I typically grocery shop at odd hours, only because I detest bobbing and weaving throughout the store during the "prime time" shopping hours. At one point, I was running into patients when shopping prime time, who would either be embarrassed by their cart, or ask me about each item in the cart. Personally I wasnt comfortable with the air port security worthy check of my grocery cart. Today, my shopping was deterred by someone who seemed to need the EXACT foods I did, at the EXACT same time. We first met up in the canned soup aisle. It started with the preliminary, "Oh, excuse me, so sorry" on my part, and a cold stare from her. We met up again when she was blocking the chicken breasts. I stood there while she carefully inspected each package, feining interest in the ground turkey that was on sale. I couldnt figure out why the packages were all puffed out and thought to myself "botulism", which didnt apply but steered me in another ground meat direction.
I ran two ailes over in an attempt to avoid her, but found that she circumvented the chip and paper good aisle herself. We met up at the lean cuisines, which were on sale. I got there first, but that didnt stop her. Our carts were paralell, I was hoping she wouldnt put her choices in my cart, or my in hers. My husband recently gave me the A'OKay on the lean cuisine paninis so my marraige could have been in jeopardy. I went across to the breakfast sausage and pancakes, she followed.
"Does she know Im a dietitian?" I thought, only because I felt like I was going to be exposed for my poor food choices.
"Seriously, It's for my son!" I practiced.
We hit the dairy lane together, I veered off the get 4 jars of peanutbutter, but we had a show down at the yogurts.
Thankfully, she was a yoplait lite and I was a yoplait whipped.
We parted after dairy. I can only think that she was having a very crappy day, because all in all, it was rather funny and she didnt crack a smile.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Dichotomy of pop tarts
Poptarts have gone to the next level.
Consistent with our short attention span, our taste buds have followed suit. I was watching TV recently, and God knows it must have been a kids channel, only to learn that one pop tart comes in two flavors.
Why is that?
Eating a poptart I find is a fast, fast chore. I always promise myself that I WILL ONLY EAT ONE SIDE. I eat that side and realize Im still hungry.
Mentally, I banter. 200 cals for one poptart, but the silver package holds two. Im still hungry.
400 calories it is.
In a great attempt at gaining the market share of those who need constant change, even at the taste bud level, you can now get two poptart flavors on one side.
Frankly, the crust takes up too much space, and there isnt much left for the delicious center.
I ask, is this a ploy so that we eat more?
Consistent with our short attention span, our taste buds have followed suit. I was watching TV recently, and God knows it must have been a kids channel, only to learn that one pop tart comes in two flavors.
Why is that?
Eating a poptart I find is a fast, fast chore. I always promise myself that I WILL ONLY EAT ONE SIDE. I eat that side and realize Im still hungry.
Mentally, I banter. 200 cals for one poptart, but the silver package holds two. Im still hungry.
400 calories it is.
In a great attempt at gaining the market share of those who need constant change, even at the taste bud level, you can now get two poptart flavors on one side.
Frankly, the crust takes up too much space, and there isnt much left for the delicious center.
I ask, is this a ploy so that we eat more?
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Stall-i-Quette
Today I had the most bizzare experience, having to do with going to the bathroom. Its not gross, or dirty, it was just plain odd.
Sure, I have chatted amicably with my pals in adjacent stalls at a club or restaurant. Heck, I have even asked emergently for a sqaure of paper from my stall-neighbor in a time of need. In reality, the bathroom is my personal space. Though in the past, and even currently, my personal space has been invaded by a plethera of animals who feel the need to reciprocate my standing by when they eliminate, I still prefer to go it alone.
After a large Lipton Ice tea, I found I needed to visit the restroom. Bathroom breaks for me are sometimes tricky. My patients are scheduled closely, and a no show is a rarity. Hoping to seize the opportunity, I jaunted out the door. On my way, I ran into a fellow employee who was walking somewhere. We started chatting about the goings on in the hallway, you know, lack of a waiting room, hot climate, where'd ya get the skirt,blah blah blah. I opened the door to the ladies room. she followed me in. She kept talking.
I couldnt bring myself to enter the stall.
