a lesson on food.

today is my third yoga class. during the first class, the instructor told us we really should not eat at leas two (preferably 3) hours before the class begins (at 7:15). i followed it to a t last thursday. i had my "dinner" at 4:15 went to class at 7:15 and during the last half hour my stomach cramped up badly. i am sure this could be due to numerous things i.e. trying to position my body in ways it has never thought to be positioned. i can't remember what i ate last week before class but when i came home jason had gotten me some tacos that i scarfed down. the cramps subsided about 45 min. after i got home. at any rate i am still sticking to the three hour rule but i just made myself this:



in an attempt to keep the cramping at bay. on this salad there is tempeh, radishes, carrots, raisins, spring mix, olive oil and salt and pepper. and guess what? i might just eat a little something around 5:30 to play it safe. in other news i am thinking alot about growing my own food and getting more involved in community gardening etc. there is a really good garden right by my house called Senn Unity Garden. it is a community garden with probably 15 plots and i am trying to get more info on it for next years growing season. no response yet. i just have this urge to learn more about food and how to grow it. perhaps even go back to school but i don't know what for. i have fun when i am planing things and i get huge enjoyment out of sitting outside and looking at my plants. that can be a life cant it?

the weather today is gorgeous.

xoxo

i went to the library yesterday and i got five books. three of which i am excited about, and one that i am 70 pages into. the book that i am giving myself over to at the moment is called The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. I was hooked on the second page and that is a good thing because it is over 500 pages long. it is about a boy, Edgar Sawtelle that grows up in rural wisconsin in the 50s. He is mute, has the ability to hear and lives on a farm with his parents who raise dogs.

this weekend we are going to south bend and to noblesville indiana for a birthday party for one of jason's cousins. I have two days off in a row (it took a little prodding but it is good to go) i am looking forward to the weekend and to a mini road trip.

read this.

I am so proud of myself. i check out books and actually read them. right now i am nearing the end of Foreskin's Lament by Shalom Auslander. the book is funny. it is non-fiction and the author has a very readable writing style. this is one of the few books i have read that i actually laugh out loud at. i would highly recommend it although, be warned, you might have some awkward experiences should you choose to read this book, or bring this book out in public. i have been toting it to and from work for the past week...

"Hey Haley, what are you reading?!"

"oh um..." (show them the cover) "this"

"Oh, Oh wow. Okay. Um. Cool."

"yea"

"does that say foreskin?!?"

"yea. it's about this guy that grew up orthodox jew and he is now writing about what that was like"

"..."

"it's good. its funny. i recommend it"

"cool"

many of those conversations happen. i am really trying hard to not spend too much time on the computer. i don't want to feel dependent on it. so i am going to end this early and finish my book.

also real quick. in the past week i have:

-seen wall-e (see it it is so good!)

-rode my bike to the botanical gardens (50 mile round trip. do it! it feels great)

-gone to a bbq

-worked.

-eaten at super dawg on devon and milwaukee.

-laughed

yay yay yay.

have a great

day day day.

<3>

so much more adult now!

my cousin alphie recently got married (on july 12th) to Jason Dick. She has a new, perhaps somewhat embarrassing last name and a whole life ahead of her as a wife. this past weekend the Dicks came to chicago to spend time in the windy city with my sister and i. right before they were to arrive i was talking with my Jason (whose last name is Lips, thank god the two jason's didn't get married and choose to hyphenate!) and it hit me that we are no longer kids. Alphie is married now! and she is visiting my sister and i as an adult, on her own, because she wants to. It was a special realization and one that made me feel really good. to know each other as adults is so much different. and it is so great to have memories from when we were younger to talk about. 

alphie and her brother noah (my other wonderful cousin) grew up in lecompton kansas. in a house that was really in the middle of nowhere. i loved to visit them. alphie and i were remembering when rhea, noah, her and i would all get into a cow trough together and "swim" around it. the thing seemed huge! and i remember doing somersaults in it using the mid bar as a support. cow troughs are small. we were small. and it was so fun. they also had a chicken coup and a creek behind their house. with mud. i remember playing for hours in the mud, smearing it all over anything. i remember the sound our tires made as we journeyed down their long gravel driveway.

alphie and jason left yesterday with the promise to make their visits to the windy city more frequent. it was a wonderful way to spend the weekend. 

