren't free (where sweatshops are generally common and environmental standards are usually low).

AND:

avoid eating processed foods and don't eat anything that has been injected with anything or sprayed with anything. Don't eat animals.

Oh, and I almost forgot: Boycott WALMART! Cuts costs=harm others.

So, I'm thinking all of these things are good. Boycotting these things would make life better for someone, thought not me usually. I like the idea of living in a clearing somewhere surrounded by woods with a garden that would sustain my family all year round. We would have a well and a spring and make our own clothes. But then I think... but Domino's doesn't deliver to the woods so never mind.

And dammit doesn't it kinda suck that you can type in pretty much anything and someone will tell you why you shouldn't use/consume it. I want to be a good person and do my part I guess, but at what cost and is it for a good enough reason? Should I feel like an asshole for using my Gillette razor and my Aussie shampoo that I love so? Dangit.

I am surrounded by idiots

I don't think I'm that smart. I think I'm just smart enough to be aware of the fact that I'm not as bright as I'd like to be. Some people - MANY people - don't know they aren't very bright. Have they EVER even thought about it. Life must be good... just going along, day to day, not wishing for more. Not thinking they suck for being so lame.

They never think about the person behind them when they're driving 30 in a 40.

They never wonder what the person is thinking about the on the other end of the phone when they call for the FIFTIETH time in a day with ANOTHER stupid waste of time question at work.

I could come up with at least 10 acts of idiocy I witnessed today. I'm not meaning to judge. I do stupid shit sometimes. I left my keys in the ignition at the zoo Saturday. I'll admit it. The people I'm talking about are walking around like idiots doing idiot things saying idiot things and driving their idiot selves around while they risk our lives in their minivans all the frickin time.

Toledo Zoo

The trip to the Toledo Zoo was successful. The photo opportunities were not as great a at the Detroit Zoo, so I will judge the Detroit Zoo a better zoo. Well, come on, give us something! The polar bears were pretty frickin happy in Toledo. I have some footage of it and will blog a clip one of these days when I learn how. Here are my pics from the zoo:

Tell me what you think

All I did was drive to CVS for some cold medicine and FUCK! I forgot the tissues. Anyway, I encountered so many frickin IDIOTS that I came up with a plan. Feel free to add:

Every legal citizen of the United Stated, carrying a valid drivers license and who has a perfect driving record for the past five years should be allowed to carry a gun - a paint gun. Whenever you see an idiot doings something idiotic on the road that directly effects you, like not turning left on a green fucking turn arrow, you should be allowed to shoot them once. With permanent paint. OK, so then what? Well I figure after a car has say 10 spots on their car we should be allowed to shoot them with a real gun with a real bullet. Thin the heard. I mean really. Breeding of idiots is getting out of hand. I drove a mile to CVS and could have shot 5 people. Pay a fucking tention people.

And then there's CVS. Do you know the lady (idiot) wouldn't start scanning my stuff till I gave her my CVS card? I told her I had one somewhere and to go ahead while I find it and she stood there. I said can't you ring me up before I give you my card? She said NO. Come the fuck on. And then I had to wait for a long line of coupons. She said OOH, you've got coupons and then handed me a 6 foot receipt. If this frickin CVS card is so dang important why doesn't it have the coupons on it? Who's running the show there? IDIOTS. So, maybe we need to mark these people too. A big black sharpie. She would have had a big X on her forehead by the end of our transaction.

I'm really pretty level headed. I swear.

It's just
driving
with the idiots
gets to me.

Couple a things

OK, first - thanks Joe C - this was the first one I came across that I had to post. Second - how can I fix the overlapping going on in my blog? This will probably get covered up too. Blah!


Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

Red Meat

From
http://www.redmeat.com/redmeat/

I first caught Red Meat in the Kansas City Star, when I was in college in KC, MO back in 1990. I am especially fond of Milkman Dan and Karen. This the only online comic I ocassionally check out, as it feeds my twisted sense of humor, and I thought I would share it with those who like comics online.

Tired

I am so tired of feeling like crap in some sort of way all of the time. I am trying to get a handle on my weight again. So far so good. I think that must be the root of all of my problems.

