Strawberries...muddle them in the bottom of a glass of low-gly lemonade!

That sounds like a win.

I recently started eating them on the way back from the supermarket (unwashed, oh noes), and was blown away by how much tastier they were than when I usually got to them. I'm harbouring a suspicion that refrigeration might degrade their taste, but I'm basing that on nothing other than some smug tomato lovers opinions about their own fruit. Basically, unless it's blueberries, I get to fruit sooner than later.

I did have one summer of glorious frozen fruit, but it's not been so hot in the last few years that I had to resort to effectively eating ice.

sometimes extra time to sit around is worth waking up early...

I watch up to two episodes of TV in the mornings before I leave for work. It's not worth it. Thus we are proven to be different people once again. Remarkably conclusive experiment, yet it's still continuing.

Artist at work is pushing me to take a painting class. He says he'll start working digitally (even if it's just on his phone), if I start painting. I think finding him was too lucky (an earlier boss was an artist, and either I wasn't ready or he was no use as a sounding board) to waste opportunities like this--he's my only source of consistent feedback, even though I have to explain all the fanart to him, and he knows I draw raunch, but doesn't get to see that.

And, oh, do I crave feedback. Unfortunately I'm not a book learner--I need teachers responding to me specifically, and vice versa. Just their existence makes me bolder, because I know that I can fail usefully with them. But I'll take it from anywhere, even if it needs to be salted, because it can all help.

Night before last I dreamt I gave birth (beautiful baby girl, named Rian) and it turned into an anxiety dream. Last night's second dream (thank god I forgot the first) involved getting liposuction at the waist (and then turned into an anxiety dream, no surprise). My dreams are really obviously influenced--between the recent Botox and the understanding that even though I'm losing weight (much more slowly now), fat is still settling at my waist (where is the loss going, then? It's not my boobs either. I hope it's not my ass. I really want an ass, thank you family issues) and suddenly I dream I'm the stereotypical LA woman. I am constantly checking my face for reasonable mobility--first time I got Botox it froze and I think it made me cry, second time I didn't notice a thing and could focus on the point of it. Doctor promises marginal effect on expression. As long as I can still furrow my brow, right?

Msbelle, you deserve all the wine. I know it's not a matter of being a hero getting through this, but I think I would have damaged property by now, no joke. I want to set up a support circle of vibes for all my friends who have massive rows to hoe--you don't mind if I tell tales of your...survival to friends and family? Let me have my disordered half-belief that it can't hurt.

I am not processing the news of the flyers mandating Jews register themselves in Ukraine or face confiscation of property and expulsion from the country. I need more information, like who the fuck is putting it up, and do they have guns?

Okay, time to start my No Excuses Steel Cut Oatmeal cooking. In forty minutes, blueberries! (Why do I never eat them alone?)

Stupid Panera didn't give me cream cheese for my bagel! But I don't feel like going back, so I guess it's a diet strategy?

Refrigeration definitely makes the strawberry seeds harder, IME, even if it doesn't do anything to the flavor.

I just had fresh strawberries on homemade waffles. NOM.

Noah had strawberry shortcake for breakfast. I FAIL as a responsible mom.

Pfft. There were strawberries, weren't there?

Sara is drinking coffee right now.

I like just about any fruit hot off the tree (or vine or whatever) better than refrigerated. And room temperature better than chilled. I don't know if there is actual reason for that or not.

I don't know if there is actual reason for that or not.

Sweet things tend to taste sweeter when room temp than when chilled, so maybe that's it?

There's a pick your own strawberries place on the road to my (fingers crossed) new house.

And room temperature better than chilled.

I like apples and pears chilled much more than room temp. I've had very little temperate fruit right off the vine, but refrigerated mango just seems like...no, don't do that. I branched out (har) a little bit to see if I could buy mangoes here, but my first experiment was such a resounding failure I'm not sure it's worth the emotions (because I have those with mangoes, sue me) and the expense.

I just had fresh strawberries on homemade waffles.

This weekend I have promised me oatmeal pancakes. It's a horrible waste, though, since even when I make the least (one egg's worth) there's too much left over and storing either batter or completed pancakes is just not up to snuff another morning's worth. Same with my favourite waffles, although I have not modified those for low gly yet.

Clearly I need breakfast visitors.

Okay, oatmeal is in second and final stage of cooking, tea is brewing, kitchen is tidier than it was this morning. Time to go back to sleep, clearly.

Fruit is better eaten, imo, as close to the picking as possible. Since not usually possible anymore, I just want it not-chilled. If I buy too much fruit and stick it in the fridge for later, later never comes, I don't eat it, and one day I realize I have mold. So now, when I want fruit, I just drive to grocery and get what I want at that moment. Which is only feasible because I'm a five-minute pleasant drive from the grocery and go there about every two days anyway.

My life works better when I get up around 6am. It's hard to convince myself of that, though, when it's 6am and I want to sleep some more. Especially if I don't get to bed before midnight, which I rarely do.

Yesterday my friend C. wanted to take a walk in the park before we went to dinner and movie. This blew my mind; I've never had a friend who exercised for pleasure before. But I went with her, and I was happily surprised to find that I had no trouble keeping up with her, and not much trouble breathing. I even went up a long flight of stairs without stopping! This treadmill thing is working out well.