a couple of cool things from Threds…

First…..We’re partnering with McAlister’s Deli (we do all their uniform apparel for all their restaurants nationwide) on a new charity-driven site.  McAlister’s is a major contributer to Share Our Strength – an organization who’s one goal is to see that no kid in America goes hungry.

We’ve just gone live with a new site – WWW.TEAFREAKSTSHIRT.COM – that allows anyone who loves McAlister’s sweet tea (and don’t we all?) to buy a brand new “Tea Freaks” t-shirt.  The site will stay up for about 3 months, and ALL proceeds from sale of the shirts will go directly to Share Our Strength.

(ps – you didn’t hear this from me, but if you order a shirt, you also get a coupon in your order for a free cookie at McAlister’s Deli)

Second….we recently designed a series of new UT Football t-shirt designs that the general public got to vote on at UTsports.com.  Here is the winning shirt.  Over the next couple of months, we anticipate printing about 30,000 of these and they’ll be available for purchase at area retailers, and pretty much any store that you can normally find UT apparel at.  They’ll also be available at just about every single 107.7 FM WIVK remote over the next few weeks – staffed by part time college agers with Threds.

I’m not the biggest UT or Lane Kiffin fan….but it’s still a pretty sweet shirt, huh?

clif bar

Never before have I enjoyed a protein or energy bar.  Not until I recently tried a Clif Bar.  They sort of look like terds, but they’re pretty tasty and have a good flavor selection.  I’ve been eating them for breakfast at work the last week or so.  Used them as an on-the-go snack this weekend while working at the event in Georgia.  And when you wash them down with a Mountain Dew, then follow it up with a couple of Swiss Cake Rolls for dessert, it makes for a great meal replacement!  =)

Quiz

Hey friends.  This is probably going to be a pretty busy blogging week for me.  I’m thinking at least one post each day this week, so I hope you’ll stick with me and come back each day.

First, I have a quiz question for you.  Can you guess which of the peanut butter & chocolate chip granola bars shown below came from Aldi in the Aldi-brand granola bar box, and which one came from Kroger, in the Kroger brand granola bar box?

a year since vegetarianism

It was about a year ago at this time that I ended an approximate 2 month run at vegetarian eating.

In the roughly 355 days that have passed since, I have eaten in the neighborhood of…

23 steaks

188 chicken nuggets

107 hamburgers

31 pork chops

19 servings of meat sauce (on top of spaghetti, mixed with Manwich, added to cheese for nacho dipping)

4 pounds of meatloaf

26 sausage patties

20 strips of bacon

39 chicken breast portions

No tofu

42 ham, turkey, or chicken salad sandwiches

A few spreads of potted meat on crackers (uh huh, i love me sum potted meat)

14 cans of Hormel’s chili (looks a lot like Alpo, but tastes much better)

22 hot or corn dogs

46 tacos/enchiladas/burritos/tostadas/crunchwrap supremes/or chalupas

A few months worth of pride.

McDonald’s, Monopoly, & Indigestion

Question: 

Would it be considered gluttony if someone were to “Large Size” their Big Mac meal at McDonald’s, just so they can get six Monopoly game pieces (and six chances at instant prizes)? 

And what if that person were to do this 3 times in one week? 

Just wondering.

My Favorite Breakfast Cereals

I’m an unabashed cereal lover.  (Pause…take a moment to think about what an odd word “cereal” is)  As long as I can remember, I’ve eaten cereal.  Sometimes for breakfast.   Sometimes for lunch.  Often for dinner.  During my 4 years of college, the cafeteria cereal bar was a staple of my diet….often as a replacement meal when I didn’t like what was on that day’s menu…and often as a simple, delicious after meal dessert. 

I’ve eaten cereal out of plastic bowls, paper bowls, cups, tupperware containers, individual sized rip-top containers, straight out of the box, ceramic bowls, nice china, and directly from my hand.  I’ve eaten sugary cereals, fiber cereals, whole grain cereals, name brand cereals, generic brand cereals, cereals that no longer exist, cereals with prizes inside, cereals in boxes, cereals in bags, cereals that made me want to puke, and cereals that made me think I was in heaven. 

