I'm going to share something gross with you. Come on now, I know you can handle it! Are you ready? Okay, here goes: I gotta tell you that when I see a rack of porn magazines, bearing titles such as "Asian Invasion" and "Pussy Parade," next to a soda fountain or a rack of sun chips and snack cakes, all I can think of is splooge. Splooge in the Ho-ho's, splooge in the Snowballs, splooge in my Diet Coke. And it really makes me lose my appetite.
Why, you may ask, were you in a place that sells such fine publications? Well, let me correct you: I was not in "a place" but actually SEVERAL places that sold them; and as to why, the answer is that sometimes you don't have much choice when you are trekking the 800 miles of highways and interstates between Reno, Nevada and Bozeman, Montana. Those are some stretches of road that cater heavily to the trucker population, as you may have guessed; and sometimes, especially when you are traveling with a baby who tends to poop at the most inopportune moments, you just can't hold out for a nice, clean, porn-free Chevron. You just have to pull over at the nearest combination truck stop/casino and try to overcome your reservations about splooge contamination--reservations that become especially plaguing when you are in Nevada and there is a mysterious series of numbered rooms at the back.
But enough about our fine state's penchant for illicit entertainment, and more about my own naughty activities. On this trip, I walked on the wild side and got caught. Yep, you guessed it--I got a SPEEDING TICKET. A rather hefty speeding ticket, as the cop caught me going 92 in a 70!! In my defense, we had just left a 75, and I had just passed a very old couple driving way too slowly and very erratically. I really hate passing on two-lane highways and our Rav-4 has a V6 engine, so I usally pass fast and hightail it back to my own lane. Unfortunately, the cop caught me on the tail end of my hightail, not slowing down fast enough. That was on highway 93, which goes from Wells NV to Twin Falls ID, and which I have labeled "The Bloody Road," in part in honor of the bloody ticket and in part from all the literal blood. 100 miles of road red from dead deer is about the creepiest thing I've ever seen. Driving it at night, which we did on the way back, was especially horrifying. Once I turned on my brights RIGHT before I came upon two deer in the road, allowing me to slow down in time; another time, we came upon a very fresh accident being partaken of by coyotes, also in the road. YUCK. Let's just say I was THRILLED to reach the interstate again!
Apart from the speeding ticket, and the fact that 1600 miles is an EFF of a long way to drive, we had a great trip. We enjoyed some beautiful scenery, especially on the border of Wyoming and Montana as we skirted Yellowstone. Scarlett, although she had some melty moments (translate: melting-down moments) was overall a VERY good girl, a huge change from her early days of being an absolute nightmare in the car. I loved Bozeman and had an all-around great time at the conference--I got a lot out of the presentations I attended, my own work was well received, and rhetoric rock stars cooed over Scarlett. I also enjoyed stopping at Smitty's Pancake House in Idaho Falls, which was started by my great uncle and is still owned and run by my second cousins, even though none of the family was on hand to visit with. All in all, it was a very enjoyable mini-vacation. But next time I get the brilliant idea to drive 1600 miles over the course of four days, just whack me upside the head, okay? Or better yet, drop me the one-word reminder sure to jog me back into a more logical frame of mind: Splooge.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Phyllophilia, OR, How to Decimate a Box of Phyllo in Two Days
So no, I'm still not losing any weight despite Turbo Kick, Jillian Michaels, and Wogging; yes, I have fallen back into the evil dessert pit, and I am no doubt sabotaging myself through sweet calories that love me far too much; and yes, I will soon be creating a new challenge for myself because that seems to be the only way I can be reasonable. But, because I suspect you don't want to read about my baby weight struggles ALL the time, I'm going to address something much more fun in this post: Food. Specifically, food made with delicious, naughty phyllo dough.
I love to cook and bake, and in general (or so I am told) good stuff results. My main problem is that I can be terribly non-adventurous...I tend to get a recipe down pat, then throw it into a fairly limited rotation. Between Mario and I, one of us has class every weeknight, so that's a lot of "quick meals." My usual suspects are turkey or fish tacos, turkey kielbasa with veggies and couscous, turkey burgers, grilled chicken or fish, things like that. When I have a little more time, there is homemade chicken soup, coconut curry, chicken pot pie (Mario's favorite!), or perhaps turkey or veggie lasagna--and I just mastered seafood lasagna with white sauce. Actually, as my husband would attest, I have a kind of dangerous skill with white sauces. Creamy tomato with basil and pinenuts, creamy pesto, and pepperjack chicken pasta are among my naughty specialties.
