Wednesday, January 13, 2010

You Want Fries with That Temptation?

Brad and I made a pact.
New Year's Day, 2010, we would embark on the "No refined sugar" adventure.
I've done it before.
He had been doing it since his surgery Christmas Eve.
And I was ready. After all, there is a wedding lurking in my very near future.

I fell off that wagon last Thursday. Actually, it was more like a perfect swan dive into a beautiful slice of heaven:

White cake with raspberry sauce and whipped frosting.
Don't tell Brad.
I couldn't help myself. It was free. Because I was such an exemplary mother of the patient during Eve's hospital escapade, the surgeon sent me down to the hospital cafeteria with a voucher for lunch.

When something is free, doesn't your willpower disappear? Spread before me were all the delicacies of a hospital cafeteria. (That sounds like an oxymoron, no? But remember, this is a brand-new facility, complete with top-of-the-line munchies.) Any sandwich my brain could create, a shiny grill with aromas of cooking meat, rows of sodas and juices and milk. And there was the dessert island. Art, I tell you. Pure art. Cakes, cookies, brownies--oh, did I see a basket of fruit?--pastries. All arranged to tempt woman.
I tried to resist. Really, I did. But I just couldn't. It was FREE, friends. Why waste FREE on an orange and a turkey sandwich. It defeats the "gift" aspect of FREE. So I succumbed.

Cheeseburger and fries
mmmm
Soda
mmmm
Orange
guilt-salve
And that decadent raspberry confection
pure bliss

I proceeded to the register, loaded with delicacies aplenty and a small permission slip.
I set the tray down, and in her accented English, the cashier brusquely cautioned, "This only good for five dollah. You owe $4.96."
My bubble had burst, but I refused to relinquish my treasures. Fine. Five bucks for lunch in the hospital is reasonable, I guess. I would have spent that at Arby's across the street. And there was no way I was changing my meal.

I headed to my seat and ate like I hadn't seen food in weeks--Survivor meets Grey's Anatomy. I watched the people, wondering what brought the non-uniformed patrons there--tragedies, appointments, or like me, minor procedures. I watched the employees, huddled in castes--janitorial, security, aides, nurses.

And I enjoyed my sinful sugary cake--every bite.

I'm back on the wagon now, a bit reluctantly I might add. But it's only three months till the wedding, and I've got to make the change sometime.

Besides, wedding cake tasting is slated for February 12th. I can wait that long.
Right?
blog

9 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Woman, you are in deep trouble. I have free candy at the office, but do I succumb? No, I do not. I eat carrots and macadamia nuts. Repent!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. ok was going to write something funny and read Brad's post. Laughed and forgot the funny part. I am sure that you were thinking about Eve when you ate this yummy treat that you would share with her. She was having a difficult day and you wanted to sweetin her day.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I would have given back the orange. You know, to make my total a bit less.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hilarious! By the way, the link to the video in your previous post sends me to the Cox home page so I can't figure out where to go to see what you to upload so I can help you! Make sense?!?

    And really, how do we know the Bishop doesn't sneak a Tootsie Roll every now and then? I would swear he smelled of chocolate last time I was in there....hmmmmmmm

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am on the wagon, Jen, and looking at that piece of cake has just about done me in tonight just before dinner.

    I think I'd better go stuff myself full of carrots and take the edge off before I go nutso.

    ;)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love you, LOVE this post! So well written, and hilarious! I agree, 'tis to difficult to say no. I swear every day to give it up, and alas, the devil wins every time.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Too funny! I too, would NOT have given up a yummilicious raspberry cake. The way I look at it...the cake was FREE...you just had to pay for cheeseburger and fries. (Like my logic?)

    ((HUGS))
    Jackie

    ReplyDelete