30 Jan. 2010

Didn't use the CPAP during the night. Difference is noticeable.

I woke up at 6:00 and decided to go downstairs.

breakfast

small bowl of cereal
iced tea

I watched part of the Star Trek episode where Kirk and Spock beam down on a planet run by the Nazis. When Spock is flogged they he's supposed to have green blood so they put a little green paint on his back and shoulders.

It started to snow around 7:30. We realized that we were almost out of cat food so we decided to go to the store as soon as it opens. We left at 8:30 and get back at about 9:50. It was a good thing. The snow was getting a bit slick by the time we got back.

second breakfast

fried eggs (2)
little smokies
croissant
small cinnamon roll (2)
oj
coffee
iced tea

lunch

grilled cheese
chips
iced tea

dinner

salmon patties
corn
cole slaw
iced tea

really good.

29 Jan. 2010

6:00 am concall this morning. Couldn't get connected until 6:15. Call went through to almost 7:00. Drove to the VRE before breakfast.

breakfast

ham and egg and cheese sandwich
iced tea
caffe mocha
apple fritter

Sandwich and tea at Arbies
Coffee and pastry at Caribou

lunch

ham and swiss on a bagel
banana
yogurt
iced tea

dinner

chicken
asparagus
rice
iced tea

We've had Flash of Genius in hand for several days. Finally watched it today. Very well made movie. Strong cast. Fairly interesting story. Just a really solid production but somehow it doesn't generate any juice. I think they could have compressed some scenes or perhaps eliminated a few and the movie would have been better.

28 jan 2010

Woke up at 4:45. My alarm was set for 5:15 so I got up anyway. I decided to read my email and finalize my notes before the 6am concall.

Very cold in the house until the heat kicked on at about 5:40. By 6:00 it was warm enough to make me feel sleepy.

Very good information in the concall. Difficult to tell, though, whether any of the ideas will actually be put into practice.

breakfast

bagel
apple fritter
banana
iced tea
coffee

We got stuck behind a bus on Broad Run Church Road. We got stuck behind a plumbing truck driving about 8 miles below the speed limit on Vint Hill. When we got to the 7:43 light at Vint Hill and Nokesville Road it looked like we were going to make it but nobody moved when the light went green. We finally realized they were waiting for an ambulance. We just made it under the light by going straight across the intersection and taking the back loop rather than making the left turn and taking the direct route. Dropped Elizabeth at the curb with about 40 seconds to spare. Crazy!

lunch

ham and cheese sandwich (2)
banana
iced tea

snack

chips and salsa

dinner

veg. lasagna
green beans
iced tea

E. brought the veg. lasagna from work. It was very good but a bit garlicky.

Watched another Lovejoy. Last episode of Season 4. I generally liked the Season 4 episodes. Seemed like the whole cast was very happy and there is a loose and easy-going.

27 jan. 2010

I was just trying to figure out how I would name a new Sec. Reg. file with today's date as the publication date. I think it would be NS110A27A for the first new file. Strange the things you remember. Sec. Reg. was a project I worked on from 1981 to 1985 or thereabouts.

breakfast

cereal w/ milk
banana
coffee
iced tea

9:00 am conference call after VRE. Mostly good news.

lunch

meatball sub
cookie
soda

at Wegmans. I find the meatball sub is really good if you have it with onions and sweet peppers but just ok without.

VRE train was about 20 mins late so we got home about twenty minutes late

dinner

hot dogs (2)
beans
iced tea

We watched an episode of Lovejoy from the 4th season of the series. Quite an enjoyable episode.

dessert

chocolate donut
iced tea

we went to bed very early. I was in bed before 9:30. I have to get up tomorrow for a 6am conference. Karma slept on top of me all night. I think she feels the cold more now that she is older.

meals (1.26.2010)

started out sleeping with the CPAP. I think I got about 2.5 hrs with the CPAP on.

breakfast

bagel w/ butter
small bowl of cereal
iced tea
coffee
banana

snack

bagel w/ butter
coke

I had to go to Reston for a 2:00 o'clock meeting. Mapquest said it was a 42 minute trip but you never know. I left at 12:30 and arrived at around 1:30. Good meeting. Almost 3 hrs.

quick bite

cheese burger
iced tea

at a burger place in Reston Towne Center. Pretty good burger.

snack

banana
orange
some crackers

We watched the biography of Dave Thomas on MSNBC.

meals (1.25.2010)

early morning concall postponed to Friday.