I have a stinkin head cold now. I don't want to be that sick person. I don't want to be that person who ALWAYS has something wrong with them. I don't want to have friends who think oh here she goes again, what's wrong with her now. What worries me most is being that person to my boyfriend. My healthy boyfriend. I don't want to talk about my body... but my face is packed with snot! I feel like shit! My belly hurts from cramps! My neck still hurts! Dangit.

Who gets a cold in summer anyway?

Okay, well... If I don't want to be that person I have to stop being that person, right? I will SHUT THE FUCK UP, eh? I will continue my weight loss regime, which consists of me eating diet meals and taking a pill that will make me shit my pants of I eat more than 15 grams of fat at a sitting. It's working pretty well, as I'm pretty opposed to shitting my pants.

I will look in to yoga, Cassie, I really will. I know it would be very beneficial. It just costs money and takes time - so I gotta make it work somehow. I will be cheery. I will be a GO GETTER. I will... I will... I will... ugh my face really hurts.

Mark

So, Saturday night we had a casual blog discussion with a group of friends. I said the honeymoon phase of our relationship must be over, because Mark does not expound on his love for me anymore. He said he would still do that if I blogged more often, and not just youtube nostalgia videos.

I'm not sure if that means he's been holding back on his feeling for me, or maybe it means he doesn't have the same feelings for me because I don't blog often enough. My guess is that he pulled that reasoning out of his ass and has nothing to back it up with. After all, our relationship is not based on blogging at all, as far as I know.

I think that our relationship has moved to a level of comfort and he is no longer consumed by amazement that he loves me and I love him. As it should be, right? I too am comfortable in our relationship. But - I still like reading about me. I suppose he likes reading about himself too, tho when I did it before I think he felt like he was up on a pedestal, because I only wrote down his wonderful qualities, which made him uncomfortable because he is less than perfect.

Mark and I complement each other. I crave affection, he likes to be affectionate. He likes big butts, and he cannot lie... I got that going on, and I like tall and skinny. He is smart and capable and I know it and he needs to know it too, so I help him feel more confident, as he does for me too. We fit together well and how nice it is to be comfortable after only 5 months. Oh yeah... we BOTH like sex... woo hoo! He makes me want to be a better person, and I think I do the same for him.

So, there. I have blogged. I even blogged about him, tho he did not even imply that that was what he was looking for... but perhaps that was what he meant.

Look at this: He even carries my purse for me... now that's a man in love, who is secure in his masculinity!

Greatest American Hero

If Jesse, my brother, ever READ MY BLOG! then he would love this one. It was our favorite show back in the day.

B is for Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles, bubbles

I am quite excited to have found this song. I sing it to Sadie often at bath time, tho I couldn't recall how the end of the song went. Now I have it! The only bummer is that I could not find the original Sesame Street version. I'll keep an eye out.

I'd like to buy the world a Coke

Two all beef patties...



DING fries are done:

I'm almost done

The crying indian commercial - priceless

Detroit Nastalgia

Joe C reminded me:

80's Detroit Zoo commercial


Faygo Remembers


Detroit Art Institute - I can't find the full version but this brings back some good memories:

Who Hankers for a Hunk a Cheese?

They must have pleayed this one a LOT. I remembered most of the words!

Manamana

So there were two versions. I recall the latter version, but I'm gonna post them both 'cause the original is cool too.

The Alligator King - Sesame Street

Ahhh... the good ol days.

A letter to my gramma

My fathers mother wrote me a letter:

OK, I wrote it out, but am going to delete it, because I suppose it is personal to her. I have no problem sharing my everything pretty much., but I don't know that she wold like me posting her heartfelt letter.

Basically she would like to attempt to bring my father and I back together.

Here is my response, which I can publish because it is mine. :)

I think the best way to respond to your request is to give you my point of view:
A few years ago my father gave me everything that he had related to me. Baby pictures, school pictures, and many letters from over the years. My guess of his reason of getting rid of these things was to rid himself of possessions? Maybe to live in the present? Either way I thought it was a bit odd, but ok.

I organized the letters by date and read them in order from oldest to newest. As I read those letters I began to see a pattern. In almost every letter I was reaching out to my father. I was trying to have a dad. I was begging for forgiveness sometimes about some little thing he criticized, such as my handwriting. Every letter was me reaching out and apologizing and begging and hoping to create some sort of father-daughter relationship.

