Posts Tagged ‘health’

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From the land of Bankart repair with love. #notreally

May 7, 2013

Truth: I hate physical therapy. I’m probably going to hear from everybody I’ve ever known who is related to, married to, thought about becoming a PT. I like my PT. He’s quirky. I’m quirky. It’s a good fit. He makes his own beer and apparently made some huge tap/kegging system in the basement of his house.

PT is the test of patience. I’m not patient. I’m beyond not patient. I’m like I had surgery 3 weeks ago and why can’t my shoulder be normal now not patient. (Never mind it took a solid 90 minutes for the surgeon to clean OUT the debris before he could repair the labral tear). I’m frustrated and bored.

There is a downside for taking those mid-day appointments. I’m surrounded by the Real Housewives Of crowd and people old(er) than my grandmother. I was laying there letting my pt stretch my shoulder in the limits and one of his other patients came in and was waiting with her ankle encased in a heat pack. I wasn’t talking and trying to remember that key idea of exhaling on the stretch and he asked her how she was because I sure as hell wasn’t in the mood to talk.

PT: How was it last week after you left.
ROP (random old person): Well, I had a touch of food poisoning from something. And then, let me think, on Friday I had a root canal. Oh, and yesterday was the worst I
PT: (obvious this was not the right answer). Uh, xxxx, when I say how was it after last week, I’m talking just about your ankle.
ROP: Oh, my ankle? It’s fine. I just am having issues with (something even I won’t put on a blog).

Ok, I *get* that when you drop a few anchors in to the labrum, the not so patient patient has to wait for the anchor to secure to the bone. I get that I’m wildly lucky that the swelling has decreased a ton and there is more and more passive range. I’m somewhat twisted in that I’m happy that I get to line up an excercise ball that has Dora’s face on it and give her a few black eyes. I’d prefer Barney but apparently those kept disappearing.

I have no patience. I leave my 2x pt sessions frustrated because although the guy next to me who is 16 weeks out his Bankart repair was telling me the progress ramp and I can ‘see’ I’m on target (which for shoulders is the key . . . there isn’t an acceleration curve) and he’s there one day a week the same time as me. I get the creaking is normal. It doesn’t hurt it’s just sort of unnerving.

The little steps of using the arm bike with my left arm (holding on only with my right arm) is progress. I’m on a short(er than normal in PT) fuse. I wanted to rip the cell phone out of the hands of a scantily clad ring heavy enough to break a finger trophy wife of the metro-west. I get you are busy and have to take child to-from some random event. But I don’t need to hear about it. Text. Or better yet: that sign that says “do not use cell phones in treatment areas” follow it. (Her PT corralled her drama).

As much as I enjoyed the conversation with the guy who had a similar surgery, he’s facing two more months of PT. I wanted to cry. That’s my life right now. PT, ice, walking around the neighborhood if the shoulder is ok enough, icing. I don’t think I realized how much my non-dominant shoulder is involved in so much of what I do on a daily basis.

And I keep telling myself: Bankart’s are 6 months to return to pre-surgery. One month (almost) down; 5 to go.

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Posted in Shoulder | Leave a Comment »

52 ideas for 2013

December 31, 2012

Some will take 5 minutes, some a few months. . . . just a list of random things I thought I’d try to do in 2013.

