Confessions of a One-Track Mind

One of my NYRs has been to consume some veggies every day. I'm keeping my definiton of "vegetables" broad---I imclude beans and V8 juice---and so far, I'm keeping up with it. (And for the record, Ruby Tuesday's grilled green beans are out of this world! They taste almost meaty; they definitely have more character than any green bean I've ever had before, including Cracker Barrel's "touch of bacon" beans.)

Tonight's dinner was half a bag of stir-fry snap bean medley (Great Value brand) over rice, dash of soy sauce. Yum. New year, new lifestyle (It's NOT a diet!), trying new things---yesterday, I sampled fried okra for the first time. Beats the hell out of boiled okra, is all I'm gonna say. There's yellow squash in the medley, I shut up and ate squash.

As I was forking up snap peas and rice and broccoli, I was thinking about the whole "diet" versus "lifestyle" ethos, and the thought popped into my head, "I have to spend the rest of my life eating this crap?!".

Because deep down, I'm not completely convinced that vegetables count as Real Food. Growing up, vegetables as a side accompanied Sunday dinner, but the rest of the week, er, no. It was eggs for breakfast, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch and a hamburger on bread for dinner most nights, except for Thursday, which was Aunt Mary's spaghetti night. Occasionally one of the 'rents would make stir-fry---they were into wok before wok was in---so I *did* develop a taste for bean sprouts and water chestnuts and the like. Those were exotic veggies, though, so they got a pass for novelty.

When my dad was working evenings, Mom would fix me a burger and herself a salad. She was always trying to lose weight, although I think the most she ever weighed was 160. Anyway, I got it into my head at a young age that that was a kind of self-denial---not something I've ever been good at. (We've already established my feelings on the subject of iceburg lettuce.)

In fact, I'd say I'm "self-taught" on a lot of vegetables. Two, for example, are spinach and mushrooms. My mother regarded spinach in any form as toxic; she was forced to consume it when she was a child in the children's home she was in, and she wouldn't have any form of it in the house. GK served a spinach salad at her bridesmaids' luncheon, and I discovered that fresh spinach is perfectly acceptable as an edible green leaf. The jury's still out on the boiled form.

Mom also had a neurosis about mushrooms. She cautioned me often never, never, EVER to eat any mushrooms that might have sprouted on the lawn, and like spinach, she wouldn't have them in the house. I finally had the spiphany that I'd never heard of *anyone* being poisoned by the mushrooms on a pizza. Because they're specially raised, domestic mushrooms. So yeah, sauteed mushrooms at a steakhouse? Hell yes!

Likewise, broccoli and cauliflower were things I wasn't made to eat as a kid. I'm not thrilled by either one, but I'll eat then. Ditto squash.

Green beans are nice, especially fresh, I love a *good* tomato, I'll entertain carrots raw or cooked, celery when I'm in the mood. Members of the onion family, particularly shallots and Vidalias. One of the things I like best about onions is their longevity, because it's shameful how often I've vowed to "clean up my act", bought a fridge full of veggies, which then sat there and rotted.

I just don't have a whole helluva lot of enthusiasm for most veggies. I know in theory they're good for me and all that happy crappy (and have I mentioned gas?! OMG!), and maybe when it gets to be summer and there's fresh stuff available and I can learn to cook it---maybe then I'll enjoy them, but at this point, all these veggies are underwhelming me.

Thoughts? Pep talks? Recipes?

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I've been busy in the kitchen...got some breakfast sausages at the food pantry, which I've cooked up (so they'll last another couple of days) and stuck in the fridge. While the stovetop and skillet were already hot, I started a bag of rice.

I'll have enough rice for days---which is just fine with me, since I got assorted frozen veggies they can accompany. I really am trying to eat better! I think I've had more green stuff in the last week than I have in the last couple months. I have to push myself, is all.

Of course, I also have to work my way through all the canned stuff in my pantry.

It would be nice if I could get motivated enough to do some walking. Especially since the weather is lovely at the moment.

Have had a few sporradic spasms of cleaning, but hardly enough to make a difference---although I *can* get to the couch again.