Breakfast

banana
cinnamon donut
iced tea
caffe mocha

I had an appointment to have my CPAP machine repaired today. The technician gave me a replacement for the humidifier.

lunch

chicken sandwich
fries
salad
iced tea

from Silver Diner in Merrifield. So so.

dinner

veg burger on bun (2)
iced tea

dessert

donut
iced tea

Went to bed early. Will try out the CPAP and see if the humidifier is working.

meals (1.24.2010)

breakfast

bowl of cereal
banana
iced tea

lunch

ham and cheese sandwich
yogurt
iced tea

Jets looked very good in the first half. You could see the Colts solving the defense. Good game. I was rooting for the Jets but I like the colts. They are so retro in those college uniforms. They look like Penn State Grad School.

dinner

turkey
green beans
corn
cranberrry sauce
iced tea

Vikings/Saints game was so close. Well played on both sides. I'm glad to see the Saints are finally in the Super Bowl. It looked like the town went nuts!

meals (1.23.2010)

breakfast

bagel w butter
iced tea
orange
coffee

upset stomach overnight. took pepto first thing in the morning. felt a little better.

upset again about noon. took more pepto.

decided to truly veg out. sat on the couch and watched the Bourne Identity. Still some of the best fight choreography.

did chores and watched basketball out of the corner of my eye. NC State and Maryland.

lunch

toast
banana
iced tea
club soda

watched The Bourne Supremacy after lunch.Such a sad scene when Bourne tells the daughter that her parents didn't die the way she thinks they died.

dinner

potato soup
crusty bread and butter
iced tea

dessert

slice of cake
iced tea

We felt like watching a comedy and picked The Grass Is Greener in honor of Jean Simmons who died on Friday. Very talky play. Some very funny parts. I always get a kick out of the scene where Jean Simmons runs into the butler who is carrying two guns. She screams out "They're all wearing glasses!" and pays no mind to the guns.

meals (1.22.2010)

B

breakfast sandwich
iced tea

at Arby's

L

gyro sandwich
cole slaw
iced tea

at Brooklyn Brothers

actually very good.

D

chili mac
iced tea
fruit

The chili mac did not agree with me. I only ate a small part. The fruit settled my stomach a bit.

meals (1.21.2010)

I woke up at about 4:30 in the morning. My sinuses were actually clear and I didn't have a headache for the first time in a long time. I decided to get up and finalize the notes for concall at 6:00.

6:00 concall moved to Friday. Oh boy.

We got to the VRE just in time today. There was way more than usual traffic on Vint Hill Rd. No idea why.

B

apple fritter
banana
coffee
iced tea

l

yogurt
chips and salsa
iced tea

snack

pretzels
iced tea

freezing rain and sleet when I went to the VRE this evening. Very dark. There was a bad accident near the corner of Vint Hill and Auburn so I was diverted down Auburn. It was a very long trip to get to the train station. The mix of glare and hot air from the defroster just about killed my eyes.

I needed a break before the trip home so we stoopped at Tony's in Bristow for dinner

D

pepperoni pizza (2)
fries
greek salad (sm)
iced tea

I always like pizza and fries. Good combo.

meals (1.20.2010)

Today is the anniversary of the inauguration of Barack Obama as President.

Woke up at about 4 am this morning with a bout of coughing. went downstairs to get something to drink and some meds. Stopped coughing after about 15 min.

I watched an episode of the original star trek at about 5.

