03.03.10
Posted in Diary Entries at 7:27 am by skay
It’s been a wild few months, so much is happening all around that I am clinging onto the one thing in which I find stability and that is my other blog. It’s easy to write, doesn’t really take that much effort and as an added bonus, helps me to stay on track with my workouts. It’s located here: P90X and it has caused me to rethink much of what I write online, not only content wise, but also location wise. I have, over the years, moved some of my writing to different places. I have renamed my blogs a couple of times and finally, after 12 years of blogging I am about to move my personal blog onto what I hope will be it’s final resting place. An unwanted side effect of this move is the paralysis of my contributions. In addition, we now have this Kay Family blog where Nicole and I try to add posts and update the family on our news. For those of you who are counting that means I now have 3 sites which require my updates on a near daily basis. Now, despite my own aspirations or mental leanings, I am not a writer and spending time each day creating posts for these blogs is not practical. Add to that my gymnastics coaching blog, my photo site and trying to develop an idea for an IT security site I am spread way too thin.
So my grand scheme is to move everything to one place. Have everything under one domain so that I can find it all and keep it all straight. However, moving content is not as easy as it may sound and frankly it is driving me up the wall. An oblique issue is also that the more I maintain my P90X / Insanity site the worse I feel about my personal sites which are supposed to be the epoch of personal blogging achievement. You can tell how all this is starting to slide sideways like a BMW in the snow.
Just for fun, let’s add coaching twice a week, a pregnant wife who wants me to write about my future responsibilities, my own desire to create a dad-to-be checklist of sorts for those just as lost as I am and a laundry list of things that need to be done in the real world before the baby gets here and you can see that the few hours I have away from work are stuffed like a German Sausage and frankly close to splitting.
So a major reorganization is in order. I have all but abandoned my coaching blog which is a terrible disappointment to me but I am committed to keeping both my workout blog (as long as I am doing Beachbody workouts) and my personal blog, wherever it may eventually reside.
I can’t believe that the whole Winter Olympics in Vancouver has gone by without my writing a single word. Sure, the hockey game was exciting, seeing the women’s curling team choke on the last rock was a disappointment and overall Canada did pretty well but not having written about it is a shocker. Maybe it is due to the fact that I have been working hard at home, fixing the mountain of odds and ends that have to be done. I still haven’t finished the trim for the floor, and unfortunately I think I may need to purchase another air compressor to do so. It’s not a huge job, but time consuming and hard on the back. I also have a major decision to make about trim around the fire place. The last thing I need is to make a mess of that area and have it look amateurish. So far we have built furniture for the baby room, I have installed desks, dimmer switches, TV stands, disposed of well over 200lbs of electronics, made multiple trips to the dump (my Dad would be so proud!) and ordered, filled and had removed a 1 square metre garbage box full of random house waste. This past weekend I put up more sturdy shelving in the garage in preparation for creating a workout space and repurposing the basement storage area into a workshop. It’s been a non stop workfest since the pregnancy began and it is only picking up speed as the belly gets bigger.
For those of you men whose partners are recently pregnant let me tell you that you should prepare for the avalanche of to do lists that “the baby room” will generate. Somehow our baby room required the whole house to be redecorated. I have a feeling from the hundreds of web pages Nicole visits that this is not the exception and that in some way the “nesting” thing pregnant women do is as much to do with you going to Home Depot as it does her going to babies-r-us.
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02.25.10
Posted in Diary Entries at 2:27 pm by Nicole
What I/We have been up to lately:
4th Doctors Appt – 24 weeks
Simon met Dr. T-B for the first time
Belly measurement = 23cm (not 33 like the silly student doctor measured)
Heartbeat = 140bpm (loud & clear)
My Blood Pressure = 110/70
Weight = Too much to mention here
Next appointment – 1 month
The doctor confirmed we will have one more ultrasound to check the fluid in the baby’s kidneys (which isn’t normal) and I am to have the glucose test before my next appointment. Ok, glucose test came and went without any issues. I drank the sugary orange, McDonalds type drink and went back an hour later to give them most of my blood. Hopefully we will hear that everything is fine!
