I started writing down a bunch of random impressions on Tuesday, and now it’s Friday and I’m in Texas. At the metadata conference, that was in Pittsburgh the last time I went.
On Monday, Rach and I went for a nice long walk in the morning. I felt like I was getting stuff done, but I recorded a lecture with the sound off, and had to re-do. I did finally get three people together for a phone meeting that had been rescheduled and rescheduled, to talk about a program for the librarians’ conference next summer. I drove out to Evansville to get my U-Pick pumpkins from my CSA farm.
Tipi Produce pumpkins
And came home and roasted vegetables – delicata squash & Romanesco broccoli, that Megan and I ate on lettuce, with pears with Brie melted over. Before I went to bed, I marinated tofu, like this.
On Tuesday, I had a bunch of meetings, starting at 8:15. I left my bike parked in an UN-covered spot and it got parked in and rained on. I got my computer configured for a workshop on Saturday. Which meant that I didn’t get home until after 6:00, and then I roasted vegetables again – this time carrots, that I tossed with wine vinegar & cilantro, and broccoli, that I tossed with the last of the Romanesco (because it never seemed quite done). And roasted the tofu. And put on a big pot of brown rice with veggie broth (that I had thawed for two things I’ve never got around to making: this soup, and braised red cabbage with apples.)
Megan had had a sandwich, but Rach and I needed to eat before the rice got done. We ate big bowls of veggies & tofu – naturally the rice was perfect just as we finished. I puttered and clean up the kitchen, and paid bills, and did laundry. Since we’d had such a healthy dinner we both craved a little something sweet, so we split a microwave s’more and watched the Sopranos pilot. And paused it for a few minutes to make Nutella grahams.
I can’t remember which day is which, but I know I had a couple of satisfying packed lunches involving Greek yogurt – with some kind of chunky and maybe a little sweet pear apple sauce I made; with raspberries and honey. One day I had a cheese sandwich with cheddar & the last dab of some coleslaw.
On Wednesday, I decided that I wouldn’t leave until about 2:00 for Chicago. So I got up and walked Rachael to work, then folded laundry and packed and remade beds and went to Whole Foods for a toothbrush, and put air in the car’s tires because the low tire pressure warning light was on. It came back on when I turned the car back off after getting the air, but went off for good about 12 miles away from Madison. I tried to eat up fruit that might spoil while I was gone, raspberries and pears and bananas and plums. I was pretty uninspired to be packing for a place where it was going to be 93 degrees everyday, when we’re having great, crisp, fall weather in the Midwest – but in the end it made packing easier, because I had lighter clothes that packed smaller.
Breakfast on Wednesday
Mark and I had dinner at Gioco in Chicago on Wednesday night – we split a roasted Portobello mushroom appetizer, and I had paccheri with tomato sauce & burata, and he had fettuccine Bolognese. All quite good, especially the mushroom – I inadvertently ate a slice of raw garlic that came with it. And I got a 2nd glass of wine, while Mark had a coffee – probably shouldn’t have done that either. Went back to the apartment and watched the 2nd episode of the Sopranos.
I woke up at 5:15 and remembered that I never checked in for my Southwest flight – but I still got B58 – so not too bad. And, if Mark’s new MacBook Air hadn’t been right next to the bed, I probably wouldn’t have checked in till it got light.
We had breakfast at Yolk, and I took the Orange Line to Midway.
Vat of oatmeal, Mark’s cimmy bun French toast, potatoes & bacon