1) Polar Bear Plunge
2) Read 50 Shades of Gray
3) Read Team of Rivals
4) Read In the Garden of Beasts
5) Read Fall of Giants
6) Read The Great Influenza
7) Read Book #6 (Title: TBD)
8) Read Book #7 (Title: TBD)
9) Read Book #8 (Title: TBD)
10) Read Book #9 (Title: TBD)
11) Read Book #10 (Title: TBD)
12) Read Book #11 (Title TBD)
13) Read Book #12 (Title TBD)
14) Participate in the SNAP challenge (one week, $25 all 7 days)
15) Run a 5K
16) Write a letter instead of shooting a long email
17) Walk the Freedom Trail
18) Go to a Red Sox/Yankees game
19) Participate in the USPS 3K challenge
20) Unplug from social media for a week.
21) Walk, run, jog 500 miles (I mean, I’ve got a YEAR)
22) Go to Walden Pond. (Such a bad local tourist)
23) Get over my fear of needles and go to the dentist
24) Take a yoga class
25) Volunteer 50 hours
26) Go to Northern California
27) Go to New Orleans
28) Go to Puerto Rico
29) Learn to cook tamales
30) Make an intentional collage
31) Go vegetarian for a week
32) Menu plan for a week . . . and follow it!
33) Bike 1000 miles (see the I’ve got a year note)
34) Walk away from an argument
35) Work a 44 hour week
36) Make sure all that dang adult paperwork is taken care of
37) Pay off the remaining credit card debt
38) Go to the MFA once a month
39) Go to NYC just to go to MOOD!
40) Walk the Freedom Trail
41) Prehab my shoulder in an attempt to avoid surgery
42) Organize guest room
43) Organize kitchen
44) Find new homes for orphaned socks.
45) Start to learn Spanish.
46) Finish my holiday shopping by October.
47) Hollins Hanukah II
48) Journal more
49) Sending my 2012 Christmas cards by oh, St. Patrick’s Day.
50) Go fall camping
51) Take a fun class at one of the zillion extension centers
52) Try to be more zen.

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Posted in Popular Culture, Reflections | 3 Comments »

Resolutions and other nonsense

December 29, 2011

I’m not into New Year’s Resolutions – mostly because there seems to be a lack of creativity “I’m going to go to the gym every day” or “I’m going to quit smoking”.  A blog post circulated today about the UU church working on a wider justice, spiritual formation, more inclusive in its cohesiveness in the discipline of discussion.  Look, if I go to the gym every day, maybe it will help other members of my health insurance company (I mean, I’d probably be healthier and not spend as many health care dollars and all).  And no, I don’t smoke.  But, for me, many of the New Year’s Resolutions (like giving up things for Lent) have a self-serving motive.

The past year has, to me anyway, seemed to further create an us versus them divide.  99% vs 1%, Congress versus each other versus the American people, a complete and total increase in rising tensions: if you have a job, the insane competitiveness to prove why you should keep it, over and over.  It’s draining.  Maybe that has always been adulthood (how the hell would I know? I do know we have an amazing ability to glamorize and romanticize the past).

I think somewhere in the back of my head, I’ve always had this notion that people create resolutions on New Year’s Day after making a promise their higher power to never do anything like that again as long as they live.  Ok, that is probably my twisted humor after spending a few too many semesters at the overly politically correct institute of graduate theological education.  That and I’m a jackass.

This year, I decided to make a bucket list of some strange goals, some normal goals and a few I really have little control over.  If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t and I tried, well, ok.  I’m not going to involve going to the gym in this list.

1) Purchase as many items as I can from locally sourced suppliers.  Some things are out: cat food! Jackson only eats one type and I’m not about to go through changing the food of a 14-year-old fur beast.

2) Less trash tv; more books.  Ideally, I’d like to read 3 books a week.  Some fun, some more thought-provoking.

3) Have a job with benefits.  While I’m grateful for my temp job for the past 7 months, I’d really like to drop the 100% payment of my health insurance.

4) Write actual letters to my friends.  You know, the types with stamps.

5) Be more creative in my cooking.  I can make a killer potato soup but maybe expand out my culinary skills.

6) Give up on the fact that on opening day, I am 100% convinced the Cubs will not make the World Series.  I’m trying reverse karmic psychology on this: work with me.

7) Plug my ears and shout la-la-la-la when anybody equates my dislike of President Obama as being racist.  I don’t like how he has governed: I’m sure he’s a nice guy for a south sider but I’ve not been impressed with his presidency.  I think he was set up from the start as many thought he was the second coming of Kennedy or Christ depending on who you spoke to about the topic.  I didn’t like him in the primary, still don’t.  Of course, my standard for POTUS is either LBJ or Andrew Jackson depending on my mood.

