THURS. MARCH 30

I think I fasted through breakfast -- I'm so tired, I don't really remember. But I'm pretty sure.

Wrote all morning. Got dressed for meeting at Disney. Meeting went well, very pleasant, nice people, smart notes.

After the meeting, we grabbed lunch at a Mexican restaurant. I had about a bowlful of chips w/ salsa, 1 chicken enchilada w/ rice. I have leftovers.

Traffic was great, so Lee dropped me at home before going to get the kids. Write write write. They all stopped at Jamba Juice and brought me home a small juice because Lee felt I needed the vitamins and energy. But I forgot I had it, I was writing so hard, so didn't finish it. Let's call it half a small Mango-a-Go-Go.

Skipped dinner. Writing writing. Wanted to get pages out to our writers group by 9:00 p.m. at the latest. The idea was that we would then watch "American Inventor," relax, and go to bed. That didn't happen. The kids watched, we taped.

Sometime in there I had a small cheese pizza.

Finished pasting together the script at about 2:00 a.m. Went to bed but too wound up to sleep. Really tired today, and feeling like crap on top of it all.

Had to get up at 6:00 to get the kids to school -- even though today is the last day before vacation and I know half the school is already en route to Maui or Mammoth or whatever.

Today is recovery mode. Supposed to go to a meeting tonight, don't know if I will make it. Lee wants me to stay home and let him take care of me. Very tempting.

WED. MARCH 29

I fasted through breakfast.

I was out running errands all morning, Target and whatnot, and Lee asked me to bring some lunch home. So I stopped at Quiznos. I had a tuna and swiss sandwich with tomatoes and mayo, and a small bag of black-pepper-and-line potato chips. I have to say, black pepper and lime is a taste whose time has come! I can definitely figure out a great black-pepper-and-lime sauce for say, fish, but now I'd like to figure out a dipping sauce for french fries.

We got a fair amount of work done on the script, which has to go out tonight to our writers group. It will not be fully done, that's for sure. At least I won Lee over to my side on one huge logic gap he had created. I am crossing my fingers because he has been rewriting one of the most difficult sections of the script, one he totally botched earlier. I'm not saying my pages were good, 'cause they're not that great, but at least they hold the plot in place and get all the clues out in a coherent way. I'm a little worried, 'cause we're a mere 12 hours or so away from having to send, and I haven't seen 'em yet. But he did a good job on the ending, so at least the script ends strong, even if it's rocky getting there. We'll see.

We were interrupted because Wed. night is church night for the kids, and Lenten small group for us. Lee heated up some chili, which I had w/ cheese and sour cream -- Didn't get to finish it before small group. Could hardly stay awake during small group. Not the most exciting group of people, or the brightest -- reading the scripture aloud, one woman pronounced "hasten" like "fasten," but with an audible "t." Sigh. Two more weeks. I had about 4 Girl Scout cookies to get me through the group. I needed them.

Today (Fri.) I'd like to say we're just writing. That's what we should be doing. But we have to go to a meeting to get notes on a script we delivered last November. There is no money left to be paid on this script, so very unthrilled to stop writing to move into another world. It is more or less a lunchtime meeting, way out at Disney, so we will probably grab some fast food on the way home, then it will be time to get the kids -- so we will lose most of the day. Sure hope Lee got a lot done last night. And that he'll let me see it. And that it's good.

TUES. MARCH 28

I fasted through breakfast today.

We had a marvelously rainy day -- it poured. A great day to stay in and write. Lee took and picked up the kids today, so I didn't actually step outside all day. I got a lot done. Fancy that.

Lee and I argued our way fairly amicably through a tough portion of our script this morning, then broke for a microwave lunch. I had a Lean Cuisine cheese ravioli. I was pleased to realize I am no longer, um, digestively-challenged.

After school everyone broke out the snacks, and I had a mini-cheese pizza. Why do I have the sneaking feeling that when my kids order cheese pizza at their school's hot lunch, they're getting the exact same thing I get at Costco? Hmm.

For dinner, I finally made my teriyaki chicken -- stir-fried chicken w/ green onions, mushrooms, and peanuts in teriyaki sauce, with sticky rice. Yum! Cory even liked it -- all but the peanuts. (Sabrina didn't but I have to take what I can get with these two.) And 2 Girl Scout cookies.

Tomorrow I am out at doctor's appointments and running errands in the morning. Tomorrow night the kids have dinner at church, so I won't be cooking. And we have our Lenten small group here. Hopefully the rain will have stopped.

MON. MARCH 27

Yay! I'm actually posting my day's food on the actual day!

Not that there's much to post...

I had a meeting w/ my other Girl Scout leaders (no longer Brownie leaders now that our girls have 'flown up'). I had a vanilla chai latte (with no discernible vanilla in it, I have to say), and a croissant.

