In life, as in business, t’s important to leave people with a strong impression. That’s why when I leave a room or a discussion, I end with a strong closing statement so people remember me and know it’s over on my terms. Default phrases I like are “I’m off like a prom dress!” or “call me Saran, because that’s a wrap!” As soon as I say one of those choice expressions, everyone in the room looks at me and silently wishes they were that cool. Sometimes they even say it out loud. I’ve decided that in light of my new March header, whenever I leave a room this month, I’m going to exclaim, “I’m out like a lamb!” Feel free to use that if you will, but always follow it up with a short copyright statement attributing it to DailyTannenbaum, Inc.
Other than my new catch-phrase, I’m going to celebrate this third month of the two-thousand and eighth year of every political candidate’s (if they want a snowball’s chance of getting elected) Lord by going totally vegan. I’ve decided this after some depressing realities at the hands of the scale at the gym. I don’t like to make a habit of weighing myself, but I’ve been checking out of curiosity during the past three Saturdays, and it seems that I’m gaining a pound a week. And while I like to think that I wouldn’t be given this insatiable desire for cheese if it wasn’t something that my body really needed, maybe if I just give fruits and vegetables one more try I might look a little more presentable when I appear at my first ever swim meet at the end of the month. The first real test of this vegan experiment will be free pizza night at the gym this first Monday of the month. The day has been circled on my calendar in red, and I even re-scheduled physical therapy so I could make it. In the past I’ve thought to myself that if pizza is free, and at the gym to boot, that means it has no negative caloric impact. My pot belly begs to differ.
Speaking of vegans, I recently got back in touch with the vegan / stigmata boy. It’s not a dating thing, but we got on pretty well, despite the mild thrashing I gave him here on the Daily T, so we’re going to try hanging out in a friendly kind of way. So if you suddenly see a bunch of posts and my fabulous blog description from Brando missing, it’s because I told him about the existence of this secret world. Also, I almost let the existence of the blog slip while talking with my mono-pedial physical therapist / swim lane partner. So if I delete a bunch of those posts, it’s because I gave him the actual URL, and I feel like maybe it would be weird if he knew I was talking about him here, even if it was expressing lament that he kicks faster than me. Either way, let’s hope that neither of them ever figure out how to use archive.com, or care enough to use it.
Lambkins out.
Posted by Dutchess of Kickball on March 2, 2008 at 10:53 am
Aw, the new header is cute. Good luck with the vegan. Lamb out.
You should have seen me on Saturday, trying to place those guys all around in a way that the white lamb didn’t totally over-expose. I’m glad you like it.
Posted by Reluctant Blogger on March 2, 2008 at 11:20 am
I cannot comprehend how anyone can live a life without cheese. I could not. Just could not. I LOVE cheese.
Over to ewe!
Over to ewe is the best thing I’ve heard all day.
Posted by stefanie on March 2, 2008 at 11:41 am
The thought of a life without cheese frightens me, but I commend your drive on that. Good luck.
Love the new header.
Thanks! I keep thinking, “it’s just a month, it’s just a month…”
Posted by Allie on March 2, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Okay, so if I say I’m out like a lamb, and just have like a little sticker or something on my sweater that has a short copyright statement, will that work?
I went totally off dairy for awhile, but then I met my husband. His family has a unique relationship with cheese that is quite absorbing (and probably accounts for the 15-20 lbs I’ve gained since I met him.
I like the idea of just doing it for a month though. Maybe I’ll aim for April (I need time to mentally prepare).
I just kind of jumped into it after making a batch of vegan cookies. I’ll send you the recipe if you like, we can re-name them “vegan month kick-off cookies!”
Posted by anika on March 2, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Vegan – that’s impressive! I couldn’t do it – I can’t even give up meat on Fridays. I wish I could – I’m sure I’d be so much healthier . . .
If we all gave up meat for at least one day a week, the resulting environmental impact would be like if we all stopped driving for a day. I highly recommend giving it a go. It’s really not that hard.
Posted by The Modern Gal on March 2, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Are you going to proclaim “in like a lion” when you enter every room too?
And what everybody else said about the cheese. Torture, in my mind. I totally respect you for doing it, but if I did it it would have to be vegan with a side of cheese.
That’s a good idea, the lion thing.
Posted by Michelle on March 2, 2008 at 8:56 pm
I hear that cheese gives you nightmares, so maybe going vegan will make you sleep like a lamb too
I wonder. I sleep pretty well as it is, but I’ll have to see if this changes things.
Posted by andrea on March 2, 2008 at 9:24 pm
I’m a vegetarian but not a vegan. I have no idea if I could give up favorites like cheese, cheese, and cheese. Maybe that why my weight loss is ridiculously slow… Let me (us) know how it goes!
I love cheese. It’s like the final frontier of healthy eating. There’s also the ice cream thing…
Posted by courtney on March 3, 2008 at 9:06 am
You’re a braver woman than I. I’m not sure I could live without cheese.
It’s just a month… It’s just a month…. It’s just a month…
Posted by -R- on March 3, 2008 at 10:02 am
Good luck with the vegan thing. Are you going to start playing hackysack and smelling like patchouli too?
I will understand if certain posts disappear. I have done similar archive editing too
I’d like to be the person who proves you can be vegan without being smelly.
Posted by lizgwiz on March 3, 2008 at 11:19 am
Philosophically, I would like to be a vegan. But oh, how I love cheese. Good luck to you!
Maybe you should give it a try as well! I could use the moral support.
