Monday, January 11th, 2016

Hello all,

I missed last Friday's post because I got busy. But, I'm back on schedule. The first thing to report is the 'restaurant.com' app and website. It's like groupon for restaurants. You pre-pay for a dinner for 50-60 percent off menu price. I did this for Abyssinia Ethiopian restaurant a few days back. I got $20 for $8. We haven't used it yet, but I can tell you from the dozen times I've been...it's a great place to eat. Check out the app and see what's available in your zip code.

It's been a week since I've been using the Wake-Up Light. It's cool and all...but I can't trust that it will actually wake me up. I still have my fitbit and phone alarms set at the same time to make sure I get up. I may have more to report next week.

We've been trying to incorporate more fish into our diet. We had a really awesome salmon this evening and Amy even made fried rice with it. Brown fried rice. It was equally as good as her normal white rice version. She prefers white rice but I didn't see any decrease in quality. Of course I really like brown rice. If you were me, which you are not, you could have the best fried rice anytime you wanted because you would be dating Amy. People are predisposed to certain things that they prepare better than anyone else on the planet to someone else. For me, it's Amy's flied lice.

So, David Bowie died today. Or last night, I'm not sure. All I know is that my social media feed this morning was full of Bowie stuff. Though I am not a huge fan of his music, it is a shame to see a person leave this planet so early for something so stupid. I wish he were around just so that he could continue being awesome to those who appreciated him.

I've been continually hitting my required 10K steps and way beating it. So far, Kathleen has been my biggest competitor. Amy, Nicole, and Angie are not even close; though I certainly appreciate their participation in the daily challenges! If you would like to get in on the fun, I am on fitbit at itcomagic.com.

That's all tonight. If you have any comments, questions, suggestions, or general feedback, please feel free to contact me in any number of ways. Also, if you like what you read here, please Like, Comment, and Share.

- Doug  

January 4th, 2016

Hello all,

I got my FitBit Charge in the mail the other day and I have been wearing it constantly. I am well over my minimum 10,000 steps/day for the most part. My sleep is not awesome but I am working on that.

Which brings me to a late Christmas present Amy got me that showed up in the mail today. It is the Phillips Wake-Up Light (HF3500). I read over the included booklet and it seems pretty neat. I will start using it tonight and give a report on my next post as to how well it works. It is supposed to wake you up with simulated sunlight so that you aren't super cranky all day...not that I feel that I am super cranky all day. But, hey, it's worth a shot!

Shout out to all my FitBit friends (Amy, Angie, Kathleen, and Nicole) that have taken daily and/or weekend challenges with me. If you haven't friend'ed me on the app, you can find me at itcomagic@gmail.com. I really like getting notifications throughout the day that I am whooping up on somebody.

I haven't started vaping on the regular yet. Big step, yo. I need to be in the right frame of mind. I am working on figuring out how to get into that frame of mind. Soon....soon.

Also, something else that crept back into my head is Alton Brown's Food Plan. It's simple and makes sense. Amy and I will soon be on the Whole 30 though it won't exactly be the strict and staunch version of the program. It will be our version of it. It basically coincides with Alton Brown's Plan (except the whole grains, dessert, and alcohol part, of course).

A really cool cookbook that Amy got for Christmas is 'Sheet Pan Suppers' by Molly Gilbert. We had the chicken and broccolini the other night and it was super good.

Bi-weekly check-in on my "No Fast Food" plan...NOPE! No drive-thru in sight! *YAY!*

Over the weekend we picked up a few random geocaches. And, Sunday, we had lunch with my boss and his girlfriend at El Idolo in Bartlett. This was our second time there. It's super good. If you leave hungry it's your own damn fault. The prices are beyond fair and and the service is top notch. This place will be around for a long time to come and I look forward to frequenting it often.

I think that's all for now. I want to keep these posts at bite-size pieces so that folks will actually read them. Before I go, though, if you like what you read here, please Like, Subscribe, and Share. I want your input on anything and everything I post. Tell your friends!!!

- Doug

January 1st, 2016

Hello all,

This is my first post of the new year. Amy and I had 'Little Italy' for lunch. It consisted of a couple of slices of pizza each that was pretty good, though not amazing. Tonight's dinner was an incredible salad from Amy.

We had a few cocktails before dinner and a few after.

My Fitbit is due tomorrow. I am currently using the app and I will say that I am well above my minimum 10,000 steps per day. If you would like to friend me on the app, my email is itcomagic@gmail.com.

I did not start my e-vape/quit-smoking today. Maybe tomorrow. We shall see.

If you like what you read here, please Like, Subscribe, and Share.

P.S. Here is a recipe you need. Enjoy!

- Doug