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UGA West End Zone Improvements

Daily Koda

 Woke up each of the last two days with some fresh new snow - not all that cold. Winter was slow getting here, but maybe its here to stay for a while.

Dinners

Everything is food, food, food .

Grilled Chicken

Butter Beans

Purple Cabbage

tonight

Roasted Wild Caught Gulf Shrimp

Roasted Tomatoes

Asparagus

Day 15, and it has not really been all that difficult. I do not like the planning and shopping, shopping, shopping - but have not been hungry, have not had cravings or any real hint of binging, which for me is totally amazing. Eating three meals a day ( sugar/carb free ) is something completely new to me and I am not really a fan of getting up and eating, but we have to.

I feel pretty good - not that I ever did not , and the best news is that Neil's blood sugars have dropped 100 points in some of his checking. Now, we were eating BAD - really really bad. Only one meal a day and then snacking , a lot. So changes for the better.

The reason I was gone from here for a while was that my schedule is just tuned itself upside down. I would save spots on here before midnight and come back well past midnight to blog. Now, Im in bed by 11 most nights and up by 7 or 8... this is a huge change for me... and all I did was dump sugar.  Hopefully I am getting accustomed to these changes and will get my computer time back in synch.

Always Do (Official Video) | O'Connor Band with Mark O'Connor

I"M STILL HERE

Dont worry, you have not missed anything.

Kicking SUGAR is kicking my ass, that's all. Neil and I , per that book, have gone cold turkey on sugar. That also includes Splenda... mornings have not been all that pleasant. You can't have sugar / carbs on any Atkins related diet, but this one kicks off with a period of time with no sugar substitutes. It goes to say that you really should limit them even after the initial ban.

According to the doctor who wrote ALWAYS HUNGARY - this dietary ban is more or less re wiring your brain AND your actual cells. All this I dont know, but I do know that it messes with your mind and body. You get a little dark, some mood swinginess. Your sleep patterns change a little . Basically you are giving up a drug.. and having some withdrawals. 

But even now, just a week or so into this - the bad has started to wane and I feel better first thing in the mornings. Now, I ate , on some days - a lot of sugar, both real and fake. So, some mornings I basically had a hang over, nothing at all like that now.

So - that was why I was gone for a bit , just dealing with that unexpected emotional and physical reaction to getting rid of demon sugar. That said, all I think about it cake.

( not really, but it does creep in every now and again )

Dinner

Grilled Chicken

Chard and Spinach

Roasted Cauliflower

Daily Koda

 A snow less Mendon, in early February !

It was 54 degrees here at midnight last night - tumbled today, but that was some recored freaky heat for the literal dead of winter. A little snow tomorrow..... 

Trump Lashes Out Over Travel Ban and Putin: A Closer Look

Dinners

We have changed our eating habits.

Our doctor yelled at us both , and gave us a book...

ALWAYS HUNGRY ?

It's basically ATKINS, but pretty easy to do. It is not the "D" word... because they dont work and all that . The first couple of weeks , plus - is totally sugar free. So not even any splenda in our coffee or tea. 

Grilled Chicken

Spaghetti Squash

Broccoli and Cauliflower

This is pretty much what we did before, and lost all that weight. 

Grilled Pork Chop

Asparagus

Purple Cabbage

The eating is not all that hard, I mean, Im not crazy craving things. But its the planning, shopping, and eating three meals a day.

Grilled Chicken

Roasted Cauliflower

Sugar Snap Peas

No potatoes, no rice, etc....

Haddock

Brussels Sprouts

Delicata Squash

SO - the photos will be pretty dull for a good while. 

Daily Koda

 Winter is back.

 A little bit of fresh snow, but cold.

 very cold, in the teens here.

 Koda loves it, we walked the longest we have in a good long time.

Movie Wednesday

Finally caught this one, its up for best actor, supporting actress and movie.

It is a very good movie - a real tear jerker at the end. We had seen a 60 min story about this ( it is a true story ) so we knew what the ending was going to be, but it still got us. Patel and Kidman are very good - but the Indian child actor who plays the character as a child steals the show.

