The Return of Ice Cream Season

We've had some very summer-like weather recently. Hot temperatures always inspire me to want ice cream. I favor a cinnamon bun flavored creation, but will eat a wide variety of flavors of B&J's, whereas my boyfriend only eats some weird half-baked thing (chocolate ice cream! the horror!). His flavor must be the most popular because it is rarely in stock. After pawing through the freezer case, I heaved a big sigh and turned to stomp off. An employee that was stocking nearby heard me and politely inquired if I was finding everything OK. Um, no, as a matter of fact, I wasn't. So off to the stockroom he went to return triumphantly with my ice cream in hand.

So a few days later when I happened to be back at the same store, and yet again found myself pawing hopelessly for the half-baked nonsense, I knew that it might be possible to find some in the back. There was no helpful stocker lad this time though, so I went up to the front near the cashiers and solicited assistance from a manager type. A few minutes later he directed me back to frozen foods where the same stocker lad held several pints for me. Not embarrassing at all. I tried to explain that the ice cream wasn't for me, but he wasn't fooled, taking note as I scooped up a pint of cinnamon buns too.

Next time my boyfriend will be doing the ice cream shopping!

Stop the eating!

Another side effect of perpetual boredom is weight gain. For lack of anything else to do, I snack ALL day long. For example, I had just polished off a pair of Reese's peanut butter cups courtesy of the evil vending machine, when a co-worker came into my office and poured a big handful of m&m's on my desk. Now this wouldn't perhaps be the worst thing in the world if it wasn't an every day occurrence (well, some version of the story anyway).

Also contributing to the weight gain is the fact that I'm in a relationship now. I always tend to eat more when I'm sharing meals with another person. I eat much less when I eat alone (two rice cakes for dinner, anyone?). Now there are actual meals, eating out, and homemade bread to contend with, not to mention the fact that I keep making cookies.

In the December-January crunch of our busy season at work there is no time for snacking. I was also single at that point, and got down to the thinnest I've been in decades. I even had to buy two new pairs of jeans (size 4!) because most of my others were just way too loose. Sadly enough, they were a short-lived distraction, and now it's back to the "fat jeans" for me.

And exercise? Who has the time or energy for that? Obviously something's gotta give; this is not a good pattern to follow.

Whine, Whine, Whine

I know that I should be grateful that I have a job at all given the economic state of affairs. And I am. I really am.

I even have really good benefits and a lot of time off. It's just that my job is really, really boring. And it makes me really, really grumpy. And frustrated. And miserable.

We spend most of our lives working (why is that anyway?), so it seems like we should be doing something we at least kind of enjoy. Why don't you do something about your situation, you ask? I did! I took out ridiculous amounts of student loans and got my master's degree. How could I have known the economy would tank? Now not only are they not hiring teachers, they are laying them off left and right.

Enough of this whine. It is time for some fruity wine instead.