A Tale of Two Meals

I am never one to turn down a good meal, ever. As a result, I got a little thick around the middle (code for FAT). It got worse once I hit my 40's. I knew it was time to change when the concept of wearing a bro, or a mansierre (gracias, Kramer of Seinfeld fame), was beginning to make sense. So about ten months ago, I embarked on the weight loss bonanza (better diet and running) and so far, it's worked. That being said, I still refuse to turn down a good meal.

Last weekend, I had a meal that was not good, with a capital "G". Of course, the target is an easy one. It's cafeteria food. And by cafeteria food, I don't mean Luby's, Chuck-A-Rama (or Upchuck-A-Rama as we loving called it) or their commercial ilk...no, I mean genuine Grade-D university cafeteria food. I dined with Our Lady of BYU at her cafeteria, the newly rebuilt Cannon Center. Our Lady and her friends, Meesh and Sheridan, swore six ways til Sunday that the best option was the omelette and something from the grill. So I followed their counsel. You be the judge, jury, and executioner:

The omelette is in the upper right hand corner of the picture. That's exactly as it was served. I hadn't even touched it yet. Looks like it was shot out of a rifle at point blank range. The main, pork loin and sweet potato fries, finished it out. This much I will admit...the sweet potato fries were good. It is a little unfair to pile on about cafeteria food, I get it. But c'mon. I'll give them this much though - this will keep the dreaded "Freshman 15" weight gain from happening.

Now, this afternoon, it was a much better meal. We finally went to the Flat Top Grill here in our neck of the Chicago suburbs. It's a chain (but that seems to be a requirement if a restaurant is to survive in the 'burbs) with a little more upscale take on Mongolian BBQ. Very friendly service and they put out a good meal. I loaded up my bowl with spinach, edamame, carrots, celery, garlic, pad thai noodles, and a kickin' vindaloo sauce with sirloin to round out the protein compliment. Take a look:

The roti is really good too. You can use that as your fork. Everybody in Casa Lyons was happy with this place. We'll go back...

Now speaking of good cooking, we all remember Julia Child, who went to the big French kitchen in the sky a few years ago. French cooking is not my favorite and I never could figure Julia out. The accent drove me to complete and utter distraction. For those of you that miss her terribly, do you realize you need look no further than Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) to see her again?


When did Julia inhabit Liddy? I first noticed it earlier this week when USA Today ran a picture of the Senator. She was a dead ringer, no pun intended, for the late Julia. Freaked me out. But I may not have to worry much about it after Tuesday. It looks like Sen. Dole may get swept out in the anti-Republican fervor that has gripped the nation. But as Peter Sagal, the host of NPR's "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me!" said today, in not so many words, "Leave it to the Democrats to lose an election with so much going in their favor." Well, let's see what Tuesday brings.

When MTV Played Music

A really boss old song asked the following question: "War, what is it good for?" It's a question that has spawned tons of other questions, like this one: "MTV, what is it good for?" That would be nothing and certainly not music videos. Until now...thanks to the Web.

Matt, husband of Heather, coolest.cousin.ever., sent me a link to a website that brings MTV to its glory days. Oh 1983 and 1984, you are back! MTV Music is where to go to see all those old videos that made high school tolerable and that made you think you could get a cool girl dancing at the Palace (the Star Palace, that is). It's been a total kick to find videos from a hundred years ago and laugh. And to be appalled. I realize, looking back on these videos, that the musicians from the 1980's are single-handedly responsible for the hole in the ozone layer. I've never seen so much teased, shellacked aerosol misted hair in all my life (except for maybe BYU in the summer of 1984).

This has given me a great escape from the election. Make it stop. Isn't it November 4th yet? Is this, the longest campaign EVER, over yet? Just make it all stop. We, as a nation, have got to move on, regardless of who is elected. So until then, I am just going to keep scouring the MTV site to find old video gems to dust off and play.

BYU Parents Weekend Recap

I am now on the West Coast, in Portland, prepping for a presentation to the Travel Industry Association tomorrow, but wanted to give a recap of the rest of the weekend with Our Lady of BYU.

