1. Diet Update
Woke up this morning down over 50 lbs. Thanks to everyone who’s been supportive in one way or another…a little over three months left!

I’m busting out old clothes and washing them. I’m approaching a total dearth of dress clothes that fit. Belt usage is approaching a billowing “cinching” look. I’ll take these problems.

2. World Cup Draw
Well, this will be fun. Six months of buildup to what will be the most-anticipated game in US Soccer history. I don’t think England is a good matchup for us, but if we can get a point or more, I do think we’ll advance by getting a win and a draw in the other two matches. Plenty of time to break this down later.

3. CFB
Assuming Texas beats the Bugeaters today (and I think they will), we will be left with 5 undefeated conference champs, 3 of whom are from “BCS” conferences. Of the 2 non-BCS champs, 1 beat a BCS conference champ and the other steamrolled through the season by and large, beating quality teams on the way. If it plays out that we wind up with 2 undefeated teams after the bowls, let’s not pretend that there’s a national champion. It’s a joke.

Long time, no update. It’s been crazy. The last two Wizards home games, both with their share of off-field drama. Sigh. You know, I’ve never been kicked out of a stadium. Am I doing something right, or something wrong?

The diet is…a smashing success. As of about 15 minutes ago, I’m down 27 pounds from the start of it a little over a month ago. I’ve had two very mild cheats…a couple of beers at the Friday night show of the Danger Bob reunions, and some wings at Hooters after the game last night, but it was all accounted for with extra work or calorie reductions elsewhere. I am decidedly wearing clothes I was not wearing a month ago.

Both of the times I’ve deviated, it’s been out of a need to fill a sensory vacuum, which is very real. There’s a lot going on in my life right now, and much of it revolves around sensory deprivation. That’s something I don’t know quite how to cope with…on a day-to-day basis, it’s fine, it’s just the occasional pang. It’s the same way with the divorce. Most days, it’s really okay. In fact, I find myself spending a lot of time telling people that they shouldn’t worry at all if they didn’t know and made an inquest that betrayed that particular lack of information…and I mean it, I’m not sweating it. By and large, it’s all for the best. Sometimes, though, there’s so much that I miss that it’s overwhelming, and there’s no good way to cope. It’s probably a good thing that I’m not, you know, eating or drinking right now.

I went to see “Palomino” with friends last week at the Copaken Theater in the H&R Block building. If you haven’t been there yet, it’s a second, smaller theater for the KC Rep (Missouri Rep for the old KCians among us). It’s a good space (very minor quibbles), and go check out “Palomino”. http://www.kcrep.com

It’s a one-man show, written and performed by David Cale, whom some of you may recognize from NPR. It’s funny and moving, and well worth an evening’s entertainment, right at the P&L. I see myself going to a lot more KC Rep shows…midweek, it’s easy to make happen.

My friends Jill and Dave (Jill Goodheart, for any OSHS folks out there) just bought a house in Waldo, not far from my office, and conveniently located for hanging out. This is a good thing. Jill has been one of my very dearest friends since, oh, 1993, and they just moved back to KC from various parts elsewhere (Philly and Lansing, MI, anyway, but it’s been 5? years).

Fortunately, my sister is taking on some culinary projects while I take my leave of absence. http://abbypierron.blogspot.com. Her last blog post before recently updated me of a great song with some meaningful lyrics: “Blue Traincar” (“Blue Wagon”, translated directly) from the Soviet-era children’s animated program “Cheburashka”. I fell in love with this show when my buddy Avery showed it to me and did a little translation. It’s cool stop-motion, and the stories are appealing.

I got really tired of posting the basic numbers every night. Why? Because it’s so steady now. The “diet” is more or less automatic. I pre-cook some vegetables, buy some fruit, make some shakes. I’m never ravenous, and when I’m hungry, I always have fruit or vegetables available. I haven’t cheated, other than one finger-swipe of some queso one Friday night after playing poker and one half-sandwich instead of the meal and shake.