Here’s a list of my all time favorite cereals….these are not in any real order, but I will bold print the ones that stand out above the rest.  These are both current and past favorites.  And I’m fully aware that there are cereals that are probably awesome that I’ve still never eaten (CoCo Wheats and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Cereal for example).  Also, just for fun, wikipedia offers a full list of breakfast cereals.  Also, some dude put together a pretty full list of cereals, just because he’s a cereal lover.  Take some time to look through and be reminded of your favorites.  Here are mine:

Apple Jacks … Captain Crunch … Cocoa Pebbles … Fruity Pebbles … Franken Berry … Count Chocula … Raisin Bran … Cookie Crisp … Frosted Flakes … Honeycomb … Smurf Berry Crunch … Trix … Cinnamon Toast Crunch … Honey Grahams … Lucky Charms … Cocoa Puffs

And This is Your Brain on Cell Phones…

BVD Tour Stop XVIII – Wings R Us

A couple of weeks ago, Erin, Eli, and myself are leaving the Smoky Mountains after a day of enjoying nature.  We entered the mountains in Gatlinburg, stopped a bunch of places, and left the mountains through Townsend.  It had been a long day.  It was roughly 5:30pm, and we were chatting about where we might want to eat once we got to Maryville/Alcoa.  As we were talking about it, just toward the far north end of Townsend, we saw this on the side of the road…

Cool, huh?  Erin likes wings.  I like wings.  Eli likes wings.  And we enjoy trying new places.  So we stomped on the brakes and pulled in.  It was a very new, fairly small, cabin-styled place.  There were probably 7-8 customer inside eating, 2-3 different people serving, a couple of people in the kitchen.  We sat in a booth near the side windows, and a young man of about 19 came to serve us.  He apologized for the menu being so simple, since their “actual” menus were not finished yet.  Why would that be?  Well, because they had literally opened their doors for business, for the very first time, about 1 hour before we walked in! 

In fact, from talking to the young man and a couple of other people, here’s what we learned….the entire staff (servers, cleaners, register, cooks) were all members of River of Life International Church in Townsend.  The head cook, Pastor Sellers, is the senior pastor of the church.  They had only informed their friends and family that they were opening that day, just so they could “practice” a little before opening to the general public.  They had only put the banner on the truck by the road so the friends and family would know exactly where to go.  Erin and I both ended up ordering a BBQ sandwich and fries.  Eli had a kids meal with wings and fries.  Honestly, no kidding, it was one of the best BBQ sandwiches I’ve ever had in my life. 

Finally, before we left, the staff of Wings R Us agreed to take a BVD photo with me.  Pastor Sellers is standing to my left, your right.  Thanks Wings R Us, our food was excellent, you guys were awesome, and we will definitely be back! 

The Sandwich Maker

A couple of weeks ago, Eli taught me how to make a cheese sandwich.  (Clockwise, starting from the top left) Step 1 – take out a piece of bread.  Step 2 – open cheese and put it on bread.  Step 3 – put another piece of bread on top.  Step 4 – eat it.  About 10 minutes later, I found a half-eaten sandwich in the living room.  I asked Eli about it.  His response?  “I don’t like a cheese sandwich, dad.” 

BVD Tour Stop XII

Subway.  7327 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN.  Right down the street from West Town Mall, which is definitely the most emo, preppy, and loser place to hang out in Knoxville (I’ll be headed down there tonight).  My friend John from small group (remember the guy in the gangsta pose eating animal crackers…yeah, that John) met me there to take the picture, and all but one person in line for sandwiches agreed to appear in the picture.  For the record, I ordered a $5.00 footlong, oven roasted chicken breast on wheat, lettuce, banana peppers, green peppers, salt & pepper, and honey mustard dressing.

And here’s what’s really cool.  See the dude standing to my right, your left?  That’s Tyler.  Turns out his aunt is Jessica, one of my co-workers who has an office right down the hall from me.  How cool is that? 

Weekend blog readers…please notice this is Tour Stop XII.  Since I don’t blog over the weekend, this is a great opportunity for you to look back through the previous Tour stops.  It’s been pretty fun….panda bears, restaurant hostesses, SUNSPHERE, Civil War horses, and more!  Again, if you have any ideas for a good BVD Tour stop in Knoxville, please let me know. 

PETA Guy

Not too long ago, I went just over 6 weeks without eating meat.  It was a pretty neat experience, and I learned a lot about vegetarianism, cooking options, healthy eating, tofu, meat production, and so forth.  You can read some of my vegetarian thoughts by clicking here.

