Rather, more like FMLercoaster. But a rollercoaster ride nonetheless.
I’ve not blogged the past couple nights because I learned I would pretty much have to go to NYC to fix my visa problem at the Russian consulate, and I was planning, packing, and traveling! What a mess. I think, however, it’s all sorted out now (big sigh!).
I like to work in chronological order, though, so let’s backtrack to Wednesday to be sure I get things straight.
I had to get up bright and early to help my stepmom with some errands, so I snacked on this Key Lime Pie Lara as we went out the door.
It was the first time I’ve tried this flavor. It was all right, but not especially lime-y. I definitely think other flavors are more spot-on to the taste they are named for; this tasted good–just not like any key lime pie I’ve ever had. I probably prefer other flavors of Larabar (like Apple Pie or PB&J), but might buy this flavor again.
We also stopped for coffee, and I got a skim vanilla latte.
Once we returned home I was trapped in the never-ending phone calls to the Russkies who wouldn’t answer. Good grief, was that frustrating! I ate things that could be delivered to my mouth with one hand–the other was holding the phone to my head and hitting ‘redial.’ First up was a handful or two of chips (blue corn and white) with melted cheddar and mango salsa.
Then I snacked on a giant apple with cinnamon and peanut butter.
I have the funny feeling that I nommed my way through some almonds, too, but I lack photographic evidence.
By the time dinner came around, it was pretty sure that I would have to go to New York to sort this mess out in person. We had a delicious meal of turkey, sweet potato, and sugar snap peas, but I was so distracted and distraught that I hardly enjoyed it.
It was a lot of food, so I only ate about 1/2.
After dins, there was much hullabaloo in my house while we decided how I should get to NYC (plane), and then how to arrange for flights, a hotel just-in-case, what I needed, how to convince them that they should process my visa faster than anyone else’s (ha), etc. I was not a happy camper.
I got all that sorted out and packed quickly, hoping to be in bed before 11 since I was going to be waking up at 4 a.m. to get my flight. Yup, you read that right. On Thursday, I was out the door by 4:25 in the morning!
I didn’t want to take the time to eat breakfast at home, so I brought a honey-flavored Chobani to the airport with me. By the time I sat down to eat it I was one hungry mungry.
I don’t know if it was because it was 0% or since it had sat out for an hour and a half, or what, but it was weirdly chunky! I tried mixing it up, but I would get a few gross lumps in every bite. The flavor was just okay. It was not very sweet or overpowering, but almost a little bland. If you like plain yogurt, and want to mix it up a bit, this would probably do the trick. I don’t like plain, however, so I will stick with Greek Gods honey flavored or the Fage twin pots and probably won’t get this flavor again.
Disappointed and still a bit hungry, I thought I’d get one of the newish flatbread egg sandwiches from Dunkin’ Donuts. I asked if the veggie one has mushrooms (anybody know??), but it was in vain–they were completely out of the flatbreads! I just got an egg and cheese on a multigrain bagel. (They had to make mine twice because they lady in front of me took mine–even though I told her that it was my order and not part of hers! Sheesh!)
Mmmm, frozen, perfectly round “eggs”….
Getting to New York was uneventful, but when I got to the consulate, there was a huge line of people waiting out front. Uh-oh. Luckily, I discovered that one side was for Russians who needed passports, and the other, shorter side was for visas. I got in pretty quickly, but was met with some bad news: they couldn’t process my visa any faster than 3 business days–until 2 September. A day after my flight! Then, the girl explained that even if I had it on Monday, I wouldn’t be able to enter Russia until 5 days after the visa was issued, meaning I wouldn’t make it there at the time specified by my contract and I would miss the first 3-4 days of training! Ai yai yai. I had to leave to stop and consider if this was all “worth it,” and if I would even be able to keep my job if I came a week late.
A few phone calls and some tears later, I decided to try calling the company to see if they had any advice. I got a phone card from a kiosk and called about 4 different numbers, but could only get voicemail! Finally, I got through to the coordinator lady who assured me that it would be all right if I was certain I could catch up on the training. Phew. I marched back to the consulate, waited in line again, and sent off my documents for my application! I had a celebratory bowl of Gazpacho at Jackson Hole.
