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DRAFT TODAY, POST TOMORROW: Some posts may be in draft status until I (aka procrastinator extraordinaire) get around to posting them.



Thursday, July 31, 2014

Half Moon

I had a work lunch at Half Moon. I gave the waitress my allergy card and after some discussion, she came back and confirmed they would make grilled veggies and a bacon burger with no seasoning. They actually made me a new patty since they season all their burgers at once. It was fine. It tasted like it had no seasoning. I salted and peppered everything. Maybe my taste buds are just tired of the same stuff every restaurant gives me: protein with no seasoning or sauce and veggies with no seasoning (and usually overcooked.) So effin exciting.
In a basket--convenient
My coworker sitting closest to me got a little pizza. So for dinner, when I hadn't really planned appropriately, I made a frozen pizza for Mick and I made a little pizza for me. For this one, I used Applegate turkey pepperoni, roasted red peppers, artichokes and olives over pizza sauce and homemade "ricotta" cheese on a crust from Gluten Free Creations Bakery.
Of course I ate all 4 pieces!

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Letting my Southern show

I said "putting lipstick on a pig" today. In my outside voice, y'all! Yeah, I said it out loud. I think my Southern is showing more as I age.


Consider this your warning! We're giving out cocktails over here...

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Curling

I went to a curling intro with a large group of coworkers. Unlike the cold yoga, this was on ice and it was cold. After a couple hours of "running" back and forth across the ice, I had to take my sweatshirt off though.

Apparently my complete lack of athletic ability and hand/eye coordination has not gotten any better with age. Bummer. I just could not get the hang of the aim and the turn of the stone. Yep, I suck at curling. I'm going to go with the excuse that we didn't get to drink any alcohol. I did work up a sweat though. And it was fun. But no photos apparently. I asked around and haven't found any.
so me. #startreklove

Monday, July 28, 2014

Taco Pasta

I didn't start to learn to cook until I was a teenager. One of the first things I learned to cook was Hamburger Helper. Obviously, Hamburger Helper doesn't work for me these days.

I recently found this Namaste brands Taco Pasta dinner and yes, I HAD to have it. Just add some tomato sauce and canned tomatoes (I used Muir Glen diced tomatoes with chipotles) and follow the directions.

It was pretty good and made enough that I had some leftovers. It's not really economical, especially noticeable if you know how cheap you can get Hamburger Helper. But for someone who has few quick dinner options, this is a good thing to keep on hand.

Namaste is a great brand for people allergic to "everything" like me and I'm glad to see it in limited amounts starting to show up at some of the "normal" stores.
Taco Pasta

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Chicken salad

I found a veggie burger that I can have. There are several varieties. Since I can't eat buns, I don't eat it like a burger though. I just use them to get more veggies in my diet.

I think when you eat a veggie burger, you should always attempt to top it with some meat. Ha-ha.  Mick thought this was gross looking (he was eating something else) but he thought it was funny too. I just mixed leftover roast chicken with avocado, some Earth Balance mayo, salt and pepper. Some Kettle Crinkle Chips on the side for some crunch makes it a well-rounded lunch. Where well-rounded means I like it.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Five Guys AND a shake

I had to take my car back into Toyota to get a new radio installed. It had started acting up a few months ago but when I told them about it, they weren't able to duplicate it so they told me to "stop by when it's actually happening." I was able to do that last week when the display faded and the CD spat out when I changed radio stations. So I got a new radio under warranty.
top display is unreadable!
I told Mick that if he wasn't busy, he could pick me up for lunch so he let me know he was coming and then he showed up with a couple of guys from work who I know. We went to Five Guys. They were done eating so fast so I wrapped up my fries to take with me so I didn't hold them up. Plus, my car was ready faster than expected.

I made a smoothie that was supposed to be similar to a Frosty. I have to substitute out the banana so I don't know how much that affects it but it was similar-ish. I think it needs some work though it is good.
Frosty-ish

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Makeup and skin

Let's talk about what we put on our skin, the largest organ and most likely to be ignored as being impacted by food allergies.

