k-brow: dashing

I took a couple o' days to knit the wonderful Dashing mitts from Knitty. I'm reasonably sure I'm the last person in the blogosphere to make these, but oh, what a sweet, sweet knit they served up, especially in sunset-colored Malabrigo! Started on the flight from Honolulu to Virginia, and finished a day or so later. Comfort for a cold climate, and relentlessly cheerful through trying times. Love the Dashings!

I don't love how fragile Malabrigo is. It's already starting to pill a little. Okay, I admit that I DID wear these nearly nonstop, indoors and out, through my 19 days in the Olde Country, but I do expect more from my mitts... still, I look at that color, and feel that Malabrigo caress, and all is forgiven.

P had a plan to put himself (and therefore, me) on the South Beach Diet, or a bastardized version, thereof, upon his return to the islands. His illness has required a steady intake of orange juice and ramen, however, so he's bowed out. Not me. I had psyched my own self up to eschew everything carb, upon my own return, though, so I just started it up yesterday. Being conscious of the impending diet, I made sure to deny myself no pleasures on the mainland, and so this isn't too painful. I try to keep to the spirit of the diet, if not the letter, just eating lean protein, lots of veggies. I cut out sugar, rice, pasta and bread, but keep berries (some people don't eat fruits on the restrictive Phase I of this diet) and sweet potatoes and kabocha and such. I also eat beans and nuts pretty freely. So mostly it's kissing my beloved sugar and white flour pastrys and pastas goodbye, at least temporarily, til the clothes fit again.

I always find a couple of weeks on this diet "resets" my tastebuds again, so that everything tastes good. Cutting out sugar is a good thing, for me. I'd been having LOTS of headaches, lately, and I know that's connected to sugar intake, in my body. I've done okay; 2 days into it. Eggs for breakfast, salads w/ walnuts and feta for lunches, and I grilled some steak last night that's also gonna be dinner tonight, along with a big pile of asparagus. Yum. I find this way of eating doesn't leave me too hungry, and I don't "crash" on it. I'll phase in some more carbohydrates in a week or so; oatmeal, whole wheat bread and pasta, but it'll be a gradual thing.

I'm missing the red wine, though, not to mention the martini. Neither of those will be long away, either, I can assure you.

I think I just needed to re-set things here in the new year.

Ella is getting some fiber in her diet. Both my dogs are big grass eaters, and it doesn't seem to correlate with stomach upsets, as it does with some dogs. I think they just like the taste of green.

5 things that struck me today, as I drove around the eastern part of Oahu trying to rev up the CRV's dead battery:

- how blue and clear the ocean is between Waimanalo and Makapuu. Jeez! It's incredible!! Lucky live Hawai'i all over again.

- how many potholes there are in the roads here.

- how very friendly people are here. I don't think I come from an unfriendly place, but I'm always struck, after a time away, how very NICE grocery checkers, maintenance folk and people you meet on the street are.

- Nuuanu is the rainiest place I've ever lived. It truly did me a world of good to drive out of the clouds. I'm feeling much more aloha toward the world in general now.

- my car has not been immune to the pervasive mud, mold and filth that seem to have invaded the house. Ugh. Must clean it up, if I'm to face my work commute again.

Off to work some of crazy Cricket's energy off, as we have a brief period of sunshine here.