The Culinary Front

Had In-N-Out Burger yesterday….I have a funny association with it. The last time I had In-N-Out was for my “celebratory” meal immediately after getting fired from the Big Firm. I had a 3 X 3, which is a triple meat triple cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake. Delicious, but wish I’d known more about what to order back then. Animal Style double double is the way to go, and the fries must be eaten ASAP or they get a weird texture [they are more like fried potatoes, not processed stuff] so you should only get those if you’re dining in. Gordon Ramsey says that a double double animal style would be his death row last meal, and I agree.

I should backtrack. I don’t eat a lot of beef. My wife is a vegetarian and I’ve become a lot more aware of things in that arena over the time we’ve been married. That’s part of it. Also, back when I used to eat whatever I wanted all of the time I was in the heart attack high risk category at age 31. I had triglycerides of over 700. So I gradually changed my diet over the years, and also took a few medications. These days my triglycerides measure around 70-80. I had lab work done last month and for the first time ever every single lab value is normal. Good cholesterol, bad cholesterol, triglycerides, liver functioning, blood sugar readings, everything just fine. I am technically diabetic, but I think if I lose another 20-30 pounds that may end up being a thing of the past, although over the past few months I’ve been hovering at the same weight, gaining and losing the same ten pounds.

But sometimes I have vacations from eating right, usually on occasions where my wife is gone and I’m left to my own devices. My wife is not some dictator who controls what I eat, but I tend to be more mindful about what I eat when she’s around. When she leaves, I tend to fall into old habits. Anyway, that’s what I did yesterday, and today I’m going to a Mexican joint to get some nachos. I enjoy reading the paper and eating my lunch, one of the Spanish stations blaring in the background. I’ll probably start to “de-tox” tomorrow, usually if I eat right and exercise I am in okay shape again in a few days. Oh, I drank booze last night too, actually a little too much. Ended up drinking a couple of Stone IPAs [22 ouncers] while watching a DVD of old beer commercials. That is one of my big interests, old commercials, safety films, etc. Have been tired all day since I only got the "fake sleep" you get when you drink.

Alcohol has always equaled freedom to me--I grew up in a teetotaler household and was taught it was Evil, although my family loosened up on this quite a bit once the kids grew up. One thing I love about where I live now is the relaxed liquor laws--I can buy quality beer in a supermarket pretty much anytime I want. No crazy laws about having to go to a liquor store to buy anything other than Budweiser, no crazy laws about liquor stores not being allowed to have anything cold or to not be open on Sundays, holidays, or Election Day. I know it's only booze, but it would take a lot to get me to move someplace where my choices about things like that were more limited. That may end up being what happens, though.

Time for a nap.