I’m about a week later than I wanted to be getting this Valentine’s Day 2016 blog post out. I blame it on Fallout 4. Some of you will understand only too well. If you are like me, you will find almost any excuse to not do the very thing that you are supposed to.

Our Valentine’s Day getaway begins on Saturday with a drive up to the northwest corner of Connecticut. Our destination is the Mountain View Inn ( http://www.mvinn.com/) in Norfolk. Nestled in the foothills of the Berkshires and boasting the summer session of the Yale School of Music and Art.  What’s drawing us there is the Infinity Music Hall & Bistro (http://www.infinityhall.com/Venues/Infinity-Norfolk/) and a Saturday night concert by Tim Reynolds and TR3. If you are a Dave Matthews Band fan, you will recognize Tim Reynolds as the wildly talented guitar player for the band. When DMB is not touring or recording, Tim Reynolds & TR3 can be seen in smaller venues all over. We had never seen the TR3 and were looking forward to the event. It was coincidental that it was on Valentine’s Day weekend and in such a picturesque location. That being the case, we decided to make a weekend of it. It’s hard to plan on the weather, and that weekend happened to be one of the coldest in recent memory. Below is a pic from the temperature gauge in our car.

We located the Mountain View Inn about a mile from the venue and checked in. We were greeted at the door by one of the owners, Dean. We met his wonderful wife, Jean Marie, the next morning. Dean led us up to our beautiful room which included an un-heated sleeping porch! Our very survival dictated we save the sleeping porch for a return trip in the summer. Look closely at the photos, notice the  frosted windows and a temperature reading -9`?!  The Inn is truly a thing to behold and if you want to see additional photos, check out their many positive reviews on Trip Advisor.

We had just enough time for a quick nap before heading to our reservations at the Bistro, part of the Infinity Music Hall & Bistro.

The restaurant was a busy but well run operation, with most of the patrons trying to get in and out in time for the show. We had checked out the menu online beforehand (Remember me giving that advice in an earlier post?!?!) so we knew there would be vegetarian options. We just didn’t know the decision was going to be so difficult. We decided to split a Baked Brie Turnover (Fig Marmalade|Toasted Walnuts|Cranberry Coulis) and a Goat Cheese and Beets salad. (I don’t want to blow anyone’s mind or anything, but did you know that not all cheese is vegetarian? I’ll save the entire story for another blog but if you just can’t wait, google ”rennet” and remember; don’t hate the messenger, hate the people that can’t stop finding uses for calves). For an entrée, my wife had the Baked Gnocchi (Spinach|Walnut Pesto|Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce) and I went with the Teriyaki Tofu Chow Mein (Soy-Plum Glaze|Udon Noodles|Broccoli|Carrots|Scallions|Sesame Seeds).  All the food was fantastic and had nothing to do with the fact that my wife and I were nearing the end of a 6 month weight loss study during which we had drastically cut down on eating out. This weight loss study had created a fundamental shift in the way we think about food and now influences not only what we eat but our exercise, podcast listening choices, books we read; in other words, a lifestyle change. I’ve lost 25 Lbs I didn’t know I needed to lose and my wife has lost 38 lbs and is still going. But, you don’t want to hear about that, do you?

We finished up and headed to our seats in the concert hall. This is an intimate, 300 seat venue that was built in 1883 as an opera house. It’s a great place to see a show. I’ll let someone else provide the concert review, but suffice it to say we had a great time!  Tim Reynolds is a gifted, prolific guitarist and the bassist and drummer are fine musicians in their own right.

After the show, we hurried back to our car through the -9` night for the quick drive back to the Inn and a warm bed.

We awoke to the windows frosted over as a result of the continuing deep freeze. Staying at a Bed & Breakfast is different than staying at a hotel in a lot of ways. It’s much more personal, as you are sharing a home with the owners, no matter the size of the accommodations. The “Breakfast” part of the B&B for the Mountain View Inn was posted as being from 8:30 am – 9:30 am. Since we were a little early, we poured coffee and walked around the lower floor, admiring the artwork painted by Dean himself. Dean let us know when the meal was ready and we headed in to the dining room.

