Mar 2009

Lenten Diatary Adventure: Evil Twin Entry 03

It's amazing how far one can stoop with a little encouragement Winking but DUDE! your face is looking thinner - be careful - fragile is the ego of the Dark Horse....

Lenten Dietary Adventure: Entry 03

OK, so lesson learned: don't ever doubt the mystique of Dark Horse! We were enjoying a dinner break with family this past studio night, and my "evil twin" took absolutely every opportunity to point out what he was relishing- relishing the things I have chosen to relinquish this Lent; of course, hats off to my dear sister-in-law who engaged in some yummy culinary creativity in order to have before us a feast that I could mostly partake of. But leave it to the DH to lay the BUTTER on the BREAD thick, pour and swig a tall glass of amber ALE, then scoop copious amounts of gourmet ICECREAM onto warm homemade BROWNIES next to his hot cup of JOE- not that I noticed or anything!

Lenten Dietary Adventure: Evil Twin Entry 02

Au contraire, mon frere! Don't EVER dis the mystique - what are thinkin' man, I rather enjoyed my amber ale while you sipped your lime bubble water the other night you were over. AND - I did gobble up at least three of the home made cookies Elizabeth made. OK so, true, I didn't indulge in a second beer - and no, I haven't really been rubbing it in your face and I really haven't been gorging extra portions of sweets or alcohol...ahhhhhhh, maybe I'm NOT EVIL! I even started a work out routine (thanks Trace for buying the Wii Fit) My Wii Fit age is 30! and my Wii Fit trainer says "you're really strong" in between saying "you're a little shaky."

Lenten Dietary Adventure: Entry 02

OK so it's been exactly 3 weeks since starting my dietary adventure and I have some observations:

SURPRISED...
with my ability to actually keep it; I work at Fresh & Easy headquarters where samples of everything I'm not eating come floating by almost every minute; and, seriously, the buyers when checking out suppliers or the competition, have a lot extra food - so did they have to be checking out ice-creams - including Häagen-Dazs?

STEWING...
and mindful of being in a season- very powerful to be reminded at every meal, a knowing that is both body and soul; I don't know if it has been my Protestant up-bringing, or my over-compensating theology-of-abundance- that frowned on fasting or lumped the taking away of things with punishing penance, but I have to say there is real freedom in saying "no" - I'm realizing how much is packed into so little.

SO SO
on the toxin release- I guess I had pretty high expectations for a dramatic flushing of my system- an increased ability for focus, for insights and all those good things; but then talking last night to my wife, I was reminded- oh, yeah, when she did her initial work, it was a 4-week prep and then a very intense 3-week deal (7 weeks!)- so, me not feeling that much different with a less drastic diet change is expected, I guess. And, what do you know, me needing to pull a bunch of overtime at work, getting less sleep, actually still effects my energy level- hmmm.

SAVORING...
every bite, chewing more slowly, exploring yummy ideas I wouldn't have thought of doing, like broccoli with fresh grated ginger over it (my wife's brilliant, really)- this has been a new joy.

SIPPING
that beer in front of me- it turns out, my evil twin has not quite lived up to the title yet- I'm afraid he's been a little too considerate, hasn't quite flexed his flaunting muscles- (sorry, Bud, to burst the "Dark Horse" mystique)! Course we do have at least half of Lent left. Maybe he's just waiting...