I fasted through lunch. Happily, as I am still feeling digestively-challenged.

I still want to make that teriyaki chicken for dinner, but tonight Cory needed a lot of help w/ homework, and I got a late start. So we just had macaroni and cheese. And 5 Girl Scout cookies.

And I still feel yucky, though got some good work done today. Feeling the time pressure mightily. Going to bed somewhat early, the better to hope to actually sleep. Tomorrow the meeting we were supposed to have was bumped, so writing all day (and taxes, and my mom's taxes, and my kids' scrapbooks which have to be done by Easter, and my mom's insurance issues, and a long time on hold no doubt to the city of L.A. which has decided we owe several years of back taxes because they haven't bothered to see that we are paid through a corporation which does pay business taxes and plenty of 'em, thank you very much.... Oy. )

And maybe somewhere in there I'll finally cook that teriyaki chicken.

SUN. MARCH 26

Today I did something I haven't done in months and months. Something I rarely, if ever do. I skipped church.

I started to get dressed, but I just felt so draggy and awful. I thought about skipping church. Normally that would make feel intensely guilty. It didn't make me feel guilty at all, just relieved. I asked Lee. He said stay home.

And off he went to church w/ the kids, and back to bed I went, feeling worse and worse through the morning. Very low grade fever, some chills, and pretty much digestively-challenged all around. Yuck.

Needless to say, I fasted through breakfast and lunch. Even when Lee called from McDonald's and offered to bring me home lunch, I said no. (Though I should have asked him to bring me a Sprite...)

Sabrina had a playdate this afternoon, here, so I had to get up and get dressed and pretend to be normal. Then I crashed on the couch instead of in bed, as if my normal Sunday afternoon routine is to lie down (it hurt to sit up). I did get two books read, cover-to-cover.

I was supposed to make dinner tonight, chicken teriyaki, but there was just no way. Instead Lee made shrimp pasta primavera with broccoli, peppers and carrots. I had probably a bigger serving than my tummy really can handle... And 4 Girl Scout cookies.

I'm going to bed mondo early. I hope to feel better in the morning (I'm thinking this is some kind of mild food poisoning?). Tomorrow I have a breakfast Girl Scout leader meeting, but that just means some form of latte. Then back home and writing all day, if I have the energy and can sit up comfortably.

Oy.

SAT. MARCH 25

I thought I was going to sleep in on Sat., but mistakenly pulled up the little doohickey on my alarm clock. So off it went at 6:15. Even though I didn't have to be anywhere till 1:00. How stupid am I.

I fasted through breakfast and lunch.

I taught my pitching seminar at Act One. I was quite pleased with how everyone did. Even the most nervous people had done a good job. They weren't pitching their own stories, so that area of nervousness was pulled out. We'll get to that next week. But they did good.

Sure wish someone would bring snacks, though. I was hungry!

When I got home, Lee, who had been schlepping the kids around all day (delivering Girl Scout cookies with Sabrina in the morning, taking the kids to a double playdate in the afternoon), brought home all sorts of leftovers from his day eating on the road. I got them! So I had half an Islands 'Hawaiian' burger (that means pineapple and teriyaki sauce), and half a Quiznos prime rib sandwich. Is that a weird dinner or what? I also had 4 Girl Scout cookies through the evening of watching "High School Musical" w/ the kids.

And I went to bed early, absolutely exhausted. Even though I hadn't done anything. Not knowing I was going to wake up sick...

FRI. MARCH 24

I fasted through breakfast and lunch. Boy, was I hungry.

We had a Girl Scout meeting here at our house, which worked out really well. I had a handful of gorp, 2 carrots, and a piece of string cheese.

For dinner, I made some fettucini w/ ham and peas -- remarkably easy for something one might actually find at a restaurant. (Boil the fettucini, heat some whipping cream until it's reduced to half the volume. Throw in some sliced ham, the noodles, some frozen peas, enough Parmesan to thicken, stir and heat till thick. Yum.)

That was it.

THURS. MARCH 23

I don't know why I am finding it so hard to remember what I ate just a day before... My mind is scattered these days. Too much going on.

Lee and I went to watch Cory's class participate in the "Walk Through the American Revolution," a combination game show/competition/recitation/skit where, in 2 1/2 hours, you learn about the entire revolution. Cory played Benedict Arnold and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, whose name I don't remember. It was cute.

I dragged Lee along, though he didn't realize it was 2 1/2 hours! So food was necessary -- we went to Arby's and I had a beef and cheddar melt, and 3 potato cakes.

