Still on the Warpath: Naiadknight's Battle Tome page 35

[Sabine]

Trade hostages!

[naiadknight]

Well, they didn't have anything I wanted, so I dropped off my hostages and left.
Dinner tonight is real gyros, not the sad sack ones we had a couple nights ago. It's a double batch and fills the loaf pan. Based on previous batches, this double batch should feed 6 people, or 4 people + a starving naiad. I'm doing it salad style. Green leaf lettuce, feta cheese, tomato, cuke, red onion, greek vinaigrette, raw garlic and chunks of the meat.

[naiadknight]

I think that's a minor success. I just had a half serving of gelato. Rather than wanting more, More, MORE GIMMEGIMMEGIMME, I want the whipped cream, without the sugar.
I did go over my sugar limit today, but I believe only 8-10 grams of that was refined (the added sugar in the gelato.) Given the shit I usually eat on Saturdays, that's actually really damned good.

[naiadknight]

Yesterday's sugar siege was a success in more ways than one. I'm back down from 128.8 (running average of the last week) to 126.8. Had 40g sugar, 8 of which was refined. Not bad for a day of the week that usually ends in a Blizzard.
Today will be the hard part. Dinner with the in-laws, followed by someone baking something. I have no control over what's for dinner. I'm hoping for meat salad (what I do when they have tortas or burritos or tacos.)

[naiadknight]

Dinner was pulled beef, chile, turkey breast, and refried beans. I have an orange in my purse for when they dig into the cake and cookies.

[Siobhan]

I was just reading over your sugar post on the last page, and I relate to so much of it I might steal it for my own journal! I've just purchased a nice bunch of bananas, which are one of those carb-y sugar-y fruits that most people avoid but I've had only positive experiences with them. The only nonfat food I've found that is utterly satisfying and that you can't really overindulge in. I really need to address this sugar issue in order to insure my long-term success. I've done well this weekend, but I need to think about it a lot more and get it under control.

[naiadknight]

Alcohol is also a craving creator, even in relatively small quantities. Add 2 chocolate covered strawberries, 8 pistachios, and 8 oz moscato to the aforementioned food, plus the orange. All told I hit 31 g sugar, with 10g refined sugar in the chocolate. I regard chocolate as "almost safe," a food allowable in small quantities if it will curb the craving. While this is again over budget, this is also MUCH better than I usually do on Sunday at the In-Laws.
If you'll note, while I am trying to be strict, I'm also allowing for reality. There will be times life gets in the way and it's something grain and sugar, or nothin', and IF isn't an option. Accept it, make it as primal as you can, and get on with life. While I'm being semi strict, I'm also allowing for stepping it down. Cutting it all off altogether in one fell swoop is a recipe for a relapse for me. I'll last a few days and fall face first into the candy bowl. If I step it down, and consciously take not of the sugar as I eat and enjoy it, I think I'll avoid the deprivation binge.
I'm also not beating myself up over not making goal. I see it; I acknowledge it; I make a mental note to do better the next time I'm in that situation; and life goes on.

Siobhan- Steal away! When you post it, I'd say make sure it all applies to you (esp the thyroid crap and higher carbs), and make it your own. Then run with it!

[namelesswonder]

I missed your sugar post last week. I am kind of approaching it similarly, but without tracking. Since Christmas, I've been increasingly more zen about letting sugar happen where it will. That makes it a lot easier for me to say no. I've taken bites out of cookies and then thrown out the rest seconds later. Sometimes, I've eaten a cookie at a completely irrational time (between meals), knowing it'll throw off my appetite, but I want it. Then I don't have any more that day. It's weird, but I'm happy that it's working. I'm slowly cutting out things and indulging without stress.

[naiadknight]

NW has me thinking about munchkins. We'll have them eventually, one way or another. If it's because I play host (gods willing) to a parasite for 9 months, I don't want a summer baby. Not in a West Texas summer. Not happening. I'd rather risk a blizzard than be very pregnant in high summer.
We'll also need another house, which means my plans for paying this one off may not happen. Planning for the full brood, plus a guest room, plus workspaces, we'll need at least 6 bedrooms, or 4 bedrooms, a study, and 1 bonus room. Even designing it ourselves and hiring a trustworthy contractor will be way expensive, and I'm not paying half a mil for a slapped together POS built in one of the booms.
Eh, burn that bridge later.
Stayed up way too late last night. I think Geek has depression, or a form of it. I think it's closer to burnout and being fucked over too often than depression. This year hit us hard. I was unemployed for the majority of it, meaning plans to upgrade the house and sock away money went out the window. His job is erratic about when they send him in the field, meaning he can't really start a creative project (that's what really bugging him, I know.) We talked about it and came up with a game plan on how he can tackle the creative project he wants while allowing for being in the field. He can at least get started on the research and some of the programming before needing to be home to build and test. As well, we were both stressing over affording even the bare basics.
I know what I want next year to be. It's one simple request from the gods. I want this to be the year of ONE W-2. I want to keep this job. I want NOT to get fucked over again by my employer.
I want Geek to be able to get the creative ball going again. Hell, I want to get the creative ball rolling again. We both need outlets or we start chewing on each other.
I want us to be able to replace windows and afford to look at upgrading the wall insulation.
I want us to not have to worry about money like we did while I was on unemployment.
I want all of my family to be healthy (mentally, emotionally, and physically) with no drama that drags me down to Dallas or to the Odessa ER.
I want to sit my P&P exam, and get my seal.
I want to finish Alanar, at least book 1, and get it going on the publication process. (Those last two will conflict with one another, and I will choose getting my seal over finishing the book.)
I want a happy, healthy, and low stress level 2013 for all my family and friends, especially including all y'all.


If you're going out tonight, be careful and be safe. Don't drive drunk, don't ride with a drunk driver. I'd rather see you try to figure out how to pay off a hotel night than pay off a hospital stay.

[namelesswonder]

And here I am thinking about how we'd afford a 2br apartment, maybe 3 if we were really lucky, to make room for one babe. Houses are much farther down the dreaming list. I think we'll get hitched before we worry about that one.

Glad you and Geek talked. It's been a really difficult year for us too, mostly emotionally, but I feel like it's ending on high notes.

Good advice! I found that the train is not far from where we're going out and it's free tonight, so if we must, we'll see about leaving the car in the lot overnight and I can retrieve it tomorrow. As it is, I probably won't drink much.