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Here's the text of a talk I gave last week at church, intended as a pep talk for the new year.. Title was, ( Kicking Some 'BUT'. )
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Today is GK's birthday; I called and sang to her. Confessed about spending movie money on the dress, and she shrugged and said, "Hey, it's your money."---although I *did* catch overtones of "You've got enough clothes!". I'll get pix to show her (and y'all), so she can see WHY.

I resolved weeks ago to start thinning out my wardrobe, and have I? Au contraire! I've gotten more stuff! Not a lot, but still, incoming not outgoing. *eyeroll* 100 pieces may have been a little restrictive...now I'm thinking 100 pieces of Florida-weight stuff and another 50 pieces of winter stuff (jackets, long-sleeved tops and fleece). Although if I keep losing weight, I may end up with less, simply because I'll be shedding the stuff that's over-loose.

I'm drifting around, trying to PLAN for the new year, which isn't one of my strong suites. There are so many things I want to do, NEED to do, first and foremost being, get this house cleared out and cleaned up.

I gave a talk last Sunday about New Year's Resolutions...at this point in my life, the only NYR that's worked for me, that I've come close to keeping is the one about not leaving the house unless I look good. (I may give myself a pass for things like the food pantry and midnight WalMart runs, but it's boosted my self-esteem and earned me compliments from random strangers, so yes, Good Thing.) That's when my wardrobe started to mushroom....

2011...I want to get my act together. The house---my plan is to focus on a different room or area each week and rotate them, and my goal...I'd like to have it tidy enough and safe enough that I can get a dog this time next year. I also want to drop some more weight---I've gained eight pounds this month! Wah!---and shape up. I don't know how much walking regularly will help with my foot and leg pain, but it can't hurt, can it? (And once I get the dog, I'll need to be in good enough shape to walk it, since my yard isn't fenced.) Measurable goal as far as weight goes...I really ought to have my measurements taken, since numbers on a scale don't always tell the tale. I *do* want to be reliably under 300, since it's been teetering back and forth for a while now, and at the moment is decidedly OVER.

I'm happy to say that it HAS warmed up, so I was able to wash my hair in my own familiar shower instead of hieing myself to J's. And tomorrow is trash pick-up, so I can start 2011 with less crap than I have now!

Resolutions, anyone?

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Tomorrow is the last trash pickup of the year. (Whoop-dee-doo, aren't you thrilled?) In light of that, and the fact that I'm attempting to clean up my act for real in the coming year, I dragged a bunch of stuff down to the curb. This is not as much of an achievement as it may sound---I have been very sloth-y of late and haven't taken anything out in longer than I care to admit to.

Witness: two full 30 gallon trashcans, the kitchen trashcan, two cardboard cartons of overflow from same (including, like, four pizza boxes), and a dead TV. And with a little more work in the fridge, I can probably finish filling my last trashbag....

I did some calculations, and using the 15-minute-a-day principle, figured that it would add up to 91 point-something hours over the course of a year, which is nearly four whole days. Heck, I spend more time than that playing Zuma.

And yes, I AM subscribed to FLYlady*, and I AM going to work on developing routines---all the while reminding myself that it didn't get this way in four days---it's closer to four decades. Mind you, I know that when the temp gets above 85, I hiberate in the A/C and do fuck-all. Therefore, winter and spring need to show a fair amount of progress!

We're having a clothing swap on Sunday after church...between now and then, I need to evict some more unsuitable apparel. I've gotten rid of a heckuva lot already, between swaps and the Sharing Center, but there's still stuff that's too big, too short, too casual, etc. If I do a bunch of laundry, I can bag two birds with the same hunk of rock---find stuff to donate *and* clear the floor of the garage. All together: Ooooh, ahhhh---!

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Actually, I think I'm gonna find something ELSE to give to charity.

I suspect the third one would made karaokegal very happy.

Kat was feeling under the weather today. I watched a lot of TV and read a lot of Yuletide stuff. (Eventually I'll do one of those rec posts; at this point, I'm mired in the 'N' section.) The thing I really HATE about exchange fics? Not being able to post thank yous right then.

I've decided what I'd like to attempt in the way of a NYR...to do one productive thing every day, whether it's take out the trash, change a lightbulb or hang a picture. Good, yes? Not that I'm necessarily going to make a public post about it, but still....