a serious case of the grumpies

As a child, did you ever get sent to your room? You know, the "go to your room for the rest of the night to think about what you did and don't come out until you feel sorry and will be nice again" type of sent to your room? For the most part I was a good kid. At least I thought I was and being sent to my room really only occurred when I would 1) fight with my brother or 2) when I got a "little" too competitive when playing board/card games as a family or 3) when I would talk back to my parents or 4) ....well, kids are kids, right?

Anyway, for the last two days I have had a serious case of the grumpies and wish that someone would have told me to go to my room and not come out until I can be nice again. Being a child and being subject to the will of a parent sometimes has its advantages. Adulthood, on the other hand, doesn't always lend itself to the luxury of "time outs" or "do-overs" and so I have to get over this on my own. I don't remember the last time I have been in a mood like this, but I sure don't like it.

I've snapped at co-workers. The smallest things annoy me. I hate the ran. I hate the heat. I hate my apartment. I miss my family. It's too expensive here. Why am I poor? I don't know what I'm doing with my life. I've even given attitude to complete strangers.

Case in point--Yesterday, as I was walking down the subway stairs a nice man was walking up them. It seemed as if he was putting his Metrocard back into his wallet. Instead, it fell to the ground behind him. He didn't notice. I got his attention and the conversation went like this:

Nice Me: "Oh, you dropped your Metrocard."

Nice Man: "Oh, it didn't have anything on it. Thanks anyway." He smiled appreciatively.

Mean Me: (with definite tone) "Oh....you littered." And I continued on my way. I didn't even pick up the dang card.

What is wrong with me? Call it what you want, but I think am a little burned out. No excuse, I know, but I think that's what it really is and I eagerly await a recharge in whatever form it decides to come. I'm hoping that a good dose of church and really amazing people will be just what the doctor ordered. If that doesn't work, I am sending myself home straightaway until I can be nicer...or at least until Monday morning comes and I have to be an adult and go to work again.

there's no place like home...

there's no place like home....enough said.

oh boston--July 4, 2009

I know that this is a little late, but this is what I did over Independence Day. I went to Boston with some of my really good, darling friends: Jane, Liz, and Karen. I love these girls! We had a blast.

oh, who are the people in your neighborhood

Oh, who are the people in your neighborhood,
In your neighborhood,
In your neighborhood?

Oh, who are the people in your neighborhood?
They're the people that you meet
When you're walking down the street
They're the people that you meet...each day!!!

This little guy's picture has been around the neighborhood for quite some time now. The reward is up to $12000!!! Yay! Hopefully, I find him. Actually, no. He's wanted for sexual assault at knife point in an elevator around 148th Street. Yeah, that's were I live....Maybe I'll start taking the stairs. Oh wait, the cops said never to take the stairs...

They're the people that you meet
When you're walking down the street
They're the people that you meet...each day!!!

cheese

My friend Adam is always teasing me about my impractical “healthy” eating habits. Every time he would come to my home he would inevitably find in the refrigerator something low-fat or fat free. From his exaggerated reactions to these items, you would have thought that I had insulted his very being. (Perhaps I did. :) ) Naturally, the teasing worsened when Lent rolled around and I decided to give up processed foods. The two allowances I made were whole grain bread (I wasn’t about to start paying $5 for a loaf) and milk (I go through about a gallon a week--at least). Other than that, most everything I ate was whole, natural, unrefined, and made from scratch. Talk about difficult and time consuming. Sometimes it would take me so long to figure out what I could actually eat that I wasn’t hungry by the time I had come up with food options. It was trying, to say the least, but it got me thinking about the way that our society views and consumes food. I also started reading labels and figuring out exactly what I am putting into my body. It’s pretty shocking to see what types of ingredients we are consuming without even blinking an eye.

The other day, I was in a rush to get some grocery shopping done and mistakenly picked up some low fat mozzarella cheese. I wanted to make a Caprese Salad with some tomatoes that I had picked up from the Farmer’s Market. When I got home, I realized my folly but wasn’t about to waste my $6 purchase. I made my beautiful, little salad, cut my first piece and took a bite. It was disgusting. The tomato and basil were divine, but that cheese did NOT hit the spot. I started to laugh because I thought of Adam and could hear him saying something to the effect of “See! I told you so!”

I find it interesting that I am in more in agreement with Adam at this point in relation to “fat free” or “low fat” foods. They don’t taste very good and they don’t use real ingredients. I much prefer a little bit of real butter or cream as opposed to something chemically engineered. Lent has come and gone and I have definitely not been as regimented as I was before, but I am still reading labels, still studying up on food and nutrition, and still watching what I am actually putting into my mouth. Now I’m not going to get into the debate between Organic vs. Conventional Foods here, rather, I just wanted to say, Adam, in this instance, you were right...despite the fact that you love processed Kraft Singles.