I canceled a credit card today.
I had intellectually made the decision to do it a while ago, but didn't for what I thought was a practical reason. I had chopped up the card and could not find the account number, which I thought I would need. Today, a new card for the account came in the mail, so I placed the call.
I learned during the call I would not have needed the number.
On the front of the card, it told me that I had the account since the year I graduated from college. It had to be one of the first credit cards I ever got.
It was harder to pick up the phone than it should have been. I haven't used the card in months. It was the third debt I paid off, following another gas company card and some money I owed a family member. But I've kept the card around "for emergencies." Well, I have taken a long road trip, and a few shorter trips since the card was paid of and haven't "needed" the card. I have been buying fuel with cash and doing fine.
I know it's just that it was a 20-plus year habit. I've relied on credit cards for most of my fuel purchases for years. It started when I moved to California. I liked the convenience of paying at the pump when I moved to California at the self-service gas stations.
The process of closing the account may have been harder than it needed to be because, in spite of my confident recent posts, I've been slipping on my budget of late. The food budget has been blown. I've cut into my fuel/car expense budget and been eating a lot of fast food. Not as much as I once did, but I was eating fast food several days each week.
I've just been so bored, living like a hermit in my apartment, eating cheap grocery store food.
It's a good reminder of how I got in this mess in the first place. Periodically, a few times a year, I would go on spending binges, often or always when I was feeling the most financially strapped. I'd pull out a credit card and splurge on something, like a nice meal, or gifts for family or friends, or some crap that I thought I really wanted/needed but didn't.
This time has been different. While I have blown my food budget, I have financed my misbehavior with cash out of other parts of my budget.
Now, the Labor Day weekend is here, and I'm looking forward to getting out of town for a few days. It's not really a budgeted expense, but I can do it, with cash, so I'm going. I shouldn't go, but yet I need to go in the worst way. I am profoundly bored and need something resembling a life.
I still have a long ways to go and it's going to take quite a bit more time. More time than I want it to take. I'm confident I can make it. Dave Ramsey would not approve, but I'm taking a weekend and spending time with an old friend. And I will be paying with cash. So maybe Ramsey can give me a pass on that.
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Friday, September 02, 2011
Monday, August 09, 2010
Putting my wallet on a diet put me on one too
Me efforts to get out of debt have involved some lifestyle changes. The biggest one is that I rarely eat out anymore. For most people, that may not be much of an adjustment, but it was for me. I used to live on fast food and other restaurants.
At one point I was actually convinced that eating out was cheaper than eating at home. My logic was based on a couple of points. One was that fresh food, on the occasion I did buy it, tended to spoil before I could eat it all. I reasoned that buying food that went to waste was a waste of money.
What I didn't realize at the time was that a lot of that food spoiled because even when I did have food in the house I was still eating out a lot.
I did not know that one of the points that Dave Ramsey suggests for getting out of debt was to go on a rice-and-beans diet. He often tells his listeners that the only time they will see the inside of a restaurant is if they work there while trying to get out of debt.
My dining out approach was in part fostered by the fact that I could often scrape together $5 for a fast food meal, but it was much more difficult to scrape together $50 for groceries. So, I kept eating out. At the beginning of this lifestyle change, as I did start buying groceries, I was actually paying for that food with credit cards. That was not a bright idea, but it got my budget turned around so that I could begin to realized that by buying food at the grocery store and not eating out, I could eventually spend less on food.
The fast food restaurants themselves actually pushed me to make the change by raising their prices. First it was Carl's Jr., where my favorite meal used to cost less than $5. Then it cost a little more than $5. And then, it got to be closer to $6. So, I quit going to Carl's Jr.
The places I went as a replacement eventually raised their prices too.
Another factor that pushed me to change was that my work schedule pushed me to go to work early in the day, which required a need to start regularly eating breakfast for the first time in my adult life.
So, my food budget went from less than $70 a week, to about $95 a week. That was just out of control. Now, when the budget is lean, I can get a week's worth of groceries for about $35-$40 when I'm my most frugal. I can include more variety and more fresh food for about $70. For the same amount of money I used to spend I can actually get more than a week's worth of food.
It's been a big lifestyle change, but it was a key to making the change from drowning financially each month to gaining enough buoyancy so that at least my nose is above the water line. I can't take in great gulps of air yet, but I can catch a breath now and again.
It hasn't ended the cravings for those Western Bacon Cheeseburgers. But Carl's Jr. changed their french fries to a style I don't care for. So I can live without them. And my budget sure can too.
