Do it again

Long but good day at the restaurant, it's nice to see things that were solved theoretically be put to the test and shown to be....working smoothly. Got to be up in a few hours so I can do it all over again...

BREAKFAST: 9am, organic cornflakes with organic dead milk, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

PM SNACK: noon, 2 slices of pizza, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
An experiment -- L only uses pecorino romano on his pies and on this he used parmegano reggiano. Definitely an illustration in contrasts.

LUNCH: 4pm, crappy cheese ravioli, a little chicory salad, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5

RESTAURANT HAZE: 5-10pm, a meat ball, a slice of sicilian, a snippet of gelato, a gulp of lemonade, a random bite of pizza here and there, a couple of house-made prociutto balls, ? bowls, hunger ?/5

EVENING SNACK: 11pm, scoop of chocolate gelato, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5

DINNER: 12:30am, pint of pork fried rice, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Ahhh, the greasy pause that refreshes.

You are feeeeling sleeeeepeeeee....

Woke up sleepy, didn't really get going until service time. Class was in a kitchen, with a chef instructor breaking down sides of beef and cooking up some yummies....I wish I'd been more awake for it.

BREAKFAST: 8am, sesame bagel & butter, .5 bowl, hunger 3/5
Wanted something other than sugar, but got so sleepy in class that...

AM SNACK 9am, peanut M&Ms, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
...I resorted to a chocolate dose to keep me up. Didn't quite work.

AM SNACK: 11:30am, 2 pieces of roasted beef tenderloin in espagnole sauce, .25 bowl, hunger 3/5

PM SNACK: 1pm, 2 small slices of pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

LUNCH: 4pm, tuna fish sandwich with french fries,water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5

PM SNACK: 6pm, manhattan special, .25 bowl

DINNER: 8pm, 2 slices of pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Mistakes back to the kitchen, delicious mistakes...

EVENING SNACK: 10pm, glass of mandorla, glass of lemonade

EVENING SNORT: 10:30pm, small amount of tap beer

I need to go food shopping

School, resto for a few hours, then the evening with the B, dinner and future baby related stuff. Almost fell asleep in class, gotta get more sleep tonight.

BREAKFAST: 8am, apple fritter and chocolate donut, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
From starbucks, just wanted something convenient and fast. Must try for some real breakfast tomorrow.

PM SNACK: 2pm, chocolate gelato, a meatball, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5

LUNCH: 4pm, 4 pork tamales, 2 slices of slightly burnt prosciutto pizza, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5

PM SNACK: 6:15pm, 4 tiny meatballs, a few spoonfuls of stinky pasta, water, .5 bowl, hunger 2/5
B was hungry, so we went to Bar Stuzzichini. They're a competitor in the same meatball contest my resto is in, so I couldn't help but try theirs. Not impressed, 5 half ounce balls in a little sauce, finished with grated cheese. Tasted a bit too breadcrumby and grainy, almost like the meat was an afterthought.

PM SNACK: 9:15pm, 4 little baggies of popchips from the 5 boro bikeride, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5

PM SNACK: 10pm, nutella-like stuff and good peanut butter, .33 bowl, hunger 4/5
I really need to do some grocery shopping.

Good Monday

Woke up with minor Beard Belly, not as bad as I thought it would be. Nice to be able to be kinda conscious an hour before waking and being able to wrap my arms around a very pregnant B, and Rufus then getting on top and horning in on the snuggle action. Definitely the right way to start the day, when the day involves 13 hours at a restaurant. We stood by the window in the kitchen and I read "The Little Red Lighthouse & the Great Grey Bridge" to her, it reminded me how much I loved that book as a child and how I can't wait to read it to my kid then take them up the west side bike path to visit said little lighthouse.

L has been really psyched about the ramps we received from our produce purveyor, which are now in season. It's dead simple: Crust topped with mozz and olive oil only. Once baked to light golden brown, whole trimmed and cleaned ramps are pressed into the pie in a decorative fashion, then cut. The ramps are slightly cooked by the heat, and set off by the salt in the cheese and the flavor-enhancing oil.