I’ve also dropped…wait for it…17 pounds since it started 19 days ago. It doesn’t seem right, but I crunched the numbers. The straight calorie deficit, once you take a couple of pounds off for the sheer drop-off of the bulk of food at the beginning, accounts for it. Further, there’s no reason why it can’t continue for the remainder of the program at a 1/2 pound/day pace. Increased physical activity is planned for, in gradual increases, which would help alleviate plateauing. When it comes right down to it, I never eat more than 1200 calories in a day, I never have more than 350 calories in one sitting, and if that continues, I will keep shedding weight. Pretty simple.

Since I last blogged, I had one of the best sports-watching experiences of my life, the Honduras-USA qualifier. Since the game wasn’t on anything other than closed-circuit, we had to talk 810 Zone (Plaza) into buying the game. They did, and were rewarded with what they told us was the biggest crowd they’ve ever had at the restaurant. Those who watched the game saw something really special, and anybody who was in the restaurant that night had a great time. We’re going to the Cup!

I also got the delight of watching Todd Reesing, Des Briscoe and Kerry Meier perform from Mangino’s box earlier in the day on Saturday, thanks to my stepmom! If you don’t know her, she’s a prof at KU, and was on the Athletic Corporation board that hired Mangino. Two of the other faculty on the board at that time were John Ferraro from KU Med and Tom Mulinazzi from the School of Engineering to go with Diana (nee Bartelli). If you’ve ever wondered why KU picked Mangino, now you know…the rest of the story. Anyway, they all have a big Italian dinner every so often (apparently, Mary Jane Mangino’s eggplant Parmesan is all-world), and Diana gets to go up in the Mangino family suite once a season. Fortunately, my dad was out of town!

I don’t have to tell any fellow Jayhawk football fans to enjoy watching those three (and Tim Biere, who looked great in his return) work. Also, I love Opurum. True freshman, played every down at RB, made his blocks, had some nice runs without a lot of holes and is shaping up to be the best running back we’ve had since June Henley.

And now for a favorite of mine…what happens when you rip off and grunge up a great pop-rock guitar riff (Laura Branigan’s “Gloria”), then flesh out a new song that plays like Duran Duran with a sense of humor and without the style pretensions? “Disco 2000″ by Pulp, that’s what. Arguably my favorite song of the “Britpop era”, such as it was.

2 meals (Lasagna and Pot Roast)
2 shakes (both vanilla)
4 servings fruit (1 tangelo, 1 apple, 2 bananas), 2 servings vegetables (red chard)

No PA
8918 steps

Well, I made it through the NASCAR race, thanks to Kansas Speedway’s great cooler policy…you can bring in food and drink in one small soft-sided cooler. I brought fruit, water and Diet Coke, and enjoyed myself. I don’t know a whole lot about auto racing, enough to get by, but it’s definitely a better experience live. I’d go again.

From the album, “A Day At The Races”…

I made lots of good food today…prepared a leek and mushroom soup with the chicken broth…enough for two more meals, ready to roll for this week. Also made more red chard…I’m getting so much better about preparing. Plus some eggplant.

However, I’m going to the NASCAR race in the morning, and I have no idea how I’m supposed to eat for those 6 hours (appx) that I’ll be in there. None whatsoever. Perhaps I’ll smuggle fruit in with me.

Two weeks until the Danger Bob reunion show(s)! Friday night will be a performance of the entirety of “Le Pop Shoppe”. “Saturday”, Andy has promised, “will be ‘retarded’.”

Eh…average number of steps, no PA, 1 nectarine, some grapes and 8 bok choi at dinner at Zen Zero.

The new food order came Friday, with some different meals and shakes with it. The beef pot roast is meant to be good.

Inspired by The Sports Guy’s tweets about Rocky, here’s a tune from some other white Philadelphians with an appreciation for doo-wop:

Discovery of the day: For $2.50, they gave me a huge plate of steamed broccoli at Zig & Mac’s. Ergo, trivia was not snackless.

