IN A PICKLE

    All day yesterday, I sat in front of the laptop. Park, in his "wisdom" told his church that he will make lunch for people there. He bought lots of food in the Korean market (took money from Roberta, whose account is now overdrawn because of it. He is not gonna pay it back either!). From morning to 3 in the afternoon, he boiled and stirred and mixed and chopped. The house filled with delectable aromas, which didn't help me keep a good attitude about my diet. Still I kept eating only the bars and drinking shakes. I tried a tiny piece of chicken that he offered, though: YUMmmmmm! 
     I felt that I needed to do something to offset my bad behavior the night before, namely, swallowing everything that looked remotely edible, so I called Mary and asked if she wanted to go to the pool. It was her day to go for a well-check for the same Weight Management Program which I am on. "Come there too, they'll weigh you!" - Mary said. Although I said no to her, after our conversation finished, I still looked at the phone for a few seconds, then jumped up, took a shower, got dressed, grabbed Roberta (over Park's objections) and drove to Kaiser through the evening rush hour traffic. 
     Mary was happy to see me in the waiting room. She encouraged me and tisked over Taka's lack of support and my own lack of will power. She also waited for me, while I was being weighed. I lost 3 lbs. last week! I don't know, of course, if I lost more but gained some back because of my grazing, but even so - it was a better news than the one I expected!
    I still am getting used to the new order of business. This diet, although it provides more than enough nourishment for the body, still leaves me yearning for the familiar, lovely flavors of meat, pasta, potatoes, rice. Anything salty would do too. Last night, Taka, who is not supportive at all, sat next to me, munching on some rice and pickles, -  favorite Japanese fare. My mouth just filled with saliva at the sight of that green, still moist from the jar, bumpy pickle! "Sonny!" - I yelled - "Bring me a pickle, stat!" Sonny was at the computer, working on something for his dad. Taka made scrumptious noises, crunching and slurping his food from the chopsticks. I couldn't take it anymore!
     "Sonny, - less typing - more bringing your mother her pickle!"
     It turned out that, Sonny was checking, how many calories a pickle has! At least he is mindful of my diet. Good boy! But when he declared that pickle had too much sodium, which is not good for my regiment, I exploded: "I will take a cucumber instead! Just bring it quick!" 
     Sonny proceeded to check, how many calories are in a cucumber. I was looking pleadingly at Taka, who took the last bite of his pickle and followed it with a chopsticks-full of rice. "What," - he asked smugly - "You have your own, and very expensive, food!"
     I lifted my eyes to Sonny. I guess, he read something in them that made him give up on his conscientious research and run to the refrigerator. Both, he and Taka laughed at the supreme bliss on my face, as I bit into a pickle and leaned back with a sigh. As with many things that one awaits and obsesses with, a pickle was, actually, a bit of a let down: it was too salty; but I would not let my guys see it!