the locale was a very cool place and a restaurant i love now....k'nyay (in khmer it means ginger). the part owner is from the UK and been a vegan for twenty years. the food is amazing and they do have some meat items on the menu. it suits all walks of life really, but the good part is that much of the menu is so healthy for you.
weigh in...up 2.2lbs/1kg from the last weigh in two weeks ago. it's frustrating, but not a surprise since we went to vietnam and had thanksgiving. honestly i thought it might be more, but i had been monitoring myself on the scale. what done is done. oh well.....this week i am trying to cut out wheat/gluten and dairy again b/c i think one of them might be doing a doozie to my stomach. not sure what one, but my stomach has not been happy. i am also going to eat as little sugar as possible.
here's to another week and getting back on the bandwagon.......
Monday, November 29, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
american thanksgiving....
a three meal affair for me this year....
meal #1--at school with my kiddos--thursday's lunch in the cafeteria was traditional thanksgiving fare. i had turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy with three rolls with butter. yum! the best school lunch i have ever had, i think. i went back to the classroom quite stuffed and in need of an afternoon nap, but i had to rally through the afternoon.
meal #2--at lone star saloon with paul--this place is great. the owner is from fort worth and knows how to make food from the south. we have been there once before where i was able to quench my hunger for home. we went in and learned that the only thing on the menu thursday was thanksgiving supper. yum! here is what the supper included--a before meal bit of two stuffed peppers, one deviled egg, and a small helping of a pasta salad. main meal--turkey, ham, mashed potatoes with gravy, cornbread stuffing, baked mac and cheese, green beans, piece of bread, and a side of cranberry sauce. dessert--choice of pumpkin pie or apple cobbler. we chose the pumpkin pie. the cost was $14 per person and truly was AWESOME! it hit the spot like no other. it was just like home. the plate was overflowing with yummy, home food goodness. paul and i came home and proceeded to take the "after meal" nap for a few hours. it was great and the only thing missing was football. fun times!
meal #3--at E's house with paul + three other school friends A, D and G--E insisted that she host a thanksgiving dinner. i was game and thought it was a great idea. she made turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, sweet potatoes, pecan pie, apple cake, and roasted pumpkin. we brought pumpkin pie, homemade rolls, my grandma's fruit salad, and some caramel spice buttons. she was not sure how it would all turn out, but it was a success. a nice night spent with friends and sharing our american thanksgiving with two south africans and a englishman. E, paul and i are all american. it was fun night and i ate way tooo much. i got home and had to lay down to subside the overstuffed tummy. ugh. it was worth it and we already decided we would do it again next year. well done, E!
meal #1--at school with my kiddos--thursday's lunch in the cafeteria was traditional thanksgiving fare. i had turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy with three rolls with butter. yum! the best school lunch i have ever had, i think. i went back to the classroom quite stuffed and in need of an afternoon nap, but i had to rally through the afternoon.
meal #2--at lone star saloon with paul--this place is great. the owner is from fort worth and knows how to make food from the south. we have been there once before where i was able to quench my hunger for home. we went in and learned that the only thing on the menu thursday was thanksgiving supper. yum! here is what the supper included--a before meal bit of two stuffed peppers, one deviled egg, and a small helping of a pasta salad. main meal--turkey, ham, mashed potatoes with gravy, cornbread stuffing, baked mac and cheese, green beans, piece of bread, and a side of cranberry sauce. dessert--choice of pumpkin pie or apple cobbler. we chose the pumpkin pie. the cost was $14 per person and truly was AWESOME! it hit the spot like no other. it was just like home. the plate was overflowing with yummy, home food goodness. paul and i came home and proceeded to take the "after meal" nap for a few hours. it was great and the only thing missing was football. fun times!
meal #3--at E's house with paul + three other school friends A, D and G--E insisted that she host a thanksgiving dinner. i was game and thought it was a great idea. she made turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, sweet potatoes, pecan pie, apple cake, and roasted pumpkin. we brought pumpkin pie, homemade rolls, my grandma's fruit salad, and some caramel spice buttons. she was not sure how it would all turn out, but it was a success. a nice night spent with friends and sharing our american thanksgiving with two south africans and a englishman. E, paul and i are all american. it was fun night and i ate way tooo much. i got home and had to lay down to subside the overstuffed tummy. ugh. it was worth it and we already decided we would do it again next year. well done, E!
