Comments (24)

By kilax, May 8, 2009 5:36 am

What is your response in classes/seminars when you are asked to tell “three interesting things about yourself” during introductions?

I was surprised on Monday morning when our instructor asked us to reveal “three interesting things abut ourselves” to our table-mates, then later to the class. I couldn’t remember the last time an instructor asked me to do that. Sure, tell where you are from, what your degree is, blah blah blah, I’ve done all that, but three interesting facts?

The first three things that came to my mind were:

1. I am vegetarian
2. I am a runner
3. I write a blog

I think those are some of the more interesting facts about me. Or at least, somewhat unique facts about me.

But what I said was:

1. I am a runner
2. I like to travel
3. I like to read

Lame-o, cop-out responses! I didn’t want anyone asking me about why I am a vegetarian, and I didn’t want anyone asking me what a blog is, what I blog about, or what my blog address is, so… I was totally vague*.

Which turned out to be a good thing, because I did get a lot of questions, at least at my table, about my running. Which makes me think they would have asked about the other two things. Which means they are polite people, but… I just don’t like talking about my vegetarianism to people. I am so tired of hearing the same questions over and over, and the same excuses for why they eat meat, or why they couldn’t give up meat. It’s rude for me to say this, but I don’t care. Some people automatically assume they have to justify their diet to me, when I really DON’T CARE. Why people are so interested in what I eat continues to fathom me.

Hmm. Wasn’t expecting all of that to come out. Sorry.

So I guess my real question is: If you had to share “three interesting things” about yourself, would you share the first three that come to your mind, or think about it for awhile and maybe come up with something else? What would those three (or up to six) things be?

Yeah. And just ignore all the crazy writing above.

*I think the fact that I did this says something about my personality… but I am not sure what. I am usually very open, but maybe there are just certain things I am guarded about? Who knows. I’m tired.

Comments (23)

By kilax, April 12, 2009 7:03 am

What’s with the SUPER long posts lately? And having more than one post in a day? I think what I really need to work on is my blogging addiction!

Well, it’s Easter, so it must be time for the big recap post on Lent.

Basically, you can read this list here and just imagine that all it says is “give up sugar treats,” because that is ALL that I was successful at for Lent (since 2/25 – I didn’t cheat on Sundays). I did have a few granola bars with bits of chocolate, and sports beans, but other than that, I completely gave up cookies, chocolate, soda, muffins, candy, and so on… and I feel GREAT!

I am about to spend the day making cookies, but I don’t think I’ll eat any. I am probably going to wait and have a sweet treat after my office’s Biggest Loser Challenge ends on Wednesday (there are 3 boxes of Girl Scouts cookies waiting to be eaten in my house). I plan on staying off the soda, and only having it on special occasions.

As for the rest of the list? A lot of it had to do with attitude and communication. I didn’t progress very far, but I DID figure out a lot of what is bothering me and why, and I tried different ways to handle it. I think I am getting there! Already I have tried to tackle my frustration this weekend by communicating better.*

And the “frivolous items”? Well, I DIDN’T buy a single magazine or book, which is what I had in mind when I wrote that. But uh, yeah, I did buy new clothes (twice), running outfits, a new computer, and… a new car. Good thing I wasn’t buying any magazines, right? Jeez.

We cut back on eating out, not that we did it much before, but I think that can be attributed to the fact that we are so conscious of what we put in our bodies now.

What did I learn? I learned that I CAN reach a goal, but that it can be too overwhelming to try to tackle a lot at once (perhaps I should follow Nilsa’s “challenge a month” lead?). Upcoming goals for me include really committing to cutting out swearing, and trying veganism, and apparently, working on my blogging addiction (any tips with that?).

Unrelated topic: My sister, Christina, was inspired to make a rainbow cake after seeing this set on flickr. Check it out, it’s pretty cool! Here are her photos below. I totally thought of Tori’s rainbow cake when she told me about this!

It looks like you just use yellow cake mix, then separate it and add food coloring to make the fun colors! Or maybe not food coloring? I am not sure what’s in those little white tubes.

Doesn’t it look so fun?! Christina’s so fun.

Yummy! I hope everyone enjoys it!

Christina made this cake to share with my family for Easter. They are all together, with my mom’s side of the family. I decided not to join them this year, so Steven and I are going to take it easy at home (If you can call him running 12 miles taking it easy! HA HA! I only have to run 6 today.).

