GOLD COAST

For some reason, it amuses me to have some theme for each of my urban hikes when I can. Yesterday my theme, my goal was to walk every street, road, alley, nook and cranny within the boundaries of the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago. So I did. When I was done, I remarkably had walked 14 miles. At no point was I more than 1 mile from the point where I started.

.

.

Yesterday was the first day of fall although the day felt more like a true summer day as the temperature was in the 80's. As I passed this water fountain which was still operating, I was reminded that it won't be long before these are all shut down with the arrival of winter which is now officially only 90 days away.

.

.

.

Your Food Diary For:

Thursday, September 22, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal	600	108	10	16	0	4
Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bar	380	58	14	6	270	22
Bai - Molokai Coconut Drink, 16 fl. oz.	10	18	0	0	70	2
	990	184	24	22	340	28
L U N C H
Zola - Natural Coconut Water With Pulp	100	26	0	0	150	22
Fried Chicken Tenders	300	17	20	14	766	2
Home Made - Garden Salad, 1 bowl	100	6	0	4	400	4
Dark Cocoa Melting Wafers	400	44	24	5	82	38
	900	93	44	23	1,398	66
D I N N E R
Read - 3 Bean Salad	300	65	0	5	1,500	40
Tuna Fish Salad	280	0	0	0	0	0
Home Made - Garden Salad, 1 bowl	100	6	0	4	400	4
	680	71	0	9	1,900	44
S N A C K S
Banana Twinkie	405	69	14	3	540	50
Chewy Granola bar	90	19	2	1	80	7
Honey Nut Tasteeos	330	66	5	6	420	27
	825	154	21	10	1,040	84
Totals	3,395	502	89	64	4,678	222
Your Daily Goal	4,370	546	145	219	2,300	164
Remaining	975	44	56	155	-2,378	-58
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 2,440 extra calories from exercise today

.

Your Exercise Diary for:

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
14 mile urban hike	187	2,678
Daily Total / Goal	187 / 30	2,678 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	588 / 210	9,199 / 4,130

.

.
from wikipedia...

The Gold Coast Historic District is a historic district in Chicago, Illinois. Part of Chicago's Near North Side community area, it is roughly bounded by North Avenue, Lake Shore Drive, Oak Street, and Clark Street.

The Gold Coast neighborhood grew in the wake of the Great Chicago Fire. In 1882, millionaire Potter Palmer moved to the area from the Prairie Avenue neighborhood on the city's south side. He filled in a swampy area which later became Lake Shore Drive, and built the Palmer Mansion, a forty-two room castle-like structure designed by Henry Ives Cobb and Charles Sumner Frost. Other wealthy Chicagoans followed Potter into the neighborhood, which became one of the richest in Chicago..

.

TO THE CHABAD HOUSE

I have made friends at my local Chabad House since moving into this neighborhood nearly 4 years ago.  A Chabad House is a center of traditional (Orthodox) Judaism.  A Chabad House is run by a Rabbi (Shaliach, Emissary) and his wife, a Shlucha (female word for emissary).   A Chabad House seemingly can be found almost anywhere there are Jews. Whether it is a place where Jews live or where Jews travel.  I always enjoy hearing radio talk-show host, author and public speaker, Dennis Prager recount a story about how he once went to a Chabad House in Cambodia! There are nearly 5000 Chabad Houses around the world and one can be found in 49 of the 50 states of The United States. I am blessed to live within 100 feet of a Chabad House. It is at my Chabad House where I have been exposed to authentic Judaism in ways that I had never been before.  The traditional Jewish lifestyle is not something that I am interested in as a full-time proposition.  It is something that I am greatly interested in on an 'a la carte' basis.  I have made terrific friends at my Chabad House.  One of my friends, is moving back to New York with his wife in a few short weeks.  We made arrangements to make sure that we both selected this Friday to be there so that we can enjoy the wonderful camaraderie of friends,  joy of Judaism,  the serenity of Shabbat, a delicious meal prepared by the Rabbi's wife and a L'Chaim (or two, or three).  So, tonight, Friday....It's to the Chabad House!