me, A and E (cook/hostess extraordinaire)
desserts...both get the thumbs up!
saigon, vietnam for water festival
paul and i had quite the adventure over the long four day weekend for water festival. we took the bus to saigon to get away and visit our dear friend, Jen! saturday morning we left PP at 6:30am headed for the border and interested to see what would happen. the bus is a cheap way to travel--$24 round trip for each one of us. the ride includes a snack and a bottle of water. it was nice and quite comfy. the old school (read late 80s and 90s) karaoke music became a bit much, but other than that we will travel by bus again. the most interesting points of the bus trip were crossing a body of water by ferry where there was not a proper dock. the ferry just pulls up to the dirt "landing" and we drive across the "bridge" that is attached to the boat. interesting is all i could say. the other tidbit was the border crossing. leaving cambodia was not a problem--we all had to get off the bus, listen for our name to be called from our passport and then get back on the bus. then the bus drives about 50 yards (maybe) and then we go through the border check for vietnam. this time we have to get off the bus, collect all of luggage, stand in a building which had no air circulation at all, strain to hear the Khmer/Vietnamese man calling out names one at a time at a barely audible volume, pass through, put our bags through a x-ray machine, walk outside, load our bags back in the bus, and get back on. it was nuts! two more hours on the bus and we arrived at our stop in saigon. whew!
we checked into our hotel, well really hotel #2 since the one we had originally made reservations with had a water issue and rerouted us to another one in a better location where the room was better than the original. Yeah! we met Jen for a late afternoon snack and then walked over to her favorite Indian dive. it was good and fun to hang out and catch up. she is a great friend whom i met in seoul my first year there. she was in korea teaching english and we met on skype. crazy, i know, but it all worked out for the best. we had coffee at the coffee bean which paul was thrilled about, talked some more and then turned in for the night.
sunday, we met up for a late breakfast and walked around the city. we were on the look out for a spa to get massages at and paul wanted to get some work done while the girls got pampered and did some browsing in the shops. it was good afternoon. jen and i had a lot to catch up on and share. it was so great to be with her. she is living there, so it was fun to get her input on the city. we went to dinner at jaspas which is tucked away off the street in a alley. the food was good and as always conversation even better. the only downside is that we did not get to play scrabble, our tradition and favorite pass time when we hang out. next time for sure.....
jen had to work on monday and tuesday, so paul and i spent much of the day just wandering around the city. it rained a bit, so we were a little wet getting around. we ate sushi for dinner which was divine and wonderful. saigon has a great japanese community and quite a few places to eat. we love this part of saigon. we looked for a few of our favorite shops only to find them no longer in the same place.
tuesday we left on the bus about 1pm and went through the same sort of adventure coming back to PP. the border was slightly different. vietnam was the same, but more tolerable this time since we knew what to expect. it was a little less hot the second time. on the cambodia side we had to unload ourselves and wait in line at immigration like stalls to get cleared back into the country. we also went through a customs like experience, but without our luggage. back on the bus and four hours to PP.
we arrived back to news that there had been a massive tragedy on monday evening. about 375 had been killed in a stampede on the bridge at water festival and some 700 injured. as soon as i had cell phone service, i texted my khmer friends to see if they were okay. we met sophea, our tuk tuk driver, at the bus stop and immediately asked if his family was okay. they were okay, but he was obviously shaken up about the incident. it was crazy. PP was quiet and had a weird, solemn vibe about it for the next few days. ming, our housekeeper, and meng eang, my teaching assistant, all responded back that they were all okay. thank God! it's been interesting to see how the Khmer people respond and react to such a tragedy. the news was filled with many stories and accounts of what might or might not have happened or caused the panic on the bridge. last thursday was national day of mourning. we had school, but i had seven students out. the whole week was out of sorts and carried a solemn vibe to it. i was thankful to finish the week, have a rest, and try it again this week with a fresh start. it's been heartbreaking to watch a country go through so much pain and sorrow especially a country that is already struggling to move forward.
i am thankful for many things.
