Food Ramble

In order to get out, enjoy the sunny weather and do as little walking as possible (because I am still recovering from my middle of the dawn, burn of frustration energy up the incline last week--new PR 48:12)

I decided to peddle my bike downtown to see the movie “Food, Inc.”

I knew this was a documentary on out food in this country and how it is produced. Being that since I went on the macro biotic diet when I was 19 for a short period of time (I missed dairy and cold no longer resist the call of cheese) and ever since been very interested in food, the decline of our culture when it comes to processed food and convenience. Also being a vegetarian, err I mean an “Lacto, ovo, Pescatarian” (if you want/need the correct label)---translation: I eat no meat other than fish, however I do eat dairy products and eggs…and really? Do you really care? Probably not…

I make a personal serious effort to avoid fast food, “chemical foods” and process foods in general, but I will also be the first to admit, I love a Taco Bell bean burrito from time to time and Kraft mac and cheese IS my favorite comfort food (soon to be replaced by Jan’s homemade mac and cheese which I was recently schooled in the art of preparing that pan of delicious goodness).

I may have strict food ‘rules’ for myself, but I will never tell someone else how to eat, I don’t care if you like high fructose corn syrup or you like to eat hamburger at every meal, to each their own. Heck, I LOVE sugar. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Don’t even get near me with Sweet N low, or Splenda, I want good, old sugar!

That is where this movie lost me, I found it interesting the politics and the corporate control over our farmers. There was a level of guilt in the movie to the audience, man, had I been a carnivore. I would have felt awful walking out of the theater. As it was I already felt like a crappy American, buying , my food from the grocer, bananas from Chili, tomatoes from not here, year round. Without blinking an eye. I should have planted that garden I meant to this year, I should learn to can food…Whatever, I still like bananas in February, and Tomatoes in January…

However, there were some interesting points made in the movie and I did learn something. Like in the state I live, Colorado, it is a FELONY apparently to speak negatively against any meat produced in this state. Huh?

Really?

So the fact I have always said Greeley stinks like ass because of Monfort because Monfort stinks…
They labeled it the ‘Vegi-slander laws”
I need to research that some more. Because if I am going to jail by the meat police I need to know if it is because I choose not to eat meat, or if I insult meat in some way.
How does one go about insulting meat? Say it’s momma was a whore?
Hmmmm
As I rode my bike away from the theater I thought, “why am I feeling crappy, I eat healthy, I ride my bike as much as possible to avoid driving my car, plus it is fun, I try to be a good person. I am happy, nice, honest person…”
I turned the corner to realize there was a fireman party for the neighborhood…What? Firemen? In short sleeved shirts, serving cake? YAY!

What movie?

WARNING: Illicit Lyrics and a Bad Attitude to Follow

Okay, Here is a blog post that breaks one of my personal rules. I hate reading Blogs where people are negative or complain. It is so….

Draining

Well I need to break this rule because I am angry, pissed off and find myself looking for a creative outlet to explain these emotions that have been with me for the past couple of weeks. Maybe if I bring them out in the open I can let them go.

Here are three of my favorite break-up songs that seem so fitting for right now.

In no particular order.








(((DEEP BREATH)))



I feel better, thank you for letting me get that off my chest.

It’s my food! GO AWAY!!!

Okay, this is the week of venting my peeves. I do not understand why people seem to feel the need to make comments about what other people eat. I think I must be the only vegetarian in my entire office. I don’t walk around while people eat their hamburgers and say things like “ewwwww”, or “Why would you eat THAT?!” For some reason though, people seem to feel the need to comment on my food. I can almost understand it when I am reheating a tofu dish or spinach soufflé. Today though, I don’t understand. I forgot my lunch so I went to the cafeteria, made a spinach salad and a cheese sandwich. In my opinion, these are very basic lunch type foods, it is not like I made some exotic lunch that would cause curiosity lookers.
I had no less than three different people stop by my office and make some sort of comment about something I was eating.
I don’t get it! Why do I have to work with the food police? I will bet most of those people have magnets on their cars…

Randomness: (Be Warned)

The past few weeks I have felt like I have been floating in between dreams, ideas, obligations and denial that the holidays are approaching, very quickly I may add.

