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Broiled salmon, spinach, sauteed bean sprouts & green salad with pickled ginger

Originally uploaded by treefrog girl.

Broiled Salmon, Spinach, sautéed bean sprouts with green salad with pickled ginger

Salmon

Salmon
1 cup of white wine
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 inches ginger root finely grated
2 cloves garlic minced

Marinate salmon 1-3 hours

Broil in oven until done

Spinach

Spinach
Sesame oil

Wash spinach and drain
Steam until wilted
Drain again
Sauté with a little sesame oil

Bean Sprouts

Bean sprouts
Minced ginger
Minced garlic
Minced scallion
Olive oil
Sesame oil
Red pepper flakes

Sauté ginger and garlic in a little olive oil on low, add scallions and after a few minutes add bean sprouts and a little sesame oil and sauté a few minutes until the sprouts are cooked but still crunchy.
Sprinkle red pepper flakes to taste.

Green salad with pickled ginger

self explanatory

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“Side Effects of Neil Diamond music”

You just can’t make this shit up.

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My Lunch

Originally uploaded by treefrog girl.

Was rather proud of my lunch today so I thought I would share.

Open Faced Goat Cheese Tuna Melt With Roasted Red Peppers

1 Small can of tuna in water drained and flaked
Minced red onion
Minced celery
1 tablespoon of mayo
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
2 slices organic brown bread
1 roasted red pepper
Goat cheese (I got mine from Paxton & Whitfield a wonderful cheese shop on Jermyn Street)

Lightly toast the bread.
Mix tuna, mayo, mustard, onon and celery together.
Spread tuna evenly on top of each slice of bread.
Put roasted red pepper on top.
Slice goat cheese and put on top of peppers
Set bread in toaster oven or in oven under the top element and broil until cheese is melted.

I also had a mixed green salad with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

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I know I’ve said this before. Weight/health out of control. It isn’t that big a deal now as I am still youngish, but I can see if I continue down this path I won’t be a happy camper.

It’s not I eat huge amounts every day but I do make really poor food choices. And I’ve been drinking Wayyyyyyyyyy too much which is an easy way to get chubby.

So back on the wagon. I am trying to think of this as not a diet, but as a life change.

One little thing I am doing to make sure I move a little bit every day is I am no longer buying a weekly travel card and taking the train to Victoria. I’m going to do pay as you go, take the tube to Vauxhall and walk to work. Unless it is raining really hard. Or I am running really late. Or I am wearing bad shoes.

So here are the scary numbers. I’ll be doing this again on Sunday and then each Sunday thereafter.

175.8 pounds (79.7 kilograms)

Measurements (sigh)

42/24/46

R. Arm 13 inches
L. Arm 13.5 inches
R Thigh 26 inches
L Thigh 26.5
R Calf 15 1/4
L Calf 15.5

There are a few things about these numbers that I find disturbing and not just how large they are.

1. My thighs are larger than my waist.
2. The left side of my body is larger than my left.

Anyhoo.

Hopping along. . .

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Stuart and I sometimes do not travel well together when things do not go exactly to plan. For some reason we start sniping on each other which makes slightly stressful situations not so good. I suspect that we are entertainment for our fellow travelers - like we are putting on a little play.

Act One

The flight December 21st out of Gatwick was delayed an hour due to fog. This was slightly annoying but not a big deal as we had a 2.5 hour layover in Atlanta so we still have an hour and a half to make our connection..

Cut To: We get on the plane and we can’t take off for another hour because of the weather. We resign ourselves to the fact that we won’t make our connection and we’ll need to get on another flight to Charleston.

Things are slightly complicated by we were flying BA for the International flight and Delta for the US domestic. This will be important later.

We get off the plane and get told off slightly by immigration for going through the US line rather that the foreign line as scanning Stuart’s eyeball and fingerprinting him takes time. Luckily Delta had an information and ticketing desk right outside so we queue up straight away.

Stuart: Now don’t tell them we missed our flight. Tell them our flight was delayed.
Nicole: But our flight was delayed.
Stuart: I know but don’t start with that we missed our flight.
Nicole: I’m not an idiot.
Stuart: I didn’t say that you were an idiot.
Nicole: Yes you did.

We get on standby. If we don’t get on this plane we will need to spend the night in Atlanta. We go to the gate. I sit down.

Stuart: We need to stand at the gate.
Nicole: We’ll hear our name being called.
Stuart: We need to be standing right there because if we miss our name, they will give the seat away.
Nicole: And we are so far away from the desk here. It’s like Siberia.
Stuart: Have you flown standby before?
Nicole: Yes!
Stuart: What country?
Nicole: THIS ONE. Fine. Let’s move. You want to move. Let’s move.
Stuart: No. . .
Nicole: No, you want to stand right on top of the gate so let’s move.

We move. A few minutes pass.

Stuart: Do you have my passport?
Nicole: No.

Stuart is opening every pocket in his jacket and his bag. No passport.

Stuart: Are you sure you don’t have my passport?
Nicole: No!

Nicole looks in every pocket in her jacket and bag. Stuart runs off to look in the loo. He returns a few minutes later with his passport.

Stuart: It was over on the chairs over there. If we weren’t moving around and just stayed still. . .

Nicole glares at Stuart.

Rather than announcing who got seats there was an electronic board. I controlled myself from pointing out to Stuart that we had a better view of the board at the seats than where we were standing.