(making a) home again, home again, jiggity jig.

i have a bad problem of throwing things away when i move. i walk though my house (after days of procrastination) with a big black trash bag and throw things in. there is no limit and nothing is safe. in go fans, pillows, dishes, cups, saucers, photographs, letters, gold, platinum...okay maybe not the last two but my ability to throw away has gotten a little out of hand, and i have been noticing it more lately. i'll find myself thinking "now if only i had that ______" or "why would i throw ______ away!?! it must be here somewhere..." 

it is never there. it is always far away in garbage land. the things i have had to replace in my (somewhat) recent move to chi town is extensive and includes, but is not limited to, the following:

-a double bed

-lamps

-fans

-couch

-rugs

-plants

-dishes

-cups

and i desperately want and yearn for a more livable comfortable space to call home. but in thinking of all the things i need i get completely overwhelmed and nothing comes of it. 

ladies and gentlemen, today that changed! jason and i live near the brown elephant and frequently stop in there. my sister has gotten lucky there a few times but we have had no such luck, that is, until today, the day all my dreams came true. the day i started making a home for myself, the day i vowed never again to throw away useful things! let this day go down in history 8.9.8. ah yes.

    we will soon be the proud owners (and sitters) to a large crate and barrel chair and a couch. a much more comfortable couch. one that people might actually want to sit on. all for the lovely price of 100 dollars. i do not think money has ever been spent more wisely. now i can host a party and people will have someplace to sit. seriously. everything is coming together. 

now if only i could find that _____. it must be around here somewhere.

Y-O-G-A

after much thought and years of wanting to learn how to do yoga, i finally made the important step of signing up for a class. starting August 19th i will be doing yoga from 7:15-8:45 pm every tuesday and thursday night. it is a four week course (which means 8 sessions) and i know a few people that have gone here. I am really excited. it is all i really wanted to talk about last night. I think this is a really positive thing for me to do for myself. I think it will really help me to ease stress and be happier. or that is the hope any way and i don't think it will have the opposite effect on me. the only down side is that i will miss one class because jason and i are going to philly from the 10-14th of september.

also i will have to buy some yoga pants. and in no time at all i will be able to do this:

yay for good books.

I have seen this book on bookshelves at both book stores and libraries for a couple of years now. I have finally picked it up and i must say, i cannot put it down. I got it from the library last night around 7pm and have been reading diligently for the past couple of hours. i am on page 78 and not bored at all, which is uncommon for me. The book (so far) is well written and the characters are real. i love it. i am excited about it. and i like thinking about it. i think books are great tools. they let you escape and they show you worlds that you would never encounter otherwise. i am serious. i truly believe this. i do not think the same of television. I AM HERE TO SAY PICK THIS BOOK UP AND LOVE IT. 

ah, the simple things in life or: how eating local broke my wallet.

Great Lake 1477 W. Balmoral Ave. Chicago, IL 60640

I want to eat local. I want to put good food in my body and i want to support local business. All these things i can do at Great Lake.  Great lake serves up a mean pizza pie. at a bit of a cost. a simple basil mozzarella pie will cost you 18 dollars. the shop space is small with one big table in the front and seating available outside in warm/good weather. we went and ordered two pizzas to feed four adults on friday evening. we ordered one basil mozzarella, and one arugula goat cheese.  we were told to come back in 45 min.  Jason and i went across the street, grabbed a beer and came back 50 min later. 

"give us 10 more min" one woman said

"more like 15" the other said

disgruntled and hungry, out 40 bucks for two pizzas we waited. and waited. 20 min later we received our pies. jason strapped them to the back of his bike and we rode home to surprise our guests with dinner.

the pizza was great. great crust great ingredients (did i mention they use all local and have a list of their producers on their menu board) not too much sauce and simple food. all good things. and if i had a disposable income i would integrate Great Lake into my food pyramid. but as it stands it will remain a treat. and i will know to plan ahead a little more and reserve an hour and a half for the pizza making time. or i will just order another drink across the street while i am waiting.