Fruits with Vegetables and Saved Up Stories

I'm in Daytona Beach looking out over the Atlantic from my patio. When I was in high school, we came here in a four wheel drive Jeep that we had at the time to drive on the sand dunes and cruise up and down the beach. This was long before concern about the protection of sea turtles. Now they ask that you not even walk on the dunes for fear you might disturb the nests.

For my main food supply, I've begun stopping at a supermarket ever day or so to pick up fruits and vegetables that I prepare in my room to have that evening and on the road the next day. I've blueberries, oranges, apples, bananas, kale, strawberries, mango, cherries and avocado in my cooler. Then the most I have to find elsewhere is a cooked starch. In addition to Wendy's baked potatoes which I now get with broccoli hold the cheese, I stop at Waffle House to get a side of plain grits and a glass of OJ. That used to be my stop for a big sugar hit with a waffle swimming in syrup!

For my mid morning snack yesterday, I had a bag of kale "chips" instead of my traditional potato chips. Of course I suspect there's a significant nutritional difference in the two snacks. One thing I can say for sure is that it takes a lot longer to chew a bag of kale chips compared to potato chips. Every few bites I'd chase with bing cherries. Kale leaves a distinctive flavor in my mouth. That snack stayed with me the better part of the morning.

I've been saving up several "food" stories. The other day a grandfather and his granddaughter were walking toward me in the motel hall. As they approached I heard him say to her "Wasn't that nice of that man to give you the chocolate cookie!" She of course was devouring it with glee. I thought to myself - No! Little girl run to the nearest telephone and call the state child abuse hotline and report the man encouraging your sugar addiction.

Each cookie you eat will shorten your life expectancy and increase your chances of cancer and heart disease. The man was nice? That's worth at least a second thought. These attitudes are hard wired into our cultural fabric. For example as I've paid more attention to TV ads, I have only seen one food product that would be acceptable for me on this diet - "fresh" squeezed Tropicana orange juice.

Another food story involves a billboard I saw yesterday for Quincy's Steakhouse. In large letters was the quote "Converting vegetarians for over 20 years." That's where I plan to eat with my son since they have a decent salad bar along with their traditional hot buffet. This will be the first time I've gone there without ordering fish. He usually gets a steak. However in the past few months, he's begun to show more of an interest in his diet. He says vegetarianism is too much for him now, but he's not eating much beef anymore - sticking mainly to chicken.

I better close this computer down. I'm not so sure this salt laden breeze is all that good for the innards. I can see on the chair what the salt air has done to the iron bolts in the otherwise aluminum and plastic construction. Bad design for the beach!