They say that travel is broadening, and the trips we’ve taken this year have certainly broadened me. I’m trying to get back to my pre-travel weight; one of ways that has worked for me in the past is to avoid mindless eating.

This morning, we went to in-person Torah Study at Shir Hadash for the first time since March, 2020. Some things had changed – we were in a different room so that people could join us over Zoom, and, of course, we have a different Rabbi leading the session. But some things hadn’t changed – there were chocolate brownies within easy reach. I ignored them, cheerfully.

This evening, we went to a Halloween party. There were lots and lots of goodies, and I knew that if I started to munch, I’d have a hard time stopping. So I ignored them. But after a couple of hours, I’d seen too many people eating (and praising) the homemade chocolate chip cookies; I was ready to give in to temptation. I walked to the kitchen, only to discover that the tin of cookies was empty.

I drowned my sorrows with M&M’s.

My side of the bathroom vanity has been getting very crowded and messy. The top was covered with half-used sunscreen bottles and the like, and it was impossible to find anything in the under-sink storage. It’s been irritating me for a long time.

This week, I finally found the roundtuit I needed to tackle the problem. I cleared off the top in time for our house cleaner’s visit on Tuesday and enjoyed the result.

Today, I attacked the under-sink area. It was filled with dental floss, prescriptions, insoles, bandages, toothpaste, and much more – all piled haphazardly and awkwardly. I didn’t know what was under there or how much I had of anything.

I had bought a bunch of stacking sliding drawers from the Container Store before the pandemic and used some of them to clean up the shelves in the office, but the rest have been sitting on the floor waiting for inspiration to arrive. It arrived today.

We went to Costco this afternoon, and for a change, I was sure I didn’t need to buy more dental floss – 43 containers should last us for a while!