Today, I feel almost as right as rain. What I mean is, I am as good as I am going to be, I suppose. This lack of energy is more annoying than anything else.
Did I have CoVid19? As I have always said, “don’t know, don’t care.” It makes no difference to me/us, if I did, or did not. We did not go out of the apartment, once we came home from Los Altos, and did not come in contact with anyone while I was “contagious”. I feel confident that it was my newly acquired Spring “something”. Allergies? Who knows. Go to the doctor? Pashaw, I say. I am a nurse; we do not go to the doctor before being on deaths door. I still had a bit of distance before coming to that door.
Things need doing, however, so I do them. A Red Bull™ helps, for sure, but this lack of sleep is for the proverbial birds. I cannot seem to get into a “deep” REM sleep until almost dawn, and then, only for about two hours. If I take a Benadryl at night, to help me sleep, I have, what Ivan and I call a Benadryl hangover; it makes me sleepy most of the next morning.
The fever, chills, coughing, headache, and diarrhea are all a bad memory now. I am up, and on to other things. Seize the day – Carpe Diem, and all of that. So, I am.
There is a starter to feed; done. There are plants to tend to; done. There is coffee to be drank; doing. Oh, I also have pig head parts, (gross), on a simmer, in my Instant Pot. I am making a pork stock, to be frozen for upcoming Ramen dishes. I have never made a pork stock before, but I cannot tell you how glad I am that it is in the IP. It stinks!
I am almost through watching a course, online, on how to cook with the items you have on hand; either in your pantry, cupboards, fridge, or freezer. I have always wanted to cook like that, but had no idea how to adapt different foods to make different flavor combinations.
To some people, this comes easily; not to me. If I have a recipe to follow, I follow it; to the letter. If I do not have an ingredient I, 1) go to the store to get it, 2) omit it as if is was not really necessary, or, 3) not make the food altogether. Options two, and three, are the norm for me; I have never even considered substitution. What, and how, would I substitute something for, say, a carrot?
Since taking this course, I feel quite empowered to do the very thing. The other day, as an example, I was making Cream of Poblano soup, but did not have any carrots. The day before, however, I had taken the shriveling red, and yellow bell peppers, and two spoiling tomatoes from the bin in the fridge, along with a centuries old onion, in the vegetable caddy, on the counter, cut them all up, and roasted them; just like I was shown in the course. (Of course I cut off the bad spots, and threw those parts away.)
Normally, I would have chucked them all in the compost bucket, and felt shamed. Now, I have two containers in the fridge with beautifully roasted vegetables, ready at a moments notice, to be used in whatever dish I feel requires their addition.
So, when I did not have the required carrot, for the soup, I used about a half cup of the roasted vegetables; the soup was delicious. Substitutions, for me, are now a complete game changer. This may not be a big deal for you, but for me, mind blowing, life changing; Carpe Diem!
Now, if only I could sleep.
Please, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.
Post script: Happy birthday to my b-i-l, Moises, and my deceased grandfather, Henry W. Anderson, (Pop).