Broken Thoughts, Am I Early? Do I Care?

The picture is from our foliage viewing trip last weekend. It was a really nice day, we always do so much talking about all things life when we have hours of time in the car. Road trips are some of my favorite memories with Matt over the years. Even when we weren’t seeing things like Mt. Monadnock, but just the same old boring and dark roads from LINY to Springfield every Friday night for two plus years. For some reason the car is so us. Maybe that is fate telling us to buy an RV and hit the road or something. Or maybe not.

Now that I have a food processor and finally walked through the door of the unbelievably cool spice store Penzeys in Arlington (I am happy to report there are 42 across the country including one in Grand Central Terminal of all places!) it was high time for me to finally try my hand at making chocomole. That stuff is the shit!! I am not sure I can bring myself to ever make regular pudding again. Even Matt said he could not tell, and he was trying to.

I modified it from the original recipe because I didn’t have enough avocado so I ended up thinning it out a bit with the left over water from soaking the dates and I forgot completely about the coconut oil. Next time I’m thinking of using dried cherries instead of the dates, or maybe in addition to. All I know is I couldn’t even finish a whole bowl it was so rich and that is definitely not like me when it comes to chocolate. So thanks Jason, this will go into regular rotation in this house!

This afternoon my mom and I are going to visit her friend Bill, have lunch together and then just the two of us are hitting the Garment District and/or Goodwill to see if we can find some good Halloween costume supplies. Matt and I both need wigs and I was also hoping to try my hand at stitching up a little something for my costume. Pictures and/or success/disaster stories to follow!

Bill fell victim to a fairly massive stroke a couple years ago and he is now a resident of an assisted living facility in the heart of the city. He and my mom have been friends since I can remember and as a super active guy (traveling once a year to places like Paris or Africa, a stellar photographer, night shift worker, foodie, movie aficionado) the stroke was quite a life changing blow. Bill was like a second dad to me growing up, except you know, gay. I try to see him once a year, which is about all I used to see him after growing up & getting out on my own but this time of year is odd, we usually get together just after the New Year. Regardless, it should be a nice day. I anticipate we will be going for sushi but who knows.

So my neighbors upstairs are slowly pushing the both of us toward paranoia. Every time Matt or I go into the bathroom or kitchen one of them seems to follow. It wouldn’t be so bad except by some chance both of them tend to be home all day everyday like me. I wish I knew what they did for a living that they only have to leave the house once every three weeks or so; maybe they are writers too? I never hear them on a phone or talking during the day (believe me I should be able to in this place) so I don’t think they are sales people, although I know they both allegedly work in the financial industry. The only thing I hear is them walking around, but only when we do. It is now getting a little creepy. I am thinking maybe we should both become screamers.

I wonder how many books are published every year?

So has everyone seen the freaky UFO cloud in Moscow yet? No? Well it was quite a phenomenal sight apparently and one that Russian meteorologists are brushing off as a weather related, “optical” thing. Um, OK. I mean really, I saw Men In Black. Hell I own Independence Day. Where is Will Smith when you need him? Wait, did Michael Bay or Jerry Bruckheimer make either of those movies?

Speaking of Jerry Bruckheimer, last night we decided to throw on the television for the first time in weeks to watch something prime time and after a couple killer episodes of NCIS and the new (but actually really good despite the absence of Tony & Abby) NCIS: Los Angeles we clicked over to another network for the show forgotten. All hail Christian Slater! I was probably one of the only people on Earth who kind of enjoyed My Own Worst Enemy when it was on and I was sad to see it yanked so soon because I thought Slater could have done a lot more with the role. So when I discovered this show last night I was intrigued.

Not too bad, a twist on the typical crime drama where the people investigating the crime are not cops, just average citizens who concern themselves with solving Jane/John Doe crimes. I don’t think I would stay home to watch it but that isn’t saying much, there is really only one show I would stay home to watch (yes, Lost) but some other random Tuesday when we decided to throw on NCIS I hope this is still on the air.

Since taking the semi break from blogging I have been doing a ton of journal writing. Seems to be doing the trick; my brain constipation is apparently getting its recommended dose of fiber because I have a bunch of new prose for the book. Thank goodness, it was starting to feel like my creative stuff might never come back.

Tomorrow I work on the character book. This is an area where I have previously failed. I start something and then want it to be “perfect” so I never finish it but constantly go back to just the content already written and edit over and over again. Well no more. This character is dying to come to a conclusion.

Since the over edit thing has never seemed to work to get me to finish a book before I figure the best solution is to do something completely different, so this time I am just going to write the whole thing in one shot, no edits at all. After that I will re-read and edit 100 times before I shop it but at least I will be able to breathe knowing she has been purged out of me.

The Farmer’s Market is ending in a couple weeks and I am not going to be able to get there today with all the other stuff going on. Kind of a bummer but its so freaking cold out I’m not sure that is a bad thing. Besides, I shouldn’t have to grocery shop for at least three more days and I don’t want to go early, this planning meals thing is working out awesome!

Since starting to eat less meat and more protein/veggie filled meals I am actually noticing that I have dropped a couple pounds of fat off my tummy. This is impressive because I haven’t yet upped my exercise quotient. That is starting this week. Quitting smoking was the best thing ever. My whole body feels healthier and ready to get back in shape. It’s about time.

Thinking of learning Spanish, must look into local college courses. Huh, if I go back to school I can stop paying my student loans for a while too. Definitely worth looking into I think. Maybe for January. I have a few years to get it together.

Still haven’t found an artist to draw my tattoo. That might be something I have to just do myself. I am so seriously sick of putting this off, waiting for the perfect thing.

What I am really finding is there is no such thing as the perfect thing/time/situation. That thing/time/situation is right now. Procrastination went out of fashion with smoking. It is time for action.

It is going to take me at least ten extra minutes to pull the box of gloves out of the closet and put them all on. Sadly, I just put them away about two weeks ago when spring ended; welcome to the second season in New England -- winter! The voice in the basement eerily whispering “GET OUT!” is creeping back with the colder temperatures. But the spirit of “action” has me getting all my ducks in a row.

In light of that, read these awesome blogs while I go get ready to hit pavement. Later! KC, Ginger, Kate, Bridgete and Bree