Author: marymom

Water

One thing they always tell you when you are trying to lose weight, is to drink a lot of water. In fact, here in my diet tips even I have suggested drinking water if you are hungry because maybe you are just thirsty. But, here is my dilemma about water ala Dr. Seuss –

Water Is A Paean

I do not like it in a jar,
I do not like it in a car,
I do not like it by my bed,
I do not like it blue or red,
I will not drink it in a park,
I will not drink it as a lark,
I don’t have it instead of food,
because it does not help my mood.
I don’t like water you can see.
Do you have a tip for me?

NAPPING

TODAY’S WORRY

Since in my last entry I talked about not sleeping, I thought today I’d talk about napping. I have never been a napper. Not in a real sense, anyway. You know, giving in to the sleepiness and actually lying down on a bed. It has always seemed too guilty a pleasure. But I am starting to reconsider my position. Suppose the next day, after having an interrupted five hours worth of sleep the night before, I decide to lie down on my bed (as opposed to falling asleep somewhere else and ending up with a stiff neck), and took a little sleep, maybe a half an hour. Would I arise refreshed , and ready to tackle the rest of my day? Or would I be groggy and disoriented and consumed with guilt over my indulgence? Moreover, would I be setting the stage for another night of non-sleep?

Sleep Disorders

Here’s a couple of words related to the whole sleep/non-sleep issue.

narcolepsy -A disorder characterized by sudden and uncontrollable, though often brief, attacks of deep sleep, sometimes accompanied by paralysis and hallucinations.

sleep apnea – A temporary suspension of breathing occurring repeatedly during sleep.

(dictionary.com)

SLEEP

TODAY’S WORRY

Do you sleep? I mean all night. Or if you wake up, do you go back to sleep right away? I am very good at falling asleep but not very good at staying asleep. Is it because as a mother you get used to always being on the alert for any little noise? Is it just that as you get older you don’t need to sleep as much? I am frequently awake between 3 AM and 5 AM. I toss and turn. Sometimes I go look at my email. I play solitaire on my PDA. (Playing games on one’s PDA is an excellent way to while away the sleepless hours. It is backlit so you don’t have to turn on a light and bother your sleeping partner.) I don’t remember the last time I slept all night. I’d really like to.

praeteritio

High schools don’t offer Latin much anymore. When I was in school, we could take four years of Latin. And I did. In third year Latin, you study the orations of Cicero. Cicero used many rhetorical devices. One that I find that I use a lot is praeteritio. It can be used when trying to get a point across to your kids by appearing not to have actually harped upon the subject.

praeteritio – A device that functions in the manipulation of the speaker-audience relationship. Claiming that he will not deal with a certain topic, the speaker mentions it anyway.

So for instance, the other night when Sarah forgot here cell phone, I said in my email, “I won’t lecture you on how important it is to keep your cell phone with you.” Ah, praeteritio, a parent’s sneaky device.

Oscar’s Cafe

Oscar’s Cafe, Springdale, Utah

Oscar’s Cafe is situated in the shadow of the towering cliffs of Zion National Park. In the winter, when there are not too many restaurants to choose from, Oscar’s is open. There is indoor and outdoor dining. Unless it is too cold or rainy, I would definitely recommend eating outside. The scenery is incredible. Now, what to eat. I have heard that Oscar’s has the best burgers around, but we have never ordered them. There is one thing that we go there for and that is fish tacos. They are not on the menu, you have to ask for them. A couple of years ago, we went there craving tacos and saw that they had both fish and tacos on their menu, so we asked if they could make up fish tacos. They said sure and we got these great tacos with a fresh salsa and Lake Victoria fish. This dish is served with black beans and rice. It is kind of pricey at $14.95 but it’s good and filling. The service is sometimes slow but, really, you’ve been hiking and it’s good just to sit down and enjoy the view.

INSECURITY

TODAY’S WORRY

This has happened to me quite frequently. It always makes me feel bad. John and I walk into a restaurant or a hotel or somewhere that you get waited on. They ask how they can help him and then they ask me, “Are you checking in?’ or “Table for how many?” “No, we’re together,” I say. Of course, I immediately feel like they are thinking, how can she be with him? John says I am just being paranoid and they are merely covering their bases by not ignoring the lone woman standing there. Maybe I am just being insecure but I’m not sure.

habituate

I once heard George Carlin talking about hats. To paraphrase what he said – Isn’t it interesting that when you put on a hat you are, at first, really aware that it’s on your head and then after awhile you don’t even realize you have it on. But when you take it off, it still feels like you are wearing it. It’s the same with smells. Everytime you first get into a relatively new car, it has that “new car” smell. Then after riding in it for a while you don’t smell it. But the next time you get in, there it is again! It’s a phenomenon called habituation.

habituate – To accustom by frequent repetition or prolonged exposure. (dictionary.com)

The Producers

Here’s another non-restaurant but food-related entry. When we are away from California, I often find the produce to be overpriced and of questionable quality. Too often it is wrapped in plastic, pre-selected for you. Seriously, I’d much rather rummage through a bin and find the best stuff for myself. Here in southwest Utah, the produce is often very sorry looking. You can drive to Utah from California in less than a day. How could the produce have gone so down hill in less than 24 hours? Perhaps it’s because fresh produce isn’t used as much here? One time we picked out an eggplant and at the checkout the woman said,”Is that an eggplant? I’ve been working here for 9 months and no one has ever bought one of those before!” But the point is we have found a great place for produce. It’s called Eisenhauer’s Country Produce and is located in Ivins, Utah. Their motto is,”Affordability for the Family!” Last Friday, we bought asparagus for $.99/lb. and onions were 3 lbs. for $1. There was great looking lettuces, $.79 avocados, red peppers for less than $1 each. We are so pleased to have found this gem.