B

bagel w/ cream cheese
v8 juice
banana
iced tea

Just missed the train at VRE this morning. Had to go to Manassas. Stopped at McDonald's for 2nd breakfast.

sausage burrito (2)
iced tea

L

ham, turkey, and swiss sandwich (2)
pretzels
banana
iced tea

snack

caffe mocha
donut

from Cariobou Coffee. Excellent.

D

scrambled eggs (3)
bacon (microwave)
toast (2) w/ marmalade
iced tea

We watched a pretty good episode of ST:TNG after dinner. Picard "dies" and encounters Q in the afterlife. Q shows him how his life would have turned out if he had avoided certain "mistakes".I think it was called Tapestry.

meals (1.19.2010)

another early conference call this morning. difficult to get up this time. interesting call, though.

b

bagel w/ cream cheese
banana
v8 juice
coffee
iced tea

snack

chips and salsa
iced tea

L

chicken strips (4) with polynesian sauce
waffle fries
cole slaw
iced tea

at Chick-fil-a

snack

reese's cup

D

turkey reuben
potato salad
iced tea

meals (1.18.2010)

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday (observed)

His actual birthday is Jan. 15, 1929.

I got up at 5:10 for a concall at 6:00 in the morning. Very good concall today. It lasted more than an hour.

B

egg sandwich
banana
coffee
iced tea

L

ham, turkey, and swiss sandwich
carrots & tomatoes
coke

snack

6 veg. rolls (sushi)
iced tea

D

ham
corn
brocolli
iced tea

dessert

donut
iced tea

Best donut I've had in a long. Chocolate covered cake donut from Wegmans.

ST:TNG Another Geordie with the unattainable girl episode. Reminiscent of an episode of ST:TOS where Kirk is placed on trial for murder.

meals (1.16.2010)

slept into to about 7:30

b

oatmeal
banana
coffee
iced tea

E slept in to about 9:00. Very rare for her to get to sleep that late.

l

hot dogs (2)
pretzels
iced tea

dinner

chicken salad
baked potato
grapes
iced tea

I went to bed early. Just after 9:00, I think.

meals (1.15.2010)

Cats had a fight at about 4:30 and woke me up. I tired to do a Sudoku and then go back to bed but I was pretty much awake. Downstairs at 5:30.

I watched two episodes of The Thin Blue Line. Very silly show.


B

cereal w/ milk
oj
banana
iced tea
coffee

We decided to go to the movies today. Everyone says It's Complicated is really good so we want to see that while it's in the theaters.We lost track of time and had to get a bit of rushed lunch on the way to the movie.

L

double cheese burger (2)
coke (med.)

from McDonald's drive through. The movie theater was very crowded. We got our tickets from the ticket atm. It was much faster than getting in line.

It was nice that the movie lived up to expectations. It was funny. It was sad. Some of the funny stuff was just so funny.Really a sweet, loving, enjoyable movie with a happy ending. I'd have to give it an A.

We went to Borders after the movie.

Snack

caffe mocha
chocolate chunk cookie

I had about 20 min of vertigo when we got home from the movie. I was bending over to clean the cat boxes and just felt I'd fall over. I think my sinuses are blocked up or something.

D

spaghetti w/ butter and parmesan
salad
coke

snack

small bowl of cereal

I saw part of Steven Sebring's film about Patti Smith, Dream of Life. I'll have to put that on the Netflix list.She's a visitor from another planet but very interesting.

meals (1.14.2010)

It was 23 or 24 deg when I got up at about 6 am. Temp is already up to 40 at 9:30 am. Big improvement.

Cold is mostly gone. Just a little congested at this point. Lots more energy.

I was sort of afraid to turn on the TV or radio this morning. The news from Haiti has been so bad that it is difficult to even watch. I find it very strange that I can go about my every day business with no real impediment while all of these people in Haiti live in a different world than they did last week. There is no normalcy for them.

Of course, that same thing has been true for Iraqis, Afghanis, Pakistanis, Palestinians, ... and many other people for many years. Even most of the people in Haiti were coping with serious poverty even before this happened. I guess it's just the suddenness of the change for the earth quake survivors that strikes me.

