Lunar New Year 2019

Chuc mung nam moi!  And in English: Happy new year!

Celebrating Tet is a cherished family tradition every year, a priority - learned and earned, one of the few dates that is no longer negotiable as a rest day from work.  Christians and Jews have various official religious observances built into the business calendar, or widely acknowledged.  For the religious minorities amongst us, it is important to normalize those other important holidays.

Family time, lots of delicious food, a walk around a new pond, napping, and unfortunate dose of sad reality too (news came of the sudden and unexpected passing of a seventh grade classmate - the high school best friend of Recent Dude - sobering; dad of two little ones, assistant principal at one of New York City's pre-eminent high schools, so he left behind thousands of kids).  A bit of it all.  And back to the city to be ready to march through the next two weeks - big office move, ski vacation.

Baby Steps: Office Move Edition

Big office move on the near time horizon (President's Day weekend).  Fight or flight starting to kick in.  In spite of filling nearly an entire bin with paper this weekend, barely a dent is evident - the paper piles are powerful.

As always, it was much too dreary a task for an entire weekend's diversion... a run was had, a movie, "On the Basis of Sex" - about the Notorious RBG, who is just fabulous - was viewed. 

Attempting that balance thing.

Super Blood Wolf Moon Weekend

The first three-day weekend of the year played host to two competing urges - rest, and ambition.  Both had their moments.  Not so much a balance as a continuum bounded by time.

Aspirations at the outset: March, visit parents, replace phone, purchase some household items at Ikea, take advantage of post-Christmas sales, return to city, clean office, check out eclipse, meet for coffee to wrap loose ends, attend birthday party.

Post-secondary assessment: Marched ...

Women's March 2019 - well, the "Friends of" march, the non-anti-Semitic one.

Ikea'd, including for items to be used and adapted for organization.  No Christmas sale fabric remnants. Did commune with the folks, who were up to their shenanigans and projects (not a bad rendition of the homestead) ...

Papa Rooster's new hobby - the to-scale homestead.

No cleaning, yes eclipse ...

No coffee, yes birthday party.  Not horrendous, could use improvement. 

Little Bit of Everything Weekend

Little bit social.

Little bit of work.

Little bit of self care.

Little bit of cooking.

Little bit of indulgence television.

BurgerFi's Impossible Burger and Cry 'n Fry

Post-Treecycle planting bed, former home of the Carl Schurz Park Christmas tree.

Post-Treecycle mulch piles before Gracie Mansion.

Peter Pan's post-Treecycle circular bed.

Hoppin' John inspired dish.

"The Stew"

Joining the pack to make THE Stew ...

Which stew?  That would be Alison Roman's spiced chickpea stew with coconut and turmeric and greens.  It's been everywhere.  Bandwagon needed to be jumped on.  Yummy veggie recipes high in protein are always good to have in the back pocket.

It was pretty tasty.  Notwithstanding the slightly crunchy chickpeas due to the cook's impatience with the soaking process.  While Alison Roman seemed to serve it as is - a big bowl on the Today Show - it was a bit salty for that, needed a bed of rice (also all the better to stretch the pot over more meals).  THE stew pairs particularly well with quick microwaved sweet potato - the slightly sweet and savory combo is always a winner.  And, added bonus, a nutrient packed starch!  And easy and quick to prepare, too.*

* Newly "discovered" time saving hack (because even microwaving the sweet potato was taking too long - happens when arrival home is past 10pm and the goal is to finish eating before 10:30 on the modified restricted eating diet; even 7 or 8 minutes in the microwave is too long): Utilize the office microwave, and carry home a cooked sweet potato!!  The potato weight in the work bag is minimal, the gain in time, TIME - that most precious commodity - is priceless.

Aspirational Starts

Aspirations at the start of the weekend:
-- Sorting and handing over Ms. Lovely Neighbor's mail collected during her absence.  (Done.)
-- Unload dishwasher; dishes in the sink.  (Not yet.)
-- Cook for week ahead roasted cauliflower and viral chickpea stew.  (Not yet; ingredients purchased.)
-- Go for run.  (Done.)

Shafts of light illuminating snowdrops.

Hard to make him out, but there is our resident hawk.

Tree-cycle!

-- Do laundry to replenish underwear supply.  (Not yet; close to completion.)

Gut Punches

The heart is fragile and sometimes breaks.

Sometimes hope is misplaced.  Sometimes rugs get pulled.  Sometimes there are not enough hours in the day to sustain relationships.  Sometimes the timing is not right.  Sometimes having work is a respite, and holding it together enough to not cry in public is the real work.  Sometimes gratitude for being told the truth early, before falling deeper is a possibility, has to be the prevailing triumph.

Sometimes being left with lovely memories, and a comfy plaid shirt, a warm plaid shawl, wrapped in a boy's messy Scotch-taped package, has to be enough.

NF's parting gift.  Sweet, sweet boy.  Sometimes they just slip away.