Yes, still counting towards a hundred days of This Thing I’m Doing. The days didn’t stop for the Christmas season, though of course there were a couple days when my sense of purpose sort of got lost in all the tinsel. I figured that would happen. But for once, I didn’t hit an arbitrary OFF switch for the holidays. I didn’t want to do the I’m-just-not-going-to-worry thing, because what does that mean, that I worry the rest of the time? That I spent the last three months being such an asshole to myself that come December I get to eat a whole cheesecake and give myself a hug? Fuck you, Holiday Self-Entitlement! I thought. Up yours, Ghost of Christmas Present! I tried to just stay the course as much as possible.
(At the same time, though, it’s not like things were normal. How the hell could they be? It’s the time of year when everyone puts huge light-up inflatable crap on their lawns and listens to Lite FM all day and buys Chia pets for each other. Suddenly all the food comes from Swiss Colony instead of from nature. The world goes bugfuck crazy for about two weeks, so what can you do? Try some of that toffee, that’s what.)
Anyway, when the (sparkly, glittery, sugary holiday) dust settled, I was okay. Well, except for the stomach cramps I got from eating too many things I don’t usually eat now. Some of this was probably due to stress and travel, but it was definitely also from things like plowing into a stack of belgian waffles at full speed. I have mixed feelings about suddenly being a delicate flower when it comes to this kind of food. On one hand I’m dismayed that I can’t quite enjoy the stuff the way I used to, and on the other hand I feel sort of validated, because hey, all that sugar and white flour and shit really does do a number on me and throws off my senses and leaves me staggering around belly-blind. Yes, I totally just made up “belly-blind.” Because that’s how it feels—like my stomach is a young Helen Keller, all crazed and confused, and let’s say that something went horribly wrong so that instead of learning how to say W-A-T-E-R she only knows how to spell out the signs for S-N-A-C-K C-A-K-E. I know that’s fucking nuts but it’s the best way I can describe it. Anyway, as uncomfortable as it was, it all helped to remind me that This Thing I’m Doing feels better. And it feels normal now, too. Less of an effort and more of a relief.
The new year doesn’t feel like an empty slate to me. I guess can understand how it must feel like that to people, especially after all the holiday clutter gets cleared away. But this year—maybe this one in particular—already feels chaotic and stumbly and difficult, but at the same time, I feel like I’m up for it. The stars don’t have to be perfectly aligned this time.
You got me thinking about back when I was doing a “thing” of my own. After about 13 months of the “thing” I went out to eat with a friend. I ordered a salad with grilled chicken on it and ate normally, or what I thought was normally.
Later the waitress returned and asked if something was wrong with my salad. I told her no, it was fantastic, thanks. She (a skinny little thing) put her hand to her heart and loudly exclaimed “You eat like a BIRD!”
I looked around to see who she was talking about. It’s such a strange thing to realize that you don’t eat like you used to. I still thought of myself as the girl who ate three bagels for breakfast and then started looking for lunch, but it hadn’t been that way for a long time.
(for the record I am sadly back to being a 3 bagel babe, I’ll go back to my half a salad days when the time is right)
I went a little nuts over the NYE weekend, but I know what you mean about not needing the clean slate. Its just another week, another month, and I’m not doing anything really different than I have for the past several months. It feels GOOD.
Now if we could clear all these “I’ve got a resolution to get in shape” people out of the gym so that I can get to an elliptical machine and not have to wait until my heart rate gets back to “resting” for a bench press, I’d be set. I’ve been here this whole time folks. I think that entitles me to a fast pass, like the kind you pay extra for at Six Flags.
I think I acutally managed to *lose* weight over the holidays. I think all my energy that is normally devoted to eating was redirected into hating my family.
Kellie, Each 24-hour period of family hating = shedding one pound. Extended family members = one quarter-pound each. (Hey, that makes me hungry for a Quarter Pounder!)
We always put truffles in our Chirstmas stockings. I ate so much chocolate in the past 2 weeks that I’ve broken out. In. My. Eyebrows. What, in the name of all that’s holy, can be done about eyebrow acne?!?
Have you considered getting together with Dr. Fuhrman to write a book? I say this because YOU are hilarious and HE has no sense of humor whatsoever.
Yeah, he is so unfunny it’s actually kind of hilarious.
Also, he is orange!