As long-time vegetarians, there are certain meal situations in which you expect to be disappointed and hungry. A B&B is one of those places. They serve a minimal number of guests fresh homemade breakfast. They don’t serve multiple options to the masses. Most importantly, this is someone’s home and we did not expect, or ask, them to do anything differently.

There was plenty of good food for us vegetarians including sweet potatoes, egg-bake with asparagus, fresh fruit, and muffins. We left the table and the Inn well-rested and well-fed for the drive back home. 

It’s the morning after Superbowl 50 and it’s 5:00 am. I’m not a morning person at the best of times but on a cold morning in February, I especially dislike it. I’ve only managed about 6 hours sleep as I never sleep well when I know I have an early plane to catch. My flight is at 7:05 am out of Bradley and I have things timed out pretty well. A quick shower (I shaved the night before which is one of my secrets) and a bite to eat and out the door. But first, I step on the scale and though I’m still half-asleep, I’m shocked at what I see. Somehow I’ve put on 2.5 lbs from Friday morning to Monday. Ok, Friday was a snow day which means my beautiful wife made chocolate chip cookies, and we ordered in a pizza for dinner, and I didn’t get out to the gym because of the snow but I still managed to run 5 miles around the block on Sunday. And, if you read my last blog post, you know I didn’t eat much on Superbowl Sunday, so where the hell did the weight gain come from? I’ll have to figure that out later. Right now I have a plane to catch. So I go into survival mode. I have a quick turn-around tonight to get back home and I won’t be walking in the door until 11:00 pm at the earliest. That means no opportunity to work out. I have to work with what I have.

Eating on the road as a vegetarian and trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle can be tricky. I decide to pack accordingly. I’m not taking any luggage, just my briefcase so whatever I’m taking needs to fit in there with all my business gear. Breakfast consists of a Think Thin protein bar. This will give me a good start to the morning. Enough calories and protein to get me going (along with a few cups of black coffee). In the bag goes a Clif Bar, another protein bar, and my portable shaker with a packet of Vega One shake mix. As it turns out, I don’t end up using it on this day but it’s good to have it available. I can mix the powder with water or milk or a milk substitute (Almond milk is my favorite), shake for a minute or two, and I have a meal.

At the airport, I have 15 minutes to spare in the Admirals Club lounge. I eat a 100 calorie yogurt and mix in a spoonful of walnuts from the toppings selection. This gives me something of substance in my stomach and I’m on my first flight to Philly. In Philly, I have a few hours before my flight to Harrisburg and I again make use of the Admirals Club Lounge. Philly is not high on my list of favorite airports, but the club lounge there is nice. I camp out in the Quiet Area and spend a few hours working. Other than a cup of coffee (Starbucks Via that I always bring with me) I manage to stay away from the food offerings. As I’m getting on the shuttle bus over to Terminal F, I mentally kick myself for not walking the route given I won’t be hitting the gym. That’s an opportunity lost.

At the Harrisburg Airport, I’m picked up by a co-worker and we head to a Starbucks’s near the client site. This gives us free wifi and the chance to go over our presentation. Our meeting isn’t until 3:00 pm so we are left with a little time on our hands and lunch is in order. There’s a Qdoba fast food place in the same plaza so we head over. As I’m staring at the menu board, the staff person asks if she can help. I ask if she has any nutritional information on the menu items. With an apologetic tone, she informs me they had something at one time but lost it. Can she help me with something specific? I tell her I’m a vegetarian and am trying to watch what I eat. She steers me to the salads. This is dangerous ground. The next time you’re out to eat at a place that has the caloric values on the menu, check out the salads. You might be surprised to find that often the salads are no more healthier than a burger. I decide to make my own salad (picture included!) and go with greens, a small portion of corn, a scoop of beans for protein and to fill me up, and no dressing. I augment this with a protein bar from my bag. This is my lunch.