At one point I was actually convinced that eating out was cheaper than eating at home. My logic was based on a couple of points. One was that fresh food, on the occasion I did buy it, tended to spoil before I could eat it all. I reasoned that buying food that went to waste was a waste of money.
What I didn't realize at the time was that a lot of that food spoiled because even when I did have food in the house I was still eating out a lot.
I did not know that one of the points that Dave Ramsey suggests for getting out of debt was to go on a rice-and-beans diet. He often tells his listeners that the only time they will see the inside of a restaurant is if they work there while trying to get out of debt.
My dining out approach was in part fostered by the fact that I could often scrape together $5 for a fast food meal, but it was much more difficult to scrape together $50 for groceries. So, I kept eating out. At the beginning of this lifestyle change, as I did start buying groceries, I was actually paying for that food with credit cards. That was not a bright idea, but it got my budget turned around so that I could begin to realized that by buying food at the grocery store and not eating out, I could eventually spend less on food.
The fast food restaurants themselves actually pushed me to make the change by raising their prices. First it was Carl's Jr., where my favorite meal used to cost less than $5. Then it cost a little more than $5. And then, it got to be closer to $6. So, I quit going to Carl's Jr.
The places I went as a replacement eventually raised their prices too.
Another factor that pushed me to change was that my work schedule pushed me to go to work early in the day, which required a need to start regularly eating breakfast for the first time in my adult life.
So, my food budget went from less than $70 a week, to about $95 a week. That was just out of control. Now, when the budget is lean, I can get a week's worth of groceries for about $35-$40 when I'm my most frugal. I can include more variety and more fresh food for about $70. For the same amount of money I used to spend I can actually get more than a week's worth of food.
It's been a big lifestyle change, but it was a key to making the change from drowning financially each month to gaining enough buoyancy so that at least my nose is above the water line. I can't take in great gulps of air yet, but I can catch a breath now and again.
It hasn't ended the cravings for those Western Bacon Cheeseburgers. But Carl's Jr. changed their french fries to a style I don't care for. So I can live without them. And my budget sure can too.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
And the blues play on
I don't visit bars as much as I did back in my 20s, or even my 30s, but there is something unbeatable about just the right bar.
Sometime I have a craving for a neighborhood hangout, a little hole in the wall spot where the bartenders and waitresses know your order and have your drink waiting for you by the time you reach your bar stool.
Other times, I have a craving for a sports bar, a place to hang out and grab a burger and a beer while watching a game.
But on some occasions, I really want a place with some high energy, a place that buzzes with electricity from the patrons and a band playing life music. In the months after I moved to Salem, whenever I would ask people I met where was the best place to go for nightlife in town, one of the names that inevitably cropped up was Lefty's Pizzeria and Blues Club.
It was my kind of joint, fitting many of my favorite tastes for food (pizza), beer (microbrews) and music -- in this case, blues.
Blues as been a favorite musical genre since college. Anyone with a taste for blues will tell you, there is nothing like hearing blues live, because like the music it inspired, jazz, musicians improvise during a performance, giving even classic blues songs their own fingerprint.
Unfortunately, I have not had listened to a lot of live blues. But now, living back in the Pacific Northwest, it seemed like I would get more opportunities to do so. Portland has a vibrant and respected blues scene and plays hose every year to the Waterfront Blues Festival. As I came to learn, Lefty's was considered by many one of the best blues venues for live music in the Northwest.
In my early explorations as an iPod owner, I discovered a podcast based out of Portland that talked about the Portland and Northwest blues scene and featured music from artists based here, or who have some connection to Portland and the Pacific Northwest. The podcast, PDX Bluescast, became an immediate favorite.
Sadly, the PDX Bluescast has not had a new episode in over a year now. And now this month came word that Lefty's had closed.
But the blues itself does not die. Just as the legends of the genre eventually pass on, the music itself is passed down to new generations of musicians. And fortunately, I have found a new place to satisfy my thirst for blues, but this one's based a little farther south -- south of the equator and across the Pacific to be precise. My new home for the blues, and the new podcast I turn to for a mix of classic blues and emerging voices is the Salty Dog Blues N Roots Podcast from Melbourne, Australia.
So thanks, Salty, for satisfying that craving, both salty and sweet, tangy and twangy, like a slice of pizza with pepperoni and pineapple and a liberal dose of Tabasco.
RIP Lefty's and the PDX Bluescast. You are missed, but we can all take comfort in the fact that the blues plays on.
