New foodsperiment: sugarless

Sweet tooth is beyond control, and girl's got to get a handle on it. So this month, I'm going sugar-free. Not only that, but as soon as this loaf of bread is gone, I'm cutting out refined flour as well. Operation Save The Teeth is effective today. Look out, fruit. Fresh, dried, whatevs. Ima destroy you.

Full disclosure: Cutting flour shouldn't be too hard, since the roomie is a gluten-free girl.
Further disclosure: The new ladyfriend doesn't do the sugar thing, so I've got a leg up there too, speaking of the peer pressure.

I'm already seriously hankering after some chocolate. This is going to be rough.

birdwatching tattoo 'ku

flicker on the wing
a white-rumped omen flying
low over dumpsters

(Tattoo appointment - of a northern flicker - is April 2.)

morning commute haiku

lying cold, alone
banana in the bike lane
forsaken breakfast

recent accomplishments

-Shamrock Run 8k - ran the whole way and finished, my only goals for the thing. Don't ask me what my time is. I have no idea.
-FINALLY returning my library books. No, this is major.
-Brewing two batches of beer within a week, with another to be brewed tomorrow.
-Made and mounted a hanging picture thing/bulletin board whatsit out of an old bicycle wheel. Damn right, it's not on my floor anymore!
-Purchased book club book #5, am 136/500ish pages through it. Haven't complained too much, either.
-Put in my last volunteer shift at the Outside In kitchen. Didn't cry upon leaving.
-Tweaked brakes on new bike. Adjusted seat on new bike. Fell in love with new bike.
-Cooked. (Polenta loaf, zucchini crust pizza with about a million different veggies on top, stock, and black bean soup, among other things.)
-Carried the whole delivery of cleaning supplies (read: many 5 gallon buckets of things like disinfectant and cases of god knows what other chemicals) up our flights of fun house stairs at work, to the surprise of the delivery dude.
-Called my Papa on his birthday.
-Started knitting a beanie for myself. With cables!

But alas, all of this feels inconsequential because it's only 11:40 and I am out of food. My lunch rations didn't cut it. Leftover polenta loaf has forsaken me, and lo, I am hungry.

morning commute chronicles, part 19

Me to a POWER RIDER of the first degree on a really fancy, decked-out bike, who was totally spaced out: "Hey Spandex Ballet! The light's green!" (Russell, I thought of you.)

Yuppie dude on Surly as he passes me: "On your left, bro."
Me as I pass him a couple minutes later on the bridge: "I'm not a bro. I have tits."

damn good no-bakes

1 c shredded coconut
1 c almonds
3/4 c (or so, I think I may have used more like 1 c) dates, pitted
1-2 inches peeled, grated ginger
1 tsp sea salt

Grind almonds and salt into a powder in a food processor. Comment on how much you love your food processor. Muse on how you may want to be buried with it, or wouldn't will it to just anyone at any rate. Add coconut and ginger and pulse until blended. Add dates one at a time, pulsing to a pastey, lumpy mixture. Form into whatever shape you please and refrigerate for at least an hour or two, although they're best after a day or longer. Makes a bunch. Devour with abandon.

le pre-season sigh.

The Cubs traded DeRosa. Johnson's handling the in-season blog, which is rad because I heart catchers, but... sigh. DeRosa had a very endearing online presence.

new bike brings catcalls
or maybe it's the haircut
either way, hot damn.

if you love it so much, why don't you blog about it?

NEW BIKE!
Sporting a Trek 370 frame, and all new, all fancy components (I'm most excited about the Shimano SX shifters (such a step up for little old me and my chunky Schwinn business) and the new wheelset. The bullhorns are taking me a minute to get used to, but so far, I heart this bike.

also, it snowed on me this morning hardcore.

New coworker

Meet Wanda Starling. She flew in through the hole in the ceiling and has yet to leave. I can only assume that my boss hired her to take care of the unseasonably early fly problem we've been having. So far, she just sits above the window sill looking nervous. She's still new, so I'll give her a couple days to open up.