It was very good and chock full of vegetables. It hit the spot, and after I ate I was sooo full. Then it was more phone calls to rearrange my flight home, cancel my hotel room, and off to the airport again!
While waiting for my flight home, I actually got hungry, even though I had been stuffed a couple hours before. I dug into the KIND Plus bar I had grabbed as an emergency snack at the ‘Bucks.
The guy next to me was giving me the hairy eyeball while I tried to take a pic, hence: rushed and blurry photo…
I had the Cranberry & Almond bar, which I actually enjoyed a lot. There were a variety of textures: crunchy, chewy, crispy–and it was a “soft” bar (meaning I wasn’t afraid I was going to break my teeth biting into it) but was still dense and nutty. The combination of ingredients really kept my mouth happy, because the flavors melded together and every bite had an interesting texture. It was pretty sweet. I didn’t love the first bite, but once the sweetness wasn’t a surprise I got into it. This bar was a very nice snack.
Here is the ingredient list and the nutrition stats from the KIND website:
INGREDIENTS:
Macadamias, Almonds, Dried Cranberries (Cranberries, Sugar, Sunflower Oil). Honey, Glucose, Puffed Rice, Soluble Dietary Fiber (Maize) VITAMINS & MINERALS: Vitamin D, Calcium Carbonate, Folic Acid
NUTRITIONAL INFO:
Calories 190
Fat Calories 110
Total Fat 12g
Saturated Fat 1.5 g
Trans Fat 0g
Monounsaturated 10g
Polyunsaturated 2g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 10mg
Potassium 120mg
Total Carb. 19g
Dietary Fiber 2.5g
Sugars 13g
Protein 4g
Vitamin A 50% • Vitamin C 50% • Calcium 4% • Iron 4%
Vitamin E 50% • Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) 6% • Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 10%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 6% • Phosphorus 8% • Magnesium 10% • Zinc 4%
The calories and fats seem a little high, but they are mostly from healthy nut sources, so it’s not really a problem in my eyes. This bar was a little expensive for me to buy often, but I will certainly get it again sometime.
When we got into Boston I was still hungry (?!), but had a 8% chance of catching the bus if I hurried to the transit section. So I forewent the snack and did, actually, catch the bus. Needless to say, by the time I got to my hometown I was ready to eat anything! I decided to go to one of my favorite fast Mexican places, Dos Amigos, for some tacos.
I love, love, love the area I live in, but in the summer it is a local’s worst nightmare. The whole seacoast region is a maaaay-juh tourist trap, and it is damn near impossible to find parking on summer nights. I spent more time driving around looking for a spot than ordering and waiting for my food. It was so ridiculous. I was starting to think about eating the leather off the steering wheel I was so hungry!!! And when I was trying to cross the bridge, I caught it when it was going up (which can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes of wait time for it to come down). I couldn’t stand it and dove into one of my tacos. There was no chance I was getting a picture. Sorry.
I only ate one, though. Here’s the rest of my meal:
That’s vegan chili on the left and a BBQ chicken soft taco on a WW tortilla on the right. Here’s an up close and personal shot of the taco, which might make it look a teensy bit more appetizing….
…Or not…
It was a ton of food, but so, so good. I ate it in three little servings, and it was exactly what my tummy wanted. Ahh…
Sated and sleepy, I settled in for a little bit of Project Runway action. I’m so excited for this season! Do you watch Project Runway? Who is your favorite designer so far? If you’ve watched past seasons, who has been your favorite designer? I like the MN representation on this season–2 of the designers are from Minnesota! I think my favorite designer so far is either Gordana or Shirin. (For entertainment value, I do like Carol Hannah, too!) I think my favorite designers ever are Austin Scarlett (Season 1) And Jillian Lewis (Season 4). Makes me nostalgic for Project Runway nights with Katie, Carlye, and Luke!
Finding My Balance... 