Sometime I have a craving for a neighborhood hangout, a little hole in the wall spot where the bartenders and waitresses know your order and have your drink waiting for you by the time you reach your bar stool.
Other times, I have a craving for a sports bar, a place to hang out and grab a burger and a beer while watching a game.
But on some occasions, I really want a place with some high energy, a place that buzzes with electricity from the patrons and a band playing life music. In the months after I moved to Salem, whenever I would ask people I met where was the best place to go for nightlife in town, one of the names that inevitably cropped up was Lefty's Pizzeria and Blues Club.
It was my kind of joint, fitting many of my favorite tastes for food (pizza), beer (microbrews) and music -- in this case, blues.
Blues as been a favorite musical genre since college. Anyone with a taste for blues will tell you, there is nothing like hearing blues live, because like the music it inspired, jazz, musicians improvise during a performance, giving even classic blues songs their own fingerprint.
Unfortunately, I have not had listened to a lot of live blues. But now, living back in the Pacific Northwest, it seemed like I would get more opportunities to do so. Portland has a vibrant and respected blues scene and plays hose every year to the Waterfront Blues Festival. As I came to learn, Lefty's was considered by many one of the best blues venues for live music in the Northwest.
In my early explorations as an iPod owner, I discovered a podcast based out of Portland that talked about the Portland and Northwest blues scene and featured music from artists based here, or who have some connection to Portland and the Pacific Northwest. The podcast, PDX Bluescast, became an immediate favorite.
Sadly, the PDX Bluescast has not had a new episode in over a year now. And now this month came word that Lefty's had closed.
But the blues itself does not die. Just as the legends of the genre eventually pass on, the music itself is passed down to new generations of musicians. And fortunately, I have found a new place to satisfy my thirst for blues, but this one's based a little farther south -- south of the equator and across the Pacific to be precise. My new home for the blues, and the new podcast I turn to for a mix of classic blues and emerging voices is the Salty Dog Blues N Roots Podcast from Melbourne, Australia.
So thanks, Salty, for satisfying that craving, both salty and sweet, tangy and twangy, like a slice of pizza with pepperoni and pineapple and a liberal dose of Tabasco.
RIP Lefty's and the PDX Bluescast. You are missed, but we can all take comfort in the fact that the blues plays on.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Sold my soul for a sawbuck
My morals are slipping.
Money has been tight lately. Very tight. Extremely tight. So tight that this week I found myself with my bank balances at zero. I've been raiding the coin jar to pay for food all week. Fortunately there was a stockpile of quarters in the jar from the days I was collecting them to use the coin-operated machine in the laundry room. The next option was to collect cans for the recycling deposit. One day this weekend my entire diet, lunch and dinner consisted of tortilla chips and salsa. Another day I ate one meal. I've skipped several meals in recent days because I have no food in the house and no funds to acquire any.
Yep, I'm broke.
I finally got some folding money back in my pocket last night after meeting a friend for dinner. We were each paying for our own meals. I paid with plastic and he used cash, so I picked up the tab and pocketed the cash.
I stopped off for dinner at a local fast-food place on my way home from work and handed the $10 I had left to the cashier. Obviously her head wasn't in the game because she handed me $15 back in change.
I thought for a spit second about whether to do the right thing and telling her that I had paid with a 10 and not a 20.
Then I remembered the zero balances on my bank statements and the fact that I still have a few meals to buy before I get paid and did the selfish thing. I pocked the money and drove off.
I know I should feel guilty. But Lord help me, I can't. The lack of cash -- and meals -- is affecting my judgment. My waistline can certainly afford for me to skip an occasional meal, but this has been ridiculous. I didn't want to hurt anyone. I just wanted to eat and survive until payday.
***
On the theme of money, here are 10 songs about money from my iPod.
M-O-N-E-Y -- Lyle Lovett
What Do You Do For Money Honey -- AC/DC
Workin' Man's Dollar -- Chris LeDoux
Money for Nothing -- Dire Straits
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is -- JET
You Think I Ain't Worth a Dollar But I Feel Like a Millionaire -- Queens of the Stone Age
I Need Some Money -- John Lee Hooker
Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back -- Meat Loaf
Can't Buy You Money -- Toby Keith
Last Dollar (Fly Away) -- Tim McGraw
Bonus track
Your Cash Ain't Nothin' But Trash -- Huey Lewis & The News
Money has been tight lately. Very tight. Extremely tight. So tight that this week I found myself with my bank balances at zero. I've been raiding the coin jar to pay for food all week. Fortunately there was a stockpile of quarters in the jar from the days I was collecting them to use the coin-operated machine in the laundry room. The next option was to collect cans for the recycling deposit. One day this weekend my entire diet, lunch and dinner consisted of tortilla chips and salsa. Another day I ate one meal. I've skipped several meals in recent days because I have no food in the house and no funds to acquire any.