I need to post my Oscar list to see what all I still need to catch.

#2

I can not figure out how to flip this video, so just turn your head sideways. There really was not enough snow to use the snow blower, but - we do have it, so ....

HGTV gays at the Home Depot

Daily Koda

A couple inches of fresh snow overnight, making this morning very nice. Some clean white snow and bright winter sunshine.

Super Bowl Mania !

SUPER BOWL LOGOS THROUGH THE YEARS

Daily Koda

WALKING ON WATER.

Little dustings of snow all day, tonight as well, but nothing major at all.

BOYCOTT BUDWEISER !

and during the SUPERBOWL no less ...

Dinner

White Beans w Ham

Brown Rice

( this was some much needed comfort food! )

Daily Koda

The bleakest of bleak midwinters. Grey for days with simi frozen mud instead of clean bright snow.

Hovering at or around freezing until today, when it got cold again. Maybe some snow tomorrow.

Stewed Rutabagas | A Chef's Life | PBS Food

Watch a timelapse of the National Mall on Inauguration Day

Sinead O'Connor - Ain't it a shame

Dinner

Chicken

Spaghetti Squash

Spinach

grumble

Woke up this morning with the stupid pink eye. Felt a little scratchy last night - I figured it was just computer fatigue, but no. I was not knowingly around kids or anything . It is not that bad, and hopefully will not last that long, but defiantly a grumble.

Daily Koda

 Our crazy winter goes on - snow snow, not snow - not even all that cold today

 still patches of snow around

 but mostly mud!

The Netherlands welcomes Trump in his own words

RESIST !

OSCAR OSCAR OSCAR

The awards were announce this morning!

THE GAY SUPERBOWL !

RED are movies we have seen

BOLD is who I want to win

We will try and see the ones that are black before the Oscars. Lion and Fences asap.

BEST PICTURE

• ARRIVAL
• FENCES
• HACKSAW RIDGE
• HELL OR HIGH WATER
• HIDDEN FIGURES 
• LA LA LAND
• LION
• MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
• MOONLIGHT

So, La La Land walked away with 14 Oscar nods this morning, the only two others to get this many were ALL ABOUT EVE and TITANIC. La La Land IS NOT in a class with its predecessors. It is a fine little movie, not that great of a story or that great of a musical. The two actors in the lead are as charming as they can be, but working with some pretty rote, basic themes. I am a big fan of Hollywood musicals, and even a fan of Hollywood musicals about Hollywood musicals. aka, I knew Singing in the Rain, sir.. and you are no singing in the rain. Folks out there love movies about themselves .

I am full on 100% team HIDDEN FIGURES. By far the best film I have seen this year. ( with Moonlight coming in second  )

DIRECTOR

• DAMIEN CHAZELLE - LA LA LAND
• MEL GIBSON - HACKSAW RIDGE
• BARRY JENKINS - MOONLIGHT
• KENNETH LONERGAN  - MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
• DENIS VILLENEUVE - ARRIVAL

This one just HAS to be Moonlight. It is a different kind of film making , something that you have never seen before. BUT KYLE! Mr Chazelle shut down an LA expressway.. yeah yeah yeah, Fred Astaire danced on the ceiling. MOONLIGHT !

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

• CASEY AFFLECK - MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
• ANDREW GARFIELD - HACKSAW RIDGE
• RYAN GOSLING  - LA LA LAND
• VIGGO MORTENSEN - CAPTIAN FANTASTIC
• DENZEL WASHINGTON  - FENCES

Not having seen a couple of these, I am going with VIGGO - yes, partly because of Brenda's feet, but also because I did not like Manchester by the Sea all that much. I don't do sadness, not even a little bit. Plus Casey was a bit one note.

