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Dec. 31st - Chipotle

Until today, Greg has been very agreeable to my bucket list. He has fought me tooth and nail not to eat at Chipotle. He’s not getting his way this time! We are about to head to Tulsa to celebrate New Years Eve in style! I wanted to have Chipotle for lunch because who knows what we will end up eating for dinner. He begrudgingly escorts me into Chipotle. I know exactly what I want! Steak bowl, white rice, pinto beans, cheese, and extra sour cream... that’s it! I know I’m gonna get full before I’m done but that’s perfectly fine because I’m not sure if his friends are going to be up for an early dinner. I can always save it for later. 

We arrive in Tulsa, check into the hotel, and meet up with his good friends, Jimmy and Anna. I absolutely adore them! I wish we could see them more often but it’s a 4 hour drive to Tulsa. We meet for a few drinks at this tiny yet amazing brewery and then head to dinner. We end up at an Italian place so “when in Rome” I ordered Chicken Spaghetti Alfredo. It was pretty good. Could have been cheesier. 

We ended the evening and ushered in 2019 with The Turnpike Troubadours at Cain’s Ballroom. It was incredible!

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Dec. 30th - Arby’s and Ribeye Steaks with Creamed Broccoli

I’m kinda getting bored with telling you what I’m eating everyday. Sorry if that sounds bad, but this bucket list is a lot of food and I’m beginning to see that... ummm... its JUST food. Yes I have a purpose for this bucket list (and if you don’t know what that is you should read back a bit further). But I mean is this getting old for you? Anyway today for lunch we had Arby’s. I was severely disappointed. Maybe that’s why this is getting old. I just don’t even feel like writing about Arby’s. First of all, the Arbinator is already a thing of the past. That’s what I wanted! I settled for a Beef and Cheddar and there was hardly any cheese sauce on it. Speaking of cheese sauce, I asked for extra and didn’t get any. Just terrible.

Dinner was amazing though! Greg made these 2 inch thick ribeye steaks and mine was cooked perfectly rare. He also made this dish that I love that he found on Facebook where you take bacon, broccoli, onions, parmesan cheese, and heavy cream and mix it all together. Maybe it’s good that lunch was disappointing. I had more room for dinner!

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Dec 29th - Jason’s Deli and Taco Casa

The bucket list is packed for both lunch and dinner, today and tomorrow! I’m not sure what I will pick at Jason’s Deli, but I know I’m getting the Broccoli Cheese soup for sure! Greg is working and since we share a car, I’m going to have to do some magic to get Jason’s Deli into my hands anyway. John and Patrick went to John’s mom’s house for their Christmas party or I would ask one of them to take me. Well there’s always delivery... let’s check it out.

OMG. SMDH. These people want me to hit a $25 minimum in food and then charge me $8 to deliver it?! They got me fucked up...

Ok I told Greg this bullshit and he is taking time to go pick up an order for us. Now what do I want? I usually get the Chicken Club Salad (mmmmmmm Ranch dressing). Or should I mix it up and get a baked potato?

Pollo Mexicano Baked Potato and Broccoli Cheese soup it is!

Ok I made an mistake. I should have gotten the salad. The chicken on this baked potato is dry and there isn’t near enough butter on it. At least the soup is yum!

The day wears on and I’m blissfully reading my book. I’m done with Goblet of Fire so it’s on to Order of the Phoenix. Time for Taco Casa. I always get the same thing there and since I was disappointed in my lunch selection, I’m sticking with what I know. Taco Lite with no tomatoes and a Cheese Nachos. Greg makes the run to the restaurant and comes home with deliciousness. Thank you baby!

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Dec. 28th - Wingstop

Today was a lazy day spent chillin at the casa. I’ve been off work since the 22nd but we’ve been so busy that today is the first day I’ve really been able to relax. I had some leftovers from last night for lunch and just read all day. (Backstory: I read the Harry Potter series each year between Thanksgiving and Christmas and I’m behind this year. I’m in the middle of the Goblet of Fire now.) Greg finally called it a day and came home to chill with me. Something that I’m starting to realize is how many days I have left to live my life the way it is. Literally the only thing I don’t like about my life is my weight. I have a great job doing what I love, I have an amazing and supportive soulmate, my friends are incredible, and my family is so loving. I think I’m just now beginning to realize how much my life is about to change. I’m thinking about all this as I make my first cocktail of the night. In all honesty, I’m probably considered an alcoholic. I drink every night, usually about 3 very strong vodka and diet 7-ups. I’m going to have to give this up. Maybe for good. I’m not sure how to feel about this. I don’t believe I have a true dependency on vodka. I think I’ll be just fine giving it up. In my opinion, that’s what classifies me as NOT an alcoholic. I can take it or leave it. But I’d rather take it. I volunteer to go to Wingstop and pick up dinner as I’m in the throws of this feeling that I’m giving up something I really love to do... drink vodka. I’m not even thinking about all the other things I’m giving up, which is a lot. I don’t know how this is going to play out but I’m glad you’re here with me for the ride.  

