Today I chose to torture myself and go another round with one of my most bitter enemies...the salad bar. No, not the kind with a sneeze guard, you know, ala Ryan's or some other disgusting place like that where they serve more fried things with mayonnaise than actual vegetables. Oh wait...this one did have a sneeze guard. But, it was at Whole Foods, so it wasn't a regular sneeze guard: it was organic, vegan, PBA-free and completely biodegradable.
One thing the sneeze guard wasn't though was helpful. Really, I'm going to have to start taking my own food scale with me to the salad bar. Who knew that you could spend so much $ on salad?! The salad is $8.99/lb. and I tried soooooo hard to stay around the $9.50 mark but blast if the darn thing wasn't $12.20. Really Mr. Electronic Scale? R-e-a-l-l-y? This isn't my first time at the rodeo. I don't get lots of tomatoes. They're pretty but heavy little buggers. Lycopene needs liposuction! I don't get broccoli or lots of beans or anything like that that not only hikes up the weight but also inevitably gets stuck in my teeth. I don't rest my purse in the salad bowl and then weigh it...urg! How can hearts of romaine, minor amounts of red onions, green onions, green peas, edamame, chicken, croûtons (my favorite of course), a sprinkling of cheese and dressing cost so much?
It's bad enough that I have to stand in the check out line at Whole Foods without the reusable grocery bag (I ALWAYS leave it at home; Tie's resorted to using them as a lunch box, a bat-bag and a clothing duffel), without some disgusting vegetable juicer thing and without the overbearing smell of petchuli. But to also suffer the mortification of attempting to be healthy and Whole Foods-y with a salad that cost $12.20? Riiiiiiight. Those four little numbers further announce to the hipsters that I just can't cut it in the world of homeopathic remedies, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil from protected tree-farms and vegan chocolate java cookies.
I guess I'm going to have to start counting peas and croûtons. I'd much rather pretend to be considering terriayki or curry tofu whilst actually counting each pea than continue to suffer the "Stick to Kroger" eye rolls or "That's what she gets for not buying the limited edition organic feed sack reusable bag" sneers I get when checking out. Or maybe someone would like to be my personal salad-shopper? Any takers?
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Past in Present...
The title of this post refers to one of my favorite songs, by Feist. The first time I heard it, I understood every word. By understood, I mean BOTH that I could hear all the words clearly AND that I knew what they meant. Mind you, this is no small feat for me. Rewind back to Mariah Carey, circa 1994. "Dreamlover" was tearing up the air waves (yes, I just said that). As I sang along, I heard, "Because I wanna ship a river with you baby!!!!" Of course, this was nowhere near the actual lyrics, "Because I wanna share forever with you baby!" No...I don't know what it means to ship a river. I figured Mariah did and she's the multi-platinum artist, no? When my 9 year old sister accurately sang the lyrics and scoffed at my 13 year old interpretation, you can only imagine my mortification...
Sooooo....here we are with "Past in Present" lyrics. I mean, without hearing anymore of the song, you could probably crack the nut just from the title. But, the vivid symbolism in the short diddy fleshes out the meaning. Why I find it so meaningful is because it pretty much sums up my life's motto. Well, some of it...the rest is still in development.
I teach history. I love it. I mean, freakishly so. Not because I know it very well, not because I think FDR was the best man ever (BARF) or because I stunk at math and science (mostly true...). I love it because it's truly amazing to me how pretty much every decision that we make as people, leaders and nations has been done before. However, each of us is wonderfully and uniquely made. Even though the scenarios throughout time are the same, the problems are the same, the triumphs are the same: we are all different. Thus my fascination at how it all works out.
Which brings me to how it epitomizes the non-work part of my life (which will hopefully balance out proportionally as I teach a little more...) There's so much of my family in me. So much of my friends in me. Our shared experiences. Their experiences that determined how they interacted with me (and vice versa). Some of these experiences I'm aware of, many of them I'm not. All of them, the Past, inform and shape, the Present.
Sigh, how perfect. Well, maybe not for you. Now that I'm reading it and typing it, I realize it seems kinda nerdy or maybe oversimplified. However, I'm sure, at the very least, you can relate to that one song that just does it for you. You get it. It relates to your life. It makes perfect sense for you life. Those are the best ones!
(the lyrics, in case your interested: http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Past-in-Present-lyrics-Feist/9287312CE11F0D72482572AF00054516)
Sooooo....here we are with "Past in Present" lyrics. I mean, without hearing anymore of the song, you could probably crack the nut just from the title. But, the vivid symbolism in the short diddy fleshes out the meaning. Why I find it so meaningful is because it pretty much sums up my life's motto. Well, some of it...the rest is still in development.
