so, its good im back. and happy to be back.
my birthday came and went and it was beautiful. my best friend brenda was there every step of the way and it would not have been an ounce of what it was without her. day-of drinks at a sexy little wine bar (the same one i eagerly took my ex fiance to, only to have him ruin the experience for me. i vowed then to return and fully enjoy it on my own terms. my bday was the perfect occasion); followed by an evening of dancing to all my favorite songs (brendas fiance is the best post-punk indie DJ ever to live). seriously, that night of DJ Squid's tunes, coupled with a tipsy and enthusiastic brenda, made for the BEST NIGHT OF MY LIFE.
along the way i treated myself to exorbitant amounts of wine, cheese, and chocolate. i am currently attempting to cope with the post-party stillness i feel surrounding me. along with the guilt of eating chocolate and cheese when 'its my birthday' is no longer a valid excuse.
so, im challenging myself to something. first, a short background on how it came up (thats what she said):
you may recall my struggle to learn the 350 4-digit codes associated with produce at my work. the bosses noticed my failing efforts and sat me down, told me to take my time learning these codes, that there was no pressure, and that they liked me and wanted to make sure i wasnt feeling overwhelmed. 'how nice!', i thought. 'this family-run market chain really DOES feel like a family!'
the next thing i know, they sat me down to tell me i was learning the codes too slowly. apparently, the scheduled couple hours a few times a week to learn these codes means im not learning them as fast as the other newbies assigned 5 hrs at a time to learn them. who would have thought?
also, they complained that i am not wrapping cheese fast enough. apparently, my customer service skills, and my actual SALES of the cheese is getting in the way of cutting and wrapping it. and, my month-old wrapping skills just cant compete with the pace of those who've been at it for 5 to 10 yrs at a time. who would have thought?
after that conversation, i bitterly decided: im going to steal from this place. im gonna steal so hard.
but then i realized: when i first started there, the bosses told me that employees do not get anything free, but we can enjoy buying boxes of produce at a discounted rate. yipee.
over time, though, ive noticed that many food products make themselves available. as a farmers market, there are constant samplings of this and that, on-its-way-out produce being marked down in the 'reduced' bin, then later tossed into the compost, vendors leaving behind an extra box of cookies or loaves of bread that are one day old. plus, i am encouraged to sample the cheeses i cut and wrap, so that i may best assist customers with any questions they may have. the point is: there is an abundance of food, for free or for very little money, that i have access to on a daily basis.
Here is my challenge for myself: starting tomorrow, SPEND NO MONEY ON FOOD FOR TWO WEEKS.
ok, before you freak out: i already stocked up. rummaging through the 'reduced' shelves first thing this morning meant i picked out an array of excellent produce. i spent $6 on:
bananas, persian cucumbers, french beans, english peas, apples, pears, mushrooms, tomatoes.
for free i nabbed: 1 pkg (expires today) chicken apple sausage, 1/2 a cantaloupe (the other half had a hole that needed to be cut away), 2 (expires today) bags of spinach, 2 (expires in 2 days) bags of salad lettuce, and 2 heads or purple cauliflower.
now, using the incredibly effective Debbie Meyer's Green Bags (they really do work!), cooking today what was about to expire, and wrapping up the rest really well/tightly, coupling things with condiments, pantry staples, and the free loaf of bread i'm crossing my fingers for tomorrow, i'm confident i can do this. my fridge now looks like this:
this challenge will encourage me to post more often, eat healthier, and save money (my broke ass cant even afford to do laundry). plus itll allow me to take advantage of a company that is taking advantage of me. plus itll give me a nice little distraction from my emotional windstorm. which i will probably unload on you in the very near future.
what do you think? is it crazy? is two weeks too long? or is it a fun challenge?
well, here goes (hopefully) 'nothing'.
currently listening: charlie and the chocolate factory - johnny depp
current mood: intrigued
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