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Dec. 27th - Framily Christmas Party

Today we finally get to celebrate Christmas together! Things are so crazy this time of year That I’m surprised that we could even find one day that worked for (most) of us. Angelica has decided to spend the holidays in Japan so she will be missed but the rest of us are here to party! Not only are we having dinner, we are also doing ugly Christmas sweaters and a gift exchange! Dinner first and it was so good! Here’s what everyone brought:

Greg - Brisket and fresh yeast rolls

Me - Bacon wrapped jalapeno peppers and cupcakes

John - Queso and Chips

Patrick - Potato Salad

Jessica - Bean Bake

Rick - Bacon Mac and Cheese

Lexi - Something for dessert

Jessica and Rick came fully clothed, head to toe in Christmas gear. Jessica in a cute little dress and Rick in a full Christmas suit. John wore a onesie with a llama on the front and Patrick matched in a Christmas llama sweater. Both Greg and Lexi wore cute little Christmas sweaters and I was dressed as an elf. It made for a great group picture!

The gift exchange was awesome too. We played a dice game where we traded presents, past them to the left or to the right, opened them, or kept them. I walked away with a neck massager and was happy! (Lexi was so in LOVE with her blanket too!)

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Dec. 26th - Maple and Motor

The next morning, we woke to the smell of cinnamon rolls. Homemade rolls again! I politely declined a roll and Greg’s mom told me she could make me some eggs. Honestly at this point, I just wasn’t hungry, kinda like I had given up on eating, so I told her I was fine just drinking coffee. Greg looked at the weather and saw a big storm coming, which means we could leave earlier than planned and head home. As soon as we were packed up and in the car, my appetite came back with a vengeance. I asked Greg to look up what we could eat along the way home. He found a Popeyes! Omg I hadn’t even thought about Popeyes!! YEZZZZZZ! It was an hour away... I could do this! When we got there, I was so ready to eat! I had a 2-piece thighs with 2 sides of mashed potatoes and gravy. It had to be like the best chicken I’ve ever had. We eventually made it home and I started to get excited about Maple and Motor (more on that in a second). Greg was going to stay home and get the smoker ready for brisket. He was smoking a brisket for our Framily Christmas Party, which was the next day. I was sad he wasn’t coming to dinner but I would bring him back a burger. The whole Framily (except for Angelica) was coming to have dinner with me, along with Jessica and Rick’s kids. Now, Maple and Motor is home of the best burger I’ve ever eaten in my life! It was one of the first things on my bucket list and one stop that had to happen. If you live in or around Dallas and want to experience a burger like you’ve never had, go to Maple and Motor. It was raining hard as we drove there and John was convinced we would die on the way, but we made it! It was fairly empty inside, but I was thankful for that because its a tiny little restaurant and I needed a table for 10. We ordered and sat down. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed this time around in the burger. Maybe because I was looking forward to it so much, but it was kind of a let down. I hope that I can still eat beef after the conversion to sleeve because I want a do-over. 

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Dec. 24-25th - Broken Bow, OK

