Forty-one minutes and a bowl of menudo

It is never a good idea to eat Mexican food before an important event. Never. In fact, it seems to me, that Mexican food is essentially food poisoning waiting-no- primed, to happen.

This would never happen, if, instead, you ate sugar. Now, sugar will never let you down: it would never give you 'the runs' before you run, burn your stomach until it feels as if you are on a sinking boat: Mexican food? Yes. Sugar? Not a chance.

I ran with menudo and it took me forty-one minutes to complete 3.2 miles. I am no speed demon, but without a menudo-belly; I am decent.

You see, prior to January 01, 2010, sugar would propel me to be the best, always cheering me on, filling up my blood with its special goodness. Not menudo, not Mexican food. Sugar.

I wish I could have shared this event with sugar. Those horrible forty-one minutes. Oh, but to have run with sugar!

Over and out.

I miss you, Shugga (sugar)

Today was a bad day. I thought about and longed for sugar all day long. I became agitated, irritable, restive, pensive. What do I miss?

I miss the affect that sugar has on me, its influence. How safe it feels to know that its around: in the refrigerator, in the bed, in my tea, in my cocoa. I really miss it.

I miss feeling it and the way it takes over any situation and makes everything better or bearable. Yes, the quiet strength of sucrose!! But to me, a longtime lover, it was shugga.

Returning to sugar would be like returning to a comfortable bed, rain outside the window, fan gently blowing, everything aglow. I miss it. I feel the ache of its absence everyday. What is my recourse? The only option would assail my pride.

Like a prayer, Pepsi, cakes, cookies and candies. Like a vengeful, angry, abandoned deity: no answer.

Over and out.

Secrets and tricks to the trade

When eating a soft pear, quickly drink water after a few bites: It will taste like sugar water. I loved sugar water.

When eating a blackberry, press the berry delicately to the roof of your mouth, and slide your tongue slowly over the berry: It will have the same texture as a Hershey's milk chocolate bar. My love for Hershey's milk chocolate will not be moved!

Never go a day without fruit, any fruit and loads of water: This is necessary to control cravings and pangs. Sometimes, the pangs are sweet.

Never 'accidentally' smell a Hershey's milk chocolate bar: You are inviting trouble. In fact, just avoid the candy aisles at Walgreen's all together. I loved picking candy from Walgreen's shelves.

Most importantly: If you are tempted, strongly, utterly and beautifully tempted- LEAVE.

We learned this from the biblical Joseph, no? The wife of the king attempts to seduce him and he leaves-RUNS! We know how that story ended, so don't make a mistake and leave your wallet or any other article that calls you back to that aisle.

The Bible.

Over and out.

Thursday night was very, very cold. For the past week, the local television news prepared the viewing area for a significant drop in temperature. Of course, I am too cheap to buy a coat or fix my car window. I have funds available for both. I am an Ebenezer (as in Scrooge, not the biblical Ebenezer).

Well, I drive to the park, because parking is free, and ride the rail to the library. Understand, a library is warm, safe and impervious to harm and distraction-a womb. After spending a few hours, it happens:

I want candy. I will settle for cashews,walnuts, even pecans- anything, dammit! So, I am in the thick of cellular respiration and all I can think is NADH, walnuts, cytochrome c, walnuts are sweet... I am itchy and restless.

Fruit, fruit, more fruit and a run

I ate a tray of blackberries, a soft pear, a handful of grapes (okay, two or so), an orange, a banana, a bite of apple- which, by the way, was a secret treat stolen when my primary walked out of the office. Oh, but the little things...

I baked beef ribs and ate two strongly doused in cayenne pepper. I have two with me for lunch. Then, I drank about two glasses of water. I am starving this morning, after my run. Funny thing, that run. It is a 3.2 mile run. I began at 6:12a.m. and finished at 7:00 a.m. I am slow, but strong. Some folks may run that distance and do run that distance in less than thirty minutes. I am fat. I ran the distance by running for three minutes, walking for one minute.

When I first started, this loop would take me two hours to finish. I reckon with all the fruit I am eating I won't have sugar pangs. I do, gotdammit. I really do! Just to smell a Heath bar!!! To hold a Hershey, in my pocket, for safe-keeping, would be heavenly.

Over and out.

Cupcakes

I love cupcakes. I really, really do. I did not eat the cupcake, but I wanted to eat it. I like to eat the tops off first on the Hostess brand. On the cakes, I like to lick off the chocolate icing.

I like to mix the chocolate and the cake - sans the cream- together. The cream was special and I cannot share that bit of information; it is much too tempting to my weak constitution.

Over and out.

The First Day

This very first day was not as hard as I imagined. I visited Willowbrook Mall and the Marble Slab Creamery called to me, but I was not home! Then, I passed frozen smoothies and Godiva and I can't be too sure, but I feel like the chocolates were winking at me, beckoning me as a siren beckons a sailor.

Worst thing? My favorite soda, Pepsi, did not even notice I was missing...so much for fidelity, eh? I feel like if I could have just one sip of Pepsi to set me straight for a year, then I will be okay. A fresh Pepsi too. The kind that burns your throat and your tongue and just makes everything taste right, the air smell better, the men better looking. Oh, but an ode to Pepsi!