not another diet post

1. I read a lot of blogs, and a common denominator to many girl blogs is that there inevitably comes the I've-always-hated-my-body post, and the I-need-to-lose-weight post, and the I-hate-my-diet post. I don't really write those posts, but I want to write about my New Year's resolution anyway, because Sean is awesome.
I haven't "always hated my body", and I don't, but I have a perfectionist streak and grew up as a skinny kid, so I usually feel as though I could manage to lose some weight without missing it. I've only really ever managed to do it through illness or being in the jungle, and as I won't wish for ulcers and can't just hop down to Belize whenever I want, I should probably work it out for myself at some point. When I lived with Kellie and Erica, they made a push one New Year's to really stick to a diet, and I decided to try it with them as a sort of sympathy diet, despite being pretty okay at the time, because nothing is less fun than watching your roommates eat things you can't. Kellie introduced us to the basics of the Weight Watchers points system, which usually costs a good chunk of money, and I realized that it wasn't that bad unless you feel the need to stuff yourself compulsively and try to run with that, cutting out calories, taste, and quality of life in the process. I don't subscribe to that - there are just better ways.
So I've gone with the points again. It's really easy - you can find all the information about the program you need online. There are dozens of websites with nutrition info, and more than a few with the basic points information on them, and a really useful points generator. I keep a spreadsheet, and fantasize about being on House with food poisoning symptoms and being able to fill them in on precisely what I've eaten in what amounts for the past eighteen months. You miss out on the comradery in the Weight Watchers meetings, but having tried it before with Kellie and Erica, I don't really want to sit in a room with strangers and share recipes for zero point soup. I don't really need to, either, because Sean is awesome.
Dude's a really good cook, but he just does not need to be concerned about his weight. He has a crazy metabolism that means he has never in his life touched skim or light or nonfat anything, and he has ribs. Ribs. But one of the nice things about life these days is that we support each other. I support him when he has essay breakdowns, he supports me when I have angst attacks because I have six hours of Latin to do and there is no one to blame but myself (and my prof, and Marcus Tullius Cicero, but we won't get into that). So he has completely eliminated easy food from the house, and actually remembers how much of whatever he puts in things (you can't find the point value for "a good-sized chunk"), and makes things that aren't going to blow my points for the day in a single meal (so possible). Last night, he wanted more food after knowing my eating day was effectively over, and actually cooked food he knows I really dislike in an effort to keep me from being jealous (I'm looking at you, Chinese fermented black beans). It even almost worked.

2. Also on the support front, Sean confessed that he doesn't actually want to bail on school. He has some serious hangups about "taking time off" and I can't blame him. He's getting another job, but he also has a meeting tomorrow with Financial Aid to discuss options. There are always options, and I hope that we can work this so he can keep his school job (which he loves, and would lose if he took the semester off) and go to school. Bailing is always the easier option.

3. Further on the job train of thought, I spent some time grooming my resume yesterday in preparation for applying for jobs to be an archaeological field technician and got to stressing about it. Angus gave me solid advice.

3:58 PM Angus: Okay.

Imagine this is not a resume.

But a hip hop track.

Angus: Make sure people know precisely how ill you are.

me: that could work

4:00 PM Angus: Member of the dean's list\dug in belize with my fist\haters try to take a risk\But I'm a kingpin like wilson fisk.

me: wilson fisk?

4:01 PM Angus: The Kingpin, a statuesque spiderman villain.

Employers love a good comics reference.

4:02 PM me: I think a surprisingly large number of archaeologists, and other professionals, get hired on the basis that they will probably be interesting to talk to while you wade through mud, dig holes, hike long stretches of forest, etc

4:03 PM Angus: There you go!

4:04 PM me: I don't think the "Dr. Leonard Campbell Smith Memorial Prize for Ancient History" syncopates very well

4:05 PM do you suppose they would care about the amount of money attached?

Angus: I don't think so

4:06 PM me: I think academics, unlike hiphop artists, are supposed to be relatively cool towards the benjamins

Angus: They want to be sure you're all about heart, for sure.