Tips for Healthy Living

This morning at Starbucks I could not help but overhear a seventy-something woman talking to a man who I deduced to be her seventy-something boyfriend about tips for healthy eating. Let me share them with you.

1) When at a buffet do not overeat.
2) Eat vegetables, but avoid potatoes.
3) Replace mayonnaise with salad dressing
4) If you are going to eat peanut butter you might as well eat rat poison.
5) Salt is spelled D-E-A-T-H, DEATH!

At this point I was pretty much eavesdropping, but then the subject turned from healthy eating, at which point I decided that enough was enough, to stop judging, and return to my work.

Honey

Dear Starbucks,

I know you and I (and you a millions of others) have a special relationship. I trust you. I trust your eggnog lattes and your pumpkin spice lattes and, after some initial hesitation, your cinnamon dolce lattes. And though I agree with this week's Globe column regarding your problem not being your coffee, but rather you horrible horrible food, I have always supported your coffee.

until now.

In theory a honey latte sounds lovely. I like honey. I like lattes. Honey is sweet. I like sweet lattes. But oh starbucks. The other morning I ordered a honey latte (minus the whip cream) and I took a sip. It was disgusting. Wanting to make sure I took a second sip. No. Still gross. So I returned it to the counter and had them make me a complimentary vanilla latte. I don't understand? You have teams of experts who consult on this kind of stuff. Taste specialists! Is it just me? Is that it? I still love you starbucks - but my trust in your judgment has just taken a hit.

Quote of the day:

"Well," said Pooh, "what I like best----" and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called.

Good morning

I surreptitiously brought my Starbucks beverage into the campus library this morning! I think I am a little too impressed with myself....

note

So today - just to mix it up - I had a peppermint mocha. It was nice - but I will be returning to the regularly scheduled eggnog chai tomorrow.

one friend's opinion

so maybe it's not everyone's cup of eggnog latte

Eggnog Latte

Right now, this very moment, I am sitting in a Victoria Starbucks (using an external wireless provider for free!) and quitely celebrating the fact that I can now purchae an Eggnog Latte! For the record, I did not purchase an eggnog latte as I am here to do school-stuff, and therefore could not be relaxed to truly enjoy the first eggnog latte of the season (so I have a chai latte instead). But I have been thinking of some of the pros and cons of the eggnog latte which I would now like to share with you, the viewer.

pro: It is delicious

con: It is expensive (and I am poor)

pro: It fills me with Christmas Cheer

con: It is not exactly healthy, especially considering how much better it tastes with 2% than with skim.

pro: It is one more reason to come to starbucks

con: It is one more reason to come to starbucks

In conclusion: rationally: I should avoid the eggnog latte. Luckily, I am not rational, and therefore, in conclusion: Yay eggnog latte!!

ONE MINUTE LATER: I just remembered.... Chai Eggnog Lattes!!! Well - that certainly ends any doubts I may have had regarding the quandary of the eggnog latte.

A Sampler of my Thoughts

1) On Sunday I went to Starbucks twice. Once alone and once with someone. Both times (at two seperate starbucks) they got my order wrong! The first time it was half-sweet instead of half caf (I sent that one back) and the second time it had light-whip instead of no whip. But I decided just to go ahead and have the whip cream :)

2) I was supposed to buy this afternoon. I have no milk. This means tomorrow I will not be able to have ceral for breakfast. So I will either have yogurt, or buy a muffin instead.

3) Now that I have a roommate - I find I am cleaning more than I ever did when I lived by myself. I don't know if this is because it's not only my "dirt" or because my roommate is not especially tidy/clean but it's kinda nice to look at something that is cleaner than it was 5 minutes previously because of your hard work. That being said - I still do not like cleaning and would love to live alone again to enjoy my own (and not someone else's) mess.

4) Tonight I need to iron. Ironing and cleaning floors are my two least favourite chores. Plus both my iron and my ironing board suck! so that makes it especially frustrating.

5) Someone should send me mail!

6) I have been trying to imagine having three children and I can't. I just can't. It's beyond my ability to imagine myself as the mother of three. I can imagine waking up tomorrow being the Prime Minisiter of Canada - but not a mother of three. So in conclusion - the more I think about it - the more impressed I am.

the magic of the psl.

Over the course of the summer, I have acquired several "free drink" coupons for starbucks.

So I went to starbucks this morning with the plan of using one of this very very special certificates.

And I exchanged it for a venti, half-caf, 1%, no-whip pumpkin spice latte.

I adore the pumpkin spice latte.

The psl fills me with joy every autumn. It is so delicious. Everytime I see Kirsten mention a pumpkin spice latte (on fb, her blog etc). I want to exclaim, outloud "pumpkin spice latte!!" I also know and understand and have a deep appreciation for the specialness and joy of the psl. I know that many people don't agree. And that's okay. But for me, the psl is in the top tier of starbucks drink. Perfection in a paper cup - and today it cost me nothing :)

monday/tuesday

Yesterday was Monday.

Yesterday I have an excellent day.

I was productive - I worked on a number of the different "projects" I have on the go. I walked all over the city and my body felt really good. I spent lots of time with my fabulous boyfriend. I felt like I was really in control of my life.

