I'm done.
I'm done being a slave to all the marketing nonsense foisted on me by the food industry. I'm in my 50s and was raised in the first generation to be systematically chemicalized and processed with additives and preservatives. I have been fast fooditized, garbage fooditized, sugarized, trans-fattyized and MSG'd up to my eyeballs.
I was raised on hamburgers for 15 cents and cheesburgers for 18 cents. Coca Cola bottles for 10 cents (with a 2 penny redemption for the bottle), creme soda, artifically flavored BBQ potato chips, Twinkies and everything under the sun made from everything made in a mad scientists lab, formed into chunks, cubes, wafers and blocks in a factory somewhere.
I didn't have an epiphany because having an epiphany sounds like something people with dainty, extended pinkies do. Instead, I was introduced to an amazing thing called 'cooking' by my girlfriend.
Now, with a name like Rolex, you'd be right if you guessed that my past girlfriends (and ex's) have always been professional restaurant reservation queens. I think one or two actually had some kind of license or certification.
I never minded it too much before, but my girlfriend likes to cook. And I mean, really, really likes to cook. She cooks and bakes something new all the time. I've never been much of a cook. I'm a guy, so I grill. Ahar!
Peanut butter - even on the grill - is cooking for me, so this has been an interesting eye opener. For instance, I didn't know that you could actually make bread! It doesn't have to come from a factory with chemicals and preservatives and flavor enhancers and stuff. You don't even need a bread-making machine, you just need a girlfriend, some flour and stuff and a rolling pin.
Now I've learned that amateurs can actually make bagels, rolls, cakes, pies, soups, casseroles, curries, pastas even complete meals from stuff that comes out or on top of the ground! She's great at making Japanese food, of course, but all the western foods I crave she makes from scratch.
I didn't make some conscious, cause-driven effort to stop buying or eating chemicals and goo wrapped in plastic and styrofoam masquerading as food. It just kind of happened that way since the beginning of the year. Every once in a while we'll go out to eat, but restaurant food is becoming less and less appetizing.
And I feel great! I'm eating more, lost some weight, enjoyed the food more and have more energy. I went through this Spring without all the misery from the allergies I've had every year I can rememeber. Was it the food? I don't know, maybe.
Anyway, this cooking stuff is good! And next month, I can get US beef again in Japan! Yeehaw! No offense to Aussies, but I don't think I could eat another piece of Aussie beef again, which is all we've had in Japan for a couple years.
But I sure miss Krispy Kreme donuts... I missed them so much that I looked into the franchise for Japan. Ever wonder what a Krispy Kreme franchise costs? You need a net worth of $30 million before they'll even talk to you.
I like Krispy Kreme, but $30 million?
It's a world gone mad.
