Rumor-checking, yeast division

pleonastic was startled by the claims that the U.S. has banned vegemite, and did a bit of research. As far as zie can tell, it's either hoax or confusion, which should comfort both any expat Australians reading this, and anyone who welcomes evidence of sanity in the FDA.

Rumor-checking, yeast division

pleonastic was startled by the claims that the U.S. has banned vegemite, and did a bit of research. As far as zie can tell, it's either hoax or confusion, which should comfort both any expat Australians reading this, and anyone who welcomes evidence of sanity in the FDA.

What counts as progress

I went to the gym this morning. When I got done with my cardio, one of the new trainers commented that I was doing well. I said something to the effect that I always do the cardio first, so I have the weights ahead of me as a reward; if I did the weights first, I'd never get to cardio. She noted that it's also useful warm-up, which I acknowledged. Then I did my first weight exercise, and she said something about my having been making a lot of progress in the last month. I pointed out that I've been going there for several years, and said that I wasn't making progress, just getting back from having been sick.

Then I thought about it a little more. Progress from two months ago counts, even if it's not where I might have been in an ideal universe where I wasn't sick for a month, and perhaps where I was a little more diligent about working out when traveling. And I feel as though I'm making progress on other scales, like actually going to see people, and having gotten a very encouraging reply to an email I sent yesterday about possible work. So I went back and told her "I shouldn't put myself down, I am making progress" (though I didn't include the reasoning above).

The measurable results of the weight work are incremental, and not monotonic: an extra 2.5 pounds on this exercise, but not up to what I'd been thinking of as my fairly stable level on that one. But I know I feel better when I work out, and my partners say they can see the muscle. Certainly, it comes in handy when someone asks me to carry her walker up the subway stairs because the elevator is out of service, and I've got a sack of groceries in one hand (she could climb the stairs using the handrail, but not get the walker up with her).

( some gym numbers )

What counts as progress

I went to the gym this morning. When I got done with my cardio, one of the new trainers commented that I was doing well. I said something to the effect that I always do the cardio first, so I have the weights ahead of me as a reward; if I did the weights first, I'd never get to cardio. She noted that it's also useful warm-up, which I acknowledged. Then I did my first weight exercise, and she said something about my having been making a lot of progress in the last month. I pointed out that I've been going there for several years, and said that I wasn't making progress, just getting back from having been sick.

Then I thought about it a little more. Progress from two months ago counts, even if it's not where I might have been in an ideal universe where I wasn't sick for a month, and perhaps where I was a little more diligent about working out when traveling. And I feel as though I'm making progress on other scales, like actually going to see people, and having gotten a very encouraging reply to an email I sent yesterday about possible work. So I went back and told her "I shouldn't put myself down, I am making progress" (though I didn't include the reasoning above).

The measurable results of the weight work are incremental, and not monotonic: an extra 2.5 pounds on this exercise, but not up to what I'd been thinking of as my fairly stable level on that one. But I know I feel better when I work out, and my partners say they can see the muscle. Certainly, it comes in handy when someone asks me to carry her walker up the subway stairs because the elevator is out of service, and I've got a sack of groceries in one hand (she could climb the stairs using the handrail, but not get the walker up with her).

( some gym numbers )

Surprising myself

In random conversation over dinner just now, we wandered from ciabatta to different kinds of rye bread to Ry-Krisp crackers, to SAS serving them to me as part of my special seafood meal several years ago. I mentioned that they'd given me a lot of smoked salmon, and one snack centered on a hard-boiled egg and some fish eggs, which cattitude noted sounded appealing.

I have actual pleasant memories of airline food from seven years ago (!).

Surprising myself

In random conversation over dinner just now, we wandered from ciabatta to different kinds of rye bread to Ry-Krisp crackers, to SAS serving them to me as part of my special seafood meal several years ago. I mentioned that they'd given me a lot of smoked salmon, and one snack centered on a hard-boiled egg and some fish eggs, which cattitude noted sounded appealing.

I have actual pleasant memories of airline food from seven years ago (!).