Ramps kind of taste like a peppery scallion, but with a bit of a woodsy overtone. It tastes, well, wild.

After this weekend, the restaurant will be open on Sundays. B, give birth already!!

BREAKFAST: 11:30am, 2 slices wild leek pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

LUNCH: 4pm, a handful of mini meatballs and bread, a slice of prosciutto pizza, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5

PM SNACK: 8pm, beef tamale, .33 bowl, hunger 4/5

PM SNACK: 9pm, scoop of espresso gelato, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5

EVENING SNORT: 10:15pm, small cup of draft beer

Beard Belly Revisited

Interesting day. Bikeless, had to rely on public transportation to get me to school....and due to the rain and the lack of F service, ended up being 30 minutes late....I HATE being late. And I had to jet 2 hours early to get tickets to the James Beard Awards. I went last year and it was a bit mind (and belly) blowing. This year, the ceremony was an hour long and the food was a lot less plentiful, but it was still a gut-busting, intensely interesting time. I rolled out of there stuffed, but sober and comfortable enough to ride the bike home.

Oh, and after picking up tickets, I took a meeting in Chelsea which I'm not at liberty to discuss in this forum. Very interesting.

BREAKFAST: 7:45am, a horrible chocolate chip muffin off the street, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5

AM SNACK: 8:30am, a few slices of fresh mozzarella, a little bread, olive oil, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
A student gave a presentation on moz, and brought in a few samples of the stuff they make in his restaurant.

PM SNACK: 2:45pm, a few spoonfuls of good peanut butter with nutella-like stuff, water, .25 bowl hunger 4/5

PM SNACK: 4pm, 3 packets of popchips, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Free samples from yesterday's 5 boro ride. Trying to stay hungry for the evening's gorging.

JAMES BEARD GORGING: 9:30-11:30pm, various small plates including octopus terrine, organic pork sliders, bluecheese-topped brownies, conch cuban sandwich, chocolates, pickled shrimp, shrimp andouille, marrow on croute, weird chestnut terrine, spicy Korean salmon, wonderful chilled steak tartar in anchovy broth with shaved ice, oysters on the half shell, weird chocolate ice cream crunchy thing, bite of duck hot dog, a few sips of different cocktails, a half a beer, a few pellegrinos, a few things I'm forgetting, 2 bowls, hunger 4/5 to 1/5

5 Boro

After 3 hours of sleep, got on the bike and met D for a 45 mile bike ride in heavy rain. I had plans to go out to the Cherry Blossom Festival and see a friend for dinner, but when I got home and ate and snuggled with a pregnant B, I fell fast asleep at 4pm and woke at 6am, with a short moment of wakefulness to eat some cheesy crackers.

BREAKFAST: 6:45am, organic cheerios with dead organic milk, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

AM SNACK: 8am, 2 good donuts, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5

BIKE SNACK: 9:45am, puffed potato chips, a banana, water, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

BIKE SNACK: 1:30pm, puffed potato chips, cheesy crackers, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5

LUNCH: 2:30pm, shrimp in garlic sauce, yellow rice, water, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Ordered from a local Spanish joint, usually it's really good, but this time they forgot the black beans and the sauce tasted overpoweringly like raw garlic, blech.

PM SNACK: 10pm, 2 packs of cheesy crackers, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5

Torn up

Long day at the restaurant, the weather was good and we were packed from beginning to end. Went smoother than previous Saturdays, as we all know a little bit more what we're doing, and was able to get out of there before midnight. Went for a drink in Brooklyn Heights after with the front of house manager and a server, then attempted to ride to a party in Greenpoint, but caught a flat and had to hoof it home. It's for the best, as I have to be up in 4 hours for the 5 Boro Bike Ride!!