Chabad House, Dearborn Street, Chicago

. . . . . . . . . . 

For lunch, I visited a Whole Foods Market which is less than 2 miles from my home.  I managed to stretch this two mile trip into an eight mile walk.  Afterwards, I naturally walked home.  Another day,  another day of walking ten miles.  The last couple of days, my exercise had been working out on the elliptical machine. It was good to get back outside.  

.

Your Food Diary For:

Thursday, December 17, 2015

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Malt O Meal - Honey Nut Scooters, 60 g	240	48	3	6	420	18
steel cut oatmeal - steel cut oat meal, 1 cup	600	108	10	20	0	4
Red Delicious - Medium Apple, 2 apple	160	44	0	0	0	34
	1,000	200	13	26	420	56
L U N C H
WHOLE FOODS - SALAD BAR	375	0	0	0	0	0
WHOLE FOODS BANANA CHIPS	170	16	10	2	5	1
WHOLE FOODS  VANILLA GRANOLA	500	80	16	10	120	30
	1,045	96	26	12	125	31
D I N N E R
EARTHBOUND FARM - ORGANIC BABY SPINACH	60	0	0	6	195	0
365 - Hearts of Palm: Salad Cut, 1 cup	50	10	0	4	580	0
libby's - Sweet Corn, 0.88 cup	105	16	3	4	350	12
Honey Nut Scooters - Cereal, 3 cup (30g)	330	72	5	6	630	30
Apple - - Honey Crisp - Small, 1 apple	55	15	0	0	0	15
	600	112	7	20	1,755	57
Totals	2,645	408	46	58	2,300	144
Your Daily Goal	3,874	484	129	194	2,300	145
Remaining	1,229	75	82	136	0	0
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 1,944 extra calories from exercise today

.

       Your Exercise Diary for:

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking, 4.5 mph, very, very brisk pace	102	1,627
Walking, 4.5 mph, very, very brisk pace	28	372
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-55
Daily Total / Goal	131 / 30	1,944 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	547 / 210	8,308 / 4,130

.

.

total calories consumed 2645 calories

total calories burned (walking 10 miles) 1999 calories

total net calories 646 calories

.....................

fitbit day 106
19002 steps

.....................

Each year, Chabad of the Loop, Gold Coast and Lincoln Park, directed by my friend, Rabbi Meir Chai Benhiyoun erects a huge Chanukkah Menorah in Daley Plaza.  Daley Plaza is Chicago's premier civic center and permanent home of the famous Picasso statue.  The Menorah is 30 feet tall and 18 feet wide and it is designed in the traditional style of menorahs used by Chabad.  Although, I missed the lighting ceremony this year, as I was out-of-town, I was able to visit the menorah before Chanukkah with my Mom who was visiting from New York earlier this month.
.

When Batman and Robin need to step it up a notch....They go...TO THE BATMOBILE!

When I need to a refresher in Judaism, or need to authentically celebrate a Jewish Holiday....I go...TO THE CHABAD HOUSE!

.

This information comes from What's Not Wrong... a blog by Gary Anderson

Untitled (1967) by Pablo Picasso: What the heck is it? A horse? Seahorse? Dragon? That’s part of the fun and the puzzle involved in this huge sculpture so closely identified with Chicago. When the sculpture was dedicated in 1967, Mayor Richard J. Daley said, “We dedicate this celebrated work this morning with the belief that what is strange to us today will be familiar tomorrow.” Today the Picasso is familiar, but it’s no less strange. Chicago’s Picasso is interactive in a couple of ways. First of all, looking at the sculpture from the front (with your back to Washington Avenue) yields the most common view and the view that is most abstract. But if you walk toward the Daley Center and view the sculpture from roughly a 10:00 or 2:00 angle, you will more clearly see the silhouette of a woman. This is one of my favorite things to show students and visitors.   The Picasso is also highly interactive because you can sit on it, climb on it, and slide down it.

