I carry a notebook with me everywhere I go. I have six or seven of them, they’re small enough to fit into my bag, and I rely on them to help me remember grocery lists and books I should read and funny quotes and how to take care of a puppy and exercises my ankle needs to perfect before I can FloJo myself around the track again.
This morning I took one of my notebooks to my eye doctor appointment.
While there, I took the following notes:
November 28th
topical steroid for Henry to remove cataract risk
Costco mussels for $12 on weekends
flaxseed / flaxseed oil DHA/EPA
Royal Chinese BBQ—seafood chow mein
Dim Sum past RCBBQ on right—Won Ton King
Only one of the five notes I took has anything to do with my eyes. This is why I love going to the eye doctor.
When he told me that I should consider taking fish oil capsules in the winter months, I asked if I had any other options.
Doctor: Do you eat fish?
Me: I’m a vegetarian. BUT, I sometimes tell myself that fish don’t have souls. And that’s when I go out for sushi.
Doctor: It’s interesting that you would say that. Yesterday I opened up the Wall Street Journal and saw a full page ad that featured Paul McCartney at his current age, in his current stage of life, and at the bottom of the ad was a blurb about him going fishing and how when he looked the fish in the eye, he realized that he and the fish both consider their lives to be important, and that killing the fish for pleasure seemed wrong. The ad was for vegetarianism.
Me: You just ruined fish for me.
Doctor: I think you could get away with eating trout or shrimp. Maybe you should just stay away from the big guys.
Me: No dolphins?
Doctor: No dolphins.
Here is the ad. I know some of you will look at it and roll your eyes into the back of your head. (If they freeze that way, let me know. I have a great eye doctor for you!) I’ll just say this: I may have just removed fish from my If All Else Fails list. (It fell between Eggplant Stackers and Fries with BBQ Sauce!) ((I don’t really have a list.))
My greatest quote from the eye doctor appointment: “It all depends on how much you love your gerbil.”
Twenty Eight Down, Two To Go. ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>
I use notebooks like that too — over time they become like a great archeological “dig”, in which mysterious and cryptic notations take on the mein of cave paintings. “Hmmm…I wonder what I could have meant by *that*?”
I carry one too! They used to be all full of dissertation notes, but last December when I finished I went and got a new clean one, utterly devoid of any angst and started filling it with projects and christmas lists. It’s devolved to groceries and chores, mostly now. I’ve just purchased my second post-dissertation notebook for next year.
Twenty Eight Up online for us to happily read, Two In your notebooks/mind left for us to read! Can’t wait!
(I’m a vegetarian on the CUSP of going vegan.)
Please don’t stop blogging every day—I so enjoyed this month!
Why would he tell you that directly after what you said to him? When he wanted you to get more fish-type stuff in your diet?
Wonton King is fantastic for dim sum, by the way. It’s where I go. It’s not very vegetarian friendly, though. Lots of shrimp & pork.
I consider myself more of a pesciterian than a vegetarian. I stopped eating meat for health reasons. I just feel better when I’m not eating meat. Fish, caught the ethical human way, is expensive. It’s a treat that I don’t get that often.
I carry notebooks too ~ I love finding old notes to myself in them :)
Its a great ad – one that my daughter would embrace wholeheartedly (a recent vegetarian & lover of all things Beetle) and one that I can quite nearly get behind except for my 3 meat vices. No matter how hard I try I crave them more than I craved cigarettes when I kicked that nasty habit after 15 years.
Two more days, then we’ll have to miss you awfully.
I get it. I won’t roll my eyes. I just haven’t gotten there yet.
fries with BBQ sauce? hmm.
My kids love fries dipped in mayo. It’s a european thing that my husband taught them. Kinda gross, but it doesn’t taste too bad. But BBQ sauce? I suppose if you can’t do it on meat you’ll use it wherever else possible…I prefer my BBQ sauce on burgers. Chaçun a son gout!
Dolphins aren’t fish–they’re mammals. Maybe stay away from tuna and swordfish? Those guys are BIG!
I hear if you freeze fish oil capsules before taking them that you don’t burp up fish nastiness all day. I’ve never done this and just take flaxseed oil, which neither tastes like fish nor makes me burp.
Your post reminded me that I need to make an appt to see the eye doctor. Or rather, that I needed to about 6 months ago, but I was busy/lazy/home with a newborn. Whatever.
Count me among the people who will miss you posting every day. Also, I just finished The Marriage Plot, per your review. Awesome book!
Make sure you grind your flaxseed. Whole isn’t as effective.