Eating Alone

Is it just me, or is it difficult to make food for one person? I just recently started living in my own studio apartment, and I’ve noticed it extremely hard to find recipes that make just one serving. I am used to eating mostly junk food or eating with friends or roommates. I’m trying to live a little healthier, and it has been told to me, that grocery shopping and eating at home is cheaper than going out to eat. I can see that point, but so far it has not been the case. I went shopping today and bought a bunch of great food, and it being the weekend, I actually have time to stand over the stove for a while and actually make myself a full meal. But now I’m contemplating running down to the local Burger King or something to that effect, because everything I have makes 3-6 servings. I don’t want that much. I just want to eat one serving. I don’t want leftovers. I don’t have a microwave, nor do I want one, and frankly, my refrigerator wasn’t really designed to hold much more than a six-pack. So what to do? Spend the next hour preparing a meal, just to have 4 times more food than I can possibly eat? Or invite some people over to help me eat all the food I’m going to make? Attempt to cut all the recipes in half, and have a bunch of half full packages of ingredients laying around? What a hassle, all that is. Plus, I spent a lot more on groceries for two full meals, than it would cost me to just go down to the local pub and grab a burger and fries 4 days in a row. So.. how is that any cheaper? I guess its going to be Ramen Noodles for me.

There goes my baby…

I recently sold my beloved BMW 3-series. The guy I sold it to let me drive it today. Man, do I miss that car…

Blue Jean Blues

I’ve been in the blue jean market for the last year. I don’t mean that I’ve been spending the last year shopping for a pair of jeans. I mean that prior to a year ago, I worked at an auto parts store six days a week, for three years, and part of the dress code was black slacks of some sort. So I owned many many pairs of cheap black slacks, since in the auto parts store environment, no matter what you wear, your pants get trashed. You spill battery acid on them, they get all greasy, you always get them caught on those stupid peg hooks that all the products hang on. For three years, I regularly bought new slacks, but never bought any jeans. Since I would only wear jeans one day a week, I would just wear the old jeans that I had laying around with holes in them, or grease stains or whatever. If nothing else, I would wear my work pants on my days off. If they weren’t trashed yet, black slacks always look good.

Well, about a year ago, I decided to get a different job. Many different reasons, most of which involved not commuting 35 miles both ways. A friend let me know of a computer tech support position at the university. I got the job and subsequently quit the auto parts job. My new job doesn’t require black slacks. I sure wasn’t going to go buy more black slacks for a job that doesn’t require it. I didn’t really have very many pairs of jeans, though. Nor did I know what a good brand was or anything. Jeans can be expensive. It’s not like I can just go down to the store and buy 12 pairs of jeans at once.

Since I have absolutely no fashion sense at all, it is better that I don’t try to get any kind of designer stuff. I would probably look like an idiot, and I would spend too much money. So for the last year, I have been going to random department stores and picking up the cheapest normal looking jeans they had. And once again, since I have no fashion sense, I don’t bother trying them on. I know my waist size and I know how long my legs are. What are standards for? I go to the shelf, find a normal pair of jeans, which can be tricky, since people want new cool designer stuff, it is hard to find normal stuff, but they usually have them on the back wall always on sale for a few dollars less than the “standard” price. I find my size, pay, and go home. None of this all day clothes shopping for me.

Now for the rants: Wrangler’s are terrible. Lee Dungarees are worse. About six months ago, I bought a pair of Wrangler’s and have been wearing them roughly once a week to once every two weeks. and they already have a hole in each pocket, and a huge hole in the pocket where my wallet resides, so now everyone can see my wallet half sticking out. Seriously. I still consider these pants new. Around the same time, I bought a pair of cheap Levi’s. Although, I accidentally picked up a size too small, I wear them just as often, and they are still hole-free. A few weeks ago, I was at the local Fred Meyer, and I figured I would buy a new pair of jeans, since my Wrangler’s are ready to give up their ghost. Their special was Lee Dungaree’s. Well, we’ve all seen the commercial with that little puppet guy who assures us that Lee Dungaree’s are tough… So why not? After wearing them once, one of the belt loops came off. What is this? Not buying that brand again. Meanwhile, all my Levi’s are still going strong. So yesterday, I bought another pair of Levi’s. Not to mention they were the same price as the Lee’s from a few weeks ago. I think I am seeing a trend here. Mr. Strauss must have done something right. I didn’t think that brands mattered when it comes to jeans, but really, all my jeans are dying prematurely, except for my Levi’s, and honestly, I don’t abuse them. I sit in front of a computer most of the day and walk to and from classes. One would think that any pair of jeans could hold up to this kind of use…

The Pepsi Blues

My university has a pouring contract with Coca-Cola. This means, that for the most part, only Coke and Coke products are allowed to be sold on campus. Coca-Cola happens to be my favorite drink, and for years, I have been very happy that in a Pepsi-loving society, at least on campus, one could easily purchase a nice refreshing Coke. This is all going to change next week. The pouring contract has expired and Pepsi had a better deal to offer. So over the next month I am going to watch my beloved red vending machines and soda fountains turn blue.

I am a little torn on the issue, though. There is an independently owned Pepsi Distributing plant in town, and the owner is a valued member of society. I have personally met his son, and went to high school with his grandchildren. They are very nice people and they really give back to the community. I think they deserve to have the pouring contract at the university in their own town.

But I absolutely can’t stand the taste of Pepsi! In fact, what angers me the most, is that there is a general assumption that the general public can’t tell the difference. Every time I sit down at a restaurant and the waitperson comes around to take my drink order, I order a Coke. If the particular establishment is a Pepsi-infested one, I always get the obligatory and blasé “Is Pepsi okay?”, and without even waiting for a response, said person has already written it down and started asking the next person at the table what they want to drink! That is NOT okay!! This angers me. I always have to stop them and say “No! I’ll take Dr. Pepper” or whatever else they might have. Really, I don’t have a problem with the Pepsi company. I just don’t like the taste of their main drink.

So I guess this marks a sad chapter in the life of Jabba. There is nothing I can do about it. I will be forced to go off campus for a refreshment, or drink whatever other products might be available. *Sigh*