I have posted little here on my blog because everything I think of posting consists of a sentence or two.

How much fun is that? Not very much.

Here are some of the random thoughts that have been occupying my time:

I have made a decision to go forward with plastic surgery on my hand after the holidays, which leads me to search for a reputable plastic surgeon. I am learning if you are not interested in a face lift or a breast augmentation, this is quite a task. It is very difficult to find a surgeon that is excited about fixing scars. Much less one that is a result of a car accident. Not to mention the number of people that have given me referrals because their girlfriends or wives really liked the doctor. Did I mention I was NOT interested in a boob job. My ta ta’s are just fine, thank.you.very.much. It is my hand that is not so attractive. And really, it isn’t that bad, but I would say at least once a week I have to answer the question “what did you do to your hand?”. Since I am tend to grow keloid scars, ie: big ugly scar tissue scars, it makes any scar look that much more, uh, for lack of a better word, gross.

So if you are local and reading my blog, any recommendations on a good plastic surgeon that specializes in scars?

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This past weekend was spent spending time with friends, family, close to home and far away. Thursday night I met with an old friend of mine from as far back as elementary school and her boyfriend. It was an enjoyable time, however; it was also interesting to see how two people can process the same turn events is such different ways. My heart aches for her and I hope she finds peace she is so desperately looking for.

Friday night I met up with another visiting friend from out of town, I had known her since junior high school. I got to meet her husband, daughter and her brother and his family. Last time I saw her brother was literally when he graduated from our high school 20 years ago. Yikes! She and her husband are thinking of relocating to a town close to here. It is funny how for years and years you may not see someone but one day they pop back into your life and you feel like not a day has passed and you can’t wait to see them again, hear stories their lives and make plans to see each other soon.

Saturday, E and I headed to Boulder for his Cyclo-cross race and after that we headed to GlenHaven for a semi-surprise birthday party for my mom. Pictures and more details to come later for both those events, since I used my camera to occupy my 4 and 2 year old nieces, I have no battery life or memory left on my camera. I can’t wait to charge the batteries and see what pictures I have waiting for me.

Sunday morning, E and I left The Inn at Glenhaven at ~9:00 am, we managed to pull into Palmer Park in Colorado Springs at 11:28am for the final Pikes Peak Road Runners Fall Series Race that was scheduled to start at 11:30, luckily they were running a tad late and I was able to pick up E’s number while he changed clothes. As he walked up to the start line the race started. Talk about cutting it close…

More updates from the races and mom’s birthday party to come at a later time…

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So far I am committed to 4 thanksgiving events… Whoever thought that being a vegetarian would excuse a person from the turkey holiday is sadly mistaken. At least there will be pleanty of wine and cocktails at most of the events.

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My company announced last week that instead of our standard one week shut-down around the holidays it is extending it to two weeks, this is good and bad news, since my customer does not take time off between Christmas and New Years, I am still expected to be available during this time and routine meetings must be made, but I see lots of short work days in those two weeks.

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I have developed a sincere despise for a VERY random thing, are you ready for it? Magnet ‘stickers’ for cars, such as the “Support Our Troup” ribbons, breast cancer awareness ribbons and every other god-forsaken ribbon out there. Are Americans really that wishy washy that we can’t commit to a cause that we believe in enough to stick the sticker on our car? We need to make it removable without a trace? Wait, don’t answer that.
True, I refuse to put stickers on my car. My first car was practically a political billboard and there was no guessing what I believed. I guess now I prefer to voice my options over the internet, in person and via any other means, but to put a magnet on my car? No thanks. In fact I have a strange urge to start taking these off cars and collecting them. Who knows why, maybe because I figure if people need such non-commital way to voice their opinions that will probably change with what is the popular attitude at the moment, I feel like they should just nave the magnet to begin with.
Don’t’ worry, I haven’t taken any magnets yet…that would be illegal.
I do feel better though for that minor rant.
As my old buddy Brian C says:
“Thanks for listening, peace”

Weight Watchers Can Bite Me

There is a woman in my office who sits right outside my office door. She is on weight watchers and it is great for her. I just met this woman but according to her she has lost 60 pounds and still losing. Great job I say!!!