The thing about going to Greg’s parents is that you really never know what to expect... especially when it comes to what may be on the menu. Greg’s mom had told him that they would be making smoked chicken for Christmas dinner, which sounded pretty good to me. On the way up there, Greg suggested we knock something off the bucket list and have Waffle House before we got on the road. I didn’t know how crowded it would be on Christmas Eve but it was okay; our wait was only about 5 minutes. We both ordered our usual and talked about small stuff. I always complain when we go to Waffle House because the booths are so small. Greg causally mentioned how that wouldn’t be the case for much longer and it made me stop and think. Yes, it was an exciting thought, but I wanted to know that Greg loved me for me and not because I would one day be thin. I kinda paused and asked him for reassurance that he would still love me even if I stayed the way I am. He gave me this soft little look and said he would always love me no matter what, kind of like I was silly for asking him that. Hey sometimes you just need to hear things like that you know? Anyway we had a great lunch and started the 3-hour long journey to Broken Bow. We had spaghetti for dinner, which was good, apart from the thick noodles. Noodles and my band don’t always get along, but I was fine for once. The next morning we had scrambled eggs, biscuits, and sausage gravy. Greg took me out on the 4-wheeler to show me the property. In all the times we had gone up there, he had never taken me out on the property. His parents have 80 acres, so there was a lot to see. We made it back to the house and had frozen pizza for lunch. Now mind you, I am forever going to be polite when it comes to Greg’s parents. They are the type of people who kind of expect you to act a certain way. I would never say no to something they served, I would just grin and eat whatever was in front of me. At this point, I was on carb overload. I really don’t eat carbs like this usually, but at the same time I was so hungry that I was thankful for food. It was supreme pizza which I don’t usually eat because I’m not a fan of onions or green peppers but hey it was food. I was looking forward to dinner anyway. Shortly after that, Greg’s mom said they had switched out smoked chicken and opted for smoking a ham at the last minute. My stomach almost packed a bag and left me for good. Its usually so dense that it has difficulty going past my band and I really don’t want to have an episode where I have to quickly excuse myself from the table to be sick. I would have to play it cool, take tiny little bites, and pray for the best. At dinner, I did exactly that, which means that everyone was done eating before I was even half way through my plate. Out of courtesy so I didn’t hold everyone at the table, I threw in the napkin and said goodbye to my dinner. I haven’t felt this hungry in ages, but I took it in stride, thinking that this is only preparing me for the liquid diet coming in my near future. 

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Dec. 23rd - Jack in the Box

Today is the day that we’ve decided to exchange gifts between us. John, Patrick, Greg and myself gathered in the living room to open presents. I was super excited for everyone to open what I had gotten them! John and Patrick had been buying things and just giving them to each other all month, so they didn’t have much to exchange between them. On the other hand, Greg and I clearly went overboard for each other this year. (Greg LOVED his blanket btw.) When we were finished, Greg proceeded to the kitchen to put the homemade cinnamon rolls he had been working on for 2 days into the oven. Homemade Cinnamon Rolls are a Christmas tradition. I already knew that I would not be chowing down on the rolls, as I had learned my lesson the first year he made them. You see, my piece-of-shit-malfunctioned-LapBand prevents me from eating anything too hearty in the morning. This means that bread is off limits. Of course when they came out of the oven, I had a few bites, which I chewed VERY well to make sure I wouldn’t be sick. This is the type of thing that I’m looking forward to; not necessarily being able to eat differently, but I’m looking forward to being able to eat food without thinking that it would make my LapBand slip around and make me sick. I know I will still have obstacles and challenges, but at least they won’t be due to a slipping LapBand. Today is also the day we are going to my parents house to exchange gifts. We would also be eating dinner there. Most of the time, when we eat at my parents, we are hungry a few hours later. Not necessarily because the food is not good and hearty, but because we eat so early. Once we left there, we were hungry and when we got home, we asked John and Patrick if they wanted Jack in the Box with us. I got a 10-piece nuggets with ranch, 2 tacos, and an egg roll. The tacos were just okay but the nuggets were the bomb as usual. 

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Dec. 22nd - Party Time

John and I decided to go back to Joann’s and get fleece fabric to make some blankets. He got enough to make 2 blankets, one for his mom and one for his aunt. I got the Harry potter fabric to make a blanket for Lexi and I also found a Texas Longhorns print and a Dallas Cowboys print so I decided to make one for Greg. It was a tedious yet really fun process to make them all for the people we love. 