Simons 42nd Birthday – Since we are trying to “save money” we combined MOm & Simon’s birthday with lunch and a show (see below)
Memphis SmokeHouse & Jersey Boys – Simon & I met my parents near the Toronto Arts Centre where the Jersey Boys show was for a huge BBQ birthday lunch. We all shared the “Protein Platter” and even had some for a doggy bag. We walked to the 2pm show and got settled in our seats, which was in the 2nd row from the top of the theater! The venue was fairly small so all of the seats were “good”. The show itself was entertaining and I knew most of the songs – even though they were waaayyy before my time. My favourite of all the songs is “December, 1963″
Meditation - I went to a meditation class this week (Actually, I was the only one who attended – how embarassing) It was quite interesting. We went through the chakras of the body and visualized the “energy” flowing – at first I thought it was kinda silly, but I could really feel the energy! We ended with a journey through the sky in a bubble, overlooking a forest and waterfall then returning back home. I’d definately go back, even just to relax and get away from everything. Here is an example of the chakra stuff: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFqHa4gOP3c
How I’m feeling physically:
Large and getting commented on it. People are still surprised at work when they see me, but now they aren’t afraid to say anything! I’m starting to enjoy the way I am feeling/looking because now I look quite pregnant (but I think it helps I have lots of cute clothes to wear!!)
Lots of movement all the time
I’m worried about work and how long I can continue. I mean, seperately, all of my jobs are fine. But put together and working 13+ hour days, that might get to be too much. I’ll just keep going and see what I can do.
Simon felt her kick (Feb 19) and SAW her kick Feb 24)
Working out is getting a little more difficult. I find I’m moving slower…treadmill at 3.0-3.3, Elliptical on Level 1! How sad 
I’ve been feeling nauseous for the past couple days at the gym, even though I am eating my previous meal well ahead of workout time. My tummy seems soooo full that I can barely do anything
How I’m feeling emotionally:
Pretty good still! I’ve been talking about my fears with friends to try and calm my nerves about the big day. I think it is mostly the fear of the unknown….once I take the classes, I hope to be more prepared. I had a birthing class dilemma (whether to attend or not) but after thinking about it I think we will go. I like the thought of going in blindly but even for my own interest I’d like to know how everything is going to play out.
How $!m0n is feeling:
Overwhelmed I guess? Today he said:
We are going to have a baby!!
then a little girl
then a teenager
then a young lady
then someone’s fiance
then someone’s wife
then someone’s mother
tell me thats not weird………..
What’s coming up:
A big snowstorm
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02.17.10
Posted in Diary Entries at 11:15 am by Nicole
What I/We have been up to lately:
Julia’s BBall Game – We finally made it downtown TO to see Julia and her bball team play! We arrived at the Eaton’s Centre just in time to make it to Ryerson for 6pm. After a tour through the deserted school, we finally found the gym and spotted Julia on the bench. We got our tickets and made ourselves at home on the top bleacher. The game was very exciting and the score was pretty close for most of the game. Two unfortunate parts of the evening…1) Julia didn’t see us waving and acting crazy to get her attention 2) We didn’t get to see her play basketball! She was an excellent cheerleader and team motivator for the rest of them. That’s ok though, that’s what happens when you try to surprise somebody! We’ll try again next time she is in town.
Sunset Grill w/ Aunt Shirl, Uncle Ed & Mom – We had a great visit, long overdue, with the gang at our house. I spent most of the previous day cleaning/tidying up for our guests as it is a great incentive to do some chores around the house. Simon helped by finishing his list of to-do’s also. We enjoyed breakfast and got to hear all the latest news from Stoney Creek. It has been so long since we have seen them and we already have our next get together planned(ish). They were very generous and thoughtful and gave us the money to buy our carseat! I already have it chosen and will pick it up on the weekend. Thank you!!!
Family Day 2010 – Very uneventful. Lied on the couch most of the day and watched tv. I think all the cleaning I did tired both of us out.
How I’m feeling physically:
No kicky very much yesterday – It was strange. Normally I feel baby kicking me throughout the day, mostly in the afternoon/evening. I didn’t feel her yesterday, just a couple jabs in the gut. It worried me, but I was reassured by Alleta that this is normal. I have been getting used to her making her presence known daily and I was sad when she didn’t say hi to me! She is back to it today though YAY!
