My time in the Chi for law school pt xi

Monday, June 11, 2007

Why don't you cry about it, saddlebags So it's an odd correlation that I've noticed when I'm back home: I always put on some weight back home because I don't have to walk as much. I noticed it when I moved back home from Denver for a month before going to Chicago, and the effect is even augmented by the fact Chicago is a much bigger city and I do that much more walking. The past ten days, I've gotten a little tubby (talk about salting my game...). The presence of Taco Bell value menus allow a person to purchase about 4500 kcal for $4.99 plus tax. This adds to the love in two distinct ways. First, I have a car and Taco Bell's are abundant, so I don't have to worry about trying to find one and hop on the El just to mollify the jones for a Gordita (I'm actually a chicken quesadilla type of guy). Second, there isn't the financial barrier. I'm not sure what type of meal you would get for $4.99, but I don't think you could buy that many kcal for that price in Chicago, except maybe a four-pack of butter. To compound this, staying with the parents (especially Filipino parents) means that I always have food at the house. The $5 I would spend on a pint of beer still goes to a pint of beer, but there's stuff around the house like Ice Cream bars, and and endless supply of mirienda (Tagalog for "snacky-snacks"). So, not only do I have the money to get the 140 kcal from the pint of Guiness ($5 is an expensive pint in this town, so $5 buys a Guiness. Most bars have Fat Tire, or other and better New Belgum beers for $2 a pint), I get the other calories from food I usually sacrifice in order to purchase alcohol. Why this all matters, well, it really doesn't. It is, however, beach season in Chicago. So, I guess all this is is a superficial complaint about how I won't be able to take my shirt off for a week. I guess I'll just have to take off the pants.