Homesick

Well, there's no good way of sugar-coating this so I'll just put it out there.  After three weeks, I'm homesick.

The first two weeks in Chester were beautiful.  Weather in the 80s, sunny all day, and a slight subtle breeze in the air to keep you cool .  My husband's co-workers all commented on the fact that they hadn't had weather like that in ages.  Oh, oh, that doesn't bode well for the rest of the trip, does it?

And then...traditional English weather reared its ugly head.   All week it has been in the 50s, cloudy, not a drop of sun in the sky, and rainy. 



Needless to say, this weather doesn't make for good walking about town weather and I've been spending a good deal of time indoors.

I have been able to start writing again so I guess that's a good thing.

Here is a random smattering of things I miss:



1.  Seinfeld.  2.  Conan O'Brien.  3.  Chicken wings. 

4.  Annie's gluten-free mac & cheese

(yes, it's very random...)

I, of course, miss my mom (who god bless her is keeping watch over the house and children), my wonderful writing groups (shout out to Coffee & Critique and Saturday Writers), my awesome neighbors who are also helping to take care of the house (shout out to Kathy and Eddie!) and my four-legged children.

There are a few things that I'm enjoying whilst here:







1.  The mascot for EDF Energy.  I'm not quite sure what he is but he's super cute and on a bunch of commercials.  2.  Come Dine With Me (Shout out to my friend Norma for introducting me to this show.).  3.  Pork Belly (They love pork belly here and I love them for that.).  4.  Stella Artois (I know you can get this in the States but for some reason it just tastes better here.). 

On a Crohnie note, for some reason my appetite has really gone downhill since I've been here.  One very important thing for us is to eat little bits of food throughout the day so as to not shock our digestive system.  Well, it's hard to eat when you're not hungry.  But that, in turn, also messes with our digestive system so it's a no-win situation.  Has anyone else encountered losses in appetite whilst traveling?  All in all though, my health is well and I haven't had any horrible stomach aches or bathroom issues.

So here's hoping to a sunnier week and continued good health!



Caffeine, A Necessary Evil? And One Amazing Musical Discovery

So far, so great with my new diet!  I haven't had any stomach pains (a few gurgles from Ivan but this new diet seems to be like Valium to him), I've been sleeping well, and I never feel full and bloated.  I have also discovered the beauty of the baked sweet potato with maple syrup!  Yes, I'm allowed to have maple syrup but that is the only sugar I'm allowed.  And freshly squeezed lemon juice is proving to be a wonderful addition to my foods.  I used to put it on fish or soups but I'm putting it on everything now and it's lovely.  It's a wonderful, natural way to add a little zing to your food.

BUT, BUT, BUT...there is always a but.  I'm not allowed to have any caffeine.  Boo...I say. 

Yesterday I went to my weekly critique group at a coffeeshop and had to deny myself the wonderful latte I always have.  And on some days I even have them put in an extra shot of esspresso.  Sadly, it was not to be this week.  I'm on caffeine-free peppermint tea so that is what I had.  Blah...  But my lunch wasn't very diet friendly so I guess it balances out?  Now I'm thinking that next week I'd rather have my usual coffee and no lunch. 

Why, oh why is caffeine so good and yet so bad?  Caffeine stimulates our central nervous system and makes us alert when drowsy and fatigued.  It can also help us to focus better especially when trying to stay up late to study, work, or write the great American novel.  But caffeine and Crohn's don't always get along.  As with any food or beverage, caffeine affects people with IBS in different ways but from what I've gathered it seems to be more harmful than good.  Caffeine triggers the movement of the smooth muscle in your large intestine which in turn makes you go to the bathroom more often which in turn can irritate the bowels of someone with IBS which in turn can trigger stomachaches or even worse, a flare.

But I don't have a large intestine!  So guess what, caffeine does not make me run to the bathroom the way eating a piece of raw fruit will.  Go figure...  Which leads me to wonder if maybe having one cup of coffee a day to stave off the caffeine withdrawal headache is okay even though I'll be cheating on my diet.  Does anyone out there with IBS have caffeine issues?  I'd be very interested in hearing your stories.

Now, on to something completely different...

There is a commercial that premiered during the Super Bowl in which a Chevy Sonic is put through some crazy stunts.  It goes bungee jumping, it gets thrown out of an airplane so it can skydive, and then it goes through some stunt driving thing.  All the while there is this wonderful song playing called "We Are Young" by a band called Fun..  (There is a period after their name.)  I became so obsessed with this little clip that I hunted down the band and bought the single.  And then last night they were on the Conan show and they were awesome!  I ran to the computer to download all of their music and have been listening to it all day. 

The lead singer, Nate Ruess, has the vocal qualities of Freddie Mercury and the music is filled with horns and guitars.  Listening to this music is like spending a day at the amusement park.  You have ups and down on the rollercoaster and can go around in circles on the carousel.  The music takes you on a journey and the lyrics are personal and relatable.  Plus, there are a lot of references to New York City which is always a good thing with me.  (Have I mentioned that it's the best city on Earth?)

Their second album "Some Nights" was released yesterday and their first album "Aim and Ignite" was released in 2009.  Whichever one you start with, you will not be disappointed.  This band is in a class of its own and I am so happy I have discovered them.  Along with The Airborne Toxic Event, Fun. is now my new obsession.

Happy listening and good on-going health to you all.

p.s.  For dinner I'll be having ground chicken meatballs seasoned with curry powder alongside green beans.