I previously made a post about our recent health crunch, and in that post I had promised to elaborate more on the somewhat drastic diet changes I have made in an effort to alleviate chronic pain and other problems.
Let's put it this way...
Chips: gone.
Bread: gone.
Wheat: gone.
Pasta: gone.
Bananas: gone
Cantaloupe: gone.
Yogurt: gone
Milk: gone
Diet Coke: gone.
Caseinate: gone.
Making any connections yet? It's hard to see the connections in this list (and it's a lot longer than that). My new diet that is not a diet (this is just the word that describes your food routine) does now not include gluten (pretty much all bread products: cakes, cookies, bread, pasta, etc.), it does not include processed foods, it does not include pasteurized dairy (just unpasteurized cheese 2x/weekly), and it does not include artificial flavors/colors/sweeteners (good-bye Splenda and sugar free gum).
This dramatic change was not to lose weight, though it will be nice if that is a result.
In preparation for baby (and because I was noticing side effects), I got off of what I used to refer to as a miracle drug: Advair. For years Advair has allowed me the freedom of exercise without dying from an asthma attack, and it has allowed me to leave the house without an inhaler strapped to my hand (this is no exaggeration). However, getting off of this drug is a dangerous thing to do because your asthma is seemingly uncontrollable and constant - worse than it was when you went on it. You have to really know what you're doing when you get off of it. So what did I do? I got off of it without a clue as to what I was doing. My asthma was so bad that Erik begged me in the middle of the night to do something about it (and I had reached the point of crying over being so frustrated in my fight for breath).
Nutrition to the rescue! A 30-minute phone consultation with a nutritionist at People's RX in Austin is the reason for the partially cruel food list above, and for my continued success of staying off Advair (and living to tell about it). She was able to determine that I am "sensitive" to gluten or that I have an outright gluten intolerance (like a huge portion of the population does but doesn't know it).
I won't bore you with all of the details, but there was a dramatic difference in my health on many levels once I began to restrict my diet of foods that are bad for allergies and chronic pain. I am not completely cured because I am still learning the balance, and I am still cheating from time to time. But I will tell you that I immediately see the affects in a bad way after I have cheated, and it's usually enough to keep me from doing it again. This past cheat was for my anniversary - we shared 2 desserts that I wouldn't have touched otherwise. While I will probably always allow myself to eat favorites on my birthday, anniversary, and maybe like Christmas or something, I mainly treat these no-no's as if they were poison, just like smoking. I gave up smoking, didn't I? And I don't do it "here and there", so I'm trying not to do that with foods that make me miserable either.
What I am noticing today after a weekend of indulgence (and way too much drinking) is that I am using my inhaler almost every hour, I'm ridiculously tired and unmotivated for no reason, and I'm bloated. What do I notice when I'm being good: I breathe MUCH better (using my inhaler like 1-2x/day), my stomach is normal, I'm motivated to exercise, and my hips don't ache as much. It takes several months (like up to 6) to become completely gluten-free in your body and to really begin noticing the difference. I am aiming to get to that place at some point where I can say that I'm not sneaking bites here and there (and they're usually only bites - not full-on sandwiches). But in my early stages, I am observing the affects closely, which is helping me to be serious about it and stay on track long-term.
At some point, I will go into more detail about the effects of gluten on people's system - it's fascinating (at least if you have pain and fatigue at all). The results speak for themselves...
GF, Baby!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Droppin' Out
Our dream situation was for Erik to have a job that would pay wages comparable to DC-salaries, but that would also let him work from Austin. Other req's were that he would love the people he worked with, and that he'd love the work he's doing. Seems like a pretty far reach after having a really, really bad job where he was not respected or appreciated at all. His last A-hole boss told Erik that he should go look at the market just to see that he wasn't worth more than what Aristotle was paying him (and that his situation was good comparatively).
Apparently "the rest of the market" doesn't agree, and Erik landed his dream job. Now we can see what it's supposed to be like. He now works for a foundation (so money isn't a problem for them), making more than he did at Aristotle, doing exactly what he wants to do (senior developer) AND they're going to let him work from Austin. Oh, AND they're going to fly him back to DC 6x/year. I could go on and on about the added benefits, but I don't want to bragg... It's just nice to see that Erik's talent is finally being recognized and that he's being appreciated the way he should have always been. That bastard boss of his will forever be in my wine club (those on whom I would like to throw a hardy glass of red wine).
See his new digs above - not bad...
