too much?

I wish I could eat chocolate every day, a lot of it.  I wish I could wear workout clothes every day of every month.  I wish I could sit on my computer and write and write and write.  Or like the song says, “I don’t wanna work.  I just wanna bang on these drums all day.”  When you get down to it, do we really?

My husband and I met a gentleman from Dubai.  Being a global guy, he’s lived in India, London, LA and Miami.  He’s a cool cat, something to do with his British accent and hip clothing.  He’s doing all right in the good old UAE but it’s not the life for everyone he explained.  The culture is very flash and class conscious.  You gotta flaunt your Prada and Mercedes or “see ya later alligator.”  I thought the Sex in the City movie in Dubai was Hollywood spin, glam and PDA. (Movie 411: Samantha, dressed to the nines, engages in A LOT of PDA and gets arrested.)  “It’s true; I can’t even kiss my wife in public,” he reported. Yep, he’s super with-it to know this bit of movie trivia.  Dubai loves Hollywood.  Both places hold a tough but fascinating life.  “Sounds great, until it’s too much, like too much chocolate,” I offered.

My husband laughed at me, a silly comparison to him.  I’m calling it the way I see it.  I don’t care if I am chatting with two engineers, my husband and Mr. Dubai, an even smarter engineer.  My husband winced when he heard part of this engineer’s degree was applied Math.  Whatever, guys.  I’m applying my chocolate theory.   As much as I love chocolate, I can’t eat it all day long.  Same as glamming it up every hour, only to be appreciated for my outfits and car.  I could fake it for a couple of hours and then I’d want my yoga pants and hoodie back and of course, my real friends in their yoga pants and hoodie too.

Every day wear.

I love my yoga pants, I’ve had issues with them before as you might recall from a few posts back.  My knee recovery is keeping me in the stretchy workout attire for 6 months now.  It is easier to get dressed as black goes with everything except neon orange.  A year-round season of “Boo!” is not for me.  I have one pair of grey studio pants for my nod-to-neon-fad top.  I am really comfy all day every day, however, I’m missing out on the spring and fall fashions.  I love a cute new outfit and I’m missing the glitz.  I never imagined wearing workout clothes could feel like eating too much chocolate.  I just want to feel pretty, maybe do a little Dubai, like I’m nibbling a piece of 70% cacao chocolate from Venezuela.  Fashion is my new chocolate.

Here’s the real kicker.  Cooking is my new chocolate now too.  I NEVER thought I’d see the day.  Hobbling around on my healing knee forced my hubby into cooking.  I’ve enjoyed the ride but after 6 months, I kind of miss it.  I like to eat what I cook; I’m hankering for my mealtime repertoire.  I never realized it was kind of a social outlet too.  Grocery shopping, as much as I hate it, is a SOCIAL OPPORTUNITY.   If you shop for food, chances are you will run into someone you know and be SO GLAD to commiserate or just catch up.  Here’s the hitch, BOTH my husband I like to cook.  So, now it is a shared responsibility.  Some days it works for him and some days it works for me.  THIS, is my kind of chocolate.  Chocolate should be shared so you never feel like it’s too much for one but just enough for everyone.  My chocolate theory makes perfect sense to me.  I like it.