She got a paper towel for some random reason.
I couldnt bring myself to enter the stall.
Seriously, this stranger was going on and on, and I was suppose to go to the bathroom, continue talking and listening. NO WAY.
I did what anyone else would probably do.
Crossed my legs and left, waited it out.
It makes me wonder if there are rules for the stall.
Sure, I have chatted amicably with my pals in adjacent stalls at a club or restaurant. Heck, I have even asked emergently for a sqaure of paper from my stall-neighbor in a time of need. In reality, the bathroom is my personal space. Though in the past, and even currently, my personal space has been invaded by a plethera of animals who feel the need to reciprocate my standing by when they eliminate, I still prefer to go it alone.
After a large Lipton Ice tea, I found I needed to visit the restroom. Bathroom breaks for me are sometimes tricky. My patients are scheduled closely, and a no show is a rarity. Hoping to seize the opportunity, I jaunted out the door. On my way, I ran into a fellow employee who was walking somewhere. We started chatting about the goings on in the hallway, you know, lack of a waiting room, hot climate, where'd ya get the skirt,blah blah blah. I opened the door to the ladies room. she followed me in. She kept talking.
I couldnt bring myself to enter the stall.
She got a paper towel for some random reason.
I couldnt bring myself to enter the stall.
Seriously, this stranger was going on and on, and I was suppose to go to the bathroom, continue talking and listening. NO WAY.
I did what anyone else would probably do.
Crossed my legs and left, waited it out.
It makes me wonder if there are rules for the stall.
After the chew...
Last night, a new protein bar came available for sampling. Looked good, smelled good, there was hope. One of the girls tried it and declared, "It tastes good". I looked at the little bits of fudge with a rare skepticism. I don't always doubt, I'm a glass half full gal, but the reality was that I have been burned by protein bars.
"Just wait till after the chew. "I said.
Though they laughed, and noted that it actually tasted pretty darn good after the chew. Though that was a rarity, I thought about how much in life relates to that one concept.
Many of my patients talk about how they feel after surgery when they put a favorite food in their mouth, knowing that they are rebelling, and relishing the taste for only a second. It goes down the wrong way, or it doesnt settle right, and sometimes, it doesnt taste as good as imagined. Surgery makes life look good.
"You are thinner, you can move, your diabetes, high blood pressure, hich cholesterol, (etc) goes away." I hear them proclaim. There is still work to be done, its not magical.
Just like our head tells us how yummy that little fudge protein bar is going to taste, it tells us other things.
"dont worry about exercise, look at all the weight you are losing"
"Just a little piece of cake is no big deal, you wont get that sick"
"You are so busy, you dont have time to eat healthy, whats a little fast food once and awhile going to do"
Half of the battle, though I really feel like its more like 75%, is working with the brain.
That same brain has the ability to rationalize anything.
Sometimes food, and life for that matter, isnt as good as after the chew.
"Just wait till after the chew. "I said.
Though they laughed, and noted that it actually tasted pretty darn good after the chew. Though that was a rarity, I thought about how much in life relates to that one concept.
Many of my patients talk about how they feel after surgery when they put a favorite food in their mouth, knowing that they are rebelling, and relishing the taste for only a second. It goes down the wrong way, or it doesnt settle right, and sometimes, it doesnt taste as good as imagined. Surgery makes life look good.
"You are thinner, you can move, your diabetes, high blood pressure, hich cholesterol, (etc) goes away." I hear them proclaim. There is still work to be done, its not magical.
Just like our head tells us how yummy that little fudge protein bar is going to taste, it tells us other things.
"dont worry about exercise, look at all the weight you are losing"
"Just a little piece of cake is no big deal, you wont get that sick"
"You are so busy, you dont have time to eat healthy, whats a little fast food once and awhile going to do"
Half of the battle, though I really feel like its more like 75%, is working with the brain.
That same brain has the ability to rationalize anything.
Sometimes food, and life for that matter, isnt as good as after the chew.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Underestimating
Its hard to estimate the importance of a friend and to evaluate how supportive you are as a person. As we get older, we are more self centered, almost twice shy because we have experienced the hurt from relationships gone wrong. As a caregiver, I need to evaluate what I put out there, and how I respond because its truly difficult and almost a chore, to be unbiased.
