Thanks to the Ménière’s scare, I’ve put myself on zero tolerance for sodium, caffeine, and baking soda. At least until January 26, which is the first slot the specialist could fit me in.
A little empathy might be nice. Because:
Out go any prepared foods. No matter how “healthy” they claim to be, they got sodium. Out goes anything made with baking soda. That would include scones, for example, my treat of choice. Nope, out. Out goes coffee and chocolate.
Let me pause for a moment, to let that sink in. No scones. No coffee or chocolate.
So life around here has become a slanging match between Bugs, cast as Bill O’Reilly –
Photo by Justin Hoch
And me as Al Franken.
Photo by Jonathunder
Given I’ve been forced to make my own food or eat it raw, though, the up-side is that Bugs has begun to show an interest in cooking.
So I’m torn between buying him Franken’s Lies and The Lying Liars Who Tell Them – or Bill Bryson’s Heat.
Great reads either one.
I’m tending toward Heat. I think Bugs has master-chef potential.
How do these work?
catself 
Any chance that acupuncture could help as an interim measure? Id guess you must feel physically under attack. And that’s particularly tiring. –L
Oh I bet it would. Yesterday I did a trade with a cranio-sacral practitioner. Man that work is a mystery! But I felt great after it. Lighter. Happier. Breathing more easily. And the physical attack? Bugs has really got much better that way. It’s the opinion he has about everything, the, I don’t know, demanding attitude. Expressed
oftenconstantly. At high volume. Living with a talk-show host. Not easy.Ooo, I’ve had C-S work and it makes all kinds of sense!
I didn’t mean much-maligned SirBugsALot about physical attacks–I meant your own body! Hee-hee lots of talking and telling you what to do and how high to do it! >:-D
A talk show host! hahahhahaa! With whiskers and claws!
Just like Bill O’Reilly.
Holy cow-spotted cat! On the one paw, I’m very impressed by Bugs’ interest in the culinary arts. Cats have impeccable taste and demanding palates, so it does make sense… On the other paw, yikes! Avoiding those foods is a smart place to start, but I’m pretty sure my human would be curled up in a tiny, whimpering ball by the end of day 1. Good luck to you. And Bugs.
Pedro, have you seen your bean in this condition? What do you do — call 911? Need to know. Stat.
Did you try a nice, long cat bath? For you, I mean?
Oh I like the way you think as always. Calm, calm. Lick, lick. Oh yes. Much better now. Let Bean deal with what Bean needs to do. Boundaries, boundaries. This is what we do. Born to Lick.
Oh Dog! I do hope you find a solution to your problem soon. Once you start giving up those things it’s almost impossible to find anything to eat in public unless it’s because you brought it with you.
Yeah. Like a little kid with a lunch-box. Filled with stuff she wishes her mother hadn’t packed.
It’s hard to give up processed foods! Caffeine is the hardest one for me. You could, if you haven’t already, read “In Defense of Food.” It might help keep you motivated. I think between that and “Omnivore’s Dilemma,” I’m terrified to eat anything that didn’t come from the ground in my backyard.
Know what you mean. Those books were tough to read. And — coffee. I feel like I might sleepwalk into the kitchen in the middle of the night and wake up having hit the coffee-grinder “on” button. Still. I’m planning on getting back on the caffeine track after the doctor gives me a clean bill. Crossed paws.
Oh, I hope this month before the doctor visit will go by fast for you! And I hope you are able to come up with some interesting meals, to get past those forbidden items. There really are lots of other things left to enjoy, and you being so creative ought to be able to rise above these temporary restrictions. But no caffeine! No chocolate! You poor dear. Paws crossed, indeed! We are crossing everything we’ve got, and hoping you are doing well.
Is it just me, or does Bugs seem like many male critters we’ve heard of, ecstatic at seeing his woman messing about in the kitchen? I think our cats are just excited at our arrival in the kitchen any old time…Alvin is such a Cheese Hound, he can be anywhere in the house, and once he hears the crinkle of a package of cheese being opened, immediately there comes the patter of little paws, and he is right there!
It’s a tough row to hoe all right — but with empathy like we’re getting from you here, we can prevail. Balsamic vinegar, grapefruit, lemon, unsalted nut butters, eggs — we’re OK. The coffee and chocolate are a big blow — but we’re OK. And you know what? It’s kind of fun to spin out this month, planning and planning on showing up at the doctor’s office for a clean bill of health. Or as clean as it can be, at this advanced age I’m trying to enjoy. About these guys and the kitchen, I think you have a point. It sure is true that Bugs gets awfully attentive any time I make a move in that direction. But your Alvin sounds like a scream! Cheese! Is he aware of the amount of sodium in cheese? Whoops, sorry. Got a little obsessive there. I’m all right now.