SURVIVED MY VISIT TO THE MALL OF AMERICA

There is nothing inherently dangerous about walking about in the Mall of America. My concern was that I would physically hold up as I am gingerly walking these days as I get used to my inguinal hernia. Since I did not push myself, just walking, I was fine. My fitbit recorded more than 16000 steps for the day, which was nearly 4 times the amount of walking I have been recently accomplishing. After the visit to the Mall of America, my daughter and I visited the Minnehaha Waterfalls and after that we jumped back in the car one last time to visit the sculpture garden at Walker Gardens. Aside from the fact that we had a great time today, my day was greatly enhanced simply by avoiding pain. Three more days until I have my initial visit with my surgeon.

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Your Food Diary For:

Monday, April 18, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Hyvee - Apples & Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal	520	108	6	12	640	36
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 1 medium apple	95	25	0	1	2	19
	615	133	6	13	642	55
L U N C H
Panda Express - Mixed Vegetable	80	16	1	4	540	5
Panda Express - Mushrooms Chicken, 1 entree	170	11	9	12	750	4
Panda Express - Broccoli Beef Entree	150	13	7	9	520	7
	400	40	17	25	1,810	16
D I N N E R
Generic - Whitefish, Lightly Blackened, 20 z filet	610	0	6	133	5,780	0
Generic - Grilled Brussel Sprouts, 2 cup	130	26	5	11	46	0
Whole Foods - Chicken Breast, Baked	500	0	11	94	1,208	0
	1,240	26	21	237	7,034	0
S N A C K S
Whole Foods - Banana Chips, 0.33 cup	200	23	13	1	0	13
WHOLE FOODS - NATURAL WASABI GREEN PEAS, 2/3 cup (30 grams)	240	38	6	8	480	4
	440	61	19	9	480	17
Totals	2,695	260	64	284	9,965	88
Your Daily Goal	2,716	339	90	136	2,300	101
Remaining	21	79	26	-148	-7,665	12
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 786 extra calories from exercise today

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Our day started at 10:15AM and we practically had the Mall of America to ourselves
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After our visit at Mall of America we ventured outside and drove to Minnehaha Park to see the  falls.

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Our last stop of the day was the Walker Sculpture Garden

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from the walkerart.org website....

SPOON BRIDGE AND CHERRY

Artist

Claes Oldenburg, Coosje van Bruggen

Date

1985-1988

Dimensions

overall 354 × 618 × 162 inches

Materials

aluminum, stainless steel, paint

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Claes Oldenburg is best known for his ingenious, oversized renditions of ordinary objects, like the giant “soft” three-way plug and overturned bag of french fries in the Walker’s own collection. He and Coosje van Bruggen, his wife and collaborator, had already created a number of large-scale public sculptures, including the Batcolumn in Chicago, when they were asked to design a fountain-sculpture for the planned Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. The spoon had appeared as a motif in a number of Oldenburg’s drawings and plans over the years, inspired by a novelty item (a spoon resting on a glob of fake chocolate) he had acquired in 1962. Eventually the utensil emerged—in humorously gigantic scale—as the theme of the Minneapolis project. Van Bruggen contributed the cherry as a playful reference to the Garden’s formal geometry, which reminded her of Versailles and the exaggerated dining etiquette Louis XIV imposed there. She also conceived the pond’s shape in the form of linden seed. (Linden trees are planted along the allées that stretch before the fountain.) The complex fabrication of the 5,800 pound spoon and 1,200 pound cherry was carried out at two shipbuilding yards in New England. The sculpture has become a beloved icon in the Garden, whether glaceed with snow in the Minnesota winters or gleaming in the warmer months, with water flowing over the surface of the cherry and a fine mist rising from its stem.

SNAP OUT OF IT

This is my admonition to myself: Snap out of it.
I am 'down' about my hernia.
I am 'down' about my increased inability to eat well.
I am 'down' about my recent weight gain.
I am 'down' about my inability to be exercising as I was for so long.
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Being 'down' about anything is a completely useless endeavor.
SNAP OUT OF IT!