we checked into our hotel, well really hotel #2 since the one we had originally made reservations with had a water issue and rerouted us to another one in a better location where the room was better than the original. Yeah! we met Jen for a late afternoon snack and then walked over to her favorite Indian dive. it was good and fun to hang out and catch up. she is a great friend whom i met in seoul my first year there. she was in korea teaching english and we met on skype. crazy, i know, but it all worked out for the best. we had coffee at the coffee bean which paul was thrilled about, talked some more and then turned in for the night.
sunday, we met up for a late breakfast and walked around the city. we were on the look out for a spa to get massages at and paul wanted to get some work done while the girls got pampered and did some browsing in the shops. it was good afternoon. jen and i had a lot to catch up on and share. it was so great to be with her. she is living there, so it was fun to get her input on the city. we went to dinner at jaspas which is tucked away off the street in a alley. the food was good and as always conversation even better. the only downside is that we did not get to play scrabble, our tradition and favorite pass time when we hang out. next time for sure.....
jen had to work on monday and tuesday, so paul and i spent much of the day just wandering around the city. it rained a bit, so we were a little wet getting around. we ate sushi for dinner which was divine and wonderful. saigon has a great japanese community and quite a few places to eat. we love this part of saigon. we looked for a few of our favorite shops only to find them no longer in the same place.
tuesday we left on the bus about 1pm and went through the same sort of adventure coming back to PP. the border was slightly different. vietnam was the same, but more tolerable this time since we knew what to expect. it was a little less hot the second time. on the cambodia side we had to unload ourselves and wait in line at immigration like stalls to get cleared back into the country. we also went through a customs like experience, but without our luggage. back on the bus and four hours to PP.
we arrived back to news that there had been a massive tragedy on monday evening. about 375 had been killed in a stampede on the bridge at water festival and some 700 injured. as soon as i had cell phone service, i texted my khmer friends to see if they were okay. we met sophea, our tuk tuk driver, at the bus stop and immediately asked if his family was okay. they were okay, but he was obviously shaken up about the incident. it was crazy. PP was quiet and had a weird, solemn vibe about it for the next few days. ming, our housekeeper, and meng eang, my teaching assistant, all responded back that they were all okay. thank God! it's been interesting to see how the Khmer people respond and react to such a tragedy. the news was filled with many stories and accounts of what might or might not have happened or caused the panic on the bridge. last thursday was national day of mourning. we had school, but i had seven students out. the whole week was out of sorts and carried a solemn vibe to it. i was thankful to finish the week, have a rest, and try it again this week with a fresh start. it's been heartbreaking to watch a country go through so much pain and sorrow especially a country that is already struggling to move forward.
i am thankful for many things.
crazy, nuts, hectic...whatever you might call it
that is what life has been like for us here in PP. a bit of everything.
end of detox was okay. i all up lost about 10lbs/4.5kg. it is good, but days #15-21 were sucky. it was the hardest part--all the novelty had worn off, boring had set in and tears were making an every other day appearance. all over food! it was rough. paul was amazing and did his best to support and encourage me. i stopped officially on day #21. we were going to saigon for a long weekend and thanksgiving was around the corner. i need to be more sensible as i just have thrown it all out the window. since being back to eating "normal" food, i feel much more tired and my tummy is not sure what to make of it all. lesson learned, going to eat sensible as much as possible.
paul had an amoeba and then two days before we headed to saigon he spiked another fever. what?!?! yes, i was thinking this since the dude NEVER gets sick. this time he felt okay, but was having wicked nasty stomach pains. he went to the clinic, this time without a fuss, and they concluded he had a bacteria and gave him general antibiotics. whew! he is now finished with all his medications for both illnesses and back in the groove of things. praise God!
sam, our senior citizen kitty, is aging. on friday morning, i woke to him laid out on the floor awake and breathing, but making no movements. this is highly unlike him since it was morning and he knows i give out the food then. he was just laying there listless. ugh, my heart stopped. paul picked him and up and put him on his feet just after he tried to puke laying down. he wobbled this way and that, leaned against the wall for support as he attempted to walk towards the living room. we have decided after much observation for the 50 hours or so that he must have had a seizure/stroke. his left hind leg is working, but not as well as it was. he is back up and at'em. he is interested in food again and makes no bars about meowing annoyingly in the mornings to get my attention. :) God, i love him. he has struggled a few times getting up on the couch. sometimes he can make it and other times his back legs don't want to cooperate. such a bummer watching him grow older. we just love on him a lot and try to make him as comfy as possible. my dear ol' man kitty!