B

bagel w/ cream cheese
banana
iced tea
coffee
oj

S

caffe mocha

at the Starbucks at Atlas Walk.

L

hot dogs (2) cooked in hard cider
pretzels
iced tea

Hot dogs cooked in cider are actually pretty good. I'd had hot dogs cooked in beer before and thought I'd try cider since I didn't have any beer.

D

ham, turkey, and swiss sandwich (2)
cole slaw
iced tea

dessert

ice cream

late snack

handful of pretzels
iced tea

meals (1.14.2010)

I slept to 6:15 today. A little warmer outside, about 24 deg F. Feeling better today. Much less congestion.

B

banana
iced tea
coffee
oj

Drove E to the VRE. We made it by the skin of our teeth this time.

L

cereal w/ milk
iced tea

High temp. got up above 50 today. 50 felt quite comfortable. Funny how a day in the 50s in the fall can feel down right cold but in mid-winter feels like the onset of Spring.

One year I went to New Delhi in Feb. I left the US on Mommy's birthday. It was very cold in Virginia and there was a good deal of snow on the ground. In the layover in Paris, I remember freezing when I went from the plane to the bus. When I got to Delhi it was in the 50s. I remember getting out of the office a few times each day just to go stand out in the street and feel the sun. This weather really reminded me of that.

Snack

caramel machiatto

at the Starbucks in Harris Teeter (Bristow). So so.

D

chili dogs (2)
cole slaw (HT)
iced tea

dessert

ice cream

meals (1.13.2010)

cold better again today. had to get up at 5:15 for concall. really wanted to crawl back in bed.

concall from 6-7. lots of drops on skype today

drove E to the VRE before breakfast. Very crowded. Doors were closed when we arrived even though we were there on time. They did reopen the doors and E caught the train.

b

bacon, egg, and cheese bagel
sausage burrito
iced tea
cappucino

l

turkey, ham, and cheese sandwich
ham and cheese sandwich
mac. salad
iced tea

d

ruby's minis (2)
fries
salad bar
iced tea

at Ruby Tuesday. I really wanted a salad. The ruby minis + salad bar is a very good deal. It's $9 or something  like that.

dessert

ice cream

I watched The Day After Tomorrow on DVD last night. That movie must have been on my netflix list for ages.FX showed DAT in heavy rotation several times recently so I've seen it in bits and pieces a few times. It's a bit of cheesy movie but I get a big kick out of it. It reminds me a little bit of the James Mason Journey to the Center of the Earth. Very pleasant, very mindless, just entertaining.

meals (1.12.2010)

Still doing battle with a cold. Better today but still not back to normal. Weather is also starting to moderate. Lows are in the 20s rather than teens. Highs are in the 30s rather than 20s. The warmer weather definitely helps.

Woke up at 5:30 and considered getting up. Got back under the blankets to warm up and woke up at 8:00.

E working from home today. She's been doing some of my chores the last few days which is a huge help.

b

scrambled eggs (2)
bagel w/ cream cheese
coffee
oj
banana

E made the eggs. Pretty good.

l

pizza (2 sl)
iced tea
coke

d

veg. burger
macaroni salad
iced tea

dessert

ice cream

We watched the J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie on DVD last night. I liked the movie when I saw it at the theater. Watching on DVD gave me a much more time to notice how dumb the plot was. Can't say I really liked it on re-videate. I did like Scotty and Chekov. Uhuru was ok and very nice to look at. I think I'd have to give the movie a C+.

meals (1.11.2010)

My cold felt better when I got up in the morning. Still a lot of coughing and sneezing but a little more rested.

I got up a little later than usual so no breakfast before taking E to the VRE.

b

ham, egg & cheese biscuit
sausage wrap
iced tea

at Arby's. The biscuit was quite good. The wrap is not to my taste.