And what will Cristina be doing, you ask? The truth is that it's as much of a mystery to Cristina as it is to anyone. But there has been a development in the plot, so the ending is becoming more predictable (but truly good plots never give anything away).
I'll tell you what I do know: I am sick to DEATH of politics and advocacy. If I have to try to move Congress and/or the public on one more thing, I may literally scream (people in the office are about to be startled because I am about to send an action alert after I finish this post - maybe I will just scream inside...like I do everyday...). It's not that I don't love children (I'm a child welfare advocate), or that I'm sick of the gays (that's what I did before this), I'm just burnt-out on trying to get the attention of Congress and the public on issues that should go without saying (civil rights, children's rights...HELLO PEOPLE!). While advocacy in the 2.0 world is becoming more and more exciting everyday, it's probably a sign that I am less and less excited about my relevant duties. I KNOW that it would be different if I worked in a place that actually had resources, and made my job easier, but these are typical non-profit [non]operations that produce typical burnout. I AM OVER IT.
Here's something else that I know: I'm not sure why it took so long to make the connection, but I am in love with the human body and with knowing the things that affect it. I don't want to go to med school, and fitness instruction is not my thing, but healing with diet has always been a side interest (the stack of books on my nightstand will attest). Ask any of my friends and they'll tell you that my "side interests" have been abundant (Pie Diner, anyone?), but I can honestly say that the nutrition thing has been a steady constant. So why have I always kept it as a side interest instead of nurtured its rightful place as a main interest?
One reason is that I didn't go to school for it, so I didn't even entertain it as an option. The other is that I really was passionate about advocacy and politics (which is why I moved to DC), and I needed to burnout on that before I could see this more clearly.
So what does this even mean? Well, it means that I am DONE with politics (unless I can get involved with agri-policy while in Austin, which is highly possible), and that I want to help people heal their chronic pain and bodily problems with diet. So what's the problem? Sounds easy enough, right? Go to school, get some training and start it up, right? That's sort of how it works...kind of.
The issue is that the industry seems to be saturated and untapped at the same time. Saturated in that there are a million different online programs that offer "certificates in nutrition", and other quick educational avenues. The problem is that there is no way to know which programs are "quackery" and which ones are relatively legit. There's the same problem with getting "certified" - the association that seems to legitimately certify people with an extensive test has been known in the past to certify even a poodle (I read that on a quack-watch website).
That said, there seem to be many respected nutritional consultants that have their certification from this association (and countless other associations that all have their pros & cons) - these places essentially get you to a point where you can start doing consultations without having to attend a university for a full 4-year degree in it. Getting an actual degree in nutrition (from UT) is my dream, but I couldn't even apply for in-state tuition until next year, so this is a quick-fix for now. Many, many people go this route, and Texas is a state that does not require a 4-year degree to do what I want to do: consult people on their way to better health through diet.
So what's the plan? For now I will probably take an online program that specifically sets you up to get certified by the AANC (American Association of Nutritional Consultants). I've wanted very badly to take an in-person course here in DC, but it doesn't start until Aug... After I get certified, I will then hopefully be able to build a client list (that is not critical of the AANC). I am big into nutritionist stuff and have not been critical of nutritionists certified by the AANC, so I'm hoping I won't receive much discrimination either. I'm making the AANC sound a lot worse than it is - it's pretty much THE association that certifies nutritional consultants. It's just such an unregulated industry (the untapped part), which is good and bad at the same time - good because it's easy to get into; bad because it's hard to know which route you should go.
It's not cheap, and it's very time consuming, but I can do an online program on my own schedule, and now is a good time to prep for the next career move in my life (like the kind of work I'll want to do when I have a toddler). Seeing clients at home while I have small kids sounds pretty awesome, especially when you consider that Erik will also be working from home - that would rock (separate work spaces required - others need not apply)!
So for now, I am a Political Drop-out. The picture in front of the White House above will be the closest I ever come.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
The Tabard Revisited
Ambrose Bierce once said that love is a temporary insanity curable by marriage. This is true for many people, but Ambrose has failed to be proven right in our case - love still lurks in every corner.