8) Make the decision to redo the condo or sell.

9) Buy new storm windows.

10) Buy a hair dryer. It’s been on my to do list for 5 years. I only remember it the first really cold snap.

11) Go to NOLA this year.

12) Resist all temptations to dress up Laffite as clown for Halloween.

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Posted in Condo, Cooking, CSA, Health Care, Politics, Popular Culture, Reflections | 2 Comments »

For Charlotte’s parents.

December 17, 2011

Friends of mine had the most adorable baby a week ago.  She was born a bit early and with more than her fair share of complications and is currently in a NICU.  A long time ago, I decided NICU nurses are like chemo nurses.  They balance pragmatism with hope, and can steel emotions enough to do the hard things while maintaining enough compassion to remember the patient and his/her family.

When I heard my friends’ baby was going to the NICU in a different hospital, I remembered my family’s tour(s) of the NICUs.  Nieces 2 and 3 were born way too early and enjoyed 2 helicopter rides, some very scary moments and while short by NICU stays, a long stay in the hospital.  Luckily, they were never in different hospitals but they did come home separately.  Nephew #3 apparently wanted to join the other two in this adventure – but he skipped the hospital ride and didn’t get a long stay: just enough to freak out his parents.  My family is lucky: all 3 are fine – if not downright ornery this time of year.

I started hearing what people were saying to my friends: about medicine coming a long way, about how the time would pass quickly, about how everything is going to be ok.  I’ve never been pregnant, the closest I’ve come to parenting is the rare times my sister let’s me watch a child or the cats.  I’m pretty clueless about how to care for an infant.  Putting a sleeper on a baby terrifies me: I’m afraid I’ll break his/her shoulder!

Ok, some NICU tours are more normal than others jaundice lights for example.  But saying to a parent that “you’d do the same thing at home” (watch your baby) as in the NICU is asinine.  At home, you can hold your baby at will, you can be a family.  In the NICU, you move to the rhythm of the hospital.  You can hold your child when allowed, sometimes see your child only at certain times, and let’s face it, very few of us are used to the sounds of alarms and noises.

As a friend, sibling, co-worker, you don’t know what to say.  There is the deep part of us that wants to say “your baby will be fine” but we don’t know this: there isn’t a promise with any birth.  Watching small improvements via pictures can bring smiles but are only the smallest of exhales that the parents may feel.  We don’t have to live in the fear of the phone ringing about our newborn.  We don’t have to live in the yo-yo of a NICU where guilt of a child becoming healthy can creep in as we watch other new parents join the NICU family or facing other families watch a baby loose his/her battle.

What we can offer our friends and family is love: an open phone line, gift cards for meals, and the mocking we’d do during our relationship (i.e. #newdadsarefunny).  We can offer a place of normalcy where we can let those we care about decompress. If you can’t think of something to say, simply say, that.  Or let your friends know that every emotion they feel is valid, authentic and acceptable.

But most of all, please don’t say something stupid.  Please don’t say this is part of some plan: it is hell.  It is hell for the people brought this baby into the world and all who love the family.  And Charlotte, you will look fantastic in orange.

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Posted in People, Reflections | 3 Comments »

Eating Local in Winter

November 19, 2011

For November . . . .

I stumbled upon the Shared Harvest CSA earlier this fall and found it to be a perfect addition to the summer canning madness (and it was madness, but I have to admit that even I find a bit of self-satisfaction with that pop of a jar I’ve canned. . . . ).  Yes, I found another slightly bat shit insane challenge to partake in (it keeps me creative in the kitchen and when you’re cooking for one …) during the winter.

Is buying 100% local the most economical: no.  Is it something I can realistically do.  No.  I’m not 100% committed to giving up citrus and avocados and those don’t grow IN New England.  Plus throw in the allergy to shellfish (only our most common protein) and a gluten-free diet, it’s not feasible.  I’m not going to rant (at least today) about the benefits of local economies, see the Occupy Wall Street stuff for that (although I could probably make a more coherent argument for the benefits of local foods, industry than some of that mess) debate.

