There seems to be little “good” graffiti in DC, in fact, overall there seems to be little graffiti in this city, which I suppose is a good thing. All I ever see is crude drawings or names scrawled across concrete spaces. While in Brazil however, I saw an amazing amount of graffiti, much of which was really excellent artwork.

While I wait not-so-patiently for my novel to arrive I’m ready two other books, both of which are related to diet and nutrition. I was listening to NPR while driving the other day and they were interviewing Michael Pollan, the author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, on his new book, Food Rules. I was intrigued by the interview (you can listen to it here) so when I spotted the book at Target a few days later I picked it up.

This slim book is great and offers suggestions for eating that we all know but rarely follow. There are 64 rules and they’re all great, but some of my favorites include:

#7: Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce.

#20: It’s not food if it arrived through the window of your car.

#36: Don’t eat breakfast cereals that change the color of the milk.

#43: Have a glass of wine with dinner. (Duh, of course I’m going to like this one!)

#47: Eat when you’re hungry, not when you’re bored. (This is a good one as I constantly find myself eating out of boredom rather than hunger!)

#60: Treat treats as treats.

#64: Break the rules once in a while.

It’s a really great book that simply reminds you what you should have been doing all along. It also makes me want to clean out my pantry and throw away all the crap that has somehow accumulated in there.

In addition to reading Food Rules, I’m reading Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald which talks about how to find and attain the ideal weight when competing in endurance sports such as running, biking, swimming, etc. I have the ability to drop weight quickly when I’m careful about what I eat, but I also gain weight quickly as well. It’s always within a few pounds, but it drives me insane. Last weekend we went away and our diet was a steady stream of beer, fried food, and “orange food”  (aren’t these the three main food groups?) which immediately settled onto my belly, despite the mileage I clocked over the weekend in between the gluttony. Of course these pounds will be dropped in just a few days, but I hate how small changes in my diet have such a huge effect on my frame. So I’m hoping some changes in the right direction will help me no longer have to deal with the sliding scale of a few pounds. Of course the Girl Scouts and their evil and delicious cookies have been no help, but they’re only here once a year so I suppose I can let that slide.

And truth be told, no one can be good all the time – last night Jay and I ate dinner at 11pm. We’d been out all evening and so dinner got pushed back later and later till it was nearly the next day when we finally sat down to what was a reasonably healthy meal, considering the late hour and hasty preparation (caprese salad, which we make with tomatoes, sliced red onion, fresh mozzarella topped with balsamic vinaigrette dressing and chicken Alfredo). After all, we could have just hit McDonald’s on the way home instead of cooking, but we opted for what I call “real food”.

Of course the following morning we did in fact hit McDonald’s for breakfast sandwiches, but since I got an Egg McMuffin (no ham, just egg and cheese for me), I felt this was a reasonable thing to order from a fast food restaurant. And taking into account Rule #64 I felt this was acceptable, after all, rules were meant to be broken.

Well… I think I may have squashed that cynic, perhaps for good. And I think I’m okay with that, after all, who can complain about being happy and satisfied with their life?

I don’t mean to be all Pollyanna , but things are good in my life – I have a job I enjoy and am constantly challenged by. Even better is the fact that I recently received a promotion at work which means I now have pretty much the best job security a person can ask for and I make enough money to officially be my boyfriend’s sugar mama. Speaking of the beau, things are going well in that department. Admittedly I suffered from a bit of stupid self-induced girl insecurities, but I’ve worked through it, with a little help (prodding?) from my boyfriend. Things are going well, we’re doing great, and he contributes to that happy, satisfied feeling I’ve got.

But I know you miss the postings about bad dates and so I want to introduce you to a friend of mine, Carla- she serves up stories of awful encounters with a dose of humor, sarcasm, and bit of cynicism. Of course, she mixes it up by also including the occasional happy date story, just to keep it interesting. So go ahead and check out her blog, No Love For You, and get your daily dose of dating gone wrong. Because believe me, I’m happy to not be telling dating horror stories – goodness knows I’ve had my fair share.

They have more fruit than I can identify. Below is a case in point. This odd thing was in Raph’s fridge and when we couldn’t decipher what it was we cut it open to see if the inside gave it away. The ”meat” of the fruit tasted terrible as did the slimy seeds. Turns out it’s a passion fruit.

My favorite fruit I discovered while there is the acai berry. This deep purple berry is mashed up and served like a smoothie. A thick, delicious, highly-caloric smoothie.

While out shopping one day Raph suggested we stop and get a coffee, which in Brazil means an espresso, and so we did, letting him order it for us. When it arrived he explained that they put chocolate in it to sweeten it. Quite a bit of chocolate. The espresso needed no milk or sugar as the chocolate did an excellent job of sweetening it. It was delicious.

All the women in Brazil carry big purses. All of them, everywhere. I never spotted a woman with a dainty little purse. I felt like I should be lugging my Coach bag around to fit in.

While out walking one day I spied a shoe store with a fabulous pair of heels inside. Later I purchased them but they are a little big, so my foot slides in them. Regardless, they’re still lovely!

Their money, the real, is much prettier than ours.

In addition to the usual handicap parking spots featuring a stickman in a wheelchair, they also have this parking spot reserved:

While in Iguazu I saw this giant toad. I tried to get my flip-flop as close to him as possible to be used to measure his size.

I still think these critters are cute:

I ordered this salad one day (dark greens, tomatoes, goat cheese – this one had asparagus in it, and balsamic vinegar) and since returning I’ve eaten the same thing several times (minus the asparagus, the goat cheese here doesn’t come like that!). It is simple and delicious!

To be honest, now that I’m back in the cold winter weather, I miss the warmth of Brazil a bit. Not enough to go back mind you, but a little warm weather would be nice. And while vacation is wonderful it’s nice to be home and back in my usual routine. My next vacation destination will be Germany, Italy, or Egypt, as I have friends in those places that I’m intent on visiting (don’t worry Erica, I’m almost positive it’ll be Italy!). That vacation won’t be until sometime in 2011, and really, that’s fine by me.

Yesterday, my coworker brought in the cookies I’d purchased from her daughter’s troop and handed them over. Walking to the metro I realized I looked a bit like a sugar junkie carrying two plastic grocery bags filled with cookies. I shot a text to several friends, telling them, “On the metro with my girl scout cookies. Must protect them.” Virginia, who is currently at home recovering from a bad car accident replied, “You must. I just emailed my contact and told her that since I have been home I have destroyed mine and will need more asap.” Notice how we talk about them as if they are actually something we’re addicted to?

Of course, for long time readers you may remember a post from years back. More recently, during part of the Snowgasm that hit DC, I picked up some ice cream when the grocery store had little else. The flavor: Edy’s Girl Scouts Tagalong Cookies with Peanut Butter & Fudge Swirls in Vanilla. My boyfriend had never had it before, but after a spoonful he too was an addict.

So Wednesday evening I happily carried home my annual cookie binge. I would like to note that not all the cookies in this picture are mine – I’m not that much of an addict. The stack on the left is for a friend who’s deployed in Afghanistan. And the stack on the right contains three boxes that I bought for my boyfriend because I don’t eat Samoas (yuck, coconut!) or Thin Mints. So really, of the twelve boxes shown, only three are mine.

Of course it’s actually horrible timing as I’m on a bit of a post-vacation diet (too much gluttonous eating and drinking while in Brazil), so I’m not eating my beloved Tagalongs and Do-Si-Dos just yet. I realize one cookie won’t ruin a diet but really, who can eat just one of those delicious little cookies?