Week 12 Day 1

In Minnesota there are two food choices, bad and worse. You don't just eat cheese, you eat cheese after it's battered and fried and then dipped in a ranch dressing or some other sauce/condiment. It's always fun food and the Minnesota State Fair ups the fun level by making mini-foods and foods on sticks. Mini-donuts, trout on a stick and the like are staples of the fair days. I did have a fresh roasted ear of corn that was slathered with butter and salt and that was close to the healthiest thing I've eaten so far.

Well, I have had a few salads with balsamic vinaigrette dressings. Before going on to eat massive lasagnas and pizzas with extra cheese, that is.

So starting Wednesday with the vacation I had one bloody Mary and three rum and cokes along with a bag of TGI Fridays cheese and sour cream chips on the plane. Then in MN, we went to the Ho Ho Gourmet for Kung Po Chicken. Dinner was Mama's Pizza with a few deep fried onion rings, mostocholli with cheese and pizza with sausage, mushroom, onion and extra cheese.

Thursday was Fair day, the first day of the fair and we started with Pronto Pups, then a peach scone, then a Dole Whip, then a part of a crème puff, then cookies, then an ear of corn, then mini-donuts and somewhere in there a cherry cordial and a gooey turtle. That was breakfast and maybe lunch. Went to see G.I. Joe, not great but not the worst movie of the summer thanks to Transformers 2 and there I had a large soda pop (it is MN) and a small dish of ice cream. Dinner was grilled steaks with whipped potatoes, salad and grilled peppers.

Friday was a nice day. Went to Dunn Bros. for a coffee and a blueberry muffin and free Wi-Fi. Lunch was Donatelli's for a salad, a lasagna and a taste of Hot Fudge Cake, Strawberry cake and Tiramisu. And dinner was grilled hamburgers with medium cheddar cheese slices and a special chili-mustard spread, grilling beans and pasta salad and watermelon.

Interspersed were more cookies and a bunch of soda and a little bit of ice cream.

And that is where we stand three days in. I am guessing I am still at -20, which considering I was at -28.4 on Weds. morning isn't super-fantastic. I am also estimating my calorie count to be around 12,000 so far this trip…and counting.

Saturday's meals were simple. I had a version of Eggs Benedict and a loaf of banana bread at Woodbury Café, then a large fruit punch at the movies and then dinner with Grandma. At dinner we ate cucumber salad, beer can chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, a lovely pinot grigio and for dessert a bit of ice cream and a lot of Grandma's chocolate cherry bars. Then a little later I had some left over pizza while watching football.

Sunday I had some chocolate nirvana drink at Dunn Bros. with a Bavarian crème doughnut, I had a medium root beer and pack of M&Ms at the movie, then we went to Granite City Bar and Grill for lunch and I had Mountain Dew, 7 layer dip, spinach and artichoke dip, a huge peppercorn crusted bleu cheese burger and a apple caramel crumble. Finally, dinner was mom's spaghetti with a salad and two meatballs and a sausage. Dessert was chocolate ice cream with banana.

So make it 20,000 calories and a clearly delightful food time in the great North. Also two consecutive nights of near record lows and I swear I saw snowflakes in a light rain we had on Saturday.