Posted by sadieandleo on March 3, 2008 at 11:34 am
Cheese makes my world go round, don’t leave cheese, it loves you too.
Too funny, letting these people into your secret world. You would really have to be trusting to let them in here.
Good luck on both accounts.
I have no doubt I’ll be back here and there. And yeah, I love this blog, I hate the idea of keeping it secret.
Posted by freeandflawed on March 3, 2008 at 11:41 am
If I were ever in a room with you and you signed-off with one of those phrases, I’d giggle and wish I was that cool too. True story!
I actually think you are that cool.
Posted by 3carnations on March 3, 2008 at 11:41 am
Cheese…more available for me, I guess.
Good luck with that.
Please, take my cheese!
Posted by Jennifer M. on March 3, 2008 at 12:08 pm
If you want to go vegan, go ahead and get down with your bad self. However, maybe the weight gain represents a huge increase in muscle mass which weighs more than fat and ultimately leads to more efficient metabolism. What? It happens. . .
Does this mean you can’t use Burt’s Bees stuff because beeswax is an animal product? And honey?
I’m not changing to a completely vegan lifestyle, and I rarely use honey. Since I’m doing this for diet and not philosophical reasons, I’m not going to omit it this time. I would like to think that I’m gaining weight because of muscle, because I am building muscle, but the protruding belly area (no, I’m not pregnant) is how I know the weight gain is diet related.
Posted by mickey on March 3, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Screw that. I’m out like a LION! And yes, the all-caps means I’m shouting. I mean if we’re trying to leave an impression and all…
And screw the vegan thing. You’re bound to swim faster fueled up on pizza than apples. Then again, there’s a drag coefficient to worry about too, I guess.
There is also the theory that since fat floats, it’s good to have a little buoyancy in the water, but for me it all comes down to how I am going to look in that bathing suit, not my actual performance. LION OUT!
Posted by nancypearlwannabe on March 3, 2008 at 12:38 pm
But, umm… is Wagamama’s vegan? I know they have vegetarian options. I know what you mean though, we went to a fondue place on Friday and I’m sure I had about 3200 calories from cheese alone. Damn you, tasty dairy products!
Wagamama’s could kill the cow in front of my eyes, and I would still want to eat there if it’s as tasty as the one in London. But I think they’re pretty vegetarian/vegan friendly. Either way, it’s the end of the month, so I won’t mind as much.
Posted by Sarah on March 3, 2008 at 1:21 pm
I ate at a vegan restaurant on Saturday night, and felt GREAT afterward. No grumbly tummy, no sense of feeling overly full– I can see why some people think that our bodies want us to be vegans. However, my problem is that I don’t have a great support system for this. Although I have some friends who are keen on vegetarianism of various forms, my boyfriend, his family, and my own family are all big meat-eaters. Makes it hard to share meals together, y’know? It takes a lot of sacrifice and dedication to go vegan. I applaud your efforts. And don’t worry– there are some pretty good vegan “cheeses” out there.
I feel the same way when I don’t overeat at a restaurant! The other day I had a veggie burger with fries, and I ate all the fries, and I felt like crap for the rest of the day. But it was so tasty! As for vegan “cheese,” I’m not a fan, it’s a pale comparison. My goal here is to eat more fruits and vegetables and actually get healthy.
Posted by erikka on March 3, 2008 at 1:41 pm
lambkins…luv it!
hm, maybe you can share some of your vegan food recipes with us. I’d be interested to see what you end up eating
I think that’s a good idea. If I make anything good, I’ll let you all know!
Posted by cadiz12 on March 3, 2008 at 2:31 pm
all the best with going vegan. i tried to give up dairy to figure out what was going on with my body, but could only manage until i realized that wasn’t the problem. however, cheese makes me weak.
It’s been okay here on day 3, but I don’t know how long I’m going to make it.
Posted by apollocreed on March 3, 2008 at 2:55 pm
You’re like George in that seinfeld episode where he always leaves the room at his best moment! Nice.
also, I’m a vegetarian, and I could never make it as a vegan. It’s too much work man. But good luck.
and… Pizza night at a gym seems a little counterintuitive to me.
Pizza night is counterintuitive, but there it is. And as for Seinfeld, I always thought of myself as more of an Elaine type, but I suppose George makes a good point.
Posted by Lara on March 3, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Vegan? Oy. You’re a brave woman, Noelle Tannenbaum. May the force be with you.
Also, I giggled at the idea of leaving the room with a catch-phrase. I used to think it was cool to say things like “I’m just chillin’ like a snow cone”, and then someone pointed out that I was not exactly pulling that off very well, so I stopped. I bet you are much better at it than I.
I might pull it off better in writing than in person. We’ll just have to test out that theory.
Posted by rdl on March 3, 2008 at 9:10 pm
I love, love, love pizza but it should not be on anyone’s diet that is trying to lose weight. When we were doing weight watchers we were told that 2 slices were like All you should eat all day!
Posted by Sobe on March 3, 2008 at 9:26 pm
You know what’s funny is that I often tell people to ‘go birmingham’ on a project meaning that they should be thorough and complete and have it be sparkly at the end.
I think of you and laugh.
Posted by Sobe on March 3, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Especially since I don’t really know who Birmingham is. When I’m cleaning – my house or email inbox or what have you, my Yahoo IM status says ‘Going Birmingham’
Posted by Brando on March 5, 2008 at 10:44 am
I am like The Terminator with the vegan decision. “Now I understand why you don’t eat cheese, but it is something I can never do.”