I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

*”What’s bothering me?” you ask. Well, how nice of you to ask. Thank you. 1. My face is STILL numb and it’s bothersome to eat. 2. The kids in our neighborhood were damaging the trees in our yard yesterday, playing in the street, and harassing a goose. I went outside to talk to them, calmly and nicely, about all three things. I wondered why their parents were no where in sight, letting them play in the street! 3. We saw Fast and Furious last night, and once again, there were a bunch of very young children in the theater. One woman sat down and let her toddler climb up and down the stairs on his own. Well, of course he fell and started crying. There were 5 or 6 kids that probably got up at least 10 times (no, seriously) and literally ran up and down the stairs, very loudly. And the kids behind us would not shut up the entire time. I finally asked them, again, as nicely as I could, to please be quiet so the rest of us could enjoy the remainder of the movie. It was a fluff movie, but that experience really put me in an upset mood last night. 4. My frickin’ cat keeps waking me up at 6:00 am, and I can’t go back to sleep, and I am lonely, up by myself. (Data just goes back to bed!)

Comments (19)

By kilax, March 4, 2009 5:16 am

It looks like I am having another random Wednesday. Maybe I should copy Kevin and start doing “Snippet Wednesdays” if this turns into a habit – I just don’t know if I can promise snippets though!

My Office’s Biggest Loser Challenge Update: Week 6

It’s week 6 of the Biggest Loser Challenge, and I’ve lost 6.56% of my starting weight. I’ve been taking it nice and slow. So even though I am trying to lose weight, I don’t feel like I am living the lifestyle of someone who is trying to lose weight. Does that make any sense? What I am saying is, I DON’T feel like I am on a diet!

Weigh-ins Don’t Work for Everyone

Every Tuesday, the Sun-Times has a Q&A column by Mehmet Oz, M.D. and Michael Roizen, M.D. Apparently we are supposed to be impressed because the first guy is associated with Oprah, and the second guy worked at a prestigious hospital.

Anyway. Today’s first question was about programs that require weekly weigh-ins, and whether they are more successful than programs that don’t.

I found their response interesting – basically, you get out of it what you put into it. If a weekly weigh-in causes you to rethink your efforts and put new vigor into your eating and exercise, that’s good. If a weekly weigh-in causes you to “drown your disappointment in a pint of dark-chocolate ice cream,” that’s bad.

Overall, they said you should be measuring inches, not pounds. I wish I would have measured myself before I started my Office’s Biggest Loser Challenge!

Do you think weekly, private, weigh-ins would work for you?

MyPlate Doesn’t Work for Me

One week on my Office’s Biggest Loser Challenge, I decided I was frustrated (because of a very small gain!) and I signed up for the food diary site, MyPlate. I used it for three days. That was enough. I ate very well those three days, but the headache and constant stress of thinking about food was too much for me. I know that so many people recommend keeping a food diary, but I just can’t do it. It makes me want to rebel.

It was a silly three days, but it helped me get to the point of realizing that my body weight naturally fluctuates and it’s not a big deal.

The Sweet Portion of Lent and Guilt-Ridden Dreams

The Girl Scout Cookies have landed. And they’re everywhere in my office. Let me repeat: I feel relieved to walk by these and not feel tempted by them. Because. They. Are. Everywhere. I. Turn.

My first week of not eating sugary treats went very well. I shared a blueberry muffin with Steven on Sunday and that was it. I think I could have gone the whole day without that muffin, but I could tell he really wanted it.

On Monday night, I had a nightmare that I was gorging on sweets. This tells me I must be serious about it. Sometimes, I have nightmares that I am eating meat and feel very guilty in the dream. Steven has these dreams too. Maybe all vegetarians do? I’ve never craved meat the 8 years I’ve been a vegetarian, but I will have this dream every once in awhile. Well, the sugar dream made me feel the same way – guilty.

I wonder if my sister Christina, who is also a used to be a vegetarian, has had those dreams. Christina, if you are reading this, I also had a dream Monday night that you and Steven and I were at Grandma’s Pete’s old house with the whole fam. The three of us were upset because they were making huge egg mcmuffins, but wouldn’t make them without canadian bacon on them for us. Aunt Linda was making them (of course…). I took one from her and threw a egg on the ceiling and it stuck. I thought dad was going to yell at me, but he laughed. Then we got mad and left!

Thanks Tori!

Tori, thank you for sending me the awesome Thyroid Cancer Awareness wristband. I am going to wear it and tell everyone who asks about it your story and how awesome you are!

(P.S. Data is jealous)

That Nasty Bruise

Thought you’d go a whole week without a fencing post? HA! Not so fast! I was sad not to have fencing class Monday night. Although, it may have hurt if someone hit me in my bruised spot.

The first week of the bruise I thought it was cool. Now I just want it to go away so I can wear a short sleeved shirt and not have to explain to people that I am taking a fencing class (although, it is a good conversation starter!).