I know that a lot of people roll their eyes or make fun of all the gluten free products out there but there are SO many products to shift through and oftentimes, the ingredient list is, at best--tiny and hard to read, and at worst--indecipherable and written in quasi-English.
Zoolander via Pinterest
A friend who has Celiac disease gets terrible dermatitis when she uses products with gluten. Meeting her was when I got really serious about my products but it had been a struggle.

Even within brands, some gluten free products may or may not contain soy or dairy. Certified gluten free brands are (of course, why not) more expensive, so I end up spending the first hour of my grocery shopping reading labels and searching online for information for less expensive brands.

I am still figuring this stuff out but I'll share where I'm at so far.

I used to be an Oil of Olay girl. LOVED it. Used it every day. I had beautiful skin. Mostly I still do but to be honest, I'm not really moisturizing on a regular basis anymore. I just haven't found anything I love and is all so much pricier for less product.

Yes, I would like some cheese with my whine. But I can't have dairy!

The best I've found is the container of Yes! Moisturizer. In the little white container like a small Noxema container. NOT the ones on the dispensers--those are thick and hard to rub in. Blech.

My latest find is Everyday Coconut face lotion and eye cream I found at Sprouts. The face/body lotion is in a larger pump dispenser bottle. It's not bad; I still have to check that I don't have lotion residue after application. Still searching and taking suggestions.

I was also a Clinique girl for many years with a little MAC thrown in for makeup. Currently I am using a mix of Mineral Fusion and Arbonne but I'm planning to order some Apple Lipstick products soon. Here's an excerpt from the email response I got when I registered on their website. (because it is funny!)

Please Note: I'm not always able to check my email each day.  If you need ultra quick customer service / order support / order info / additions / subtractions / or if you simply want to pet our pet aardvark, please email my amazing customer support staff at...

Anyway.

For hair--shampoo, conditioner, styling gels--I've mostly used Hugo, Desert Essence, and Yes! Hugo also has good hand lotion and shower gel. The best shave gel so far is Kiss My Face.

We can't talk about deodorant yet. I'm about 15 products in and the best (but not effective) that I've found has been a Primal deodorant. I guess I'm just too stinky to be contained by deodorants and similar products.

So that wraps up our current beauty regime products. I'll try to remember to give y'all more updates as I find and try things!

Health Notes

You know there's nothing good to say when I have a post just about my health. You're welcome to skip it!

via thebloggess via Pinterest
I'm bloated. I'm uncomfortable. It comes and goes but mostly comes and doesn't go. I feel fat. I'm gaining weight. I'm eating less and gaining weight. I'm eating less because I feel blechy in my tummy. I don't feel hungry or I'm ravenous, and not much in between. When I am hungry, I'm not hungry for anything in particular--everything sounds meh.

Smelling someone else's food I can't have sometimes pulls me out of it but for the most part, I've felt crappy for a couple weeks. It's making me grumpy. I'm hoping I'm not being super-irritable. But I probably am....

Every other day, or more, I look pregnant, I'm so bloated. I'm not eating things I'm not supposed to eat so I don't understand what is happening. I'm up to 180 now. I want to cry. Or punch something. Or both. It fucking sucks.

And I get to function like a normal person in my life. Cause really, no one cares. No one wants to hear about it. The people who care, they think they do, but really, who wants to hear this shit every day? Literally, this shit. Of course, I'm having trouble in that area. Nothing, then everything. Over and over. It's the old cycle.

I haven't developed all the pain issues I used to have but I definitely am feeling some of it. And...I'm terrified. It makes me sad to write that but...

I'm getting the familiar pulling in my lowlow back, down my left leg, making it difficult to walk normally. So I overcompensate and then my right leg hurts and people want to know why I'm limping. Now both my knees hurt and I have shooting pain down my left butt and leg. Yay.

That is a weird combination with the numbness. Mostly in my left foot and calf but it comes and goes other places too. And of course in my fingers. Sometimes my hands. It's not total numbness--I can still feel but it's not...right. It's distracting. And sometimes things slip. Or I can't open something that should be easy. It's tiring.