Dreams – I had a strange alien baby dream last night. It was possessed by the devil and trying to escape from my belly. It was a miniature boy with no skin, just bones making loud scary noises.
Dry skin – Itchy dry skin appearing on my back even though I am moisturizing 2x daily to prevent those dreaded stretch marks!
Swallowing Issues – Sometimes problems swallowing my food and dreading a liquid diet! I have to eat slower and chew more often to prevent food getting stuck in my throat. I’m getting practice cutting food up into teenytiny pieces also!
Citrus Fruits & I (Oranges) – Makes my tongue swell up like the size of the orange itself. Oh, and it burns, BAD! I’m not impressed as the oranges at this time of the year are delicious!
How I’m feeling emotionally:
Nervous. That about sums everything up. Nervous I won’t be ready in time for BabyKay’s arrival, nervous labour will be too difficult/painful, nervous breastfeeding won’t work, nervous I’ll be lost when we get her home, nervous she won’t be healthy, nervous to meet her for the first time, but I’ll probably be so nervous I’ll be too nervous to be nervous!
What’s coming up:
4 months to go – Time is flying by!
Simon’s 42nd Birthday
Jersey Boys
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02.11.10
Posted in Diary Entries at 3:12 pm by Nicole
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Posted in Diary Entries at 3:09 pm by Nicole
Today was a very busy day of playing chauffeur with Mom and various medical tests. We started off at 8am to Scarborough Centenary where she had a CT scan and a Pulmonary Ventilation/Perfusion Scan (VQ scan). Both of these tests were to determine the cause of her swollen legs. They have been swollen for a couple weeks now and seem to be getting worse. I thought they were “a bit swollen” by the way she described, but when I saw her unable to get up stairs or into the car, I knew it was much worse. The tests were to check for any blood clots in her body and lungs that may cause the swelling. We then dropped off a urine test at Ajax Pickering hospital which will check the levels of everything in her body. Apparently one doctor said she had low protein, so hopefully this will come back with more answers.
Mom called me into the house when we were done our errands because she had something she needed me for. She got a call from the vet last night saying we should consider saying goodbye to Molson. She is 16 years old now, she has a hard time walking, seeing, hearing and she has stopped eating. She has a multitude of other problems that the doctor said now is the time. I didn’t want Mom to have to go through it alone and I wanted to be there so we decided the time would be now. Unfortunately Dad didn’t get to say goodbye because he is out of the country…I really wish it didn’t have to be that way. He is going to be very upset with our decision, but will know it was the right one. We got Molson into the car, drove to the vet and stayed with her in the room. Mom held her while the medication went through the IV. She gently fell asleep and we spent a good 10 minutes hugging her, wiping our tears and just being near her. It was a fairly silent drive home.
It’s funny how life is. Things are good one day and bad the next. The rollercoaster of life.
I’m going to miss my happy smiley dog. She was such a beautiful girl…so fluffy and cuddly (even if she wasn’t always friendly!) I still remember the day I brought her home and my Mom said, “Why did you bring home a guinea pig?!” Mom, It’s a dog!! I thank them for taking such good care of her and treating her like a princess. She had a very good life and will be remembered always. xo
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02.10.10
Posted in Diary Entries at 10:16 am by Nicole
What I/We have been up to lately:
Mom’s 65th Birthday Celebration - We had a nice time last weekend in Port Perry with the party people (Aunt Shirl, Aunt Carolyn, Alleta & Lily). I went to Alleta’s before hand to visit with her and Lily, and she treated me to so many nice maternity clothes! I now have 6 outfits to choose from!! We met the gang at noon at the Piano Bar and had some nice conversation and lunch. It was the first time I had seen Mom since before our vacation. She was in such good spririts and was acting like her old self. I was so happy, I couldn’t stop smiling! Once we ate, we hit the stores to do some serious shopping. Ok, well, Mom wanted to shop. Actually, she spent 30+ minutes in each store we visited! Apparently she isn’t the world’s best shopper. She enjoys shopping, I think it is the decision making that is the issue – and she loves the “card department”. Alleta, Aunt Carolyn and Lily went home to be fed while we continued, had tea and bought really expensive dish rags.
