As I was driving this morning away from Starbucks, several thoughts entered my head. I began to think of regrets I had for 2008. I thought I'd pen a little list. * I regret not returning to Starbucks today after they served two poorly-created drinks. I could not taste any flavor of "white chocolate" in the so-called white chocolate mocha drink, and they did not put whipped cream in it, either. Also, * Not reporting the marriage announcement to the New York Times, * Not getting my parents here for the Christmas holiday, * Dragging XS into the Exploratorium in San Francisco, * Not losing weight, * that Cavanna Pasta here in Richmond won't be selling their tiramisu anymore (but that may help with the weight thing), * that I've purchased too many sadly-made pastries from the new Short Pump Whole Foods market, * that I hadn't discovered applewood smoked bacon earlier in my life, * that we didn't get the cheese course during the 4-figure wedding meal, * that I didn't stop for a Southern Kitchen biscuit while in Chapel Hill earlier this year, * that I had a low blood sugar reaction in California, and consequently just had to eat a Thomas Keller Bouchon bakery chocolate chip cookie (the cookie was awesome, but it left me less hungry at the French Laundry, later in the day), and * that I only ordered one tray of steamed soupy-buns at the Shanghai Dumpling King restaurant in the Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco during our vacation. Those are my regrets. Nothing too deep or important, I wager, but that is probably a good thing. The theme for 2009 is "cutback," in a number of areas. Food (sheer amount), gluttony (and the associated cost), extravagance, luxury, etc., etc. It will be the year to lose weight, but also live more simply and economically.
What I do know is that we are fat. Obese. See WALL-E. That is the future. We have fat lifestyles, fat habits, fat minds and arteries. Last week, Obama said that it was going to get worse but that we would emerge, leaner and meaner..I don't think lean is mean...it just rhymes. Lean is healthy. Most of us eat too much, super sized lives and meals... - Jamie Lee Curtis, Huffington Post O.k., one last look at that delicious dumpling:
Happy New Year to the readers.