Attack of the Green Monster (and a bunch of links)

I am on vacation today- well, sitting in my living room recovering from the weekend and the passage of healthcare reform!

I just got back from Boston. I went Friday morning and got back last night. It was a great trip. I got to spend a lot of time with my sister, friends, and former home. I also got to see my nutritionist, which is always good. Here are some highlights from my trip:

1. Lunch and catching up with my former co-worker, who like me, is much happier now (She's still at the company, just made other changes in her life).
2. A walk to the Commons with old friend Matt and the cheese plate at Otherside.
3. Dinner and fancy drinks at Deep Ellum (duck confit salad, yum) followed by awesome dancing at The Pill with Katrina.
4. Banana stuffed French toast at Zaftig's with my sister Andrea.
5. Baking with Andrea- we made Rosemary Cashews and Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows. She seemed rather impressed by my new found kitchen skills, and her roommates loved both the cashews and the cookies.
6. Chili and a cask ale at The Otherside with Julia. We also had a funny walk down Boylston and enjoyed some beers and catching up after way too long at The Globe Bar.
7. Brunch and jazz with Katrina at The Beehive. And then walking down Newbury and meeting entertaining people at Best Buy.
8. An excellent appointment with my nutritionist Alexis. She really made me think about what losing 15 pounds really would mean to me and why it seems so important to do so, or why it is so scary when my clothes start to feel tighter or I realize I've gained some weight.
8. The most delicious chicken strips ever at Raising Cane's with my sister.
9. No overcrowded flights or flight delays. The US Air shuttle is awesome.

I did do other things than eat in Boston, but food always provides such a good time marker. Plus, everything I ate was delicious, and I don't feel like going into detail about all the amazing conversations and laughs I had with some of my favorite people in the whole fucking world.

I'm really glad I decided to take today off of work. It's nice to have a day to recover, and since I had been feeling really off the last few weeks, I'm hoping to use this time to get my head back on straight, my fridge restocked, and laundry done. I had also thought of going to a movie, but I think the rain may deter me from venturing too far.

I have also decided this week to try to have one green monster smoothie a day. I plan on having them in the morning, but if I'm running late, I'll fit it in later in the day. I think it's a great way to get a lot of nutrients with a bit of sweetness. I also like trying these random things out. Gives me an opportunity to experiment while working on making healthier choices. Today I made one with a bunch of spinach, 1 frozen banana, frozen mango, frozen blueberries, a bit of ground flax seed, about half a cup of vanilla rice milk, and I added a bit of mango juice because it was seeming a little thick. This is the first time I just went with what I thought might taste good and just threw it in the blender. It turned out delicious. Still thick, but I like that because it feels like a meal.

Ok. Time to be a bit more productive- but nothing too ambitious!

Kitchen gadgets and burritos

Two important things happened for me over the past couple of days. The first is I went to Target yesterday and did not feel overwhelmed or uncomfortable in the kitchen aisle. In fact it was kind of fun. Second, today after Pilates I reeeaally wanted a burrito from Chipotle. I kept trying to convince myself that the spinach salad with cornbread I had planned to make for dinner would be better, but it wasn't working. As I walked up Connecticut Ave., I got to the Chipotle and thought "Fuck it, I want a burrito." So I went in. I took two steps and then turned around and walked to the bus. When I got home, I made a spinach salad with a cut up veggie burger patty, some tomato, mushrooms, and the dressing I made the other day. I also had a piece of the corn bread I made to go with my dinner yesterday. I enjoyed my dinner. It was not as delicious as a Chipotle burrito; however, I think the pride I feel in eating something healthy and the fact that I just feel healthier makes avoiding the burrito totally ok.

If I am correct, yesterday marked the 3rd year anniversary of my first meeting with my nutritionist. Wow. Three years. It's hard to believe. I have had a lot of thoughts about it, but I'm still sorting through them, so I think they will be my next post.

Yesterday also marked the 3rd anniversary of when the City of Boston thought a bunch of lite-brites promoting the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie were IEDs. 1/31/07 Never Forget.