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| Sybpress in the Park |
It's Wednesday, and I'm already
exhausted. I had lengthy errands on Monday and Tuesday that kept me
out in the heat and rare humidity for much of both days. Okay, Los
Angeles, we had a deal when I moved out here. You can be hot enough
to melt pennies, but you are NOT supposed to be humid! On Monday, I
had sweat through my clothes enough that I had to shower and change
when I cam home. That just doesn't happen here. Despite the all clear
from my Docs, I am still tethered to General Hospital for
prescriptions that must be issued monthly and the B-12 shots.
Yesterdays sojourn involved getting the prescription filled – I had
no energy to wait for it Monday. Then, I had to make my way all the
way to West Hollywood to pick up
promo materials for the Bookfair. From there, I had to go to Culver
City for the Farmers Market and to meet Marie to discuss the
Bookfair. There was also the possibility of martinis and snacks
during our meeting. Speaking of the fair, be sure to visit our new web page: Sybpress in the Park.
Both days involved extensive commutes.
I'm used to that and well prepared for them. I've taken to traveling
with a collapsible cart rather than a tote bag. I carry a parasol, a hat, a sweater, a liter
or more of water, a snack, a book and whatever I'm picking up along
the way. A Tote bag would be too heavy before I leave the house. This
cart is stylish, and it holds up to 110 pounds. I can also fit it in
a single bus seat with me and not be in the way of other commuters. I
gave such advice in a recent advice blog I wrote for the upcoming
Yaoi-con. It was a funny blog that people have found helpful. You can
read it HERE. Incidentally, the paperback version of Altered Lanes: An Anthology of Travel Using Alternate Transportation in the City of Angels
is now available! Click the title to purchase from Amazon.com..
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| Normal Bric a Brac |
I don't mind the commutes. For the most
part, I'm traveling between rush hours, so the buses and trains
aren't mobbed. I'm always happy to visit West Hollywood. It's a
beautiful neighborhood of tree lined streets and tony shops
frequented by even tonier people. I believe it has more gyms per
capital than any other part of the city, so most of the men are
delightful to look at. There were some jogging about in tiny shorts
that made me long for my net gun. Jon really needs to invent a net
gun that can take down a young man! Is that really so unreasonable?!
Where was I? Oh, right. I expect shops with fancy bric a brac that
most people would find eccentric. However, I was not expecting to see
huge stone giant robots guarding the parking lot of a really
expensive clothing store. These statues are an incredible depiction
of some high level geekiness. Jon tells me that these are not one
specific robot, but an amalgam of at least three different robots. I
must confess that I couldn't follow the elaborate details and
histories behind each character that made up the robots. Jon was
talking kind of fast at that point and I was full of martinis and
some apple and cinnamon elixir that the Culver Hotel bartender was
experimenting with. It was a cross between an apple pie and a whole
lot of liquor! Jon plans to further investigate the statues when we
are at the Bookfair. I plan to let him.
I enjoyed getting out with people and
seeing some different scenery than my living room, but I still need
to find a balance between activity and rest. As it is, I go through a
flurry of activity and then can't do much of anything for a couple of
days. Finding that balance is a matter of trail and error. I am
learning what my limitations are albeit slowly. A few months ago, I
would have either tried to wait at Costco for my meds despite the
exhaustion, or I would have tried to do some shopping at Costco
yesterday even if that meant dragging those purchases to West
Hollywood and Culver City. I do need to do some shopping at Costco,
but it can wait until later this week. See, I am learning. So, no
nagging!
Fear and Loathing and Food Both Fast and Slow
One of the upsides of commuting is the
time it gives for reading. Over the last couple of days, I devoured
The American Way of Eating by Tracie McMillan. The book is an
exploration of the produce food chain from farm to table. Ms.
McMillan gathered her information by working as a field hand picking
grapes, sorting peaches and cutting garlic on vast farms in central
California; working as a produce stock clerk at two Walmart Super
centers near Detroit, Michigan; and working as an expediter at an
Applebees in Brooklyn. Each job had its challenges and satisfaction.
She met fascinating people in each location and learned a great deal
about how people at different strata survive on the wages they make.
I was shocked to find dubious payment and employment practices
reported at the Walmart and the Applebees. The book was as engrossing
as it was educational. I think the best thing I got out of McMillan's
book was a reprieve from the guilt I'd been shouldering for not
having done a lot more healthy cooking before now. I have no excuse
for not shopping and cooking healthy right now. I have a lot more
time to plan, shop and cook. I have more knowledge about cooking than
I ever have before. And I have an insane number of options for
healthy produce and fresh baked goods. But when we were both working
– especially when we were working odd hours – it wasn't so easy.
McMillan's own struggles made me understand that even when you know
what to do about a healthy diet and have some where with all to do
it, time to plan and properly shop can be a huge issue. And neither
she nor I have children. I have an even deeper admiration for my
mother and her efforts that kept our family from the drive through
except on very rare occasions. Aside from easing my guilt, the book
also answered a growing question I've had about some restaurants I've
visited in recent years. When I thought that I could do better making
the same dishes at home, it seems that I was right. Applebees, it was
reported, mostly microwaves pre-portioned side dishes and the sauces
were mixed from powders. The cooks there said that they didn't cook
so much as they assembled. I don't think I've made a powered sauce of
any type since I was 19 and living on my own for the first time.
McMillan's book was extraordinary in it's scope. It didn't lay out
any easy answers, but I think it will make those involved in this
quandary look at the questions differently. Aside from localizing the
food supply, many consumers need to be given strategies to plan meals
so that they can shop and prep effectively enough to follow through.
We're a land of plenty with two food networks. This is something we
should be able to figure out.
Updates
The in box remains stubbornly full of
things to edit and promo materials to create and other things to
write and production things to cross off.
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