Anyway, lately I've been a bit bored with my rotation and have vowed to be a bit more adventurous, and to keep better track of the recipes that work. First up on my list of things to try was Spanakopita. I love Greek food (Mario and I got a little too used to the real thing when we were doing our TEFL certificates on Crete) but Reno has a serious dearth. I am pretty much incapable of following a recipe exactly, so here is the Spanakopita recipe I patched together from various sources, and loved:
Spanakopita Crystal's Way
Ingredients
•14 ounce pkg frozen, chopped spinach
•6 oz package feta cheese
•4 large eggs
•1 bunch green onions
•¾ cup cottage cheese
•½ box of phyllo dough
•1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter, or maybe a little more
•Dashes of nutmeg and salt
Directions
1.Heat oven to 375. Have phyllo out of the fridge, still packaged, coming to room temperature.
2.Thaw spinach and squeeze dry.
3.Chop green onions finely. Melt a bit of butter in a frying pan, and fry them up with spinach until they are well mixed, just a few minutes.
4.In a large bowl mix feta cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, and nutmeg and salt until well blended.
5.Add in spinach/green onion mix.
6.Melt the remaining butter in a cup.
7.Line the bottom of pan of greased 9x13 inch pan with a sheet of phyllo. Using a basting brush (rubber works well), brush the sheet lightly with butter. Repeat until you have 5 or 6 layers of dough. (Note: Keep the roll of phyllo sheets covered as much as you can while you work, as it dries out fast. You can drape a damp paper towel over it, but be warned that too much moisture can make it gooey.)
8.Spread the spinach mixture, evenly covering the dough.
9.Cover with a layer of phyllo; brush lightly with butter. Repeat with about 6 more sheets.
10.Butter the top sheet generously. Using the basting brush, go around the edges and smooth them with butter, tucking them down.
11.Score the top lightly where you plan to make cuts.
12.Place in preheated oven and bake 30-40 minutes, or until dark golden brown.
Notes:
Delicious! However, after making this I would say more spinach could definitely be thrown in for good results. Many other recipes call for more eggs than four; four worked perfectly here but if you add more spinach, another egg or so might be a good addition.
Hmmm....a box of phyllo comes with two rolls, and I used about 3/4 of one roll with this recipe. I still had some to use up so it didn't go to waste. So last night, I had my sister over for dinner and utilized THIS delicious recipe. You'll notice some similar techniques with treatment of the phyllo:
Broccoli Chicken in Phyllo, Crystal’s Way
Ingredients:
•1/2 cup or so melted butter
•12 sheets phyllo dough
•2 breasts chicken, diced in small cubes, lightly salted and peppered
•1/2 package turkey bacon, diced small
•2 crowns or so fresh broccoli, cut in small pieces, steamed gently
•1 cup grated cheddar cheese
•1 cup grated jack cheese
•5 eggs
•1 cup heavy whipping cream
•1/2 cup milk
•1 teaspoon salt
•1/2 teaspoon pepper
Directions
1.Heat oven to 375. Have phyllo out of the fridge, still packaged, coming to room temperature.
2.In a frying pan, brown chicken together with bacon in a bit of butter
3.Mix in steamed broccoli. When it cools a bit, toss in both kinds of cheese as well.
4.In a large bowl mix eggs, cream, milk, salt, and pepper until blended.
5.Melt the remaining butter in a cup.
6.Line the bottom of pan of greased 9x13 inch pan with a sheet of phyllo. Using a basting brush (rubber works well), brush the sheet lightly with butter. Repeat until you have 5 or 6 layers of dough.
7.Pour in chicken/bacon/broccoli/cheese mix, spread evenly.
8.Pour cream mixture evenly over the top.
9.Cover with a layer of phyllo; brush lightly with butter. Repeat with about 6 more sheets.
10.Butter the top sheet generously. Using the basting brush, go around the edges and smooth them with butter, tucking them down.
11.Score the top lightly where you plan to make cuts.
12.Place in preheated oven and bake 30-40 minutes, or until dark golden brown.
Mmmm....good! But, still about 2/3 a role of phyllo remaining. Might as well use it up with a dessert recipe. I adapted this recipe from Athens Foods in the following way:
Banana Chocolate Phyllo Packets
Ingredients:
3 bananas, sliced up
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons Kahlua
12 sheets phyllo
1/4 cup butter, melted
Directions
1.Heat oven to 350. Have phyllo out of the fridge, still packaged, coming to room temperature.