To celebrate a year of not being "cured", Erik planned a majestic anniversary evening. There was much thoughtfulness and romance in every detail of our purposefully DC-centric anniversary. First, he met me in a subway station (looking hot in his suit) with a bouquet of my very favorite flowers (ranunculus), the ones that made up my bridal bouquet. Then we shuttled to the Watergate Hotel for dinner, and waiting for us at our table was ANOTHER vase of flowers - tulips this time (the flowers that made up the other bouquets - northing's lost on him). We enjoyed drinks and a very nice dinner before heading across the street to the Kennedy Center to see a brilliant quartet on the Terrace Stage. And then to his surprise, we hopped in a cab to finish off our night at the Tabard Inn where we got married. After cozying-up on a couch in one of their many sitting rooms, and after more drinks and a ridiculously decadent dessert, we walked home in the rain and continued our anniversary fun into the wee hours of this morning (why didn't I call in sick today...?).
We NEVER do this kind of thing - dressing up for the theatre and dinner and drinks (all at different places), and while we would have been just as happy to get burgers in some dive and to listen to a good juke box, it was fun to see a different side of DC that we rarely experience. As I will never forget how fun it was to have a DC wedding, I will also never forget our unbelievably DC-specific first anniversary.
We talked over dinner about what our 2nd anniversary might be like. Given that we'll be in Austin, he said he'd like to be on a boat on Lake Travis, which I amended to being a fun dinner party on a pontoon boat (with kids??). The options are endless as to what we can do, but it will certainly be another "first" in many ways: the first anniversary with kids, the first anniversary as home-owners (hopefully) and the first anniversary in Austin.
There are probably many "cures" (as Abrose puts it) that kill the newness of any love, but marriage has turned out to be a little more exciting than either of us expected. Last night during our anniversary dinner, we tried to pinpoint our favorite part of being married (because really, at the end of the day, it's not all that different than it was before). It's kind of too hard to explain it in writing, but essentially we agreed that being married rocks, and that there are some things that are different, but definitely for the better. For instance, more recognition from our families is a big one - marriage just seems to have made us more legit in people's eyes...who knew that would be so big?
One thing that seems to only grow with every day is the sincere romance that we share. We have a lot of romance in our marriage, and it never seems to tone down. People tease us about it being a phase, but it hasn't let up in all the years we've been together (like 8 years or something). We are still just as sappy, passionate and twitter-painted as we were back in college. Marriage didn't "cure" us of this, but I'm guessing the skeptics would say that a baby would...
Something that I think contributes to our being so inlove is the respect that we have for one another. It makes for a marriage that is balanced with intense passion, but also with general interest in each other. Nietzsche said it best when he said, "It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages". I hope we will always be good friends, which is where we started.
Thank you, Erik, for an amazing anniversary, and for an amazing "first" year.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Not So Lazy Sunday
More and more I am appreciating our current ability to A) go to bed when we want, B) wake-up when we want (on the weekends at least), C) do whatever we want in the evenings, from eating out, to cooking, to seeing a movie, to hanging with friends - whatever strikes our fancy. I am totally aware of how much freedom we have now and how very precious it is. I am especially aware of how much energy I have now, and how I seem to have none when I don't get at least 8hrs of sleep.
What I can't wrap my head around is functioning on little to no sleep, and having to perform ultra-amazing tasks while being a good influence at the same time. It's no secret that having a baby changes one's life so dramatically that many people decide to forgo the experience altogether. The balance of utter joy that is your child paired with your life being turned completely upside-down is an impressive phenomenon - one that scares me to death. With that said, however, I am totally ready.
We've done a lot in our lives together. We've traveled a lot, both internationally and nationally, we've lived very spontaneously, and I can honestly say that we've pretty much sewn our oats. Knowing that life will be very different for us in the future makes me appreciate the precious present, being able to focus a lot on each other, continuing to grow as a couple and as individuals that we like and that will also be good stable role-models for kids. Enjoying our last months of "freedom" means continuing to see a lot of friends, getting up and making the most out of every day, and seizing opportunities that we may not have again.
This past weekend was a good example of making the most of our remaining time here in DC, and our remaining time as a couple vs. a family with kids. We spent most of the weekend with friends, but all of it was spontaneous - hardly any of it was planned. We drank way too much and recorded a punk song on Friday night (yes, a punk song); we slept in on Sunday while listening to a thunderstorm (that continued all day and rained-out the Green Apple Music Festival - damn it!); we spent the day on the National Mall and at an art museum having coffee and dessert; we ate a late dinner on Saturday night at our very busy neighborhood diner; we sat in Dupont Circle with a cup of coffee, watching people and a free acoustic show as the sun set over Massachusetts Avenue. This was the same setting in which Erik proposed to me exactly 2 years ago, and he was right when he said it - "this is where we live our life together".