Bonus (if you made it this far!)

Has anyone else seen the Terminator Salvation trailer (at bottom of link)? SWEET! Can’t wait for May 21st! I love your potty-mouth Christian Bale!

Comments (18)

By kilax, February 19, 2009 5:58 pm

On Saturday, we stopped at the Village Inn with our friends to have a hearty meal before our day of skiing. I knew I wanted a skillet. When made properly, it’s a cast iron skillet full of diced potatoes and vegetables, and topped with eggs and melted cheese – like the one in the photo but without meat. It arrives at your table hot. Delicious.

I opened up the menu, and saw that every skillet had meat in it. I chose the one closest to what I wanted, “The Original Ultimate Skillet Meal,” and asked the waiter to make it without the meat (ham, bacon AND sausage) and without mushrooms. Steven decided he wanted the exact same thing, but without onions as well (he was getting over a very bad stomach virus, and the last thing he needed was onions in his food).

The waiter wasn’t too happy with us. Let me preface this by saying that when we greeted him and asked how he was, he said “we’re really busy.” Okay. So we made our decisions quickly and said please and thank you.

The waiter gave us a really dirty look when we asked for modifications to the menu. Then he told us that they “really can’t change orders like that” and “there are lots of other options – you need to look over the entire menu and see if there is something else you want.”

Um… what?

He told us that, then quickly took our friends orders, all of our menus, and left.

I sat there wondering how I was supposed to look for something different to eat without a menu. I wondered if he was going to come back and tell me I had to choose something else to eat. I also wondered if I should be ashamed or pissed off. I was definitely a little bit of both.

I am WELL AWARE of how much I inconvenience EVERYONE by being a vegetarian. I feel awful when someone invites me over for dinner and I feel like I have to warn them that I am a vegetarian. I hate it that we couldn’t have Caesar salad in Denver because the dressing had anchovies in it and I didn’t want to eat it. I feel horrible when we have to make sure the restaurant has something that Steven and I can eat before we all go there.

I hate that some people who eat meat automatically assume that I think I am better than them. I don’t. Honestly – I don’t give a shit what you eat.

But apparently, some people do care what I eat. And not in a considerate way. And I’m not just talking about the waiter.

I’m not going to change. This is who I am. I shouldn’t have to feel ashamed to make requests, especially at a “restaurant.”

But I did feel ashamed. Ashamed, uneasy and embarrassed, sitting there with our friends. Of course, if it would have been just me and Steven, I would probably have talked to a manager or left. Instead, we sat there worrying about how our meal was going to come out.

We got what we ordered. It didn’t taste that good, and I had lost my appetite.

The waiter came back with the check and tried to redeem himself by saying the people in the kitchen don’t speak English that well. If that was his excuse, why didn’t he just say that in the beginning?

I don’t know why I am still thinking about this on Thursday. Probably because I am still embarrassed about the whole thing. I feel like it was unnecessary for the waiter to act that way… but it still makes ME feel bad. It makes me feel bad for asking for something to be modified.

Maybe I am asking too much. Or maybe I should just stay out of Village Inn and all the other restaurants that give me grief.

Comments (23)

By kilax, February 4, 2009 7:22 am

I’m always drawn to the animal-related stories in the newspaper. I have to read them.

Unfortunately, a lot of them mention abused, mistreated animals, living in squalor conditions.

Once I read something like that, I can’t get it out of my mind, no matter how hard I try. I still think of a program I saw on tv when I was 8 or 10 years old. I am not sure what the program was about – animal abuse, or druggies – but they talked about how these people put their fish in the microwave, and shot up their dog with drugs.

I feel sick just writing that, imagining that.

And those Sarah McLachlan ASPCA commercials? Don’t even mention them. I have to mute the tv and look away (Steven can attest to that!).

So, I was happy to see this article in the newspaper today, about a firefighter who saved a mom, son and cat from a fire that destroyed their home.

“A life is a life, no matter whether it’s a person or an animal,” said Chuck Sanow, the firefighter who rescued the cat.

I can tell you, that is a statement I agree with 100%, and I was very happy to see the article on page 3 of the paper.

I know it’s just a fluff, “feel-good,” story, but it worked on me. It did make me feel good. The quote gave me some hope that other people feel the same way.

I even went as far as to cut out the article and put it on my wardrobe at work for inspiration.

*Christina (my sister), I feel like I am channeling Horton!

Comments (12)

By kilax, October 26, 2008 7:04 am

Last night, Steven (and I) made homemade veggie patties.