And my neck hurts. And my head. I'll wake up with a headache. This is why I'll never be a morning person. When you wake up with a headache, sleep is so much better than anything...anything else. A bath, adult beverages, sex , bacon...none of it is more appealing than sleep. I know, sucks to be my husband, right?

My chiropractor gave me hand exercises for my weakness. And I've started doing yoga again. (Mick couldn't believe I paid for the DVD sets for Namaste Yoga but it's not on TV anymore AND I lost the episode I had on the DVR when it was replaced.)

I don't want to be negative, but I don't think anything is working. I'm discouraged. I'm fighting hard to stay away from that bitch, depression. But I am...worn down. Sad. Frustrated. Overwhelmed. All the words I use every time....That other bitch, MS, teams up with depression and makes it all so damn hard.

In case that wasn't enough, my period, which comes too close together anyway, came early. I can't even get three full weeks in between periods and it fucking comes early! WTF. FML.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Pad Thai

I used a Paleo sauce recipe with some rice noodles to make some Pad Thai. We'll call that partially Paleo. It's pretty good stuff too. I made a double recipe. I think triple ingredients with a can of coconut milk would be about right.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Southern Rail

My friend B and I go to dinner every few weeks or so and one of the places we really like and almost always have good luck for me is Beckett's Table. The owners have opened a new restaurant so we decided to go check it out. It's in an area off the light rail that is being "revitalized," with a new location of Changing Hands bookstore and a bar recently opened and a Southwest Gardener shop soon to open.

Southern Rail has a similar menu vibe to Beckett's--local, fresh, organic--but a dissimilar menu. This new menu is southern inspired. I wouldn't say southern, which seems to be a sticking point for a lot of online reviewers who criticized the authenticity, but definitely influenced.

B has tomato and melon allergies so I let her ask her questions first. She ended up getting cornbread muffins to start; the butter is the star. For dinner she had the cider brined pork loin and took half the pork home for later. The sides stole the show for her. She loved the sweet potatoes and said she would come back just for that!

Although her meal happened to be gluten-free, it wasn't something I could eat. I gave the waiter my allergy card and a few items that sounded promising; he consulted with the chef. I started with the watermelon salad. It was very good but, as most of the menu, it seemed like a lot of money for what I got.
For my entrée, I had the duck with dirty rice and collards. The chef made some minor adjustments in the finishing touches it sounds like but nothing that I could tell would make it any different. It was amazeballs.

We didn't have dessert since there were no options for me. I had sweet tea to drink so I already had my sugar anyway. Yes, the sweet tea was totally yummy. I love sweet tea but I don't make it at home because, well, it's sweet tea--it should be a treat I think.

Based on the prices here, I think this won't be an all-the-time place but it's definitely worth it. And it's open on Monday nights, when Beckett's is closed.

As we were leaving, a couple of older guys were walking up from their truck and their dog was barking. B and I stood there a moment trying to decide if it was possible they were getting dinner to-go. At 8 o'clock at night, it's still 100 degrees out so it's unsafe and totally illegal to leave your dog in the car. I went back in and told the manager who came out to confirm and take care of it. I left without waiting but I hope he really did.

Here's what pisses me off about it--those effin guys live in Arizona (AZ plates) so they should effin know better. They are going into a very nice restaurant to have dinner while their dog is in a hot, unventilated vehicle. Do they live under a rock (uninformed) or do they think SCIENCE doesn't apply to them and their dog? Have you ever shut your car off and just sat there in the 100 degree weather? Even after dark, with the windows cracked, you are going to be uncomfortable very quickly.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Weekend update: Ahwatukee spots

What a weekend. No plans to all the plans happened so fast. I was asked to host our neighborhood bunco group so I did. I didn't really make anything, just served hummus and veggies and let everyone else bring stuff to share. We had 8 players and someone else came by to visit. Now I won't have to host for a long time. I was surprised no one asked to look around more. Some of them knew the previous home owners and others didn't. Anyway...

