Another non-culinary post...

You would think because I am a chef, there would be more posts about food! Well, not today, again...

Today, I am going to rant about my bank! They are going to take away "free checking" in favor of a monthly service fee. If I maintain a certain balance or have direct deposit, this fee is dismissed. They are also going to charge a monthly fee for using my check card, and it does not matter if I use it once or 100 times. When I first heard about this, it ticked me off a bit and started to wonder how I can get around this fee myself. Solution, become a cash man and only use the card at this banks ATM to avoid this small fee. But then I wondered, "Am I really this cheap"?

I do not believe what would equal a $60 a year fee to use my check card is a really big deal. but if a bank has a million users, and each has this monthly charge of $5, this equals $60 million dollars in income a year for almost doing nothing (most of this banking stuff is automated now, right?). I bet is actually translates to even more money. So if I only use my ATM and pay cash for everything, I will save that $60 a month and if everyone pulls together, we might save a bunch of money collectively.

Then I got to thinking, I really enjoy using my check card. Use it all of the time so why should I really change my habits. If you do not already know, much of my life revolves around Seinfeld (love the TV series, I find a little bit in everything I do and experience) and got to thinking about the episode when Jerry and Elaine are at the car rental place. The counter lady asks, "Would you like the insurance?" Jerry replies, "Yeah, you better give me the insurance. Because I'm gonna beat the hell out of this car!"

So I think I will buy a .50 pack of gum every day or purchase something really not worth the back end fees for the bank and store. I am just going to use the hell out of my check card on petty crap! Hey, if they are going to charge me and every other American a stupid little fee, why not stick it right back to them!

"Sticking it..."

Smoking...

As a "chef", I have never really embraced the habit as smoking like most food service workers. I can not stand the smell and I just think it is disgusting. How can I be expected to cook my very best when my taste receptors have been alerted by smoke? How can you cook your very best for me when you are smoking? One thing I did have to accept as a chef is that my workers will smoke breaks. There is just no way around it. I tried at one point to ban smoking all together but everyone was at each others throats and blood was going to be spilled. I had to give in and let everyone start smoking again.

As a food service professional, I do have one simple request of restaurants, food business’s, and their workers...

Please do not stand out in front of your facility and smoke!

If you are a waiter, I do not want to handle my plate after you smoke. If you are a cook, I do not want you handling my food after you smoke. As a food bagger or counter worker at a grocery store, I do not want you handling my items after you smoke. At least, if I do not see you out front smoking, I do not have to know! It is one of the most unprofessional things a business can do to allow their employees to smoke out front of the store, any time of the day!

If I see you or your employees smoking out front of your business, I am much less likely to spend money in your establishment! I am just saying...and not spending...

What is going on?

What the hell has been going on? Geeze it has been a while since I have posted. So I have been really pissy lately if that is really a word. This have just not been going very well but that is the breaks I guess! I am not going to sit here and complain a bunch, but instead, share some other insights and pointless ramblings!

- I really like playing Mah Jongg! It is a fun online game!
- Skunks really stink! Have some making home in our back yard. The dog does not appreciate!
- It is sometimes fun watching bad movies! Sometimes, they can still have a message.
- A toddler started running at my car the other day as I was driving in a parking lot. The mom was on her cell phone and did not even notice. I am glad I was going less then 5 mph!! SCARY!
- I am on a big lemonade kick right now! I love it and it is hard to get enough!
- We are seriously considering getting rid of cable television: 69 channels of nothing on! We mainly watch network television anyway. Plus they keep taking away channels. HHmmm; Save $65 for not much of anything? Sounds good to me!
- WOW it has been a pretty hot summer so far!
- How would you feel if you are doing a favor for an organization, getting paid nothing (zero, zilch), and you are told the job you are doing stinks? Kind of happened to me today!
- "The Unbearable Lightness of Being". I remember seeing that movie with my sister! That is what I feel like today! Just the name, not the movie.
- Weight loss is off track again and I want to get back into it. Tweaked the knee and it is sooo hot! I crave fall right now!

So cheers for tonight! I will try and do a better job tomorrow!

One more thing...

Here is one more thing I am really pissed about...

Fandango

I called a local theater to find out the time a movie is starting and was directed to call Fandango at 800-blah-blah, and was greeted with a series of commercials, 5 to be exact before I could get the movie start time. What a waste! I will NEVER NEVER call that service again! It stinks, it sucks, and I hate it!! I want that 10 minutes of my life back!

