Why I Love Food

I have been trying to determine my attachment to food lately. I would rather learn than eat or sleep, but I would throw away sleep LONG before I would throw away food. After some introspective analysis, I have determined the following:

1. Food is not an emotional need for me.

2. I don't just eat to eat. I eat to have an experience.

3. Sometimes I eat socially, but usually favor the often unpopular abstemious approach to the more socially acceptable out-and-out gorging.

4. I like to have a full stomach, but like knowing it is full of good things.

5. The real culprit to my love for food is that my tongue loves the adventure of experiencing many different flavors within a very short amount of time.

6. Due to #5, the sampler tray, irrelevant of price, ALWAYS looks like a good option because it offers the most variety (as long as it isn't full of greasy, nasty, cheap food).

7. While I don't favor smörgåsbords, I do favor Sweet Tomatoes and any restaurant with a REALLY GREAT salsa bar, just so I can experience lots of delectable flavors.

8. I hate eating random garbage food. It makes me feel the same way I feel when I blow a whole lot of money on something totally worthless. Each bite is a serious consideration and planned investment.

9. I don't remember the last time I ordered something menu-ready. Inevitably, I am that woman every waitress LOVES to wait on. (Could you make those eggs poached, and bring me a side of salsa with that? Could you remove the bacon and the cheese, put the salad dressing on the side, and give me a TON of cilantro with that?)

10. I do my best thinking when I have something in my mouth. Since starting my CS coursework, I have picked up the habit of chewing gum. VERY nasty habit, indeed! But there is something very soothing about popping loud bubbles while plowing through a difficult programming project. The more challenging the problem, the louder the snaps. C made my addiction very apparent when he recently said, "I will come downstairs and sit by you as long as you don't pop your gum."

So there it is. I go through about a pack of gum a week, usually Trident melon or citrus flavored, depending on which deadlines I am trying to meet. So, what is food to you?