Everybody Needs a Little Time Away

I'm in a frame of mind where I could use some down time - time to think, rest, and just be. I can't do it right now, since my Mom is here, and we have a family event this weekend. Next weekend there's an annual barbecue with friends to attend, so it won't happen then, either. Maybe I can manage an early trip to the beach one Sunday for an hour or so alone.

I'd love a real getaway - a couple of days in a quiet, beautiful place. It would be difficult to arrange an escape at this time of year without a bit of travel, since we're at the height of the tourist season, and I can't think of anyplace to go that isn't teeming with humanity. During the off season, I could probably find a quiet little B&B somewhere.

Where do you go and what do you do when you need some time alone?

Tended

Like a lover
Who comes
Late in life
Midsummer
Rouses
In my garden
Latent treasure
And elicits

In rich measure
Fiery blossoms,

Fervid pleasure

-merci

Too Stupid

Without going into great detail, I did a lot of stupid things today, some just ordinary stupid and some, well, a bit more so. Stupid does more to make you cringe, to mar your self-image, that just about anything else. The only thing that's worse than stupid is mean. I don't think I did anything out and out mean today, so there's that.

My very kind boss has already forgiven one glaring error. I guess the only thing left to do is to turn around, show up tomorrow, and be less stupid, errrrr, be brilliant, yeah, that's the ticket! Sounds like a plan. Let's see how it goes...

Spiced

Funny how your tastes change when you cut out junk food. I rarely crave sweets anymore, though I still must have a piece of chocolate from time to time. A small amount is supremely satisfying to me now.

I still want pizza about once a week – some things will never change. I have no real desire for pasta, though I still love a good sandwich. Soups and salads taste marvelous to me, and there are a lot of good diet soda options these days.

My biggest potential downfall right now is tortilla chips and salsa. I struggle to keep myself from eating the whole basket. In fact, Mexican food in general is nearly irresistible to me. There is one Mexican restaurant near my office where they serve a marvelous chicken in mole sauce. Hmmm, might have to sneak off for lunch one day this week. If I don’t eat the chips, and keep the rice to a minimum, it might not be such a terrible lapse for me.

I’ve developed the oddest taste for hot peppers. I’m not usually crazy about very spicy foods, though I do remember many summers ago having been on a Big-T cheesesteak-with-hot-peppers kick. If memory serves, I was even eating hoagies with hot peppers at the time. But now I seem to want to nibble on plain pepperoncini, which would have been unimaginable to me in the past. I’ve even packed a couple in my lunch for tomorrow. Fortunately, peppers are very low in calories, and they’re fat free, so why not?

Come to think of it, a cheesesteak with hot peppers would be a tasty diet break sometime soon. I think I’ll allow myself one or the other (cheesesteak with hot peppers or chicken with mole sauce) this week. I might have to hold out on the cheesesteak until I can find a companion for a road trip to Philly. I must confess that I have never had an actual Philly cheesesteak. I know, I know – I grew up right over the bridge from the City of Brotherly Love, and I’ve never consumed their most famous product. I must make amends soon.

Of course, I work in a town with an extensive Italian population and many good Italian restaurants. I have to guess that I will be able to find a respectable cheesesteak with hot peppers for lunch if I look hard enough!

So, cheesesteak or chicken mole. Anyone want to join me?

Post Party Blues

So who was up 6:30 this morning, in spite of not having gone to bed until 4:00 am? Moi, of course, because those silly hounds of mine were demanding an audience. I must bow to the Truth In Blogging Act, and pause to confess that I did manage an hour or two of sleep earlier in the night, albeit on the couch, wrapped aroud one of said hounds.

I now find myself nodding off as I type, so I think I shall once again retire. Sweet dreams, all. Stop by for leftovers later, 'kay?