Car trouble is never a good way to start the day.
Alas, that was the card that fate dealt me this morning.
I was definitely having one of those mornings where I just couldn’t get myself going. I didn’t know what to wear, what I wanted to eat, what to pack for later. But somehow I got it all together and was out the door. I even managed to grab something to eat in the car on the way to work:
We love these AmyLu chicken andouille sausages that we get at Costco. They’re so tasty and versatile, and they come in handy for quick bites on the go.
So there I was, happily munching on my breakfast, in stop-and-go traffic outside our neighborhood, when I felt a rumbling, and then noticed lights flashing on my dashboard, and then . . . my car stopped. Luckily I was able to restart it, but I knew I needed to get back home, so I turned around and headed back. The car rumbled once on the way back, but luckily didn’t stall out again. I didn’t want to risk driving it to the dealership since who knew if it would keep stalling or not, and I didn’t want to find out in the middle of rush-hour traffic.
Over the weekend, I’d taken the car in for an oil change, some maintenance, and to get the check engine light checked out. I thought maybe I hadn’t tightened the gas cap enough and that’s why it had come on, but they said it was my thermostat sensor. I was going to bring it back this weekend so they could look at it and then this happened. Great.
While we waited for the AAA tow truck to come, I managed to get some work done from home.
There’s Zoom-Zoom getting ready to be taken to the dealership. Mr. Spice was a sweetie and drove me to the dealership so I wouldn’t have to ride in the tow truck.
I got hungry on the drive up and decided to have my lunch early:
I was so excited about this sandwich when I made it. Chipotle hummus, pepper jack, turkey, and cucumber on peppercorn asiago sourdough bread. It turned out pretty good!
Once we were at the dealership, I was able to get a loaner car so I could finally get started on my day! Work was waiting for me when I got to my office, but I was able to take a little break for myself in the afternoon.
Hot cocoa! I ordered a variety pack of different flavors off Diet Direct. These hot cocoa packets pack some protein in them, so there’s a bit of lasting power.
And because I had a shitty start to the morning, a little treat! Yeah, I curse. Get over it. 
I get pretty snacky in the late afternoon and evening, especially when I have to stay late at the office.
Clementines are one of the best parts of winter! Small and sweet, just like me! 
I’m trying to incorporate nuts more into my eating — almonds are my favorites, then cashews and pistachios.
When I’ve exhausted my “healthy” snack arsenal and it’s past 6, it’s time for something more fun. These are some Medifast chili nacho cheese puffs. They’re not bad for that crunchy salty snack craving.
So I was supposed to have salad again for dinner, but I was HUNGRY when I got home, so I nixed that idea.
A burrito sounded much more appetizing. Leftover taco mixture (ground beef, refried beans, taco seasoning), cheese, and salsa tucked into a habanero-lime tortilla. This definitely hit the spot.
And to end the night on a sweet note:
Two blocks of Swiss milk chocolate from this monster bar I bought in the duty-free shop in Frankfurt on our way back from Bangladesh. You really don’t want to know how much chocolate I bought. I’ve actually been doing a very good job of not inhaling it all in one go — usually a couple blocks every couple nights. I’m only halfway through this bar, so I must be doing something right!
That’s it for tonight, I have to get up early tomorrow, thanks to a last-minute invite to an early-morning CPE session.
Oh, and please don’t forget to keep voting for my Bruschetta Waffle Fries!! All you have to do is “like” Alexia Foods on Facebook, click on the Reinvent a Classic tab, then vote for yours truly. Thanks for voting!
Good night!