Today, there isn’t anything planned for the bucket list, but I’m starting to realize there are some places I left off that I wish I had room to add. Taco Bell, Burger King, Waffle House... so many places, so little time. I resolved myself to just keep them in mind and if I had the chance, I would squeeze them in some where. I didn’t put anything on the list today because we had two Christmas parties to go to. In the morning however, Greg made his most famous breakfast. Sausage, egg, and cheese scramble with hash browns. I always eat the scramble on lightly-fried corn tortillas. It was delicious as usual. At 2pm, we were at my god-mother’s house for her annual “Cookies and Cash” party, where we eat snack food like meatballs, cheese, and crackers. Then she hands out cash and we all eat cookies. It’s always a hoot because my god-mother, Wendy, is one of the most eccentric people I know. Her laugh is incredibly catching and she always does something special for the kids. This year it was a pineapple-shaped piñata. My god-brother, Kelton, got on the roof of their house and dangled the piñata over the edge so my nieces and nephews could whack it with a bat. We left there to head to my grandmother’s house, about an hour away, where I was deemed in charge as soon as I arrived. That’s usually the case, but this time I was glad I had the foresight to bring vodka. We had an unamusing round of white elephant exchange, where the presents were so bad that once someone opened what they picked, they were probably stuck with it because no one else wanted it. Leaving there, Greg and I realized we hadn’t had a real meal since breakfast and I quickly remembered the things I had left off the bucket list. We decided on Burger King and off we went. I wasn’t terribly hungry but I was excited about adding something that I had forgotten. I got the Whopper Jr. meal with onion rings and a sweet tea, although I ended up swapping the tea for vodka 7up instead. I was very disappointed in my burger. It was dry and the onion rings were hard. Oh well. At least it was one last thing to check off the list!

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Dec. 21st - Chicken Express

As the holidays approached, there were more and more things to do. One of the really important things was to go pick out fabric for a quilt top that I had finished the last time Greg and I went to visit his parents. They live in Broken Bow, OK; about 3 hours away from our place in Plano, TX. Whenever we go, Greg stays busy with his dad while his mom and I work in her workshop making quilts. It’s always fun. I think of quilt making like doing a puzzle, except the pieces don’t lock together automatically; you have to make the pieces fit. We were going to Broken Bow for Christmas so I needed to get the fabric so we could work on finishing the quilt. Anyway, before going to Chicken Express to grab dinner, I needed to go to Joann’s Fabric to pick something out. John decided to tag along with me. While at Joann’s, I found this fleece fabric that had little Harry Potter characters all over it and this other fabric that looked like the Marauder’s Map. It was so stinkin’ cute! John found some fleece that he liked for his Mom and told me that he could teach me how to make a blanket out of two pieces of fleece. We both said we would think about it, I got the fabric I needed for the quilt, and we headed to Chicken Express, which was way out of the way from the house. After what felt like forever, we got to Chicken Express and I ordered the 6-piece hot wings with mashed potatoes and cole slaw. The boys both got chicken strips. You see, Greg has never had Chicken Express so I was equally excited for him to finally try it. We got home a dug in. Greg was unimpressed. He said the chicken needed to be crispier and that it was soggy. I was very pleased with the hot wings but I should have asked for all flats. I’m not a fan of the drums. All in all I was happy with it.

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Dec. 20th - El Pollo Loco

After much discussion, the consensus on El Pollo Loco was that I was the only one who wanted to eat there. In all honestly, I love their cilantro cream dressing. I just wanted to go and have the Double Chicken Avocado Salad so I could smother it in dressing. Greg and John had zero interest in El Pollo Loco, so Greg decided he was going to make them Smoked Pork Enchiladas. Ok whatever... to each their own. Greg also had to make a run to Chuy’s to get his brother and sister-in-law a gift card for Christmas. You see... Greg has only a few weaknesses in life. Chuy’s queso is at the top of that list. He came home with, what looked like, a gallon of queso, and 2 large bags of chips. He got the smoked pork out of the freezer and proceeded to make this concoction of smoked pork with cheese, rolled in corn tortillas, and smothered in a mixture of Chuy’s queso and Hormel Chili w/o Beans. Not really my idea of a perfect combination, but hey I wasn’t eating it. I happily mixed my salad together in a big bowl and sat down with the guys at the table. As I munched on my salad, the boys were in heaven. Both of them smacking their lips with each bite, raving about how good it was. I suddenly lost my appetite for salad, just as Greg was pushing his plate away before he became miserably stuffed. I slid his plate my way, you know just to have a bite. What I experienced was spicy bliss. I’m not a huge fan of spicy, but this was incredible! The pork was so tender. The queso was creamy and the chili was meaty. Ok fine, I conceded defeat and cleaned his plate. I also bogarted the left overs for my lunch tomorrow. 

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Dec. 19th - Chicken and Dumplins

Yesterday during Framily Dinner, the “kids” got wind of my Bucket List. (Greg and I affectionately call the Framily members our kids.) Rick told Jessica to add all the meals to their calendar, which means I would be in great company for the majority of the next few weeks. Today’s meal is Chicken and Dumplins, which is one of my specialties. I make it with chicken thighs, carrots, celery, spices, and I make the dough from scratch. When it’s time to add the dumplins, I just take a small amount from the dough, round it just a bit in my fingers, and drop it in the boiling liquid. When you do it like this one at a time, each dumplin cooks a bit before the next one is dropped in on top of it, which makes it so they don’t really stick together. Also, only lightly rolling it in my fingers let’s the dough become bread-like and fluffy instead of hard and chewy. Everyone who came really enjoyed it!

