A: Hm, that's a hard one. In elementary school, it would have been smelly markers. My friend M. eventually owned the biggest set, and I had much envy.
In high school, it was the agenda. I would cut out a picture from a magazine to paste over the front, and maybe some pictures inside. I would then dig out favourite quotations and pepper them throughout. And buy coloured paper clips to divide and decorate it. It was very fun.
Fresh spiral notebooks are cool too, though. They bespeak of the endless possibilities (outside of schoolwork.)
And today at work we got in pencils shaped like drumsticks.
And then I didn't get time to eat the other half of my meal, so at closing time my stomach was gurgly. So I'm afraid I ate some dates & walnuts (my work-drawer snack) while doing closing procedures. But I did stop and put them away when I realized I'd had enough and might just keep eating them cause they're there.
A: The Gallery of Regrettable Food. It's a site where a guy posts photos from horrid mostly-brand-name 50s cookbooks, with very funny captions. When my friend got hitched a few years ago, I was mostly excited because I finally had someone to whom I could gift the book version.
So I didn't do any work while eating my lunch at work. Talked with husband while eating supper at home, but, like, I wasn't going to tell him: Shh! I'm eating!!
But I had an interesting moment a couple hours ago when I went to get a bit of herb loaf to snack on. I was cutting a piece, and thought: "Shit. If I cut too big a piece, I'll be bored as I sit around eating it." That was the moment where I was Seriously Tempted to cheat on my experiment. I wanted to eat my snack and watch something dammit!!
Instead, I just sat on the couch. Munch munch munch. Let my mind wander, as usual. Nom nom nom.
I listened to this song while writing the following post, and, it's so good. I thought it required sharing.
So. I've always wanted to MAKE myself try the experiment of not doing something else while eating. As a way of being more conscious of my food and when I'm full.
But the idea always *scared* me. I love combining food with other forms of entertainment. Getting something nice to eat, and pairing it with a good book or TV show... it's almost planned. "As soon as I'm done reading my emails, I will make a nice (faux)cheese sandwich and eat it while watching The Office."
At the same time, I know I'm a classic unconscious eater. And ever since being on my headache pill, my appetite has changed in some way. I get hungry when I shouldn't, logically, be hungry. And I used to be a little better at not indulging in something yummy-but-meh-nutrition, like potato chippies. Now, my brain has become Lost to All Reason.
I don't want to go off the headache pill, because I'd rather be fat with less headaches; but as of a couple months I've noticed my knees hurting me. So the fat thing has crossed some invisible line from "s'alright, I'm can survive at this weight" to "intrusive."
Anyway, yesterday for some reason I felt I could finally try the entertainment-free-eating. So I've to try for at least one week, right? An experiment should at least go one week.
I've given myself breakfast as a reprieve, because coming alive is already the biggest trial I face every day. And at work today I just forgot. I focused while eating my homemade bread cause it was crumbly, but I think I read emails while eating carrots.
Also, full disclosure, I have a map of the world placemat on the kitchen table.
It was funny just now, though, when I went to get some chippies. I poured out a reasonable portion of chippies, sat down on the couch, and then thought--hm. I have to turn off the tv. Ignore my computer. And just sit here and eat chips.
It was a novel experience. Snacks feel like they should go along with an activity. It wasn't as boring as I thought it'd be. I composed this entry in my head. And then thought about a conversation I had with my boss. Is that cheating? I can only do so much to prevent being entertained.
I fully anticipate not being able to make this an actual Real Habit. But experiments are at least educational. I once went a week without eating corn syrup and that was an eye-opener.
Little Fernando went to the emergency room today (nothing too alarming, don't worry) and knew he'd wait a long time, so he ran off with my little kobo. And now he's hooked on Frederica! He's so cute the Little Fernando.
Mind you, I've heard of other stories of men running off with their sister's/wives' Georgette Heyers. And Fernando once in awhile reads romance novels and super enjoys them.
My cafe expanded so I had to redecorate. (Fernando says if I say "I had to..." it means I'm a gamer now. I can accept that. I'm a decorating gamer. That's the only thing I like doing.)
Here's one side of the cafe. You can only seat one person per table, which is why the setup always looks weird.
Here's the other side. Don't you like my special corner with the underwater wallpaper, book shelf, sleeping puppy and table for one?
Now then--what your favourite school supply?
