Aim for Alaksa next, I am right on the way. I need to stop some morning on my way to work and take a picture of the bison strolling around like it's July but they have about a foot of snow on their backs. I drive through a National Park on my way to work and often see Americans taking pictures of the hundreds of bison there on their way to Alaska. I am surprised when I see people from places like Maine and think wat a drive!

Well, its not Alaska!

Hmm... you are in Charleston, SC, right?? Maybe Toronto??

Well, except he said it was a "State," right? And I don't think he'd want to risk passport issues ... How about Colorado or Maine? For the former, you'd have to drive pretty much non-stop to make it in that time, but maybe ....

He sounds like a great guy!! How fun that he keeps giving you little clues! I'm sure wherever it is, it will be great!!

I seemed to have developed a seasonal social calendar. I rarely go out after work, or do things in the local/live world with others besides my family. This has changed this month, and I'm not exactly sure at all about it. I have plans for all but one weekend, and a couple events planned in the week days. Seems awful busy to me, I'm not complaining so much as baffled how this happened and why I have events on my radar where I don't have plans for 11 months out of the year. I think it's added to my stress level, even if the gatherings are friends, etc - it's not having down time to just veg. Thank goodness none of them are gift/ornament exchanges or something I have to do more than make a large salad to bring with. Okay now I sound like a Scrooge.

Anyway - tonight's event is dinner out with the work bunch. They chose an Italian restaurant. I will get there late due to a conflicting appointment, so i needed to checked out their menu ahead of time (so I don't have to pour of it once I get there). The only meal/protein item I see I can really stay on plan with is the baked salmon, and tell them to hold the cream sauce, cheese, etc and to ensure the broccoli that comes with it is not cheesed, oiled, etc. That will work - I'll do that. Still it's a bit concerning if they are out of the salmon. Option 2 is a Cesar salad, less the stuff I can't have (so it would have romaine lettuce, tomatoes, not sure what they got) I better slip some dressing in my purse if I have any packets left - I think I'm out. Oh they do have green beans sautéed in olive oil.... wonder if they can use less oil, or steam them.... surely they have a microwave. LOL - sorry I sound so self centered... "what can I eat"... I worry too much about stuff. Planning ahead is good for me but I do the 'what if' game in my head a lot and that isn't good. Tonight will be fine and either I can eat there, or I'll eat afterwords. It is about seeing my co-workers and relaxing a bit with my water..hmmm maybe I'll bring some grape drink.. that will tickle my coworkers to no end with my fake wine. They laugh at me and my tea and decaf coffees I'm not offended by that at all, I laugh too... at them and their (pink/blue/green/red/white) mixed foo foo drinks.

Okay break time over.. back to work!

When I went out to brunch the other day and there was literally nothing on the menu that would work for me without major modifications and leaving items out. I ended up telling them to give me the grilled romaine lettuce (unadulterated except for maybe *very* minimal olive oil brushed on it) and grilled chicken with no dressing. It was great! The flavor you can get from just a light grilling is terrific.

No one blinked an eye. I think so many people are on Atkins or other restricted diets that no one really cares. There also are just lots of picky eaters out there (a concept I never understood since I was told to clean my plate from an early age! ), so waiters and waitresses are quite used to dealing with special requests.

Thank you both for the ideas/support. I feel like a winer (and here I said I don't do wine ) I do not see grilled chicken in any of their options, but I'll ask if need be. They don't even have a chicken Cesar. It's a small non-chain type restaurant so I was lucky menus were on line. They don't list cucumbers in any of their salads so I dont think those are options. Deep fried - lots of stuff - and pizza, pasta, desserts are their thing. Even the healthy salmon option is coated with cream sauce and other off plan things. I know why the non-dieter group thinks it's excellent eats. I would be tempted to back out of tonight's dinner except I don't want to let this diet drive me to that. I was hoping they would have chosen a steak place like last year, or a seafood place. Oh well, it will work one way or another.

Darn!!! Susan didn't you tell him I was expecting you????

No Americans are not silly taking pictures. Every time I see the masses of bison I am amazed. I want to take a winter picture but didn't so far because I don't want to pull to the side of the highway with the winter driving conditions.
I am curious as heck now as to where you are going. Likely New England which I just love as I am originally from Nova Scotia. Actually I think I will take a scoot down there when I go back east this summer.
Snow is not a priority for me!

Toronto is usually pretty mild, not a great destination for snow seekers.