I realized, now, as an adult, that I did everything I could to have a relationship with him. What did he do? Nothing. Did he reach out? Ever make himself vulnerable? No. Who was the adult?? ONE time he took me in. For a year. I believe he did it because he thought it was the best thing for me. That was the worst year of my life to date. I told him that a few years ago and told him I forgave him for it. I have forgiven him, but it doesn’t change the past.

So, after reading those letters I decided that I have tried long enough and hard enough. He had made it very clear to me that he has no interest in being my father and I am okay with that. I really am. I think it is sad and I suppose I feel a little sorry that I never had a daddy, but I have terrific uncles that love me and I can count on them. They are my father figures. They are not afraid of what I want from them. I don’t need Gary and I gotta tell you I was glad to realize that. I have no desire to get to know him better. He and I would not be friends in day to day life, so why try to get to know him? I have left it to him to reach out – which is why we have not spoken in years. It’s really becoming more entertaining to me than distressing at this point.

One time he said to me “what do you think I owe you?” I said “nothing” at the time, but you know I think as a parent, (willing or not) you do owe your child. Every parent is responsible for that life and responsible to raise that child to be the best person they can be. Every child deserves to be loved and nourished and made to feel safe. He is not a parent. I think he is lonely man who has reaped what he has sowed. I’m sorry gramma, but I don’t think he deserves my attention.

I had a hard childhood. Violence, and abuse, and neglect were common sometimes. I was poorly treated by my father, though perhaps better than my father was treated by his father. I saw horrible things and was in adrenalin inducing situations often before I lived with him. Now I am an adult and it is my choice to either learn from their mistakes or become a victim. I have chosen to be strong. I have dealt with my issues. I went to therapy. I put my daughter FIRST. I think twice about every decision I make for her. I am raising her to be the best person she can be. I really don’t think I can understand how someone cannot do that as a parent. I lost even more respect for him since I had Sadie. How could he ignore me, his only child?

Honestly, I do not wish him ill. He has his issues and I think he will always be self centered and lonely. There is nothing I can do about that. He has nothing to offer me as a father as it is too late, and he has given me no reason to like him as a person. Does he even care that he has a granddaughter? It boggles my mind, truly, that he can sit there and ignore his only granddaughter. I feel sorry for him. She is amazing.

Gramma, please do not worry about me and Gary. Well, go ahead and worry about him, as he is your son – hehe. I am happy with life, and strong. I love you. I know you are trying to help. Thank you.

Love Kim


I have not sent it yet. I think it is good and Mark said it was good. I don't want to hurt my gramma, but I gotta tell her how it is. Writing this was a bit cathartic too. I'm not surprised, but I am surprised. Anyway, I'll prob read it again in the morning and see if I still want to send it. I kinda want him to read it... should I put that in there?

Update: the letter was sent the next day. I spoke with gramma on the phone. The subject is dropped. She spoke with him and my understanding is that he is not willing to put himself out there to see me or his grandchild. I am not surprised. Drama over.

Response from the Detroit Zoo

I am not going to dwell on why Mark got a response and I didn't. He used my letter and just changed a few words to personalize it to him. I am satisfied with the response, tho it is still a sad situation.

Mark:

Thank you for your email and for sharing your concern for the animals at the Detroit Zoo. I appreciate that you’ve asked about the bear you witnessed pacing, and apologize for the delay in getting back to you.

Several of the bears at the Detroit Zoo (including one of the black bears and the Syrian brown bear who lives with the black bears) have been rescued from private owners or other captive conditions that were inadequate and which, unfortunately, caused them to develop some coping behaviors, like pacing. Once they develop these behaviors they will often exhibit them periodically throughout their lives, for reasons we can’t always perceive. The Detroit Zoo’s bear habitats were built in the late 1920’s and were originally constructed of concrete. We have added natural substrate, grasses, shrubs and trees to make them more complex and appropriate environments for bears. The Zoo’s environmental enrichment program is one of the most progressive and active programs in any zoo and the bears are a priority because of the stereotypical behaviors that some of the bears demonstrate. We have an aggressive and proactive enrichment program for the bears, which includes providing them with food they must forage to find (as they would in nature) toys and other objects they can manipulate and investigate and rotation of the groups of bears among the different habitats. Bears are intelligent animals adapted to live in large complex environments, and allowing them to move among the habitats on a random (not set) schedule allows them to experience a larger “home range”. All of these things will probably not keep the bears who have developed coping behaviors in their former facilities/conditions from falling back into them at times, but we constantly monitor the bears’ activities and conditions and modify the enrichment plans to respond and adapt to the bears’ conditions.