They took about 45 minutes to make. We had to chop up carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, green onion, zucchini and celery, then add spices to that mix and saute it all in a pan. We eventually mixed in some flour until it got to the right consistency, then took it all out to form into patties and cook like normal veggie burgers.

Voila!

Every time I spend a lot of time in the kitchen cooking something (okay, helping Steven cook something, I am only a sous chef, afterall), I think about how fast I eat. Last night was no different. Even though the pattie was big, and a little bit squishy and falling apart… I still scarfed it down. We had our veggie patties with fresh broccoli, and I ate it all so fast, I got a little bit of an upset stomach.

Okay, I don’t just think about this problem when something takes a long time to prepare. I think about it a lot. And have probably mentioned it before.

No matter where I am, no matter what I am eating, I scarf it down. I eat so fast, I am usually the first one done. I have to consciously try to eat slow in restaurants with friends so I don’t finish too soon and feel like an idiot.

I’ve read all the tips on how to slow down while eating:

• Eat at the dining room table
• Use a fork and knife
• Put your silverware down between each bite
• Chew each bite 30 times before swallowing
• Don’t put more food into your mouth until it’s empty
• Chat to others at the table
• Turn off the tv/computer while eating
• Pay attention to the taste and texture while you’re eating
• Avoid eating on the run
• Eat foods that require some work
• Use chopsticks!

But even though I know all of these tricks, I don’t follow them. Even though I sit down at every meal, thinking “Today’s going to be the day! I am going to have a nice, long, slow meal!” – it never is.

I know the benefits of eating slower. I wouldn’t get an upset stomach (although that rarely happens). I might eat less, because my stomach figures out I am full sooner than normal. I might enjoy the food.

I might actually develop a normal relationship with food!

If I don’t approach each meal acting like it is going to be my last, I may be able to take away some of the power that food has over me. I might eat for enjoyment. I might eat to fuel my body.

This has been a problem I’ve had all my life. Somehow, I feel like now, I can tackle it and overcome it. I would love to sit down at Thanksgiving dinner with a plate full of delicious food, taking small bites and savoring each one (and maybe not going back for seconds!).

I’ll let you know how it all goes.

Comments (17)

By kilax, September 11, 2008 12:49 pm

When people find out that Steven and I are vegetarians, or when it comes up in conversation, a very typical response is, “I’m practically a vegetarian myself! I rarely eat meat!”

It gets so old.

I understand why people say it – they’re trying to relate to us. They’re trying to make us feel welcome. They’re trying to make us comfortable. They’re trying to make us like them. I appreciate all of this.

But – when I’ve seen you wolf down an entire plate of ribs / 10 pieces of bacon / a huge steak / half of a Thanksgiving turkey, I know you are not “practically a vegetarian.” Especially if I’ve never seen you eat a meal without meat in it.

This all sounds judgmental. But, it all honesty, I don’t give a crap who eats meat and who doesn’t (although I do notice). I dated Steven for 3 years before he became a vegetarian, and it never bothered me. I even made cold cut meat sandwiches for him to take to work. And we served prime rib at our wedding (with a vegetarian option, of course).

If you don’t bother me about not eating meat, why the hell should I bother you? Unless you’re shoving your meat dish in my face, harassing me, I don’t give a crap.

A few weekends ago, we met a friend of my uncle while having dinner at my Grandma’s. The friend’s response to finding out we’re vegetarian was surprisingly refreshing:

“I think I would just die if I couldn’t eat meat!”

Side Note: Even though it’s been 7 years since the 9/11 attacks, I still get a huge lump in my throat when I see the photos/videos. I guess some things hurt for a lifetime.

Comments (13)

By kilax, April 28, 2008 5:36 am

PETA has announced a $1 Million Reward for the first scientist to produce and market in vitro meat.

“In vitro meat production would use animal stem cells that would be placed in a medium to grow and reproduce. The result would mimic flesh and could be cooked and eaten.”

Would you eat it?

PETA’s argument for in vitro meat is that it would stop animal suffering, and lessen the affect that harvesting animals has on our environment. They also added as a disclaimer – “Of course, humans don’t need to eat meat at all… But as many people continue to refuse to kick their meat addictions, PETA is willing to help them gain access to flesh that doesn’t cause suffering and death.”

I think this is a very interesting idea. But besides all the political BS that it incurs, I wonder, would carnivorous humans go for this? If it cost the same, and tasted the same, looked the same…

Would you eat it?

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Today’s Idiom: to go up in smoke – to come to no practical result

My plan to exercise 3 days a week went up in smoke when I kept getting home late from work. But I’m going to figure out a way to work exercise into my schedule. I have to.