HOME

I need to make the distinction between, “Home” a house and, “Home” the place that's more about your identity. I am at home right now, the house where most of my things live, most of the time. It belongs to me and I’m quite comfortable here, when I”m here. For me, travel is not a departure from routine, it is the routine. So when I’m home, it’s sort of like sitting in traffic at a red light. I check mirrors, adjust the volume on the radio, readjust my wallet so it’s more comfortable in my pocket, all the while keeping track of the light. There are times when I could use more time at the light but that’s another story. I will be leaving in a couple of weeks, for several weeks but for now, I am checking mirrors and my wallet.

I really like to cook, fix food. While I’m home I have a well equipped kitchen but nobody to cook for so I rely on the salad bar and deli for most of my needs. I decided a long time ago that food is not my friend. I need to keep a well defined emotional distance between friends and things that only make me feel good. Friends won’t beat you up just because you are vulnerable. When I do a good job of managing food, I eat well, sleep well, it tastes good and nobody gets hurt. Sharing food is near the top of the list for rewarding, social behavior and I love to go there. So I never pass a chance to fix food for my friends. I may indulge in too much or too rich but it doesn’t happen often and I understand the price I pay.

With cold weather coming on, stuck here for a while, I have a chance to cook for myself. Today I skipped cold cereal in favor of steel cut oats. Not like fu-fu, rolled oats that cook up in a minute or so, steel cut oats take half an hour on the stove top or hours in a crock pot. Near the end, I throw in a handful of toasted pecans, some dried fruit and a shot of honey. Breakfast was good with enough left over for lunch or a snack later on, or even breakfast in the morning. Last night I put lentils in the crockpot to soak overnight. This morning they are cooking with carrots, sweet peppers and curry. I’ll add some turkey pastrami later; whirl in the blender enough to juice it up and soup’s on. Strange, if I eat from a bowl, with a spoon, I don’t overeat. Finger food that comes from bags or boxes are not my friends. 

I got the leaves mulched the other day. Patio chairs and umbrellas need to come inside and I have several wood shop projects underway. It seems like there is always something more important at the time than practicing guitar and I need to change that. So while I’m sitting here at the red light, there are things to do. Last week I made a comment on FaceBook that, "Home is where the feet is." When I arrive in two weeks, there will still be “Home” work left undone at the house but my feet won't notice. When the light goes green you need to move along.