BREAKFAST: 8:30am, organic cornflakes with organic dead milk, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

NOON SNACK: noon, 3 small pieces of breakfast pizza with egg, prosciutto, and wild ramps, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

LUNCH: 4pm, 3 small slices of shrimp pizza, water, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

RESTAURANT HAZE: 5-10pm, lemon aide, a sip of espresso soda, a cream soda, .5 bowl, hunger ?/5

TIPPLE: midnight, pint of old speckled hen, .5 bowl, hunger ?/5

AM SNACK: 1:45am, chocolate spread and cashews, .33 bowl, hunger 5/5
Not much to eat in the house. Hrumph.

Trout!

Business pretty much squashed at the restaurant due to weather. Gearing up for a slammed Friday, was nice to be able to just chill and get to know the staff a bit better, bond a bit and feel cozy. Of course, a dead day like this will kill a restaurant eventually, so I guess I shouldn't be too happy about it....but still, it's a grind. Got to see a friend after work who has been having a hard time of things, nice to be able to find time to lend her an ear. I would'vegone home, but the Sweet B was fast asleep! I look forward to catching her conscious on Sunday.

BREAKFAST: 9am, cashew cake donut, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

AM SNACK: noon, small slice of Sicilian, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

PM SNACK: 2pm, small amount of rootbeer float
Experimenting with what's on hand to make a new menu item.

LUNCH: 3:30pm, oven roasted trout, garlic bread, chicory salad, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
L has really been getting into making staff lunch, a step away from the pizza grind. This time he ordered a case of whole trout, and he made them in a very rustic style, with the scales and fins on, just pre-gutted and cleaned. Pretty good.

PM SNACK: 5pm, 6 prosciutto balls, a sprite, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Served up a mess of almost-too-old prosciutto balls to the staff, I ate a bunch because they were quite delicious.

PM SNACK: 7pm, small scoop of chocolate gelato, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5

DINNER: 10:45pm, Cesar salad with shrimp, 1 beer, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5

Lobster!

Set the alarm for 6, and turned it off in a sleepy haze. Around 7:15am, B peeped up apologetically, "It's after 7, don't you need to get moving?" That's perhaps the coolest, most lovely way to wake up late! She's so great, I can't wait to wake her up and say something like, "Sweet B, the Sweet P needs yer boobie now."

Restaurant was eerily slow yesterday, slow enough to be our least-earning day since we opened. I'm of two minds -- on one hand, it hurts because even though I only have sweat equity in this place, I want to see it thrive and go on. I feel responsible for it's well being, like I was the owner. On the other hand, so many choices were made before I came on, choices that in hindsight could of been made differently to make things a lot smoother now. Regardless, I'm learning a lot more there than I am in culinary management school.

Had a flair up among the rank and file in the restaurant today, a real test of my managerial competence. I think I handled it ok, was able to smooth the water with a few people who speak very poor English, but the test will really be going forward.

BREAKFAST: 8:15am, apple fritter and marble cake, Manhattan Special, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
A breakfast that wakes you. I knew I'd be sleepy, so I took the Special home from the restaurant last night.

AM SNACK: 9am, snippet of sourdough bread, tomato, moz, basil, olive oil
A taste from the basil presentation in class

LUNCH: 4pm, lobster tail with freshly made coleslaw and roasted corn, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
A very odd staff lunch. L ordered a bunch of live lobsters for staff lunch, fortunately there was someone else in the kitchen who wasn't too squeamish about dispatching them. All my anxiety and ill feelings about killing lobsters came back up, just like in c-school. Holding the box, feeling them twittering and reacting to my movements, ick!

PM SNACKAGE: 5-10pm, a meatball, a cream soda, a slice of soda, a snippet of gelato, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5

DINNER: 11:30pm, 2 slices cold pizza, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5

Quiet Long Day

BREAKFAST: 8am, 2 street donuts, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5

AM SNACK: 10:30am, 1 coffee bean, small piece of spinach bread, a fig with goat cheese dressing, a snippet of bacon
Presentations in class today, some presented with tastings of the product they were talking about. Whole roasted coffee beans remind me of whole cacao pods -- reminiscent of the final product, but tastes amazingly bitter and blunt.

