A structural/organizational note: This entry will be labeled as IMPORTANT in its suggestion of a new formatting technique, although not explicit with regards to the layout. There will be three distinct categories to distinguish some facets of discussion. The label "Books" will emphasize literary discussion. "Movies" will, in turn, accentuate analysis or thoughts on moving pictures. Finally, "Music" will include descriptions and opinions of current music flavors currently splayed across my ear tongue. Additionally, typical every day topics and self-revelry (bascially less voluminous topics) will be left to the powerful, yet dangerously flexible "Misc" label. As I am also in general lazy, I predict I will fail to update past posts for a while, but that's only 13 posts so far (which will be labeled "Pilot").
I do want to discuss groceries though. I've been on a pretty steady ~$45 (USD) a week diet, not including a once a week treat to a restaurant presented to the graduate physics student email list. There is no sales tax in Eugene, but the services that those pay for don't seem affect me in my youth. Either way, I just spent 37.86 and I want to document how long this lasts and how happy I will be with the result. The last week was kind of a wash. Twice I spent ~$23, the first time on all junk, and the second time on soups, Matzos, Chips, Salsa, Clif bars and the like. But all the same, these stashes kept me going for 8 days. Tonight I went back a couple weeks to the staples I have built my Eugene diet on thus far including Bing cherries (on sale for 3.49 a lb), Matzos, peanut butter, red grades, and bananas. I also have been buying a bunch of Clif Bars, but they're good for the quick snack with a bunch of protein and a decent amount of fat, even if a big loaded with sugar. The carbohydrates are kind of the kick starter. And of course raisins and salsa, even though I left out the chips, which I may purchase to supplement the salsa either for this week or the next.
I've been trying to live without the use of the refrigerator simply to avoid my roommates. Not that they're bad people, but I still have this haunting social anxiety and avoid dealing with them even though they probably think I'm some uptight douche who has a problem with them. This also has driven me to apples and peanut butter (although I left out the apples this time, maybe a bad call and why my bill is usually a few dollars higher). On the other hand, I spoiled myself with a small stash of Rainier Cherries at the passive suggestion of a lab mate. So I'm looking to compare those if nothing else. Additionally I eat a lot of peanut and banana sandwiches, or open faced spreads of banana and peanut butter on top of a Matzo with raisins (which I forgot to mention, but are excellent as well).
One thing I've noticed about the fruit here is that none of it is bad or rotten. I don't know if I'm lucky, or it's the season, or the fact I've been shopping at a Safeway, but not one cherry was rotton nor was any apple or banana old or covered in mold. The worst piece of fruit was a Red Delicious apple (my choice to have with creamy peanut butter) which had rotted a little at the bottom near the core, but the rest of it was in form and tasted no different than the others (even if the texture seemed a bit gritty). Every cherry was plump, firm, and that deep dark red-purple/mahogany of a delicious and just ripe Bing cherry. I have less experience with the Rainier cherries, but of course they are a mix of red and yellow, so I have less experience with their color. Bananas are more robust and the raisins of course are probably quality controlled in the Sun Maid production facilities. Oh, and I almost forgot, organic strawberries from California. Even from a grocery store chain like Safeway were perfect and sweet in just the right way. I haven't even tried locally grown from some of the farms around here, so I don't even know how to think about how those might taste.
I also learned that Blackberries around here grow like a weed. Apparently many people live in or near blackberry infested lots all over town. I'll have to roam around and see if there are any for the picking at some time before the season ends.
As I grow older I have learned of excitement over ripe fruits and finding that second sock of a pair thought incomplete.
I do want to discuss groceries though. I've been on a pretty steady ~$45 (USD) a week diet, not including a once a week treat to a restaurant presented to the graduate physics student email list. There is no sales tax in Eugene, but the services that those pay for don't seem affect me in my youth. Either way, I just spent 37.86 and I want to document how long this lasts and how happy I will be with the result. The last week was kind of a wash. Twice I spent ~$23, the first time on all junk, and the second time on soups, Matzos, Chips, Salsa, Clif bars and the like. But all the same, these stashes kept me going for 8 days. Tonight I went back a couple weeks to the staples I have built my Eugene diet on thus far including Bing cherries (on sale for 3.49 a lb), Matzos, peanut butter, red grades, and bananas. I also have been buying a bunch of Clif Bars, but they're good for the quick snack with a bunch of protein and a decent amount of fat, even if a big loaded with sugar. The carbohydrates are kind of the kick starter. And of course raisins and salsa, even though I left out the chips, which I may purchase to supplement the salsa either for this week or the next.
I've been trying to live without the use of the refrigerator simply to avoid my roommates. Not that they're bad people, but I still have this haunting social anxiety and avoid dealing with them even though they probably think I'm some uptight douche who has a problem with them. This also has driven me to apples and peanut butter (although I left out the apples this time, maybe a bad call and why my bill is usually a few dollars higher). On the other hand, I spoiled myself with a small stash of Rainier Cherries at the passive suggestion of a lab mate. So I'm looking to compare those if nothing else. Additionally I eat a lot of peanut and banana sandwiches, or open faced spreads of banana and peanut butter on top of a Matzo with raisins (which I forgot to mention, but are excellent as well).
One thing I've noticed about the fruit here is that none of it is bad or rotten. I don't know if I'm lucky, or it's the season, or the fact I've been shopping at a Safeway, but not one cherry was rotton nor was any apple or banana old or covered in mold. The worst piece of fruit was a Red Delicious apple (my choice to have with creamy peanut butter) which had rotted a little at the bottom near the core, but the rest of it was in form and tasted no different than the others (even if the texture seemed a bit gritty). Every cherry was plump, firm, and that deep dark red-purple/mahogany of a delicious and just ripe Bing cherry. I have less experience with the Rainier cherries, but of course they are a mix of red and yellow, so I have less experience with their color. Bananas are more robust and the raisins of course are probably quality controlled in the Sun Maid production facilities. Oh, and I almost forgot, organic strawberries from California. Even from a grocery store chain like Safeway were perfect and sweet in just the right way. I haven't even tried locally grown from some of the farms around here, so I don't even know how to think about how those might taste.
I also learned that Blackberries around here grow like a weed. Apparently many people live in or near blackberry infested lots all over town. I'll have to roam around and see if there are any for the picking at some time before the season ends.
As I grow older I have learned of excitement over ripe fruits and finding that second sock of a pair thought incomplete.
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