Things I Will Never Understand
There are a few things in this world that remain a mystery to me, and probably will stay a mystery until the day I die…
I don’t understand…Ali’s Hamper:
I suppose I should look at this picture and acknowledge the progress that my husband has made…in almost 10 years he’s gone from throwing his clothes on the floor next to the hamper to throwing them on top of the hamper. Maybe one of these days he’ll graduate to putting his clothes inside the hamper.
I don’t understand…Maya’s Hamper:
Like father, like daughter? I’ve begged and pleaded for Maya to put her things inside the hamper. I’ve taken toys away, I’ve sent her to her room, I’ve threatened her with no television, but alas, her dirty clothes still end up on the bathroom floor.
What is with my lazy family?
I don’t understand…Pantene:
What is it exactly that they put in this little bottle that works miracles on the Din household’s hair?
Jillian Michaels told me to stop using products with chemicals in order to Master My Metabolism, and I tried Jillian, I really did! But nothing calms my hair down like Pantene and faced with dousing my skull with chemicals every day and having good (that is a relative term) hair or living my life with a Target hat permanent stuck to my head, I had no choice but to go with the chemicals.
I don’t understand…Pomegranate Juice:
How can I like pomegranates and juice, but not like pomegranate juice? For some reason this juice is too concentrated for me. So I mixed about a quarter cup of the juice with three quarters of a cup of sparking water and ended up enjoying a little mocktail. All that was missing was a little umbrella for my glass, some lime, and a nice, quiet sandy beach.
Ali has always loved POM straight up and is steadily drinking his way through the supply the nice people at POM Wonderful sent us. Normally I’d get greedy and hide some in the back of the fridge (where he certainly wouldn’t look) but God knows Ali needs all the antioxidants he can get.
Thank you POM Wonderful for your great products. My husband’s health thanks you too.
I don’t understand…Vienna:
There are no words to describe my confusion on this one. Creative post editing? Jake was drugged? ABC paid him extra to pick Vienna for the inevitable publicity? What on earth led him to choose her?
What I really don’t understand is why I watch this show. I MUST STOP!!
Living in the Moment
Since there is never enough time in a day to get everything done, I usually find myself multi-tasking. If I need to be on a phone call, I walk around watering the plants at the same time. While Maya plays in the bathtub for 40 minutes every night, I hang up my clothes and organize my closet (my closet can never be too organized). When I embark on the daily “hair versus the blow dryer” match, I read a book. I always considered myself pretty accomplished at multi-tasking, but I recently came to the startling conclusion that I can do more than two things at once!
For example, I can watch TV, work on my computer, and have Maya “do my hair” at the same time. (Maya pulling on my hair can get painful at times, but it’s nothing compared to the pain of giving The Bachelor my full attention). This realization was such a revelation for me that I am now kicking myself for losing countless minutes of my life because I didn’t multi-task to my fullest ability.
Last week I decided to triple-task – I walked to pick up some groceries while reading at the same time. As a member of Real Women Talking, I give my opinions on magazines, ads, and more for the various Meredith Corporation’s magazines (Fitness, Family Circle, Parents, etc.), and so I brought the latest issue of Ladies’ Home Journal to read through. As I struggled to juggle my grocery bags, my frenetic pace, and the magazine, I ironically stumbled upon an article entitled, “Life is Good…Don’t Miss It.”
The author, Catherine Newman, talks about how so many of us rush from one task to the next so we can cross things off our To-Do list, but as the days go by we are never really mindful of the present moment which is when our life is actually happening. I can so relate to this! When I’m in the middle of eating dinner I’m already calculating how long it will take me to clean up the kitchen. When I’m playing Candy Land with Maya I am often thinking multiple thoughts, including (but not limited to):
1. How much longer do I have to play this interminable game?
2. What am I going to make Maya for lunch tomorrow?
3. And the next day?
4. I really need to go to the gym.
5. If Maya bangs the game board one more time I am going to lose it.
According to the article, “Recent studies show that for some, mindfulness can be as effective as medication in dealing with depression and anxiety.” Somehow I don’t think that focusing on Candy Land is going to be effective in dealing with anxiety since zoning out is the only thing that gets me through the game.
The article goes on to mention ways to improve ones mindfulness: be in the present, engage fully, slow down, take a deep breath, etc., etc., etc. I’ve heard it all before, so much of what the article mentions is nothing new to me. I know I should be fully present when I play board games with Maya but I don’t even think Mother Teresa would have had the patience for that.
One thing that did strike a chord,however, was the point on getting more done by doing less. “Multitasking doesn’t make anything go faster, but it can make things more confusing. Science suggests that your brain is actually alternating between two things rather than paying attention to either.” Hmmm. Could that be the reason why I sometimes put the egg carton in the freezer instead of the fridge? Or send a text to my brother instead of Ali?