I didn't meet up with Our Lady until Saturday morning for the 5K, which, may I remind you, I ran alone since she pansied out. Two of her really good friends joined us as my support team and off we went to the Richards Building. Normally at races, you hear the sounds of either "Eye of the Tiger" or "Rocky's Theme." Not at BYU, mis amigos, oh no. What greeted us? "It's A Sunshine Day" by none other than the Brady Bunch. I KID YOU NOT! I liked to have died. I will admit, though, that it did make you want to run, fast, so you didn't have to hear that musical offense fest any longer than necessary.

(Quick flashback - after registering, I saw someone I recognized. It took me a second and then I realized that it was a guy who had been in my district/room at the MTC. Have not seen the guy in more than twenty-three years but believe it or not, we both recognized each other. As I recall, I was not particularly nice to him. As an eighteen year old missionary, I had an overabundance of confidence, can you believe it (?) and wasn't afraid to tell people what I thought of them. I've tried ro get better in the ensuing years. That being said, it brought back a ton of memories to see him. He's got a freshmen son at the "Y.")

The race was all around the outer ring of the campus and it was tough - tough because of the elevation. My lungs were screaming by the end of the first kilometer. It was not pretty. But I got it done. Came across the finish line to the cheers of Our Lady and her two friends. It was a good time.

So then it was off to the game after that. Sat in the student section with Our Lady and that once again reminded me that I'm old. We did have a brush with BYU fame when Cosmo the Cougar blew through our section. We got this picture:

It was an ugly win, but a win just the same. We headed over to University Mall after the game to get Our Lady some more cold weather gear, which seemed odd since it was 70 degrees out. Anyway, we did it.

Saturday night, I took Our Lady and her friends to dinner at Cafe Rio. It was fun to be with them. I laughed a lot with these girls. It was good to see our friend Natalie:

And here's a shot of the whole dinner posse:

So then Sunday rolled around and I once again found myself driving down Memory Lane before going to meet Our Lady for Church. I went by my old condo, indeed where I met the incredibly patient Shari all those years ago. The years have been kinder to us than they have been to the condo:

Lots of good memories and good times there.

Our Lady has church in the JKHB, where I spent my entire senior year. Bizarre to be back in that building. It's been totally renovated and looks nothing like what it did. Church was funny, as it always is in student wards. Those Bishopbric members are saints, that's all I'm saying.

We had lunch at the new Cannon Center after that. Bottom line - it's still cafeteria food. You can build a new building and have various cooking stations, instead of the prison lines like the old Cannon or Morris, but it's still pretty bad food. I could not help but laugh as we were eating as I watched the ballet that is selecting the "cool" tables. I realized that absolutely nothing has changed since I was a freshman there. It's the same cast of characters (the guys who were the BMOC in high school, the princess girls, the dorks, the sweet spirits) trying to make it all work - it's just that now they are our kids. Finished the day seeing Sarah's dorm room as well as that of her friends. They are living the life. I laughed so much with them.

Saying good-bye wasn't as hideous as I thought it would be. I think it's because I got to see just how well Our Lady is doing. She's doing beautifully. She has good friends. She's happy. Couldn't ask for more.

Soft Sounds of Sunday

If it's the "Soft Sounds of Sunday" coming through the radio of my crappy Chevy Malibu rental car, piping in contemporary Mormon music (really?) mixed with a little Mo'Tab, it must be Sunday morning in Provo. If piles of college kids are walking to campus to go to church, it must be Sunday morning in Provo. And, indeed, it is. I am back in Happy Valley. And it is still all kinds of unreal. And I still find that I love it.

It's day two of the BYU Parents Weekend and it's been a blast. I am currently "borrowing" a wireless signal in the parking lot of Sarah's dorm, waiting to meet her for Church. It'll be a kick. We've had a wonderful time. She's doing great.

I'll post some more pictures later but just a couple now - here the BYU Cougars take the field on Saturday against UNLV (we won buy boy was it ugly...)

And here's a shot of Our Lady of BYU taking in the game:

I'll post later about the things I've done with Sarah and her friends, as well as some notes on the nightmare that it is to run a 5K in Provo. Um...it's a little different than Chicagoland. Who knew just how big an impact elevation is....