Prenatal Yoga – Sundays mornings are my new relaxing yoga class. It was my first time doing yoga in my new “condition”, there were 5 other ladies there, all of us about the same size – besides one who was ready to pop any day! I really enjoyed the gentle stretching but most of all the relaxation. My normal life isn’t very relaxing so being able to concentrate just on peace and quiet is what I need for a Sunday morning. We ended with a visualization scene: Taking the baby home from the hospital for the first time. I’m sure it will be nothing like I imagine it. haha. I signed up for 4 more classes.
Online Orders – Sofa Throw & Blind – Got the items in the mail yesterday, will test them out today
Baby Nursery – It is coming together very nicely! We got the dresser, bookshelves and mirrors assembled and put in place. Thanks to handyman dad Simon. Surprisingly, we worked together with no arguments!
Dad to Venezuela / Mom visits hospital
- Even though Mom had her ticket, passport and bag packed, she decided it would be best to stay home. She has been experiencing very bad swelling in her legs, so painful it hurts to even walk. She spent the evening in Emerge having test after test done to see if they could find a cause. All reports came back clear. I don’t think the Venezuelan hosptial system is great so she played it safe and stayed home, just in case. Yesterday she heard from an Internist that her Albumin levels were low (low protien) so she is upping her protein intake and hopefully will see some changes. Her doctor also ordered a CT scan of her lungs to check the cells for blood clots. I hope things are ok and they find a resolution asap.
How I’m feeling physically:
Not a great day to ask me how I am. Last night at coaching my foot started to hurt. It is pain in the arch of my foot and extending up to my ankle. I think it is from my poor choice of running shoes. It hurts to walk or put pressure on it. At midnight I woke up in pain so I crawled downstairs (literally) to get the ice pack. At 4am I woke up with an alarming pain in my calf. It hurt so much I wanted to cry, but it hurt too much I woke Simon up for help but he rolled over and fell back asleep. After about 2 minutes of intense pain, it subsided after some stretching and massaging. I put the heating pad on it and went back to sleep. I really hope this doesn’t happen again!! I’m getting bigger still and notice that treadmill walking is getting more difficult. The extra weight isn’t helping my shins. I switched to the elliptical and so far so good.
Baby Kay is very active every day, kicking and punching me in the tummy. Any day now she will be strong enough for Simon to feel her!! Yay!
I like my nightly bubble baths to relax my twitchy legs, although it is getting in the way of my television watching.
How I’m feeling emotionally:
Good. I try and monitor my emotions to make sure I don’t get too stressed during the day. Both jobs are have a fair amount of stress so I don’t want to impose that on the baby. I think it makes a difference how Mom is, even when baby is in the womb.
It is hard to believe that there are only 17 weeks remaining….I might be starting to get a bit nervous!!!
What’s coming up:
Julia playing basketball in Toronto – We are going to surprise her. Shhhh
Valentine’s day – I am secretly hoping for some nice flowers
Jersey Boys – Mom & Simon’s birthday gift. Matinee show plus dinner with Mom, Dad & Simon
Simon’s birthday – 42. Wow.
Erie with Sonia – Baby shopping! Date TBD
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02.05.10
Posted in Diary Entries at 9:25 am by skay
Time for me to wade into the baby updates…
Yes, I realize that this is the first time since the cryptic entry from last time that I am actually writing about the enormous changed that have come about in our lives. We learned a few weeks ago that Nicole is pregnant and therefore by deduction that I am going to be a father.
*moment of silence for sink-inage*
I am still in shock, or disbelief, or denial, I am not sure which but it certainly doesn’t seem real yet. However, as Nicole expands with each passing day and our attention turns away from us and onto the baby-* (everything in our life now starts with baby). Baby-room, baby-clothes, baby-changing table, baby-crib and it goes on and on. I swear I am not going to realize what is going on until the baby is actually crying and for that reason alone I am petrified.
But I have a plan, at least for the easy things like furniture, rooms, garbage, diapers etc,
What I don’t have a plan for yet and what I will be developing here is how to be a Dad. Unlike most other things in life that really don’t matter, being a parent is something that really deserves planning and attention on an ongoing basis. My feeling is that most men just don’t put enough thought into what happens once the baby comes other than the mechanics. Why not spend the last 3 or 6 months of the pregnancy when you are spending your time being obedient and not angering the earth mother as she gradually metamorphoses from your wife into your child’s mother paying attention to the person you will need to be once the child arrives. For example, being too fat to lift up your child is something that will require attention before the trip to the hospital. Same goes for quitting smoking, stopping biting your nails, procrastinating, time management, assessing your morals and priorities, improving your hygiene etc etc.