So, when I saw the PETA Guy this past weekend, while standing on the top of Clingman’s Dome tower (the highest elevated point in the state of TN) in the middle of the Smoky Mountains, I just had to get my picture taken with him.  Didn’t even ask his name.  Just for a picture.  Unfortunately, the BVD was back in the car.  The 1/2 mile walk up to the Clingman’s tower is incredibly steep and exhausting, and I just couldn’t bring myself to haul the undies up with me.

If you see the darker peak in between our shoulders, that’s where Cherokee, NC is located.  From the Clingman’s Dome tower, at just over 6600 feet in elevation, on a clear day, you can see for up to 100 miles in any direction.  And just in case you can’t read it clearly, his shirt says “People for the Eating of Tasty Animals.”  I’d heard that before, just never saw it on a shirt.  Thanks PETA Guy.

BVD Tour Stop IX

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wanna know where we’re at?  We are right here.  Where would that be, exactly?  Just outside the infamous Downtown Grill & Brewery.  Gay Street.  Knoxville, TN.  Friday Night, May 9th.  Approximately 7:05pm.  Our friend Lisa from Crossings took the picture of me and Erin underneath the restaurant sign.  As for the other picture?  Well, that’s me, sitting underneath (what I like to call) the “Civil War Dude With a Huge Mustache Riding a Bucking Bronco Into Perilous Battle” statue.  The statue sits on the sidewalk, about 20 yards away from the entrance to the Brewery.  I have absolutely no idea what it really is or what it’s supposed to represent.  Maybe a local reader can help out on that one?

BVD Tour Stop IV

You know, it’s pretty awkward asking total strangers, out in public, to take a picture with you while you’re holding a mounted pair of golden underwear.  It’s necessary to say things like, “I have a favor to ask you, but I don’t want you to freak out”.  Or, “Would you help me out with something.  It’s going to seem totally weird, but I promise it’s totally innocent”.  Or, “You really won’t believe this, but I have a pair of underwear in my car, starched, painted gold, and mounted on a plaque.  I won it at church.  Yep, that’s right, at church.  And I’m doing a blog campaign where I take it with me everywhere I go, trying to get pictures holding the underwear at different places and with different people.  With that in mind, would you be willing to have your picture taken with me while I hold them up?”  Therefore, I’m very thankful that Sarah – our hostess at TGI Friday the other night – graciously agreed to do so.  Without further adieu, here are me, the golden BVD’s, and Sarah the gracious hostess.  

A Dietary Soft Drink Prayer

Dear God,

This is a difficult thing for me to ask.  I’ve grown up – my WHOLE life – eating sweets, drinking sugary drinks, occasionally binging on honey buns, and pretty much loving all of it.  In fact, during 3 years of college, EVERY Friday when I would leave school to head off to a weekend ministry, I would stop at the local Super America gas station, fill up the car, and buy a Mountain Dew and a Honey Bun for the road.  Every week.  It was one of the things I most looked forward to. 

But now, with great pain and humility, I ask that you might help me develop a taste, and maybe even an enjoyment, of … diet soft drinks, unsweet tea, and room temperature drinking water.  Frankly, it just doesn’t make much sense to “drink” that many calories each day.  In my case, probably an average of 300-500 calories each day come from drinking.  That’s about 3000 calories a week.  Whew.

God, I realize, for me, that this is a lot like asking for an enjoyment of cold showers, looking forward to having blood drawn, seeking a greater appreciation of heavy metal music, or asking for a weekend off to watch an Oprah Winfrey marathon.  But I am serious.  And you are the true and only God.  So anything is possible.  I mean, the Atlanta Hawks just tied up the series with the Boston Celtics at 2-2.  ANYTHING is possible. 

So please help me.  Help me fight through the gag reflex.  Help me overcome the initial complete lack of taste.  Help me see the big picture.  To understand how much healthier I could be simply by drinking differently, and to know that after a few weeks it will likely begin to taste good.  And thanks for being available at all times for anything.  Even something as insignificant as trying to switch to non-sugar drinks.  That’s truly one of the things that make You so amazing. 

Jason

Fell Off the Wagon

After 6 1/2 weeks, I gave in to my cravings for meat.  I’ve fallen off the vegetarian wagon.  It’s been both yummy and scary.  Let me explain.