2.In medium bowl, combine bananas, chocolate chips, Kahlua and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
3.In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sugar.
4.Melt the butter in a cup.
5.Grease a 9x13 cookie sheet.
6.Take a sheet of phyllo. Brush ½ with butter and fold in half. Plop 1/6th of the banana mixture in the middle, and fold gently into a square packet. Brush phyllo with butter as you fold. Wrap packet in one more sheet of phyllo. Avoid breakage by working carefully and keeping phyllo you’re using buttered, and that you’re not using covered. This not easy, so likely your first couple will look a bit funky. That’s fine—they will still taste good.
7.Brush the top of packet with butter, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
8.Repeat 5 times for a total of 6 packets.
9.Place in preheated oven and bake 15 or so minutes, until they look delicious.
10.Serve with a bit of vanilla ice cream! Yum.
And there you have it. Phyllo gone, tummies (a little too) full, all happy. Diet tomorrow!
I love to cook and bake, and in general (or so I am told) good stuff results. My main problem is that I can be terribly non-adventurous...I tend to get a recipe down pat, then throw it into a fairly limited rotation. Between Mario and I, one of us has class every weeknight, so that's a lot of "quick meals." My usual suspects are turkey or fish tacos, turkey kielbasa with veggies and couscous, turkey burgers, grilled chicken or fish, things like that. When I have a little more time, there is homemade chicken soup, coconut curry, chicken pot pie (Mario's favorite!), or perhaps turkey or veggie lasagna--and I just mastered seafood lasagna with white sauce. Actually, as my husband would attest, I have a kind of dangerous skill with white sauces. Creamy tomato with basil and pinenuts, creamy pesto, and pepperjack chicken pasta are among my naughty specialties.
Anyway, lately I've been a bit bored with my rotation and have vowed to be a bit more adventurous, and to keep better track of the recipes that work. First up on my list of things to try was Spanakopita. I love Greek food (Mario and I got a little too used to the real thing when we were doing our TEFL certificates on Crete) but Reno has a serious dearth. I am pretty much incapable of following a recipe exactly, so here is the Spanakopita recipe I patched together from various sources, and loved:
Spanakopita Crystal's Way
Ingredients
•14 ounce pkg frozen, chopped spinach
•6 oz package feta cheese
•4 large eggs
•1 bunch green onions
•¾ cup cottage cheese
•½ box of phyllo dough
•1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter, or maybe a little more
•Dashes of nutmeg and salt
Directions
1.Heat oven to 375. Have phyllo out of the fridge, still packaged, coming to room temperature.
2.Thaw spinach and squeeze dry.
3.Chop green onions finely. Melt a bit of butter in a frying pan, and fry them up with spinach until they are well mixed, just a few minutes.
4.In a large bowl mix feta cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, and nutmeg and salt until well blended.
5.Add in spinach/green onion mix.
6.Melt the remaining butter in a cup.
7.Line the bottom of pan of greased 9x13 inch pan with a sheet of phyllo. Using a basting brush (rubber works well), brush the sheet lightly with butter. Repeat until you have 5 or 6 layers of dough. (Note: Keep the roll of phyllo sheets covered as much as you can while you work, as it dries out fast. You can drape a damp paper towel over it, but be warned that too much moisture can make it gooey.)
8.Spread the spinach mixture, evenly covering the dough.
9.Cover with a layer of phyllo; brush lightly with butter. Repeat with about 6 more sheets.
10.Butter the top sheet generously. Using the basting brush, go around the edges and smooth them with butter, tucking them down.
11.Score the top lightly where you plan to make cuts.
12.Place in preheated oven and bake 30-40 minutes, or until dark golden brown.
Notes:
Delicious! However, after making this I would say more spinach could definitely be thrown in for good results. Many other recipes call for more eggs than four; four worked perfectly here but if you add more spinach, another egg or so might be a good addition.
Hmmm....a box of phyllo comes with two rolls, and I used about 3/4 of one roll with this recipe. I still had some to use up so it didn't go to waste. So last night, I had my sister over for dinner and utilized THIS delicious recipe. You'll notice some similar techniques with treatment of the phyllo:
Broccoli Chicken in Phyllo, Crystal’s Way
Ingredients:
•1/2 cup or so melted butter
•12 sheets phyllo dough
•2 breasts chicken, diced in small cubes, lightly salted and peppered
•1/2 package turkey bacon, diced small
•2 crowns or so fresh broccoli, cut in small pieces, steamed gently
•1 cup grated cheddar cheese
•1 cup grated jack cheese
•5 eggs
•1 cup heavy whipping cream
•1/2 cup milk
•1 teaspoon salt
•1/2 teaspoon pepper
Directions
1.Heat oven to 375. Have phyllo out of the fridge, still packaged, coming to room temperature.