Yep, I'm broke.
I finally got some folding money back in my pocket last night after meeting a friend for dinner. We were each paying for our own meals. I paid with plastic and he used cash, so I picked up the tab and pocketed the cash.
I stopped off for dinner at a local fast-food place on my way home from work and handed the $10 I had left to the cashier. Obviously her head wasn't in the game because she handed me $15 back in change.
I thought for a spit second about whether to do the right thing and telling her that I had paid with a 10 and not a 20.
Then I remembered the zero balances on my bank statements and the fact that I still have a few meals to buy before I get paid and did the selfish thing. I pocked the money and drove off.
I know I should feel guilty. But Lord help me, I can't. The lack of cash -- and meals -- is affecting my judgment. My waistline can certainly afford for me to skip an occasional meal, but this has been ridiculous. I didn't want to hurt anyone. I just wanted to eat and survive until payday.
***
On the theme of money, here are 10 songs about money from my iPod.
M-O-N-E-Y -- Lyle Lovett
What Do You Do For Money Honey -- AC/DC
Workin' Man's Dollar -- Chris LeDoux
Money for Nothing -- Dire Straits
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is -- JET
You Think I Ain't Worth a Dollar But I Feel Like a Millionaire -- Queens of the Stone Age
I Need Some Money -- John Lee Hooker
Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back -- Meat Loaf
Can't Buy You Money -- Toby Keith
Last Dollar (Fly Away) -- Tim McGraw
Bonus track
Your Cash Ain't Nothin' But Trash -- Huey Lewis & The News
Monday, May 07, 2007
Dietary Catch-22
I took the unusual step of buying groceries the other day, which is something I'm not prone to doing. To say that my refrigerator and cupboards are usually bare would be an understatement. But I thought that maybe I would stock up on some food in an effort to save a little money and perhaps eat a little healthier.
But having food in the house reminds me that I have the unfortunate tendency to eat when I'm bored. I tried getting healthier types of foods and one of my frequent snacks the last few days has been oranges. However, I am afraid that I may end up eating too much just because there is stuff here to eat. Ordinarily, on a weekend, it may not be altogether unusual that I only eat one meal a day if I have to leave the house to forage for grub. Dealing with traffic near my house on weekends can be a nightmare, so I tend not to relish going out into that mess.
But what I really need to do is find new stuff to do. Different things. Develop some hobbies or interests that get me out of the house. Fortunately I spent part of the weekend out of town and it's beginning to look like I will have obligations out of town for the next three weekends, so maybe that will help keep me occupied and from enduring insufferable boredom.
It's sort of ironic. When I was younger I used to get myself involved in all sorts of stuff. I had to carry a calendar book to keep things straight and make sure I didn't have conflicts or had enough time to get from commitment to commitment in time. It would get to the point where I was overbooked and would get overwhelmed with events and activities. Somewhere along the way I learned to say no and avoid overbooking almost to the point of not committing to do anything or go anywhere at all. I took relaxation and doing nothing to the level of art form.
But I think the time has come to get back out there. Say yes now an again to invitations, get out and enjoy some of the local events, spend time with family and try to make some new friends. It's either that or sit at home, wasting time and eating my way through the week's groceries in a couple of days.
But having food in the house reminds me that I have the unfortunate tendency to eat when I'm bored. I tried getting healthier types of foods and one of my frequent snacks the last few days has been oranges. However, I am afraid that I may end up eating too much just because there is stuff here to eat. Ordinarily, on a weekend, it may not be altogether unusual that I only eat one meal a day if I have to leave the house to forage for grub. Dealing with traffic near my house on weekends can be a nightmare, so I tend not to relish going out into that mess.
But what I really need to do is find new stuff to do. Different things. Develop some hobbies or interests that get me out of the house. Fortunately I spent part of the weekend out of town and it's beginning to look like I will have obligations out of town for the next three weekends, so maybe that will help keep me occupied and from enduring insufferable boredom.
It's sort of ironic. When I was younger I used to get myself involved in all sorts of stuff. I had to carry a calendar book to keep things straight and make sure I didn't have conflicts or had enough time to get from commitment to commitment in time. It would get to the point where I was overbooked and would get overwhelmed with events and activities. Somewhere along the way I learned to say no and avoid overbooking almost to the point of not committing to do anything or go anywhere at all. I took relaxation and doing nothing to the level of art form.