On Saturday, we went to Costco for all the usual things. However, I got a few things, let's say for my birthday. I got a red bamboo salad bowl, and ASU sweatshirt, and a new cookbook. They have a lot, at least a half dozen, of Paleo cookbooks at Costco (Sam's is slacking on that one.) I made Mick check out the cookbooks I thought I might be interested in and we agreed this one had the most recipes he (and I) would try.
Pre-birthday birthday gifts?
We met friends and friends of friends for dinner at a wine bar in Ahwatukee. They thought I'd be able to eat there but after he got my allergy card from the waitress, the chef came out and explained that it's a very small kitchen and the oven rotates so cross-contamination is likely to happen. He said he could make me a board with some substitutions but that was all. It's a couple kinds of meat with apricots, cranberries, radishes, cucumbers, carrots, oil and vinegar. Thank God for wine.
appetizer
Since I couldn't eat an actual meal, we went to ZTejas next. H and I started with spicy skinny margaritas. They were too spicy for her but I liked it.

drink up
After receiving my allergy card from the waitress, the chef came out to clarify what he could custom make for me so I had fish with a crab topping and veggies. Pretty good actually but some rice or starch would be a good addition.
Paleo!
We went out to Sandbar after that for some fandancing. Fandancing, in case you don't know, is when a place has a giantnormous fan on the patio and you stand in front of it and dance. Or if you are crazy really fun, you act like you're in a rock video and do things like put your leg on the side while waving your mane of hair. Yeah, R's friends were really fun. It wasn't a super late night but a good time was had.
too bad that bottle is empty

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Cooking class Part 2

Sage offered a second vegan cooking class at Whole Foods on Camelback. I went and the bearded lady was there but attendance was a LOT less than last time.

First they made the alfredo. The sample was with a butternut squash ravioli. It was pretty awesome. You're lucky I got a photo before I sucked it down. I restrained myself from licking the bowl like a jello shot. Cause I'm classy like that.
ravioli with alfredo sauce
Next they made a cookie. It was like a Larabar. I don't know that I'd make this but it was good.

cookie
My main issue with this class (nope, not the bearded lady) was that they didn't give us the recipes so everyone was trying to write the steps down and asking each other for the measurements that the demonstrator gave way too fast.

And apparently I need a Vitamix. But I really don't want to spend that kind of money.

Whole Foods has got quite the racket with these freebie classes. I bought some stuff, of course. I saw on nomnompaloe that Coconut Secret was introducing some sauces I could have. And I found them! I'm so excited...I just can't hide it. Sing it with me now.
You are coming home with me.
I also found a nut based cheese that I was tempted to buy but decided against. It wasn't cheap. No, it was more not cheap than you think. Maybe another time. When I'm too hungry to be shopping...
You are not coming home with me.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Pasta dinner

Since this is a fairly typical dinner at my house, I'm not sure why I took a photo to post for you. The most noteworthy thing is that the pasta was pretty inexpensive--it was a "normal" grocery store sale for Barilla gluten-free penne pasta. While people can have their various opinions about the gluten-free "fad," I think it's great if it makes gluten-free products more available and brings the prices of gluten-free products down. (Not that all those products are great but still....)

So I made meat sauce with ground turkey (beef, bison, lamb, or pork work just as well) with lots of tiny chopped veggies (peppers, carrots, eggplant, zucchini), a mix of Classico marinara and Trader Joe puttanesca sauce, and fresh parsley. 
I served mine with green beans. Have you seen these steamer bags of broccoli or green beans or sweet potatoes at Costco? So brilliant. There's usually 4 packages in the bag and I can use a package for 2-3 days.

Monday, July 14, 2014

Tom Kha Gai Thai Coconut Soup

I had some leftover crockpot chicken and a hungry husband, so I tried this fairly quick recipe for Tom Kha Gai. It has a lot of ingredients and I didn't have all of them but some of the swaps listed in the comments were helpful.


