The First Challenge

Already!  A challenge came up right away, after writing the “Austere Year” blog first entry.  I came home from work, did the chores, cleaned up the house, fed the Pug, showered and waited for Sean to come home.  We had done a grocery shop on Sunday and had some stuff in the house that we could use for dinner, but I was feeling lazy, and like I “deserved” to go out to dinner because I had worked so hard all day, and then cleaning up when I got home.

My mind was on pizza.  I’m trying not to eat carbs, and when I do eat carbs, I’m trying not to eat gluten.  Well, pizza doesn’t fall into either of those categories now, does it?  And the place we get the pies from is old school – amazing fresh crust, and loads of toppings.  We usually throw a salad in there for good measure (to make sure we get our food pyramid helpings in!).  So, usually, it’s about $40 and will give us a day or so of leftovers as well.  I’m telling you, it was concrete in my head – that’s it, we’re getting it!  But then I thought of what I have been trying to change, and I took that moment to really think.  Yeah, I DID have the $40 it would take… but, I also would not get paid until Friday the 23^rd – and I still have some shopping to do for Sean.  That would mean taking it out of savings (and probably not putting it back) if we got the pizza.  Arrrgh. 

We ended up eating the food that we had bought on Sunday for dinner.  It was a matter of getting my head around it that this was better for me than pizza.  Not just in the health department, but in the wallet department.  I now have freed up $40 for Christmas and I’m not flying into payday by the skin of my teeth.  I also don’t have the carb/gluten hangover that I probably would have had.

As far as presents go, I’m almost done.  I gave in and got some Peet’s coffee and a travel mug for Sean.  But in my head I justified it, because at least it’s not Starbucks.  That one’s pretty lame, yes, I agree.

The other presents, I think I did pretty well.  I wanted to support local businesses, and/or give services instead of “stuff” that he doesn’t need.  So, I got two tickets to see Lucinda Williams at Royce Hall in January.  Unfortunately, I had to go through those muthaf**kers Ticketmaster.  Ticketmaster is the Devil.  They are the epitome of everything corporate and un-artistic and greedy that I hate.  But have you tried to get tickets to ANYTHING without them?  Ugh.  $6 per ticket surcharge, plus $4.95 to print out my own tickets.  Total: $88 to see Lucinda Williams.  I’m OK with that.

Next, we have a 90-minute massage from a very gifted, wonderful masseuse.  I sent her the check (including tip - $90 total) and will creatively make a gift certificate for Sean with all the information on it he needs.  I’m jealous because I definitely need one too!

Finally, a trip to two bookstores – Vroman’s in Pasadena and Webster’s Stationery in Altadena.  They both have eclectic, one-of-a-kind books and writing instruments, etc., which I love, and so does Sean.  I thought about a Moleskine planner from Vroman’s, and some Crane monogrammed cards from Webster’s.

…

So much for the Moleskine… Vroman’s was picked over.  And, instead of forcing him to use something he didn’t like, for the sake of just GETTING something, I bought a calendar instead.  A sweet, 4x6 flip-over with vintage photos of cowboys.  I did get my own dayplanner at the bookstore, a nice, hardbound artsy one with a magnetic flap.  Total: $12.95 for the calendar.

I think I’m done with the presents.  The Crane cards will have to wait for another day.

Another victory: waiting for Sean to get home last night (he is working late all this week due to people’s vacations), I thought – do we REALLY need to go out to dinner like we had talked about?  I was thinking Chipotle or something like that, but again, that would be about $25.  I really didn’t want to make dinner, I was feeling lazy.  But, it was getting late, and I tried to put myself in Sean’s shoes… working 2 hours longer than usual, a 10-hour day, tired from a longer commute.  So, I got up off my ass, took my wedding ring off, and mixed up some hamburger with soup mix and shredded cheese and put the patties in the convection oven.  Next, a green salad with what was left in the fridge - green onions, black olives, garbanzo beans.  Complete the meal with a can of Veg-All heated up, and it was practically ready when he walked in.  And when I said, “We don’t have to go out to eat, or even to Vroman’s tonight if you don’t want to.  I made dinner.”  The look on his face made it all worthwhile. “Oh, thank GOD!” he said, as his shoulders relaxed, and he let out a huge breath.  We sat, at the table - not in the living room with the TV on - smiling at one another, and chatted about our day.  It was the best meal!  This follows what my mother always told me – Hunger Makes Good Kitchen.

We did end up going out to Vroman’s, as I wrote above, but were done in an hour, and came home to be asleep by the usual time – 10:00 p.m.  I felt a sense of satisfaction and peace – like making the good decisions started the snowball rolling.  I do know though, that it’s a one day at a time, one decision at a time thing that gets (and keeps) the good habit going.