Stop and smell the roses

In an effort to slow down and/or stop my road going, fast food eating, drive till you pass out, work style I have decided it is time to do more than just talk about how I want to change.

I really hate eating fast food. If it just wasn't so convenient. If it just wasn't everywhere. If it just wasn't thrown in your face constantly. If I just had a few minutes extra, I could choose a sit down place. If I just had a few better choices.

Well I do. I have found a way to make myself SLOW down.

Normally I have a trailer and I can't go through a drive through anyway. Also I have a diesel pickup and I don't like to shut it off while on a trip unless I have adequate time for a proper cool down. If I don't have a trailer I can use the drive thru, but only if I shut off my engine as it is rather loud and makes any type of communication over a drive thru speaker near impossible while running. The best I can hope for is an order that is similar, but not exactly what I ordered. Yes I know this for a fact. If the engine is running, I will not get what I ordered. Of course I may not get what I ordered if I went inside and presented in on a piece of type written paper in large font that has been notarized either.

On a side note, you should always allow a "cool down" period for a turbo charged engine. Really any engine if you would like to extend the life. Of course you should also use a premium oil, changed regularly and, well never mind I will do that one later....

So, I am trying to alter my "on the road diet". Last week I was gone 6 days and only had 2 meals at fast food. The first was Carl's Jr. I had a grilled chicken salad with bleu cheese dressing and it was adequate. I was neither disappointed nor elated at the presentation, taste, size, or amount of plastic that it took to house and consume this wonderful meal. Topped off with a large diet soda and I was not "oogey" at the end of the meal.

No fries, no onion rings, no deep fried cheese, no criss cut fries. I was alright. I kept it together. Sure I stared longingly at the food some of the other customers were getting, but I knew if I went astray of the salad, I would not feel "good" at the end of the week.

All in all it was a good week. I ate an omelet with avocado and cheese and had water to drink at a nice family restaurant in Salinas. I had some excellent ribs and one of my favorite beers on tap at a nice homey restaurant just outside of Glen Ellen. I had the largest Cobb salad with wonderfully cheap blue cheese dressing in Santa Rosa. I also had my favorite (so far) spinach salad with candied walnuts, dried cranberries, and bleu cheese with a warm balsamic bacon dressing in Petaluma. I had other good meals that were memorable and nutritious. Just that these were better.

It is easy. Sure the temptation is there to just fill up, grab a bite to eat and hit the road, but I have to stop and smell the roses.

Just for the record, most fast food restaurants contain NO roses.