Friday Letters

Dear Blog, I can't believe this is my one and only post for 2016.  I would say I promise to visit you more next year but I hate to make promises I might not keep.  I can't believe I started this in 2009. Does anyone even read anything over 160 characters anymore?

Dear 2016, This year has been an adventure.  There were some good times and some bad times.  We lost some amazing people on the journey, but their memories will live on forever.  

Dear Vegetarians, When this posts I will be at 369 days being meat free!  For the most part, it was easy and fun.  There were some hard times like when I kept having dreams about ham sandwiches and Chick-fil-a chicken nuggets. I am proud to be a member of the no meat club and I look forward to another year of eating meat free.  I have definitely grown to love foods I would have never eaten in the past.

Dear Vices,  Since I started my vegetarianism technically in 2015 (December 27th to be exact).  The actual vice I gave up in 2016 was caffeine.  Yep you read that correctly ... no more coffee well occasion decaf but very rare.  Giving up caffeine was definitely rough in the beginning.  I recommend starting it on a weekend so you can just take out your withdrawals on your loved ones.  No one wants to get fired for 1) crashing and passing out on your keyboard or 2) being so irritated from the massive headache that you tell your boss exactly where he can get those copies he needs.  So my next vice to eliminate is .... SUGAR!

Dear Sugar, You are evil.  Why can't sugar be like flour and therefore brown sugar is healthier for you?  It always seems like you plan your sneak attack/world domination for this time of year.  I mean really on what normal day of the week would I have eaten chocolate fudge, chocolate caramel brownie and a chocolate truffle all in the same morning?  NONE!  I am on to this game you have with the new year.  Get us hooked, have us gain weight and then new year's guilt making us have all those resolutions.  My goal (not calling it resolution ... hello trying to break this evil duo) is to be sugar-free at the end of 2017.  Seriously, if I can do no meat for a year (plus) then come on I can def do no sugar.  Also, when I say sugar we all know what I am talking about candy, cakes, cookies, etc.  You know all that yummy evil stuff.  I'm not saying oh not eating an apple because it has natural sugar. Come on - it's not apples making your waistline get bigger.  It's sugar and fat because what's sugars bff?  BUTTER!  Seriously though, what's the number for Sugar Addicts Anonymous? 

Side note - when I started my vegetarianism I did a lot of research to make sure I was eating the right stuff and getting enough protein and all the vitamins I need.  One of the funniest things I read was that you should eat fruit as a sugar snack. For example, instead of eating a cookie you eat fruit and are just as happy.  I thought this was a crazy idea.  How can fruit substitute actual snacks? Well I guess we will find out soon.  If there is anyone out there (hello hellllooo hellllooooo blog echo) that wants to hear about my journey to giving up sugar or any information I've gathered on being vegetarian let me know.  I could be persuaded to do some posts.

Dear New Year,  Okay fine you got me, my New Year's Resolution is to give up sugar.  Also, fine I will admit that I am actually looking forward to having something new to focus on. Does that mean I can technically keep eating sweets until the 1st?  That's the deal right?  I mean because I do have some cookies on my desk that I want to eat once my sugar high drops.

Dear 2017,  I feel like 2016 hasn't really given you the best starting off point.  It totally set you up for some hard times to come. Hopefully, we can all weather the storm and remember that unity is what helps us make it through.  Can we all agree that we want America to be great?  Can we all work TOGETHER to make it great?  Also, the more we fight and are angry at each other the less we can call America great.  I mean who thinks it is great to be surrounded by a bunch of grouchy assholes all the time?  Whether it be one side or another, we have to start being nicer to each other as a collective whole.  We naturally pick sides because that's one of the great characteristics of being American.  We have the right to do so.  However, just because we pick our side doesn't mean everyone picks it.  You know ... that's their right.  So let's all just work together to be more accepting and caring for America as a whole.  One side says make America great again and the other side says we are all ready great. How about we meet in the middle and become GREATER!