Asparagus, parsnip, carrot, and radish from the CSA.

Tomorrow, an actual post. Until then, I give you--a purple kohlrabi. They are mighty strange-looking vegetables.

Contents (not all shown here): Baby beets, Carrots, Celeriac, Porcelain garlic, Endive (mistakenly called chicory in the US), Kale, Leeks, Beauty heart radish, Spinach, Butternut squash, Sweet Potatoes. Click through to see what's what.

( More photos and what I did with it. )

Last week, I went to see the Urban Griots Spoken Word Awards and had a pretty good time. I like new things. I also took some pictures for Minnesota Microphone, whose write-up of the event (with pictures!) is here.

My full photo set.





( More photos. )

I hear a rumor that winter's almost over. Despite temperatures around 12 degrees yesterday, they're predicting 55 this weekend. I hope they're right. I really, really, really want to start riding my bike again, especially since all the buses are going on detour in downtown again. I'm daydreaming of summer--biking and tank tops and CSA deliveries.

I suppose I should post my ice photos while it's still cold!



( See more icy photos. )

She thinks it's very thoughtful of me to lay out all those papers for her to roll around on.

As part of the compromise Phil and I have, which means I'm occasionally allowed to see other coffee shops, I got to choose where we went yesterday. Based on some recommendations, I chose Urban Bean. I liked it. The tea and chocolate croissant I had were tasty. The back room was very light and airy, with a huge picture window and a beautiful urban cityscape cutout mural. They had a lot of electrical outlets. Even when it was seated to almost-full capacity, it didn't feel crowded. I liked the ambient electronic music. It had a quiet, almost library-like atmosphere.

Drawbacks: There was no padding on the chairs/bench, the tables were a little small for 2, and the quiet made one a little self-conscious about talking to friends. Phil's drawback list was silly: it was "too clean" (!) and lacking in hummus.

Conclusion: It was nice and I'd definitely go back there, but it isn't necessarily the best place to go to hang out with friends on Saturdays. It would be a great place to study. On the other hand, it's on a direct bus line from our house, so it's definitely someplace I might go on my own to work if I'm feeling cabin fever.

Between sickness and lack of work (except for a transcription project I did at home), I hadn't been out of the house except for martial arts classes for a couple of weeks, so it was so nice to go out and see someplace new and hang out with discoflamingo, cvalenti, and bitwise.

( More photos and writing logs. )

Just off Lake Street.

Shepherd's Pie is one of my favorite foods, but I'm still working on making the perfect version at home. This is pretty close.

( The recipe )

From sinister_dr_x and fayde's tea party, at which a lovely time was had by all. Except now I'm craving more cucumber sandwiches.

Yesterday, I pulled up the window blinds at work, and nobody has bothered to close them yet, so I could actually see outside today. (For some reason, people usually shut the blinds, adding to the claustrophobic feeling of the work environment.) In the afternoon, I noticed a flock of birds swooping and spiraling through the sky in a way strange to me. That wasn't how our usual city birds--pigeons, sparrows, and crows--behaved.

When I went outside, I saw dozens of robins perching in the trees and flying in the sky. The afternoon was warm enough that I didn't need a hat or mittens. The ice was all melting. I've always heard that robins are a sign of spring, but I've never seen this many all together in my life. It was an awe-filled, magical sight. Three or four other people walked by and never even glanced up, but I saw.



( Read more... )

I do not think this was as good a name for a business as they thought it was. Taken in Uptown.

Bet you didn't know I even wore glasses...because I don't. Most of the time. This time around, I finally got new backup glasses. They will probably never see the light of day again, but I wore them for the rest of the day that I got them, because they deserve at least that much.

I do like them. I was having a hard time figuring out what, if any, glasses looked good on me. All the women's styles have shifted to the thick, dark frame, and I had no idea a'tall what shape or color I wanted. Fortunately, another woman tried this pair on, and I went over and asked her which pair she'd just been wearing....

The last time I bought glasses must have been...wow. Ten years ago? No wonder they were in the wrong prescription and very bent and scratched up.

Does anybody know what the flower is?

Edited to add: Got it! Hibiscus, also known as Rose-of-China. Y'all are awesome.

Though my wiser self says taking my nice camera to bars would be bad, shots like this tempt me to.

Of course, then I'd be the perv in the bar taking pictures of girls playing pool.

Because pictures are good, right?

Even brave Minnesota kids weren't going to the park that day.