I love the time that we've had here in DC, and I love the way we have lived our lives together. I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to live my young life in an exciting place with lots of friends, and to face everyday challenges with the love of my life. I will miss what we have going here in DC, but I look forward to being exposed to a new way of living, in a place where people are equally cool but in a different way; in a place where we will closely imitate our lives here but will have a very different life, too.
For instance, when is the last time you could just randomly pop-in and say "hi" to your sister and her 3 kids and then maybe even stay for dinner? And then the next day go to your dad's for a cup of coffee and some gossip? I'm looking forward to that being more of a reality. I didn't grow-up close to my family at all, so bringing a child up in a town surrounded by family will be one of those things that my kids will have that I didn't. I'm also trying, however, not to romanticize it all too much. Living around family can be very complicated, and I know that as much as anybody. But it's something I'm ready to try. I'm hoping for a splash of complicated in a big cup of happy!
What I can't wrap my head around is functioning on little to no sleep, and having to perform ultra-amazing tasks while being a good influence at the same time. It's no secret that having a baby changes one's life so dramatically that many people decide to forgo the experience altogether. The balance of utter joy that is your child paired with your life being turned completely upside-down is an impressive phenomenon - one that scares me to death. With that said, however, I am totally ready.
We've done a lot in our lives together. We've traveled a lot, both internationally and nationally, we've lived very spontaneously, and I can honestly say that we've pretty much sewn our oats. Knowing that life will be very different for us in the future makes me appreciate the precious present, being able to focus a lot on each other, continuing to grow as a couple and as individuals that we like and that will also be good stable role-models for kids. Enjoying our last months of "freedom" means continuing to see a lot of friends, getting up and making the most out of every day, and seizing opportunities that we may not have again.
This past weekend was a good example of making the most of our remaining time here in DC, and our remaining time as a couple vs. a family with kids. We spent most of the weekend with friends, but all of it was spontaneous - hardly any of it was planned. We drank way too much and recorded a punk song on Friday night (yes, a punk song); we slept in on Sunday while listening to a thunderstorm (that continued all day and rained-out the Green Apple Music Festival - damn it!); we spent the day on the National Mall and at an art museum having coffee and dessert; we ate a late dinner on Saturday night at our very busy neighborhood diner; we sat in Dupont Circle with a cup of coffee, watching people and a free acoustic show as the sun set over Massachusetts Avenue. This was the same setting in which Erik proposed to me exactly 2 years ago, and he was right when he said it - "this is where we live our life together".
I love the time that we've had here in DC, and I love the way we have lived our lives together. I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to live my young life in an exciting place with lots of friends, and to face everyday challenges with the love of my life. I will miss what we have going here in DC, but I look forward to being exposed to a new way of living, in a place where people are equally cool but in a different way; in a place where we will closely imitate our lives here but will have a very different life, too.
For instance, when is the last time you could just randomly pop-in and say "hi" to your sister and her 3 kids and then maybe even stay for dinner? And then the next day go to your dad's for a cup of coffee and some gossip? I'm looking forward to that being more of a reality. I didn't grow-up close to my family at all, so bringing a child up in a town surrounded by family will be one of those things that my kids will have that I didn't. I'm also trying, however, not to romanticize it all too much. Living around family can be very complicated, and I know that as much as anybody. But it's something I'm ready to try. I'm hoping for a splash of complicated in a big cup of happy!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Travis Country
What could be more frustrating than getting all excited about owning a house and then not being able to get the loan you need? I will now begin a white girl's rant about problems that some unfortunate people could only wish they had.
Having lived in a basement apartment for many years now (though large), there is a desire to have a home that includes the following elements: natural light (lots of it), a view of anything other than brick walls and the sides of cars (we literally live in a parking lot) no eye-level asphalt, no iron bars (though it freaks me out to imagine not having them) and no street debris (which is currently abundant because our windows aren't sealed and they're literally right on the street).
At first, we were incredibly impressed with everything we saw that had these elements. At this point, our Realtor probably thinks he could sell us a shed with good windows and we'd be ecstatic. But I'm trying to grow our sophistication level to not just being impressed with the outer (and inner) beauty, but to try and think more progressively in terms of "potential". However, I'm having to balance that with OUR actual potential (as in, buying a fixer-upper is probably not where we are right now).
We've been considering homes that pretty much fit our ideals, and that are in the neighborhood that suits our "style" (whatever that is). There is an abundance of these houses in a particular neighborhood we like that feature nice windows, hardwood floors, trees, craftsmanship, character and charm. These are older houses built in the 1940's and they're LOADED with what has been lost on modern architecture and suburbia: uniqueness. They also tend to have very small closets (if any at all), tiny "vintage" bathrooms (as in time-warp), and other "little" problems that come with older houses.
