I’m sure most of you know I have not eaten fast food for quite a while; I used to eat at McDonalds 2-3 times a week. My favorites included the Double Quarter Pounder and the seasonal McRib sandwich, tasty to say the least. Don’t forget those french fries dipped in ketchup. I admit, I loved eating McDonalds – the clerks knew what I was going to order before I opened my mouth.

As I read more about food processing, I am really glad I don’t eat fast food anymore. For example, the McRib sandwich at McDonalds.

First of all, there ain’t no rib meat in that thing. But, before you even sink your teeth into the Frankenmeat, you are biting in to the bun which includes in it’s ingredient list azodicarbonamide, a chemical that is used to make foam plastic products like gym mats and the soles of shoes, according to Time magazine. Azodicarbonamide is actually banned for used as a food product in some counties.

Now, we get to the “rib” part of the sandwich. I never really thought about what was in it, maybe ground pork chop. Well it includes pork heart, tongue, tripe, and

scalded stomachs – what I call lips and assholes. Then, they put it through a chemical restructuring process that makes it all stick together so they can press it into a mold that resembles the shape of a rib.

Maybe you like eating lips and assholes, maybe it is OK to eat lips and assholes, they should at least tell you what you are eating.

I borrowed a live trap and set it with some soft canned food one evening. She must have been hungry – we had her trapped in a matter of hours. Shortly after that, she was purring in Jackie’s arms. Indie picked us. Her hair is long and as soft as silk. Still skiddish, she prefers to lay with Jackie on the couch.  Sometimes she visits me as I work on the computer.

She loves to sit in the window.

Oddly enough, she has become friends with Scout.  Scout wants to play with the cats, and the cats have no interest in this game. She is not aggressive, she is simply playful. For the past month or so, Indie has been friends with Scout – even rubbing up against her. The others still hiss at Scout when she comes by. Maybe it is because when Indie moved in we already had Finn and she is used to the dog kind.

Indie and Scout.

]]> http://finndogdays.com/2011/11/02/celebration-of-cats-2/feed/ 0 finndogdays http://finndogdays.com/2011/11/01/dog-days-off/ http://finndogdays.com/2011/11/01/dog-days-off/#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:27:43 +0000 finndogdays http://finndogdays.com/?p=247 ]]> As any of  you that know me, every day off work is a dog weekend. This one was no exception as we hiked, hiked, and hiked. The dogs love it in the woods – as I do.  I thought we should take advantage of what may be the last weekend to hike before the snow falls. Sure we can go snowshoeing, but for nice long hikes, this weekend may have been the last. I suppose we could head to the Southern Black Hills; maybe Black Elk Wilderness or Harney Peak.  I do not know if they get snow the same time we do or later.

Our first hike was Big Hill Loop C – a good seven mile hike. Big Hill is a great place for Cross Country Skiing and snowshoeing in the winter.  The weather was pretty cool, a perfect temperature for hairy dogs. They ran the entire hike. The leaves are graying and so is the grass – not as much color as last time we were out with Sanna. I still loved being out in the woods.

One of the best benefits of a Fall hike at Big Hills is the cows are gone.  They graze cattle here in the summer and there is cow shit everywhere.  It is a very unpleasant experience hiking in cow shit. It wasn’t like just a few horse road apples here and there, there were cow pies all over the trail. It really sucked.

Formerly Bloated, Stinky Cow.

Our second hike this weekend was up Crow Peak. This is a popular trail here in the Northern Black Hills. It is about 3.5 miles up – all the way. We ran into a guy who rode his bicycle from town, ran up to the summit, and back down. That seems crazy to me. I’ll bet we ran into fifteen other hikers on the trail. Scout has been working hard on winning some independence when we are out and about and this was her first unleashed hike. I’d say she did quite well not getting too far ahead of Finn and I.  She loved the freedom to run and sniff whatever she wanted – as long as it was right on the trail.

Beautiful Scout.

You Are The Leaf In My Hair.

Any time off would not be complete without some time at the Spearfish City Dog Park. We always meet new dogs and there is a lot of running and slobbering. This makes for tired, good, happy dogs.

This young lady is apparently a “dry” St. Bernard.  Maybe, a little less slobbery, but I wouldn’t say dry.

Princess Leia

This Weimaraner loves her toys – I was going to say balls, but that sounded naughty.

Tessa

This lady has a really big bark, but all she wants to do is play with her frisbee. She must be a bit older, but not less intent on getting her frisbee.