Caught up on email in the morning. Had to go to the bank to deposit a check. Took a shower and went to the bank, the post office, and Wawa. Then I went to Pei Wei.

l

spicy Korean beef
white rice
spring rolls (2)
iced tea

Pretty good. I seem to like spicy food when my head is stuffy.

snack

caffe latte, grande
pound cake (lemon)

at Starbucks. Latte was very bland. Pound cake was good.

I went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond looking for a 64 oz electric tea kettle. No luck. Closest available is 57oz. Final stop was Wegmans for a few necessities.

I felt much better when I got out of the shower. By the time I left Wegmans I felt cooked. Really, truly exhausted but I had to put away the groceries, do the dishes, clean the cat boxes, and dump the water from the crazy water heater before going back to get E at the VRE. So tired by the time I got to the VRE that E drove us home.

I must have taken a nap when we got home.

d

lasagna (Mrs. C.)
toast w/ butter
iced tea

dessert

ice cream

meals (1.10.2010)

Cold is just as bad today. Really feel pretty rotten.

b

cereal w/ milk
iced tea

2nd b

egg sandwich
coffee
iced tea

l

left over pizza (2 sl)
pickled mushrooms
coke
iced tea

d

potato soup
crusty bread
iced tea

meals (1.9.2010)

Woke up feeling miserable this morning. Little fever, coughing, nasty, runny nose, achy. Crap.

b

bowl of cereal, milk
banana
iced tea

banana was not yet ripe enough.

When E got up I had

2nd b

oatmeal
coffee
iced tea

l

jelly sandwich (orange)
jelly sandwich (strawberry)
iced teas
pretzels

d

pizza (4 sl)
iced tea
coke

 dessert

cinnasticks
hot tea

meals (1.8.2010)

We had a light snow overnight. It might have been an inch but it was rather fluffy. None of the neighborhood streets have been touched.

b

cereal
banana
iced tea

Since the snow was so minor we decided to try to get to the VRE. Made the hill with no problem but the roads could get worse since the high won't get above freezing today.

Still hungry after dropping E. I added to my breakfast

bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit
iced tea

at Chick-fil-a

l

salad
crackers
cashews
coke
iced tea

d

chili mac
iced tea

I watched Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd on DVD. I was very surprised. I was not expecting to like it. J.D. did fine with his songs. A.R. and J.D. singing Pretty Women was delightful. H.B.C. did a nice job as Mrs. Lovett but she may have been too heavily influenced by Angela Lansbury. Timothy Spall (Peter Pettigrew in the Harry Potter movies) made a great Beadle Bamford. Sascha Baron Cohen was excellent as Pirelli.

(SBC's Pirelli made me think that he'd be excellent in a remake of the Court Jester in the Danny Kaye role. Alternatively, his character looked like one of Pinocchio's nemeses come to life.)

I've never seen the play in person but I've seen the recorded version with Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury. I have that cast recording on LP. I'd love to have it on CD. I have the Patty Lupone version on CD. Very different but cool.

The broadway version touches on the violence but abstracts it to a pretty high degree. At least for people who are used to hollywood's depictions of violence. I was afraid that a more graphic take on the violence like I expected from T.B. (and got) might diminish the story. On the contrary. I found it really emphasized the anguish Todd goes through. The murder of Mrs. Lovett is absolutely horrifying. But the closing pieta-like tableau of Todd's blood oozing across the face of his now-recognized wife: Shocking, heart-wrenching, beguiling, and in some strange way reassuring. Like they've now come together as they never could have in this world.

Well done, Mr. Burton!

meals (1.7.2010)

b

bagel w/ butter
coffee
iced tea

Started moving the regular recycling and the scrap metal as soon as I got back from dropping E at the VRE. I could only fit about half of the chicken wire in the first trip. I needed two trips to finish the job.

l

bacon cheeseburger
fries
iced tea

at Wendy's. I have to remember that I don't really like the bacon at Wendy's

FX network seems to be showing Live Free or Die Hard on a very regular schedule.

d

rotini w/ tomato sauce (2 helpings)
toast
iced tea

I find I like the shaped pastas (rotini, farfelle, elbow) more than straight pasta (spaghetti, linguine).