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

• ISABELLE HUPPERT  - ELLE
• RUTH NEGGA  - LOVING 
• NATALIE PORTMAN  - JACKIE
• EMMA STONE  - LA LA LAND
• MERYL STREEP - FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS

Logic time, head not heart. Natalie has one, and Ruth Negga was just outstanding in this movie that both Neil and I loved. I was just shocked to find out post movie that she has a strong Irish accent. But Natalie is just transcendent in Jackie.. the entire movie hangs on her. So, either really... but Natalie.

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

• MAHERSHALA ALI - MOONLIGHT
• JEFF BRIDGES - HELL OR HIGH WATER
• LUCAH HEDGES - MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
• DEV PATEL  - LION
• MICHAEL SHANNON  - NOCTURAL ANIMALS

Just no with very sweet and I am sure lovely Lucah.. but he is a cardboard orphan. Not at all sure why he is on here . Mahershala Ali was just outstanding in Moonlight AND in Hidden Figures.

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

• VIOLA DAVIS  - FENCES
• NAOMIE HARRIS - MOONLIGHT
• NICHOLE KIDMAN  - LION
• OCTAVIS SPENCER - HIDDEN FIGERS
• MICHELLE WILLIANS  - MANCHESTER BY THE SEA

Taraji P Henderson NEEDS to be on this list, and jangle Monae as well , for either Hidden Figures or Moonlight. Really she should be in the Leading Role category, leaving the French woman out. but that said.. Team HF all the way. But from just the previews I am guessing this is Viola #2 to lose. Michelle Williams, who I do like, is in MBTS like 5 min, tops.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

• 20TH CENTURY WOMEN 
• HELL OR HIGH WATER
• LA LA LAND 
• THE LOBSTER
• MANCHESTER BY THE SEA

THE LOBSTER, because it is Original - its on Netflix.. see if you can get through it.

ADAPTED SCREEN PLAY

• ARRIVAL
• FENCES
• HIDDEN FIGURES
• LION
• MOONLIGHT

Bucking my trend and going with Moonlight over Hidden Fences.. just because.

HAPPILY, BACK TO REALITY

 It came a little later in the day than they said it would, but the lovely icy white of winter came back to the Finger Lakes over night. This is what we woke up to and it kept gently snowing pretty much all day. When I went to the train station to pick up Neil around 7 tonight, things were a bit of a mess . But we made it all safe and sound.

 A very clingy pretty snow, the big flakes of just cold enough, not the baby powder fine of near zero

 Koda loved it, could not wait to get out in it and did not want to come in.

 Looking for the partially eaten frozen dead turtle that he has been after for a while now.

IT'S ATLANTA !

The Atlanta's are going to the SUPERBOWL! 

A week from Sunday against the New England's in Houston. Lots and lots of geography.

I'm not going to lie and go all fair weather on the team - Ive never been a fan of pro football, but I am very happy for some of my pals that are BIG fans of the Falcons.

My hometown is not well versed in Championships, really one ONE in 50 plus years, the '95 Braves.

So, BOSTON with its zillion in like every sport is not that impressed . Rude Yankees.

IT'S HARD TO GET PUMPED UP ABOUT A SUPERBOWL AGAINST ...

ATLANTA.

A RAY OF LIGHT

From out of the darkness that was the horrible " American Carnage " lies, lies, lies filled Friday came this atom bomb of home. I had not fully engaged in any way on this. It was in my periphery but that was it. Gloom and doom... and I even liked her dresses. 

But them we woke up Saturday to this historic event. Women, mostly , with lots and lots of men and children out in the streets, shoe leather to power. The power of nameless millions. I hope you followed this on Saturday and saw the photos from literally all over the world. Even the women at some base in Antarctica chiming in on social media. 

Loud and clear the people of the US and the world declared that Trumps brand of drama , self grandizement and division will not work. He won the electoral collage, and that is all. Every day, every day every day.

It also appears that I have become a raging bore on the Facebook, just pissing off the one or two flat earthers that are still my fb pals ( you can't help who you love ) with my posts on actual things that he or his brown shirts have said or done. Just give him a chance....day one.

ATLANTA REPRESENTED !