So I will try over the next few months before baby Kay arrives to get my sh!t together which will include, by the way, losing the profanities. Wish me luck!
So what else is new? Well, I seem to have done the same thing I always do when I get too much on my plate and that is fail to do much of anything! I recently went on a CISSP Boot Camp course in Toronto to help prepare me for the CISSP exam in January. I have been running the Biggest Loser at work and of course coaching while trying to keep up with home stuff that needs to happen. This has meant that after my success with P90X that I have not been back to the gym. It seems that G90X didn’t really take off like I had hoped. I now am in a position with an upcoming exam, upcoming trip to Switzerland and a ton of work and a big pile of frustration with my poor eating habits and lack of exercise. So I need to get organized. The problem isn’t my inability to cope, it is my unwillingness to plan appropriately and get my time organized. I need to study every day, exercise every day and figure out a way to stop eating crap all the time. It can’t be that hard, I am a full grown man for Gods sake.
So here I go. Today, Christmas Eve 2009 I will go home and do Plyometrics with my P90X buddy Tony and have a healthy supper. I will study at least 2 hours and start making notes on the Information Security and Risk Management Domain.
What I need in order to do that I think is a better working area. Although we have a desk downstairs with the computer it is really not appropriate. We have discussed moving the desk up to the reading nook which would be an ideal study spot. That means moving the existing couch into the front baby-room to be. That would require moving the existing couch in that room out and also the bed… You can see how it all snowballs into one big overwhelmfest.
Tonight… you!
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02.04.10
Posted in Diary Entries at 2:00 pm by Nicole
We went for big 20-week ultrasound on Monday, technician lady was very rude. She barely said one word to me! She didn’t even laugh at my dumb baby jokes. This was supposed to be a good experience, but it wasn’t anything to write home about. During this appt she scanned the entire body, looking at all the body parts for problems or concerns.
What I/We have been up to lately:
- 
Purchased our first big baby item! Our Limited Edition UppaBaby Vista stroller in yellow! There aren’t many things I want or need for baby, but this was one of them. This stroller does it all but feed the cat!
- Putting together gift registry with consultation from friends and cousins
- Planning, buying nursery furniture and inspiration pieces.
Purchases to date:
Inspiration Photo
2 x Bookshelves – Imagine this white, a single unit and with purple & Black bins
Night Table (built by moi)
Butterfly Wall Art for above crib:
Nursery Colours: Wall paint: Tan & Lilac; Furniture: White; Accent: Pink, Chocolate Brown, Lilac, Silver & SPARKLY)
How I’m feeling physically:
- Doing well, getting bigger day by day. I get to the gym regularly so that helps I think.
- Bottom of left foot hurts when walking sometimes. Maybe my running shoes? Maybe plantar fascitis frme xtra weight? Maybe wearing poor shoes during the day?
- I get out of breath easily ie. one set of stairs at work. Wheezy sound in chest
- Baby very kicky during day and at night. It seems much more regular now than her schedule before. Soon Simon will be able to feel her!
How I’m feeling emotionally:
- At ease
What’s coming up:
- April 12 – 3d ultrasound with Mom & Dad coming
- Erie trip to shop for baby
- David & Bobbie booked trip in September
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01.13.10
Posted in Diary Entries at 3:11 pm by Nicole
Tomorrow marks the 19 week point. Once we get home from Switzerland, we will be in the home stretch. Hard to believe. So, lots has gone on since my last update… I met the doctor that will be taking care of me. Simon wasn’t there but I had a lovely visit with her. She seems very nice, caring, knowledgeable and helpful. I got to hear the baby’s heartbeat (130bpm) through a doppler – she assured me it wasn’t an alien! I was sent for a blood test and got the news that the chance of Down Syndrome is 1/8000. Which I suppose is pretty good. *crossing fingers*
The moment of truth came last Friday when we went to the gender ultrasound. I was positive it was a boy…Simon wasn’t so sure. I took bets at the office for fun to see what the gang thought. 14-girl 10-boy. As the technologist was doing the scan, she announced, “Congratulations! It’s a…GIRL!” A girl?!?! NO that can’t be! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY I was so happy and shocked to hear the news. I still am actually. I can’t believe we are going to have a little daughter. I can imagine her being Daddy’s little girl already. I’m surprised he isn’t out shopping yet. I was laughing and crying all at the same time for most of the day and went to Babies R Us to see what I could find. Unfortunately I got so overwhelmed that I didn’t buy anything! I can’t wait to start shopping though. I called my parents to share the news and they were suprised it wasn’t a boy either!