I teach history. I love it. I mean, freakishly so. Not because I know it very well, not because I think FDR was the best man ever (BARF) or because I stunk at math and science (mostly true...). I love it because it's truly amazing to me how pretty much every decision that we make as people, leaders and nations has been done before. However, each of us is wonderfully and uniquely made. Even though the scenarios throughout time are the same, the problems are the same, the triumphs are the same: we are all different. Thus my fascination at how it all works out.
Which brings me to how it epitomizes the non-work part of my life (which will hopefully balance out proportionally as I teach a little more...) There's so much of my family in me. So much of my friends in me. Our shared experiences. Their experiences that determined how they interacted with me (and vice versa). Some of these experiences I'm aware of, many of them I'm not. All of them, the Past, inform and shape, the Present.
Sigh, how perfect. Well, maybe not for you. Now that I'm reading it and typing it, I realize it seems kinda nerdy or maybe oversimplified. However, I'm sure, at the very least, you can relate to that one song that just does it for you. You get it. It relates to your life. It makes perfect sense for you life. Those are the best ones!
(the lyrics, in case your interested: http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Past-in-Present-lyrics-Feist/9287312CE11F0D72482572AF00054516)
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Closure?
Something has been nagging me lately. I'm pretty good at not holding grudges, letting things go, etc. I mean, just like everyone else, a lot of things happen in the course of my relationships that I don't like. Sometimes I do react, especially if the hurt/anger is instant. More often than not, I internalize, mull over it for awhile and then either let it go or hold onto it for a little longer, rinse & repeat, etc. Generally, I try to consider the value of saying something. Will it change the situation? Usually not. Will it make things worse? A lot of the time. Will I feel better? Maybe for a minute.
Said process hasn't worked on what's currently nagging me. I can't let the issue go and I haven't said anything to the person and what's worse, I can't decide if I want to say something or not. The relationship has ended. It will never resume. So there's nothing to salvage. I don't care what the person thinks of me and while I wouldn't intentionally hurt their feelings, if that happens, I won't lose any sleep over it. The only reason to say anything at this point is so I can move on and be done with it. I guess that's called closure, right? I know a lot of people are all about closure, moving on, yada yada. It's never done much for me. But, I'm feeling it in this situation...
Are there negative side effects to closure?
Said process hasn't worked on what's currently nagging me. I can't let the issue go and I haven't said anything to the person and what's worse, I can't decide if I want to say something or not. The relationship has ended. It will never resume. So there's nothing to salvage. I don't care what the person thinks of me and while I wouldn't intentionally hurt their feelings, if that happens, I won't lose any sleep over it. The only reason to say anything at this point is so I can move on and be done with it. I guess that's called closure, right? I know a lot of people are all about closure, moving on, yada yada. It's never done much for me. But, I'm feeling it in this situation...
Are there negative side effects to closure?
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Beachy Keen...
So...I'm going through a dry spell..obviously. Mostly because I haven't had anything interesting to say lately. But, I've got to break the funk, so I'll resort to updating.
Tie and I went to the beach with our friends Andy & Jenny two weeks ago.
Not just any beach. Seagrove Beach. Sigh...I love that place. If you can be in love with a place, I'm a smitten kitten! We went to the same exact spot last year and had a great trip. I was slightly worried that this year wouldn't be as great as last year but, alas, it was!
Now, the beach and I have had a troubled relationship. When I was 8 or 9, I got stung by a wicked jelly fish! It left a scar on my foot. And, don't let anyone tell you that's not possible. I have proof!
My family went to Panama City Beach when I was 12. I had recently broken my ankle and had to wear a stikin' garbage bag over my cast. Unfortunately, they don't make nude colored bags so, me and my giagunzo black garbage bag were relegated to making sand castles: I'm pretty sure getting sand in crevices isn't anyone's favorite part of the beach. My parents did let me float in a large raft at one point. I nearly floated to Cuba before anyone came out to get me. I was roasted and peeved and my ankle had sweat and as a result itched terribly. Strike number 2 for the beach.
The third strike came during my freshman year in college. I tore pretty much every ligament/tendon in my right shoulder during the first Spring practice for softball. I had shoulder repair surgery right before Spring Break. My family went to Destin the following week with my little brother's school baseball team. Tie and his family went with us too. I was still loaded up on pain meds and my scar was oozy and nasty, etc. I had to wear a ton of gauze on it and the dumb sling. So...no swimming for me. No sun for me. And, to make matters worse, my Mom decided that I needed to be weaned off the meds...she called the trip my beach detox. I was miserable and my medication was being reduced. Oh bother is right!