PM SNACK: 1:30pm, a small piece of calzone, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5
L made an amazing calzone today, perfectly balanced, crisp in the right places, gooey in the right places. Maybe a menu item?

LUNCH: 4pm, steak and onion sandwich, pickles, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Good and greasy, but enough with the red meat already.

PM SNACKS: 5-10pm, a meatball, a few snippets of bacon, a glass of lemon aide, a few snippets of mixed vegetables, a glass of lemonade, a taste of draft beer, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

EVENING SNACK 11:15pm, slice of local streetza, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Felt hungry coming home, realized I had nothing for dinner after a slow night at the restaurant -- I could HAVE had another steak sandwich, but enough was enough. The only thing open nearby was...pizza. It wasn't very good, but good enough.

Tuesday Funday

Went to the restaurant, left at 5 so I could join B for a look-see at a pediatrician, who in the end was on vacation when we arrived....never confirmed the appointment, guess that won't happen. Still, nice to be able to have dinner with my pregnant wife and chill a little.

Got a call from Nickelodeon to work on a short-term good-money gig, first in a solid 6 months that I accepted, the other calls were for little one day day-raters which weren't worth interrupting my pizza life.

BREAKFAST: 11:45, 3 slices of pizza, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5

LUNCH: 3:45pm, 2 hotdogs with kraut and mustard, water, sprite, 1.25 bowl, hunger 3/5

PM SNACK: 6:30pm, 2 bites of streetza
On the walk down from her office, we got a slice out of the Vinnie Vincenz pizza truck on Union Square. It was a little burnt, with a bitter char. The crust was stretched unevenly, too thin in the middle, too thick toward the cornicone (yep, thats the technical term from the raised crust at the outer edges! I'm a geek!) and the cheese was on the edge of scorched.

DINNER: 7pm, hijiki tofu sandwich, large spinach salad with carrot dressing, water, 1 bowl, hunger 3/5
At Dojo with the B, though because of it's vegan angle, needed an HVS.

EVENING SNACK: 7:45pm, half a street vanilla ice cream cone, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5

Monday Funday

Ah, Monday, my personal Sunday. I fell asleep last night around 7pm, after that 35 mile bike ride, too much meat for lunch and 4 hours of sleep the night before after a 70+ hour week at the restaurant. Only got a little drowsy at school.

Went down the street to R.U.B. for lunch, it's a restaurant we saw a show about in class, the trials and tribulations they went through to get open. It was surprisingly good, probably the best BBQ I've had in NYC, much better than the sloppy joints D has taken me to in midtown.

Visited Y briefly at her shop, but they are going through a renovation and I couldn't spend too much time. Rode up to Central Park and chilled for a few hours in the sheeps meadow before heading down to 42nd to catch a movie with D, then dinner with D and B. L cancelled our dinner meeting, but will reconvene Wednesday.

BREAKFAST: 5am, organic cheerios with the good milk, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5

AM SNACK: 8am, 2 street donuts, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5

LUNCH: 12:15pm, pulled pork on rye, 3 little pickles, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5

DINNER: 7:30pm, bread with white bean dip, Cesar salad, a little octopus, spaghetti & a few lame meatballs, a slice of lame pizza, water, half a small portion of cheesecake, 2 bowl, hunger
4/5
Dinner at a non-descript Italian joint in Chelsea that offered pizzas, too thin and undercooked, lacking herbs and tasting flat. Nice to be out and not working, though.

Sunday Funday

Got to bed at 4am, after doing a minor binge brought on by booze and not really eating dinner. Still, it was a minor thing compared how I'd stuff myself after drink in my earlier years. Woke up after 4 hours of sleep, intended to go back to bed but it was just too exciting to be lying next to my pregnant wife AND not have to get up and go, so we just spent an hour just talking and hugging and listening to old Brian Eno records. I sang tracks off of "Here Come the Warm Jets" to her belly, hopefully my kid won't like Miley Cyrus or whoever the teeny boppers are digging then.

