food

A full Saturday

/ Alex Whitehall / Leave a comment

I know, I don’t usually post twice in one weekend. But Saturday was a very busy day!

First off, my car window stopped working (it would only go down an inch, then stop). So for Father’s Day, my dad tore my door apart and we figured out the problem (then put the door back together), I ordered the part, and today we tore the door apart again in order to install the new part. Of course, with home car repair, nothing ever goes smoothly.

But thankfully Dad keeps a lot of stuff on hand, so when we need extra wires, or fuses, or headlights, he has them. Sometimes it just takes a little searching. So when he had to add some wires to the new part, he had it on hand.

When the new window motor blew the fuse for the windows, he had a new one of them on hand.

When something blew out my front headlight (not sure if it was just the light’s time or the mechanic work did something to it), he had one of them on hand too. Not to mention I didn’t have to pay for any of the manual labor. Just for the part (and not even for the additional parts he “had lying around.”

I have the best dad.

After a brief nap, I watched episode 12 (last of the season?) of a show called Tanaka-kun Is Always Listless. It’s a sweet, humorous, sort of mindless show that really turns the high school harem anime tropes on its head. The lead, Tanaka, has a bunch of girls who are interested in him, but he just can’t be bothered to put up with any of them besides being friends. (I read him as sort of asexual, but either way, it’s an adorable show if you’re familiar with how a lot of anime usually treats these things.)

One of the great things about the show is that while it fills a lot of the trope characters (smart girl, overexcited girl, tough girl), it gives them more depth than their trope and plays around with the trope, which keeps the characters from feeling rehashed and boring. I actually liked all the characters. It was a fun revelation.

The highlight of the day was going into town for dinner and dessert. We headed to a Korean-heavy area, which has an H Mart (Korean grocery market), a Korean BBQ place, and a Paris Baguette. Oh, and there was randomly a dog sitting in the back of this pickup truck in the parking lot of the shopping center. Like you do.

I didn’t take any pictures of dinner, because meat and veggies on a grill is fun, but I’m all about the desserts. But I do have this one picture of the sides.

For those not familiar with Korean BBQ, you’re given various sides with your order of raw meat. Then you nom on the sides and grill your meat, which can be eaten on rice or lettuce wraps or however you want. I can’t tell you what all of those items are in those tiny little bowls, but there is kimchi, broccoli, julienned mushrooms (we think), and a tiny salad.

But this is the best part (I took pictures of the tags rather than the food because I can never remember WHAT I ATE):

   

[Not pictured is the little three-pack of macarons. Because I’m tired and lazy.]

Then a drive home and collapsing with a very full stomach. What a great Saturday!!

(Side note: I thought the label said “Green TEA Pastry” and so did my friends, which is why I got it. But it was actually really good anyway, so no regrets.)

You are what you eat…

/ Alex Whitehall / 2 Comments

After vaguely making a connection between eating poorly (especially high-sodium foods, aka eating out) and my depression/anxiety at the beginning of the year…I’ve realized again that maybe I should eat more balanced, healthful meals. And try to start exercising again. Not that I’m eating too poorly this week (weekends are my bane), but I could use a little exercise. And maybe ease myself into instead of three days of hard-core exercise and then flop on my back bemoaning the world and getting old.

If you want to be health buddies (and you’re not my brother–because it’s just sinful that my older brother is in better shape than I am), let me know!

And you might be wondering why I’m bringing this up on my writer’s blog.

1. It’s my blog and I’ll whine if I want to. (I won’t break into song here, but I’m now humming that and I have no one to blame but myself.)

2. If poor eating triggers my depression, and my depression usually leads to me not writing…then obviously I want to not be depressed!

3. Even if poor eating doesn’t trigger my depression, eating healthy isn’t going to hurt and trigger my depression (most likely). I mean, it’s not like I’m going to stop eating out. Just maybe not four days in a row.

4. I was having a really good time with my writing and editing and in a good mood and then ate out four days in a row and today I am verbally constipated. I realize it could be coincidence, but, again, it doesn’t hurt to try.

Hopefully my post next week will be more on topic and less whiny! (And…not three days late?)

Or maybe it’s summer

/ Alex Whitehall / 2 Comments

I’m freshly in from a horse event, my skin feels crisp despite a lack of sunburn (yet) and my mouth is dry. Oh sure, I could drink some water. But I’m craving ice cream.

But as I think about the half gallon of ice cream I ate last week, I ponder if it’s the ice cream I really want. Yesterday while out walking, an older woman sitting in the passenger side of the car was eating an ice cream cone. She looked so happy! She had a big grin on her face right before she turned her head sideways and liiiicked.

I’m sure part of the craving is my body saying sugar and fat would be AWESOME right now. But I think some parts of it are tied to wanting ice cream because of the happy memories tied to that food. The special occasions when I had the treat. I want to capture those delightful moments, but alas it’s harder to do when you’re all alone. I find some memories are just better when shared.

Not every morsel of food needs to be cherished, as often it is just nourishment and fuel. But think about those foods you normally eat with friends and loved ones. Do they taste the same–do they hit the spot the same–when eaten alone? Perhaps I should be asking if they satisfy the same way. I’m not saying they aren’t still delicious and great, but I think sometimes we crave something because we crave the emotions that our body remembers from the last time we ate that food.

Or maybe it’s summer and I want a cheeseburger and ice cream.

In amends of fatitude

/ Alex Whitehall / 5 Comments

This post is in reply to the outcry I heard from my comment (two entries ago) about me being a fatass.

I understand I am not actually a fatass. Sometimes I just feel like a fatass because of circumstances. I’ve been eating rather terribly lately and it’s done nothing to console me. Also, I think the workout DVDs I’ve been doing have been building more leg mass than I’d like.

In order to cut down on my leg strengthening skills, I’m changing my routine. First, I plan on making my own workout, based on that which I’ve learned from the DVDs. Second, I plan on incorporating alot more cardio into my routine, which is easier with nice weather, because running is excellent cardio. In fact, today after getting back from the barn I went running.

So the plan is to run on nice days and do my routine on rainy days (like tomorrow promises to be). I’m going to try cutting back on the gorging, but we know how that goes.

So just to quiet any worries people had: I am not anorexic and think I’m fat and OMG I need to get thin. I merely realize I’m not in peak physical condition, and I’d really like to be.

(On a side note, for Soba: It probably doesn’t help that I’m cosplaying two really young boys this year. But I’m coming to terms with that. Sorta :))

Pretty good for a Monday

/ Alex Whitehall / Leave a comment

I started this morning filled with dread and an overall feeling of wanting to die, which is pretty extreme, even for me.

But the day went well enough–possibly fate’s way of saying “hold on.”

Now at home: I’m eating a bean and cheese quesadilla. Mushed pinto beans and a cheese blend (Monterrey and pepper jack, I believe, or something similar) fried in a pan makes for some yummy dinner. And pretty healthy too.

I just read that The Graveyard Book won the 2009 Newbery, which is awesome. Go Neil! It makes me happy that I have a signed copy and read it (in a day, at that). That man is great. An excellent writer/storyteller and a nice, down to earth, funny human being (I’m assuming on this last one, he could very well be an alien).

Last week, which was pretty awefully blah for me, provoked very little writing. This morning, which was horrified and painful, gave me some poems. I’m hoping it’s a sign that the writing block has stopped. It didn’t really matter, since I’ll be writing tonight–whether it’s good or bad.