But I think the time has come to get back out there. Say yes now an again to invitations, get out and enjoy some of the local events, spend time with family and try to make some new friends. It's either that or sit at home, wasting time and eating my way through the week's groceries in a couple of days.
Monday, June 27, 2005
You mean I don't have to drive?
I tried something novel for dinner tonight. No, I didn't break out of my dinner-out routine, but tonight I did try something new.
I walked to dinner -- and back.
Shocking, I know.
There is a little shopping plaza not too far from my apartment. Well, there are several actually, but one is really close. So I decided to leave the car parked and walk to dinner. There is an Outback Steakhouse, a Quiznos sandwich shop, a few other restaurants, and other stores, like a grocery store, a warehouse-type department store, a large chain book store, a clothing store, and several other stores and shops.
So, I walked to dinner, then stopped off at the book store to browse through books, CDs and DVDs. And a further stunner, other than dinner, I didn't spend any money! But I was tempted. But I have books in the bookcase I still haven't read, so I figured I will wait. Besides, I can walk to the book store any evening after work.
They're open late!
I could get into this urban living! And I thought my life was pretty good when I lived next to a 7-Eleven at one point in Palm Springs.
Now, if it would only quit fuckin' raining!
Change
I walked to dinner -- and back.
Shocking, I know.
There is a little shopping plaza not too far from my apartment. Well, there are several actually, but one is really close. So I decided to leave the car parked and walk to dinner. There is an Outback Steakhouse, a Quiznos sandwich shop, a few other restaurants, and other stores, like a grocery store, a warehouse-type department store, a large chain book store, a clothing store, and several other stores and shops.
So, I walked to dinner, then stopped off at the book store to browse through books, CDs and DVDs. And a further stunner, other than dinner, I didn't spend any money! But I was tempted. But I have books in the bookcase I still haven't read, so I figured I will wait. Besides, I can walk to the book store any evening after work.
They're open late!
I could get into this urban living! And I thought my life was pretty good when I lived next to a 7-Eleven at one point in Palm Springs.
Now, if it would only quit fuckin' raining!
Change
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Nourished by friends
There is something weird happening right now. My refrigerator is a little freaked out. It doesn't know what to do because there is actual food in it. Normally I just the fridge to store beverages and condiments. That's about it. I don't grocery shop very often.
But today I have food in there. Last night I spent the evening with some friends who invited me over for a cookout, and they sent me home with leftovers.
The food was great, and I'll have leftovers for days, but the best part is of course the time with good people. My friend, M's, husband is a Marine and has been back from Iraq for about a month, after being over there for a year. One of his friends and fellow officers was there along with his their kids and M and B's two kids, all girls. Two of the girls are close to my daughter's age.
One of the younger girls was so cute. She wanted to go out side were all the older girls were and needed to put her shoes. I happened to be walking through the house at the time and was the first adult she came across. So she asked me for help putting on her shoes, which I gladly did. And I learned something from this girl, who is probably about 5 maybe. I learned that being bald has some benefits. Because I won't ever have to worry about lice.
Let the children teach us.
I have to admit, I'm a pushover for little girls. No matter who they are, they remind me of my daughter when she was younger. And I've missed so much of my daughter's childhood. I look at them for signs of what I know of my daughter and signs for what I've missed.
But most of the evening was spent in adult conversation with the rest of the grownups. OK, a lot of it was a lot of military acronyms and I had no clue what B and his buddy were talking about. But B was cool and explained things for the naive civilian.
And I also got to peak into how other people use technology, which was cool. I still haven't joined the iPod generation, but i may be a step closer now. M and B and their kids had these things called iPod shuffles, which are mini versions of the iPod. Plug the little sucker right in to your computer's USB port, and load it up. Very cool. I don't need an iPod with as much memory as my computer hard drive, but a shuffle could have uses in my life.
B and his buddy also used little portable memory devices to share various computer files. They both had little jump drives, which also plug right in to a USB port. I'm not sure if I have a use for one of those at the moment, but it is definitely handier, and holds more memory than a floppy or Zip disk.
So, it just goes to show, that the best things about dinner with friends isn't the food, it's what you take away from the experience.
Friends
Food
iPod
Technology
But today I have food in there. Last night I spent the evening with some friends who invited me over for a cookout, and they sent me home with leftovers.