Our meeting goes well and my co-worker drops me back at the Harrisburg airport at around 5:30 pm. I eat the Clif Bar while waiting for my flight which takes me back through Philly. The F Terminal is fairly new and has a number of restaurant choices. I spend 15 minutes wandering around looking longingly at the menus. Yes, I can have a gourmet veggie burger and fries for about 1,000 calories but the scale reading this morning keeps me from pulling the trigger. Back to the club Lounge I go. There, I eat exactly 3 short stalks of celery, 2 cherry tomatoes, and 4 baby carrots. It’s been snowing all day in Connecticut and I land at 10:30 to a slow drive home. I’m in bed at about 11:30 pm after a loooooong day. The next morning I step on the scale to see if my strategy has worked. I’m down 2.5 lbs from my Friday weight! What the hell?!?! My guess is I had water retention from sodium intake, with the pizza being the likely culprit. I could have had the BURGER! But, truth be told, I’m glad I skipped it.

Thanks for tuning in. In my upcoming blogs I’ll be talking about my work-out regimen, a healthy lifestyle/weight loss program I’ve been participating in, and a Valentine’s Day weekend at a Bed & Breakfast with a concert by Tim Reynolds & TR3 thrown in. 

Monday after the Super Bowl starts with a 5:00 am wake-up. I need to get ready to head to the airport for a 7:00 am flight but not before a quick look outside. Forecast called for early morning snow but thankfully (?) nothing is falling at the moment. I have a long day ahead of me, with my return flight scheduled to land at 11:30 pm. With luck, I’ll be in my own bed at 12:30 am, but not before a nineteen or twenty hour day is lived to its fullest. But seriously, it’s the day after the Super Bowl, I’ve had about 5 hours of broken sleep, and I’m just hoping to present professionally in front of the client. In the next article I’ll talk about food for this Monday trip but first I’ll share about last night’s Super Bowl party.

I belong to a social club in downtown Hartford, CT. I’ll save the type of club for another day but I’ve been a member for about 2 years. I’ll drop in maybe once a week and a probably 2x a month my wife and I will stop in after enjoying dinner somewhere. The party in the club lounge was reserved for members only and you could bring 1 guest. The cost was $20.00 as it was going to be catered, with beer also provided. The owner is a great guy and appreciates my business. I’m sure if I had called to tell him I’m a vegetarian, he would have accommodated me in some manner. But, I didn’t. I assumed there would be something there for me to enjoy, some cheese, a salad assortment, etc. And for a vegetarian, that is rolling the dice. So, while everyone enjoyed 5 different entrees, all with meat, I enjoyed a plate of rice and boiled cabbage. Yes, I could have called up the street for a pizza, but that would have made the owner feel bad and I would have stood out like a sore thumb.

What’s the lesson learned here? Don’t hesitate to make the call, especially when you’re paying the same as everyone else. Worst case, they’ve already ordered the food and can’t accommodate you. But at least then you can bring the pizza with a clear conscience. 

It isn't always easy being a vegetarian in this world of ours. If you adhere to a vegetarian eating lifestyle, you've dealt with your share of frustrations when dining out or attending gatherings for work or pleasure. With perseverance and the right attitude, it can be done. It helps to be proactive. When dining out, check the menu of the restaurant beforehand. If the menu isn't available online, don't be embarrassed to ask the server for suggestions or to inquire if a particular item is vegetarian. I'm still somewhat surprised how often the server and sometimes the restaurant isn't sure exactly what's in the dish. Hey, you're serving it and you don't know the ingredients?  Is it made with chicken stock or vegetable stock? Wait, it has gelatin in it? Do you know what gelatin is, man? Nasty stuff.

But, with a smartphone and access to the internet, things can go much easier. Yelp is a go-to app for me, as I can often use it to track down vegetarian restaurants in whatever city I'm in. And there's no denying that vegetarian eating is becoming more mainstream. When all else fails, I find a local Whole Foods and make my own meal from their food bar.

More about watching what you eat on the road in my next post.