So the goal: to buy a unique house that "looks like us", but that also has the amenities of decent storage and nice square footage. The houses mentioned above do not always come equipped with the storage part, though the more expensive houses are pretty good on the square footage - we don't need a lot, but we'd like to add at least a room onto what we currently have now. What this neighborhood lacks in storage and sqft, it makes-up for with trees soaring in both back and front yards, earthy/hippie people strolling the streets and tasteful wind-chimes tinkling from petite porches.
And then there's Travis Country.
Travis country is a place with w i d e streets, BIG houses, and potentially a lot of land. Any person that wants to make a value-driven investment would certainly buy a house in Travis Country right now. It's a very "sought-after" community with lots of young families, access to awesome trails and a big=ass Olympic community pool (important in TX). It's a totally up-and-coming area that is in a part of south Austin that is booming like crazy (new markets, coffee shops, boutiques, etc.) The only problem is that the houses were built in the 70's/80's and they are not only ugly on the outside, but they have the typically terrible floor plan of that era that feature strangely placed windows (often very high and not reaching down at all), walls with big long fireplaces instead of windows (who needs a fireplace in TX?), and sporadic placements of other rooms, often all carpeted. They are definitely houses of a particular era that I can't architecturally understand...in other words, what were they thinking when they built these houses?!
In the nature of being open-minded and considering "potential", however, I am trying to look past the obvious charm of our original picks, and see that we could take a big house (and partly ugly house) and creatively customize it like it was a blank slate. That would be the "smart" thing to do in terms of the market and where it's going right now (we won't be able to afford even a house in Travis Country in a couple of years). But the overall feeling of suburbia (though it's not in the suburbs) is bothering Erik, even though he's never driven in this neighborhood before (Google Maps Street View is our ultimate source), and I have to admit that such surroundings are pretty much my worst nightmare.
Thank goodness for "mediocre" credit! Our close friend (Mediocre Credit) will help us decide between possibly affording a house with charm that's currently smaller than our apt, or a house with "potential" that's bigger than our apt building (exagerating a tad).
I say this positively but it's actually a huge source of frustration. Because of one faulty payment (due to technical complications with a website, that then induced technical complications with remembering), we are suffering from total credit discrimination, especially in the height of the mortgage loan crisis currently happening in this country. And who knew that the advice we had gotten to work on our credit was bad advice (it's not as simple as making purchases on credit cards and paying it off right away). And who knew that when our mortgage broker gave us the advice to ask the credit card company to bury the problem, that it would instead bring it to their attention, and that they would post it to our credit report that night. I just want to take this opportunity to thank them for that.
And then, by some miracle, if you sit and stew for just a couple of days, your credit will randomly go up (or down) with absolutely no explanation at all. Lucky for us, Erik's went up 19 pts (after it went down with the credit card's recent report).
So here we are, up a credit-creek without a loan-paddle. We haven't officially tried to get pre-approved yet because we're advised to bring our score up first, but our current qualification is predictable, if we're even qualified at all.
I could now begin a long political rant about the recalcitrant creditors and lenders,and the relevant battle in Congress, but instead, I think it's suffice to say that it sucks.
For now, it's a game of wait-and-see.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Shaping Up
Part of building a nest is building the nester. While it may not seem relevant to the current stream of house-hunting updates and baby prep (or as our friends call it, "Project Baby"), our recent "health awareness" is a huge source of change in our lives. Not only does it dramatically impact our schedules, it promotes a strange self-awareness that we haven't necessarily had before (I say "we"...).
Here are the 101's in our first semester:
Calories 101: Wine has how Many @%#$# Calories??
www.thedailyplate.com is a website newly discovered by the recent health "students" (us). It's a great interface that allows you to track your caloric intake and burning on a daily basis, using their huge database of food (complete with nutritional info), as well as letting you create your own recipes that you use often for easier recording purposes. You have to use it to understand what in the hell I'm talking about, but the short of it is that it's a "sticky" website (to use a web-advocacy technical term) and we're stuck to it.
I began using it to track the difference in how I feel from day-to-day since the start of a drastic change in my diet. After a nutritional consultation, I have done some dramatic cutting of favorites in order to rid my body of inexplicable chronic pain that is more common in the elderly (more on that another time). Low and behold, I have sincerely seen a crazy difference in how I feel, and this website helps me to keep a diary about it so that I can track what makes me feel which way.
