Made it!
And with this post, NaBloPoMo draws to a close. I managed to stick with it, but I think the quality of the posts shows that I wasn’t really that enthusiastic most days. Oh well.
My dad had the day off so he drove up to visit for a few hours. It was nice to see him, and we finally went to The Machine Shed in Lake Elmo. That was a drive from our apartment, but it was worth it because we walked in to see a big round table of old pals chattering away, just like my uncles and their fishing buddies do at the Rockford, IL location they frequent.
Here’s hoping December has just the right amount of intrigue.
Tacos and Bars!
I haven’t ever had tacos like the ones at The Rusty Taco before. Yes, technically it is a chain restaurant, but it’s seriously tasty. I had a #2 (roasted pork, cotija cheese and pickled red onion) and a #5 (beef brisket, queso fresco, onion and cilantro). Jon and I also split a chips and salsa and dang… I’m going to be lusting after that salsa. Heavy on the cilantro, tangy with a little kick, yum!
Also, Bars Bakery had some marvelous dessert treats for us. Carnal dreams about that coconut macaroon are certainly in my future! I also got a caramel pecan roll, and Jon got a brown sugar blondie and a cranberry orange bar.
I’m jealous that my little brother lives so much closer to both of those places! St. Paul is pretty wonderful.
Henna Party!
On Sunday I went to the 2011 Jawaahir Dance Company Henna Party! I convinced a couple of friends to join me and we had a great time. It was so fun having the chance to dance in a party setting, as opposed to dancing in the play on Saturday, which was highly nerve-wracking. I think I could handle dancing with a group, but I don’t see myself ever doing solo performances unless they are very, VERY low key.
It was also super fun to play with henna for the first time! I got to draw a robot on my friend Mara’s arm, and she drew a turkey on my right hand. I couldn’t get a good photo of it though because I’m right handed, but it’s hilarious. Gobble!
My Quirky Apartment Community
The apartment complex that I currently live in has a really odd atmosphere. It’s almost like a retirement home, but way cooler. Roughly half the apartments in the complex are rented by people over age 60. When we moved in, there were only two children in the whole place, which is +140 units!
What does my complex have that yours probably doesn’t?
- 102.9 Lite FM is piped through the hallways during the daytime. Yes, just the daytime. It is turned off every night around 8pm or so.
- A ‘Take-a-book/Leave-a-book’ bookcase full of old treasures. Today I scored a 6th edition (from 1961) copy of 500 Recipes by Request: From Mother Anderson’s Famous Dutch Kitchens. Awesome. *grin*
- A pretty good sized group of women does a Tai Chi exercise VHS tape together in the lobby some evenings. This ‘community benefit’ is not advertised anywhere. I think it’s a by-invite-only kind of thing. I find it totally adorable.
- Jigsaw puzzles sometimes appear in the lobby for tenants to put together. I’ve been so tempted to kidnap a few pieces for a couple of days, just to see if anyone notices! I’ve been good though.
- Cheap laundry!! A wash cycle is $1.00, and a dry cycle is $0.50. An entire load is clean for just $1.50! Around here that’s nearly unheard of!! It’s probably because half the renters can remember back to when it cost $0.25 to wash. At least one person has lived here since the place opened in the early 60′s.
I’m sure I’ve missed a few things, but those are the big ones. I’m really quite glad we moved here. The location isn’t perfect, only having close access to one bus line, but it’s totally homey and cool here. (Is it homey or homy? Google results seem to suggest it is both!? They’re listed as variants of each other… it’s an infinite loop!)
Would You Rather?
Jon, Joe and I went to The Chatterbox Pub for dinner yesterday. It was tasty, as usual. I probably won’t order the grilled cheese again though, because their focaccia bread just doesn’t work right for that type of sandwich. It doesn’t get that crusty, buttery crunch that makes grilled cheese so divine! Sad, right? The Bora Bora Brew and tomato dill soup were more than enough to make up for the sandwich though. Yum! Next time I might try the Breakfast BLT, cause that sounds really good. I also need to have the ribs someday!
While we were there, we got out a game called Zobmondo: Would You Rather…? and went through a few of the cards. Now, I’ve never bothered with the actual game play, so I can’t recommend that, but the question cards are a lot of fun. It’s really interesting to hear what other people would choose! The questions go a bit like this:
Would You Rather…
Spend the evening with a person to whom you’re very sexually attracted but when you’re extremely tired, dirty, and sweaty from a long day of work
-OR-
Just go home and watch TV?and
Would You Rather…
Have nine lives
-OR-
Three wishes (excluding extra lives, immortality, invincibility, or more wishes)?
It’s fascinating to hear people justify their answers, and to contemplate why I pick what I pick. These types of questions, while often silly and preposterous, help me determine what my values and preferences truly are. It’s easy for me to say something like “Learning is important to me”, but when faced with a question of which I’d rather do: Go to the library to study a subject I like -OR- Go see the new movie I’ve been looking forward to, I’ll often pick the movie! I really enjoy visual stimulation and entertainment. I like fantasy and escapism.
My day to day preferences, and what I may say my priorities are, are often in conflict. This is not a bad thing to discover. It could help me refocus my priorities on things I’ll actually accomplish. Things that are a better fit with my daily preferences. I’ll just have to keep asking myself that question: Would I Rather…?
Your Host
Feed and Read
