There are three members of this household who will eat just about anything, and three who might be defined as "finicky." This picture of Peanut is how we know that others are picky eaters and leave things behind. It's also how we know that we are becoming increasingly less rigorous in our housework. We should be appalled. Instead, it seems convenient, not just a little funny, and frankly I'm happy not to have to deal with the leftovers.
But back to eating habits. David, Nancy, and Peanut will eat just about anything. David loves to sit down with a bowl of frozen peas or fresh tomatoes and munch away; and Peanut...well, she's a dog. Trinity, Fast Eddie, and I, on the other hand, are more discriminating. For instance, I don't like a lot of "earthy" tasting greens such as Spinach, Fiddleheads, etc. Eddie, for his part, doesn't like to eat the birds that he kills (though Peanut is a big fan) nor will he stoop to eat anything under the Whiskas brand. And Trinity has a taste for fried foods, processed meats, and not much else. She LOVES Tater Tots and hot dogs, we're afraid to say (as it implicates us in the occasional promotion of less than totally healthy options). The way she wrinkles her nose at a freshly inserted piece of broccoli, holds her tongue out until it drops from her mouth, and then swipes it off her tray with her right hand (always the right hand because that ensures that it lands in the far corner of the kitchen) is something to behold. She also gets obsessed with other peoples' food once spotted, and she doesn't want anything to do with what's in front of her beyond that point, even though it's exactly the same.
David, for his part, likes to be on the move during dinner. He takes a bite or two, gets down from his seat at the table, goes to the living room, plays with some Hot Wheels or grabs the dog's tail, and then comes back for another round. Whatever works. He also has a fondness for cheese that goes beyond what I expect might be normal. Here's a little song he sang the other day. Nancy thought he might be trying to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" (the bedtime hit du jour) but I think it's a song about cheese. In fact, I think it's called "I Love Cheese" (listen for the refrain just after the halfway point:
David's affection for various cheeses can be verified by my father who, just the other day, overheard David request one, then two, then FIVE pieces of cheese (let's not fool around with the tedium of going through three and four -- let's get right to the real goal here). Behold the power of cheese, indeed.
And behold the power of Starbucks. We know it's politically, environmentally, and culturally dubious to frequent Starbucks, but Terre Haute just got a new one (only our second) RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM US. This new java oasis has led us to the understanding that there is only one stupid question you can ask Nancy: Do you want more coffee? Asking that question just takes up the time that you might otherwise have been buying her one. This has also increased my once carefully regulated caffeine intake twofold at least and turned me into "Too Much Coffee Man" on occasion. Too Much Coffee Man is jittery, prone to fits of infectious enthusiasm for whatever trivial distraction is right in front of him, unable to finish a sentence (let alone a complete thought) before moving onto the next subject, and eventually experiences a drop in his blood sugar level that renders him completely incapable of tolerating even the friendliest, most casual phone conversation. Too Much Coffee Man is a joy.
And with that, I want to leave you with a music video (remember those?) from The Mountain Goats. If you are not a fan of The Mountain Goats, I hope you will be soon. Maybe this is the song that David was singing about cheese. Or maybe it's the song Nancy will sing if Starbucks ever closes down.