Erik, however, is using it like most people use their daily calendar - "write it down before you forget it" is his recent motto. Contrary to what may be popular belief, I have nothing to do with his rigid agility and obsession with this website. Truly, I showed him to see what he technically thought of the interface. The next thing I know, he's accruing more "badges" than I will probably ever get, even when trying my hardest. (badges are rewarded for due diligence and consistant record keeping among other things...is that even what they're called...?).
So he is not only more aware of what he is eating daily, but is now also aware of the caloric impact of his usual delights (calorie guess on a beef chili dog from the National Mall anyone??). And now, he is not only tracking is caloric intake, but is now also tracking what he's burning - yes, burning!
Exercise 101: Do You Know What #@!%% Time it is??
I have recently been heading to work much earlier so that I can return from my stupid commute to Virginia at a reasonable hour in time to workout (and still have an evening). Now, I haven't been able to get myself to the YMCA (for which we still pay a monthly family membership due) since my wedding (1 year ago this weekend). And given that it has been another cold long winter, I also haven't been hitting the pavement as I did when the weather was more inviting. I used to bond with nature at an un-godly hour - jumpstarting my metabolism, and starting my day off "right". That was before winter. I soon switched to "starting my day" with 1+ cups of strong black coffee instead.
But one little thing changed everything: the 1970's. After 7 years of seeing it sitting there outside of our apt, I one day decided to drag into our apt the ugliest, oldest and heaviest stationary bike that you can imagine. That ugly orphan is now my pride and joy (coming from a child welfare advocate) - it changed my life (don't tear-up yet - I'm not done).
Now, instead of having to worry about the weather, and about how I don't fit into my workout clothes and can't be seen in public in them, and about how it's miserable to walk outside during rush hour (exCUSE me, please....), I can now sweat in my tight clothes in the privacy of my own home (and I can do it in clogs, no less). But for some reason, I wasn't able to bring myself to do it in the morning still, so I would wake-up way earlier and just head to work so that I could come home earlier and have a date with my bike and my latest Netflix arrival. In the beginning, Erik did not see this as beneficial, however, because he was unknowingly waking up 1hr+ earlier but not realizing it until he got to work and only the security guard was there. I would be happily typing away at my desk when I'd get an IM saying, "Purdy...what time did we wake-up this morning...?" I honestly thought he knew, and that he was just going with it (turns out I was way wrong about that one).
But that was all pre-exercising Erik! Now he uses that extra time to go to the YMCA. OMG - I'll say it again: Erik is working out in the AM at the YMCA (the one we actually pay for). It's nothing short of a miracle. That's all I'll say about that.
And because I was so inspired by his motivation, my dates with my green 1970's orphan are now in the early morning (though we now watch more Headline News than movies). So what do I do with my evenings now...?
Cooking 101: How Much %#@%!$ Chicken Did You Buy??
Erik's recent job change has been more than just a change in jobs. His commute now consists of walking (vs a long metro ride to Capitol Hill), and his coworkers eat at their desks - they eat the food they brought from HOME at their desks. No longer is there a medium-sized group of cocky developers wondering Pennsylvania Ave in search of food-by-the-pound, or better yet, on their way to the nearest Five Guys (double-decker hamburgers). I suddenly have a virtual lunch partner (IM'ing about the leftovers we're eating is the most romantic thing ever).
Such extra meal preparation is requiring a doubling-up of food that I normally do not seek out nor take the time to cook. My lunches used to be whatever I could throw together in a wok - things that Erik would never touch (swiss chard, kale and maybe some tuna on the side...?). So now we're both cooking fairly elaborate (and large) dinners that double as leftovers for lunch: buffalo chili, buffalo stew, chicken curry stir-fry, chicken sausage cassoulet (you can tell it's been chicken and buffalo season at the farmers market).
It doesn't seem like it while I stand there at the market, meal-planning in my head and buying all of this extra produce and wonderful meat, but we ARE saving money by eating all meals in (except for weekend splurges), and it's been a great way to train for having more than just us around the house...
Here are the 101's in our first semester:
Calories 101: Wine has how Many @%#$# Calories??
www.thedailyplate.com is a website newly discovered by the recent health "students" (us). It's a great interface that allows you to track your caloric intake and burning on a daily basis, using their huge database of food (complete with nutritional info), as well as letting you create your own recipes that you use often for easier recording purposes. You have to use it to understand what in the hell I'm talking about, but the short of it is that it's a "sticky" website (to use a web-advocacy technical term) and we're stuck to it.