There is a challenge floating about on the web, Dark Days of Winter Challenge, that is about one meal a week that is S.O.L.E (Sustainable, Organic, Local, Ethical).  Will it be a challenge, yes, maybe? There are a few farmer’s markets in the winter (Wayland, Somerville, Winchester), plus the Mass Local Food Co-op.  The challenge will be finding the flavors, getting over my unrealistic fear of kale.  I’m going to try for 2 days a week for a few reasons.  First, I’m cooking for one so I don’t have to worry about kids and flavors.  Second, I did a ton of canning/freezing this summer.  Third, there is something inventive about cooking.  I cook on the fly.  While that will be possible, it will be a bit harder. And fourth, while we don’t have a long growing season here … we do have dairy.  Yup, I’ve already stalked out my local ice cream source.  Isn’t that all I really need to survive? It will be an adventure and I promise to try to post pics and recipes.

Up for tonight? Roasted potatoes, onions, carrots from the Shared Harvest CSA and round steak from my favorite place in the world, 8′Oclock Ranch  (seriously, if you are in their CSA delivery area? What are you waiting for? SIGN UP!).

And given the 3 bushels of apples?? Expect a few more canning adventure tales. . . .

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Posted in Cooking, CSA, Dark Days Challenge, Gluten Free | 3 Comments »

And remember to chew your food: Day 22

September 5, 2011

“Eat slowly. If you cram your food down your throat, you are not only  missing out on the great taste of the food, you are not eating healthy. Slow
down to lose weight, improve digestion, and enjoy life more.”

Eh, not so sure on the back half: there are some leaps of logic as in “if i slowly eat a big mac, you are saying that is better than scarfing watermelon?” floating around in my mind.  This is one that I *try* to follow.  I’m good at it about none of the time.  Breakfast: a Luna bar and caffeine in the car as I listen to NPR if I’m good. Coffee if I’m bad.  Breakfast is always *in* the car.  I’ve improved in the fact that it’s no longer a drive thru breakfast.  Lunch … um. Yeah. It’s either a repeat of breakfast, something I’ve thrown together the night before or something that looks vaguely like food from the cafeteria at work.  Dinner … um.  Ok, I’m in serious need here.  While I like to COOK (more like I like the smell of cooking food), when it comes to sitting down and eating a meal? Like at a table? Well, I’m horrific.

My parents gave me a kitchen table a few years ago.  It was my first one.  I wish I could say I was 20. . . no where close.  My cat found it to be a launching pad.  True story, the first time he *saw* a table it was while visiting my parents ten years ago.  He jumped on it in the middle of dinner.  My parents flipped: I sorta explained he’d never seen one.  Jackson still thinks the kitchen table is a perfect winter sun spot (I see evidence of Jackson ON the table, never have been able to catch him).

The bad thing in all of this? I’m picky about my food: I am a huge fan of the slow food movement.  I am a member of a local food co-op, a meat CSA (LOVE 8 O’clock Ranch!) and a fruit/veggie CSA (Nourse Farm).  Where do I fail: In taking the time to enjoy my meal.  To savor the textures and tastes, to remember that even if I *made* the pickles, eating them for dinner is probably not the best dinner on the planet.

I’m not even going to try to make excuses on this one.  I simply fail at doing this.  It is something I need to work on, to learn how to enjoy and savor a meal.  But really? I have made huge improvements on not eating in the car.

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Posted in 72 Ideas in 72 Days Project, CSA | 1 Comment »

And I’ll just blame Wal-Mart . . . .

August 10, 2011

Yick, what a week! One of my friends on Saturday said something about Mercury being in retrograde; I’ll stick to something more simplistic.  I broke all rules of my life and stepped into Wal-Mart.  I should probably be a bit more specific: I transferred a prescription to the local scare-mart because they were open and I was desperate.  When I refilled it on Monday … yup, I forgot to transfer it back to my normal pharmacy.  Normally, I’d just kick myself but on this locavore challenge, I realized a few random things.  I DESPISE Wal-Mart (Look, it’s CHEAP! Yup. And the system of one stop shopping is wrecking havoc on local economies!)  – just entering into one out of oversight irked me.

