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A Wider Shade of Pale
It’s no secret I’ve been what I called ‘comfort eating’, but what I’ve come to realize is that I eat when I’m bored.
I did not know this.
For the last 18 years, I haven’t really been bored.
Since my son has been in England, I’ve found myself with extra time on my hands – that translated into eating utensils in my hands.
I’ll get the annoying ‘thin person bitching about gaining weight’ part out of the way – because I’ve had a few eye rolls when I’ve mentioned the 8 pounds I gained. I know that I am not overweight and can usually be seen roaming the office with various food items in my clutches.
But, I’m NOT overweight as a result of effort on my part!
I lost over 40 pounds on purpose – over time, sensibly. (Alright, and it probably helped when I stopped drinking a thousand or so calories a day too.)
So those extra 8 pounds in (blush) two weeks bother me.
They especially bothered me the other night when I stripped down to put my pajamas on and it still looked like I had my underwear on.
The elastic left impressions where impressions haven’t been in a while. I gain weight, it goes straight to my arse. And stomach. My little arms stay little – and my boobs. Dammit.
Anyway, the private shame was soothed by some garlic cheese bread, so that was a relief.
This weekend was going to be the LAST of my eating debauchery. (I love how I gave myself one more weekend though – very kind of me.)
Started out well on my way when my boss brought me a muffin from one of his restaurants. Ok, I don’t know if ‘muffin’ is accurate. It was more like an unfrosted chocolate cake. But, for the sake of feeling okay about eating it before 9 am, we’ll call it ‘muffin’.
Then I couldn’t possibly NOT eat my sandwich I’d made for lunch … or my sweet potato Triscuits. Have you tried these things yet?? Try them. Do it.
Anyway, fast forward through the sandwich and the Triscuits – (which pretty much sums up how I consumed them funnily enough) something odd happened. I was chatting to a friend and we made lunch plans for tomorrow. AND I am excited about it because I get to see my friend and NOT because I will be in close proximity to food.
Who AM I??
I’m not only voluntarily leaving the house, but I’m doing it to be sociable AND I’m not concerned about the food??
I think my feeding frenzy is over. As suddenly as it began … the desire to feed seems to be over.
Nic returns at the end of the month, and I might just shed these ‘bored’ pounds before he arrives back on US soil. He’ll not have to see me waddling around the house with residual ‘bored bloat’. He’ll be spared that.
Which is a good thing – because I’m not buying larger underwear!
Calamari, packing badly and being shifty at the imaginary bakery
I’m comfort eating. Calamari to be exact – and fries and some delicious chili sauce thing that reminds me of a savory marmalade.
Calamari took my mind on a little walk and they shared a memory about the first time Amanda had calamari – it was in Italy.
Gawd.
I used to actually DO things you know? I have done and experienced AMAZING things! Seriously! From almost being sold in Afghanistan to staying up for days and days surrounded by crazy ravers.
I still DO things. I have a busy life. I just make it look easier than it is because I make time for things and people who are important to me.
In my ‘spare time’, I play this stupid game that I can never logistically win – and even if I did – it’s a virtual flipping game – not like I’m going to improve my life or bank account by playing it.
Anyway, I got the following compliment last night. (Which did NOT creep me out like the ‘are you single’ question from some guy playing in the same room as me last week. Ew.)
I don’t think I look anything like Jennifer Anniston – but hey, she was married to Brad Pitt, so I’ll take it. (Although, never have been attracted to Brad Pitt – he’s too ‘pretty’ for my tastes, so why in the world did I just say that? Food stupor.) I usually get Gwyneth Paltrow .. (who also dated Brad Pitt … what the heck?? Maybe I just look like someone who would get dumped by Brad Pitt? Hmmm ….) What do you think?
Tangent. Did you enjoy that?
So, I’m comfort eating and remembering a comment my dad made YEARS ago. I was feeling sorry for some homeless people in an awful part of town. He made the point, “Um, they are homeless … they can be ‘homeless’ ANYWHERE.” That made an odd sort of sense to me. Why not be homeless somewhere with comfortable weather and lots of people spending far too much on food and tossing it after just one bite? If I was homeless, my thumb would be out for a ride to anywhere but here, that’s for sure.
Feel like a kid lately who just wants to ‘go’. I want to run away. LOL! Pack like, 10 pairs of mismatching socks, no pants, toys, only 1 pair of underwear and forget to pack tops and my toothbrush. You know, like we did as kids when we were in a hurry to escape. You’d open your suitcase, or whatever container you grabbed at time of packing, and realize ‘wow, I can really do nothing with any of this.’
But seriously. I have this sudden urge to just ‘bail’. Get out of dodge. Run away.
I could start anew in a tiny idyllic village. Maybe even under an assumed name? I’d rarely be seen out … slip in and out of the bakery and butchers – with dark glasses. Looking very dangerous and shifty in a trench coat. Okay, maybe not so dangerous – probably more like an idiot in a trench coat, dark glasses and eclairs in hand from the bakery I just slipped out of.
But, probably I should just address whatever is making me want to run away in the first place. Because, no matter where I run to – I’ll still be there. LOL