Amaryllis sillyramA

I rode the bus to work today, and maybe it was me but there seemed to be more than the usual amount of visual stimulation. First, I was sharing my bus stop, which is normally deserted, with the New York Girl. Or maybe she’s the LA Girl. I honestly don’t know which one she is, but she looks like a model and wears the most outlandish fashions. At least they’re outlandish in the context of my bus stop. Like this:

Add platform shoes, a few large pieces of plastic jewelry, and an overworked cell phone and you’ve got New York Girl. Always an eyeful.

Then, on the bus, there was a backpack near me with three buttons on it. Here is what they said:

ESL Now!
Got HSpice?
Don’t be a meadow stomper – stay on the trail

Ok. ESL now? From what I understand, learning English as a second language takes longer than “now.”
The other buttons aren’t that weird, except for the phrase “meadow stomper” which I rather like (the phrase, not the meanie). Not that weird… but I dunno, the three buttons together just made me laugh and wonder.

Still on the bus, in the very back corner, in a zoning-out-on-the-bus frame of mind, chilling if you will. Suddenly I find myself literally surrounded by 4-year-olds. I like children but it’s quite disconcerting to be fenced in by that many small strangers. I had to get off a few stops early to escape the noise (not to mention the fumes coming from some of the pants areas).

How’s this for scary?

What could it mean?

Yesterday we got our first box from the Oxbow Farm CSA program. We got to meet Luke the farmer — he was there at the pickup spot for this first box of the season. Got our box and headed for home, but then had to stop at the wwah for a few appetizers so we wouldn’t starve while I was trying to figure out what vegetably dinner to make. And who should come in a bit later but Farmer Luke himself! Plunked down next to me at the horse-shoe, and chatted a bit. Very personable fellow.

When we got home and opened the box, it was so exciting! Just like Christmas. And it was way fun to come up with a couple of dishes with the help of my trusty New Basics cookbook.*

I picked out a fennel bulb and two green onions and four garlic stalks with seed heads, and cut them all up and cooked them in olive oil for a while, then added some chicken broth and let that all cook down, then salt and pepper and a bed of rice. Yum! And while that was cooking I shelled all the fava beans (the pods of which have fascinating furry insides) and boiled the beans, not very long because they were so young, then tossed them together with cut-up artichoke hearts and butter and salt and pepper. Yum yum!

Cutting up the garlic stalks was hilarious. They were like wonky silly straws. They wouldn’t hold still! Wish I’d taken the picture before they got a little mashed in the fridge. They’re neat.

*I like the word cookbook.

Last night I closed the library at ten. Now we’re on Summer Quarter hours. Which means that there won’t be any more 10:00 o’clock closings until the last week of September! Which means yay!

This giant plant is near the building where I work. Last night I dreamt that we had three of them growing in our garden all of a sudden. It was a good dream.

[Edit 6/14 — walked that way again today on my way to work and poof! the giant plant is GONE. It never even had a chance to bloom! (sob!)]