Monday, March 1, 2010

March 1-7 Goals

Last Week:

FAIL! Okay, this week got off to a tough start, with me travelling Monday, and being sleep-deprived and behind on work Tuesday. I was also a bit more moody than usual, perhaps due to the previous two issues. Either way, Monday is a great time to re-start.

Gym:

  • 4 Core Fusion Workouts
  • 2 yogaworkouts
  • 2 days mixed cardio
  • 3 days running
Monday Core Fusion, cardio
Tuesday Yoga, 6k run
Wednesday Core Fusion, cardio
Thursday rest
Friday Core Fusion, 8k run
Saturday Yoga
Sunday Core Fusion, 5k run

Nutrition: This is a bit harder, as I’ve been off the track so long I’m not sure where to start. Here’s my thoughts:

  • No more than one serving wheat per day.
  • One vegan day.
  • Watch the wine and sweets.

Yeah, it’s vague, but next week I’ll have a better idea of which direction to head…

February 22-28 Food

Monday:

  • Breakfast: Hostel breakfast; bread, jam, dulce de leche, peach, coffee
  • Lunch: Verduras a la parilla (and calamari for Martín)
    • From Montevideo’s Mercado del Puerto. veggies calamari
    • Meriendas of coffee:

cafe

An almond late and capucchino.

Tuesday:

  • Breakfast: Leftover (cold) pizza during the trek home.
  • Lunch:
  • Dinner: Indian-spiced lentils with roasted butternut squash—amazing!

Wednesday:

  • Breakfast: Indian-spiced lentils with roasted butternut squash—still amazing!
  • Lunch:
  • Dinner: Quesadillas and zucchini

Thursday:

  • Breakfast: Oatmeal with raisins and walnuts, plums
  • Lunch: Indian-spiced lentils with roasted butternut squash—I think it’s now an official addiction.
    • R&R-chips, coke light, and watermelon.
  • Dinner: Empanadas and corn-on-the-cob. Wine.

Friday:

  • Breakfast: Spaghetti with tomato sauce
  • Lunch: Black Bean Burgers and roasted butternut squash topped with guacamole
    • These burgers were great, although they did stick a bit while being cooked. I tried them in the oven, and they stuck worse, even with oil in the pan. Otherwise, a good, solid burger would be great in a bun.
  • Dinner: Thai green curry with tofu, veggies, and rice

Saturday:

  • Breakfast: Oatmeal with raisins and walnuts
  • Snack: yogurt, peach
  • Lunch: Black Bean Burgers and roasted butternut squash topped with guacamole
  • Merienda: watermelon
  • Dinner: Thai green curry with tofu, veggies, and rice

Sunday:

  • Breakfast: Peach
  • Lunch: Whole wheat spaghetti with tomato sauce and Black Bean Burger
  • Dinner: Indian Vegetable Curry with butternut squash

Sunday, February 28, 2010

We had kittens!

--Or rather, Killa did.  Our kitten (so no, it wasn’t planned, stop looking at me like that!)

They came out looking a bit like rats, acting a bit like chipmunks, but now, two weeks later, they’re starting to get cute (and play, which adds infinitely to their cuteness!)

Please excuse the "mess."

2 days old and resting.  Please excuse the mess.

day4chipmunks

4 days old, the “chipmunk” stage.

8daysold

8 days old, with Mama Killa.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

February 15-21 Food

Monday:

  • thk-004003 Breakfast: Cereal, milk
  • Lunch: Eggplant Lasagna
    • I’ve been wanting to try this idea forever. While it made for a good dinner, it definitely didn’t feel like lasagna. Next time I’ll try my own recipe, and just sub the noodles with eggplant to see how it goes.
  • Dinner: Thai curry with veggies and rice

Tuesday:

  • emp1Breakfast: Whole wheat spaghetti with cheese
  • Lunch: Indian-spiced lentils with rice
  • Dinner: Whole wheat empanadas
    • Not convincing. They were especially good when filled with the Indian Curry, but I think next time I’m trying to avoid a splurge, I’ll at least try an authentic dough recipe.

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

  • Breakfast: Hummus, whole wheat flatbread, banana with peanut butter, grapes
  • Lunch: Polenta with Nona’s Marinara Sauce, peach
    • This was used in the lasagna, and didn’t thrill me. 3 carrots?! I usually get good results from half of a small one. Sticking to my recipe, which is similar, but only has a bit of carrot, roasted red pepper, and crushed red pepper!
  • Dinner: Double Broccoli Quinoa
    • Fabulous, although overpowering with the raw garlic. I was tempted to not “waste” the pesto with quinoa, but it turned out excellent. I had to use frozen broccoli, which was fine, although I’m sure fresh would make it better. Next time I’ll halve the garlic, or roast it first.

Saturday:

Sunday:

  • Breakfast: Hummus and flatbread
  • Lunch: Raviolis con salsa fileto in Montevideo
  • Dinner: Pizza (Montevideo)

Thursday, February 18, 2010

February 15-21 Goals

Okay, it’s actually Thursday of the week, and while I had goals in mind earlier, I’m definitely late in getting them finalized.  So, they’re a bit short, but here they are:

Gym:

  • 3 cardio workouts, one that lasts an hour.
  • 4 days of Core Fusion.
  • 3 days of yoga.

Nutrition:

  • Eat healthfully.

I’ll be travelling Sunday, and since it’s already Thursday I don’t have a lot of time to get things done.  However, I think these are realistic, and next week I’ll check in with some more concrete and challenging goals.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Some background info…

So, I’m no longer with FSD…the life of a volunteer can’t continue forever. What am I doing these days? Welcome to oDesk. Freelancing for the next century.

I spent some time looking for a local job—the beauty of such a disorganized legal system is that it’s not difficult to find a job, no visas necessary. The disadavantage is the pay.

There is no minimum wage in Argentina. People work for 2 pesos an hour (about the same as working for a dollar an hour in the U.S). Without any specific skills, I could probably hope for 10 pesos an hour ($3), maybe double, if I got lucky teaching English. (Very lucky, since I have no formal training in the language, and the market is somewhat flooded.)

So, I was looking into oDesk, which also pays fairly low, but has the advantage of having a large pool of English-speaking clientele, who love the idea of hiring a native-English speaking college graduate for less than minimum wage.

I’ve gone through a number of jobs, some short term, some longer ones…here’s the current run-down:

Loftstel: I coordinate reservations for a series of 6 hostels in New York City, respond to emails, and manage availability.

Abaxio: Dipping my feet in the high-tech world, I’ve been helping provide customer support for a company specializing in offsite data backup.

Personal Assistant: My latest gig is helping a busy executive/mom schedule her personal life. Menu-planning, on-line grocery shopping, and planning weekend getaways are part of my daily responsibilities. Although it’s still new, I’m loving it!

How does it all work out? No make-up, no work clothes, no commute, not bad! I miss the office environment, and having daily interactions with real co-workers, but until I can find something that pays me enough to live on, it works. And I have a cuddly kitty keeping me company all day!

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Friday, January 8, 2010

New Year, New blog...

I have wanted to start a new blog ever since...well, since I finished my old one. Although my days with FSD have come to an end, the adventures are far from over! Stay tuned for more wacky Argenine stories and updates on what I'm up to. And welcome!