When the kids came home, I had a couple of Girl Scout cookies. Then it turned out they had stopped at Cold Stone Creamery for ice cream to celebrate Cory's performance on the way home, and Lee had brought a kids' size cup home for me. But I didn't feel like it then -- I was feeling so yucky from all the bad stuff that's been happening, I thought I'd throw it up.

For dinner, I made Parmesan-crusted chicken. Not my favorite, but everyone else in the family scarfs it down, so I still make it. I meant to make a rice and veggie pilaf thing, but I burned the rice. So I whipped up some angel hair pasta with parmesan instead.

Later in the evening, I had that small chocolate/oreo ice cream that Lee had brought me.

Today I am home writing all morning, then I have to host the Girl Scout meeting here in our backyard. There will be some kind of snack. I may make fettucini with peas and ham tonight. Or I may collapse from exhaustion and let Lee cook.

WED. MARCH 22

I fasted through breakfast and lunch.

Dinner was confused, because we had to get the kids out to their thing at church and had to get the house ready for the Lenten small group that we volunteered to host on any night but Wednesday (note that we got stuck w/ Wednesday -- grrrr). I had some leftover ravioli w/o sauce, and a small serving of Thin Mint Ice Cream that I bought because we were celebrating Girl Scout cookies -- as if we don't have enough in the house already!

Then one of the small group people brought some bakery cookies, so I had a large cookie w/ icing, plus 1 GS Cookie. And that was it.

I will try to do a better job of posting. I just feel so overtasked right now, like I am juggling 3 more balls than I know how to juggle. Oy.

TUES. MARCH 21

Oh, how bad am I. Not only did I not blog my food for Tuesday, but I don't really remember it all... Deep contrition here.

I do remember that Lee made hamburgers on sourdough bread for lunch -- that was because Sabrina was home with a sore throat and cough (which she may very well have given to me), so he made her a real lunch.

And I do remember that I had to go out that night to a meeting, one where we bring potluck. And I had a large serving of salad w/ some chicken shredded in it, and also mushrooms, carrots and other stuff, plus a couple of pieces of cornbread, plus some julienned veggies --carrots and what looked like various squash -- and one bite of a cream cheese brownie. But I really don't remember much else about the day. It was a rotten day, we lost a job we had really wanted, and I was so tired when I got home. I may have eaten more. Probably did. But I don't remember.

Sorry.

MON. MARCH 20

I had a breakfast meeting w/ my other Girl Scout leaders this morning. I had a vanilla chai latte in a big cappucino cup.

The meeting took a lot longer than I expected, so it was almost 11:00 by the time we left. I stopped at the deli counter and picked up a couple of salads to take home to Lee for lunch. I had about a cup and a half of a Thai noodle salad -- noodles, cilantro, carrots, green onion, peanuts. Later I had 2 Girl Scout cookies.

After school I took Cory to Costco -- he wanted to go w/ me because he wanted to buy a new videogame (sigh). Not too many free samples. I had a small piece of waffle w/ maple syrup and whipped cream and 7 jelly beans.

For dinner, it was Cory's choice, and he wanted Hamburger helper -- cheeseburger macaroni -- I had 1 serving w/ sour cream. Later Lee made me a small chocolate chip ice cream w/ chocolate syrup.

This was supposed to be a writing day, but that long Girl Scout meeting really threw me off. Tomorrow I am home all day, and it should be raining, so write write write. We have to get a lot done in a little time. Then tomorrow night I have my Alliance of Women Directors board meeting -- this is the meeting where we all bring utterly unplanned potluck and see what we end up with. Somehow it always works out.

SUN. MARCH 19

I have been so on-the-go, juggling so many things at once, and so exhausted, I just haven't been doing a good job here. Forgive me.

Yesterday (Sunday), I fasted through breakfast.

I had to go to church early to teach a class on How to Prepare a Passover Seder. I worked really hard on this, only to discover, when I got to church, that the 5-page handout I had meticulously prepared and sent to them had been turned into a 3-page handout, with the 2 most important pages of instructions missing. Also, they promised me a microphone, but didn't have one. I had to start out teaching outside in the cold and wind with no microphone (we're under construction, and there were no inside rooms available!). And they set up for 40 people, but close to 60 arrived, so many people had no seats (and no handouts)... After the jr. high group vacated the chapel, about 15 minutes into my teaching, we got to move inside.

It went well. Lee helped me teach the music (and my kids and their best friends helped too, which was lovely.) Although in the middle of it I managed to misstep and fall down a flight of 3 steps. Very embarrassing. And still painful on the right side. That's the second time I've fallen down like that in a month (last time was in Baja). What is wrong with me that I'm falling down stairs like that?

Anyway, after it all, I was ravenous -- and exhausted. We went to Islands. I had a half-pound cheese burger w/ grilled onions, and way too many fries -- about 7 handfuls -- w/ lo-cal ranch dressing. And then I went home and crawled into bed and read the Sunday paper and took a nap.

