Friday, November 21, 2003

What do you say to a female coworker who first says to you, “Have you been losing weight? It looks like you have! I’ve lost some, too.” Then she sorts of models for you, and makes a pause, waiting for you to say something. What do you say, if in all honesty, to you she looks just as she always has? Ahh!

It happened to me twice today. In the second occurrence, I was just as lost in what to respond, as I was in the first. The second person added, “You look good.” I felt so fake responding, “You do, too” as it implied that I had perceived her loss in weight. M. 😕

Okay, so it’s becoming apparent to my coworkers that I’ve lost weight. It hasn’t been easy! Food is in my mind a great deal of the time. I have trouble waiting for the clock to hit 9am, the time that I usually have lunch. Sometimes the wait begins the night before. The taste that dinner left has not even vanished yet when I’m already wondering what I’ll have for lunch the next morning. Tamales at El Gallo Giro? Pollo Bowl at El Pollo Loco? Burrito and Taco Supreme at Taco Bell? Cold Cut Trio at Subway? Burrito de carne asada at the Mexican restaurant near work? With my wallet carrying plenty of 1, 5, and 20 dollar bills, it’s not easy saying no to food, when there’s both the money and an appetite for it.

Yesterday I went to a Mexican restaurant on Lassen and Sepulveda. I had asked a coworker where I could find some Mexican-style enchiladas (real mole, not the canned type), and she said to go there, Los Tres Hermanos restaurant. I ordered the combo that included two enchiladas and one taco, in addition to beans and rice on the side. I was served one enchilada, one chile relleno, and two tacos, in a sea of rice and beans. Ahh, so much food! Eat it all, and later regret? Taste some, and let the rest go to waste (as I wouldn’t ask for a doggy bag)? A dieter’s dilemma. I chose to eat it all, even the complimentary chips!

As I indulged in eating more food that I’d normally eat in three sits (under current standards), I saw a man outside of the restaurant scavenging through a trash can, looking for food. Once I was done pigging out, I saw the man again as I headed toward my car. This time he was looking through a trash can outside of a Subway restaurant.

Almost by impulse, I brought my hand to my wallet, pulled out a five dollar bill and said to him, “Here, have yourself a sandwich today.” He said thank you, and so many words more — something like, “I knew this day would come!” –, and turned around to walk toward Subway. At least that’s what I’d like to believe. 🙂

Earlier in the day, as I was eating at El Pollo Loco, a man came in causing conmotion. I couldn’t understand what was taking place. I heard the manager say, “I’ll fill it up for you.” Then, when I saw the manager handing back to the guy a Carl’s Jr. cup, things started to make sense: this man had come in the restaurant wanting to get some “water.”

The man sat down a few tables away from me. He had his eyes on someone behind me. Then he got up and walked toward the drinks dispenser. He had waited for the right moment to throw the water away and fill up the cup with soda. I disliked him at that point.

The man came by me. He asked me how much I had paid for my meal. I gave him the price. Then he said something like, “But I have no money.” I didn’t feel any sympathy for him — stealing soda, when free water could have gotten rid of his thirst?! The manager came from behind me and said to him, “Sir, I’m gonna have to ask you to leave.” Seeing that the big man was complying, the manager got cocky and added, “This is a business, not a place for freeloaders.”

The moral of the story? I give when not asked… but if stealing something as sacred as soda is your thing… 😉

Mhm, yup… food’s in my mind. For tomorrow morning, Frosted Flakes with Cookie Crisps? Or Chocolate Abuelita with Mexican sweet bread? 😕 Things were much easier in the old days, as it would not have been a matter of what to eat, but in which order! “Cereal first, then cocoa with bread — or the other way around?”

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