Whoops!

My sister gave me a Fitbit for my birthday. It is not a commentary on my lack of fitness, but simply on my love of nerdy data. I already track my workouts in an app on my phone. I track my menstrual cycle, in an app on my phone. I track the wines I like. In an app on my phone. I love data.

I have had the Fitbit since Saturday and I have learned a lot about myself in these short 5 days.

Thoughts from Chili's Too

1. A "red beer" is tomato juice and beer. It's awesome and is great for pre-noon drinking because it feels like breakfast. When you order it at the Chili's Too in a airport, get a look from the server like you insulted her before even speaking, and it comes as two items... with the the tomato juice in a separate glass... with ice... you're just going to want to be home in bed.

2. The dude next to me at Chili's Too kept coughing without covering his mouth so I burped at him. I don't think he got the message.

3. Sometimes a quesadilla is an exciting (yet safe) last meal at an airport. Sometimes it looks like they stole the plate from a sad child who refused to eat and served it to you. It's not like I'm picky. I understand I'm at the airport, but does no one take pride in presentation at this airport?

4. I hate airports where all the terminals are separate entities. It's like I'm not good enough to have options because of the airline I picked. I like an airport where you can wander around for days trying to pick from an array of shitty establishments only to panic that you don't know where your gate is anymore.

5. DIA takes more pride in its airport accomodations than other places I think. It might be that I'm biased since it's my hometown airport, but there are REAL restaurants and bars in that joint. Little beacons of our fine town at the airport. Sure, it costs $70 to take a cab there and the rental car pickup and return requires a shuttle (I fucking hate that), but you can usually find an outlet for charging your devices, there are bathrooms (clean ones) everywhere and the train ride is narrated by our mayor. That's just classy.

Also, the servers at Chili's Too in Denver have never looked at me like I ruined their day by simply existing. I usually have to speak before I can ruin someone's day. Ask around.
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Update: Maybe it was just the day and not Chili's Too. My breakfast sandwich ordered at a hotel cafe came with bacon even though I explicitely said "JUST egg and cheese... no meat" and when I got peanut M&Ms on the airplane they were kind of soggy... like the bag had been at sitting with the sodas cooling and heating, cooling and heating. Overall a disappointing culinary day of travel.

Made Wiser

You'd think with all my time alone this week, I'd be doing a lot more thinking. Planning for the future. Introspection on where my life is going and where it's been.

Quite the opposite has taken place. Mostly I've been planning my next meal. At each meal I'm planning the next one and how far it will be to walk to or if I should take a shuttle and how much I should drink.

Creme Brulee. I ate this. All.

Yolo Solo

One of the more interesting things about traveling alone, on purpose and not for work, is how other people react to it.

Is everything okay with WC?

No one could go with you?

You  must be very independent...

Yes, I DO mean table for one. You can bring me two waters, but no one else is going to sit down... I'm just not that friendly.

It's weird how someone saying you're independent sounds like pity, or an insult. Oh, you must be hard to be around.

(Note: I did ask one person to go with me, but I kind of knew she'd have a hard time going and I didn't invite anyone else because I didn't want to. WC and I are fine. He's doing stuff he needed to do, too. And I'm awesome to travel with. Seriously.)

Glutton-free

For the last 2 years I've given up gluten for the month of January. It's not like a New Year's Resolution as I don't do those, but just a good time of year to make myself more miserable since I'll already be depressed. My acupuncturist thinks being gluten free will help clear up my acne, eczema, and/or depression, and I listen to just enough of her advice to be annoying.

What I've learned over the last 2 years is that I'm definitely on the scale of gluten intolerant... although not bad enough quit it for good. Depending on the volume of my consumption, I might be a little bloated, or I might be begging for my fat pants... 2 sizes up.