Really Pissed Off...

I am pissed tonight! Have had a pretty crappy day, getting ready to come off of a week of vacation. I guess I am mad at myself more than anything so I am going to just do a little ranting and raving:

- I hate restaurants that bitch and complain about their business when they need to take a look at what they are doing and make adjustments to SERVICE! It really is almost that simple.
- I went to get a haircut today. There was only one person attending to the shop. It is really hard to do business when you are not open and/or ready for business. You need to have a staff!
- I saw an episode of "Extreme Couponing". How do these people come up with 100 coupons for a single item? This one woman was so proud because she got $800 of groceries for $55. Looking at what she purchased, there was almost zero nutritional value to what she was buying. And why do we need 200 bottles of laundry detergent or a palate of toothpaste? Really? Come on man!
- Cell phones and the companies selling the phones and service really piss me off. I think I will keep my dumb phone for as long as I can. What a rip! I guess I could just not have one?? Man that would be really nice!
- I am not a child!!!
- I keep pressing "Publish Post" and nothing happens!!!!!!!!!!!
- I went to Google Chrome and posted this with no problem. I.E.9 really sucks! Not worth the time to even download!

So that is all of my bitching for now.

Progressing...

After a small gain last week of 6 ounces, I was back on track this week and lost 4.5 pounds for a total loss of 48 pounds since Feb. 21. We are entering the last week of our works weight loss challenge so I need to work hard for the next 5 days! The real test begins Friday; I need to keep it up after that! Still have a bunch of weight to take off.

Here is something that really bugs me: SMOKING. I hate the smell and stench it leaves behind, but here is what I hate most...
I hate seeing a parent/person smoking while there is a kid strapped into a child seat in the back of the car. Even worse, 2 or 3 kids strapped in while that person puffs away with out a seeming care in the world. I really hate it for kids in that situation. At least as an adult, I can ask for you not to smoke, or I can choose not to ride. Horrible!

Am very glad spring is here. My back is feeling better finally! I am really tired though and wish I could get a serious nights sleep!

Lost 12.75 pounds last week...

Lost 12.75 pounds last week...

But this was not the way I want to lose weight. I have pulled a muscle in my back and am in extreme pain right now. No appetite because of the pain. Total of 44.5 pounds lost since Feb. 21. (34 days). Hope I start feeling better soon. I miss the exercise!

Here are few more pointless ramblings:

- I discovered that I love Jonagold apples! They are awesome! Braeburn are also really good as well.

- People in Roanoke do not know how to drive for the most part. Stop on green, go on red, and merging off of an exit, forget about it!

- I generally do not take many drugs other than the occasional asprin or Excedrin. God bless the muscle relaxers last night! Had not slept for 3 nights in a row!

- I got a new keyboard and it is smooth!

- 8 years ago today, we moved into our house and that night, we go 4 inches of snow. We are supposed to get snow tonight! Kinda cool.

- It stinks being hurt and not being able to do the things you love to do!

Another good loss, -7.25#

Lost 7.25 pounds this past week. Total loss of 31.5 pounds in 29 days. That is 7.2% loss from my starting weight. Very long way to go but a great first month! Do not know how much longer I can keep up this pace and I am going to keep on working really hard at this! Feeling good but still have aches and pains. Knee is much better but the hip has arthritis and that does bother me. I feel better when moving than when standing.

Ate too much for lunch today and felt like crap after!

Updates and random thoughts...

My plan is moving along. I am not down 18 pounds since February 21! Many many more to go. I have been averaging about 1,200 calories per day. That is really low for a man of my size! Have a bum knee right now but I am working through it all!

And not for some meaningless, random thoughts...

- I do not understand Lady Gaga, but I guess I do not need to understand.
- Why are people mean, just for the sake of being mean?
- I am tired of the rain for the moment!
- My hands have been soaking in heavy duty grease cutter all day. Talk about a chemical peel!
- I have become a coupon clipper! I try to be smart about it!
- Dogs are so cool; and pugs are really goofy!
- If you want to die, texting and driving is probably a pretty good way to go about that!
- I really despise credit card companies! I paid off a card, but still got a bill because of interest. So I paid that bill and got another bill for .40 so I paid that one off but I paid .50, and then got another bill for .10. "Come on man!" They really have to go be kidding!

All for now! Cheers!

