Friday Night Lights

I had planned to come home today, but here I sit, still in Indiana. I hadn’t packed the car yet, there was some running around and shopping to do yet today, and I also wanted to hang around to be able to see my grandmother who I hadn’t yet seen this visit … and I am not a great afternoon driver under those circumstances, by which I mean motivation dwindles, I get sleepy, I start thinking about traffic and trying to haul all my crap in from wherever I manage to park in the pitch black. Blech. I am much more a morning person, so I will pack the car tonight, bound out of bed in the morning, and buzz home. I’m shooting to be in my apartment in time to hit the grocery before lunch.

Tonight they are doing the annual thing they do here in Bloomington, where they ceremoniously turn on all the little twinkly lights that are strewn all over and around the square downtown. It’s very pretty and I like to go except for all the people (typical of me). One year, when I was a teenager, and we (the fam) owned a coffee shop downtown, we had this genius idea to sell hot chocolate during the event. Sadly for us, that year, it was about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Nobody wanted hot chocolate. Who can blame them? Ah well. It was a good idea.

My parents are going to “Christmas with the Pops” (Bloomington Pops – pretty good I hear, being that there’s a world-renowned music school in town) and to dinner, which I think is nice … I think my sister and I will make some dinner here and then she’ll go home to her comfy house and I will stay here in this comfy house. I’m actually pretty excited about the comfy comfy relaxing.

While I have been here, I’ve been mulling over some projects and ideas I had for projects, and decided last night not to pursue one of them that I just couldn’t get settled over. Apparently that was the right thing to do, because I am feeling so much more relaxed and just plain better today – less pressure. Phew.

Right. So today, I think we’ll do the Food Edition of Giving Thanks, and then maybe tomorrow the Chicago Edition, since I’ll be back there by then.

1. Starch. Really, almost any starch. This covers bread, pasta, dough (ie cookies), rice, risotto, stuffing, most fried things, etc.
2. Cheese. I LOVE cheese. I am so thankful that I am not lactose intolerant. I have many loves in the dairy arena – butter for example. Milk. Yogurt.
3. Chocolate. JK Rowling was right on when she made chocolate the antidote to Dementors. Mmm. Chocolate. Dark, dark chocolate. You can keep your white chocolate.
4. Wine. You know, I never used to like wine. Too stressful. Plus, I had only had bad wine. A series of circumstances has altered that, and one of the factors (thanks PH!) was Oldman’s Guide to Outsmarting Wine. I will say that there are times, though, when only a Sapphire and tonic will do; and there are other times where a tasty tasty beer is just the thing. But wine is my go-to drink-y drink these days.
5. Sushi. Especially some really really fresh delicious tuna. Fancy tuna.

Now, really, I just love food. If you know me, you know that I am a good eater – so I haven’t included many things in the specific (say, steak; or olives; or cheese enchiladas; salad; fresh, perfect mangoes; I think I’d better stop). For the purpose of this, though, I just wanted to pick five things.

What five foods do I hate, you ask? Well –

1. Sweet potatoes. I’ve tried – tried them baked, mashed, fried into chips. Still: gag.
2. Liver. Do I need to explain? Actually, let’s say all organ meats.
3. Brown liquor: this includes whisky, bourbon, and some rum. I don’t like scotch either. I have a whole theory about browns, clears, and tequila (the wild card).
4. Cottage cheese. There’s this whole texture thing I can’t cope with. In fact, also include tapioca, mushy apples, overripe bananas …
5. Cheese danish. Ick. It’s not cheese!! It’s a cheat. All danish are dead to me.

There’s more, of course, but it’s not very interesting and the more I think about it, the more I feel like a freak. [“well, i like those, but only if they’re just so … and without … and with…”] Yeah, time to stop.