I FORGOT HOW MUCH ENERGY A YOUNG PERSON HAS

The past few weeks I have been crowing about my sixty minute, 90 minute and even two hour workout sessions.  Last evening I got a bit of a reality check.  I watched my daughter practice with her water polo team and the coach had 30 kids swimming non-stop for 90 minutes!  (And Monday is the short day....Tuesday's session will be for two and one half hours!)  I met my wife and daughter at the pool where practice was held and I watched my daughter swimming back and forth in the pool for a solid 45 minutes without a break!  It did get me to thinking, that maybe my workout sessions have not been quite as stupendous as I had led myself to believe!  I appears that I have forgotten just how much energy a young person has.  Still, I remain convinced that my workouts have been somewhat impressive for someone whose 58th birthday is approaching in four months.

The difference between a 57 year old man working out for  90 min and  a 13 year old girl working out for 90 min is that that girl does not have the need to blog about it to the whole world.  I am 57 and I do feel the need to brag a bit about it (at least little bit...)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 Monday MENU

breakfast   three poached eggs, center cut bacon, oatmeal, Rice Cakes   1070 calories
lunch         Turkey Bacon Club Sandwich                                                  382 calories
dinner        Blackened Fish, lentils avoacado,greens, bulk foods               1711calories
SNACK     pear, two apples                                                                        302 calories

total calories consumed 3467 calories

calories burned

HOME STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL 90 minutes, level 20                    2250 calories

CALORIES BURNED 2250 CALORIES

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

Monday net calories 1217 calories

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

PURIM 5775

The Jewish holiday of Purim ended yesterday.  The Jewish calendar indicates that this is the year 5775.  Purim calls for much joy and at least a few 'L'chaims.'  I checked the chabad.org website for a quick description of Purim.

The festival of Purim is celebrated every year on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar. It commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from Haman’s plot “to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day.”

Haman's plot didn't work quite as planned.  We Jews, are still here.  At the conclusion of Purim we like to celebrate. My friends at my Chabad House know how to celebrate and we know how to have fun.

It's not everyday that you get your Rabbi to pose for a picture with you... 

...wearing a PINK HAT.

PURIM IS ONE OF THOSE DAYS WHEN THIS IS POSSIBLE.

LAST NIGHT WAS SPECIAL TO ME FOR ONE OTHER REASON...Last night was the first time in nearly a decade that I wore a pair of blue jeans that were a size 42"waist. (I admit that they were tight - but it felt very good to wear them.) Approximately 70 days ago, I was wearing 50"waist blue jeans - and they were getting tight!


THURSDAY MENU

breakfast   2 poached eggs, 1 cup oatmeal w/prune, 2 slices turkey 'bacon'    355 CALORIES
lunch         Spring Mix Salad, Chicken Broth, Salmon Burger                        140 CALORIES
dinner       Rotisserie Chicken, Salad (no dressing), one potato slice               200 CALORIES

L'Chaims   maybe eight?    8 shots of Whiskey @ 69 calories per shot          552 CALORIES

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED   1247 CALORIES

1227 calories consumed, is by far, the most calories I have consumed in one day since I started my 'Rabbi Hillel Diet' on December 24, 2014.   I definitely over-indulged on the L'Chaims.   Purim only comes once per year   Tomorrow it is back to  my normal 1000 calorie per day routine.

CALORIES BURNED
ELLIPTICAL    33 MINUTES (level 13)      515 CALORIES

NET CALORIES       732 CALORIES

EXTRA LOW CALORIE LUNCH: in preparation of overindulgence at Purim Party   140 CALORIES

PURIM DINNER AT THE CHABAD HOUSE:  chicken and salad (no dressing) and one potato
estimated   180 CALORIES