The food was great, and I'll have leftovers for days, but the best part is of course the time with good people. My friend, M's, husband is a Marine and has been back from Iraq for about a month, after being over there for a year. One of his friends and fellow officers was there along with his their kids and M and B's two kids, all girls. Two of the girls are close to my daughter's age.
One of the younger girls was so cute. She wanted to go out side were all the older girls were and needed to put her shoes. I happened to be walking through the house at the time and was the first adult she came across. So she asked me for help putting on her shoes, which I gladly did. And I learned something from this girl, who is probably about 5 maybe. I learned that being bald has some benefits. Because I won't ever have to worry about lice.
Let the children teach us.
I have to admit, I'm a pushover for little girls. No matter who they are, they remind me of my daughter when she was younger. And I've missed so much of my daughter's childhood. I look at them for signs of what I know of my daughter and signs for what I've missed.
But most of the evening was spent in adult conversation with the rest of the grownups. OK, a lot of it was a lot of military acronyms and I had no clue what B and his buddy were talking about. But B was cool and explained things for the naive civilian.
And I also got to peak into how other people use technology, which was cool. I still haven't joined the iPod generation, but i may be a step closer now. M and B and their kids had these things called iPod shuffles, which are mini versions of the iPod. Plug the little sucker right in to your computer's USB port, and load it up. Very cool. I don't need an iPod with as much memory as my computer hard drive, but a shuffle could have uses in my life.
B and his buddy also used little portable memory devices to share various computer files. They both had little jump drives, which also plug right in to a USB port. I'm not sure if I have a use for one of those at the moment, but it is definitely handier, and holds more memory than a floppy or Zip disk.
So, it just goes to show, that the best things about dinner with friends isn't the food, it's what you take away from the experience.
Friends
Food
iPod
Technology
Thursday, April 21, 2005
An aspiring, but uninspired, loser
Some months back, when newly single and a new resident of a new apartment I felt compelled to buy some new things for the new place.
OK, I had to buy some things for the new place because I didn't have some things I needed, like a shower curtain.
I've never been accused of being a neat freak, but there is just something wrong about lathering up in a shower with nothing to keep the water from spraying all over the bathroom. If nothing else, it would be a safety hazard. With my luck I'd slip and fall on the wet floor, and my nude bloated body would be found weeks later, sprawled out all over the floor, my head split open on the edge of the tub, and maggots doing their damnedest to aid in decomposition.
So, I went to the one store that has seemingly anything a person could need and that I actually don't mind shopping in -- Target. If truth be told, I made several trips to Target because I was also broke and couldn't afford necessary supplies and decorative amenities in one trip. On one of those trips, I picked up a bathroom scale. I'm not quite sure what compelled me to buy one. I haven't ever owned a bathroom scale. But in the newly single logic that played on my mind, I figured it would be a good way to inspire myself to lose a few pounds to get myself back in slender chick-magnet shape.
OK, for the record, I've never been a chick magnet. And I've never been slender. I have either been scrawny, or had a pot belly and scrawny arms. And I haven't seen scrawny (except for my arms) since about 1989.
So, I bought the scale, and I was not at all pleased with the numbers I saw on the little digital dial. I wasn't too fond of the digital dial either. It has an annoying habit of measuring precisely, down to the half pound. Come on, can't the damn thing just round the number down? I was used to the old scale we had when I was growing up. You know the one with the little dial on the back that you could turn to "calibrate" it. And it just had lines on the dial. There were only numbers in 10 pound increments. A bigger line every five pounds. And the dial was never precise. You got a rough estimate of your weight. "I weigh about 160 pounds." Close enough. That'll work.
Well, this frickin' scale doesn't do about. It does number-number-number-point-number. And that first set of numbers were a little too close to 200 pounds for my comfort. Well, the tight slacks weren't doing much for my comfort either, but they still buttoned damn it! I don't need abused for a digital readout too!
So, anyway, every few days, I'd weigh myself. And every few days I'd sulk. The numbers would bounce around a few pounds this way or that, but didn't really moved too much over time. I lost a few pounds, but that was about it.
But the last few mornings, the number have dropped again. One day the number had dropped to a number I had never seen on the scale before. I figured my eyes were deceiving me. So I stepped off and stepped back on. And the scale dropped 4 more pounds. Now, I know I hadn't been awake very long, but I wasn't seeing things. At least I didn't think so. And I was pretty sure I didn't lose 4 pounds in 4 seconds. At that rate I'd literally waste away to nothing in about an hour and a half.