Now here is the annoying thing. All.she.talks.about is points, and how many points she can eat, has eaten or what not. I am happy with my weight and I don’t play “the Diet game”, I eat when I am hungry and I exercise. It works for me. I am approximately the same size I have been since college. In fact I recently just dropped a pant size when I went jeans shopping...YAY ME! Sure I fluxuate (sp?) some but as a general rule I eat healthy. Today however has been an ‘off’ day. I am allowed those too…

Anyways…

Here is a conversation that just transpired: I was sitting in my office, reading email and she starts talking to me...


WW Woman: “Everytime I look in your office today you have been eating”

Me: (Popping a Junior Mint in my mouth) “yeah? So..”

WW Woman: “And except for the salad you were eating earlier, all of it has been junk food”

Me: “uh huh”

Bitch.

She better be glad I am a vegetarian or I may eat her next…Ew, that sounds dirty. Yuck.

I think I have some dark chocolate in my drawer…I think I’ll eat that next.

Customer Service Rant + a small revenge

Whatever happened to customer service? Especially in the banking industry. It used to be you could go to your bank and talk to a banker easily about anything, savings, checking, business accounts, investments…anything with money.

I remember I opened my first business checking account when I was 16 years old, or was I 17? Regardless, I had a business account before a personal checking account if that tells you what kind of teenager I was. Well when I wasn’t skipping school and doing things you can only get away with when your 16-17 years old.

I had a situation a couple of weeks ago when I asked a question to the teller and she replied "I don't know, you'll have to talk to a banker"--I just looked at her and said "aren't I?---I'm in a bank, your handling my money, I hope you’re a banker". I got a blank stare back. I guess my comment was a little above her comprehension. Boy, let me tell you how confident that made me feel. Note to self. Start moving money from this bank to my credit union.

My frustration with my bank has been building over the past few years. Finally yesterday I got my small revenge.

I have been saving change for approximately the past 10 years. Why? Who knows, I have always been a change hoarder. Recently I decided I would use my change collection to offset the cost of my new mountain bike. I have been rolling the change and stashing it in closets and shoeboxes around my house, as I waiting for the cable guy to come to my house yesterday I unrolled all the change and dumped it in a beach bag. I remember the last time I took change into a bank they advised me to unroll it all first so they could put it through their change machine. Well I guess this was the wrong thing to do.

First, I took the change to my small local branch. I felt bad as the teller I walked up to appeared to be new. I wanted a seasoned teller that had previously irritated me. This teller was very nice and said I should have left it rolled because they didn’t have a change machine and I should go to the main branch office on south 8th street. Since it was at the main branch I had one of my most frustrating experiences a couple of years ago. They lost a deposit and it took nearly 2 months for us to clear that fiasco up. I was glad to go there and have them cash out my change.

I walked into the lobby and noticed three tellers, one I recognized from my other branch and two I did not. I went to the lady I recognized and said “before anything I need to apologize, I need to cash in some change” at this time I have set down my 50 pound beach bag at my feet. She said “ I don’t’ know if we can cash in change at this time” then hollered over to a much younger, snottier acting lady and said “can we cash in coin?” . The young snotty acting girl said “yes we can, why?”. This is where I piped in and heaved my beach bag onto the counter as I said “because I have lots to cash in...should be $500 or so”. Both ladies just stopped and looked at the bag, then looked at me. The original teller said “this may take us a while”. “Take your time” I responded. For the next 10 minutes I waited as I heard the change being eaten by some machine in the back room. While I was waiting there was an argument in the maid lobby with the bank manager and an obviously upset customer. The customer was telling the bank manager he lied to him and he was not happy. This convinced me more I am not the only person that is frustrated with key bank lately. Highlight note to self, actively start moving my business to my credit union.

In case you were wondering, THIS is what $509.78 looks like in change.