Act Two

Friday the 28th Stuart and I were feeling rather smug as Jen’s flight to Chicago was seriously delayed due to snowstorms. Smug that is until our flight to Atlanta was delayed an hour and a half.

Our layover in Atlanta was an hour and a half so unless the flight to Gatwick was delayed, we were seriously fucked.

They told us there would be information regarding connecting flights on the board at the gate.

I was feeling Zen. We missed the flight. We would just have to talk to BA and we would get sorted.

Zen until Stuart saw that the flight to Gatwick was delayed. Maybe we would make it!

He ran off to go to the gate. I follow. He stopped and looked at another Departure board. The information wasn’t there. We go back to the gate we just arrived from. There it was - A London Gatwick flight leaving at 7:30. But. . .

Nicole: Stu, wait. That isn’t the BA flight number. That’s a Delta number.
Stuart: What?
Nicole: That isn’t our flight number. Maybe we should ask someone.
Stuart: Who are you going to ask?
Nicole: Someone over there.
Stuart: That’s Delta. They aren’t going to know.
Nicole: Don’t talk to me like that.
Stuart: I’m sorry, but that’s just stupid.

The boarding pass I had printed from BA said that our flight was out of Terminal N. I missed it detailed that the gate was E14. This will be important later.

We run off in search of Terminal N.

Nicole: Stu. Something isn’t right.
Stuart: What.
Nicole: The terminals. On the signs. A, B, C, D, E and T. There isn’t an N.

We get all the way to nearly baggage. Walk/ running. If you know Atlanta, you know this is a little bit of a hike.

Nicole: Maybe we should ask someone?
Stuart: Who are you going to ask?
Nicole: I don’t know. Someone.
Stuart: That’s just stupid.

A moment later Stuart walked up to someone asking where Terminal N was. There is no Terminal N. There is however a Terminal E which all of the International flights leave from.

We hop on the tram. Stuart glares at me.

Nicole: What?
Stuart: Terminal N.
Nicole: Well that’s what the boarding pass says doesn’t it. Not my fault is it? (Nicole looks at her boarding pass.) Oh look. Gate 14E. (Pause.) Don’t look at me like that. You know you could look at this stuff too. Why is it up to me to say what and where and you’re running around like a freaked out little half-cocked yappy dog. A yippy Paris Hilton accessory with a little red jumper. It isn’t MY fault the plane was delayed an hour and a bloody half was it?

People were starting to stare.

We run toward gate 14 E. Stuart looks up at a board.

Stuart: It’s left.
Nicole: Let’s go to the gate and ask.
Stuart: Ask? Who are you going to ask? No one is going to be there.
Nicole: There might be someone there.
Stuart: That’s just stupid.

A man at an information desk tells us that we should go out to ticketing and talk to BA out there.

We get out to the BA ticket counter. Crickets. Tumbleweeds. I stand there for a moment hoping that someone will pop up from behind the counter to save me from this nightmare.

Stuart does the unthinkable and asks the agent at the next desk airline where the BA folks are.

Thick Southern Accent: Oh sugar. They’re gawwun. They’re gawwun for the night.

We call Expedia.

Nicole: BLAHBLAHBLAHBLAH and we just want to know who is responsible for getting us home. BLAHBLAHBLAH. Please help. . .

Expedia is incredibly unhelpful. They tell us to talk to BA or to Delta. That it isn’t their problem. They don’t give me the numbers to the airlines.

We go to speak to Delta.

Stuart: Now don’t tell them we missed our flight. Tell them our flight was delayed.
Nicole: But our flight was delayed.
Stuart: I know but don’t start with that we missed our flight.
Nicole: I’m not an idiot.
Stuart: I didn’t say that you were an idiot.
Nicole: Yes. Yes, you just fucking did.

Delta: Well BA is responsible for getting you home.
Nicole: BA is gone for the night. Is there anything you can do to help us?
Delta: If the flight was delayed because of weather there is nothing we can do to help you. Was the flight delayed for weather?
Stuart: We don’t know but we called BA and they told us that it is your responsibility to get us home.

I consider killing him right there for lying about our speaking to BA. The Delta Agent calls someone to find out why our flight was delayed and she comes back and tells us that they will put us in a hotel for the night but BA will need to get us home.

There was much rejoicing.

At the hotel we get the number for BA from the Website.

BA: But Delta is responsible for getting you home. They caused the delay.
A Very Desperate And Strung Out Nicole: But Delta told us you were responsible for getting us home.
BA: No. No. It would be Delta.

I’m not sure if it was because I was on the verge of tears. I’m not sure if they looked at my profile and saw how much travel I’ve done with them for the last year. I’m not sure if the Christmas spirit suddenly hit her, but she put me on hold and when she came back we had seats on the flight the next evening.

We would be able to escape America.

However first we spent 6 hours in an airport piano bar getting trashed and hearing an impromptu sing-a-long of many standard classics including the theme song from Beauty and the Beast and The American National Anthem. (There was also clapping after.)

Sitting there, me drinking a pint of Bass and Stuart drinking a Budweiser to the warbling of “And the Rocket’s Red Glare” Stuart said, “You know what our mistake was?”

“What?”

“We didn’t ask someone at the gate when we got off the plane from Charleston. We really should have asked someone at the gate. Why didn’t we do that?”

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