Weighed in at 215.0 this morning. Huh, twenty pounds, I thought I'd be skinnier. By medical standards, I have to go to 185 to have a BMI of a non-overweight person! Don't think THAT will ever happen.

B went to a bridal shower and I finally got on the road bike. Met an ex-employee of the restaurant (a group rapidly growing in number) and E and we road out to Flushing Meadow in the 90 degree weather, really nice. Meat and beer was not my first choice of post-ride meal, especially since I had to ride a few miles after to get home. Got home around 6, fell asleep after showering around 7pm

DRUNKY SNACK: 3:30am, half a bagel with gender-specific chocolate spread, a banana walnut muffin, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5

AM DRUGGING: 8am, 1 extra strength tylenol
A preventative measure, woke up slightly buzzed, so took this to keep a hangover in check.

BREAKFAST: 9:15am, toasted bagel with lox, cream cheese, tomato, onion, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Deliciousness from the B. She can't cook, but she can prepare. -sigh-

AM BIKE SNACK: 11:30am, churro, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

PM BIKE SNACK: 12:30pm, most of a chocolate donut, bite of a cinnamon bun, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

PM BIKE SNACK: 1:30pm, 20oz of gatorade

PM BIKE WATERING: 2-4pm, a few quarts

LUNCH: 4pm, weiner shnitzel with German potato salad, kraut, 2 cups of beer, a bite of kielbasa, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
After-ride meal at the Bohemian Beer Garden in Astoria.

Blown Thoroughly

Yesterday went well, so it was easier getting into the restaurant today. Not enough time to prep properly, and after a lunch service that went relatively smoothly, I found during dinner service it was one long game to catch up. I was in the back kitchen a lot leading a brigade of 3 others to put out the fires where ever they arose, whether than was making sauce, cutting cheese, making dough, cleaning and prepping garnishes, slicing toppings, keeping on top of the dishes, keeping delivery boxes stocked, and moderating between all the personalities involved. Hella fun, but after 14 hours two days in a row, I could see how people could burn out of this. The after-work drink really helped.

BREAKFAST: 8am, bialy with a little cream cheese and smoked salmon, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
B got some fish from Russ & Daughters for some brunch thing with friends, so I was able to indulge myself before the pressure cooker of a new restaurant on a Saturday.

LUNCH: 4pm, 2 slices of pizza, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
Too busy for L to cook up something more off-menu, which is fine by me -- I think the pizza we produce is fantastic.

RESTAURANT HAZE: 4pm - midnight, sprite, a few prosciutto balls, a snippet of cucumber, a dry ginger ale, water, a glass of lemonade, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

DEHAZING FLUIDS: midnight, pint of beer, one gin & tonic, 2 shots of whisky, water, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
The initial plan was to go home and recuperate, but people were going out, so after the kitchen crew finished up I followed after, aiming to be there a few minutes and ended up spending 2 hours and drinking way too much. It's nice when people cheer when you show up, hug you and kind of thank you for making their lives a little easier. I didn't let anyone buy me a drink, in fact I bought everyone one round, just seemed like the classy thing to do as a manager.

Good day

Staff lunch is serious business, especially for those of us for whom this meal is the one real meal of the day. This one South American busser, a short little guy with a pronounced overbite and a slightly unnerving permanent grin always eats seconds and thirds, no matter what. Financially, this meal makes a big difference. It's fuel for the car, so to speak.

Friday in the restaurant went smoother than expected, with L only getting shouty in spots. We had two pizza men working the oven during the day, one whose days are probably numbered, another who started yesterday (from whom I'm getting good vibes). Hopefully tomorrow can go as smooth as today. After work tomorrow, a mega ride to sunrise! Then Sunday with the B and minipeazle!

BREAKFAST: I fergot

PM SNACK: 1pm, snippet of pizza

PM SNACK: 3pm, meatball

LUNCH: 4pm, half a medium pie with bacon and tomato, 1.25 bowl
Staff lunch were egg and pepper heros, and there was no way I could eat that, so I made myself a pizza, gave half of it to the hungrier side of the staff.

