TGIM!

Happy New Year! Am I glad it's Monday. Wow- that's how much my life changed in 2009. I actually like Mondays. I am not sorry the weekend and the holidays are over. I am relieved. I am relieved for many reasons, as I'm sure many of you can relate to, so I won't bother to get into them. But most of all, I am so, so glad to be done with holiday food!

2009 was the year I learned about Pepto Bismol. Having just adopted a 3-year-old with a voracious appetite my eating was sporadic and sometimes non-existent. I was stressed, exhausted, and experiencing intense emotions. I am still a nervous mom. On Saturday I attended a funeral AND a wedding. My daughter did not attend the funeral. I completely soaked a linen handkerchief with my tears. It's embarrassing how much I cry, but hey, it's a funeral. How do people stay so stoic anyway? What's wrong with people that we are supposed to hide our grief and be embarrassed? Well, anyway, she did come to the wedding (it was a family wedding so I had no choice but to bring her). She was very well behaved and I was proud of her, but she also drove me crazy! Or more accurately, I drove myself crazy about her. Like I said, I'm still a nervous mom.

I'm giving myself a whole year to get it together and be totally cool. So my actual New Year will begin March 5, 2010.

After such a long day I needed the Pepto. I skipped the church basement food at the funeral, since I felt I was in a hurry, but then I came home and ate quesadillas with chipotles en adobo and jalapenos. Like, too many of them. Then more black coffee. (Oh, and did I mention I've been dabbling in the energy drinks?) After the wedding ceremony, the appetizers were bacon-wrapped scallops. I also drank Red Bull. Then for dinner there was a very nice salad with walnuts (I do enjoy a salad with walnuts). Then butternut squash ravioli in cream sauce and asparagus al dente. Then super-rich fluffy creamy layered cake.

I don't know about you, but this causes me an upset stomach!

I could tell of more meals like that over the past couple of weeks. We had them at home too. But I am happily moving on. The first thing I did this morning was make a grocery list. I am looking forward to cooking a week of very basic, fresh, clean meals. And I am going to exercise. Happy New Year!