Living With the Threat of Imminent McDeprivation | How Much Did I Spend Last Week? May 20-26, 2024

(answer: far too much)

Houston, we have a problem – and it is that I have developed quite an unhealthy (because it would be an everyday habit if I let it) obsession with McDonald’s new, limited edition Bacon Cajun Ranch McCrispy. It has dominated my week (and my every waking minute), and I live in fear that today will be the day I drive into that little drive-thru lane and find out it’s gone forever.

Let me tell you, I am very emotional this week as it is, so when that finally does happen… it’s not going to be pretty. I could blame the pregnancy but I think it’s actually the fact that this burger is just that good. Spicy, saucy, crunchy, crispy deliciousness. Once again, I’m salivating just thinking about it (and I’m stuffed as I just had lunch).

Monday

A full working day, one in which I’m determined to be very productive! I drop Atlas off to Robin’s first thing, and he practically sprints through the door and to the breakfast bar without so much as a backward glance. Great! But also… not great. I don’t want the full-on tears but I wouldn’t mind a slightly petulant glance back at me before he gets on with his day. Oh well.

When I get home, I make breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast, then tidy and clean the kitchen then head upstairs to do some work.

Work can’t be started before I’ve tidied our room (obviously), so I make the bed and put on a wash before sitting down at my desk to do some writing, follow up on an overdue invoice, and work on some future pitches.

On the recommendation of my cousin Roseanne, I download AnyList and sign up for the premium subscription ($16.04), thinking maybe this will be the thing that helps us keep on top of our supermarket shopping and meal planning and helps eliminate food waste, but I can’t figure out how to put in our very first meal plan, and give up within about 5 minutes. I’ll have to get back to that… some day.

Around lunchtime, I drive around the corner to Pak Mail to post three dahlia tubers I’ve been meaning to post for around three weeks, to a woman I was kind of put in touch with through Anne Helen Petersen’s Substack (she did a garden bulb exchange spreadsheet – and I got a beautiful dahlia tuber sent to me from another grower). I’m really hoping it won’t be too late to plant them, and that they actually sprout. ($12.25)

I consider taking a spin somewhere for lunch – Chicken Salad Chick? McDonald’s? Zing? – but ultimately decide to come home and have leftovers instead as I am a saintly example of saintliness.

Finn has baseball tonight, and Brandin had decided to just go straight there after work (the game’s at 6pm, so Finn would have to be there at 5.30pm, which would mean leaving our house by 4.45pm, and they only get home at 4.30pm, so…) so Atlas and I have pasta for dinner and then I give in to this little benevolent dictator and he watches Paw Patrol for the evening while I read my book on the Kindle app on my phone, one boob in his mouth at all times. (Weaning? I don’t know her.)

When Brandin and the boys get home I’ve just put Atlas down to bed, so we get them some snacks and into the shower very unhappily and then they’re off to bed too.

Daily total: $28.29