Lunchbox, I luv u!

Just to get this out there: I didn't run today. I don't even have a decent reason for my laziness: I went to bed late, and I felt really stressed about my reading for seminar today. Also, the sidewalks are still a bit treacherous. It's not really a big deal, as I can still run the next three days to make my mileage "quota". Really, I'm not sure why I'm beating myself up about this. It doesn't matter, right? Right.

Okay, I'm glad I got that off my chest. I was feeling really guilty. Onto other things!

Yesterday, my cool Laptop Lunchbox arrived, and today, I got to use it! Unlike Matt, I've been trying to pack my lunch regularly to save money and eat healthy things. (The last four years, I've been eating out or going to the dining hall.) Anyway, Laptop Lunches makes this cool box with fitted compartments for your lunch; it's based on the idea of Japanese bento boxes. I should also mention that it's geared towards children...and children at heart...and control freaks.

This way, I can pack my lunch in a reusable container to cut down on disposable bags, foil, and plastic wrap. Today, I had homemade yogurt (with a bit of sugar, like the Frenchies do), carrot sticks, apple slices, and a wrap with spinach, dill pickles, and homemade hummus:

(I think tortillas look like they have liver spots. Gross!)

Basically, I'm an unapologetic control freak, and I love having everything fit neatly in the little compartments and staying put. (If only I could do that with people...) The box even came with a sleeve and a cold pack to keep everything together:

Um, my dorkiness factor just skyrockted. Whoops.

French officemate Julie was moderately amused by my lunchbox when I showed it to her. Then she rolled her eyes when I enthusiastically showed everyone else who stopped by the office this afternoon. ("Hey! Come look at my lunchbox!") Then I taught her the colorful and useful English expressions "junk in your trunk" and "shake what your momma' gave you."

Alright, so I just spent several hundred words praising a shiny, plastic lunchbox. At least I wasn't talking about my research or something grad student-y.

Tomorrow, I have two goals:

1. Run seven miles, as suggested by the Half Marathon training program
2. Stop mindlessly snacking. I have a really bad habit of randomly standing with the pantry door open, just eating out of the bulk containers. While a handful of Craisins seems fairly innocuous, I also mindlessly consume tortilla chips and--here's the worst--peanut butter. I shamelessly scoop out peanut butter and walk around the apartment eating it off my finger. I'm gross. I understand if you don't want to be my friend anymore...

I think I've asked this before: How do you keep yourself from mindlessly grazing on things? Does no one else have this problem? Am I the only gross peanut-butter eater?

This was a pretty lame post, so I will leave you with a picture of apartment decorations that roommate Tina found in Europe:

(Get it? Hint: The boyfriend's name is Harrison.)