Wandering Wednesday

Despite our little heart-to-heart, Florence still continues to torture me with bitter cold. The sun came up for about 2 hours though, which was much appreciated.

It was one of those days that just felt infinitely long. I didn't sleep last night - just couldn't get sleepy, and after Italian came right back and napped on the couch for a while. The breakfast that followed was Yum with a capital Y:

cocoa powder + raspberry yogurt = Chocolate Raspberry Oats!

This brightened my day - almost as much as did the little Jack Russell terrier whose owner runs a shop on my path to class. I will have to take a picture of him sometime; yesterday he was frollicking with an empty water bottle, and today he was "attacking" a bike going by, as only a dog who comes 6-inches off the ground can. He reminds me a lot of my own dog - he has a lot to say and will run after something very gung-ho, but should he actually ever catch anything, he'd probably have no idea what to do. I adore him.

I went to the market and wandered around a little. I love the guy who I buy my almonds & dried fruit from; he recognizes me now and I'm sure he knows I'm American but he always speaks Italian; leaves with so much hope! I spent a pretty [euro]penny there today, but I don't mind spending a little extra when I know it's going to someone I like. Plus, the almonds are to LIVE for. Love me some omega fatty acids!

I went to my Wednesday lunch place, Sergio's. I was going to meet a friend but problems arose and she couldn't meet me. It was a nice quiet lunch to myself though, and I spent it writing. Mostly scribbles, but good brainstorming. Speaking of lunch:

"Fagottini" di pasta fresca nel brodo della gallina - Fresh pasta in chicken broth.

I had no idea what "fagottini" were, but I saw the pasta fresca part and was sold - you can NEVER go wrong with fresh pasta!

This was a filled pasta wrapped up in an almost candy-like shape. Here's an example (just a Google image, but mine looked the same):

It was...whoa. I don't even know what the filling was - I just know it was GOOD. Very intense - that little pocket of pasta held a TON of flavor! It was some kind of meat, my guess would be beef or pork (but I'm really not a good judge of red meats) with an incredible cheese. It was very sharp but smooth; pecorino didn't seem quite right but it could have been a kind I haven't tried. Oh, so good. As was the bread basket, which I also demolished. I'm a Tuscan bread fiend.

Went for a walk before I had to get back to the apartment to let one of my poor keyless roomies in. It turns out she called just in time though, because on my way back the clouds came full force, accompanied by the nasty mean ole wind and some very cold drops of rain.

And then I took another nap. I was too tired to focus on work and I knew coffee wouldn't do it, so I just gave up. It wasn't a long one, and I did yoga after getting up. I was craving the stretch! I can feel how out of yoga-shape I am though having not practiced it for a while regularly, but I will slip back. You can always go back to yoga; it's really what I love about it. No matter where I am physically or mentally, I can just hop into my "yoga bubble" and find peace.

I was craving a big bowl of fresh veggies, and that it what I had - with a twist, of course!

That would be arugula, tomato, bell pepper, and pecorino topped with lentils cooked in...get ready...GREEN TEA! I was reading an article about how cooking things that are normally boiled in water can be cooked in tea for an added level of flavor, and this sounded exactly like something I would do. Unfortunately, I was a little heavy-handed with the rosemary and combined with the varying flavors in the salad, I couldn't detect much of a difference. BUT I'm most definitely going to try it again - oh the possibilities!

And then the procrastination bug bit with a vengeance. I can't stand feeling so sleepy all the time, it just makes things like papers so much more difficult! In all honesty though, I'm not too concerned yet. Of course, I want to do well and know I have the capability to do so. I, however, am all too talented at getting waaay overstressed about school work - sometimes to the point of health issues, and I made a promise to myself that this semester would be different, because it had to be. I am a perfectionist and it is a part of who I am, and I can accept that; but I think a big part of accepting it is learning how to work with and around it so that I am still able to live. And I mean 'live' in every aspect of the word.

Cooking class is tomorrow - I'm EXCITED!!!

~Namaste~