I’m trying a local CSA this week, where I picked up a box full of vegetables and fruit for $28. The food is grown by local gardeners, and is distributed from a house on 38th St. Today was the pick-up day, and I got some carrots, potatoes, onions, roma tomatoes, squash, tangelos, peas, avocados, etc. I chose what I wanted, which is a pretty good deal. My box of vegetables in my high-rise elevator was the anachronism of the day.

St. Mary Magdalene is a beautiful church in the Bay Park section of town. It was built in 1957 in a traditional style, and has wonderful views of the bay. The parish is pretty wealthy, and the church has a rectory and large auditorium. We checked out the weekly bingo Tuesday bingo game tonight, which turned out to be very professionally run. There were three big electronic boards on the auditorium stage, a hundred+ players, snacks, and even dinner before the games. I wish my parish (St. Joesph’s Cathedral on 3rd & Beech) had anything like this.

Rode with a group from downtown San Diego to Tijuana and back tonight. I rode my fixed-gear Cinelli for over 6 hours, and we didn’t get back until 2am. The tacos were great, I should have had more than two of them.

Stehly Farms just opened up a little boutique produce market on the South Side of the park. I think this is their second location in town. I don’t really care about organic produce, but I’ll buy my vegetables from them, just because its a cool idea. I prefer to support local agriculture and farmers. I also like the idea of just walking into a shop to buy groceries, instead of pushing a shopping cart through a supermarket. This store has enough to cook with, and I can pick up my fresh bread and pasta from little Italy.

I always lose weight on trips to Las Vegas. Between all the distractions of gambling, the bright lights, friends, and walking around, I avoid my normal overeating at night. Plus, I chose the relatively healthy options at the buffet, food court, and restaurants. So for three breakfasts, I had an English muffin and scrambled eggs. I ate light lunches, and saved my calories for our nice dinners. I ate dessert a few times, and had a few drinks. We walked around a lot, gambled, and crashed around 2 am. If I did this everyday, I’d lose a kilo every week.

Of course, I chose to load up on the vegetables and salad at dinner. Then I ate a reasonable portion of meat, and got most of my calories from potatoes and starches. All last week I didn’t overeat at night, and I dropped a kilo. We’ll see if I can repeat it at home this week.

I just got my new Cinelli Mash Historgram! This is the first new, good bike I’ve bought since 1986, when I bought a Bianchi Trofeo for $800. My new Histogram costs about the same, after adjusting for inflation. I’m now riding fixed-gear (no coasting), but I still have a front brake. I’m getting used to the feel of being directly attached to the wheel with SPD pedals. I’m not ashamed to say I’ve fallen twice @ 0 mph trying to come to a stop.

I can’t wait until it all feels natural, including the skid stops.

Felt like a slice or two of Landini’s tonight after gambling. They’re open to 1am on Thursday thru Saturday night, and it was pretty busy at 11pm.

Rode with the Awarewolfs last night after the Tuesday night races at the Velodrome. We started at about 21:30, and I didn’t get home until midnight. We re-grouped for a while at City Liquor on 5th & Elm, near my place. This was my first group ride at night, and it’s pretty fun screaming through intersections, hoping your peripheral vision sees the headlights of thru traffic. Back to spin tonight.

I just learned about the specifics of WWII food rationing in Britain. I knew they used ration books and coupons, and that it wasn’t very fun. But I learned they still ate more much meat, sugar, fats, and oils than I do today.
The ration allowed for 230g/week of fats and oils (margarine, butter, lard), 230g/week of sugar, and about 500g/week of meat and cheese. They also allowed 800 ml/week of milk, and 500g/week of jam. Vegetables weren’t rationed.

Geez, that’s a lot. I don’t even eat half of that. I doubt I eat 100g of sugar/week. I eat less than 200g/week of meat. I doubt I use 100g/week fats and oils. I avoid all dairy, and don’t eat jam.

Of course, I eat an amazing variety of fresh produce, unobtainable in wartime Britian.

Anyways, people have suggested that WWII rations-based diets would improve the public’s health. This should be fairly obvious. In fact, a woman has lost 10 stone on a 1940’s diet experiment, using vintage recipes.

The photo of a week’s rations (above) might look like deprivation to some. But to a McDougall’er, it looks like gluttony and health issues.

I saw them preparing the donuts last night, and thought I’d drop by after spin to watch the morning line. Blue bunnies for Easter! It’s not that I’m rabidly low-fat or anti-sugar, but I just don’t want that kind of treat in the morning. I’m good.