Accidents Happen

I have failed so beautifuly on my new years resolution. In order to realign my health, I thought it would be trying to omit meat except for fish and the likes. Three weeks into my challenge, I’ve fallen face first off the meatless wagon. I sneaked a chomp on my husband’s sopressata hero as he stepped away to grab himself a drink. He shook his head and laughed, “you know that was meat right?” I could spit in my eye.

In addition, I succeeded to fail in the “no dining out” sector. That was a given. As I clucked with my girlfriend’s at Serpentine on some juicy gossip, I ate to my heart’s content. Until, that is, I get to the homefront, Shane inquired about dinner, “You should really give it up, you can’t do it.” My husband may be precise, for once, I enjoyed delicious lamb riblets and stuffed quail, regardless of thought or restriction.

I absolutely refuse to forfeit. So what I did a couple free styling face plants, I also used to smoke two and a half packs of nicotine a day. I had to tell Angela, my BFF, and she found a healthy chuckle to my demise. She’s surprised that I’m not going through withdrawals and slowly introducing meat to my system at this point intravenously. As she is part filipino, she expressed the absurdity of my challenge. It is true, my dead ancestors would urinate on my head, if they could.

Ironically, previous to the new year I wasn’t devouring much red meat. I resigned to poultry and fish incorporated with the usual seasonal suspects of fruits and vegetables. So what was different? I could whip up a tasty meal given a minimum of ingredients. As my husband boasts, “He’s never had the same dish twice.” He’s spoiled, if you ask me.

The best thing that came out of this is that I’ve learned to be creative with dinner. My dinner preparation is shorter. Time spent with Hunter is longer. My weight on the scale is lighter. Nonetheless, Shane is going through fits of heaving as he’s being force fed wild fish and vegetables. He will axe me off when he finds out my next venture, raw meals. Never ask “why,” but “why not!”

This is Shellie taking one step at a time towards a healthy life back to you Bob at the studio!

Time and Balance

Life at the Kitchen home is a balance beam act. Happiness takes a lot more than saying, “I love you.” Taking on too much will forcibly throw us off our axis. In this existence, it’s give and take. Since Hunter, I’ve come to realize that there is not enough time in a day much less a year to accomplish my wants versus needs.

It is essential to spend time with Hunter. It is vital to share time with Shane. It is crucial to sit down during dinner. It is necessary to exercise. Most imperative is to get a full night’s rest. This is my cohesive foundation and without one, my world crumbles. Everything else is superfluous.

Because time is utmost limited, my husband and I bicker about who gets to go the gym. This only occurs in spurts when my husband finds it convenient to go to the gym, which is usually once every two weeks. I, on the otherhand, integrated exercise into my life since my decision to drop weight. Our gym provides child care, except that it’s very limited and is difficult to get in on the same day basis. Which is where my husband typically wedges his fat head.

If it came down to one of us making it to the gym, I am fair when it comes to the deciding factor such as, “What did you have for lunch?” He is automatically disqualified, if he has devoured a pile of pork fried rice, which is usually the case. That’s a “try again tomorrow” factor. I would take into consideration his portion control, but the fact is that he polishes off a pile of fried rice. Hence, he is a perfect candidate to my “absolutely not” campaign. Fortunately, if we have a reservation for kid’s club than it’s a free for all, because it all comes down to who is watching Hunter.

I am just in my decision. His practice is inconsistent when it comes to healthy. It is to our disadvantage that our metabolism has decided to take a ride in the backseat. Shane always bellows about the past, “I used to be stick thin till I hit twenty seven than it all went downhill.” What he doesn’t recognize is that gorging four slices of pizza and topping it off with a beer contributes to his non existent abs. For the record, twenty seven was eleven years ago. Deal.

Just one in many instances, of the limit on time and balance. We have continued with our life as normal with the exception of making sure to make time for ourselves. There’s all the time in the world, if you can’t find it, you “make” it. It’s easy and it works. Luckily, we have made this far and managed gleefully without scratching our eyes out . Life is grand.

This is Shellie drowning in the belly of happiness back to you Bob at the studio!

Present!

We survived 2007 without a scratch. Knock on wood. As soon as Halloween arrived, I was blasted into oblivion. I was joyously propelled between traveling to New York, chomping on holiday turkey to sipping glasses of champagne to festive parties to flying to Hawaii to welcome the new year, I’m not sure where to start! I must exclaim that I did lose a whopping fifteen pounds. I can’t believe it! My weight is the lowest it’s been in ten years and I’m still not done. Which leads to where I’ve been spending my spare time for the last three months, and it hasn’t been blogging. I’ve been sweating my bum at the gym. According to Jill, sister in law and astrology extraordinaire, Saturn is in Virgo for the next two and a half years. According to her, fellow virgos will be very health and fitness saavy. Well, whatever hoodoo voodoo is going on, it is working!

While mother’s are tiptoeing around their child’s schedule, I take mine to the child care at the gym. I’m so exhausted of the typical bay area mom…I mention mothers as dad’s really could give two you know whats…engrossed in their child’s schedule. I hear it all the time, “I can’t meet you for a stroll, because that’s when my child is napping.” Boring! Step it up and get refined. It must suck having to be confined to a schedule. Stifling, it's like they're amputees! My visit back to Hawaii only rectified my exact suspicions that urban moms are pod people. A product of body snatching.

Let's slow down and discuss my new year’s resolution. As everyone’s squirreled up about cinching their waistline, I’ve gone a different route. I’ve denounced meat for a month. That, my friends, is one tough habit to break. I celebrate meat! Meat is my best friend. I would marry meat, if I could. Along with that self infliction, I’ve cut myself off from fine dining. Vile! As I live and breath in one of the culinary jewels, I find that would be a challenge. As new and innovative restaurants (Laiola, Spruce, Conduit, Serpentine) are popping up I hold tight to the homestead. My vow also includes brunch. I can do it, I went from smoking two and a half packs of cigarettes everyday for years, hence I can do anything!

Marriage is swell. I am smitten in bliss. I’m trying not to gloat, but parenting is so much fun. Don’t let the parents with the screaming child on the floor of the grocery store fray you, motherhood is sweet. My job is the best. Have you ever worked for men? Sigh, refreshing! Life is great! Time is precious, thus it is difficult to sit down and blog when. I am very fortunate to be content. Here to a beautiful 2008!