Road Food

On the road this week in and around Washington DC. Today my wife and I are going to Gettysburg to tour the battlefield.

Yesterday my wife has tried to sabotage my diet with cupcakes from the supposedly famous Georgetown Cupcake.

From the crowds of folks waiting to chunk down $16 for 6 cupcakes I'm sure they are heavenly tasting. Not exactly diet food however. Vacations are certainly a battlefield of sorts to one who is on a diet.

I've always been fascinated with battlefields and the tactics that went behind the opposing sides efforts. The Civil War was a horrible time not all that long ago in our ancestors lives.

In a way, the battle of our own efforts to be better people still continues. In my case one area of improvement is the battle of my own personal "bulge" (ok, different war and era). In some ways it makes about as much sense killing each other in the Civil War as it does to eat cupcakes and then go out and exercise. As in war, however, few wars are won in a single battle. No one tactic tends to be the only way to victory. To the winner of the war goes the spoils as they say. In my case and others out there trying to get and stay in shape including weight loss, the spoils include many things. Things like personal pride. Things like better long term health. As a nation, things like lower health care cost that impacts us all.

Fight the battles as our cause is worth the pain and occasional suffering we think we are going through. It really isn't that big a sacrifice given the freedom from guilt and disease we hope to gain going forward.