Then last night was Premise. They promised Chinese food, but by the time we got there, they had nothing left but fried rice. Theoretically chicken fried rice, but you had to really hunt to find the chicken. And all the other 'fried rice' additions -- onions, egg, peas -- none of it was there. So basically for dinner I had about 1/3 c. rice -- with a few bites of chicken . And I had a fortune cookie -- with a really good fortune, btw -- something like "Your difficult times are coming to an end." Oh, and I had another cookie as I walked out the door.

And as I recall, that was it for yesterday. Though I'm so tired, who knows what I've forgotten?

SAT. MARCH 18

Well, not the healthiest day one could imagine...

I got up extra early -- around 6 -- because I suddenly had a vision for a scene our script needed and got up to spend 2 hours writing.

We had our writers group today, which means -- donuts!... I had 1/4 cinnamon roll, a jelly doughnut, 1/4 buttermilk donut, 1/3 maple bar (keep in mind this is over about 3 hours...

I didn't get to go to lunch w/ the group, because I had to teach a class on how to pitch a movie for Act One. I drove down w/ someone from our group who was taking the class, and we drove through In 'n' Out on the way -- I had a cheeseburger w/ grilled onions, and about 1/2 an order of fries (basically, all I could manage in the car -- in dreadful traffic, dealing w/ road closures -- before we got there, then threw the rest out)...

I was exhausted after teaching. I always am. I came home and just stared into space or played computer games or whatever -- I don't really remember. Lee had gone to the movies with Sabrina, while Cory was at a sleepover. Lee stopped on the way home and picked up some dinner. I had four chicken tenders w/ sweet&sour sauce. And I went to bed early.

FRI. MARCH 17

Oh, sooo shame on me for not blogging here. Sorry sorry sorry.

Okay, let's get caught up. Friday.

Friday I fasted through breakfast and lunch.

I had to be a room mom at a "Green Party" (why do we call it that instead of a St. Patrick's Day party, when we're at a private school that says the Lord's Prayer every morning? I don't know). I had half a green-colored shamrock cookie and a few bites of honeydew melon (green, get it?). Too bad I wasn't a room mom for Cory's class -- they got Shamrock Shakes from McDonalds!

I then raced off to get a haircut, and got home late. When I got home, Lee had made dinner -- bless him -- cheese ravioli w/ marinara sauce. I was so grateful! And I had a little chocolate chip ice cream with chocolate syrup.

That was it for Friday...

THURS. MARCH 16

I split a half a bagel w/ cream cheese with Sabrina for breakfast.

I didn't have lunch till late, but Lee stopped at Taco Bell on his way home from getting the car fixed. He brought me a chicken Caesar salad burrito and a taco supreme. The burrito was actually quite nice -- just lettuce, tomato, chicken and caesar dressing. And 3 Thin Mints.

I had a late dinner because it was "Moms' Night Out" for the 3rd grade moms. We met at a Mexican place better known for its drinking than its food, but it was actually pretty nice. Empty, I guess 'cause it was a Thursday. I had appx 2 1/2 margaritas -- hard to tell, because the waiter brought pitchers and just kept pouring and pouring. I finally had to say 'enough' because I was feeling it (boy, was I feeling it!) and knew I had to drive home! I had a handful of chips, no more than that because they weren't that good. And I had 2 grilled shrimp enchiladas with rice.

Tomorrow I have to be room mom at the St. Patrick's Day party -- no green beer for the 3rd grade, though! Maybe some snacks. Then I have to get an overdue haircut, then race home before all the wacked out drivers hit the road for St. Paddy's Day. (Why do we have a holiday where the only purpose is to get drunk?)

And now, having done my drinking a day early, I will go pour myself into bed.

WED., MARCH 15

The Ides of March.

(Did you know that usually the Ides are on the 13th of the month? March is an anomaly. There, you learned something today. Maybe.)

I fasted through breakfast and lunch.

Our Lenten home group (which gets bigger every week -- ack!) came over to eat Girl Scout cookies (oh, and read the Bible and stuff like that too). I had 3 Thin Mints.

After everyone left, Lee was concerned that I hadn't eaten, and made me a grilled chicken breast and about 6 oz. of grilled potatoes. Very nice. Oh, and 5 Do-Si-Dos. (We have got to get these cookies out of the house!)

Today I am home writing all day (yay), then tonight is "Moms' Night Out" w/ the 3rd grade moms -- we're going to a rowdy Mexican place for margaritas, etc. This is a nice group of moms, so looking forward to it...

TUES. MARCH 14

Boy, Blogger is being incredibly slow today...

