Hi, my name is Kristin and I'm an addict.

No, I haven't started shooting up or snorting things. Or even chewing pills. (I am old and do take a handful of pills a day, but they're more the allergy, blood pressure variety) I have a couple of problems. And I know, as anyone who has read just about EVERY self-help, self-awareness book out there; the first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one. I have two very serious addictions. One is of the daily variety. And one is of the dreamt-about-but-oft-skipped variety.
And I have indulged in both today.

The first one. This is difficult to talk about. I really do love it so much. It's hard to admit it's a problem. Travis might have an intervention soon. He thinks I had too much about a month ago. Okay. Here goes. I eat sunflower seeds. EVERY. NIGHT. I shell them with my teeth and suck all the salt off the shells. I pop them open one by one and put all the shells into a solo cup. I sometimes eat a smaller dinner so I can have more sunflower seeds. Did I mention I eat them EVERY DAY? I have gone through at least three mouth sores. Let me tell you, sunflower shells and the salt make for some seriously nasty cankor sores. At one point, I had a sore so painful under my tongue, I was on WebMD researching mouth cancer just to be sure. I even RAN OUT of seeds earlier in the week and went THREE DAYS without them. That is the longest I have gone (minus when I had that nasty sore, I think that was three day's healing) without eating them. This has been going on way too long. And dammit if I don't knock that solo cup over every now and then. Then there's gross, soggy, chewed shells all over the floor. And my little Mojie swallowing as many as he can before I pick them all up. He's my own personal hoover. But I worry about him pooping sharp shells.

Okay. Here we go. Serious addiction number two. Panera Chocolate Croissant. Oh. My. God. It's an orgasm in a polite little dessert. Scratch that. It's FOUR simultaneous orgasms all wrapped up in a little pastry with choclate sprinkles. This is something that I think about often. I think of reasons to go near the many Paneras that are scattered around the metro Orlando area. And believe me, I know where each and every one of them are. I have been obsessed with these beautiful flaky, slightly glazed objects of my affection since I first had one a few years ago. Sometimes I keep my deep longing at bay. And other times, that wanting, needing takes over and I can't control myself, I drive to Panera and order one. I will admit. I think about these addictive little treats ALMOST every day. BUT. I certainly couldn't have lost 50 pounds eating them that often. In the last six months, I have had THREE, including the one I had today. And one of those treats was actually purchased at Publix, in the bakery. And it wasn't nearly as good as Panera's. But it was certainly a chocolate croissant, so it counts on the scorecard (and on my ass, as well).

Oh, Jillian. Bob. Please pray for me. (Biggest Loser shout out.....yo!)

This picture doesn't even do it justice. In real life, it looks less like a loaf of bread covered in ants and more like Brad Pitt covered in godiva truffles. Or something like that.

It's not a habit, it's cool, I feel alive. If you don't have it, you're on the other side. I'm not an addict (maybe that's a lie)...