This little chick was F-A-S-T and she ran with the big dogs with no problems.

Here’s to the next dog days off…

Horses are beautiful creatures, but you all know no blog post would be complete without some dog pictures.  At all good outfits, there is at least one dog – stay away if there aren’t any dogs!

Go say a kind word to an animal today!

Dog Street U.S.A.

I love when fall arrives after a scorching summer.  Don’t get me wrong I love summer and wish it were still here, wish I could be doing the same activities, but there is a feeling of peace and contentment when fall arrives.

I know Finn is happy with the cooler temperatures – he isn’t much of a hot weather dog.

Been In the Dirt Dog

Lazy Fall Morning Yawn.

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.

~Albert Camus

Mary Jane is quite possibly the sweetest kitty around – she is my lap cat and she never lets me down.  Her mother and litter mates were killed by a mountain lion on a ranch over in Wyoming – I think that is why she is a little timid.

Sweet Miss Mary Jane

Jackie asked me to make a Cilantro Lime Hummus, so i put the juice of four fresh limes and a bunch of cilantro in a basic hummus recipe and I must say I have a winner on my plate.

Now on to the Curried Japanese Yams

- my kitchen smells really good right now.

This..

Plus this…

Plus this…

This…

Take a break to feed the dogs…

Add more stuff and some simmering, you get this…

Finn Dog Approved.

Doggie Potty Break

This was Scout’s first time on an overnighter in a hotel.  She is kenneled at night at home, so we were hopeful she would do well in the hotel.  She was a perfect guest. She didn’t rip up a thing while we were sleeping.  She hopped up on the bed and crashed every night – didn’t even get off the bed and snoop around at night.

Good Dog

Saturday was parade day and Jackie thought the dogs should dress up with some t-shirts. It was a great idea, the people in the parade hollered at our dogs, people stopped to have pictures of themselves taken with the dogs, the newspaper even put a picture of Finn on their on-line gallery.

I wonder if this “Dignitary” felt cheated in the Pontiac Sunbird.  The others rode in Corvettes, Mustangs, and even a Bently.

Cheated?

Here is Sanna and her co-chair for the Viking Days committee.

Nothing Sanna does would be complete without a little dancing; she is, “Sanna Joy Dancing Queen.”

Sioux Falls Dog Park Adventures

We had a great time hanging out with Sanna her mom JennyBird. Lots of laughs, barks, good food, and good fun.

Scout and Aunt Jenny

Long Drive Home…

Remember to patronize dog friendly businesses!

The hotel we are staying at has free breakfast, but it is more on the order of sausages, waffles, biscuits and gravy. Don’t get me wrong, I have eaten their breakfasts and they are tasty, I just don’t want to clog my arteries. Is the hotel breakfast really free? I guess you pay later by buying pills for your cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

About 20 minutes into the baking, the house was filled with a sweet maple cinnamon smell. Sure didn’t smell like wet dog!

Belly up for breakfast!

Since I’m working the next three days and them we are off to Sioux alls for a few days, I have plenty of excuses not to work out: I can’t get to class at all this week. I have to pack. I have to do laundry.  See what I mean?

My excuse buster is the image burnt into my memory of me at just shy of 200 pounds.  Ya, I checked in at 196 when I started this nutrition and fitness thing – I was a beached whale. I know for sure I could not have made the Cloud Peak Wilderness trek twice this summer. I would have dropped over dead.

We stopped at Margaritaville in Georgetown, Grand Cayman. Right across from our table was this All American couple just from a cruise shop. I’m telling ya, I was headed this way quickly.

(Just in case  you can’t see, that is a plate of nachos a foot tall in the middle of their table.)

Eating well while traveling isn’t easy. But that is no excuse for eating crap while on the road.  You just have to seek out good food. I did not gain one ounce in the trip, but still ate like a pig.

Roots, West Bay Road, Grand Cayman

Since I have not a chance in hell of getting to Fat Camp (Barefoot Fitness) this week, I came up with another excuse buster: Home Fat Camp. Ya, I bought some kettelbells. Ya, they hurt just as much as Kelli’s.

Once last excuse buster happened at work one day when I was fat.  I was sitting in a chair bending over to pick something up off the floor. It was no easy feat, I had this big gut in the way.  That really made me feel like a pig.

What is your excuse buster or are you just gonna stay on the couch?