👋 Hello everyone!
Today I’m thinking about words. How nerdy is that? Sometimes I read something or hear something, and those words stick in my head forever. It’s usually the way they tumble together so nicely. A few nights ago I had a dream of a world where everyone traveled from place to place on zip lines, and we called it “riding the lines.” I woke up and thought that was the coolest phrase.
Other things that have stuck: a friend recently described people in Tokyo as “devastatingly hip.” Another friend described a tween girl as “coltish.” That friend also once said, “Sometimes I can point out more constellations if I’m feeling salty.” I love when my mom tells a story and ends it with, “¿tú crees?” Once, Justin described a person’s style as “Bohemian Mennonite.” 🙈
I’ve saved random words like grimoire and elixir and balter and whelk, and I’ve saved pieces from books like,
they “moved from South Carolina, and the whole family talks with drowsy vowels and an occasional drag that gives some words—her name, for example—a comforting dip in the middle.”
“His voice was milky with drugs…”
he was a “handsome devil with one eye the color of a promise and the other the color of a secret.”
“In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.”
“The night smelled foxy and damp, all rain and failed leaf fires.”
“I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud.”
“I want to make Romeo jealous. I want the dead lovers of the world to hear our laughter, and grow sad. I want a breath of our passion to stir dust into consciousness, to wake their ashes into pain.”
Am I the only one who does this? 🤓
What have you been up to lately? I’ve been…
🥨 Eating
Late lunch and work time at Hank’s, which is apparently now Our Place. The avocado toast was lovely, but their sweet potato fries are where it’s at!
Justin made migas loaded with veggies for brunch, which made me very happy.
We’ve been into tuna salad sandwiches lately. But they really taste the BEST when we also have potato chips. I make mine with mayo, pickles, tomato, lettuce—Justin always adds something spicy to his (usually either pickled jalapeños or fresh serrano).
It was gloomy and rainy, so I had oatmeal for breakfast for the first time in months. I topped it with almond butter, frozen blueberries, hemp seeds, and my fresh strawberry puree stuff.
It was not excruciatingly hot, so we sat outside for lunch at Nixta. I had the tuna tostada (which was SO good), and J had the squash tostada. We shared chips with salsa and refried beans, and I guzzled a watermelon agua fresca (though I am currently trying to rule out watermelon as a food allergy for me 🥲). Justin’s “nichelada” hack is the best—just order a michelada and ask to substitute Topo Chico for the beer. People usually use such light beer that you can’t really tell much difference in flavor anyway. 😁
Our usual takeout from China Family. Veggie fried rice for me, though I’ve started getting egg drop soup as well, which means we have leftovers for days. Literally, days… their servings are huge!
Another lovely day, so we sat outside at Sour Duck Market to eat and work. I had a giant pretzel (the texture! wow) with queso and an Arnold Palmer (their mix of lemonade and yaupon tea was especially good), and Justin opted for a burger and fries. He said the burger was excellent.
We tried these “chik’n scallopini” things, and they were pretty good! I think Gardein does a great job at fake chicken—we’ve liked everything we’ve tried from them so far. It’s meaty enough to feel substantial, but it doesn’t have the exact same texture (which is good for me, because currently, meat texture grosses me out). I served it kinda like a parmigiana—with whole wheat spaghetti mixed with zucchini noodles, topped with marinara and mozzarella.
Justin said, “hey, how about a sausage-egg-and-cheese sandwich for brunch?” And I said, “YES! Oh nooooo we don’t have bread…” So I made biscuits, because why not? 💁♀️ My sandwich had Dijon mustard, scrambled egg, a veggie sausage patty, and vegan cheese, plus fried potatoes on the side.
🎡 Just Supercool
Have you tried out NPR’s Joy Generator yet? I loved the blackout poetry, but all of the stories are lovely.
😋 Loving
(The Food + Beverage Edition)
I eat far too many of these ice cream bars. We’re talking like, nearly every day. They are SO GOOD.
This Strawberry Basil Iced Tea is my fave. I brew up a quart, then drink it over ice (with a splash of bubbly water and a squeeze of lemon or lime if I’m feeling fancy).
We like making cinnamon rolls in the waffle iron, so they come out crispy-delicious. These rolls are SUPER big and fluffy, and they work so well as waffles!
😂 Laughing
That’s it! Thank you for reading—hit reply and tell me what you’re up to.
--Crystal