So...me + beach = flop for awhile. The streak was broken in 2005. My college girlfriends and I went to a place on the outskirts of Destin. It was low key and the place we stayed was super nice. At the time I thought the beach couldn't get any better but...then Tie and I went together last year.
So, this year and last year were pretty much the same, save a few differences. Last year we went it early August. This time, mid-June. It was hot this time but not nearly as hot as last year. We rode the rented beach comber bikes a lot more this year. No one got sunburned this time. But, we still went to Seaside several evenings to ride around the neighborhoods and discuss the houses, etc. We still ate at Bud & Ally's. We still played a ton of games in the evening. Still drank margaritas, wine, beer...no Virginia Gentleman this time though!
Seagrove is great because it's so low-key and non-commercial. It's between Destin and Panama City on a stretch of 2-lane highway, 30-A. It's right next to Seaside, which is extremely picturesque and beautiful. But, it's super expensive and there are some snooty rich people there. With my wine-spilling and infrequent bike rage (seriously, you have to go single file when there's traffic coming at you from the other direction...), I'm not sure I'd fit in!
Anyway, the beach and I have reconciled and we have a great relationship now. I like to go fairly early, stay as long as I can stand it (until I have to potty) and go back for more after that. I like to swim out really far in the water (until Tie says to come in) and I like to drink out of glass bottles (until the beach patrol rides up on the sand.
See, I told you I was a smitten!
Tie and I went to the beach with our friends Andy & Jenny two weeks ago.
Not just any beach. Seagrove Beach. Sigh...I love that place. If you can be in love with a place, I'm a smitten kitten! We went to the same exact spot last year and had a great trip. I was slightly worried that this year wouldn't be as great as last year but, alas, it was!
Now, the beach and I have had a troubled relationship. When I was 8 or 9, I got stung by a wicked jelly fish! It left a scar on my foot. And, don't let anyone tell you that's not possible. I have proof!
My family went to Panama City Beach when I was 12. I had recently broken my ankle and had to wear a stikin' garbage bag over my cast. Unfortunately, they don't make nude colored bags so, me and my giagunzo black garbage bag were relegated to making sand castles: I'm pretty sure getting sand in crevices isn't anyone's favorite part of the beach. My parents did let me float in a large raft at one point. I nearly floated to Cuba before anyone came out to get me. I was roasted and peeved and my ankle had sweat and as a result itched terribly. Strike number 2 for the beach.
The third strike came during my freshman year in college. I tore pretty much every ligament/tendon in my right shoulder during the first Spring practice for softball. I had shoulder repair surgery right before Spring Break. My family went to Destin the following week with my little brother's school baseball team. Tie and his family went with us too. I was still loaded up on pain meds and my scar was oozy and nasty, etc. I had to wear a ton of gauze on it and the dumb sling. So...no swimming for me. No sun for me. And, to make matters worse, my Mom decided that I needed to be weaned off the meds...she called the trip my beach detox. I was miserable and my medication was being reduced. Oh bother is right!
So...me + beach = flop for awhile. The streak was broken in 2005. My college girlfriends and I went to a place on the outskirts of Destin. It was low key and the place we stayed was super nice. At the time I thought the beach couldn't get any better but...then Tie and I went together last year.
So, this year and last year were pretty much the same, save a few differences. Last year we went it early August. This time, mid-June. It was hot this time but not nearly as hot as last year. We rode the rented beach comber bikes a lot more this year. No one got sunburned this time. But, we still went to Seaside several evenings to ride around the neighborhoods and discuss the houses, etc. We still ate at Bud & Ally's. We still played a ton of games in the evening. Still drank margaritas, wine, beer...no Virginia Gentleman this time though!
Seagrove is great because it's so low-key and non-commercial. It's between Destin and Panama City on a stretch of 2-lane highway, 30-A. It's right next to Seaside, which is extremely picturesque and beautiful. But, it's super expensive and there are some snooty rich people there. With my wine-spilling and infrequent bike rage (seriously, you have to go single file when there's traffic coming at you from the other direction...), I'm not sure I'd fit in!
Anyway, the beach and I have reconciled and we have a great relationship now. I like to go fairly early, stay as long as I can stand it (until I have to potty) and go back for more after that. I like to swim out really far in the water (until Tie says to come in) and I like to drink out of glass bottles (until the beach patrol rides up on the sand.
See, I told you I was a smitten!
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