I fasted through breakfast and lunch yesterday. In the afternoon, Lee felt the need for a Jamba Juice with all the various "boosts" (I can't help being suspicious that it's just a way for them to charge extra for nothing). He brought me back a small mango-a-go-go -- basically mango, pineapple sherbet, pineapples, and i think orange juice.

For dinner I made lasagna, and boy was it a flameout. I have a good recipe, but it makes an enormous amount. So when I saw a half-sized box of lasagna noodles at the store, I grabbed it. What a mistake. When I started to boil the water for the noodles, I saw the words "do not boil" on the box -- basically these were supposed to be ready-to-bake lasagna noodles. Ha! Stay away! Do not buy!

The non-noodle part of the lasagna was yummy -- but the noodles (which of course are through the whole thing) were like eating duct tape. I scraped the sauce/meat/cheese off and tried to eat that -- about 1/4 c. of lasagna-minus-noodles was all I got -- and then threw all the leftovers in the trash. (Lee and Cory cleaned their plates -- they must have been very hungry indeed.)

Feeling sorry for me, Lee made me a Lean Cuisine macaroni and cheese and then dished me out quite a sizeable serving of Moose Tracks ice cream. And with that, I feel I have had enough dairy to hold me for days. I also had 2 cookies, courtesy of Cory, later that evening.

Today I was out running errands all day, home writing this afternoon, then we have our Lenten home group this evening and the kids have dinner up at church. I could end up fasting the whole day. But Lee is out getting the car fixed right now (someone drove by our house and smashed the side mirror off it, and didn't leave a note), so who knows what he will bring home... We'll see...

MON. MARCH 13

Well, me and my big mouth about being immune to Girl Scout cookies. I sure disproved that yesterday!

I fasted through breakfast -- but a little later, Lee went out to offer some cookies to a handyman here to clear brush, and it turns out he's diabetic. So Lee brought me 4 Thin Mints.

Later, Lee was in a heating-things-up mood for lunch, so I had a bowl of leftover chili with a slice of cheese and about 1 T. of sour cream..

When the kids came home, the cookies started flying. And later while we were watching TV. Adding it all up, I had 1 Samoa and 7 or 8 Do-Si-Dos (gulp).

For dinner I made poached orange roughy with sauteed onions and potatoes, and steamed carrots. I can't believe that my kids actually love fish. Astonishing.

Today I am home writing all day (yay!). I may make lasagna for dinner tonight, if I feel that ambitious.

SUN. MARCH 12

Not the healthiest of days, eating-wise, I have to say.

We spent the morning at church trying to deliver Girl Scout cookies in freezing weather (okay, it was around 47 degrees -- but for L.A., that is *beyond* freezing!). I had a jelly doughnut while out on the patio.

After church, Lee and Cory and I had to kill time while waiting for Sabrina who was at a birthday party. Lee chose lunch at a sort of old-style diner/coffee shop place -- wouldn't have been my choice. I had 2 crab cakes, about 1 T. of tartar sauce, 1 poached egg, a dab of Hollandaise sauce, and hashed browns.

I came home and spent the afternoon working on the class I have to teach at church next week on how to prepare a Passover Seder. Lee and Sabrina went out delivering cookies. They stopped at Jamba Juice on the way home, and bought 1 juice to split w/ the whole family , so I had 1/4 of a tall Mango-a-go-go.

It was still cold so I made chili for dinner. I had 1 1/2 bowls of chili, w/ appx 2 slices of cheese, and 2 T of sour cream. I think I had 1 or 2 Girl Scout cookies -- they're so ubiquitous around the house, it's hard to keep track. But I have to say, I have not been as attracted to G.S. cookies this year as in previous years.

Today I am home all day. I may make fish for dinner tonight...

SAT. MARCH 11

I'd like to say I fasted through breakfast. But really I slept through breakfast.

I then raced off to the Act One application committee meeting. We were promised a "light lunch," but the food was arranged by guys, so what we really got was sort of a continental breakfast/snack, with nothing "lunch" about it.

Through the course of the four hour meeting I had about 4 crackers with cheese, half a bagel with cream cheese, half an English muffin with lemon curd, 2 tiny muffins, and a thing of lime yogurt.

Lee took Cory to his drum lesson, and as a treat for the kids (and for me, as he had heard about the skimpy lunch), he stopped at the Apple Pan and picked up dinner. I had a cheeseburger and a few fries, but the fries were drastically overcooked so didn't have many at all. And one Samoa cookie.

Lee and I were supposed to go out tonight to the 168 Film Festival, but the combination of (a) the fact that we knew people involved with only 2 films showing tonight; (b) anticipated bad weather; and (c) the fact that they're charging $25!!! for an evening of short films, most of which will be execrable (based on past experience)... well, we decided to skip it. We will get to see our friends' films in another more friendly venue. When you can buy an Oscar-nominated short for $1.00, well, $50 for an evening of shorts (plus another $30 or so for babysitting, plus grabbing a bite to eat...), it's just not worth it.