I began using it to track the difference in how I feel from day-to-day since the start of a drastic change in my diet. After a nutritional consultation, I have done some dramatic cutting of favorites in order to rid my body of inexplicable chronic pain that is more common in the elderly (more on that another time). Low and behold, I have sincerely seen a crazy difference in how I feel, and this website helps me to keep a diary about it so that I can track what makes me feel which way.
Erik, however, is using it like most people use their daily calendar - "write it down before you forget it" is his recent motto. Contrary to what may be popular belief, I have nothing to do with his rigid agility and obsession with this website. Truly, I showed him to see what he technically thought of the interface. The next thing I know, he's accruing more "badges" than I will probably ever get, even when trying my hardest. (badges are rewarded for due diligence and consistant record keeping among other things...is that even what they're called...?).
So he is not only more aware of what he is eating daily, but is now also aware of the caloric impact of his usual delights (calorie guess on a beef chili dog from the National Mall anyone??). And now, he is not only tracking is caloric intake, but is now also tracking what he's burning - yes, burning!
Exercise 101: Do You Know What #@!%% Time it is??
I have recently been heading to work much earlier so that I can return from my stupid commute to Virginia at a reasonable hour in time to workout (and still have an evening). Now, I haven't been able to get myself to the YMCA (for which we still pay a monthly family membership due) since my wedding (1 year ago this weekend). And given that it has been another cold long winter, I also haven't been hitting the pavement as I did when the weather was more inviting. I used to bond with nature at an un-godly hour - jumpstarting my metabolism, and starting my day off "right". That was before winter. I soon switched to "starting my day" with 1+ cups of strong black coffee instead.
But one little thing changed everything: the 1970's. After 7 years of seeing it sitting there outside of our apt, I one day decided to drag into our apt the ugliest, oldest and heaviest stationary bike that you can imagine. That ugly orphan is now my pride and joy (coming from a child welfare advocate) - it changed my life (don't tear-up yet - I'm not done).
Now, instead of having to worry about the weather, and about how I don't fit into my workout clothes and can't be seen in public in them, and about how it's miserable to walk outside during rush hour (exCUSE me, please....), I can now sweat in my tight clothes in the privacy of my own home (and I can do it in clogs, no less). But for some reason, I wasn't able to bring myself to do it in the morning still, so I would wake-up way earlier and just head to work so that I could come home earlier and have a date with my bike and my latest Netflix arrival. In the beginning, Erik did not see this as beneficial, however, because he was unknowingly waking up 1hr+ earlier but not realizing it until he got to work and only the security guard was there. I would be happily typing away at my desk when I'd get an IM saying, "Purdy...what time did we wake-up this morning...?" I honestly thought he knew, and that he was just going with it (turns out I was way wrong about that one).
But that was all pre-exercising Erik! Now he uses that extra time to go to the YMCA. OMG - I'll say it again: Erik is working out in the AM at the YMCA (the one we actually pay for). It's nothing short of a miracle. That's all I'll say about that.
And because I was so inspired by his motivation, my dates with my green 1970's orphan are now in the early morning (though we now watch more Headline News than movies). So what do I do with my evenings now...?
Cooking 101: How Much %#@%!$ Chicken Did You Buy??
Erik's recent job change has been more than just a change in jobs. His commute now consists of walking (vs a long metro ride to Capitol Hill), and his coworkers eat at their desks - they eat the food they brought from HOME at their desks. No longer is there a medium-sized group of cocky developers wondering Pennsylvania Ave in search of food-by-the-pound, or better yet, on their way to the nearest Five Guys (double-decker hamburgers). I suddenly have a virtual lunch partner (IM'ing about the leftovers we're eating is the most romantic thing ever).
Such extra meal preparation is requiring a doubling-up of food that I normally do not seek out nor take the time to cook. My lunches used to be whatever I could throw together in a wok - things that Erik would never touch (swiss chard, kale and maybe some tuna on the side...?). So now we're both cooking fairly elaborate (and large) dinners that double as leftovers for lunch: buffalo chili, buffalo stew, chicken curry stir-fry, chicken sausage cassoulet (you can tell it's been chicken and buffalo season at the farmers market).
It doesn't seem like it while I stand there at the market, meal-planning in my head and buying all of this extra produce and wonderful meat, but we ARE saving money by eating all meals in (except for weekend splurges), and it's been a great way to train for having more than just us around the house...
