Denial, Hushpuppies, and Weight Loss

I was double fisting a box of hot hush puppies (Captain D's) and a birthday cake milkshake (Zaxby's) and laugh-choking from the irony of it all.

We had just had another big-important-reality-check-status-of-the-budget discussion the night before.  It always starts the same way.   I casually mention something financially related during a relaxing activity (for Alex, it was watching a Tax Cheats show) and it turns into a 2 hour gut-check.  It was a good talk, definitely.  The funny thing is Alex actually got a good percentage raise and we have some breathing room to save and get some margin in our lives.  Wonderful news.  But we are still dealing with "We used to make XX and now we make X and it is just plain hard because we are spoiled Americans and want everything NOW even though we have our health, our family, and a very nice roof over our heads.  Oh, and we are out of debt." 

We have some weak muscles to build.  Saving is like, hard.  It takes many months to attain the goal in mind.  And then there is another goal.  And another unexpected expense.  So we really can't jet off to Vegas or Hawaii or the Bahamas.  Atlanta is our Vegas; the Georgia coast our island getaway. 

Anyway.  That's reality.  And Ethan Hawke was right.  It does kinda bite.

Denial moment #2-- Back to the hush puppies.  It's Friday night and I have been so virtuous.  I have made meatloaf and mashed potatoes, ignoring the Friday night urge to order pizza.  Our kids are unruly and I'd like a bit of air, so we cruise the town, finding new neighborhoods to explore.  Which leads me to my milkshake craving.  It had been peaked by a sore throat earlier in the week, and though I'd gotten a chocolate shake at Krystal's, I'd really wanted the Zaxby's one. 

Alex gets a hankering for hush puppies, and thus, we end up with both.  As I'm shoving the delicious, oniony, perfectly hot and greasy puppy in my mouth, we are lamenting the fact that we always seem tired, can't get up early, and so, we ease our nerves with comfort foods.  And really, that should stop.  As I'm happily inhaling my puppies and shake.  'Cause they are so good.  And we've spent $8 we didn't need to because we'd already eaten a perfectly satisfactory supper.  And I checked out a book earlier in the day called How To Never Look Fat Again.

And it made me laugh.  Hopefully, you too.