unhappy meals

I think this article may change my life. It's all about the pseudo-science of nutritionism and the many and varied reasons why the Western diet is making us all fat and unhealthy.

The article is long, but well worth it. I'm sure I will have more to say about it soon, but I may need to re-read and (pardon the pun) digest.

The Cubicle Life For Me

So, the thing about going back to work after a month and a half of not working? You kind of forget what it's all about. The sitting still for eight hours a day, the constant staring at a computer screen, the realities of cube life, packing lunch and eating it at your desk.

On Tuesday (the first day of my new temp job), I wrenched a muscle in my neck while toweling my hair dry. It hurt like the dickens. I mean, really really bad. I couldn't turn my head to the left, which made merging on the freeway more exciting than usual. So, after a day of sitting in front of a computer in constant pain, I couldn't *believe* how tired I was.

Thankfully, the neck has gotten progressively better and the job, while kind of boring (proofreading) isn't bad and is going to last for at least another week. I have an interview for another job on Monday, but I'm not sure I want it; less money, longer commute, same task (proofreading), but we'll see.

~*~

Week number six in Colorado, and week number six of snow. But! Today, the snow is big, gorgeous flakes. It's so beautiful. I went out to collect the paper this morning, and stood there for a good five minutes just catching snowflakes and staring at them. They actually looked like the way you draw snowflakes! It was kind of amazing. Beautiful stuff, even if we are getting a little sick of it.

monday, monday

If you're feeling a little down in the dumps today, you're not alone. Researchers in England have declared today Blue Monday: the unhappiest day of the year.

Dr Cliff Arnall, a Cardiff University psychologist, devised the formula that shows today is the most depressing.

His equation takes into account six factors: weather, debt, time since Christmas, time since failing our new year's resolutions, low motivational levels and the feeling of a need to take action.

Taken together they pinpoint today as 'Blue Monday'.

I'm not sure I believe that there can be a single day of the year that is more prone to cause depression than any other, but if you're feeling a little down in the dumps take steps to make yourself feel better.

Old Fruit Crumble

My fingers are all stained from pitting cherries by hand just now. I had some fruit I needed to use up, so I came up with this:

1 pint cherries, pitted (aprx.)
1/2 pint blackberries
1/2 apple
1 T corn starch
1/3 c sugar
1/4 c cold butter
2/3 c brown sugar
1/4 c almond meal
1/3 c oats
dash cinnamon
dash salt

Mix the fruit with the corn starch and sugar. Pour into the bottom of a baking dish. Cut the butter into the other dry ingredients and put on top of the fruit. Bake at 350 degrees until top is brown and fruit is bubbly (20 to 30 min).


Mmmm... bubbly fruit...

tea, burritos, and books

Boulder was big fun. On the way up, we stopped at the Celestial Seasonings factory, which was actually really cool! We got to see how they cut the herbs and sort them, and then got to watch them pack the teabags in boxes. We went in the room where they store the mint, and -- wow. That'll clear your sinuses.

Then we were starving, so we headed to downtown Boulder and stopped at Illegal Pete's, a cool burrito place right on the Pearl Street pedestrian mall with burritos bigger than my head.

The Pearl Street Mall is full of cool shops and BOOK STORES! The best is Boulder Book Store, which is a multi-level insane celebration of new and used books. It seems to be in an old house or hotel -- the fiction, for example, is in the West Ballroom. =D Lots of fun. And lots of bookstores! We found five in as many blocks, including The Beat Bookstore, a leftist bookstore, and a lesbian bookstore -- something for everybody!

Books, Books, Books

Husband and I are going to Boulder today to mess around the Pearl Street Mall, and maybe Whole Foods, and try to find as many used book stores as humanly possible, although, considering all the books I brought back with me from Dallas (both new-to-me and beloved old friends) it would be obscene if I bought any more books.

But that has never stopped me before.

In other news, I want to read more this year and also keep track of the books I've read. I've finished two books so far this year. A list (of books read and to-be-read) will be forthcoming.

According to our Frommers, Boulder has more used bookstores per capita than any other U.S. city. Which makes it just about perfect, in my mind.

Blizzard 12/20 4PM

Blizzard 12/20 4PM
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

This was the view from our balcony on the first day of our first blizzard, way back on December 20th. We've had two more since then, and another is on its way for this weekend.

We said we wanted a change...

Thrifty

Due to our lack of incoming funds (but never fear! there are job prospects on the horizon!), I have taken up frugality.

I've never been terribly good at being frugal, but certain aspects of it have always appealed to me. Like coupons. I love me some coupons. Speaks to my OCD, I think.

In any case, some time ago, I discovered the Coupon Mom website. Obviously, people who aren't moms can also use and benefit from it, because what it does is compare the weekly circulars from your local grocery stores with the coupons that have come out in the Sunday paper and then combines them for you so you can get the best deals. It's really kind of awesome. The idea is, if you buy things only when they are on sale and stock up, you will never have to pay full price for an item, which sounds good to me!

Today, we went and did some major shopping in preparation for yet another impending snow storm this weekend.

I spent $65.30 at Walgreens, but I saved $49.63 with a combination of sales and coupons. That means I got almost $115 worth of groceries (at full price) for $63.

Not too shabby.

For instance? I bought five boxes of cereal. Cereal normally costs about $4 a box. I paid $0.50 each for the five boxes. And now? I won't have to buy cereal for MONTHS. Cereal doesn't go bad, and we have room to store it. Where's the bad?

Not everyone likes clipping coupons. I happen to enjoy it. But the best part about the Coupon Mom system is that you don't clip the coupons! You save the entire circular, and then, when something goes on sale, you go back and clip out just the coupon you need. The online list tells you which circular it's in (by date and brand) and even reminds you when certain coupons are about to expire. It even tells you the percentage you're saving on any given deal, so you can decide for yourself if it's worth buying those five boxes of cereal.

Also? The web site is free, unlike some other grocery game websites. And we love free, precious. Yes we do.