Tomorrow is church, lunch after church, Sabrina goes to a birthday party, and then we are thankfully home for the day. I love days at home.

FRI. MARCH 10

Oops. I didn't blog last night, and this morning I slept in too late and barely made it to my meeting, and oh well, here I am now.

So. Yesterday.

I fasted through breakfast. I had a lunch date and had a club sandwich with the middle piece of bread taken out, and hashed browns with sour cream (I liked it so much the other day, I wanted the same thing again).

I didn't have snack at the Brownie meeting, but Sabrina brought me over a Samoa cookie, so I had that.

I didn't have dinner, but went to the Act One mixer, where the delicacy of the evening was, you guessed it, Girl Scout cookies. I had about 7 reduced fat Lemon Coolers, one All About, and 2 Do-Si-Dos.

Lee was concerned that I hadn't had dinner, so when I got home, about an hour later than I thought, he had heated up for me some of the kids' leftovers, about half a bowl of macaroni and cheese.

And that was yesterday.

THURS. MARCH 9

Oh, what a day where I could have used some nice comfort food...

But no. I had a Thin Mint cookie for breakfast, courtesy of Sabrina who really shouldn't have been in the cookies in the first place.

I fasted through lunch.

Then I spent several hours dealing with my mom going absolutely bonkers, raving insane, trying to explain for what had to be the 200th time that you cannot take a cast off a broken wrist just because you don' t like it, and you can't call the paramedics to take you to the ER so you can insist the doctor take the cast off, especially when that same ER has already put on 5 casts that you *have* managed to take off! We're talking hours. Hours on the phone with her. With her insurance company. With her nosy neighbor who never has anything to do with her unless there's something she can gossip about. Take it from me, I have spent more time trying to care for my mom's needs in the past three weeks than she spent my entire teenage years.

And I did it all without mashed potatoes, potato chips, or cinnamon rolls.

Okay, enough venting. Please excuse me.

I made fish for dinner had about 10 oz. of fish, with tartar sauce, about 1 T., and some pasta w/ parmesan sauce. And many, many Advil. I thought that was it, but Lee could sense my deep inner need and dished me out some chocolate chip ice cream with chocolate syrup. It didn't make everything better. But it sure didn't hurt.

Tomorrow I have lunch with someone who didn't know there were any other Christians in Hollywood. Then I have to go be a Brownie leader. Then I go to the Act One mixer, where I will be distributing Girl Scout cookies.

If *I* don't go stark raving bonkers in the meantime, of course.

WED. MARCH 8

Yesterday we had a meeting in the morning. Afterwards, Lee wanted to grab some breakfast. We found a little diner near the studio that we hadn't been to before, looked like it had been around since the '40s. And *very* cheap prices! What a find.

I didn't quite feel like 'breakfast,' so I split the difference. I had a club sandwich and hashed browns with sour cream.

That was lunch, too basically. I then had a coffee meeting in the early afternoon (this was one of those on-the-road days), and had a large iced vanilla chai. I have to say, Coffee Bean just doesn't do a good job w/ chai drinks at all. Starbucks, yes. Coffee Bean -- well, always watery, and when I mentioned that there wasn't enough vanilla in it, they put in powder instead of syrup -- yuck.

And that powder must have been mostly (unneeded) sugar, because about an hour later, boy did I hit a sugar crash!...

I went from there to watch the 3rd grade "musical" at school. There were snacks afterwards, but let's just say that the headmistress's suggestion that the kids make sure their parents got snack first went unheeded!... Sabrina wanted to go out for ice cream after the show with her friend Imani, so we went to a gelato place in Santa Monica. Really poor excuse for gelato when you've been to Italy, and quite overpriced. The kids want to go back, but only because they don't know what they're missing. It was really just plain ice cream at $3.50 a scoop -- nothing "gelato" about it. I had a single scoop of orange sorbet -- very so-so.

Because the kids were going to church, and we were very tight on time by this point, Lee and Cory drove through McDonald's and brought home food for everyone to gobble down -- the kids on the road. I had a double cheeseburger.

And then we had people over for our church's Lenten Bible study. I put out munchies - Girl Scout cookies, candy... but didn't have any.

Today I am home all day -- thank goodness!

TUES. MARCH 7

I fasted through breakfast and lunch.

When the kids got home, the Girl Scout cookies started flying. Sabrina started it off by offering me a Thin Mint, and it was all downhill from there. (Or uphill, depending on your POV.) It's rather amazing how quickly one can run through 2 Thin Mints, 3 Samoas and 4 Do-Si-Dos.