2.In a frying pan, brown chicken together with bacon in a bit of butter
3.Mix in steamed broccoli. When it cools a bit, toss in both kinds of cheese as well.
4.In a large bowl mix eggs, cream, milk, salt, and pepper until blended.
5.Melt the remaining butter in a cup.
6.Line the bottom of pan of greased 9x13 inch pan with a sheet of phyllo. Using a basting brush (rubber works well), brush the sheet lightly with butter. Repeat until you have 5 or 6 layers of dough.
7.Pour in chicken/bacon/broccoli/cheese mix, spread evenly.
8.Pour cream mixture evenly over the top.
9.Cover with a layer of phyllo; brush lightly with butter. Repeat with about 6 more sheets.
10.Butter the top sheet generously. Using the basting brush, go around the edges and smooth them with butter, tucking them down.
11.Score the top lightly where you plan to make cuts.
12.Place in preheated oven and bake 30-40 minutes, or until dark golden brown.
Mmmm....good! But, still about 2/3 a role of phyllo remaining. Might as well use it up with a dessert recipe. I adapted this recipe from Athens Foods in the following way:
Banana Chocolate Phyllo Packets
Ingredients:
3 bananas, sliced up
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons Kahlua
12 sheets phyllo
1/4 cup butter, melted
Directions
1.Heat oven to 350. Have phyllo out of the fridge, still packaged, coming to room temperature.
2.In medium bowl, combine bananas, chocolate chips, Kahlua and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
3.In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sugar.
4.Melt the butter in a cup.
5.Grease a 9x13 cookie sheet.
6.Take a sheet of phyllo. Brush ½ with butter and fold in half. Plop 1/6th of the banana mixture in the middle, and fold gently into a square packet. Brush phyllo with butter as you fold. Wrap packet in one more sheet of phyllo. Avoid breakage by working carefully and keeping phyllo you’re using buttered, and that you’re not using covered. This not easy, so likely your first couple will look a bit funky. That’s fine—they will still taste good.
7.Brush the top of packet with butter, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
8.Repeat 5 times for a total of 6 packets.
9.Place in preheated oven and bake 15 or so minutes, until they look delicious.
10.Serve with a bit of vanilla ice cream! Yum.
And there you have it. Phyllo gone, tummies (a little too) full, all happy. Diet tomorrow!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Seven Times Weird
This week, I was tagged! For the first time, I think. Lauryn over at LauReality tagged me to share seven random or weird facts about myself. Since it's after midnight and I can't sleep after drinking my first Diet Coke in 10 weeks (note to self: 10:00pm is a bad time to break that particular streak) I am going to see what I can come up with.
7> My dad is a geologist, and my sister, Amber, and I both were named after rocks. I have been known to make the remark that it is AWFULLY good he wasn't a gynecologist!
6> I hate toenails. I really do. I cut mine super short even though they look dreadful because I can't stand the feel of them when they're long. I also hate it when my husband's get long and they touch me in bed. EW! Yet, I also don't like it when he clips his and I can hear that sharp, clippy sound. I yell at him to go somewhere else. Yes, he's got a tough life. I also have a weird, malformed little toenail on my pinky toe. And my feet are enormous; I practically have to shop at the tranvestite store. Okay, that's three things. Let's just say if I was invisible below the ankles I would be thrilled.
5) I talk fast. And I get shit for it constantly. And it REALLY bugs me when people call me out on it. For some reason, I am kind of sensitive about my speaking speed. I am always tempted to say, "I don't talk fast; your brain is just slow." Okay, I'll be honest...sometimes I actually do say it.
4> When I was in high school I had my wisdom teeth taken out...my FIVE wisdom teeth. I had four normal ones like everyone else but also a fifth, mutant tooth that no one could explain. I just like to presume that, la de da, I am just THAT much wiser...
3> I haven't eaten red meat or pork in 11 years. I went cold turkey one day while pondering the ickiness of dorm food as a freshman, and have never looked back. This is really gross, but something about flesh just seems so canibalistic to me. In fact, here's a quick recap of my meat rules if you haven't read them before: I don't eat anything too big, too cute, or two ugly. I also don't eat dark meat, things with skin and bones, or things that resembles an animal when it was in its living form. In short, I eat chicken and turkey breast and fish. Don't ask me--I don't claim to be logical.