So, I don't trust the scale any more than I trusted the old analog one that is still sitting beside the door in my parents' bathroom. But the odd thing is, the numbers are still creeping down. I won't be joining Kirstie Alley on a Jenny Craig commercial anytime soon, but I feel good about it.
I feel particularly good about it because I'm not doing a damn thing to make it happen. Exercise? Yea right. Most people wouldn't call my exertion method exercise. Well, it does get my heart rate up, but I doubt it qualifies as a true cardio workout, and I'd be kicked out of a gym workin' up a sweat that way. "Can someone bring me a towel please? Whew, rubbing one out is hard work. Sorry about the mess. Don't worry, I'll wipe off the bench."
The one lifestyle change that I have made is that I'm drinking less. It's not out of some tea-totaling aspirations. I'm just too broke to buy beer. So I drink water. And I'm too cheap (broke) to buy bottled water too. The bottle may say Aquafina, but the contents are pure Coachella Valley Water District baby, vintage 2005. And I don't buy groceries, so there is nothing to snack on in the house. If there's anything else in the fridge it means I took the alternate route home, stopped at the minimart, and I'm subsisting on chips, salsa and cheep cervesa, por favor. Lately I've resisted the urge, again because I don't need the ATM machine laughing at me when I try to withdraw cash. So I can't just sit on my fat ass and nibble while watching TV.
Hungry G-man? Have some water. Want a beer? Drink some water.
I'm sort of a modern-day hunger/gatherer. When I'm hungry I have to go hunt for a Carl's Jr. and gather in a Western cheeseburger. And I don't make it large (not because I don't want the big fries, but again, I'm cheap, and a large drink won't fit in the cupholder of my truck).
So, the couch potato water diet won't get me too far. But in the mean time I'm finding out that poverty does have its privileges.
By the time I'm homeless I ought to be looking pretty hot! The chicks in the shelter better look out.
Diet
OK, I had to buy some things for the new place because I didn't have some things I needed, like a shower curtain.
I've never been accused of being a neat freak, but there is just something wrong about lathering up in a shower with nothing to keep the water from spraying all over the bathroom. If nothing else, it would be a safety hazard. With my luck I'd slip and fall on the wet floor, and my nude bloated body would be found weeks later, sprawled out all over the floor, my head split open on the edge of the tub, and maggots doing their damnedest to aid in decomposition.
So, I went to the one store that has seemingly anything a person could need and that I actually don't mind shopping in -- Target. If truth be told, I made several trips to Target because I was also broke and couldn't afford necessary supplies and decorative amenities in one trip. On one of those trips, I picked up a bathroom scale. I'm not quite sure what compelled me to buy one. I haven't ever owned a bathroom scale. But in the newly single logic that played on my mind, I figured it would be a good way to inspire myself to lose a few pounds to get myself back in slender chick-magnet shape.
OK, for the record, I've never been a chick magnet. And I've never been slender. I have either been scrawny, or had a pot belly and scrawny arms. And I haven't seen scrawny (except for my arms) since about 1989.
So, I bought the scale, and I was not at all pleased with the numbers I saw on the little digital dial. I wasn't too fond of the digital dial either. It has an annoying habit of measuring precisely, down to the half pound. Come on, can't the damn thing just round the number down? I was used to the old scale we had when I was growing up. You know the one with the little dial on the back that you could turn to "calibrate" it. And it just had lines on the dial. There were only numbers in 10 pound increments. A bigger line every five pounds. And the dial was never precise. You got a rough estimate of your weight. "I weigh about 160 pounds." Close enough. That'll work.
Well, this frickin' scale doesn't do about. It does number-number-number-point-number. And that first set of numbers were a little too close to 200 pounds for my comfort. Well, the tight slacks weren't doing much for my comfort either, but they still buttoned damn it! I don't need abused for a digital readout too!
So, anyway, every few days, I'd weigh myself. And every few days I'd sulk. The numbers would bounce around a few pounds this way or that, but didn't really moved too much over time. I lost a few pounds, but that was about it.
But the last few mornings, the number have dropped again. One day the number had dropped to a number I had never seen on the scale before. I figured my eyes were deceiving me. So I stepped off and stepped back on. And the scale dropped 4 more pounds. Now, I know I hadn't been awake very long, but I wasn't seeing things. At least I didn't think so. And I was pretty sure I didn't lose 4 pounds in 4 seconds. At that rate I'd literally waste away to nothing in about an hour and a half.
