September 8th, 2005 – First, a correction. In a previous Picket-Size Me! post, I wrote that spelt and kamut were suitable for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. Wrong! Both of these ancient grains contain gluten, and as such, are not recommended for celiacs.
Numbers Update: This week I picketed on Tuesday and Wednesday at the CBC station in Victoria. Thanks to the folks there for being so welcoming once again.
Distances: Because this week contained Labour Day, we only had to picket for 16 hours, so I did 2 8-hour shifts, walking 11.1 kilometres on Tuesday and 11.5 on Wednesday. The ‘circuit’ around Harris Green across from the building on Pandora Street is only about 200 metres, so you need a lot more ‘go-rounds’ to put on the kilometres.
Weight: I’m now down to 188, six pounds less than my starting point of 194 on August 29th. Have to make sure I keep up some sort of exercise for the rest of this week before returning to the line next week.
Temptations: CBC fans in Victoria are very generous. In my two days on the line I have been staring weight gain in the face and succeeding in holding back. There are cookies, and muffins, and biscotti, and chocolate-covered coffee beans and potato chips, all of which are out of bounds for me right now. Michael T. on the line in Victoria tells me he has actually gained weight over the first couple of weeks, since he partook of all the goodies, and isn’t as active in the evenings as he usually is. Be strong, Michael, resist those chocolate brownies crying out to you!
South Beach Update: I’m currently in week 1 of Phase One of the South Beach Diet, so even the delicious blueberries brought to the line by Monique this week were off limits. Two weeks of no booze, no fruit, pasta, sugar, bread, rice or potatoes. It’s now day 4, and I’m hanging in there, eating shrimp omelets with salsa in the morning, chicken stir-fries for lunch and steak with salad and broccoli or green beans for dinner. I still crave some sort of chocolate or a nice piece of coffee cake with tea after dinner, but so far so good.
Budgets Getting Tighter: Over in Vancouver, locked-out technician Alison V. sent a note to me about bargain shopping: With the lockout dragging on most of us are becoming more conscious of the price of groceries. I’ve been watching the specials and of course the best prices are family size. Last week I bought a package of "melt in your mouth" sirloin medallion steaks priced at $2.25
each. The catch was to get the good price I had to buy the family
pack of 6 steaks and there’s only one of me. They freeze nicely but
other things don’t.
So… Don, I think you should write a cook book for those on a
budget who want to buy in bulk: "Cooking for One or Two, the Best
Things Come in 6 Packs."
Hmmm….sounds like a good idea, Alison, I’ll keep it in mind.
Events: In Victoria we have been busy planning a fund raising event for Victoria’s READ Society, a local literacy group. It will take place at Floyd’s Diner next Thursday night. Click here for more details. In addition to great entertainment, there will be silent auction items up for bid. I’ve already donated 6 brand-new cookbooks, including the Lumiere Light cookbook, autographed by chef Rob Feenie, as one package, and have secured a pair of Feast of Fields tickets as another item. Please come out to see some of your Victoria CBC’ers missing in action and help out with a good cause.
