Getting in shape.

I'm currently taking another crack at getting in shape again. This means upping my physical activity, and dropping my caloric intake. Over the past few days I've been mixing up my breakfasts and lunches with black forest ham and sharp cheddar on english muffins, steel cut oatmeal with brown sugar, and the occasional going out meal. Yesterday I walked over to House of Bagels and got a lox schmear on onion. The day before that I had pho with my mom.

I've also been trying to cut my dinner calories for dinner. Last week I had a few nights of rotisserie chicken with rice and steamed veggies. Though every now and then, I'll throw in a burrito from Gordo's. But at least I don't get the super.

What's more, I'm cutting down on cigarettes and soda. I've had maybe one pack of cigarettes over the past month. That's down from a pack a week. And with soda, I read this article in the New York Times about the pitfalls of eating too much sugar. Expanding waistlines. Fatty livers. All kinds of health problems I could do without.

As for getting physical, I just took another two-mile run this morning (nothing cures a hangover like a good run). My short term goal is to run two miles every other day, with the eventual goal of running two miles everyday. The last time I picked up running again, I think I was pushing too hard on distance. I was so beat up after a nine-mile run, I couldn't run for the next couple weeks and lost the momentum I'd built to get up to that point. So this time, I'm focusing more on daily consistency in hopes to raise my BMI.

Last night I was at Fire Fly for the first time in a couple of months. It was good seeing some people I hadn't seen in a while. And I have to say, it's difficult turning away free drinks. I bought two beers. Then Calvin bought me a shot of Petron. Then Brian brought me a shot of Scotch from a sampler he got from a coworker. Then Ed bought me a beer. Shaun bought me another one. Ning gave me another one on the house. I barely made it to the bus stop (yes, I'm taking mass transit these days).

I was talking to Ning. Man, she's a sweetheart. Ning is one of the bartenders at Fire Fly. She opened her restaurant Baan Thai (four stars on Yelp) sometime last year. I helped her write the menu. I wasn't sure how much license she was giving me in terms of her menu, so I varied it. Some items I was a little more liberal with (Drunken noodles—"No ID required", Crying Chicken Salad—"No tears, we promise"). She tells me last night, it turns out the menu items I took the most artistic license with are actually the items people on Yelp recommend the most. Direct response copy in action. Awesome.

As for taking the bus, the first one passed me by even though I was at the bus stop. The second and last bus of the night I had to flag down like a taxi. There were two really drunk girls on there. And then there was me. The ride is actually really convenient. It picks me up a block away from my apartment and takes me three blocks away from my bar. And I don't have to worry about driving home drunk.

The first time I thought about taking the bus was when I went with Ryan to Off the Grid. I figured parking there would be a nightmare, and the bus stop is just a few blocks away from my apartment, and drops you off right in front of Fort Mason. Last week, I met up with some Words with Friends players, and took the MUNI and the BART to meet up with them at Lake Chalet in Oakland. That wasn't a bad ride at all. And last night seemed as good a night as any to take the bus to Fire Fly. Definitely wouldn't mind doing it again.