My locavore challenge for the week wound up ok . . .not 100%.  The easy way out is to blame the 48 hour migraine.  Monday, I found myself ditching into a chain drive thru for breakfast. I felt horrific, the thought of cooking exhausted me and I knew I had to eat.  I picked the ease of a drive thru.  Everything became worse as for lunch, I grabbed something out of the cafeteria.  Ugh. After Monday, I manage to keep myself on track.

Lessons learned: sometimes, the convenance factor has to work.  I know that cooking when sick I a disaster for me.  What I need to do for next time? Make some “frozen” dinners to grab and go.  I also need to remember to stay hydrated during the weekend.  For some reason, I can do so at work … at home? Much harder.

The benefits of the week?  Found a local corn festival at Wilson Farm (a bushel of corn frozen!), grabbed TexMex at Three Amigos (normally, I would have hit a drive thru!) on my way to the opening of the new space for my favorite reflexology place, The Barefoot Dragonfly.  Normally after a morning at the office, followed by running errands and fun, I’d grab and go.  This weekend, I found myself being intentional.  It’s easy to hit a chain or a box store. It’s harder to find as local as possible food/establishments to find what I need.  I have found myself spending less money (probably less impulse purchases) but/and having to plan out what errands I need to run to minimize back tracking and needless time in the car (a pet peeve).  A side bonus? I’m not really missing my afternoon Kit-Kat bar.

The key for this challenge for me is planning (and a skill I lack in the getting myself together and out the door department).  Next week will be a challenge.  I’m headed to NoVa for the weekend so I’ve got to figure out what I can do for food next week since I’ll loose my cooking time.  I’ve suggested a few restaurants for the people I’m visiting to I can stay local inside the beltway.

Still, I’m blaming my slip-up on the fact I stepped into a Wal-Mart a few weeks ago.  I’ve already switched the prescription back!

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Posted in Cooking, CSA | 1 Comment »

A snarky start to the week.

August 2, 2011

Ugh. What a Monday.  The only good thing in my book was watching Rep. Giffords return to the House floor.  Who’d have thought it?

On the half full side … I did manage to remember to bring my lunch to work (yeah!), where I discovered I had a bag of oh so precious Resse’s Peanut Butter cups (score, solves the chocolate problem).  Unfortunately, by 8:30, my day had pretty much been tanked.

Granted, Monday and I are not the best of friends, but yesterday, I had a 7:15 physical therapy appointment.  Already feeling snarky over not getting to see my PT, and because of this whack-a-doodle contract I’m working, I was forced to use a location close to my temporary office that has hours from 7-7 and is affiliated with a major teaching hospital.  15 minutes into the evaluation with the new PT, I made the decision I’d ride out this prescription with her and not return.  Yup, it was that bad.  My number one pet peeve of anybody (but especially those working in the health care professions) is not listening/not reading the chart.  She didn’t do either.

Your doctor writes a prescription for physical therapy.  Most scripts are simply the impacted joint with treat/eval.  My ortho wrote a detailed script: I have a complicated ortho history (usually 28 ortho surgeries indicate that …) and he wanted specific modalities as well as more extensive treatment than a simple ankle/knee one.  At one point, out of sheer exasperation, I said, uh, it’s on the script.  She asked me what I was doing to alleviate some of the symptoms: I went through a detailed list of PT excercises that I do daily.  She then printed off the same exercises substituting a tennis ball for a racquetball for the plantar  and told me I needed to loose weight (thanks).  I was mildly irked: first appointment, yet to check range of motion, strength, laxity and she is giving me (the same) exercises as homework.  I had yet to take off my shoes.

