All the Important F's

This story may ramble a bit. Consider yourself warned.

Shane and Tiffany (Fiona and Gayle too!) are our friends. They own an amazing place called Nib. A large group of us (more on that group later) went there for brunch today, and it got my wheels turning...

But first, Nib is so good it's a joke (click on the title of this post to visit their website). The food is an artistic flavor explosion. And the combinations are unusual to say the least. (As an example, Shane once won first prize at a contest in NYC for a chocolate he made, and it was based around blue cheese!). I'm personally very glad for this because I've become so much less picky as a result. I used to only eat one thing at a time and get angry if my food touched other food, but now I can eat almost anything (except melon, ick).



Food is good. In fact, I love it. I'm not afraid to say it, I LOVE FOOD! Especially when it's good. But this is the part where my wheels turned. A couple weeks ago Nancy and I decided to start eating better. So we did a four-day diet where we stopped consuming foods that typically cause bloating. This means no salt, sugar, caffeine, raw citrus, etc. It was 1,200 calories per day for four days. (Not enough calories, by the way). But by the end we felt great, our stomachs had shrunk, and we are now a lot more conscious of what we're putting in our bodies, and how much. Basically, we are trying to be healthier. After all, I've been going to the gym regularly for about a year, and there's certain stuff around my midsection (fat, possibly?) that is stubborn. Perhaps a healthy lifestyle involves exercise and diet. Possibly.

But it's weird to be "on a diet." What we eat is called a diet, and that is fine with most people. But as soon as "on" is added to "a diet," things get weird. I am 5'10" and 163 pounds (ding!...if you don't get this, don't worry). That is not fat in any way. I know this. But if I talk to anyone about eating less who is heavier than me, even if it's only in their mind, they look at me like I have an eating disorder.

Then there's the other kind of person, who is typically everyone else. When someone quits smoking, their other friends who smoke usually give the quitter a bunch of crap. This crap stems from the (wrong) thought that the quitter thinks they are better than the smoker now. Well, eating crappy can be the same as smoking. Sometimes I feel like I have to justify my eating habits to others. You know what, others, I'm just trying to be healthy, not be better than you. Besides, 1/4 cup of unsalted, raw sunflower seeds is delicious with breakfast. On second thought, no it isn't.

Which brings us back to Nib. Not necessarily a bastion of healthy food. So what do I do? I'm not going to be the weirdo who brings a slice of 47-grain bread to the barbecue and thinks it's OK as long as I grill it. I want to enjoy the social aspect of getting together with others and enjoying food. After all, I'm Italian (just ask my Mom, she'll let you know faster than you can say wooden spoon). So I'll eat less. I don't need to feel like I just finished Thanksgiving dinner after every meal. It only took me 33 years to figure that out.

If you're still reading, you are related to me. Anyhow, I promised some info on the Nib group. Not to ignore some people, but I'd like to concentrate on the Dan/Cortney/Nolan unit and Cortney's Mom and Aunt Kris. It is Cortney's birthday today. We decided that we would celebrate her birthday and Oliver's with a dinner at our house Friday night (Kind of like President's Day. And Oliver was Lincoln, while Cort played the role of Washington. Nice wig and wooden teeth, Cortney.). Little did Cortney know, however, that her Mom and Aunt were already at my house. Now I know that she's used to changing Nolan's diapers, but there is no way to prepare for a #2 in adult pants. And that is what Cortney had to deal with after seeing her Mom and Aunt. It was priceless.



So this afternoon Adam, Kira, Cortney's friend Laura (who brought three more), Nancy/Oliver/Matt, and the Dan/Cortney/Nolan/Mom/Aunt unit enjoyed a wonderful time with great food at a beautiful restaurant. And no one was counting calories.