2> I used to be deathly afraid of needles--I would keel over in a dead faint every single time I got a shot or blood drawn, without fail--but karma has taken things upon itself to fix me. After being bitten by a probably rabid dog and going through the entire rabies series while traveling Southeast Asia, and then having the World's Craziest Thyroid and having a baby, I have gotten MOSTLY past fainting mode. Now I just lay down the law with the vampires: Don't show me the needle, don't tell me what you're doing, and I have to lay down. And I normally stay conscious. But I still hate, hate, hate it.
1> Hmm, one more. Oh, there are so many to choose from. Let's see. Okay, this is kind of cool. I am the oldest child of an oldest child of an oldest child, and my child is the oldest too. All on both sides of the family. No wonder I am that damned bossy!
That's me. It's 1:00 am now. Let's go see if sleep is ready for me for reals this time...
Monday, October 6, 2008
There Goes the Neighborhood...For Real This Time
This morning, I am out doing my normal three-or-four mile wog, baby in tow (actually, me in tow of the baby), minding my own business, when a passing woman stops me. I'd seen her a few times before--she walks to work at one of the downtown casinos, according to her uniform, and sometimes I pass her when I'm out with the baby. So she stops me, gestures to a house on the corner, and asks me if I know that a sex offender lives there. "No," I answer, shocked. She tells me that her kids found it on the internet, and now she warns everyone she passes so that they will be aware. I thank her and hurry home, shooting the house a dirty look as I pass it. Funny--there is a schoolbus stop right in front of that house, and I am always impressed that multiple parents are out waiting with the kids in the mornings. Now I realize there might be more to their watchfulness than I thought.
I stop to tell my sister that a sex offender lives right around the corner from us. She answers, basically, "So? They live everywhere." "SO" is not exactly my reaction. As far as I'm concerned, they should be living nowhere...they shouldn't be living at all. It's a NIABY not a NIMBY thing with me.
As soon as I get home, I hop on the trusty old internet to verify my friendly neighborhood watchdog's story, and yep, she's right. The guy in that house has been convicted of sexual assault and battery. Since I'm already on the website, I broaden my search and make the lovely discovery that twice every morning I go directly in front of not one but TWO sex offender's houses. A third lives just a block off my path. Both of the second two have been convicted of assault of a child under fourteen.
Seriously, I'm as liberal as you can get in most aspects. There is about one issue on which I'm conservative: treatment of sex offenders. I won't detail here, on this innocent blog, what I think should be done to them. But it's not something a "hippy-dippy" liberal would normally endorse.
What am I supposed to do with this information? The economy is collapsing, the earth's temperature is rising, and my neighborhood is peopled with the most awful kind of criminals.
Pepper spray, anyone?
I stop to tell my sister that a sex offender lives right around the corner from us. She answers, basically, "So? They live everywhere." "SO" is not exactly my reaction. As far as I'm concerned, they should be living nowhere...they shouldn't be living at all. It's a NIABY not a NIMBY thing with me.
As soon as I get home, I hop on the trusty old internet to verify my friendly neighborhood watchdog's story, and yep, she's right. The guy in that house has been convicted of sexual assault and battery. Since I'm already on the website, I broaden my search and make the lovely discovery that twice every morning I go directly in front of not one but TWO sex offender's houses. A third lives just a block off my path. Both of the second two have been convicted of assault of a child under fourteen.
Seriously, I'm as liberal as you can get in most aspects. There is about one issue on which I'm conservative: treatment of sex offenders. I won't detail here, on this innocent blog, what I think should be done to them. But it's not something a "hippy-dippy" liberal would normally endorse.
What am I supposed to do with this information? The economy is collapsing, the earth's temperature is rising, and my neighborhood is peopled with the most awful kind of criminals.
Pepper spray, anyone?
Friday, October 3, 2008
A Day Like Any Other
Take a look at this picture. That's me, on the left. Wait, let me be more specific: that's me six and half years, thirty pounds, and shitload of responsibility ago. I was tanned, toned, and free to change the course of my existence on a whim, on many whims. And I did.
