The other night, I had to go into NYC for a work-related event. Beyond my usual worrying about which train to catch and whether I would know anyone there (I did go with a colleague, but he knows everyone and gets waylaid a lot)  my largest preoccupation was…….are they going to feed us?

You see, this event was from 6-8 pm….since I usually eat dinner around 7, I just kept thinking, “they’re going to feed us, aren’t they? maybe not? so, should I eat something before? bring something with me? what if I eat something before and then get there and there’s a ton of food?”

Although I think this reaction is natural, I also suspect my preoccupation with whether food and what type will be served at an event is genetic. If I tell my mother I’ve been invited somewhere, her first question will be about whether they’ll be feeding me (if I’m flying, she wants to know if they’re serving a meal on the flight). She says that as my mother, it’s important for her to know I’m being nourished.

But even stranger than work events are the times I’ve been invited to a party (like one of my friend’s kids birthday parties), and it’s scheduled from 2-5. So, what does that mean? Late lunch? Early dinner? Finger food and cake? Or the time a few months ago when my aunt, who lives an hour away, invited me up for 1ish in the afternoon….after my 15th handful of the nuts she’d put out along with veggies and dip, she realized I hadn’t eaten lunch and offered me something more lunch-like.

I never know what to do when I get these vague “does this mean they’ll be feeding me?” invitations. It just doesn’t feel right to call/text/tweet and ask if they’ll be providing food. But, if you assume that there will be food and there isn’t….how do you keep from letting the hunger make you crazy? Sneak snacks in your purse and eat them in the bathroom?

Ultimately, my colleague and I went to a diner across the street since we had an hour to kill before the event. I had a bagel (it was 5 pm and I figured that would get me through the next few hours if necessary). When we got to the event there was a lovely spread of coffee and fresh fruit. And that was it. I was pretty happy I’d had the bagel. By the time I got home (at 10) I was crazy hungry again, so I made myself some oatmeal before calling it a night.

actually a breakfast photo, but close enough

strivingcynic cat also wants some food from the fridge!

Countdown goals follow up:

Here are the goals again:

work my way up to a 5 mile run

post 4 times a week on my blog

have 3 new experiences

read 2 books

give up 1 thing

Progress:

5– I ran 4.5 miles on Monday morning, up from last week’s 4.3

4–I’ve posted 4 times in the last week

3–Nope (well, things like my anniversary were new, but not what I meant)

2– Chose Chocolate Bridal Bash, haven’t started reading

1–Nope

So, does anyone have stories about or strategies for dealing with food uncertainties?  Has anyone ever inadvertently ended up eating multiple meals? Do other people worry about what the food will be at any given event?