Plan Update...

Here is my first update for my new weight loss efforts. Following my plan and sticking to it all, with a ton of temptation all around every day, I managed to lose 13 pounds my first week! I know I can not keep that up but I am happy! Glad it was not more actually!

So it begins again...

It all started a few years back (2002) with "One Fat Chef", and then that turned into "The Incredible Shrinking Chef" (2008) and so it begins again; February 21. I am one fat chef and there is little really incredible about me, so this time I am just the shrinking chef! I have a monumental task in front of me; losing weight and it does not get easy as you get older for sure.

How do you eat an elephant? "One bite at a time" the wise man says, and so this is how I will begin my quest to lose, lets say, 200 pounds. WOW, yes, that is right; I am one big tub of goop so lets see how this goes this time. Not going to eat an elephant but I start the journey with one single step, my plan...

My plan: follow 10 basic rules:

The 10: 10 ideas to help me make better choices

1. Drink Ice Cold Water; try for 8 glasses a day. Limit Sodas
2. No eating after 7:00 pm.
3. Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, raw or steamed.
4. Eat more fish, less beef and pork.
5. Limit protein and starch portion sizes, eat more veggies.
6. Exercise 6 days a week, Walk every day if possible, at least
30 minutes. Lifts some weights as well, every other day.
7. Write down everything I eat and log it every day.
8. Limit butter, mayonnaise, creamy dressings, salt, sugar,
highly processed foods. Cook with more olive oil.
9. Eat more whole grains, limit processed white breads, pasta,
white rice.
10. Do not skip meals and if at all possible, try to eat 4 or 5
smaller meals during the day.

I think the 2 keys to this is going to be writing down everything I eat and portion control limiting myself to 1,500 calories a day!

Wish me luck!

More meaningless thoughts...

Here are my latest thoughts! Remember, there is not really much going on up in my little brain!

It appears to me that Valentine's Day is a day created by chocolate makers, jewelers, greeting card companies, and florists. It is all about the women in our lives. I know it is big business!

To the man trying to make a turn at the mall last week: I am usually a very nice driver and try and let people turn in front of me whenever possible. If you had your directional signal on, I would of let you in front of me! Wish more people would use the little tool!

I do not understand taxes, at all! Our tax system is so complicated, it is amazing that any one employed knows what to do, how to file, how much to with hold from a paycheck! I got the best return of my life this year and I am scared to death that if I change any numbers, I will end up owing a shit load of money next year! I do not want a big return but I do not want to write a big check either! I want my money working for me, not the federal government! irs.gov was no help at all! There needs to be a better way!

I need a new key board for this computer! Or I need to learn to type better!

I am still trying to embrace social networking! I post from time to time but I still have a hard time believing that what I do at any particular moment is very interesting! Yet here I sit, typing away. Notice I do not make a bunch of posts here either!

I grew up knowing that the word "fair" is a 4 letter work, just as bad as the "F" word. We were not allowed to utter the word fair in our household. I guess this was to give us youths the understanding that life is not always equal, things do not always go our way, get used to disappointment, good things will happen to others and not to us and there is not a damn thing we can do about it. I really despise this concept! The only thing this has really taught me is that when I am being taken advantage of, I just need to accept it and there is no way for me to stand up for myself. It makes me very sad.

I need to start posting some recipes here on this blog!

I was told this week that I should write a book. Maybe I will?

Until next time!

Thoughts?

I thought there were some really good thoughts and ideas to post tonight. Turns out, I got nothing! Pretty empty up there right now and it looks like anything I would have to say would just be inconsequential as usual anyway!

Posted by Chef Jeff Bland, Division Chef, U.S. Foodservice, Inc. Roanoke. Opinions expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of U.S. Foodservice, Inc.

2011, The New Year...

Hard to believe that 2011 is here. Things are off to a pretty good start and am looking forward to a good year. I hope this new year is financially better for the people struggling in the good ol' USA. May this up-swing be swift and decent for everyone.

My heart, thoughts, and prayers go the victims of the shooting in Tucson yesterday. Why are some people off their rockers like this? I hate that people died, and the congresswoman was injured in such a horrible way. I pray for peace in every one's heart who lost someone they loved and a fast recovery for the injured. God forgive the shooter.

I have no resolutions for this new year! I just want to lose some weight! Back on the exercise and eating right wagon soon I hope, just not so far.

May you have a wonderful new year!