Backing off from being supportive to someone can mean they relapse, or stop caring. It can also mean that you were too far in to begin with, over your head. Giving too much initial support can lead to the false sense of security on others part.
I recently recieved an email from a physician asking me to call someone and/or squeeze them in. It is so important to me to be supportive to both the patient and the physician, but it wasnt my client to begin with. Normally I would have jumped on the phone, calling this person up on my day off, but this has happened a lot recently, and I dont work full time. I backed off. I became more self centered. My reasoning was not because I didn want to help, on the contrary, I did. But continuously fixing situations on the surface lends to a slower realization of what needs to be changed. By helping out and answering emails at any given time on any given day, I was happy to be that person who fixed situations, who saved the day. The reality was not so, I am the sweeper. I now understand how I underestimated support.
Backing off from being supportive to someone can mean they relapse, or stop caring. It can also mean that you were too far in to begin with, over your head. Giving too much initial support can lead to the false sense of security on others part.
I recently recieved an email from a physician asking me to call someone and/or squeeze them in. It is so important to me to be supportive to both the patient and the physician, but it wasnt my client to begin with. Normally I would have jumped on the phone, calling this person up on my day off, but this has happened a lot recently, and I dont work full time. I backed off. I became more self centered. My reasoning was not because I didn want to help, on the contrary, I did. But continuously fixing situations on the surface lends to a slower realization of what needs to be changed. By helping out and answering emails at any given time on any given day, I was happy to be that person who fixed situations, who saved the day. The reality was not so, I am the sweeper. I now understand how I underestimated support.
Precarious
In some instances, its not easy to know what to do. Actually, in many instances. Asked to write a letter to a nineteen year old in drug rehab, I was perplexed. I thought about the cheerleader approach, the rah rah, happy thoughts, you can do it letter, but I backed off.
Face it, Everyone's life sucks once and awhile and you just get through it.
We exit college with these phenomenal dreams and expectations. Good job, great future, edgy life sipping martini's at a trendy bar. Reality hits, and we are mired in mediocrity, faced with daily challenges to stay afloat, that sinking feeling when the bills start coming in. Sure, its easy to numb yourself, to look around for validation and think everyone is in the same situation. Its just hard to get out.
I wrote the letter. 5 pages in fact. I thought carefully about what I was going to write, but ended up just writing about life and how I felt. About how you expect life to be one way, but realize it's fluid, and goes another. We all feel like crap once and while, but just get through the big changes in life with some sort of inner confidence. Thinking too hard brings the realization that you are a poser.
Yeah, it all sucks now, but you have to go through the bumpy parts to appreciate the rest of your life. All the experience brings you to a point where you are finally happy with who you end up being in life. You just breathe it in, and appreciate it.
I know the chances are slim that a nineteen year old stays completely off drugs, because it is easier to numb yourself.
All I can do is hope, because it certainly is a precarious position for someone to be in.
Face it, Everyone's life sucks once and awhile and you just get through it.
We exit college with these phenomenal dreams and expectations. Good job, great future, edgy life sipping martini's at a trendy bar. Reality hits, and we are mired in mediocrity, faced with daily challenges to stay afloat, that sinking feeling when the bills start coming in. Sure, its easy to numb yourself, to look around for validation and think everyone is in the same situation. Its just hard to get out.
I wrote the letter. 5 pages in fact. I thought carefully about what I was going to write, but ended up just writing about life and how I felt. About how you expect life to be one way, but realize it's fluid, and goes another. We all feel like crap once and while, but just get through the big changes in life with some sort of inner confidence. Thinking too hard brings the realization that you are a poser.
Yeah, it all sucks now, but you have to go through the bumpy parts to appreciate the rest of your life. All the experience brings you to a point where you are finally happy with who you end up being in life. You just breathe it in, and appreciate it.
I know the chances are slim that a nineteen year old stays completely off drugs, because it is easier to numb yourself.
All I can do is hope, because it certainly is a precarious position for someone to be in.
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