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Next week, I am taking a four-day overnight trip with my daughter during her 8th Grade Spring Break. We are going to see some of my customers in the Minnesota. Our trip will begin in Minneapolis and end with a customer visit in Duluth, Minnesota. We will return home on Thursday. I am looking forward to this high intensity, high quality time with my daughter. Last summer, she accompanied me on a three day, two night trip to Ohio. Our first business trip together was an overnight in Madison, Wisconsin. This trip to Minnesota will be the longest trip for daddy/daughter and it should be memorable.

On this trip my daughter is very excited about seeing the Mall of America.
There will be no time to be 'down' during this special time together.
This will be good for me.
I will be spending time seeing some customers, and trying to insure that my daughter enjoys the trip too. No time to feel sorry for myself.
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Your Food Diary For:

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Quaker Oats - Instant Oatmeal Apples & Cinnamon	640	132	8	16	800	48
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 2 medium apple	190	50	1	1	4	38
	830	182	9	17	804	86
L U N C H
Lunchables - Ham and Swiss, 1 package	260	22	13	14	750	5
Apples - Apples, 3 medium apple	240	66	0	0	0	48
Banana Chips, 1 cup	340	40	20	2	0	10
	840	128	33	16	750	63
D I N N E R
Chipotle - Burrito, 1 burrito	1,000	104	39	60	1,855	7
Endangered Species Chocolate Coconut - Chocolate, 1 bar	500	48	32	4	0	34
	1,500	152	71	64	1,855	41
Totals	3,170	462	113	97	3,409	190
Your Daily Goal	2,017	252	67	101	2,300	75
Remaining	-1,153	-210	-45	4	-1,108	-114
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 87 extra calories from exercise today

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WHERE'S YOUR BROTHER?

Quiltmarket Minneapolis 2015 is over.  All the booths are packed up and boxed and ready to be shipped back home.  All the buyers, all the vendors have either already left town or are leaving town today, like me.  The best thing that can happen at a trade show is that a customer should work with me and write an order.  I used to think that was the best thing that could happen to me.  The best thing that happened at Quiltmarket happened last evening at the Hyatt Bar.

Up until last evening, I had had exactly one drink.  I had one Gin & Tonic.  I did used to think that tonic was like club soda - calorie free.   Once I learned that I was wrong - I retired from gin & tonics. On the last night in town together with my brother and my friend (and boss) at the button company I decided NOT to call it an early night and join them at the bar for a couple of drinks.   Of course, at this bar each drink is two full shots of alcohol - so my two drinks could just as easily be calculated as four drinks.  In fact, for the purpose of my food diary - that is precisely how I recorded my 'snack.'

So getting back to my little story which amuses me greatly - even if it does not amuse you my reader quite so much.   I was sitting at the bar with my brother and my friend Harry.  I thought I had recognized a customer of mine who I am quite fond of as she has been an enthusiastic fan of my Michael Miller Fabric line.  She looked much thinner that I had remembered her.  I was not sure if it was her or not.  She got up and walked towards us and said to my brother, "Where's your brother?"  Now once she said this, I realized that this was indeed the person that I thought it was, so I raised my hand to 'wave' to her and I said to her (repeatedly) "Hello Deborah."   She was kind of ignoring me, until finally it did dawn on her that this guy trying to greet her was the brother that she was inquiring about - me.   

She was quite shocked that I was me.   She simply did not recognize me.  She told us that she had stopped by the Dill Button Booth a number of times looking for me and didn't see me - so assumed that I was not at the show.   She was embarrassed at the whole incident and apologizing for not recognizing me.  I assured her, that she had nothing to be embarrassed about and no reason to apologize.  This little incident was the ABSOLUTE MOST FUN, BEST THING THAT HAPPENED TO ME AT THE SHOW.   It made me feel great.   I did finally get the opportunity to congratulate her on her significant weight loss - as that was the reason that I wasn't sure that she was she.  Significant weight loss can really change one's appearance - and it it ALWAYS an improvement.  I highly recommend it to everyone and anyone who can heed this advice.  That's my little story.  

