I do not like them, Sam I Am

If you read this blog have ever met me, then you know I hate eggs. LOATHE and DESPISE them, in fact. (I will eat a fritata, but that's a story for another day) But this post really isn't about eggs. I just wanted to use a clever title that was also food related.

For as long as I can remember, I have been the maker of lunches. My own, my sister's, my mother's. I probably would have made Dad's too, but he never asked and got up and left for work so early that it would have to be made the night before. This lunch-making began in about 4th grade and I haven't looked back. I guess at the age of 9 Mom thought it was OK for me to wield a butter knife to spread peanut butter and jelly or the mustard for the turkey sandwich. I got the gig not necessarily by being the best lunch-maker, but by being the person who was always ready first. This was sort of a dubious honor in my house because being ready for school way before everyone else meant I also had to help Mom find her black shoes/earrings/a safety pin to de-clump mascara or Al find her shoe/homework/hairbrush/clean clothing. I also had to wake Al UP but again, that is a story for another time. Once I helped the organizationally challenged members of my family locate the necessary items for school that day, I made them lunch. Sandwiches, soup, lunchables, salad, leftover pasta, etc. I did get better over time, which did nothing to help me get out of said task.

Side note: When I graduated from high school and went to college (out of state) Al was a junior in high school. She did not have lunch ONE DAY of her junior or senior year because I was not there to make it for her! Don't worry she didn't starve. Mom gave her lunch money to buy both of them Panera or Taco Bell or whatever else. I'm pretty sure they were both super pumped when I got home in May and high school went till June because they had a month of lunch.

Flash-forward to post-college 2005. I moved to DC and continued to make my own lunch. (and Al and Mom were probably still starving) Michael walked home for lunch (so lucky!) and was responsible for his own fare. I'd occasionally remind him of the 1/2 can of soup I left for him, but remained rather uninvolved overall.

Then we moved to Florida. Working from home allowed me to eat lunch at home this time- score! But because I got up when Michael did, at 6:30, I decided to be a dear and make his lunch for him while he showered and I made the tea. (He never once asked me to make him lunch, but every day thanks me for it on the way out the door. Such a sweetie) Everyone in his office was (and still is) supremely jealous of the fact that his lunch is ready when he leaves for work. My sister's current roommate recently learned of my lunch-making (for both Al and Michael) and said "She makes his lunch EVERY DAY? No wonder he's marrying her!" I like to think it's because I do his laundry, too. Quasi-relatedly, I also bake cookies and routinely send him to the office with them. A co-worker actually said "Jules makes you lunch and bakes cookies?! I want to marry her!"

Anyway- the reason I started writing this now excessively long blog post is because I'm eating lunch right now (it's 2:15, which is late for me) and it's not one of the best lunches ever. You see, it's Friday. I grocery shop on Sunday. This results in kick-ass lunches on Monday and Tuesday, with lunches progressively declining throughout the week. We had pizza last night and despite his insistence that I could have the leftover pizza and he'd grab a sandwich from Quiznos, I gave the 2 leftover pieces to my future husband (THAT SOUNDS SO WEIRD TO SAY!) this morning and decided to make a salad with the remaining 'spring mix' greens and raspberry dressing I have leftover from my delicious strawberry and feta cheese and walnut salads earlier this week. But since I am out of both strawberries and feta, I decided to add protein with Tyson's pre-cooked chicken cubes and add almonds just for kicks. Yeah. Not the best combo. I think the greens and chicken would have been OK with the bottle of dressing I keep in the work fridge, but for some reason I thought 'spring mix = raspberry dressing' which might be true if you don't add the chicken. Obviously, I should have taken Michael up on the going to Quizno's thing but I was very grossed out by having pizza for lunch knowing my co-worker was bringing McDonald's breakfast for everyone. And my 'less than 3 months away from your wedding' self told me I really should have 5 consecutive days of salad for lunch, and if I wasn't going to, I certainly shouldn't have McD and pizza on the same day.

Bottom line- I am glad it's 2:15 because I don't have that long to wait until dinner. Yes, a vast majority of my thoughts revolve around my next meal. It's been like that for a great while, and I am not ashamed.