As for us now, we are hanging out in Switzerland with the family. We had a lovely day today, celebrating Grandma’s 70th Birthday. With only 28 of her closest friends we spent the afternoon lunching and chatting it up. They gave her an amazing gift of coming to visit her granddaughter, whenever she wants! How wonderful!
I’m feeling pretty good lately. Not *too* many headaches. I find I can’t sit for very long or my legs get restless. I take care of that by doing a 30-45 minute walk daily then I sleep like a baby at night. I have been feeling the baby daily for about a week now, it is very sporadic and very enjoyable. Before I didn’t know what was going on inside…now I’m glad I know what she is up to. I have been religiously using multiple types of cream to try to prevent stretch marks. I am using Palmers, BioOil and now Frei Ol from Germany. I can only pray they all work…
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Posted in Diary Entries at 1:23 pm by skay
Saturday was dog day we went to Martigny to see the St. Bernard dogs again which are the world’s cutest animals. We had lunch in the cafe at the kennel with the same excellent French fries as last time. The dogs were even cuter if that is possible. At one point the puppies were all asleep and obviously dreaming of chasing Swiss rabbits as they twitched and grumbled their way through their nap time. We did get to spend some time with one of the retired older dogs which was amazing. The sheer size of the animal is quite a thing to see. I thought I had a big head… geez. I stayed up to watch match of the day and saw Liverpool once again lose a match they should easily have won. The only thing that worries me more than their performance is the idea that Guus Hiddink or Alex Mcleish might take the reins. I have been watching some of celebrity BB but it was pre-empted by Nicole and I watching our new best friend Kevin McCloud (seriously!) watching the process of a couple building a cross shaped house out of green oak and glass. The show is called Grand Designs and rapidly became a daily ritual for us.
It’s Sunday afternoon, up late, read for a while and took down the Christmas tree and rearranged the furniture, vacuumed and took more pictures of the mountains. Had feet and meat for lunch (most of the cheese here smells like feet especially when you heat it up and so a cold cut sandwich then becomes feet and meat). Went for a walk in Montreaux and ended up at Zurcher for a small coffee and an even smaller glass of water. The dessert item I had was out of this world I can’t really describe what it was other than two waffly type round biscuits of sugary heaven with a creamy caramel deliciousness in between. We are out tonight for Chinese food at the neighbour and then next week we may be off on our Frenchist road trip depending on the cost of course. I am about half way through the baby whispering book and have picked up some tips however I can’t imagine that a boatload of tips are going to help once I get the baby in my hands and panic.
It’s Tuesday we went to Italy yesterday for pizza, a notion that seems fairly innocuous however on arrival finding that the ovens weren’t on and for the most part Italians obviously don’t actually eat pizza when nobody is looking we ended up in La Croix Blanche and had a very flat but tasty lasagna and some veal. Not young veal however, slightly older and apparently almost adolescent veal which sits better with sensitive types. The drive was only about 90 minutes and well worth the trip. The views were amazing and the food was excellent. Today went to town for coffee with Inge and Freddie both of whom are wonderfully entertaining people. Went for 40 min walk after and then to Charlot’s again for another chorizo sandwich despite last night watching a program called Britain’s most disgusting food: meat. It went into the details of what exactly mechanically separated meat is. It also exposed that you can make a hot dog with zero meat and still call it a hot dog and that a patty with 47% meat and 21 % heart meat can legally be called a beefburger. The sandwich I had was very tasty chorizo and it is made according to Swiss standards but seriously how long it will be until I eat a sausage or hot dog again I can’t say
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