RESTAURANT HAZE: 7pm - 11pm, small sliver of Sicilian, scoop of chocolate gelato, bite of pizza, sprite, 2 glasses of mandorla, a little lemonade, pint of water, 1 bowl, hunger ?/5

AM WATERING: 1am, quart o' water

An easier way?

Tired. Class all morning, restaurant all day and night. Trying out a slew of new staff in front and back of house. Two pizzamen, one didn't make it through the afternoon, though the dishwasher/porter seems to be working out. L busting heads a little bit, mostly towards the end of the night, we were all a little crispy. Now the crush starts, then my weekend. There has got to be an easier way to lose weight.

BREAKFAST: 8am, blueberry muffin, water, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5

LUNCH: 4pm, pasta in cream sauce with peas, fruit tart, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5

PM SNACKS: 7-10pm, a couple of prosciutto balls, a couple of slices, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5

AM WATERING: 12:15am, quart of water

AM SNACK: 12:45am, handful of cashews

We're either coming or going.

Class in the morning, a meeting with a career advisor at school, lunch with the B, 3 hours of chaos at the restaurant, a birthing class tour of the hospital where we'll be hatching the first member of our infant army, dinner at nice restaurant after, home.

Seeing three babies in the nursery, freshly born, was an eye opener. I don't like being in hospitals, and really don't like them since my parents passed -- it's where you go to die. The birthing room we were shown reminded me of the private room my mother was in -- she didn't like her hospital rooms, but the private room, with some wood panelling, she felt like it was somewhere where she could entertain guests without feeling too...hospital-ly and down. The room was nice, a thin slice of human kindness in a sterile desert.

Anyway, seeing those babies coming in in the same position my parents going out: totally unconscious, helpless, wearing diapers, hooked up to beeping machines, surrounded by loved ones with all thoughts on them. I instantly missed my parents something awful.

BREAKFAST: 8am, chocolate muffin, Manhattan Special, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
The Special got me buzzing, nice and awake for class.

LUNCH: 1pm, a few pickles, pastrami on rye, half a brownie, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Lunch at Eisenberg's with the B. All I can say is....oy. I want to like this place, but the food is crappadicka. The pastrami was clearly pre-sliced on a mechanical slice and heated up in a microwave. The pickles were sitting around awhile and the brownie was strictly Lil' Debbie.

RESTAURANT SNACK: 4pm, 1 slice of Sicilian, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

DINNER: 8:30pm, hummus and bread, a little salad, lamb shishkebab with potato and rice, water, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Dinner at Turkish Kitchen with the B after the birthing class left out early.

85%

Despite having a lot of prep to catch up on, things went relatively smoothly today at the restaurant. Why, I actually enjoyed 85% of it...there are still many things wrong with the place, but I'm digging it. HVS and HVM stopped by, was nice, though I wish I could have come out and eaten with them.

BREAKFAST: 8:30am, organic cheerios with the good milk, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

LUNCH: 3:30pm, steak and onion sandwich, water, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5

PM SNACKS: 5pm-9pm, glass of mandorla, a meat ball, a few cucumber slices .5 bowl

PM SNACK: 10pm, slice of pizza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

EVENING SNACK: 11:30pm, baby carrots and peanut butter, . 25 bowl, hunger 4/5

I love good milk

Had class this morning and fell asleep a little during it. Had a wonderful lunch at HVS headquarters with the HVM -- supposed to go for an enervating bike ride but due to sheets of rain, we poked into a movie, in which I dozed off. After, the HVS and I yogasized but my body was just overtired and I found myself in child's seat more than usual, and shivasana did not come soon enough.

Had a meeting over a nice dinner with L and his daughters, I had the satisfaction of running through the entire list of our main issues. L seemed to connect with a lot of them, but not totally responsive to all of them. I did my thing, my conscience is clear.

BREAKFAST: 7:15am, organic cheerios with the good milk, .5 bowls, hunger 4/5
Tried a new brand of organic unhomogenized whole milk, Thistle from upstate, damn tasty.

