"Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead"

This was in my e-mail today

 Yesterday I watched "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" on Netflix.  It wasn't quite what I expected.  I expected it to be boring.  I mean, really...how exciting can it be to watch a guy drink juice for 60 days?  I have to admit, I was wrong.  I actually watched it through without even picking up a book or playing Sudoku on my phone.  :)  I wasn't overly impressed with the cartoon parts, but I guess they were a different way to explain some of the scientific parts.  I'm used to seeing stuff like that, as I show it to my 3rd graders all the time.  Having seen what some of the adults in the movie had to say, maybe that should be the target intelligence level.  That brings me to the points that really stuck out about the whole thing:

1)  America has become a culture of idiots; and

2)  I'm one of the idiots.

How sad is that?  Normally, I can sit back and watch stupid people on TV and be quite comfortable that I am not one of them.  I work hard, I learn new things all the time.  I keep up with what is going on in the world.  I travel, and I make it a point to experience different things all the time.  I can answer most of the questions on Jaywalking, so I can't be one of the idiots, right?

Unfortunately, in this case, it just isn't true.  I am just as bad as they are.  Person after person in the movie, fat, thin, muscular, tall, short, healthy, not healthy - all of them repeating the same thing.  "Yes, I know what I eat is bad for me."  "Yes, I know it can kill me."  "Yes, I know there are better choices."  "No, I'm not going to change anything."  "If I die next week, at least I'll die eating good food."   "I can see that what you are doing is working.  Great job.  No, I'm not interested."  "It looks too hard."  "I don't have the will power."  "I don't have the time."  "Fast food is just so convenient." 

In my head I hear all the times I have said just those things.  "It's hard."  "I'm just too busy to eat right."  "I have no willpower."  "It's too difficult to cook for just one person."  "It's easier to go through the drive through."  Sound familiar? 

You know the next thing that went through my head?  I would never accept those excuses - yes, that's right, I said excuses - from my students. 

"It's too hard, Miss P."  "I know it's hard, but we have to work through hard things.  It will get easier." 
"I was too busy to do my homework."  "Bummer, dude.  You still owe recess.  It is your responsibility to make the time to get it done."
 "I just can't do it, Miss P."  "I don't accept that.  You can do anything you really want to do."  "Can't and don't want to are not the same."

So, now what?  I know the problem.  I know the solution.  Am I going to let myself continue to make excuses?  Am I going to continue to be an idiot?  I sure hope not.  I know everyone says if  you are really committed to the change, you start immediately.  I'm not doing that.  I'm taking the next couple of days to figure out a plan.  I'll do better with a plan.  However, I did take one step already. 

Meet my new juicer - well, soon to be mine.  I had been saving for a treadmill, but I think this will do me more good right now.  It should be here by Friday.  If it's not, then I'll just start with whole fruits and veggies.

Will I do a complete juice fast?  Unlikely - at least not for 60 days.  However, I am committed to adding more fruits & veggies to my diet, and I like juices.  This seems like something I can do.  Will I give up meat, dairy, etc. completely?  Again, unlikely in the long term.  However, for the short term I think I am going to have to.  I am also looking at Whole 30.  I'll figure it out by Saturday, which is as much time as I've allowed myself.  It is also my grocery shopping day. 

But it's going to be hard, and I don't have a lot of will power, and it is inconvenient, and I don't have time. 

Bummer, dude.

Were the 12 hour days worth it?

This week was Parent-Teacher Conference week.  That meant two 12 hour days crammed full of meetings in every spare minute.  However, it also meant we had today off.  Was it worth it?  Absolutely!
I started out my morning by sleeping in.  Who wouldn't?!  However, not for long.  I wanted to get out and about.  My first stop of the day was at the Oklahoma State Fair.  What better way to spend a gorgeous Fall day than wandering around the Fair?  Besides, breakfast was waiting...

Cinnamon Roll & Milk - yummmm!

It's a once a year treat, and the best cinnamon rolls ever!

Obviously I was not the only one with this idea!

The Fair was barely open, but people were already lining up for this treat.  Smart people!

After breakfast, it was time to wander around the buildings.  I have to admit, I am disappointed in most of the offerings - everything has become so commercial.  I loved the Made in Oklahoma building though - especially the animal exhibits set up for the kids.

Poor tired little guy! Just waiting for the water to come to him.

After a few hours at the Fair, it was on to a new adventure.  This time to something completely different - an Asian supermarket.  I have a hard enough time trying to figure out the Asian aisle at Target, but I have heard good things about this place, and I really wanted to go see what it was like.

A much, much nicer building than the first one!

When I first drove up, I was a bit worried.  The windows were dirty, one corner was boarded up and everything was pretty dingy.  Then I realized that it was also empty.  Since I knew it was still in business, I decided to drive around a bit and see what was what.  I was quite pleasantly surprised to find the new location.

Once inside, I was a bit overwhelmed.  The place is huge, and filled with things I don't recognize and can't read!  I did discover that the nutritional information was in English on most things, so I could read the ingredients.  However, that was only helpful on things with nutrition labels.  :D  The store also put signs in English on some of the more interesting items, like the hot pink duck eggs.  Apparently, they are died pink to make sure they are distinguishable from something else that I couldn't understand.

This was only part, and it was all fresh!

They had a tremendous produce department.  Lots of things we don't normally see, like bunches of fresh mint and tons of varieties of mushrooms.  Plus more things I couldn't read or identify!

The meat department was quite interesting.  Lots of things a standard market doesn't keep out front, like livers and tongues and various and assorted feet.  Pigs feet (with a separate section for front feet and back feet - do they taste different?), beef feet, chicken feet...lots and lots of feet.  What does one do with them?  I will certainly go back for the fish.  They had some frozen, but most of it fresh - including sushi grade tuna.  There was a guy behind the counter fileting fish, so I know it came whole, and not in pieces from a factory somewhere.  Then there were these:

I wouldn't have a clue what to do with these.

 and right after that, tanks of crabs, lobsters, oysters and catfish all swimming around.  Well, the oysters weren't going anywhere, but they were in a tank.   Yes, I will definitely go back.  However, at least for now, it will be with a specific recipe in mind and pictures of what the ingredients should look like!

I've been going here for over 20 years, and it hasn't changed a bit!

Before I headed back to the house, I made one more stop.  This time to one of my favorite sandwich shops - and one I rarely get to visit!  When I was taking this picture, one of the employees came by and asked if I was from out of town.  I guess they get a lot of tourists taking pictures?  "No," I told him, "I'm local....just blogging!"