Day 4: Upcoming Lunch dates

Day 4 – Mid-Morning Musings…

I had a really great workout today at the YMCA. Our membership is pre-paid, so we can go without forking over any money on a daily basis. Certainly raises the frugality question though – if we are walking or running, couldn't we do that on our neighborhood streets, rather than in a gym? On the other hand, my husband and I are training for a sprint triathlon in Spring or Summer of 2009, and having an indoor pool in Virginia is pretty crucial. I am also a long way from my ideal weight, strength, or stamina, so having other people around is helpful to keep me going. The membership is something we'll reevaluate at some point, but for now, we're keeping it.

Before leaving for work, my husband went through the list of his meetings, including one with a friend at lunchtime. He'll have to spend money at a restaurant for this one. It's work-related, he assured me, and has been planned for a while now. It certainly brings into question the "working lunch" which is so common in Washington D.C. Everyone is desperate to eke out every minute of the day, especially when so much time is lost in the commute! And it is kind of hard to say to a friend who works elsewhere, "Hey, let's meet at my office and I'll nuke some pre-packaged Indian meal for you." That just doesn't fly in the professional world, does it?

I have my own lunch date coming up. I checked my calendar yesterday, and realized I had scheduled a tentative lunch date with an old high school friend I haven't seen for about 6 months. In an effort to stay legit on my "no-spending money" I invited him for lunch at my house. My husband seemed mildly entertained as he questioned what I would serve him. Uh, yeah, good question. I have some canned kid's macaroni and cheese, some pasta but no pasta sauce, cheddar cheese but no lunch meat, very few slices of bread left. But I will meet the challenge if he is able to make it over. And if he is reading this blog, he shouldn't worry; I'll feed him well. I can still make homemade bread, we have fresh-from-the-farm greens, I make an awesome vinaigrette, and we have frozen chicken. With Jacques Pepin's "Fast Food My Way" and a little creativity I'm sure I can feed him well. And I make a pretty good espresso.