By Suzanne Sparrow Watson<\/p>\n
My husband, big tough guy that he is, hates to fly.\u00a0 He has not been on a plane in 12 years, which means that he has never experienced the joys of the TSA. When we used to fly he needed fortification so although he\u2019s really not much of a drinker, I would fill a water bottle with vodka.\u00a0 He\u2019d order some orange juice, pour a little \u201cwater\u201d in it, and he was set to go.\u00a0 Of course, sometimes he would drink a little too much \u201cwater\u201d and start referring to the flight attendants as \u201cbuckaroos\u201d.<\/p>\n
Needless to say, the old vodka\/water bottle trick is no longer possible so we drive everywhere.\u00a0 We actually enjoy it \u2013 he drives, I knit, read or, more commonly, eat.\u00a0 Last week we made a quick trip up to Sonoma to visit my mother so I spent a lot of time in a car.\u00a0 Which is another way of saying that I gained five pounds.<\/p>\n
We always start our road trips with a stop at a Starbucks.\u00a0 In fact, our starting time from any destination is dictated by their opening time.\u00a0 I used to order up those delicious blueberry scones until I read that they have the caloric content of a milk shake.\u00a0 Last week I briefly considered how much effort it was going to take to drive to Sonoma.\u00a0 I ordered a plain bagel.<\/p>\n
So by 5:30 a.m. I was set to go.\u00a0 Normally I don\u2019t eat breakfast until 7, but the bagel beckoned me from its bag.\u00a0 By 5:45 it was history.\u00a0 As the trip went on, and by \u201con\u201d I mean another hour, I\u2019m hungry again.\u00a0 I look in our \u201cfeed bag\u201d to see what I can nibble on.\u00a0 Oatmeal cookies?\u00a0 Great.\u00a0 Oatmeal is definitely a breakfast food.<\/p>\n
I knit, read, look out the window and realize I\u2019m starving<\/em>.\u00a0 It must be lunch time.\u00a0 I look at the clock- it\u2019s 9 a.m.\u00a0 Back into the feed bag.\u00a0 Crackers. They\u2019re only 30 calories each. I munch on a few of them. \u00a0And then a few more. I\u2019m a firm believer in the theory that calories consumed while you\u2019re in a car don\u2019t count.<\/p>\n By 11:30 I was looking for the nearest restaurant.\u00a0 Okay, \u201crestaurant\u201d might be a stretch.\u00a0 I\u2019m usually thrilled if we can find an In-N-Out but I\u2019ve been known to settle for McDonalds.\u00a0 I draw the line at Denny\u2019s \u2013 my standards may be low but I do have some. We stop at Bob\u2019s Big Boy and I order a salad because I\u2019m on a diet.<\/p>\n Mid-afternoon brought a whole new set of challenges.\u00a0 We were close to our stopping point and I was exhausted from all the driving.\u00a0 But we\u2019re staying in a new place and I had no idea what kind of food might be available.\u00a0 Better load up while I\u2019m still in the car.\u00a0 A couple of handfuls of almonds, a couple of chocolate squares and some Pop Chips fortify me for whatever lies ahead.\u00a0 It was more food.<\/p>\n It goes on like this for days.\u00a0 When I\u2019m at home I\u2019m a three-meal-a-day person.\u00a0 In the car, I eat like I\u2019m on death row.\u00a0 Some people are inspired by the lure of the road.\u00a0 Me \u2013 I take any road trip as a personal challenge to see how much food a human can consume.<\/p>\n My vista for the upcoming week?\u00a0 The view from the treadmill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Suzanne Sparrow Watson My husband, big tough guy that he is, hates to fly.\u00a0 He has not been on a plane in 12 years, which means that he has never experienced the joys of the TSA. When we used … read more