It’s the first day of the last week of my job (hooray!) and I’m feeling a little uninspired and a lot exhausted, so I’m going to keep this short. My brevity can also be attributed to the fact that I’m feeling guilty, as I cooked a total of zero times while I was in New York. Though I did not keep track of my spending, it’s a very safe bet that I went way over budget, especially considering two of my meals were $25 each (but they were both very worth it).

The bright side of this, of course, are the small changes I see in myself since starting this project. Usually when feeling stressed, overworked, sad or just plain tired, I go out to eat. Sometimes I just want food that’s prepared by someone else and, honestly, I like being waited on. I like to sit down at a table and have delicious food placed in front of me. But lately—except on special occasions, like meals out with friends while traveling—the price tag isn’t worth it. Now that I’m away from the craziness that is New York City and back to my slow-as-molasses lifestyle in Kansas City, eating out tonight just isn’t an option. You know what that means? It’s time to get started on those pig parts (especially since I’m soon to be unemployed)! Hopefully by the end of this week I’ll be back with some harrowing tales of pork hock and, if you’re lucky, heart.

Tags: kansas city, new york, pig parts, uninspired