I know that I do too many things at once and I know it stresses me out. But so does not going to the gym, or not knowing whats going on in the news, or not having anything planned for dinner. So is it really a crime to watch the news and contemplate dinner while I’m on the treadmill? According to this article yes. But until somebody can find me 5 extra hours in the day and someone with the patience of a saint to step in to play a game with Maya, my triple-tasking will continue.
What are your thoughts on multi-tasking?
Dinner at Roy’s
In keeping with our very reckless behavior this past weekend, Ali and I ventured off the beaten path to have dinner at Roy’s restaurant. I first visited Roy’s in San Francisco and even though I wasn’t a fan of seafood back then, I absolutely fell in love with the restaurant. So I was thrilled when Roy decided to open several locations in Southern California, the closest to us in downtown Los Angeles.
Downtown isn’t really that far from us distance wise, but with traffic it can take up to 40 minutes. Since everything in L.A. revolves around the freeway, traffic conditions, long distances, and the Maya barf-o-meter, Ali and I usually think twice about going downtown for anything. But since Maya was spending the night with her grandparents, and because Ali and I were nearly giddy with excitement about our new sofa, we decided to live on the wild side and enjoy dinner at a nicer restaurant for a change.
I hadn’t been downtown in quite a while and was really pleased with how busy and full of people it was. I guess the revitalization is fully underway! I tried to take pictures of the skyline but the car was moving and, well, you know how challenged I am with a camera. Since the pictures came out very blurry I’ll spare you.
Roy’s specializes in Hawaiian Fusion cuisine – lots of fresh seafood with a few steaks thrown in for good measure. I must note how ironic it is that I had to come back to the mainland to get some good Hawaiian food. When Ali and I went to Oahu a few years ago, we had a fabulous time with the exception of not eating one single good meal. I mean not one! We resorted to Benihana’s and the ubiquitous ABC stores for something decent to eat, and I use the word decent quite loosely. If you’ve been to Benihana you know exactly what I’m talking about. Anyway, we learned the hard way that researching restaurants ahead of time is NOT optional when traveling.
We reached Roy’s at about 6:45 and it was hopping. Luckily we scored a last-minute reservation and were seated immediately.
Our server brought us complimentary edamame:
I can’t eat soy anymore but I do remember these being really good because of the salt/spice/sugar combination sprinkled on top. I was surprised to see Ali eat quite a few because green foods and my husband are usually at odds with each other.
The best thing about Roy’s is probably the service. The servers literally bend over backwards to accommodate your every need and once our server found out I was gluten-intolerant, he immediately retrieved a list of safe appetizers and entrees for me.
I ordered the Carmelized U-10 Sea Scallops:
Roasted Wild Mushroom Risotto and Spicy Kung Pao Drizzle.
I have to say that while this was good it isn’t the best thing I’ve had at Roy’s. I usually love scallops but these were a bit rubbery. Maybe they were overcooked? Their flavor was good though so I ate all four scallops and most of the risotto.
Ali’s entrée came and after a bite he realized they sent him the wrong Petite Filet, but I took a picture because it was so artfully displayed.
Loaded Red Bliss Potatoes, Shiitake Mushroom Pan Sauce.
Ali’s correct entrée came after another 20 minutes – he’d ordered the Surf and Turf combination:
Grand Petite Filet, Lump Crab Oscar, and Maine Lobster Tail.
I really wanted to try this because I love lobster and crab. But after eating way too much amazing lobster while on a trip to Turks and Caicos last year, I realized that I cannot continue to eat something that dies in such a horrible way. Maybe I’m ignorant but is boiling the lobster alive really the only way to cook it?
The highlight of the evening came when our server informed us that the Chocolate Souffle is flourless and gluten-free! I was beside myself with happiness.
Roy's Signature Melting Hot Chocolate Souffle
This is the most decadent dessert I have ever had! Since I could totally see myself going overboard I ordered a decaf to accompany the souffle.
I drank so much coffee that I had 2-3 spoons of the rich chocolate center and was quite full. I used to be able to eat an entire souffle all by myself but since cutting out sugar I can barely eat a bite or two of something sweet without feeling kind of gross. A huge milestone for me and my battle with sugar!
Ali had no problems with being too sugared out and finished the rest of this dessert plus another scoop of vanilla ice cream that he ordered separately. This was after consuming a giant piece of Baskin-Robbin’s ice cream cake earlier in the day, so he was definitely feeling the effects afterwards, and I had to drive home.
So even though our evening was Maya -free, I still found myself asking the question, “Do you feel like you need to throw up?” I do believe those words may be engraved on my tombstone.
While I'm not going to win Mother/Wife of the Year Award anytime soon, I haven't killed anyone yet or shot myself in the head. And that, my friends, is how I calculate success these days. 
FANCY THAT FANCY THIS 