Whether to Eat Lunch In or Out?

I must admit to a penchant for eating out—in part because I am not an inventive cook. Not that I select exotic fare from menus and my list of lunch places is not far reaching. In fact I usually decide between three local spots.

If I've ensconced myself at the local coffee house, which is also a lunch spot, I'm drawn to not leaving and continuing writing or reading. So when the place, which is rather large, fills up with the lunch crowd I begin to harbor pangs of guilt. After all I am taking up a table and all I've ordered is a small decaf with a splash of caffeine. I've convinced myself that the splash invigorates the bland decaf.

"You're on a slippery slope," says Eli —one of the owners—"First it's a splash, then a quarter of a cup and quickly moves up toward an entire cup. Just ask me I've seen everything."

If I stay I'll order their chicken wrap with balsamic dressing or their humus wrap—both ensconced with veggies and carefully shredded cheese.

My other place is Subways— right around the corner. I don't read there or write, but I've become addicted to the Veggie delight because I believe their rhetoric of little fat, low sodium and a few calories.

Once a month I'll opt for the Thai restaurant several doors away from the coffee spot. Because the town has a reconverted mill that's home to many start up tech firms we've been blessed with a number of restaurants.

The Thai restaurant has a lunch menu that includes soup—their choice—and a selection of luncheon specials. Over the years I've moved from bland to two stars. Three star dishes still elude me, or I should say that they burn my palette and even on two star dishes I'm wary of those thin peppers that burn my lips and aren't placated by glasses of iced water.

It's always a decision—whether to eat out or eat at home. Sometimes it's easy because I can't get home for lunch—then the choice is eat out or bring my lunch in a cooler or brown paper bag. I always carry a container of water. Perhaps I think that I'm living n the desert and running out of water would have serious consequences.

This Lent I've decided to make it easier—once a week eat out and no chips with my meals. Of course this isn't a difficult decision at the Thai restaurant. So for the period of Lent my decision is on what day to eat out—my week goes from Thursday to Thursday. I don't have a problem adhering to the once a week, but there is a whether inherent in the discipline.

What day? Not too close to the weekend. Not too close to Thursday. So whether I choose one particular day or another poses a decision.

It's a practical matter. I don't want to make a precipitous decision.

Today I'll go home and create an omelet—there are some grape tomatoes, a green pepper and one solitary mushroom as well as cheese in the fridge. Spices in the cabinet—chives in the freezer. That should do.

I do make a quality omelet.