14 October 2019

I'm sitting here munching on a Rice Krispie treat that Marta made yesterday, as I write this.  It's a good example of how our lives have already changed, with Ned and Marta here.

I LOVE Rise Krispie treats, but would never, ever make them because (a) I love them, and (b) Walt doesn't.  Oh he'd have a small piece or two,  but I would eat the whole pan of them.

Where food is concerned, Ned and Marta actually buy treats ... not lots, but some.  And Ned is so adamant about nutrition that he is in charge of the "green" portion of our dinner each night.  He makes huge salads and/or those yucky smoothies  that I am learning to, if not like, at least tolerate.

Before they came, I might not buy treats regularly, but I did buy crackers and Walt would eat a couple while I finished off the box.  But I was not diligent in "greens" at mealtime.  Walt would get his veggies by making himself vegetable-filled soup for lunch.

We are definitely eating more healthy ... and when treats appear, more fun ... with Ned and Marta here.

We are also eating dinner earlier.  I always started cooking dinner right after Jeopardy, 7:30 p.m.  Ned and Marta always ate around 5.  We've compromised at 6 and generally get the meals on the table by then.  With our Dish network, I now just record All In and Rachel Maddow and watch in the middle of the night when I am trying to get back to sleep, so I don't mind cooking earlier.

Also, I find that I don't know if it's cooking earlier, not having Home Chef, or just having Ned around as a sous chef, but I am enjoying cooking more than I have in years.

It is also weird to find myself sitting down  watching TV for the night at 7 or 7:30.  I find that by the 10 p.m. shows, I am getting sleepy and often go to sleep at that time and now waking up later in the morning --  4 instead of 2.  I am also able to get back to sleep after an hour or two, so I'm averaging ~6 hours of sleep a night, for the first time in many, many years.

I also wake up to freshly made coffee most mornings because Ned wakes up first and always makes coffee.  How nice it is to wake up to the smell of coffee!

We don't watch TV together mostly (they have a better set-up upstairs) but Ned makes sure I watch Survivor each week (I wouldn't otherwise) and as he is a walking encyclopedia of Breaking Bad, I have re-watched much of that show, so I could watch El Camino, the movie that was just released on Netflix, and understand what was going on.  Ask Ned a question about anything Breaking Bad and he will regale you with 5-10 minutes of back story.  It occurred to me yesterday, watching Walter White, whose cancer had obviously returned, fighting coughing spasms, that if Medicare For All had been a thing, there would have been no Breaking Bad because it all started because a very nice, popular chemistry teacher developed terminal cancer and could not afford the treatment that might save his life.  Out of that came five seasons of meth making, and lots of violence and murder.

I'm even starting to look at Andrew Yang with more positive interest now that his strongest supporter is living here.

The dogs are also adjusting.  While they will never be friends, both being grumpy old ladies, they are at least tolerating each other, most of the time.  And they both have internal clocks.  If I am working here in my office within a few minutes before or after 5 p.m. Polly is here, whining that it's time for dinner and both Bouncer and Polly get excited if I'm in my recliner at, say,  4:30, and get up to go the bathroom -- they both know it's close to dinner time.  apparently Bouncer didn't have a set dinner  time before and now expects it at 5 p.m., along with Polly (who also didn't have a set dinnertime, but has created one!)

When Ned is in the kitchen, both are very alert, hoping there will be a signal that food is coming.

Polly always sat by my chair, watching me intently at mealtime.  Bouncer has food allergies, so I don't feed the dogs from the table any more because I never know what Bouncer can and can't have.  Also "food time" anywhere is when the dogs are most likely to get on each other's nerves, so Polly has stopped sitting at my chair and now sits in Walt's recliner and peeks at the table, hoping someone will signal her that there is something for her to eat.

There are lifestyle changes for us, but mostly they are good, positive ones.  And with every day, Ned and Marta are a little more settled and more boxes disappear.  Now if only we could get rid of the furniture that St. Vincent de Paul won't take.....
 

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