Today is Tuesday.

Today I am having a bad day.

There is no reason really. And it is only noon so the day has some time to salvage itself. On the plus side I bought a tabletop ironing board and a drying rack. On the downside I had to carry them home. I wanted to buy a full sized ironing board - but seeing as it was 10times more expensive I decided to economize and buy the tabletop version. However - I had to go to the tailor - and since I live in a new part of Victoria I had to find a new tailor. So I went to a local tailor that was supposed to open at 10am, however, at 11am there was still no one in the shop, so I went to a tailor that I heard was good, but a little more expensive. Now I needed only the smallest thing done so I figured I could pay an extra $5. Unfortunetly the cost was three times more than what I expected, but since I just talked to the woman for five minutes, and she had given me a discount on their rush cost (because I want it for tomorrow) I didn't have the courage to walk out. Plus I didn't know for sure somewhere else where I could get it for tomorrow. In any case, I now just feel foolish for spending so much and for not being more prepared. I realize this is not a really big deal - but for whatever reason it feels like the end of the world right now.

And normally I would go to starbucks to buy a pumpkin spice latte to make myself feel better - but now I don't want to spend any more money. oh sigh. hopefully I will write more tomorrow and with a recap of a happier day.

last little while

who wears short shorts? me apparently. not on purpose I assure you.

I love martinis.

last weeks I drank three nights in row (note: not like in college - I just had one-two drinks - but still - this is highly irregular for me)

dulche de leche (sp?) = yum. However only in tall. grande is too much.

packing = fear

spending summer living with parents without a place of my own = potential nervous breakdown. I love my parents and we get along super well. but the summer? and maybe beyond? I have been home for the summer before. But man. man!!

I heart Iris Murdoch.

I am going to buy Craig Ferguson's book for my plane ride and sojurn in Calgary.

I love having flowers in my apartment. And I am sad to be leaving my apartment.

I giggle too much and at inappropriate times.

A few days ago I woke up from a dream, laughing, I was laughing so much in my dream I woke myself up. I only wish I remember what it was about.

I have had one flying dream in my life. I (irrationaly) envy those who have flying dreams.

Grotty is a word.

Sleep makes me happy.

Children of men is a good movie. But it wasn't fabulous. I am considering reading the book.

Today it was not nice weather wise. That made me sad. It has been super nice these past couple of days. Please come back sun. Please come back.

Things I have been thinking about:

1) Leapfrog educational games for children. You know what is educatoinal? Reading to your children. Talking to your children. Playing with your children. Making-up stories with your children. Listening with your children. Do these things and you will drastically increase your chances of having happy, well-rounded, intellgent children. That is how your children will became well-adjusted, smart kids. Not sitting in the backseat of the car or in the livingroom while you wax nogalstic about how well they are being taught (parented?) by an army of mircochips!

2) Why is the weather mad at Victoria? Why did it snow. And then snow. and then rain. and then be very cold. why are my shoes wet and my toes cold and my super warm sweaters in toronto?

3) Eggnog chai lattes. I totally forgot you could get those. And I really want one.

4) Britney Spears. Why. Why. Why. On second thought, I don't think the answer would actually be very interesting.

The Abyss and Freedom

Today is Sunday. The day of rest. Or the day of reading "Feminism and the Abyss of Freedom". Unfortunetly, I am spending the day doing the latter. And let me tell you, the Abyss of Freedom is about as pleasant to read as it sounds. Actually, the Abyss of Freedom is good thing, but it is not a particularly fun thing to read about.

However, I was supposed to read it last week, and I didn't start it until yesterday, so I don't have the option of giving up for the day. This week was a good week. I finished my final grant proposal (well, the second of two) and now I have a million-less-one things to worry about. Just now, to take a mini-break from the Abyss of Freedom I went to Starbucks and bought my first eggnog latte of the Christmas season!! Apparently a grande skim-milk/eggnog latte has 10 grams of fat and costs $4.72. This has prompted me to re-evaluate my plan of an eggnog latte a day for the next two months. Mainly because $150 is about half of my monthly food budget. Though it's still not enough for the shoes I want to buy :) Plus, I have to save for Devin's Christmas and birthday presents, so I can't go spending all my money on coffee.

me this very moment

I think I am sick. In fact, by this point, I am pretty postive I am sick. I haven't had a cold in a couple of years, and hopefully it won't ever get really bad and it will pass quickly. I bought orange juice in the hopes that that would help. But unfortunetly it does not appear that chocolate has medicinal properties where viruses are concerned.

And then - last week the girl at Starbucks told me that the Christmas drinks were coming out on Wednesday, but apparently they are coming out NEXT wednesday. Grrr.... !! All I want is an eggnog latte. Well - that's not all - but it would be a nice start :)

starbucks

i bought coffee an hour ago.

it's my wonderful thermos (that darling devin bought for me). That means that I can buy coffee when I'm out and drink it much later. And it's still hot! I also bought a starbucks cookie!!

then I went to the grocery store. I bought blueberries (yum!) and veggies for greek salad for dinner!

also. I love curling. CURLING!! I wanna curl all night long.... !