Leaving the Nest
While our intention was never to publicize it, it's no longer a secret that we are moving onto a significantly different chapter of what's turning out to be our rather unexpectedly conventional life. First comes love...you know the rest...
So after 7 years or so of living in Washington, DC with a daily routine of riding the subway, lobbying Congress (or just working on Capitol Hill as in erik's case), and being car-less in our 100% walkable neighborhood of Dupont Circle, we are taking a trek back to the hill country of Austin, TX, where we will pursue life, liberty and cars for all. Most everyone I know (and don't know) has had positive comments about Austin and how "hot" it is right now (in a good way, though it's often hot in a bad way, too). But it's our close (in both senses of the word) family and friends that wish that this placed called "Austin" was just a suburb or Washington.
Indeed, it is this whole other country - nothing like DC or it's suburbs. And while we've both lived there before, the culture will be shocking in all aspects after living within the Beltway for so long. For one, the gas stations are not only plentiful, but are the size of an entire city block in Dupont. Oh, and the parking - as in...it exists ("lots" of parking, in fact...or parking lots as they're known). Texas is great in size, and it's greatness greatly scares us because all things seem to mimick the state in size: big drinks, big cars, big steaks, big hair, big belt buckles...you get the point.
But the place where it has yet to bother me so far has been on the house-hunting journey! What is great in size in Texas regarding houses is truly great - tripling what we could ever afford in DC and for half the price. And an anomaly at this point to me is the fact that I could potentially be the owner of 1 or more gigantic pecan trees, in addition to a piece of land that is measured in acreage.
The plan was never to buy. The "plan" was to live free of obligation (aka a scary mortgage), and to mimic our current city life. And that really was the plan. However, exposure changes everything, and hence, we're on a house-hunt due to exposure through HGTV (and curious internet surfing). Who knew that Erik's desire to build his dream kitchen (in which he will hopefully cook) would outweigh renting an as-is house in order to preserve "freedom" and $$? And who knew I would more quickly go from scared to obsessed in .01 seconds (ok...most of you probably knew I'd accomplish that challenge).
Anyway, to wrap-up an incredibly long introductory post, our Texas "hunting" trip has begun, and we are truly in the "wild" (having no idea what we're doing, but finding quickly that we have not prepared enough...).
Such is life. People keep telling me that you shouldn't try to control exactly when you buy a house or have a baby (more to come on the latter later... :)
So after 7 years or so of living in Washington, DC with a daily routine of riding the subway, lobbying Congress (or just working on Capitol Hill as in erik's case), and being car-less in our 100% walkable neighborhood of Dupont Circle, we are taking a trek back to the hill country of Austin, TX, where we will pursue life, liberty and cars for all. Most everyone I know (and don't know) has had positive comments about Austin and how "hot" it is right now (in a good way, though it's often hot in a bad way, too). But it's our close (in both senses of the word) family and friends that wish that this placed called "Austin" was just a suburb or Washington.
Indeed, it is this whole other country - nothing like DC or it's suburbs. And while we've both lived there before, the culture will be shocking in all aspects after living within the Beltway for so long. For one, the gas stations are not only plentiful, but are the size of an entire city block in Dupont. Oh, and the parking - as in...it exists ("lots" of parking, in fact...or parking lots as they're known). Texas is great in size, and it's greatness greatly scares us because all things seem to mimick the state in size: big drinks, big cars, big steaks, big hair, big belt buckles...you get the point.
But the place where it has yet to bother me so far has been on the house-hunting journey! What is great in size in Texas regarding houses is truly great - tripling what we could ever afford in DC and for half the price. And an anomaly at this point to me is the fact that I could potentially be the owner of 1 or more gigantic pecan trees, in addition to a piece of land that is measured in acreage.
The plan was never to buy. The "plan" was to live free of obligation (aka a scary mortgage), and to mimic our current city life. And that really was the plan. However, exposure changes everything, and hence, we're on a house-hunt due to exposure through HGTV (and curious internet surfing). Who knew that Erik's desire to build his dream kitchen (in which he will hopefully cook) would outweigh renting an as-is house in order to preserve "freedom" and $$? And who knew I would more quickly go from scared to obsessed in .01 seconds (ok...most of you probably knew I'd accomplish that challenge).
Anyway, to wrap-up an incredibly long introductory post, our Texas "hunting" trip has begun, and we are truly in the "wild" (having no idea what we're doing, but finding quickly that we have not prepared enough...).
Such is life. People keep telling me that you shouldn't try to control exactly when you buy a house or have a baby (more to come on the latter later... :)
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