sun daze
by day 7 of my weeklong on-call stretch, i’m usually ready to throw my pager out the window [or perhaps dunk it in a fresh hot cup of coffee]. the past 6 nights, however, have been extraordinarily quiet! the warm summer air must have healing properties — i guess everyone is too busy playing outside to get sick! whatever it is, i’ll take it . . . because i really needed my own therapeutic dose of sultry southern breeze, too.
although to be honest, i feel much, MUCH better this week. happenings that would have sent me into a tailspin 7 days ago now seem fine, and i’m finding so much more joy in everyday things.
for example, the fun in virtual converse design! thank you, heather
i am not sure whether it was the mini-break i took, or just . . . hormones. the endocrinologist in me definitely believes in the power of the latter.
anyway, back to being outside! my first jaunt yesterday was to the durham farmers market — on foot. it turned out to be just a 10 minute walk [if that] away. to be honest, this is probably the first time i have been able to walk ANYWHERE [literally] since moving to NC 9 years ago. once again, i am so excited to have moved downtown.
i came home with a colorful bounty of local produce:
blackberries, zephyr squash, kale, sungold cherry tomatoes, cabbage, and a cucumber
as i mentioned yesterday, i took quite a hiatus from the kitchen over the past week or so. i am definitely ready to start cooking again.
current recipes on my radar:
★ lime + peanut cole slaw.
[nope, not going vegan again — in fact, i think the lime + peanut slaw would be lovely with some wild salmon alongside. these recipes just sound right for summer, especially after a week of veg-deficient takeout!]
walking distance dinner series
listen up, carpe durhamites — this summer, josh and i are going to see how many restaurants we can get to on foot*, and of course i will document the experience.
last night’s pick: rue cler. actually, we were trying to go to dos perros, but they were fully booked when we cruised on by at 8 pm without a reservation.
distance: 0.5 miles
cuisine: parisian-style bistro
price: $30 each for fixed price 3 course dinner; wine + dessert extra
josh absolutely LOVES rue cler. he suggests it often and has proclaimed it his favorite restaurant on several occasions. i, on the other hand, merely like it a lot. last night’s experience was just what we have come to expect from the reliable french eatery with a vibe of casual elegance, but it was more fun because of being able to WALK there and back!
we started with a carafe of summery rosé [half-bottle — uhh, i was on call]
big moment: realizing that i now feel comfortable enough to handle pages after one glass of wine
left: fresh house-made bread; right: mixed greens salad with lardons, delicious croutons, and cheese
left: pasta carbonara with pork belly [i gave most of this to josh who happily accepted!]; right: mackerel with pickled snap peas
quintessential french dessert:
crepe suzette, with house-made vanilla ice cream
obviously, we needed to carb-load for our 0.5 mi walk home.
* he doesn’t know this yet, because i just decided it now. j — what do you think??
apartment therapy
i think our apartment is ready for transfer to the floor [or at least step-down] from the apartment intensive care unit . . .
because we now have a couch!
IKEA delivered promptly as promised, and we put this baby together quickly.
from sweden to durham
today
a whole lot of work/life catchup. but i’m looking forward to it all, somehow. happy sunday!
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