I did not watch the "National Championship" last night.

meals (1.6.2010)

b

cereal w/ milk
banana
coffee
iced tea

l

sub (bologna, cheese)
iced tea
cole slaw

d

quesadilla (2)
iced tea

s

cookies (3)

meals (1.5.2010)

fasting Doctor's appointment this morning. Drop E at VRE then go to Fairfax.

Weighed in at doctor's office at 330 lbs. Argh!

breakfast

cowboy omelette
hash browns
iced tea

at Anita's in Fairfax

snack

caffe mocha

at Starbucks

lunch

crackers
bologna
cashews
iced tea

snack

cashews
coke

dinner

homemade sub (2)
iced tea

snack

donut

meals (1.4.2010)

Up at 5:15 this morning. A tiny bit warmer today, 21 deg F at 6:00 am, 25 at 10 am. 6 am concall with O. Interesting.

Drove E to VRE. Very good thing. Parking lot is absolutely packed by 7:30. She would have had a very long walk in the cold to catch the train.

E moves into her new office today.

breakfast

egg sandwich (2)
iced tea

at Arby's

lunch

personal pizza (bacon, onion)
salad
iced tea

at Ledo's. Way too much bacon!

dinner


scrambled eggs
ham
bagel w/ veg. cream cheese
iced tea

dessert

coffee
donut

We watched an episode of ST:TNG last night. Season 6. This nutty researcher has invented these machines that are learning machines. Data things they have become self-aware. Skynet to come. Not a bad episode. Dialog was very weak. Direction seemed amateuriish as well. I wonder if it was a first time director.

(Looks like Frakes directed. The Quality of Life. The robots were called Exobots.)

Funny thing was that neither of us remembered seeing this episode before.

meals (1.3.2010)

Exrtremely cold today. The heat ran all day which is very unusual. It was about 17 deg F when I checked the computer.

Finally got the file cabinet moved upstairs. Just barely made it. We would not have been able to move the lateral cabinet that far. Water heater is dripping about 2-3 gallons of water a day all of the sudden. Hope we don't have to replace it.

breakfast

cereal w/ milk
coffee
oj
iced tea

snack

cashews

lunch

grilled cheese sandwich
small bowl of chili
iced tea

snack

pretzels

dinner

tuna wraps (2)
salad
iced tea

dessert

ice cream w/ chocolate sauce

meals (1.2.2010)

breakfast

cereal
oj
hot tea
iced tea

lunch

tomato soup
crackers
iced tea

snack

pretzels, cashews

dinner

veg. lasagna
salad
iced tea
hard cider

dessert

cinnamon toast (2 sl)

We watched Under the Tuscan Sun after dinner. Nice movie. Diane Lane looks wonderful and Italy looks gorgeous. Some wonderful food too. I didn't like the book at all.

meals (1.1.2010)

New Year's Day, 2010

breakfast

cereal
iced tea
coffee

We decided to go to the Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles.

lunch

big mac
fries
iced tea

at McDonald's on the way to the Museaum

The Museum was fairly busy. We went up to the observation deck for  about 30 minutes. Interesting view from up there. We spent most of our time on WWII and post WWII military aircraft. The center has a great number of aircraft that are the only remaining specimens in the world. It was a good way to spend a few hours on New Year's Day. The parking fee of $15 is a bit steep but I guess it works out ok if you bring a car load or a van load.

snack

cafe mocha

at McCafe at the museum.

dinner

grilled ham and swiss sandwiches
saladd
black eye peas

meals (12.31)

breakfast

cereal
coffee
iced tea
oj

lunch 


sandwich
chips
iced tea


dinner


chicken sandwich
fries
cole slaw
iced tea

from Chik-fil-a

dessert

sweet potato pie, whipped cream

I tried to stay up until Midnight. I must have fallen asleep around 11:30.