2 meals (Enchiladas and Chicken Pasta Parmesan)
1 fruit (nectarine), 5 vegetables (3 mushroom, 2 broccoli)

20 min physical activity (elliptical)
8544 steps

Okay, so you may have seen it on my Facebook update today, but http://www.billsportsmaps.com is…wow. I’ve said it a bunch – the reason I became is a soccer fan is that my two favorite things are sports and geography.

In honor of Willie’s show opening for DMB in KC last night:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0GLq9DV368

8544 steps

Apparently, it didn’t publish last night, or I forgot to hit the button, or whatever. That’s okay, it wasn’t all that interesting. I ate my food appropriately, and didn’t get quite enough walking in.

I co-hosted The Jimmy Conrad Show with Jimmy (and Curtis Kitchen back in the 810 studio) last night, which was a lot of fun. Jimmy managed to ask me the question that preoccupies me, and for which I don’t have an answer, which is, “How can Wizards games be more like Toronto and Seattle games?” I think I spent 4 minutes not answering it.

As promised in the last post, your musical link is the best band you’ve never heard of, the band Robert Christgau called “a lost band”, largely because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time…1981 Wichita not being the best place to promote your nerdy art-punk band. I got a chance to see them live a few years ago at a reunion show at Liberty; the first I had ever heard of them was in “What’s the Matter with Kansas?”. Wichita’s own, The Embarrassment!

3 shakes (all chocolate)
2 meals (Ravioli and Enchiladas)
2 servings fruit (bananas), 3 servings vegetables (2 red chard, 1 artichoke)

Physical Activity: 20 min (elliptical)
9220 steps

Okay, this is getting to be easy. I’ve even cut back on my Diet Coke intake…about 56 oz today (which is low!). I suppose I had appx. 32 oz of iced tea as well. Caffeine, you’re next!

I visited Quick’s BBQ today on business matters and emerged unscathed, Johnny’s for trivia as well and had no problems.

The park cleanup was fun…plenty of kids wearing Wizards gear. I genuinely believe we’re making headway in the Hispanic market (these classes were 90% Hispanic). Trash pickup detail with Jimmy Conrad was better than average trash cleanup. He has a future in the industry if the soccer thing doesn’t work out.
Now, I hope to introduce a few people to the best band you’ve never heard of (no, not The Embarrassment, but I’ll definitely put them in her tomorrow) and will never hear from again.

It’s a singularly beautiful song, and I recommend just sacking up and getting the album.

3 shakes (1 chicken soup, 2 chocolate)
2 meals (Savory Chicken, Cheese Ravioli)
2 fruit (bananas), 4 vegetables (1 red chard, 2/3 spinach, 2/3 broccoli, 2/3 chick peas)

8820 steps
20 min physical activity (elliptical)

A day of firsts – the first dedicated physical activity (elliptical while watching The Royal Tenenbaums) and the first mix in of vegetables with the meal…and it was borderline delightful. Red chard mixed with the ravioli. Turned out quite nicely.

Today was also the first serious grocery shopping trip since starting. I branched out on the fruits (got some Italian plums and nectarines) and on the vegetables (the aforementioned red chard, an artichoke, some canned green beans and canned chick peas for the future). It’s odd to go to Checkers and *not* spend several minutes scanning the 98 (?) Feet of Meat, but it’s certainly cheaper…made it out of there for $20 with the food cost for about 15 meals.

A major part of this process is getting better about preparing meals. Living on my own (essentially) has made this less common. It’s not that I don’t like to cook; quite the opposite. It’s more that cooking was usually something that Katie and I did together; cooking for just myself is one of the few things that makes me feel lonely.

Tomorrow, Wizards staff are cleaning up Ruby Park in Argentine (from wycokck.org: Ruby Park – Ruby Ave. and S. 30th St., 5.63 acres, playground equipment. No restroom.)

This is exciting not only because I can justifiably wear shorts to work, but because it furthers my goal of making the Wizards a part of Wyandotte County. If it is to be our long-term home, we need to be *of* the community, not just play near its western frontier.

Thank you to Robert Houghton for today’s musical inspiration…not the link you posted, because we’ll save the best for last, but another one of our joint musical favorites.