Day Off

Several months ago, I put in for a couple of days off work today and tomorrow to participate in a course that would take us out of town. With Bug being ill the past week, we decided to be lazy in this crazy heat. I realize the weather could be worse -- in Oklahoma, it was 110+°F and humid yesterday -- but it doesn't erase the discomfort we are experiencing (85+°F with 70+% humidity). [Tiny violins playing] -- yeah, whatever

I woke up this morning at 06:15 drenched in sweat and peckish. Bug woke up a couple of minutes later.

We shuffled into the kitchen. Bug decided to make hummus and threw the chickpeas that were soaking in a container on the kitchen counter for 2 days into a dutch oven to cook for a couple of hours.

Meanwhile, I rooted around in the refrigerator and freezer for something quick and filling to eat. I found a container of leftover miso soup that Bug had made a couple of days ago. Instead of the usual wakame, tofu, and daikon combination, he added red peppers, tofu, and greens, which imparted a sweeter flavor to the soup. An unopened bag of frozen mussels that expired last month and a bag of frozen edamame were extracted from the freezer.

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In the time it took to cook the udon and rinse the noodles thoroughly with cold water, the mussels were done, miso soup was warm, and I freed a cup of edamame out of their shells; a handful of which marched into my belly before they hit the bowl.

As much as I love noodles, they are an infrequent meal choice for me of late. Prior to my last bowl of noodles (Day 014/365), it had been a couple of months.

As a result, I savored the experience and gleefully slurped the noodles and picked apart the plump, salty mussels. The noodles were a much appreciated gift from Japan, perfectly slippery taking minimum effort to quickly glide into my mouth.

Bug made a fruit freeze with blueberries, strawberries, and oranges while I was outside taking pictures of my bowl of udon.

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The drink was a fruity and cleansing treat without any added sweetener.

What a pleasant start to a day, if you exclude our sweat-soaked clothes.

- Cassaendra