February 21,  2003

       Long week.

      Really really long week.  A week where had Himself requested anything more than the perfunctory cup of tea, i'd have wilted more than i already was.  So much for more D/s.

      The downward slide started Monday when i discovered the president's assistant needed LOTS of assistance herself... for an upcoming all staff meeting.  Not a small thing to organize when there's somewhere around 1000 people to co-ordinate.  i'd already done a lot of the leg work with spreadsheets filled with charts of names and assigned attendance dates.  We couldn't do the meeting and have everyone attending at the same time - finding a facility that was affordable just wasn't working.  So it was divided into 3 session and hosted in a theatre like space, complete with popcorn.

      If i smell popcorn anytime in the next year, it'll be too soon.  

      Once all the organizing was done, and the tasks all assigned, turns out they decide i'm going to be the time keeper.  Aka, i am responsible for making sure each presenter sticks to his allotted time and gets off the stage.

      Right.  The speakers were all senior executives.  Including the president.  Like i'm going to tell the president to get the heck off the stage!  Times' up big boy!  Off you go!  Sheesh.  i flat out refused the task until my boss told me i was being a weiner and putting myself in view of them is a strategically good move - especially in a company being totally restructured.  Okay, so now we know why he's the boss and i'm not. 

      But what i didn't mention to the boss was the fact that by taking on the task i wouldn't be able to take the company-provided bus out to the location, and had to be there for about 7:00 a.m.  And i don't know the area at all.  i did offer to take the car and try to figure it out, but Himself wasn't convinced this was a great idea, and drove me instead.  i honestly don't think i'd have made it in time to even see the presentations done!  i got confused just being a passenger in the car, and it was bumper to bumper traffic all the way.  Sheesh. 

      In the end, after i consented to do the job, i had a blast.  There i was, all dressed up and sitting in the front row with the "guys", waving colour coded file folders to indicate how much time they had left.  Of course they went over their allotments, but waving the "get off the stage you are done get down now your time is up .... get down please?" folder, was pretty funny.  Especially when i'd hand it down the row so the rest of the exec's could wave it as well.  

      i think i'd like the marketing department, especially if that's the sort of thing you get to organize.  And it would be a great way to keep being creative.  Unfortunately, my skill set is definitely only aimed at the glorified secretary roles.  Ah well .. at least i'm only bored occasionally.

      i've discovered banishing carbs from one's diet is not as easy as it would first appear.  Especially when that 3 o'clock munchie period arrives and all i want is a cookie.  A big soft chocolate chip-laden cookie.  With my tea.  

     my lunch partner today thought i'd lost my mind, when the waitress brought my order with the rice still on the plate.  i'd specifically asked for it on a side plate so that i could give it to him instead.  When it arrived all heaped together, i proceeded to pick every grain off the piece of salmon and the asparagus.  He just watched incredulously.

      i guess that's a pet peeve though.  i hate going to a restaurant and not being served what i asked for.  i mean, i'm the one paying right?  So i figure it should come the way i want it.  The waitress today was almost annoying, with her insistence that things just weren't right.  i'd separated the salmon and the asparagus onto the two bread plates, and gave the remaining plate of rice to my partner.   The waitress kept coming over and saying i needed a bowl or a plate or something - to the point that she was just being pesky.  i kept assuring her i was just fine, but she wasn't listening.  Probably felt guilty for messing things up in the first place. Especially since we started out the meal by being served a pot of tea without a tea bag in it.  And then she took my partner's plate away before he'd finished his food!  

      It just bugs me that people can't think beyond the pattern of their routine.  Like the one restaurant we go to that makes truly yummy breakfast steaks.  i just want the steak, and one egg (and one slice dark toasted brown bread - gads, giving up carbs is hard!) on my plate.  That's it.  However, the meal comes with two eggs, a ton of home fries and two pieces of toast.  i don't want all that on my plate.  They always protest.  They always insist i have to have it all.  That the price stays the same.  i always tell them that's fine - i don't  mind.  i don't want all that food on my plate.  And heaven forbid i ask to substitute mushrooms for the extra egg and potatoes.  i'm given a flat out no - don't they realize it's cheaper than giving me the extra egg and all the potato?  In the end i place bets with myself on whether the food arrives the way i want it or not.  

     But back to the carb-less thing.  It's hard.  However it's been 5 days now, and i'm noticing the cookie/chocolate cravings dwindling a bit.  In fact yesterday and today the 3 o'clock craving time came and went before i had a chance to notice.  And i've started to be more aware of what people are actually eating.  This morning's breakfast meeting menu was bagels and cream cheese, and muffins.  And some people were eating more than one or two bagels.  This just can't be healthy!

     While i don't intend to remain totally carb-less (once i'm at a more comfortable weight i'll introduce carbs again) the type of carbs are going to be much more closely monitored.  After only a few days, in spite of no noticeable weight loss, i feel a lot better in my skin, if that makes any sense.  i just don't feel as bloated or weighed down.  i'd love to shed the 10 extra pounds i'm carrying.. 15 would be better, but i think Himself would object, but if i end up just feeling better, then that's cool too.

     i'll save the cookies as special rewards :-)         

     “Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it.”
--Salvador Dali      

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