Environmental enrichment cannot take the place of a habitat with the space and complexity these intelligent animals need, which is why plans are in place to create expansive new habitats for bears as part of the master plans for the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo. The master plan for the Belle Isle Nature Zoo includes a new, much larger habitat for black bears. Our master plans are progressive and quite ambitious, and obviously can’t be implemented all at one time due to both costs and the logistical ability to renovate everything at one time. In the meantime we are focused on making sure that the animals living here get the absolute best care possible and live in habitats that are dynamic and enriched.

Thanks, again, for your email and your concern for animals,

Scott

D&D Online Alignment Test

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20001222b

I got the best one!

Your Character’s Alignment

Based on your answers to the quiz, your character’s most likely alignment is Neutral Good.

Neutral Good: A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. The common phrase for neutral good is "true good." Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias toward or against order.

Cool green moss

Cool green moss cool green moss cool green moss cool green moss cool green moss cool green moss. Sunset in the mountains sunrise in the mountains trees on the mountains animals on the mountains bubbling streams cool clear water cool clear water cool clear water.

I feel sick to my stomach and really stressed out.

Me crying pisses me off, so I'm not going to do that. Feeling pissed is not an emotion I want to add to this.

Work sucks. I am under valued and under paid and right now I'm over worked.

And Mark needs to bring me some flowers or something, but it's supposed to be his idea. Hmf. Oh well.

Bipolar Spectrum Screening Questionnaire

These Are Your Bipolar Spectrum Disorder Screening Questionnaire Results

Bipolar Spectrum Disorder Screening Questionnaire

Results: the results of this psychological quiz are described below.


Total score of: 3 (0-15 Major/unipolar depression)

Individuals with total scores of 15 or less are most likely suffering from Major (unipolar) Depression. (Remember, this quiz assumes that you are 18 or over and have had at least one depression severe enough to have caused you distress and/or interfered with you functioning at home, work, school or in your interpersonal relationships.)

yeah yeah I know. But whats more depressing: being depressed for no reason or being really depressed because every sexual sensation in your body had been drugged in to a coma?

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Screening

http://psychcentral.com/ocdquiz.htm

You scored a total of 5

You have answered this self-report questionnaire in such a way as to suggest that you do not likely currently suffer from an obsessive-compulsive disorder. You should not take this as a diagnosis or recommendation for treatment in any way, though.

S C O R E S
If you scored...
12 & up OCD is likely
8 - 11 OCD is probable
0 - 7 OCD is unlikely

The Nerd Test

Some of these questions made me think of Marks friends... and Mark.

http://www.nerdtests.com/ft_nt2.php

Your Score Summary

For Science/Math:
72% scored higher,4% scored the same, and 24% scored lower.

For Computers/Technology:
83% scored higher,3% scored the same, and 14% scored lower.

For Sci-Fi/Comic:
61% scored higher,6% scored the same, and 33% scored lower.


For History/Literature:
88% scored higher,4% scored the same, and 8% scored lower.

For Dumb/Dork/Awkwardness:
73% scored higher,11% scored the same, and 16% scored lower.

From this time forward, you'll hold the title:

Cool Non-Nerd
Carry it proudly!

ADD test results

Dr. Amen suggests: "More than 20 items with a score of three or more indicates a strong tendency toward ADD. Your total number of items with a score above three is 12.

Based on this calculation, you DO NOT HAVE a strong tendency toward ADD.

http://www.oneaddplace.com/add-test.php

Detroit Zoo Slideshow

Here are some pics from our July 6th, 2008 visit to the Detroit Zoo. In retrospect, I wish I has taken more pictures of US, Cassie, Carl, Malachai, Mark, Sadie, and myself, but I was concentrating on pics of the animals, thinking Kai would enjoy seeing the pics of the animals he saw during his visit. He is 2 and very smart and inquisitive. Sadie, on the other hand, has probably already forgotten our outing.