How do you like them apples? (They're lemons, Sire.) (Image courtesy of Wikimedia)
When life hands you lemons, say, “Oh yeah? I like lemons. What else ya got?”
My brains, his strength, and your steel against sixty men, and a little finger wiggle is supposed to make me happy?
- The Dread Pirate Roberts Wesley
The world is an imperfect place. Sometimes the weather is bad. Sometimes you spill your tea. The loot roll fails to align with your needs, or the random encounter table gives you yet another pack of Kobolds. Whatever it is, you still have to deal with it. I’m no Pollyanna, but I do know a thing or three about making something less crappy (note: not to be confused with a Bag o’ Crap) of a sub-optimal situation. I’m sure that plenty of you folks have found yourselves in similar situations when it comes to meal time, or at the gym, or whenever life fails to be conveniently awesome.
“I’ve got a dagger that’s +9 against Ogres!”
“Yeah, but you’re not there!”
Now, let’s go attack the darkness. Magic Missile not included.
A well-intentioned friend gifted me with a few different varieties of Bio-Test’s “Grow Whey” protein powder over the holidays. I’ve enjoyed the chocolate flavor as a handy snack or lunch substitute for quite a while (t’s got a hint of coconut, which is a big plus in my book). However, I’ve never been much of a fan of vanilla, and the nicest thing I can say about this stuff is that it’s very mildly flavored, which is to say, really damn bland. Our office, as has been previously noted, provides free coffee of dubious gustatory merit.
Wonder Twin Powers, Activate!
Form of: Vanilla Protein Latte
Amazingly, this tastes better than either of its constituent parts. It’s not going to take the place of an actual, high-quality breakfast, but it’s certainly a lurch in the right direction over a plain old cup of java. Not being one to leave well enough alone, I’ve experimented with other flavors of protein powder. While chocolate (in this case, Myoplex) doesn’t quite turn into Protein Cafe Mocha, it’s surprisingly palatable, and both recipes have the added benefit of not needing to have any additional creamer or sweetener added.
More ephemerally, we’ve previously touched on the notion of repackaging anger and negativity, and using it for motivation. This doesn’t require quite the same levels of MacGyver-like ingenuity as experimenting with weird nutrition-delivery systems, but there are certainly plenty of opportunities to put frustration to work for you, rather than against you. It need not be something huge or dramatic, of course – and, really, nobody needs huge and dramatic angst in their life often enough to fuel a good workout routine.
At the day job, particularly trying events are occasionally followed up by a vigorous set of bodyweight exercises (pushups, usually, but sometimes pullups, or a quick sprint up and down five flights of stairs). This offers an opportunity to blow off a little steam, while still doing something good for yourself. It can, however, occasionally backfire (and then the backfire backfires)… Mike changed my desktop wallpaper from this to this. He inconveniently forgot that my desk is line-of-sight to his office, so every time he turns around now, Richard Simmons is watching.
Sometimes, the lemons make themselves into lemonade.
I still prefer limes, though. 
Related posts:
Agreed, limes are tastier.