I added some yellow squash from the garden since I had it. I didn't have fresh lemongrass so I used some freeze dried I picked up. I don't know that I would do that again unless I put it in something so I could remove it between cooking and eating. I thought the soup had a little too much fish sauce (as you can see from the color) but otherwise, it was really good and we would have it again (although he was careful to tell me "not ALL the time, just every once in a while.")

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Salmon for his birthday

We had Mick's parents over for dinner to celebrate his birthday. I love that he no longer goes with their family standard, the Red Lobster dinner. Um, yeah, I feel a tiny bit bad that we don't get invited to the dinners anymore since I can't eat there, but I get over it when I realize that he doesn't care. By which I mean that he would rather do something for his birthday that doesn't leave me out. Whoo-hoo. Even if it means I do most of the work.

I started with some proscuitto wrapped honey rosemary figs. Figs from our garden of course. And I hope you didn't blink cause they are gone.

He's pretty excited about the fish he brought back from Alaska, so I made an old Cooking Light recipe using salmon and a sweet/spicy rub. (I can't find it online, and believe me I tried. This is why there will always be cookbooks.) This recipe always comes out yummy and today was no different.

I made a salad using a kale, collard, spinach, carrot mix and the Bragg's salad dressing I picked up at Whole Paycheck. It was great. (I've seen it at Sprouts now too.) I also made a box of Lundberg gluten-free pasta.

I had some zucchini and spaghetti squash from the garden so I added a jar of Trader Joe's artichoke antipasto. My MIL liked it so much she went back for more.

Success!

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Tastes like pistachio ice cream kale smoothie

As always, I'm trying to get more veggies in my diet. When I ran across this kale smoothie recipe on Pinterest that claimed to taste like pistachio ice cream, I thought...what--really?

Then I ran across the recipe, almost exactly the same, in the magazine Delight. I have a one year subscription I purchased at the Gluten-Free Expo; it's about to run out and I'm not planning to renew since I've found very little I could actually use because of my myriad of allergies. Sigh.

Anyhoo. I bought a bag of kale mix (includes collards, spinach and grated carrot) and modified the recipe a little. I used pears instead of bananas and ground ginger instead of fresh.

I don't know if I'd say it was just like pistachio ice cream but it was pretty damn good. I'll be making this one again.

Update: I used another Pinterest idea: make your own smoothie bags. So I made enough bags for 4 days, put them in the freezer, and had smoothies for breakfast on my way to work. Brilliant!

Friday, July 11, 2014

Sage

Sage, the vegan restaurant that is mostly soy-free, is about to change the menu for the season and I was in the area, so I stopped in for lunch. It's not cheap but it's pretty good. Today, I had sweet potato gnocchi with their homemade alfredo sauce and some mushrooms and kale. Yes, it was yummy.

Then I had a dessert. I decided on the vegan Paleo "Mounds" instead of "Almond Joy." Because sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't. It was really good. I'd hit that again.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Flower Child-ing

I love this place. Not feeling so great, no leftovers, here I am. And the woman at the counter recognized me. At least she didn't call me "allergy girl." Out loud.

chicken, sweet potatoes, beets and avocado
black and tan

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

I suck at life

I don't know where my day turned but I'm ending feeling stabby.
 
I felt super hungry all day and hadn't planned for it since I wasn't so much the day before. After eating a small microwave lunch (Bistro moroccan turkey), I ate half a bag of sweet chili chips. So not good. For my waistline. Totally good in my mouth.
 
I haven't been to the gynecologist since whenever that was that I had the herpes outbreak that they decided wasn't herpes after I thought I had it since I was...well, my boyfriend--the first guy I lived with--got it and he hadn't been with anyone else ever and I had the symptoms as long as I could remember so I was diagnosed in a round about way...but then undiagnosed. I'm guessing that was a couple years ago because I was supposed to get a mammogram and never scheduled it.
 
Anyway, I finally scheduled my well-woman exam. I can't remember the last time I had a male doctor for this. I had trouble finding the office since I have no idea what I did with my note. At least I remembered to fill out the paperwork yesterday.
 