Part of me was just laughing: the other part was livid.  She then told me I was sitting wrong.  My hip was flexed past 90 degrees.  I said, truthfully, my surgeon has seen me sit like that and he is ok with it.  She pulls out her measuring device (don’t ask me to spell goniometer) and says see, you are past 90 degrees. I was at 91.  I still had my shoes on.  35 minutes into this painfully slow ordeal that made me wish for even a student (and I checked – she has been at this facility since ’89), she finally gets around to examining me, you know, seeing what is wrong.  (Note: patients really don’t like FILLING out forms only to have you not read them).  I heard I had my last hip revision done at the wrong hospital (Hi, you don’t know *who* did the surgery, and he is one of the top 10 in the country), that I didn’t have plantar fasiciitis (um, ok, 2 mri’s noted it, plus the huge tightness on the ball of my foot, I have a high pain tolerance and the point of tenderness is in an atypical place), and why did I have knee surgery (read the surgical history: you’d see ACL repair).

Finally, I was asked what was bothering me: Tightness from the bottom of my hamstring to the ball of my foot because I can’t get my right leg into full extension.  My two orthos agree this is an issue: that probably isn’t skeletal but muscular and the best course it to try intensive PT before doing releases of tendons/muscles.  She looks at me and says “there isn’t a different in your leg length, your pelvis is even”.  Head:desk.  I demonstrated.

After more back and forth she asks about my insurance: I tell her.  She says “oh, I can’t treat you.” For real? I have 45 visits a year left (I used 15 when I strained my shoulder).  Apparently she needs to get authorization and why didn’t I tell them this when I called.  At my limit (which actually takes a bit with health care providers), I said “Nobody asked.”  She launches into a tirade of now she would have to do work to get authorizations.  Ok, look, I get medicine has become a paperwork nirvana.  I also know that a well written (probably an issue) evaluation will generate approvals.  I also know that because of the screwed up system, I can’t take my prescription back and get a new PT because it’s a double evaluation.

My hope is that she is a better practitioner than evaluator.  But after finding where she wrote on my heel cord with green ink? I’m not so sure.

I know I’m picky about my health care. I know that I have a complicated history.  It’s why I’ve found away to pay close to 6K a year for my health insurance.  I know there are a ton of good health care providers out there: and for all I know, she might be an excellent PT.  But I also know that if a provider doesn’t appear to be paying attention, I question his/her ability to practice.  And I also know, that telling somebody she can’t be treated is not the best way to start a relationship.  For all she knew, I could have paid out-of-pocket.  I also know, I’m not interested in hearing about the stresses of your job: I’ve got my own and we aren’t friends.  And it would have also been nice for you to ask my name.

(off soap box)

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Posted in Health Care | Leave a Comment »

The first temptation

July 31, 2011

As many foodies know, Wylie Dufresne is a notorious, self-proclaimed “egg slut”.  Me? I’m a mashed potatoes slut. I order them on menus, silently critique them in my head and think ooooh.  The adventure of ‘no grocery store for a month’ based on my need for mashed potatoes began with a vexing temptation.  First, I forgot to put sour cream on my list of foods. Luckily, a friend pointed out that yoghurt could be brought over. Perfect.  I had yoghurt.  Failure: it was French Vanilla.  Habit, right? French Vanilla yoghurt combined with potatoes? Yuck.

A friend pointed out that it wasn’t 8/1 yet so I could still go to the grocery store. Tempting. Ok, I gave into that idea. I showered, got into my car and thought “what is the point of this?” Finding ways around? Yes. But not *this* way.  The way around is substitutions, using what is local and a host of other things.  I left my car, cut up my potatoes and figured if McGuyver could make a bomb out of a potato, I could mash them without tossing in sour cream (trust me on this, it’s amazing).  Butter. Hmm. Worked. A bit of horseradish, a dash of BBQ  sauce better.  Parama cheese. Perfect.

