Enemy Number One, In a Line of Many

On my way to drop off the recyclables down the hall, I realized I might have a problem. In my hands was a pizza box, an empty carton of International Food Coffee Creamer in Non Fat Vanilla (aka, creamy coffee sludge) and an empty two liter of Diet Dr. Pepper, that delicious nectar of the chemical gods. Since, I am not in training for the Olympics or incubating life, I hardly feel the need to go over my diet in excruciating detail. But a closer look at it might be in order.

The coffee sludge was introduced to me over the summer at my friend’s Jen’s house. We were sitting in her backyard enjoying lunch and nature and good weather. She brought out iced espresso, which is completely unappealing to me, as I am not a fan of bitter. She then produced an oversized wholesale-club sized container of Nonfat vanilla creamer, which rendered the espresso so palatable that I was instantly addicted to it. I went from a person who drinks coffee dark, hot, no sugar, to a person who drinks coffee so light with so much creamer that it looks almost like milk and is about as tepid, since adding that much cold creamer to a hot substance substantially lowers the temperature of said hot liquid. It’s bad.

A commenter suggested I post everything that I eat for one week, to see if what I eat contributes to my severe insomnia. Intriguing idea, but it makes me feel so exposed. All of my bad habits would be right there for all to see/read, and then I couldn’t live in denial, as I am fond of doing. The coffee sludge is just the tip of the bad-habit iceberg. For example, I’d have to admit that while I am typing this I am eating 100 percent corn, bite-sized tortilla rounds, something that I wouldn’t normally crave or eat, and am only doing so right now because they are in my home. Yes, I’m one of those.

I would have to admit that I stopped drinking water. I used to drink two or three Nalgenes a day. I finished my first Nalgene by 8 in the morning. Now, I drink pretty much no water. I go from coffee (with the aforementioned awful creamer thing) in the morning to Dr. Pepper in the late morning/afternoon/evening. No water, no juice, no milk, no nothing else. I know, not healthy. And there are plenty of other bad eating habits that I have picked up over the years.

While I tend to think it is the two babies that live in the bedroom next to ours who cause (directly and indirectly) my sleeping issues, I can admit that perhaps food and drink plays a part. So I might try that, writing it all down and posting it for all to see. At the very least, it will force me to really look at what I am putting in my body. I tend to think I am a healthy eater, and for the most part I am, but when I am carrying Dr. Pepper empties and pizza boxes and empty vanilla creamers to the recycling I have to start rethinking my definition of healthy.

It’s sad, but I discovered that it was snowing outside by watching the Today Show. That is how little I look out the windows in this apartment, how disconnected I am from nature and the world outside sometimes. On a side note, can someone explain how the weather forecasters are telling me that it might rain later today and tomorrow and even five days down the road, but they somehow missed the fact there was a weather system right now that would produce snow? Is weather really this much of a mystery for us?

There is a story on the news today saying how chemicals in baby soaps and shampoos may cause infertility later in life. So baby powder is the latest addition in a long line of fertility gremlins. I’m sure many more tests will come out to prove or disprove this, but I’m not taking chances. I have been using wet paper towels instead of wipes since the girls were born because, to me, it just felt wrong to expose two of their orifices (they don’t have many) to an onslaught of chemical-soaked wiping towels. I’m not quite sure what is in wipes and that makes me nervous. I’m not saying that those who use wipes are throwing their children in the line of fire. But for us, we decided that paper towels and water were just fine. Of course, the bleach in paper towels might in the long run cause its own version of nasty damage. It’s all about picking and choosing your environment and chemical battles, I guess. For me, wipes, bad; Pop Tarts, good. There are flaws in my approaches. People who use cloth diapers are my heroes. I wasn’t brave enough, considering I had the two obstacles of having twins and not having a washer/dryer in my own home.

At last check, Secrets comments up to 66! I will neither confirm nor deny that maybe one of mine is buried in there...

Ugh, I just got my second mini bowl of 100 percent corn, bite-sized tortilla rounds. This is not a good start.

Pictured above, sour cream donuts, which is another thing that I will consume mass quantities of if they magically appear in my home. By “mass quantities,” I mean all of them and by “magically appear,” I mean I buy them.