We still have the big-screen -- make that "huge-screen" -- TV set up in the living room left over from the Oscars. The kids are enthralled. "Mommy, can you turn on the wall?" Sabrina asks. And they haven't even realized they could hook a video game system into it! (It comes down today, and the video projector goes back to Act One. Thank you, Act One!)

So we got to watch "American Idol" on a 10'x10' screen. Somehow that seemed to call for cheeseburgers -- mine w/ grilled onions, 1000 Island and ketchup. I also had a handful of Tostitos (leftover from the Oscar party. I meant to put out apple slices, but the apples turned out to be turning.

Later we popped a bag of popcorn, but I only had a few handfuls of popcorn.. I think I was salted-out by then.

Today is a big on-the-road day. We have a meeting at Sony this morning ("The Lone Ranger"). Lee may want to have lunch afterwards. I am meeting a friend for coffee later in the afternoon. Then Sabrina's 3rd grade class does their tribute to the American musical after school -- one would think there would be coffee and cookies, but I'm a room mom for that class, and haven't heard anything about it, so maybe not. The kids are at church tonight, will have dinner there, so I won't be cooking. But we have our Lenten small group starting tonight too -- Lee won't get to enjoy much of it, because he'll be schlepping the kids back and forth to church. Either way, there will be coffee and cookies.

This is much too busy a week. I need things to calm down so I can get some writing done.

MON. MARCH 6

I fasted through breakfast and lunch.

Our friend Jack has a very traditional birthday celebration that we always participate in, and lately tend to host, so I knew I had that coming. But we also knew we wouldn't get to the food till late, so Lee made an early pre-dinner of party leftovers. I had some shepherd's pie and rice.

At the party, I had a couple of pieces of Hawaiian pizza. I had one sip of champagne -- I have trouble drinking all but the most expensive champagne, because of the sulfites. And I had a small piece of spice cake. Oh and I had one of those poppers from around the pizza that Jessica Simpson is shilling on TV -- the greasiest thing I've ever had in my life. One was more than enough.

That was it for Monday. Today should be a writing day, though I certainly am swamped w/ errands, and expect 7 or 8 calls from my panicked/despairing/angry/whatever mom to interrupt the flow of any work. Don't what I'll make for dinner, but am just glad to have an evening home w/ no entertaining.

SUN. MARCH 5

The Oscars are over, Lee is being quite the wonderful husband and cleaning up from the party, and I figured I'd better get to work remembering what I ate!

I fasted through breakfast.

For lunch, we drove thru McDonald's and ate in the car on the way home, the better to finish setting up for the party. I had a double cheeseburger and half a medium fries.

Work work work all afternoon -- I had to make shepherd's pie, we had to move chairs around, I had to set up the bar and set up all the food, and finishing tidying, and somehow I was just on my feet all day.

People brought great choices (see the cute names and ties to movies on my real blog!)... I had shepherd's pie, about 6 crackers w/ cheese, a few bites of a hot dog (before I dumped it), a few animal crackers, 2 servings of luscious poached salmon w/ dill sauce... and I think that's it. (People promised to bring desserts, but no one did! And no sushi!) And I drank 1 Vodka Collins, and half a scotch-and-soda.

I think that's all I had. If I remember anything else, I will repost. But to the best of my scotch- and vodka-affected memory, I can't remember anything else...

SAT. MARCH 4

For breakfast -- I guess you could call it that -- I had a Tagalong cookie that Sabrina gave me.

Today was all about getting ready for the Oscar party. I spent more than I expected. Sigh. Cory ran my errands with me, and he was a big help. He got to choose lunch as his prize for being dragged to Costco, etc. He chose Fatburger. I had a 'Baby Fat' burger (i.e., the little size), w/ grilled onions, cheese, relish, mayo and tomato, and steak fries.

At Costco, Cory bought dessert, and let me have a few bites of his vanilla frozen yogurt.

Lee was out delivering Girl Scout cookies, plus running a few party-related errands with Sabrina all day. He was not nice enough to let Sabrina choose where to have lunch, and dragged her to Panda Express, which he hates. He brought home leftovers, so for dinner, I had about half a serving of orange chicken, and about half a serving of rice. I also had about 1/3 of a serving of macaroni and cheese, Sabrina's leftovers. And that was it.

Not a clue what tomorrow will be like, food-wise. We are in pretty good shape for the party, but still have a lot to do. I was expecting to buy a shepherd's pie at Costco (for 'Brokeback Mountain,' since the guys aren't really cowboys, they're sheepherders). But they didn't have any, so I may have to make one tomorrow morning. And tomorrow night is a potluck, so who knows?

FRI. MARCH 3

I fasted through breakfast.