Nine days from now I will be at another national tradeshow - TNNA.  The National Needlework Association tradeshow in Columbus, Ohio.  Again, I will be seeing more than a few people that might remember me looking a little bit different.  Another reason to be looking forward to that show.... just nine days away....

SUNDAY MENU

breakfast STEEL CUT OATMEAL, two eggs, fruit bowl, apples, 3 slices bacon       808 calories

lunch       two bananas, pickle, JIMMY JOHN'S BOOTLEGGER UNWICH             490 calories

dinner     AHI TUNA NICOISE SALAD, soup of the day                                           618 calories

SNACK  4 OUCNCES GLENLIVET'S SCOTCH                                                       276 calories

total calories consumed  2192 calories

calories burned

5PM elliptical machine 35 minutes 430 calories

SUNDAY NET CALORIES 1762 CALORIES

MURRAY'S STEAKHOUSE

Saturday night dinner was at Murray's Steakhouse in downtown Minneapolis.

Even though this is a steakhouse, a recommendation for WALLEYE  (fresh-water Great Lakes Fish) was made and went for it hook, line and sinker.  (pun intended)

I did not take a photo of my dinner - so here is what a WALLEYE looks like (as you can see, it looks like a million other fish)     As advertised, the boneless fish was very sweet and tasty.   I was glad I made this selection.

SATURDAY MENU
breakfast     scrambled eggs, three pieces bacon, oatmeal, fruit                                           734 calories
lunch           three apples, assorted hors d'oeuvres                                                                 640 calories
dinner          french onion soup, breaded fried walleye                                                         465 calories

total calories 1839 calories

calories burned
6AM elliptical 35 minutes 430 calories

SATURDAY NET CALORIES 1409 CALORIES

So, it's been two days of International Quilt Market in Minneapolis already - so it is probably time to post an actual photo from the tradeshow.   Here I am with my favorite designer from Michael Miller Fabrics, Hayley Crouse and Scarlett Wells, one of my 'most favorite' customers of Michael Miller (I do have a lot of favorite customers - This one may be my 'favorite-est'.)   Hayley Crouse is the designer of the runaway best-selling popular line of fabrics called - COLOR ME.   These fabrics are line drawings on the luxurious COTTON COUTURE fabrics which are designed to be colored in with fabric markers by young children.   This product has captured the imagination of buyers and more importantly, retail fabric customers.   Scarlett Wells is the proprietor of one of the most dynamic fabric websites on the internet - thefabriccobbler.com.  Scarlett Wells, The Fabric Cobbler has been very successful promoting and distributing the COLOR ME fabrics to customers around the USA.  She knew before anyone else - that this fabric was going to be a huge hit.

Left to right: Scarlett Wells, me, Hayley Crouse

ICHIBAN JAPANESE RESTAURANT

Last night was a great treat.  I went to dinner with my colleagues and we visited ICHIBAN JAPANESE RESTAURANT an independently owned business with two locations.   Their other location is in Winnipeg, Canada.

The chef put on quite a show flinging knives in the air and behind the back.  His story was that he had  been a busboy at the restaurant and through intensive training and desire he became a chef.

For dinner I chose 'The Superior' which included: Filet Mignon, Shrimp, Teriyaki Chicken, Lobster and Teriyaki Scallops.  The chef served each of these small portions as he prepared them...  Dinner began with a small blizzard of tasty treats:

 There is no way to really know the calorie count of my dinner or breakfast.   What I do know...Is that I had sensible portions of good food.   This has been my goal all along.