I found the office and waited a while. I liked the doctor. He came in to meet me and talk and then came back after I changed into that stylish paper outfit we all know and love. Or something.
 
The good news is that he said everything looks normal.

The meh news is that he said that herpes test can confirm a diagnosis but not rule it out so I probably do have it.
 
The bad news is that I'm totally disgusting. I mean, he said it is common but...I mentioned the two round spots I have below my bra line. I was planning to see a dermatologist because they are getting bigger and actually ran into each other. He said it sounded fungal and when he saw it he said it is probably ringworm.
 
What?! I'm walking around with fucking ringworm for a hella long time! He told me ringworm is more commonly flaky and on the surface (yep, I had that once a LONG time ago) but this was deeper version. I "get" to use my extra yeast infection lotion--you know the little tube that comes with the actual yeast medicine application--for a few weeks on the spots. O. M. G. I'm smearing hoo-ha cream on my torso. FML.
 
So now I don't have to go to the dermatologist but I still need to go for my mammogram. Y. A. Y.
 
On the way home, I stopped at Sam's Club. I needed something but I couldn't remember what so I walked around. I found what I came for and some groceries and stuff.
 
Now, if you shop at Sam's, you know they take debit but not Visa. Except at the had pump. Weirdos.
 
I recently got a new card from my bank and put it in my wallet. Except that now that I was at the register I realized I had replaced my debit card with a new credit card. So I had the old and new credit cards but no debit card. Well shit.
 
I had some cash so I took what I could pay for and left. Upset of course. What the hell is wrong with me?! I wanted to get home to find the card I had set aside to shred. Thankfully our shredder died a long time ago so I still had the card.
 
You'll never guess where it was.

I put it in the money part of my wallet when I activated the new card. Yep.
 
I had the debit card with me the whole time. I. Am. Awesome.
 
I suck at life.
 
I suck at photos too.

What I wore
 
What I ate (Lundberg rice with Applegate sausage)

Monday, July 7, 2014

Bees and tacos

Doesn't my garden look tranquil? So beautiful.
The bees have arrived. We think (as happened at our previous house and recently at a neighbor's house) they are just passing through but it's hella freaky to see a swarm arrive and settle in.
Let's move away from there. Mick and the helpers are building a tiered flower garden.
In the farm, I got my first spaghetti squash of the season. I'll cook them this weekend.
Before heading home from work I stopped at Whole Foods. I found my Garden of Eatin taco shells and a cheaper WF version, 2 dressings I can have (no soybean oil and bonus: apple cider vinegar instead of any other), and overpriced honey mustard that I had to have because it is PaleoChef and super clean so I can have it. :)
I made tacos using the blue shells. I may have used too much guacamole. Nah, that's not possible. But you can't tell they aren't just guaco tacos! Yum. 

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Weekend wrapup: Independence Day

I did a lot of nothing in between rounds of doing more strenuous somethings.
 
I'm starting to think that my sink will never be empty.
 
Our neighborhood has an annual progressive pool party so we attended, coming back to our house between to refill and let the dogs out.
 
I made strawberry simple syrup and had strawberry coconut margaritas. So yum. I can't find the recipe that said you MUST use 1800 coconut tequila but I did and you must.
Luci!
I probably should have used a smaller cup. I don't remember doing it, but I bruised my toe at the first or second house. And I got a "bar blister" on my elbow at the last one. I'm a mess!
 
I made bacon wrapped rosemary honey figs to take and they were a hit. The figs are from our tree so I think I'll be making a lot of these! Bonus: they are Paleo. :)
That's all that's left. Nope...gone.
We are also getting a lot of zucchini so I made teff pancakes and added shredded zucchini to the batter. Yum.
Day-after breakfast
PS. We bought 1800 blueberry margaritas at Total Wine. As you might guess (or you might not--these pre-mixed things are pretty popular) I thought it tasted kind of artificial. I liked my homemade margaritas much better.
 
