Hello, My name is PirateGeek and I am a masochist

I know that may seem like a rather personal thing to admit to a bunch of anonymous people on the interwebs, but let me explain.

Hubby and I finally started our "diet" on Monday. (Sidenote: I hate using the word "diet" because I will let myself eat whatever I want if I want it bad enough. It's more eating healthy, eating less, and exercising. Most fitness peeps would call it a "lifestyle change" but I think that sounds ridiculous.) This isn't such a big deal, really. Over the last 4 1/2 years, I've lost something like 120 pounds which sounds awesome except that I've gained back all but about 30 of those over separate incidents. Anyway, I like eating healthy and working out and such, it makes me feel like much less of a fat slob and usually gets rid of the rampant heartburn I tend to suffer from. There's one thing that usually gets in my way with this healthy lifestyle: I love food.

I know a lot of people would say that, but no really. I LOVE food. If I had more free time, I'd be cooking some pretty kickass stuff, but my love of food manifests itself in my constant viewing of the Food Network. The Food Network is pretty much the only reason I don't get rid of cable. Aside from having 24/7 access to the Food Network, everything else can be found online. (Another Sidenote: You know those times when you're up at 3 am and there's nothing on TV but infomercials for crap like the Magic Bullet or Awesome Cooking Device That Will Save Your Life, there is almost always something worth watching on the Food Network. You're welcome.)

So I came to this masochism realization yesterday. It actually wasn't the Food Network, it was the Green Channel or something like that, but they had a special on the best food in America: "Crazy About Cheese." Cheese is my favorite food group. No, it's not part of dairy, it's its own food group in my world. So I had to watch it. And watch it I did. Some epic forms of gooey, creamy, cheesy goodness: cheese filled hot dogs, gourmet grilled cheese, gourmet mac and cheese, a pizza pot pie, and even specialty cheesecakes. See, you're getting hungry just reading it. Imagine seeing these wonders of cheesygoodness in all their glory before your eyes, and they're all in places that are way far away: NYC, LA, Vegas, Seattle, San Francisco, etc. Of course. When some incredible chef becomes successful, they don't sit there and think, "Hmmm...I think I'm gonna take my awesomeness and kickass food to Ohio. YES!" Yeah, no.

So there you go. I am a masochist. I like to watch shows that flash the yummy deliciousness of my favorite food group ever in my face when I a) cannot easily get to those places that serve the yum and 2) am trying to eat healthy. Although one of those chefs talked about how cheese is actually very healthy and gets too much of a bad rap. I like the way he rolls his cheese wheels.