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Dec. 18th - Framily Dinner

Once a week at our home, we host a dinner for our close friends. We have lovingly dubbed this evening “Framily Dinner Night” because everyone has become more than friends... we are family. Allow me to introduce you to everyone...

Greg - You guys know Greg already. He’s my boyfriend and soulmate. We began dating in September 2016 and have been pretty much inseparable ever since. The majority of the time, he is also the Chef; making amazing dinners for the Framily.

John - You’ve met John already too. He’s the type of guy every girl needs in their life... sassy, bitchy, tells-you-the-truth, and gay. He’s currently mine and Greg’s roommate and living together has been really awesome so far. I’ve known John since 2012... but that’s a story for another day.

Patrick - He’s fairly new to our crew; brought to the Framily when he started dating John. He works long hours but comes to dinner as often as he’s able to.

Jessica - I’ve known this ball of energy since 2005. She’s beautiful without trying, very opinionated, and has a mess of kids who I’m not quite sure will make it though life without always needing Jessica to come rescue them. 

Rick - Another new-ish member of the crew. Jessica brought him into the fold shortly after they started dating. Dating turned into engaged, which turned into married, within what felt like minutes. Rick is a great guy and I’m happy to see one of my oldest friends finally truly happy.

Alexis - AKA Sexy Lexi (but only I call her that). Lexi came to the Framily by way of a former Framily member, who was dating her at the time. When their relationship fell apart, he stepped away from the Framily and we got custody of Lexi. I love her to death! She’s funny, adorable, and so smart. She’s also in the HP Fandom so we have that in common.

Angelica - Oh sweet Angelica. She’s from Peru and brings a certain spark to the group. She’s always giving her heart up way too easily. She works for an airline company so she’s always traveling somewhere, no doubt falling in love with any foreigner who will give her the time of day. She’s an innocent girl, which I’m afraid will get her in trouble one day.

This Framily Dinner would be special simply because I was going to be the one doing the cooking. I make a mean pot of chili and this was the next meal on my bucket list. Well, technically I wanted Frito Pie, but you can’t have GOOD Frito Pie with that chili crap that comes in a can. I think the secret to good chili comes from the beans. (BTW, I could debate all day long the chili with no beans vs. the chili with beans argument. I like mine WITH BEANS.) I use Ranch-Style Beans in my chili and I think it gives it that extra something. Anyway, Greg decided that since we were having chili, that having hot dogs and buns available for the Framily would be good too. So there you have it... some of us had Frito Pie, some of us had Chili Dogs, and some of us had both.

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Dec. 17th... It begins.

Today is the first day of bucket list meals! I’m just realizing that the first three meals on the bucket list are all meals that I have to make. Usually, my boyfriend (Greg) is the chef of the house. He makes the most amazing meals... and other than vodka probably a main reason of why I’m having surgery to begin with. Tonight I’m making fried pork chops, green beans w/bacon and onions, and good ole Kraft mac and cheese. Not only would I be cooking for myself and Greg, our roommate (John) and his boyfriend (Patrick) would be joining us. At the grocery store, the pork chops came in packs of 4 so I grabbed two just in case the boys were really hungry but also thinking that there would be leftovers for sure. When I got home and started cooking, I began with the onions and bacon for the green beans. I cut up a bit too much bacon but that’s okay. Boys like bacon! Then I started the water for the mac and cheese and put on the oil for the chops. This was gonna be good! It didn’t take long for the meal to come together and soon we were at the dinner table, chomping away. As I suspected, all the boys just grabbed one chop each. Greg had picked through the green beans and walked away with all bacon. Such a guy move. Eat something green, sir! As the meal progressed, the boys got up for seconds. My guess that there would be leftovers was way off! At least it was good! 

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Straws...