About 9 days ago, I ate a Wendy’s single.  That night, my stomach cramped up pretty bad for several hours.

About 6 days ago, I ate a McDonald’s double cheeseburger.  That night, my stomach cramped up pretty bad for several hours.

About 4 days ago, I ate an order of 5 Wendy’s nuggets.  That night, my stomach cramped up pretty bad for several hours.

Now, mixed in with these experiences, I’ve had a pork chop, a steak biscuit, and some sausage.  None of those bothered me.  Just the fast food meat.  All three times.  After only 6 weeks of non-meat eating.  I’m not sure what to think about that.  It surprises me that my body adjusted that much after just 6 weeks.  It scares me to think about what’s in the fast food meat that would affect me that way.  It makes me scared to eat fast food meat again, because I’m kinda tired of my stomach cramping.  I wonder if I would instantly puke from eating a Big Mac right now.  Would I keel over from a Double Whopper?  Is it safe to eat Chinese and fill my plate with 14 varieties of flavored chicken?  Does Krystal’s even occupy a place in my future? 

If you’ll excuse me, I think I’m going to curl up in the corner and cry now. 

if i could only eat one thing the rest of my life….

It would be hamburgers. I love hamburgers. I love Big Macs, Double Cheeseburgers, Whoppers, Singles, Doubles, Sonic Burgers, burgers fresh off the grill, burgers cooked on the stove, medium, medium-well, well done. I like plain hamburgers. I like them with ketchup and mustard. I like them with mayo or Miracle Whip. I like them with A-1 sauce. I like lettuce and onions. I like plain buns and sesame seed buns. I even like Krystal burgers. At least I like the first 4 or 5. Then I begin to really hate them.

I’ve eaten at Whataburger in El Paso, TX. Loved it. I like Jack-in-the-Box burgers too. In fact, I’m hard pressed to think of a burger I’ve eaten in my life that I didn’t like. Seriously. They’re awesome. They’re filling. Easy to hold. Easy to eat. They come in different shapes and levels of thickness. You can put a wide variety of toppings on them. Check out Cheeburger-Cheeburger if you ever get the chance…amazing burgers and tons of different toppings to choose from.

Dear God…If destruction should come to the earth, or I crash unexpectedly while flying across the ocean on a Fed-Ex airplane, and I find myself in that often referenced but terribly unrealistic position of being “stranded on a deserted island”, please God, just provide me with burgers from heaven. Or a few cows would be okay too.

the evolution of my weight

I’m 5′10″ tall and roughly 185lbs. I’m not technically overweight. I just feel like it. My back has started bothering me over the last couple of years. I have little stamina. I’m tired of buying larger sizes of pants and shorts. Truth be told, I’m actually at the upper end of the “normal” weight for someone of my height. But consider this:

• When I graduated high school in 1994, I weighed about 130 lbs.
• When I graduated college in 1998, I weighed about 150 lbs.
• In 2001, I weighed about 160 lbs.
• In 2005, I weighed about 170 lbs.
• Today, I typically weigh in anywhere from 182 – 188 lbs.

I would desperately like to hover around 165. There are a few problems. First, since I was 4 years old my dad has worked for Keebler (Yes, that Ernie the Elf. And yes, a long time ago my dad actually had a Ernie the Elf costume. The head on that thing was huge.). So my ENTIRE life growing up I ate free cookies – especially Soft Batch cookies. So I really enjoy snacking on sweets. Second, for as long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed drinking Coke, Mountain Dew, Mellow Yellow, Dr Pepper, etc. And I cannot stand the taste of Diet drinks. Third, I’ve never really enjoyed exercising. Running to me is incredibly boring. I’ve only had a gym membership for about 6 months in my life. I have little will power to do push ups and sit ups at home.

So, I’m prayerfully trying to consider what to do to get in better shape. I know I need to drink more water and less soda. I’m trying. I sort of like water. But when it starts to warm to room temperature, it tastes worse and worse. I can definitely start eating smaller portions at meals. Surely I can cut out some of the snacking.

But I’m open to ideas. I’m definitely not interested in Atkins, South Beach, Nutri System, Weight Watchers, or any other “program”. I will not take any type of diet pills. But in the way of exercise, accountability options, meal ideas, and so forth, I’m more than willing to give some ideas a shot. I want to lose weight, but I want to do it sensibly. Any suggestions?