Today Michael John and I went to the Vegetarian Food Fair, successfully navigating both the subway & streetcar systems to get there (technically they are the same system, but it was still scary). It was way bigger than we’d expected and we hung around for a few hours trying to absorb everything. I bought a tiny little hydroponic sprouting contraption to grow bean sprouts (or whatever – eventually start some vegetables for the balcony-farm) in our kitchen. Apparently bean sprouts contain all known vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and proteins. A couple handfuls a day is all it takes, and they are very yummy. Maybe it will cleanse my body of all the coke and candy that I put into it. I bought two bags of mung beans from the hairy chested old man who was demonstrating and passing out spoonfuls to eat, but lentils and garbanzo beans are also good candidates. You can literally grow anything in it, but for now it’ll just be bean sprouts for eatin’. I already started a crop. It took three minutes and they’ll be ready to eat in two days…. or five days if we want taller, leafier sprouts.
Downside: the way the dome fits onto the base reminds me of the large sized panera catering bowls for salads. I will never be able to escape this when I’m working with it. It’ll always be a panera salad bowl.
I also talked to some people from Annex Cat Rescue about fostering. My only concern is that Dorothy can be a raging psychopath and I don’t want her traumatizing whatever other creatures we might want to welcome into our home. I think that if we started with some middle aged or older cat who doesn’t take shit from young kids we might be okay. She might be a terror with kittens, and besides, would I ever be able to actually give up a kitten that I loved and nurtured? Not likely. On another cat note: Dorothy is constantly begging for people food and today I found out something that she loves and that makes her go vocally nuts. Until today, that list only consisted of cheese, but now we can add tapioca pudding to the list.
On the way home we stopped on Queen Street, which is the place that we will be spending all of our money until we leave this city. Every book and music store that we could hope for, in addition to two or three city blocks with bead and fabric stores lining both sides of the street. I wrote down a few books to add to my Amazon wishlist because I will NEVER buy a new book in this country. They are so expensive. And alcohol is so expensive. Alcohol prices are all government regulated, so there’s no cheap place to buy beer. Today we were laughing at some sleek, rich suit buying a sixpack of bud. It figures that I moved here with someone who only spends his money on three things, two of which are books and beer.
We bought the new Magnolia Electric Co. album and it’s AWESOME. More like Songs:ohia than the older Magnolia stuff, which is good for me. I prefer his slower, more depressing stuff. We’re going to see them play on Tuesday night and now I’m even more excited for the show. Jason Molina writes the most beautiful/depressing lyrics and I’ve never seen him smile and he’s probably the saddest person ever, and I will never be able to utter a single word to him even though Mikey knows the bass player and will likely talk to them at the show. I will stare at the tops of my feet. I am so intimidated by musicians.
turn your lamp down low my love, goodbye
I hear the whistle singing now to the lonesome pine
I know that we faded out
but oh, did’t we shine
didn’t we shine
Listening: Magnolia Electric Co. : Fading Trails and M Iafrate, live from the couch
Reading: Dominion by Matthew Scully