So, I don't trust the scale any more than I trusted the old analog one that is still sitting beside the door in my parents' bathroom. But the odd thing is, the numbers are still creeping down. I won't be joining Kirstie Alley on a Jenny Craig commercial anytime soon, but I feel good about it.
I feel particularly good about it because I'm not doing a damn thing to make it happen. Exercise? Yea right. Most people wouldn't call my exertion method exercise. Well, it does get my heart rate up, but I doubt it qualifies as a true cardio workout, and I'd be kicked out of a gym workin' up a sweat that way. "Can someone bring me a towel please? Whew, rubbing one out is hard work. Sorry about the mess. Don't worry, I'll wipe off the bench."
The one lifestyle change that I have made is that I'm drinking less. It's not out of some tea-totaling aspirations. I'm just too broke to buy beer. So I drink water. And I'm too cheap (broke) to buy bottled water too. The bottle may say Aquafina, but the contents are pure Coachella Valley Water District baby, vintage 2005. And I don't buy groceries, so there is nothing to snack on in the house. If there's anything else in the fridge it means I took the alternate route home, stopped at the minimart, and I'm subsisting on chips, salsa and cheep cervesa, por favor. Lately I've resisted the urge, again because I don't need the ATM machine laughing at me when I try to withdraw cash. So I can't just sit on my fat ass and nibble while watching TV.
Hungry G-man? Have some water. Want a beer? Drink some water.
I'm sort of a modern-day hunger/gatherer. When I'm hungry I have to go hunt for a Carl's Jr. and gather in a Western cheeseburger. And I don't make it large (not because I don't want the big fries, but again, I'm cheap, and a large drink won't fit in the cupholder of my truck).
So, the couch potato water diet won't get me too far. But in the mean time I'm finding out that poverty does have its privileges.
By the time I'm homeless I ought to be looking pretty hot! The chicks in the shelter better look out.
Diet
Monday, February 21, 2005
Dinner with a friend
I had dinner Saturday night with an old friend from home. M and I were a couple of years apart in high school. Her step-brother was my best friend from second grade through college, so after M's mom and A's dad got married, A and M and their siblings and I ended up spending a lot of time together.
But I had forgotten most of the details of those days until a few months ago, when M and I got back in touch after many years without any contact. In fact the last time I saw her was probably at her wedding. Now M and I live far from the little town where we grew up, but we find ourselves only about 60 miles apart here. Thanks to her twin sister, we got back in touch over the summer, and have tried to make a point of getting together every couple of months or so, as our schedules permit.
But I had forgotten most of the details of those days until a few months ago, when M and I got back in touch after many years without any contact. In fact the last time I saw her was probably at her wedding. Now M and I live far from the little town where we grew up, but we find ourselves only about 60 miles apart here. Thanks to her twin sister, we got back in touch over the summer, and have tried to make a point of getting together every couple of months or so, as our schedules permit.
M's husband is an officer in the Marine Corps and currently deployed in Iraq. But he is due to come home soon, which is great. He is being promoted to a higher rank and being reassigned to another base after his return. So our opportunities to get together may be nearing an end in a few months.
We had a nice dinner and listened to a Latin jazz quintet at this little place in downtown Palm Springs called The Deck.
The band leader, Bob DeSena, was a trip. DeSena is an accomplished and talented musician, playing the vibes, trumpet and flugelhorn. Watching him perform was also part of the show. He would sing and dance around the room, flashing his diamond-encrusted pinky ring, when he wasn't pounding away on the vibraphone or blowing one of his horns. It was like a parody of a Vegas lounge act. His flamboyant antics were contrasted by the other 4 musicians he played with, who were inexpressive, like they had all taken a dip in the Quaalude pool before the show.
Our dinner table was right in front of the left edge of the little stage, so DeSena made several trips to our table. I thought a couple of times DeSena would trip during his dance spin and sprawl out over our table. Either that or DeSena would take M by the hand and try to get her to dance with him. She had a similar fear, plotting an escape route if DeSena got too friendly.
But the music and the food were good. The Deck is one of my favorite restaurant/bars in the area, with lots of charm. Although the waiter seemed to want to make sure we didn't have too much to drink, because once we finished our meal, we never saw him at our table again. I guess that's one way to keep patrons from being too drunk to drive.
In between the music sets, M and I got lots of opportunities to talk and had a very nice chat on the way back to our respective cars. It's very special to rediscover a friendship suspended for 15 years. I haven't laughed so much in a long time, and I've been reminded of things and people long lost to the cluttered cobwebs of time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)