In preparation for my month of glutenlessness, I am gluten-loading like it's the day before the big race. (The race being for people running away from the angry bloat-monster I become.) For some reason I got two slices of pizza last night. Now, I know that sounds like something I'd roll my eyes at. Oooh, I had 2 M&Ms... Shut it unless you mean 2 BAGs. These so called "slices" of pizza are bigger than my cat (the small one, but still). This was an unacceptable amount of food. I followed it up by eating what amounted to probably 4-5 cookies.

I DO like them, Sam I Am.

This post is purely bragging about how awesome my life is. That's okay right? I mean, we're inundated with "FMLs" and terrible news stories and talking about all the failures in our lives so this is about successes and in order for me to not feel like a braggart asshole, you have homework: make your own list of amazing things. You can share them in the comments if you wish.

1. Friday I worked from home and my friend April came by with her real estate mentor to survey the state of the condo. After the "your kitchen is amazing," we had some real talk about things that would need to happen for me to sell. Sometimes I walk away from real talk situations thinking "Who did I trick into thinking I'm a grown up... Idiots!" But this time I was proud and really "Fuck yeah, I'm a grown up and can do this if I want to!" 

Taco To-Day: Wedding Bells and Armpit Farts are Ringing

Dined here twice this past weekend. 

First I have to apologize for taking the blog down on Friday. I got nervous because of an exchange that happened prior to the arrival of WC at the wedding venue. I'll explain shortly because it's important that you start listening to the Weekend Wedding Theme Song I dedicated to Kelly. It was meant to prevent  any freak outs or nervous behavior. This song is meant not just for dancing, but for clapping, bouncing, and double fist-pumping. I'm not sure anyone else would nominate it for the weekend, but shut up and play along with me.

Taco To-Day: Day Dreams

 I was taking a walk the other day when this happened:

BIRDNAPPED!

Taco To-Day: Baguette Way

My ex and I had exchanged gifts the day before Christmas and then broke up the day after. I'd seen the break-up coming, but I really liked the watch I'd gotten for him and wanted him to have it. He gave me an equally awesome gift by paying for knitting lessons. So while the lessons ended up being about a month after we broke up, I knitted him a scarf.

I finished the scarf in March and still haven't given it to him. I sent him the following email this week:

I had a dream about you last night that you had shaved your beard and were working as a concierge in a Vegas hotel. It was awkward.... some of that is coming from the fact that I'm about to hire this 24 year old kid who was a concierge in a hotel in NYC for the last year... at least I can only assume that's what my subconscious was tying together. 

This is better than the dreams I've been having about trying to rescue puppies running across the highway.

I have something I'd like to mail you. Can I have your address? I promise it's not scary or evil even though I've blown you off for the last 9 months. It's okay if not. 

Hope you're well.

Taco To-Day: There are no stupid questions

If you're in a coma, do you still poop?

If I call pooping "talking to my accountant," is that disrespectful to my actual accountant? She's real nice.

What is the point of nude underwear? If I wanted to be nude I wouldn't wear underwear.

Why do I have to buy a kitchen utensil every time I go to Ikea?

Who thought this was a good idea?

Because a giant phallus is less creepy than a plastic face? 

Taco To-Day: The Palm Springs Edition

Technically I only had tacos once this week, but I did stop at a Del Taco, so I took a picture of the cup.

Iced Tea. Not a taco. 

One of my very best friends is getting married in October and we went to celebrate with a bachelorette weekend in Palm Springs... and on the way my travel companions and I needed refreshments.

Taco To-day

Because my friend Katie doesn't think I have culinary diversity, I begin a new series called Taco To-day wherein I chronicle how often I eat tacos or taco-like meals in any given week.

I would have taken more pictures, but I didn't think about it until I was making lunch today. However, I will explain the rest of the week.

Sunday: Taco-less.

Monday: No tacos, but I had Pupusas which are Salvadorian and I put green chili on them so they're a little like Tacos... if you don't understand the difference between El Salvador and Mexico.

Thank you to Wikipedia for having a picture.