 DUNWOODY in the mix as Susan and Reid took to the streets to let King Cheeto know that not all of Georgia was his. Jane was there too, but did not post any photos of herself.

Even the King and Queen of Dunwoody donned pussy hats for the start of the revolution 

Brenda was lighting the fires in LA.

The color of the sky as far as I can see is cold grey.

We were someplace over the weekend, coming home early evening and I commented that it had been colder coming home from Redwings games . Almost or 60 in the Finger Lakes of New York in the middle of January.  Mendon had this fog Sunday morning as the deep south got those horrible snows.

We are supposed to wake up to some dense heavy snow.

" the end is near ...."

WHAT I DO

No getting around this one.

Here is the thing about First Ladies - THIS , the FLOTUS game is not what they do, at least not in modern times. SO today, this day is special. But this sort of is what Melania does. She is beautiful and she is arm candy. ( there are some QCV baubles in there somewhere, but really - this is what she does ) And as much as I wanted to come out and rip this .... I can not. She looks fantastic.

 A Ralph Lauren powder blue /  Robins egg blue cashmere shift dress with a matching ....somewhat cowl neck, fitted bolero jacket with three quarter sleeves. Combined with matching opera length wool gloves  ( I think they are wool... maybe leather, I can't tell )  and some very tall , a tad bridemaidy stiletto pumps.

There is no doubt that it is a beautiful day time dress / jacket combo, but the matchy matchy take it straight into Angela Kelly territory. THIS IS ROYAL DRESSING.... a crocodile shoe, a green glove.. something to tear this out of Queen Elizabeth's wheel house.

You KNOW there is no tension here ... but one of them is staying in NYC.

 My Queenly quibbles aside, it really was a most appropriate dress for the day.

 strangely it looks like the fit got a little wonky once the jacket came off.

Now, the internets , including the New York Times, went just bat shit off the shelf crazy comparing this to another First Lady on Inauguration Day. No. Well, and yes. Why Why Mrs. Trump after the whole stealing Michelles speech this past summer did you steal Jackie Kenndy's sleeve length and gloves. Yes, the outfit could be an homage to Mrs. Kennedy, color, etc - but this is a coat over a dress, fur lined at that - and I will never ever ever mention these two in the same sentence . So everyone was wrong.

That was the appetizer, this is dinner.

and I can not make up my mind.

From Womans Wear Daily

 A collaboration coup! According to the office of First Lady Melania Trump, her gown for tonight’s inaugural balls was “designed by Hervé Pierre and Melania Trump.”

“It’s an honor to dress the First Lady,” Pierre said in a statement. “I was actually lucky because over my 20 years in the U.S., I dressed all the first ladies: Mrs. Clinton at Oscar [de la Renta], Mrs. Bush and Mrs. Obama at Carolina Herrera. So I feel lucky and honored to dress Melania Trump, but this time under my name.”

The gown, in six-ply vanilla crepe, is cut off the shoulder with a full-length gazar arc opening into a deep side slit. A red silk faille ribbon fastens the waist.

Pierre worked at Carolina Herrera for 14 years, ultimately becoming creative director, before leaving last February.

The designer called the process of collaborating with Trump “organic.” He noted that she has a very strong personal style and she “doesn’t plan to change it because of her new function. So it was fun to respect her very tailored sense of fashion and to translate it in a gown. The lines are sharp, the design has no fuss and reflects Mrs. Trump’s vision of fashion and the way she feels in a gown.

 😱

 It is pretty. And lets face it , you can not really say that about some First Lady Gowns. It is a pretty dress, and I am working this out , right now as I type, but it is not enough.  That is my issue with it, and we are just talking the dress here.. well the dress and the occasion , and the fact that it will be in a glass box for all time. There is just not enough to it, like her husband it lacks gravitas . It is also the wrong season. Not the color, white is not unusual - just the etherealness of it. Pretty, but just not special enough to join the others in the Smithsonian.

 First one with a slit like that as well.

gross.