end of detox was okay. i all up lost about 10lbs/4.5kg. it is good, but days #15-21 were sucky. it was the hardest part--all the novelty had worn off, boring had set in and tears were making an every other day appearance. all over food! it was rough. paul was amazing and did his best to support and encourage me. i stopped officially on day #21. we were going to saigon for a long weekend and thanksgiving was around the corner. i need to be more sensible as i just have thrown it all out the window. since being back to eating "normal" food, i feel much more tired and my tummy is not sure what to make of it all. lesson learned, going to eat sensible as much as possible.
paul had an amoeba and then two days before we headed to saigon he spiked another fever. what?!?! yes, i was thinking this since the dude NEVER gets sick. this time he felt okay, but was having wicked nasty stomach pains. he went to the clinic, this time without a fuss, and they concluded he had a bacteria and gave him general antibiotics. whew! he is now finished with all his medications for both illnesses and back in the groove of things. praise God!
sam, our senior citizen kitty, is aging. on friday morning, i woke to him laid out on the floor awake and breathing, but making no movements. this is highly unlike him since it was morning and he knows i give out the food then. he was just laying there listless. ugh, my heart stopped. paul picked him and up and put him on his feet just after he tried to puke laying down. he wobbled this way and that, leaned against the wall for support as he attempted to walk towards the living room. we have decided after much observation for the 50 hours or so that he must have had a seizure/stroke. his left hind leg is working, but not as well as it was. he is back up and at'em. he is interested in food again and makes no bars about meowing annoyingly in the mornings to get my attention. :) God, i love him. he has struggled a few times getting up on the couch. sometimes he can make it and other times his back legs don't want to cooperate. such a bummer watching him grow older. we just love on him a lot and try to make him as comfy as possible. my dear ol' man kitty!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
our cat, india
india is the fickle one in the family. she likes attention on her terms, not when anyone wants to give it. she's always been independent and an observer. she is not the lap cat when anyone comes over. she usually hides when new people come over and waits for her moment to make an appearance. she is great, just an independent feline.
as of late though she has really seem to get more comfortable being close to me and paul. she has always been a little dog-like when it comes time for me to go to bed. she gets excited and follows me to bed. hopes on the bed before i can get it, walks around, meows, and throws herself down seeming to say, "okay pet me." when i get into bed she likes to lay down at arm's length...not too close, but close enough that i can pet and scratch her. lately though she has been laying down beside me and seems to like sleeping a bit closer than before. i love it and hope this trend continues. she is a great cat and has been in bed most of the day with me today. she just curls up and takes naps. she will move after a bit, but just to make a new place for her to lie on. earlier when i was still under the blankets she decided to have a nap on me. she slept there for a while before i decided to needed to make a potty run and check on paul too.
i love her. she is great cat and her personality is challenging at times, but oh so worth the wait when she decides to love on you.
cravings and other interesting tidbits
since the beginning of detox i have felt quite great. there was a lingering headache at first, but i just kept drinking lots and lots of water which helps. there have been a few other interesting things happening worth noting....
first, i have dreams about eating something i am not supposed to. the other night i was dreaming that i ate a piece of pizza and mid slice i said to myself, "wait, i cannot eat this." and promptly threw it away. in the same night i was at starbucks with my mom and sipping on coffee when again i realized i cannot drink this. again, i threw it out immediately. funny times.
the last few days i have been craving sweets. nothing crazy, but i would love a piece of pumpkin pie or one of the tasty cupcakes/muffins i have read about on blogs i follow. it's interesting that of all things this is what i have been craving. i am a huge fan of pumpkin lately, so honestly it's not crazy that i want something sweet and pumpkiny.
organic oats and fresh fruit helps, but so does freshly made hummus with veggies sticks. gosh i love food.
first, i have dreams about eating something i am not supposed to. the other night i was dreaming that i ate a piece of pizza and mid slice i said to myself, "wait, i cannot eat this." and promptly threw it away. in the same night i was at starbucks with my mom and sipping on coffee when again i realized i cannot drink this. again, i threw it out immediately. funny times.
