Miso happy:)

Fan-tastic! I just returned from a wonderfully interesting lecture presented for free at my friendly, neighborhood natural foods store. The speaker, who runs a macrobiotic center and cafe just north of us (tomorrow's field trip?), focused mainly on miso and yet covered and convincingly explained many of the ills currently plaguing our society. Though I thought I knew, I learned the keys to a nourishing miso soup (shock the miso? dilute it outside of the soup? who knew!?) In addition to that simple recipe, I learned to tell the difference between an aged and a young miso (and which is better nutritionally), why I should saute my kale instead of steaming it, more reasons for an alkaline diet and a more powerful alternative to kombucha. I don't know what I'm happier about, the cool things I learned or the fact that I have this resource (lectures every wednesday) available a block away for free!?

fashionably delicious

in lovely "yeah, I live in the city" fashion, I headed out on (what I thought was) a single errand or two after lunch today and didn't make it back home for five hours! I had intended to visit the Reading Terminal Market and drop off a volunteer app. (booth closed on mondays, drat!) and *maybe* check out Macy's. See, my wardrobe is woefully interview inappropriate at this point. Granted, no one is beating down my door for interviews as of yet, but I figure I best be prepared when they do. Unfortunately, a good shopper I am not. Macy's, Anne Taylor, H & M, the list goes on. Not a top or shoe that met with my approval. Is paisley hot this season? really? I'm in trouble. I *did* manage to spend some money at Urban Outfitters, but the employer would have to allow even more casual-ness than HfHBC for my purchases to count as work-wear.

As I drug my weary self back in the direction of home, I found myself at Broad and South. okay, I walked there purposefully, are you happy? at this juncture lies Govinda's and Gourmet to Go, establishments I have often heard about but never experienced. Oh, sweet vegan mecca! I intended only to step inside and see their menu but, well, we've already seen how my intentions were panning out today.

could it be? a freezer case with...hand-dipped vegan ice cream before my very eyes!?!

me: what's that one?
slightly bored looking GtG employee: strawberry royale.
me: (high-pitched shriek of pleasure)
sblGtGe: would you like to taste it?
me: zomg, yes!
sblGtGe: (silently hands over spoon)
me: wa-hoo, that will do!

I love Philly.

hoo-ray for sunday!

Being unemployed is really doing wonders for my ability to sleep in. I can remember, back in high school and college, being able to sleep until mid-day with the best of them. then, I can't recall when, I lost it. was it when I became accustomed to the 9 to 5 habit? when I stopped going out til the breaka breaka dawn? at some hormonally pre-programmed stage in my life? all I know is that, generally speaking, whether I go to bed at 9pm or 1am, I am awake and up between 6 and 7am.

until this past week, that is. yesterday, I slept til (gasp) 10am! sg was up and active by 8:45 and actually had to tiptoe to not disturb *me* for once!?! I was shocked, I tell you, shocked. this morning, I was rudely shaken awake and told "it's 8 o'clock". I thought, right, so hush up so I can get back to sleeping in! but as we had agreed to go for a long morning ride and test out the river trail, I figured I'd better rouse myself sometime during the morning.

the ride was definitely worth it, though I was nowhere near up to par. (not riding seriously for about 6 weeks will do that to a girl) how cool is it that an entire road is shut down for the use of bikers, walkers, bladers, etc.!? of course, if I had a vote, I'd prefer that more of the roads actually be biker-friendly (rather than biker-tolerant or downright hostile), but I'll not turn down a smooth, 4-lane tree-shaded stretch of pedaling perfection.

and now I wait

I'm having a decidedly not vegan afternoon. we have mice (or just a mouse? could I hope?) and it's bothering me more than I would like. pizza boxes left from last night's festivities showed gnaw-damage this morning and since then, i've already heard the critter making merry and spotted him going for my artisan bread on the countertop. bf is unfazed, but i am getting the creepy crawlies every time I hear the pitter patter (it has no qualms making itself known to me) and I've thus decided that I want it gone...now. so i've just ventured to wawa, then rite aid for traps. i'm not feeling too great about that and I'm not sure why I think I have more of a right to this apartment than it does, but there it is.

it's a small world

i left home this morning on an exploratory mission. after wallowing in a melancholic haze on the couch all day yesterday, I needed an adventure to reinvigorate my fabulous new city-self. a visit to the Reading Terminal Market and some yummy fresh veggie juice made for a nice start. i then wandered up and down streets with no rhyme or reason just to see what I might find.

i passed a small grocery store that had cupcakes or was called cupcake or something similar and continued walking. though i had no desire for cupcakes (really, truly, I swear) and can't say exactly why, I turned around and went back to the entrance of that store. upon entering, I found the son of my former boss, who has not been heard from since departing, working the counter. it's hard to describe exactly how unnerved this made me. I felt myself stammering while making conversation with him and doing my best *not* to interrogate him as to the well-being of his mom. I hope I didn't offend him by keeping it short and sweet and well, bolting.

a few blocks further into my ramble, I was ecstatic to come across none other than Brew Ha Ha, a relative of my favorite coffee shop from the burbs. unfortunately, it's atmosphere is nothing like the maple glen location and, considering that's why I loved it, I likely won't be making the haul over that way very often. but I felt compelled to stop for a latte nonetheless, as if I had run into an old friend and "so how've you been" chit-chat was in order.

I eventually called it a day (i sound like my mom - it was noon!) and made my way home. exploring the city is hard work!

who would have guessed?

that I'd absolutely love being a city girl!? granted I've not been mugged or gotten a ticket or been kept up late by drunk revelers yet, but so far, I am in urban heaven! we have no internet at home for another week, so I'm blissfully forced to visit the local (fair-trade, organic, vegan-friendly) coffeeshop every morning to check in with the interwebs.

yesterday I chatted for a good long while with the owner of a tea shop, also around the corner, stocking more than 100 different types of loose tea. wearing a race t-shirt will spark such things between former and current marathoners.

the post office is a mere 3 blocks away. you can get beer delivered to your door (two case minimum, ha!). "vegan" isn't a strange word to anyone I've mentioned it to.

somebody pinch me!