AM SNACK: 10am, apple fritter, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

SNICKLELUNCH: 12:45pm, rice with seaweed, salad with lemon and tamari pumpkin seeds, mashed sweet potato, mint chip non-dairy dessert, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5
The HVS made a sweet lunch, her best yet. The salad was perfectly dressed, the sweet potato was surprisingly moderate in its sweetness, and the rice was well salted, so that when it mixed with other things in the mouth, it just complimented everything well.

DINNER: 10pm, onion au gratin soup, cod with potato and chorizo, a bite of banana ricotta tart, water, a couple of pieces of bread, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Dinner with L and his daughters at Balthazar.

Mandlen

My weight this morning was 215.2. When I set out to start losing weight more than a year ago, I was 235. My original goal was to lose 20 pounds, and for the last 6 months or so, I was stable at around 223, which was fine, but the last few weeks at the restaurant have driven me to eat less, and eat crappier. I need to work on that, but physically, I feel good and have my health, mostly -- not enough sleep and a linger cough, but that's pretty much restaurant life. I'm experiencing the grind....and I look forward to jumping tracks to the grind of a new lil' bebe.

I got in at 4am, after working 14.5 hours in the restaurant then riding about 30 miles round trip to Coney Island for hot dogs and some listening to the waves. The day at the restaurant started on a high note, then slowly slipped away inch by inch until coming to a complete crashing by the end. Friday was long, and nobody got enough sleep to start on Saturday. We open at 12 instead of 11:30 on Saturday, but its still not enough time to prep. L and his family were late by an hour, and by the time they arrived, I had everyone in and prepping, moving along well, got L in a good-ish mood. Then service started, we weren't finished with prep by a long shot, and we got slammed with too many customers, a system where only 1 pizza is made at a time, kept on running out of stuff, prepping to order, L started getting yelly at everyone, and on top of it, for some odd reason the air conditioning decided to not function and the temp in both the dining room and kitchen rose close to 90. We broke for lunch and closed the restaurant for an hour and a half. I had the guys do some prepping, but the dishes were backed up and as it turned out, even with a dishwasher, there wasn't enough dishes -- we had to serve on paper plates at one point in the night! We cancelled delivery, but L took an order for 17 pizzas anyway -- at 8:30pm, at the height of the rush! Things spiralled downwards, with the refrigeration in the back failing because of the excessive heat. Between moving food between units, suffering a lazy dishwasher and a delivery person who was sent back there to help but didn't do shit, L withdrawing and losing his energy and focus, the heat rising, my guys prepping and never catching up, and just wanting to hide in the cold walk-in refrigerated room and drink lemonade until it all just stopped.

The highlight of the evening was the HVS and a small gaggle of folks from my prior career stopped in to show support, that was really cool. I just things were more in control so I could spent more time with them.

BREAKFAST: 1pm, 2 small donuts, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

LUNCH: 2pm, mixed gluten, mashed taro treasure boxes, spinach dumpling, sticky rice, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5

PM SNACK: 6:30pm, 5 pieces homemade french toast, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5
Didn't eat pizza today, but busted out some focaccia out of the freezer from the last pizza place I worked and made an awesome batch of french toast, dead simple: batter of milk, egg, sugar, vanilla bean, cinnamon, pinch of salt, soaked the slices for 5 minutes, fried in butter, sprinkled with powdered sugar, hit the spot. Needed more salt.

DINNER: 8:45pm, shrimp soup with mandlen, bagel with hummus and a little tabouli, grape gatorade, 1.25 bowl, hunger 4/5
Took out some homemade chicken stock, added a dose of salt and curry, and lightly poached a handful of shrimp in it -- it's so easy to overcook shrimp, so difficult to undercook them. Added a handful of soup mandlen, which I picked up at the Streitz store around passover. They are small egg-based light and fluffy soup nuggets. I had them often at summer camp as a kid, everyone dug them, never saw them again until now.