the last few days i have been craving sweets. nothing crazy, but i would love a piece of pumpkin pie or one of the tasty cupcakes/muffins i have read about on blogs i follow. it's interesting that of all things this is what i have been craving. i am a huge fan of pumpkin lately, so honestly it's not crazy that i want something sweet and pumpkiny.
organic oats and fresh fruit helps, but so does freshly made hummus with veggies sticks. gosh i love food.
day 5, 6, and 7 of detox
sorry there has been a bit of quiet on this here blog, but it's been quite the adventure at the falgout house lately. paul has been sick, but monday night spiked a fever again. i put my foot down and said we are going to the doctor in the morning (tuesday). i arranged for a sub at school and i am oh so thankful i did. i woke up paul at 10:30 to get ready for the doctor. he made it downstairs, but proceeded to pass out, sweat through a shirt, and hit his head/face all in one go. stressful and i began to panic a little on the inside all the while playing it cool on the outside. he took a shower and we slowly made it downstairs to the tuk tuk. when we got to the clinic they offered him a bed to lay in while we waited to see the doctor. after a few pokes and tests, it was confirmed that he has entamoeba histolytica. basically a nasty parasite living in his tummy and bowels. yuk! they are very common here and everyone and anyone gets them. no matter where you eat or how careful you are, it happens. he has to take meds for three weeks to kill the parasite and any eggs that may be dormant as well. he was excited that it seemed cool since he had to get stuck with a needle. he is such a little kid when it comes to the doctor and such. his response after the tests was, "it better be something cool at least." it made me laugh. just like a little kid, but instead from an almost thirty year old. he was also dehydrated too, but instead of getting IV fluids we promised that he would drink lots and lots of water. he is feeling better, but not great. he has done a lot of sleeping since we got home. he has taken three doses of meds so far. the doctor said it would take a few days to feel even remotely better. i decided to take off another day of school to stay home to keep an eye on him. his whole passing out episode made me nervous and i wanted to make sure he is okay before returning back to school. family first at this house!
as for the detox, all is well on that front. no slip ups for me. i am still eating and drinking as per the rules and feel great. my quality of sleep has improved which is always nice and i feel less tired in the afternoons. usually i would be keen to take a nap in the afternoon, but not getting that feeling as of late. yeah for that. although i do still love to sleep and rest. one of my gifts. this morning paul and i both slept in (shocking i know) and i just had some organic oats with fresh apple and mangos and a dash of cinnamon, YUM! not to mention i ate it in bed while wearing a sweater. i love cool weather. unfortunately, the cool weather in my bedroom is by no means natural but air conditioner induced. :) i am a freak, i know.
on monday evening i had my second eat, move and improve meeting. it was good. i learned about sugar and glycemic index. it was interesting and really made me think about all the sugar one can eat without even realizing it. i also got weighed again which was good. i love 2kg which is about 4 pounds. WOO HOO for me. i am super proud that all this work is working for now. it's always rewarding.
so far a success....i marked my half way point on my calendar on monday--nov 11th is the half way mark. nov 26th is the last day of detox for me. it's been so easy and i have been reflecting on what changes i can easily keep at after detox is finished. it's awesome and i am so glad i made the choice to do it.
as for the detox, all is well on that front. no slip ups for me. i am still eating and drinking as per the rules and feel great. my quality of sleep has improved which is always nice and i feel less tired in the afternoons. usually i would be keen to take a nap in the afternoon, but not getting that feeling as of late. yeah for that. although i do still love to sleep and rest. one of my gifts. this morning paul and i both slept in (shocking i know) and i just had some organic oats with fresh apple and mangos and a dash of cinnamon, YUM! not to mention i ate it in bed while wearing a sweater. i love cool weather. unfortunately, the cool weather in my bedroom is by no means natural but air conditioner induced. :) i am a freak, i know.
on monday evening i had my second eat, move and improve meeting. it was good. i learned about sugar and glycemic index. it was interesting and really made me think about all the sugar one can eat without even realizing it. i also got weighed again which was good. i love 2kg which is about 4 pounds. WOO HOO for me. i am super proud that all this work is working for now. it's always rewarding.
so far a success....i marked my half way point on my calendar on monday--nov 11th is the half way mark. nov 26th is the last day of detox for me. it's been so easy and i have been reflecting on what changes i can easily keep at after detox is finished. it's awesome and i am so glad i made the choice to do it.
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