March 2008 Archives
Ever since the beautiful new Minneapolis Central Library opened downtown, I've made it a point to walk down the the library once every week or two... when it's not winter. The walk across the river is far too windy and brutal during the cold months, so it's been ages since my last visit.
Today I took my first library trip of the season and it has cheered me unmeasurably.
I'm slowly emerging from my funk. I've just been incredibly negative lately and I don't have any good reasons to be negative. I'm far too hard on myself when it comes to pretty much everything. Add to that the monotony of winter and a big bad funk is born.
At least I'm aware of my issues, right?
It's not that nothing good has happened for me lately. I mean, I am going to Ireland. Ireland! I've never been farther afield than Vancouver or Cancun. Neither has Brad. Our trip is now less than a month away and we have everything planned and budgeted. I've been reading up on Irish writers and Irish history and getting ever more excited to go.
And in an attempt to save money for the trip and also to be more healthy, Brad and I have drastically curtailed our eating-out habit over the last month. This has had the result of not only saving us a significant amount of money, but I've also lost some weight and learned that I actually enjoy cooking on a regular basis. As a vegetarian, it turns out it's more satisfying to cook whatever I want than to go out to a restaurant and choose between one or two menu choices that don't really look that appealing anyway. Why didn't I think of that earlier?
I really should be posting some of the recipes I've come across lately because we've been having lots of culinary successes. And did I mention I can finally fit into my pants again? This is doing wonders for my ability to breathe. And my self-esteem.
So, anyway. Spring is around the corner and I think I'll survive that long.
, originally uploaded by AMK.
I've gotten to see Morristown, NJ today both from street level and from above and I have to say I like it better from above. The rooftops of Morristown are strangely photogenic.
Everything seems a bit surreal to me today. I'm about a week into a bout of bad insomnia. Last night was by far the worst because the hotel room I'm staying in has a really loud heater. I can't decide if I should bother complaining and asking to switch rooms, because I have a feeling all of their rooms are like this and I'm almost too tired to contemplate packing up all my stuff and moving. I'm not sure I can stand another two nights of this, though.
Anyway, everything is kind of foggy today and yet somehow brighter than normal, in my sleep-deprivation-influenced state. It's akin to the surreal perceptions I have the day after a migraine. It's probably also influenced by the fact that I'm here in my pretend role as a photographer (sorry, I just find it impossible to think of myself as a real photographer even though I'm being paid to be one at this moment). So I've been behind the lens all day and I think that colors my perceptions of the world.
In summary: I don't really have anything to say, but that I'm in an unfamiliar place and things look strange to me from here. And that I need to allow myself to be in unfamiliar places more often because it's really good for me.
Working all day on a Saturday is a bummer.
Working all day on a Saturday with a noisy St. Patrick's Day parade going by right outside the building is a bummer plus a headache.
It was cute for the first half-hour or so. But this parade has been going on for two and a half hours now. Before the headache set in, I did step outside and get a few photos of the festivities, though:
You don't want to hear about how I've been fighting off the evil chest cold that's picking off each of my coworkers one by one (because mostly that just involves sleeping every minute of the day that's available for sleeping). So instead I'll post a recipe, since I've been intending to share more recipes lately.
This soup is really healthy, really easy to make, and feels good on a sore throat. Also, I think if you were to add a bit of pasta and maybe some carrots or other veggies, you'd have a lovely minestrone.
Tomato and White Bean Soup
serves 4-5
- 1 can white beans (I used Great Northern beans. Yum.)
- 1 can diced tomatoes (Muir Glen organic fire roasted tomatoes add a really nice flavor)
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
- 1-2 tsp chopped fresh basil
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
Cook onions, celery and spices (stirring frequently) in 1/2 cup of the vegetable stock over med-high heat in soup pot for about five minutes or until onion is tender. Add rest of ingredients, cover and simmer for about a half-hour, until beans are soft.
Hi!
I bought a little collection of bulbs on the first day of spring because it made me feel better to know that there would be something green and flowery growing near me because heaven knows nothing will be green or flowery outside for far too long, there being a snowstorm on the first day of spring and all (and the day after that and the day after that).
This is what it looked like when I bought it last Thursday:
Then I had a day off on Friday, was sick on Monday and when I came back on Tuesday, the thing was in full bloom. EXCELLENT.
T minus 13 days until I leave for Ireland.