The doctor recommends not using a straw after surgery and I’ve chosen this simple goal as my first step... or what I thought would be simple. I stopped using straws on December 1st and it has been a journey. I get it though... when you use a straw you drink too much, too fast, and you have the possibility of taking in more air then you should. When I initially gave up the straw, I found myself drinking in more air than usual, which was weird. It made me uncomfortable because, thanks to my piece-of-shit-malfunctioned-LapBand, I cannot express air that goes past my band. It just sits in my stomach until it dissipates or comes out the other end. So basically I’ve had to train myself how to drink without a straw. The first day of no straws, my roommate (John) and I went to Dunkin Donuts to grab breakfast. I ordered a large cold brew coffee and, of course absentmindedly, I grabbed a straw, opened it, put it in my coffee, and brought it up to my lips. I stopped myself right before I took a swig and suddenly realized that I would have to find a different way to drink to-go beverages. We got in the car and I had a second realization that I would not be able to drink while driving unless I sucked the drink out of the hole in the middle of the lid or I took the lid off. Like seriously... I can’t be the only one who has this struggle! I posted on Facebook that the struggle was real and everyone who commented thought I was giving up straws to save the environment and they were posting links to reusable straws, which was hilarious. Yes I know that reusable straws exist, but that’s not why my drink was strawless. It took some getting used to but I think I’ve got the hang of it. I actually recommend it now. I can really tell a difference.

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Bucket list ahoy!

If my memory serves me correctly, some foods may make me sick after surgery. With LapBand, I was (eventually) adjusted to the level where beef, pasta, and bread just would not go down. I am pretty sure this will be the case with VSG and if so, there are some things I would like to eat before the surgery. Hence, the bucket list! And before you judge me, I have my reasons for some things on this list. Stay tuned to hear my experiences with each meal. (And yes some dates are skipped because of various holiday events where I will not be able to choose where or what I eat.)

Dec 17 - Fried pork chops, green beans w/ bacon, Kraft mac and cheese

Dec 18 - Homemade chili (for Frito Pie)

Dec 19 - Homemade Chicken and Dumplins

Dec 20 - El Pollo Loco

Dec 21 - Chicken Express

Dec 23 - Jack in the Box

Dec 26 - Maple and Motor

Dec 28 - Wingstop

Dec 29 (Lunch) - Jason’s Deli

Dec 29 (Dinner) - Taco Casa

Dec 30 (Lunch) - Arby’s

Dec 30 (Dinner) - Ribeye steak, creamed broccoli

Dec 31 - Chipotle

Jan 2 - Hooters

Jan 3 - Homemade Cajun Pasta

Jan 4 - Matt’s Rancho Martinez

I’ve planned a “Last Supper” party for myself on January 4th and I think that’s the meal I’m most excited about! Stay tuned!

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Excited, not excited.

Well it’s coming... I’ve scheduled LapBand to VSG surgery for January 26, 2019. If you read through the mess that is my other blog, you know that I had LapBand surgery in May of 2010. At the time, I weighed over 320 lbs. I thought that LapBand was the best solution for me because, “Hey... at least they aren’t taking any pieces of me out,” but it turns out that it wasn’t my best decision. After 3 successful years of regular weight loss, my band slipped. I was 168 lbs. at the time and barely holding liquids down, despite the pleas to my doctor to take some of the liquid out of my band. So I had to start all over. My band was emptied, and then slowly filled again. Then it slipped again. And again. After the third attempt, I was deemed “non-functional” and that was it. Now the LapBand just sits inside of me, completely useless. Except for the times when it slips for no reason and makes me vomit so hard I get a headache and see stars in my eyes. I’ve gained every pound back (probably thanks more to vodka then to food). Recently, I’ve started having stabbing sciatic pain. I’m only thirty-fucking-seven years old. I shouldn’t be tired. I shouldn’t get winded at the thought of walking from the car into work. I shouldn’t have to make decisions on doing something fun based on if there will be chair for me to sit in. Time to take action. Tons of research lead me to Dr. Alvarez at Endobariatric just over the border in Piedras Negras, Mexico. Yes... MEXICO. The reason I haven’t done this surgery already is because its too fucking expensive and not covered by insurance. But in Mexico it’s relatively cheap. So it’s done! Booked, paid for! I have a 21-day pre-op “full liquid” diet ahead. Then after surgery it’s 7-days of clear liquid, 14-days of full liquid, 7 days of soft foods, then back to normal. The tough part? NO VODKA... for THREE MONTHS... not looking forward to that part. The liquid diet is a piece of cake compared to that. I’ll have to power through. I’m hoping that you will help with that. Just listen to me bitch and it will make me feel better (I hope). We will see. For now, I’m making a bucket list of the places/foods I want to eat before the liquid diet begins on January 5th. Let’s eat!