Our meeting in the morning rocked. Afterward, for some strange reason, Lee felt like going to Bob's Big Boy for lunch, so that's where we went. They had a new line of what they called "panini" burgers, but they weren't really paninis -- they were just burgers on ciabatta bread. I had a southwest burger -- ciabatta bread, onions, chipotle mayo, roasted peppers, cheese -- and I subbed a 5 oz. patty for the usual 8 oz.. Oh, and fries.

We went to Act One to pick up the video projector we're going to use for our Oscar party, and they had doughnuts. (Doughnuts seems to follow me.) I had half a chocolate bar.

After school, the kids needed haircuts -- unfortunately Cory got the haircutter who isn't very good. Oh well, he still looks cute. We stopped by Mrs. Beasley, which is right by the barber shop, for a treat. I had a small lemon bar. Lemon curd, and things made of it, have to be on my top 10 food list of all time.

Lee made some chicken and rice-a-roni for dinner. I had a small bowl.

And the ultimate temptation came into our house today. Girl Scout cookies. Hundreds of boxes. And 20 of those boxes have my name on it (I bought a lot to freeze and save for those occasions when we have to bring snacks). I am not going to open any of my boxes until Lent is over. But everyone else in the family also bought cookies. Cory gave me one Samoa (chocolate/caramel/coconut) last night. And I think he has plowed through most of the box himself by now. Oy. Where does he put it?

Today we are cleaning house and running errands to get ready for our Oscar party all day. Costco, Ralphs, Radio Shack, you name it. Off we go!

THURS. MARCH 2

I fasted through breakfast.

Lee decided to go to McDonald's for some "real food" (honest, that's what he says -- sheesh), and he brought me back a Quarter Pounder w/ Cheese. Actually, he brought back a double QP w/ cheese -- they goofed at McDonald's -- but one bite of that much meat-to-bread ratio was sickening, and I peeled off one of the patties. Lee didn't want it for his Big Mac, so I saved it, and Cory ate it for a snack when he got home -- also rather sickening.

I made my chicken broccoli curry dish for dinner -- but somehow it didn't work this time. I overbaked the chicken, and the almonds I put in must have gone bad, because it had a weird taste. Lee ate the whole thing, but the kids and I couldn't handle it. I ate half a bowl of just rice and broccoili, then I had half a crustless peanut butter and jelly sandwich along w/ Sabrina, then Lee heated me up the remainders -- about half a serving -- of the beef stroganoff from the other night. And I threw out the leftovers from the chicken curry. Oh well.

Today we are on the road, a HUGE meeting at 11, then errands to run. We will probably have lunch on the way. Cory has a thing at church tonight, so no idea what I'll do about dinner.

WED. MARCH 1

I fasted through breakfast and lunch.

For dinner, once again accent was on the easy. I had about 8 cheese ravioli w/ marinara sauce. And later that night, when Lee was dishing out ice cream for the kids, he dished me out a bowl of Moose Tracks ice cream -- the last of it. God does provide!

Today I'm home working -- though I may have to take one of our new kitties to the vet, her eye is crusted over -- and I have a meeting w/ one of my pastors -- no food involved in the day. I'll probably make curry chicken broccoli casserole for dinner -- unless doing the easy wins out again...

TUES. FEBRUARY 28

You know, I didn't even realize the new season of The Amazing Race was starting until I saw it in the newspaper yesterday, so I ended up staying up later than expected last night, and was too tired to blog...

Yesterday was Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, the last day before Lent. But I did not go out and get drunk or anything stupid like that. I did have one tiny pre-Lenten treat, though.

I had a physical therapy appointment yesterday morning, grabbed a sesame bagel w/ whipped cream chese first.

Afterwards, I ran a few errands, then grabbed a quick lunch on the road. I stopped at Arby's, had a beef and cheddar sandwich, and 3 potato cakes. And that, as it turns out, was my pre-Lenten treat. Because I long ago learned that I just can't trust myself to give up something like, say, chocolate (I'll just feel obliged to eat too many non-chocolate sweets) or French fries (I'll just sub w/ potato chips). So I have to make my Lenten sacrifice a little more complicated.

So for Lent, one of the things I am giving up is eating alone. I have done this before, and found that it really directed my mind toward God's provision: If I am no longer providing my own meals whatever/whenever I want, then I have to think about where my provision comes from in the first place.

What that means for this blog is that there may once in a while be a few days where I eat nothing -- but I will still post and let you know.

Okay, back to yesterday. For dinner, I was too tired (and in pain from the physical therapy) to really cook, so just made baked potato w/ butter and sour cream -- everyone else had cheese on theirs, but I passed. And it turned out we were out of bacon.

And I had a small serving of Moose Tracks ice cream later in the evening.

Okay, onward into Lent!