This picture was taken on the beach of Pensacola Florida, which was a short hop away from where I was living, New Orleans. I looked this good because my life daily routine was something like this: Wake up, slowly, some time in late morning. Put on running clothes and leave the apartment. Walk the 17th street canal down to the Marina, and then start jogging. Run for miles, miles, along the path that followed the shore of Lake Ponchartrain. Run back. Walk a couple of miles cool down. Go tanning (yes, tanning, bad me.) Come home, shower. Head to the French Quarter for work. Wait tables; go out on Decator or Bourbon Street; or go home, and write poetry lying on my stomach on the floor (I had no furniture--literally, none). Sleep, deeply. Wake again and run again. And so on. Most days, I probably did 8 or 10 miles.
Looking back, I can't believe how great I looked at that time. Did I know then the extent to which my body was my currency? Oh, I could tell you some wild tales...if I was a book, I'd be banned! (That's somebody's proposal for the English Department T-shirt, and I have to say I love it). Hilariously, despite the story this picture tells about how I looked, I still thought I was fat!
I have a point in sharing these reminiscences, I promise. You all know that I've REALLY struggled with baby weight and that I gave myself a 70-day no candy, no dessert, no soda challenge to try to help with that. The last day of that challenge passed Tuesday, without any big hoopla. I had cheated a few times, mostly on things that I baked (one MUST taste test, right?), but I had made it! And I had lost about 10 pounds from my Hawaii trip, but still only 7 from post-hospital baby weight.
I am sort of befuddled about where to go from here. True, I learned to live through a day without constant sugar input. But I'm still not sure I have learned any restraint if today is any example--we had a bake sale for the English Graduate Organization, and I pretty much sampled all day, as if I had never quit. On one hand, I really don't want to fall back into my old patterns--on the other hand, I'm pretty sure the quality of my life is impacted by not eating desserts. I don't want to always be turning sweets down--but I suspect I'm an all-or-nothing kinda gal.
I'm writing about this because I need some advice. I don't know if I will ever look like that picture again, but I want to be fit and feel good about my body and my eating habits. I am still wogging most days, and also now doing Jillian Michaels videos (YOUCH!), and also about to starting taking my friend's Turbo Kick class two days a week, but I know none of those things will help if I don't eat right. What do you all think I should do? Should I make a new challenge, a new rule? If so, what?
This picture was taken on the beach of Pensacola Florida, which was a short hop away from where I was living, New Orleans. I looked this good because my life daily routine was something like this: Wake up, slowly, some time in late morning. Put on running clothes and leave the apartment. Walk the 17th street canal down to the Marina, and then start jogging. Run for miles, miles, along the path that followed the shore of Lake Ponchartrain. Run back. Walk a couple of miles cool down. Go tanning (yes, tanning, bad me.) Come home, shower. Head to the French Quarter for work. Wait tables; go out on Decator or Bourbon Street; or go home, and write poetry lying on my stomach on the floor (I had no furniture--literally, none). Sleep, deeply. Wake again and run again. And so on. Most days, I probably did 8 or 10 miles.
Looking back, I can't believe how great I looked at that time. Did I know then the extent to which my body was my currency? Oh, I could tell you some wild tales...if I was a book, I'd be banned! (That's somebody's proposal for the English Department T-shirt, and I have to say I love it). Hilariously, despite the story this picture tells about how I looked, I still thought I was fat!
I have a point in sharing these reminiscences, I promise. You all know that I've REALLY struggled with baby weight and that I gave myself a 70-day no candy, no dessert, no soda challenge to try to help with that. The last day of that challenge passed Tuesday, without any big hoopla. I had cheated a few times, mostly on things that I baked (one MUST taste test, right?), but I had made it! And I had lost about 10 pounds from my Hawaii trip, but still only 7 from post-hospital baby weight.
I am sort of befuddled about where to go from here. True, I learned to live through a day without constant sugar input. But I'm still not sure I have learned any restraint if today is any example--we had a bake sale for the English Graduate Organization, and I pretty much sampled all day, as if I had never quit. On one hand, I really don't want to fall back into my old patterns--on the other hand, I'm pretty sure the quality of my life is impacted by not eating desserts. I don't want to always be turning sweets down--but I suspect I'm an all-or-nothing kinda gal.
I'm writing about this because I need some advice. I don't know if I will ever look like that picture again, but I want to be fit and feel good about my body and my eating habits. I am still wogging most days, and also now doing Jillian Michaels videos (YOUCH!), and also about to starting taking my friend's Turbo Kick class two days a week, but I know none of those things will help if I don't eat right. What do you all think I should do? Should I make a new challenge, a new rule? If so, what?
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