Now, I realize that my copy-cat plan wasn’t the best thought out: I still don’t have sour cream . . . I’m missing non-French Vanilla yoghurt and uh, chocolate.  Day one is in the books. I’m about to cook some pork chops and pack my lunch for tomorrow.  (Egg Salad minus celery, crackers and maybe I have a Luna Bar somewhere. . . ).  What I’ve learned: it’s wicked easy in this part of the world to say “oh, I need” and go and buy it from a grocery store.  It as my initial temptation: I worked around it.  Will I keep it up? Who knows.  But going into the week, I have a container of mashed potatoes and already cooked green beans from my CSA at Nourse Farm, hardboiled eggs about to become egg salad and 2 grilled pork chops from 8 O’clock ranch.  Yup.  I can probably make it until Wednesday . .  .who knows?

I also realized I boiled all my eggs. I so didn’t think this adventure all the way to the end.

Ah, survived the first temptation!

The perfect food!

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Posted in Cooking, CSA, Gluten Free | 1 Comment »

Taking a month of …. for now. The No Grocery Challenge

July 30, 2011

So, a friend of mine posted this blog a few weeks ago on Facebook (seriously, how did I live before smart phones and social networking!).  I chased a few links and found what might be one of the original blogs.  (Eh, who knows …).  The rules are pretty basic: don’t go to the grocery store except for what cannot be sourced otherwise.  There are few challenges floating about in the locavore world.  I was immediately interested and agreed to this mad cap challenge. Hey, it’s just me, right? I mean, aside from the sous chef and the prince.  And then I decided to step it up a bit.  I am keeping the basic challenge: buying everything at farmer’s markets, stands with a short exception list (below) and then only $30.  And no, I didn’t stock up on Coke Zero or ice cream!

A lot of the people involved have kids.  I can hear some people in my life now “of course it would be easy for you, you’re single.” (uh, yeah, i also have an hour commute and work roughly 50 hours a week but that is a different blog).  Yup, I live the life of a singleton.  That also means, that if I worked 12 hours that day, there is nobody I can call to say “hey, can you toss on some pasta for me” (well, that and being gluten-free also).  I’m also working for a company that is facing an audit probably in August.  ACK!  So, I know August will be insane.  So why not kick it up a step?

For August, I will not only avoid the grocery store (except the list below), I’m also skipping caffination stations.  Not giving UP caffeine (that would be a danger to others) but avoiding the fast food life style of the mornings and sometimes evenings that have fueled me during early morning commutes or late nights because I’m too lazy to cook something.  I realized how horrific my eating habits (despite some canning adventures) had become when I realized that one day I consumed (seriously) a package of pop tarts from a vending machine, some carrots and a tomato (probably a few thousand miles on those), ice cream with strawberry jam (ok, I made the jam) and 2 dill pickles. Why? It’s what I had either in the house to eat without cooking or had for the vending machine. Seriously.

When the challenge was posted, I realized hmmm. It would probably be good FOR me to do this: I despise chain stores, I try to be a locavore (but let’s face it … some mornings hash browns and coffee from Dunkin Donuts do hit the spot), I believe in local businesses well and the entire menu I listed earlier.  The thing is, to some extent this will already be easier for me than many: I buy my meat from the fantastic 8 O’clock Ranch (which probably means I’m not a locavore FOR meat but since they are a small ranch in upstate NY … I’ll stick with them), I get most of my fruits and veggies from Old Nourse Farm’s CSA.  My issue is more that while I’ll can/freeze food, I forget to USE that food in my I-must-eat-now mode (that and I don’t own a microwave).  So with a bit of planning, I’m going to go free from caffination stations, grocery stores, chains . . . what I do need to buy I will buy from family owned groceries.  This will be interesting.  I’m sure I won’t save money (one of the original bloggers is in Hungary. $2 wine? Ha.) The obvious benefit is breaking myself of this pop-tart diet I seem to be on!

So, with that … my August grocery list is limited to: vinegar, yoghurt (don’t tell me I can make it … epic fail), half&half, cat food (they do like to eat), salt, sugar and olive oil.  The greater adventure … figuring out what I’m going to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner now that I’m avoiding chains and the cafe at the office. If you see me, and you love me? Please hand me Diet Coke.  I’m sure I’ll need it by mid-August.

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Posted in Cooking, CSA, Gluten Free, Health Care | 3 Comments »

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