Update: I'm not sure my body liked that blueberry margarita either. Something's not making me happy the next day...
 

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Review me

My supervisor gave me some very positive feedback about how essential I am. It's such a great thing to hear after feeling so overwhelmed for so long. I'm still overwhelmed, but at least I know that my accomplishments and contributions for the team are appreciated.

Update: she also wrote her positive feedback for my file. And then someone higher up had to rain on my parade by bringing up my negotiated hours are less than the normal requirement. Even though I was over my negotiated number of hours this past year. WTF. No respect.

Update again: Someone else high up gave me some (almost giddy) positive feedback about a solution I implemented after identifying one of those annoying issues that most people ignore but I was finally too annoyed and came up with a plan, got it approved, implemented it, revised it and documented it. Cause that's I roll, y'all. Getting things done, biatches.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

The pie and the elbow macaroni

Is almost the holiday weekend. We will be attending the neighborhood progressive pool party. My internal dialog killed me today. I wanted to go to the gluten free bakery for treats because YUM and everyone else will be eating yummy things so why not me. But...I shouldn't go to the bakery because I'm a size (ahem, or two) larger than last year. It sucks!
 
I went under the mental guise of getting pizza crusts, which I got. Along with vegan blueberry muffins, cupcakes and cookies. And an apple pie! I don't know why this was so appealing but...fourth of July...apple pie...
 
I went to Whole Foods for a green juice to make up for my treats I bought but hadn't even eaten yet. Then I was on to Walgreens to pick up my prescription. Although I had finished the juice, I was hungry.
 
I sometimes go to Pita Jungle when I go to Walgreens so I went. I thought I'd probably take some leftovers. Or not.
When the food runner brought my plates, the veggies looked good but the chicken tikka masala looked different than usual. I waited for the waiter and he said they had changed it so I requested that he confirm my allergens again. He came back and have me the okay so I started eating. The cabbage did not speak to me so I stayed removing it and saw this.
 
An elbow macaroni. Wheat. WTF.
 
I ate my veggies (I was hungry, going on hangry) and the waiter finally came back. He thought I didn't like it. I told him about the wheat and I couldn't eat it. He brought me done tea to go and they picked up my check. Gah! Why do I eat out?
 
Why do I eat at all? I can't remember the last time I went more than a day without gas, bloating, constipation, and/or diarrhea. I'm pretty sure that has something to do with my weight gain but it sounds like an excuse.
 
After returning to the office for a while, I went for my monthly visit for the drug trial. Vitals, blood and urine, oh my. I asked about my MRI results and she said she would get them and email me.
 
Next I went to see Dr. Q for some adjusting. My back on the left lower area was so tender. He asked if I was taking magnesium and I said I've had too much digestive issues. (Magnesium supplements can cause diarrhea for some people, like me.) He recommended a topical magnesium (a nickel size amount daily) so I bought this.
 
Somehow I ended up reporting complaining about my sweatiness and odor. He recommended a specific roll on sold at Whole Foods, so I went there next.

I bought the one that looked most like his description but I'm pretty sure this isn't it. I think it is supposed to be taller and not a crystal. Sigh.
 
I was hungry going in and we all know that is a big mistake but I really needed to pee before going home so that is how I ended up at Whole Paycheck while hungry.
 
And I got some margeza sausage for dinner and made our with some Lundberg lentils and rice. I added green olives to mine. Not bad. The rice and lentils didn't really do it for me but I liked the sausage once it was out of the casing. Because casings are gross.
 
You know what else is gross? (You've been warned...)
 
I have to wear tops that cover my chest. I wore this today. It's fine and comfortable (I LOVE these shoes) but it sucks trying on everything looking for something to cover my freakiness.
 
I keep getting these gross things on my chest area, kind of like acne but it doesn't seem to be preventable or treatable and it takes weeks to go away and then it starts again. This has been going on for years. I'm so DONE. I can't figure it out. This is the worst so far--FOUR of them. FML.
Those aren't moles.
My awesomeness can't be contained.