Dream: Urinal Cakes

I'm visiting my former workplace.  I've entered the building via an entrance other than the main entrance, and I encounter a few former coworkers.  As I hang out with them, I realize that I should check in at the front desk, and I tell the guys that.  One of them, JJ, looks me straight in the eye and says, "I'll go with you.  HR wants me to replace the urinal cake in the men's room."

JJ and the gang walk in the general direction that I go in, but their path is meandering.  In going up flights of stairs they switch between stairwells, for example.  So I dawdle a bit as I watch and wait for them to catch up.

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Commentary:

JJ is a talented process engineer.  The main idea with this is that the woman in Human Resources (HR) has given him a "lowly" task befitting a janitor.  JJ is not happy with it.  This representation of HR calling the shots mirrors my opinion that HR in large companies, acting as the company "bouncer," is getting out-of-control.  Or, they don't really know what engineers do or are capable of.

Quintessential New York Experience

Many times my most memorable travel experiences are those that are awkward or unexpected – mishaps, even, as I'm about to describe below.

My wife enjoyed taking bus trips to New York City.  Sometimes we were part of a group, but also we went on our own.

It was on one such occasion that I got the quintessential New York experience.  Before boarding the bus home, each of us had to present our ticket to the agent.  I like to make such encounters easy for people, so I opened the little bus pass booklet and turned it around to face the driver.  Or at least that’s what I intended.  Instead I fumbled the ticket onto the grimy concrete floor.

When I finally retrieved it and apologetically handed it to the agent in classic Woody Allen fashion, he bowled me over with a look that said, "What a MORON!"

Wednesday Weigh-In 20260217

I've achieved new highs in weight, fatness, and circumference. And so I'm cutting back on the dose of Wellbutrin from 300mg to 150mg. I blame the medication because it takes away any life-induced functional dyspepsia that might make me feel sick to my stomach and unable to eat. I figure the (Lunar) New Year's Day is a good time to make a change.

Waist = 45.25"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Book Review: “I’m Fine: A Practical Guide to Managing Your Emotions,” by Rob Nugen

This is a book written for men, and written by a man describing his life experience.  It's a book that every man should read.  I know that sounds cliché; in fact one of the endorsements says "A must read for every man"

I liked how the book was structured.  Between the foreword and closing words, it's divided into five parts, which are broken into chapters and subdivided into small sections.  I was able to read just one section if I was lacking time, and then when I returned to it, I was able to get re-oriented easily.

I expected to read the first part, or a few chapters, and then post a preliminary review.  And that review would have consisted of what I just wrote previously, plus a comment on how easy it is to read and the lack of typos.  And then I'd read through the rest quickly before "Paying it Forward."

But then I started to identify with the author's life experiences.  This is what went through my head:

I'm not the only one who tried to please everyone.  I'm not the only one who did something foolish while driving my parents' car.  I'm not the only one who endured demeaning treatment from a high school girl.  I'm not the only one who thought "My life is over..." after hearing my partner say she's pregnant.  (Except in my case I said it out loud.)

I started therapy a few years ago.  At the beginning of each session, my therapist would ask, "So, how do you feel?"  And I'd reply, "I dunno, okay I guess."  Gradually I learned that the stomach pains I experienced prior to a meeting with the boss weren't caused by food; they evolved from a severe aversion to episodes of humiliation.  When I was laid off and finally walked out of the building, the weight of all that lifted.

The author's discussion of fear was my favorite part of the book.  As I wrote on my blog¹, fear can point you in the direction of growth.  But if you succumb to fear, it can hold you back.  So it was easy for me to accept the author's idea that other "emotions are messengers, not problems."²

The author encourages his readers to pass the book along to another man.  But I'm not sure I'm willing to give up my copy so quickly.

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¹ https://square--peg.blogspot.com/2013/06/fear-as-ally.html
² https://www.robnugen.com/en/books/im-fine/

This review was posted to LibraryThing on 2026-02-11.
I received a free signed copy of this book in order to write this review.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20260202

Yet another weigh-in. The scale didn't report body fat, and I didn't bother to measure my waist, so those values are left over from a previous entry.

Waist = 44.75"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Zoodles Parmigiana

Most of my easy meals can be made in a single pan on the stove top. This Zoodles Parmigiana is one example.

So what exactly are Zoodles? Zoodles are a pile of zucchini strands, where each strand resembles a piece of spaghetti. Imagine what you’d end up with if you could push a zucchini through a pasta maker.

While you can buy pre-made Zoodles, I strongly recommend not doing so because they’ll rot quickly. Instead make them with a spiralizer¹ as shown in the first three images below. An organic zucchini can last a couple of weeks in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator; spiralizing takes only about a minute.

Once you have a pile of Zoodles, cut them up a bit because they can be ridiculously long. Then drop them into an oiled pan at medium-low heat and move them around for a minute or two as shown in the fourth image. Just take out the chill. Then add your favorite tomato sauce² and slices of mozzarella cheese (images 5 & 6). Cover the pan and turn off the heat. Allow the sauce to warm and the cheese to get gooey. Distract yourself by cleaning up the counter, stowing the tomato sauce and cheese back into the refrigerator, loading the cooking utensils into the dishwasher, and setting the table. By the time all that’s done, you can start enjoying your meal.

This is the bare minimum version. But what I like to do is first fry up some onions, red pepper and garlic to “stabilize the pan.” (Remember to add the garlic after sizzle mellows out so that it doesn’t turn bitter.) Then I add the Zoodles, sauce and cheese.

And really, all this is is an excuse to combine tomato sauce with mozzarella cheese, which is what makes pizza so great. And it’s combined with another favorite, spaghetti. This gives you near perfection.

You can make this with real spaghetti if you prefer. But then you’d have the extra step of bringing water to a boil and cooking it, which can add another 15 minutes to the prep time. And personally, I’d rather stay away from carbs, and incorporate more vegetable into my diet. Substituting Zoodles for spaghetti accomplishes both.

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¹ The spiralizer shown in the first two photos is “Veggetti Veggie Slicer” https://www.walmart.com/ip/Veggetti-Spiralizer-Spiral-Vegetable-Cutter-Vegetable-Noodle-Maker-as-Seen-On-TV-White-Plastic/43174708

² I like many bottled tomato sauces. I look for clean and premium ingredients, such as San Marzano tomatoes and olive oil. I avoid anything with sugar or vegetable oil, meat or cheese. Some brands I like are Silver Palate (especially the version with Basil), Mutti and even Newman’s Own. Bottles can be stockpiled for a couple of years. I buy it whenever it’s on sale.

Joyfully Almond Coffee Indulgence

My latest indulgence is Joyfully Almond Coffee.  This came about because I noticed that the bottle of almond extract expired quite a while ago.  Expiration dates don’t matter much to me. However, I live with someone who will look askance at a product with an expiration date of the current day.  Even if I explain that the extract contains alcohol, ¹ which acts as a preservative, it would be thrown out.

Anyway, here’s how I make the Joyfully Almond Coffee Indulgence.  I simply add a splash of the extract to a mug of coffee along with half-and-half (or cream) and three teaspoons (1 tablespoon) of sugar.  Before getting riled up about the carbs, consider that the sugar adds only 12 grams of carbohydrate, while the half-and-half adds only 1 gram (per two tablespoons). ²

Give it a try and let me know if you like it!

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¹ https://www.mccormick.com/products/mccormick-pure-almond-extract-2-fl-oz

² https://fullcirclemarketbrand.com/product/full-circle-market-organic-half-half-32-fl-oz/#sirv-viewer-185084835664