I decided to start cooking some of the recipes on my list. Tonight I made a recipe with green beans and garlic and couscous (the recipe actually called for farro, but I couldn't find any, not even at whole foods). In the process I had to run to Whole Foods to find spices that they don't really sell at the other grocery stores. First I stopped by Dominics (the local version of safeway) and looked for the spices. They had many of them, but I feel like I don't use enough cumin and garam masala to buy a giant bottle of it, so I hoped Whole Foods would have bulk versions where I could buy just enough for a few recipes. Voila, they did, and was it ever a great find. I never want to be cheated out of my money for something that I don't know if I would notice the difference between slight quality differences in. I wrote down the per ounce price of the spices at Dominics and skipped across the road to happily discover that even per ounce Whole Foods is cheaper for all of the spices I needed (at least in bulk). So I walked home with $7 worth of couscous, garam masala, star anise, and many many more spices. I think it is time to start looking for a spice rack.
I also discovered today a small trove of pictures from before I left Austin of things I got rid of but have not blogged about yet! Score! It's cheating a little bit but I was worried I would have to start throwing out things I may need. I didn't plan the timing of this blog too well with my two-suitcase move to Chicago. I still think it is forcing me to think about what I have and what I am keeping though. So two items today since I didn't blog yesterday (this seems to be a theme for
me)
First: A rock from Bethany from the freshman time capsule thing I talked about in my last blog
with the bracelet. Bethany was a friend from middle school through high school. She moved into the area and joined the group seamlessly, I don't even remember her joining, I just know she
was not in our group before 5th grade at least. She was quick to laugh, adventurous, and interesting. Her family life was the part that made her the most quirky. Her mother was crazy (literally, but we didn't actually discover this until later) and she lived with her grandmother. She had one younger sister and 5? maybe more, older siblings, all from different fathers or mothers depending on which parent they belonged to. She joined our girl scout troop and stuck with it all the way through seniors at camp where she quickly became one of the most popular seniors. We watched movies all the time, had parties at her house, crossed the state line for my first time with her, and I even read Harry Potter because of her. I also have not talked to her since I graduated
from high school. I have a terrible track record of keeping up with friends, and yet I remember them as they were when they fit into my life. There are a few friends that I would love to stay in contact with forever, but unless they call me I seem to easily move on. I think that humans are wired that way so we can survive after so much moving around and change in interactions. So here it is, a rock, with an inspiring quote and a symbol of friendship. Bethany, wherever you are (Santa Cruz, thanks to Facebook I know this), I hope you are doing well and enjoying life.
Second: Another friendship related gift from a friend. Diana was the first friend I made in college at UT. She sat next to me in class one day, we were in the same FIG so we had three classes together that first semester. We were both relatively shy and spent our weekends baking or cooking, and watching movies and TV shows. After the first year with me in the dorms we moved in together along with Jamey, who was more her friend than mine. I'm not going to lie that Jamey and I were both a little rude after that first year in picking out our next year roommates and house without even consulting Diana, but I am glad that we
remained at least on speaking terms. It ended up that she moved back to El Paso to take care of her mom who had terminal cancer and started school there instead. I think she functioned well in El Paso, I went to her place before Christmas my freshman year so she would have someone to drive with on the way home (she fell asleep at the wheel once anyway, scary! we were both exhausted) and met her family and some of her friends. She knew her place there, knew the culture, and loved everyone. Now her family has moved out of the area, she's living in her childhood home all by herself, and many of her friends have moved away as well. For someone who is quick to laugh, she told me the other day that she cries a lot because she is lonely. I never know if I can attribute loneliness to idleness or to a lack of people, but I think in her case either would work. She graduated, but has not found a job outside of Best Buy, so she is just working retail, and has nothing to come home to except two little dogs. After years of having two brothers and all of her friends around all day it would be hard to adjust to a new empty life. Anyway, she gave me this friendship bracelet my freshman year, and we actually superglued the knot closed because the string kept slipping off, and I wore it until after graduation three years later. I'm not sure when I finally cut it off, but after I did I had a tan line where it used to sit and still could not bring myself to throw it away. Today though, I will toss this out, but hopefully not my memory of my years in college with Diana, and not my friendship with her.
I told you I am bad at staying in contact with people.
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