I am like Matt wrt dieting. Trying to be moderate just ends up with me not dieting at all. Tthe trick, for me, is finding a way to be extreme enough to fit my psychological needs yet moderate enough to be something I can stick with long enough to get myself in a healthy range. Atkins worked well for me, but DH is convinced it can't possibly be healthy and freaking him out with my diet doesn't help with keeping me focussed. I'm trying something new starting today, actually.

Red peppers are good. Not sure if I've ever had pea pods.

I think pea pods are what I'm calling snap beans. Ditto on the red peppers.

Low-carb works really well for me, but I have to get into the mindset of No White Food Allowed At All. No allowances.

Judging by the scale, I should probably do that.

Shit I Didn't Say: Aw, never mind. It would be much too long a post.

Sugar snap peas: [link]

Snow peas: [link]

I like baby carrots and sliced zucchini [oh, and peapods] for snacky veggies, but I don't eat them in significant quantities. I'll eat them for a couple of days emthuisiastically, go out and byuy a whole binch, and then lose my taste for them. I often rely on a glass of veggie juice to get my daily allowance, which is tasty, and better than nothing nutritionally, but not optimal. I've toyed with the idea of getting those dried Just Veggies to snack on as the not going bad aspect of them appeals to me, but haven't really followed through.

Drive by post

TV Pilot to Screen at JPL

JPLers are invited to join a very exclusive screening of a pilot for what was to have been a new Fox TV series, entitled "Beyond." Produced by Imagine Television (led by Ron Howard and Brian Grazier, also producers of "24" and "Friday Night Lights"), and created by writer David Self ("Road to Perdition"), the series sadly was not picked up by the network. It stands, however, as a great example of how what is both real and mythical about JPL gets reflected in contemporary culture.

Set in a fictional NASA facility known as the Rocket Propulsion Laboratory (but modeled on JPL), "Beyond" focuses on efforts to create and launch space missions in response to animmediate global crisis. In the TV pilot, the brilliant, irascible new head of RPL sends a team of scientists to Alaska to neutralize the effects of a meteorite that's sparking an incurable epidemic. Then things begin to get complicated.

The 45-minute drama will be screened in von Karman Auditorium twice on Wednesday, March 7 at 11 a.m. and again at noon. Following the second screening, executive producers David Self and David Nevens, as well as director Breck Eisner (pictured), will be on hand to answer questions.

That screening is very cool.

Things I didn't say:

• Marina Del Rey? Seriously? To look at my driver's license? Way to go to earn your paycheque.

For a while there I think my kids were eating nothing but clementines and butter noodles. And milk/soy milk of course. But seriously, clementines are part of the weekly shopping list.

Having kids has upped my fruit consumption considerably since they eat so much of the stuff. With veggies on the other hand their preferences are so limiting that I find myself relying more and more on carrots, mushrooms, green beans, broccoli, and salad. I miss my other veggies.

I bought a bunch of broccoli this last shopping trip, and I HAVE to eat them before they go bad. Maybe I'll just steam them and drop butter on them and snack while they cool.

The screening thing should be interesting. Almost wish I could go to watch reactions. Cause that is fun.

Also? Allyson, everything will be ok. I know you are stressed, but it will. I know.

I've made a habit of buying a bag of uncut romaine hearts and eating salad at dinner every night. I *like* veggies. A lot. But they are work. And getting food in my craw is kind of a lot of work lately, so I go with the simplest delivery method possible.

Weird thing is, I like food. I like flavors. But being bothered to cook and eat is an issue, even as I melt down because I've not eaten in 18 hours on a saturday. Routine during the week gets me my morning coffee, then juice. Lunch is a ham and cheese sandwich. Dinner is often salad and chicken or whatever simple TJ's nummy thing I have on hand. Weekends, I really fuck up. I don't quite understand it.

OK, somehow I don't think watching NOVA's Life and Death in the War Zone on CASHs in Iraq after listening to an hour of Linda Vandervanter's recollections of vietnam as a surgical nurse (I *think* her experiences were the basis for China Beach) is going to cheer me up any. Stupid reruns.

Holy god, I can be way, way too ...something-pathetic. Sym- or em- or just -, I don't know. But I've been crying and yelling no and curses at the radio for TWO FREAKING HOURS. Why?