Mmmmm.... Donuts.....

I started (and finished) Nick Hornby's newest book Slam(5) last night. I really like Nick Hornby and I really like it when they make movies of his books (About a Boy and High Fidelity).
Yes, I'm reading a lot. But my semester officially starts soon and there will be NO TIME to read or breathe or knit. I will probably find time for eating and sleeping... and maybe squeeze in some sex here and there... but I have a huge research project, PLUS the licensing exam, PLUS three classes (my usual class load is two) PLUS my internship at the Vet Center. I'm not letting myself feel anxious about it really, I'm just keeping myself busy until the semester starts and I'm going to run like hell through the nest sixteen weeks.
I can do this.

I'm at the vet Center today... pretty quiet, though I did spend two hours interacting with a client's two children (2 and 4) while he met with a counselor... babysitting, really, but if I write up a progress note and put it in his file it counts as a session with the kids. And the 4-year-old was very talkative. We took turns being "the mommy" and then we all had a snack and watched Calliou. When Bean was a baby I hated Calliou. Insipid, whiny little Canadian. But now he's apparently grown on me. Maybe it's because I don't have to watch it everyday anymore.

My new bed is really fabulous. I sunk in and slept like a baby... but the drawback to not having a bed that wakes you every hour is that when you wake up the first time there aren't hours and hours of sleep stretching ahead of you. You wake up and have to get out of bed right away and find clothes. I'm not really complaining about the new bed. I love it. I have a new down blanket, too. And three cats. It's cozy at my house - and just in time, too apparently. It's cold out there these days. Like it's winter or something. Weird.

I spent a lot of time today making up a list of meals and snacks for the next two weeks. That was WAY harder than I thought it would be. Then I used that list to make a grocery list. I put the grocery list in my phone and I am ready to rock as soon as I'm done working for the day. Can I keep this up? Who knows. But entering this new season of busy will be much smoother and easier if I'm not trying to figure out what is for dinner every night after I'm already too tired to do much more than call Knollas for delivery.

You wouldn't think planning meals for two people for two weeks would be such a challenge... especially as we like more or less the same things and the only food allergy is kiwi. Planning food without kiwi is inherently easier than planning food without, say, wheat or dairy. But it was really hard!

I didn't plan meals for Wednesdays (knit night at my house) or Fridays and Saturdays (when Bean will be with her dad) assuming that those nights would either be sandwich/leftovers nights or that I would be out for dinner. Mondays I have class, so those meals either need to be Crock Pot dinners or something that Bean can throw together when I'm on my way home, which leaves Tuesday and Thursday as days I can actually take a minute and cook something. Except that we are renewing our YMCA membership and those will probably be workout nights...

See?!? I live a live that is not at all conducive to cooking. Not even with careful planning. I will make it work, though, because I do LIKE cooking and I like my new pots and pans and I like the health and economical aspects of it. With a little organization I think we can pull this off. I'm thinking I'll do my shopping by this weekend so that we can start next week.

Meanwhile, Bean and I are eating out a lot... but there were several places we haven't been in a long time and there are some new places we wanted to try.
We went to HuHot last night... I'm officially hooked. Yum-o. Bean's sauce was really salty, but I mixed the teriyaki and peanut sauces and it was great.
Then we decided to try The Donut Whole again (the first time we went was their opening day and they were, um, out of donuts). This time we were able to get donuts and coffee (decaf, it was after 9) and then we went home. Seriously. Good. Donuts. And Spice Merchant coffee. So scoot! Get some. And bring me back something with chocolate on it.