THURSDAY MENU

breakfast  HYATT ham/cheese omelette, bowl oatmeal                                        600 calories
lunch        Herring Fillet in Dijon Mustard Sauce                                              
                 Cucumber salad in Vinegar Brine                                                          331 calories
dinner      ICHIBAN DINNER (estimated calories)                                               700 calories

total calories consumed 1631 calories

calories burned
elliptical 35 minutes 330 calories                  

THURSDAY NET CALORIES   1301 CALORIES

INTERNATIONAL QUILT MARKET - SPRING SHOW - MINNEAPOLIS

Yesterday I finished my two day excursion into Wisconsin and returned to Minneapolis for the 2015 International Quilt Market.   The 'spring' show is in a different city each May and this year it landed in Minneapolis. This show is for the thousands of independently owned quilt shops across America and the World. Each fabric company sets up elaborate booths highlighting their brand-new cotton fabrics that are unveiled at this show. The show also attracts hundreds of peripheral vendors, and both  Products From Abroad Ribbons and Trims and Dill Button Company are at the show as well whom I both work for. (not too sure about that sentence structure?)

The 'quilting' industry convenes at a huge tradeshow twice per year.   Each October the show takes place in Houston, Texas.  And the Spring show takes place in a variety of cities throughout the United States.  I do attend the each show.  The last time I saw my colleagues, customers and friends at one of these shows was last October in Houston.  At that time, I was still on my way up to 309 lbs.   Fast forward to this show, and my appearance has changed rather dramatically - I have lost 90 pounds since so many of these people last saw me.  I confess, I am looking forward to presenting myself over the next few days.  Today, Thursday, is 'set-up' day and the three day show will actually begin on Friday.  I am looking forward to it!

Dinner my first night in Minneapolis

The Local - An Irish Pub

931 Nicollet Mall

Minneapolis, MN 55402

Phone Number: 612.252.1618

Fax Number: 612.904.1005

AHI TUNA NICOISE
Rare seared tuna with green beans, beets, Kalamata olives, potatoes & tomatoes on tender greens tossed with cucumber, radish

The Local - AHI TUNA NICOISE (calories 375 approximately, just a guess)

WEDNESDAY MENU

breakfast   two eggs, three sausages, two cups oatmeal, two small apples                   655 calories

lunch         turkey and cheddar lunchables, two apples, colossal smoked oysters can  590 calories

dinner       AHI TUNA NICOISE SALAD @ 'THE LOCAL'   three apples                 612 calories

total calories consumed 1857 calories

CALORIES BURNED

HUDSON, WISCONSIN YMCA   elliptical  340 calories

WEDNESDAY NET CALORIES   1517 CALORIES

MALL OF AMERICA

Last night was my last night in Minneapolis for this trip.  After visiting my last customer yesterday, I returned to the New Hope YMCA for a 40 minute workout on their elliptical machine.  After a vigorous workout I showered up, grabbed a Jimmy John's Unwich and headed to the Mall of America.

The Mall of America is the biggest mall in the United States with over 500 stores.  My shopping list was still not complete as I was still looking for some brand-new white dress shirts.  The Mall of America is a four level mall and in order to walk once around a particular level one would traverse .6 mile.  I stayed at the Mall for around three hours and although I did a little shopping at Nordstrom Rack, most of the time I was just zipping around through all the levels and I figure that I probably walked nearly 5 miles during my visit.

Visiting the Mall of America might seem like an obvious thing to do while visiting Minneapolis.  In fact, I had been there twice in the past 20 years of visiting Minneapolis.  The 'old' Marc would have been far less interested in visiting a place that required so much walking, so much effort.  The 'new' Marc found this same requirement the exact reason for visiting.  I think that it is a great way to spend an evening in Minneapolis - it's a guaranteed multiple mile walk and therefore a calorie burning event It's a lot more challenging than spending three hours shopping on amazon.com and a far healthier way of spending an evening.

THURSDAY MENU

breakfast  Quaker Oats Instant Oatmeal, one peach, one pear, one orange                     376 calories
lunch       28 raw whole almonds, apple, JIMMY JOHN'S UNWICH, pickle                500 calories
dinner      JIMMY JOHN'S UNWICH, pickle, two apples                                               410 calories

total caloric consumption  1286 calories

CALORIES BURNED
New Hope YMCA elliptical 40 minutes 481 calories

THURSDAY NET CALORIES 805 CALORIES

MALL OF AMERICA