“To be or not to be is not a question of compromise. Either you be or you don’t be.”
― Golda Meir
1. I learned it takes three full days to recover from falling off the no-dairy wagon. Per doctor’s orders, I have been dairy-free for seven months. At first it seemed an impossible lifestyle change, but it’s really not so bad. Though, I will admit pizza with cheese is so much better than pizza without. Anyway, it was all going so smoothly. I had adapted well, and for the most part, have had very little in the way of dairy cravings. That is until I stepped foot in an ice cream shop with no non-dairy choices. Then, in the blink of an eye, seven months of dairy sobriety came to a gut wrenching end. In all honesty, I really didn’t think it would make much difference. I mean, how much damage could one scoop of chunky chocolate peanut butter ice cream do?
A lot.
Lesson learned.
2. I learned that my morning bagel obsession might be even more hazardous to my health than the dairy. No, not because those chewy rounds of mouth-watering goodness are packed with carbs and calories, but because I’m wholly incapable of handling a serrated knife without jeopardizing a finger or two. Last week I required a trip to my local urgent care clinic after my attempt to slice open a bagel for toasting turned bloody. Let’s just say my thumb didn’t appreciate the near filleting.
How cool is that?
A very small part of me wishes I could scuba dive. Of course, the rest of me – the part grounded in reality – knows and understand it will be a cold day in hell before that would ever happen.
4. I learned that I don’t understand people who make a big show of announcing their impending departure from social media then never seem to go anywhere. What’s that about?
5. I learned that – speaking of social media – I really hate memes. And cliché status updates. And grumpy, negative people who complain all the time.
What are you looking at?
6. I learned that I have a sudden itch to write a Snowden-esque character into my WIP. I just can’t help myself. These stories draw me like a moth to a flame.
And on a side note: I learned that people are shocked to find out our government is spying on us.
To this I say: duh.
I’m flabbergasted by such naivety. I’ve been expecting the dudes in black to show up at my door for years to investigate the content of my Google searches.
7. I learned that catching up on the backlog of blog posts in my WordPress reader is exhausting. I love you all. I love reading what you have to say, and viewing your beautiful photographs, but seriously, you people need to let me catch my breath. It’s summer. Take a break. Go to the pool. Drink a fruity drink. Give me a week. One week. Then we can get back to business.
What do you mean it’s not all about me?
8. I learned that Gillian Anderson is starring in a television show for the BBC called The Fall. It might come as a surprise to some, but back in the day I was a huge fan of the X-Files. Anderson’s Scully has always been one of my favorite television characters, second only to Jen Garner’s Sydney Bristow.
I stumbled upon The Fall quite by accident while looking for something else on Netflix. My interest was piqued when I saw Anderson’s name listed in the cast, and I couldn’t help but add it to my queue. I spent Saturday night glued to the scant 5 episodes in the series. The Fall is about a female cop brought in to hunt down a serial killer. Sounds mundane and ordinary, doesn’t it? It’s anything but. It is dark and brutal and raw. The acting is fabulous, the writing superb, and the pacing will leave you tingling with anticipation. I loved every minute of it.
Check out this review: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/10111545/The-Fall-BBC-Two-review.html
9. I learned that a man in Brazil was killed when a cow fell through the roof of his house. I’m perplexed by the logistics of such a thing. Is it me or does this stink of a conspiracy involving the Chick-fil-a cow?
Check it out for yourself: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/15/19479766-reports-cow-crashes-through-roof-kills-sleeping-brazilian?lite
10. I learned that the Twinkie is back. I never understood the American fascination with this particular snack. The yellow cake tastes like cardboard, the filling leaves an oily aftertaste, and the ingredient list requires a chemistry degree to understand. I could go into a rant about the state of obesity in our country and the role processed junk food plays, but somehow I don’t think anyone is listening.
11. This week’s awww moment is brought to you by a little garden spider who took up residence on my patio for a day or a two.
Of Bears and Boating 
I never say aww to spiders :p
I hope your thumb is ok
That’s brutal
I’ll have to check out The Fall. I’m a sucker for a show with great writing.
Good to hear u didnt lose a finger and will have to look out for the Fall. But most of all, amen to #4. Lots o blogs and FB acquaintances haven’t delivered on their promise to leave. But then that begs te question of who just don’t drop em myself. Too nice I guess
I’ve been dairy free for 13 years now. After a decade of cheeseless pizzas I actually find myself thinking the ones with cheese look and smell funny! 🙂 This is a great list. We learned some of the same things lately, including about The Fall, which is excellent!
I learned that life throws you a curve every once in a while. And it’s always good to have a friend to lean on