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Golf Carts Galore

I'm going to disappoint you all in not having a kick-ass photo of a golf cart to start off this post, but I promise you, I've probably seen at least 100 all together whiz by me or parked in front of a cafe. Being in Courtland yesterday for their 54th annual Fun Day was no exception. And neither was my time spent in Palmer for their fundraiser/auction. By far it was the most successful of survey collection events, as everyone was already sitting down, chowing down on a free will donation meal. All I had to do was give them my pitch and 9 times out of 10 they'd say yes to the dress! :) If you couldn't tell already, I'm getting over my fears of talking to strangers. This job absolutely necessitates that I do.

Anyways, golf carts are the go-to for vehicular traffic around here. If it's not that, I run into a four-wheeler on the highway, just checkin' on the crops down the road from the house. It reminds me of many years attending races as part of the Sports Car Club of America growing up, where only the coolest of the cool had a golf cart to ride around the paddock. The rest of us lame-o's got to ride our Razor scooters, bicycles (which became much more hip when we got the kind that folds up), or just plain walked. I pondered why bicycles are not more popular around here, and immediately thought about the way the streets are designed: for heavy semi-truck traffic, big pickup trucks and trailers, and little pedestrian traffic. I think I've maybe seen one bike lane the entire time I've been here. And biking on the highway (which people do with higher frequency than you might think) is just a nightmare waiting to happen. I don't care how much protective gear you have, if all you have separating yourself from vehicular traffic is a white line and a ruler's width of space, as a bicyclist you are in an incredibly vulnerable position.

I do wonder what percentage of the golf carts around here are electric and how many are gas-powered...A quick Google search revealed that I can get one from Walmart for a mere $415.99, with free shipping! Not too shabby when you think about what even a shitty car will cost you.

Haven't really been feeling too inspired to write lately. Mostly just trying to get through this book I got through an inter-library loan. I only had one chapter left to read before I had to return it. Highly recommend if you're looking for an excuse to reflect on your life decisions. And looking for motivation to take on your next adventure. I enjoyed it immensely.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life, Mark Manson

Sometimes you just need a reminder of what to give a shit about and what to let go of. The more you stop worrying about what other people think the more you'll be able to live in the moment. There were so many lines in the book I wanted to write down and save for later, I think I'll just have to buy it myself or read it again later.

I appreciated that Mark's book developed out of his blog. I can only hope that one day a publisher will stumble across my work and say "people need to see this". In the mean time, I guess just keep writing? So many famous authors are only famous because of one thing they did in life, and then they are forever known for it. But I think what I'd be more interested in is a steady following, a community of like-minded people who both support and challenge the work that I do, so that I'm always pushed outside of my comfort zone. If you know how to connect me to those people, please let me know.

For those of you who read my last post, I'll give you an update on the cooking trials of last week:

Cauliflower Bites: Turned into cauliflower mashed potatoes (No potatoes needed; just blister some green pepper in olive oil, sauté some garlic and onion, cook cauliflower slices in olive oil with Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes with a bit of water and cream; blend together in food processor and eat as you would mashed potatoes; STELLAR)

Bread and butter pickles: Baller

Italian pasta dish that you couldn't pronounce: Tasted as delicious as my mom makes it (which like, never happens) except for the stupid gluten-free noodles which stuck together despite frequent stirring.

Salad with roasted beets: Not sure if I had mentioned that before but there is no goat cheese for at least 60 miles, so the meal felt a little incomplete.

This week's menu consists of at least the following:

  • Marinated vegetables 
  • Gluten-free carrot cake (inspired taste seems to be my new go-to for recipes these days)
  • Pesto cubes
  • Something with corn on the cob--if you've got a favorite recipe send it my way!
Trying to use up as much in the fridge as possible before moving day. Ugh. Moving day.



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