The things I'll do for food....

It's pouring rain out; which I love because it reminds me of home. And it's so warm here when it rains! Unlike the West Coast I can wear sandals and shorts with my raincoat, my upper body doesn't get wet and I truck along with a huge grin on my face. Back home rain equals cold skin, stuttering lips and glum sighs. When it rains in Montreal, I just go about my business and thank the heavens it's not 35 degrees C and humid as the devil's mouth.

Since Alix has gone to Mexico, someone has to take care of her herbs (thyme, oregano and rosemary). I have already transferred them from her balcony to mine, but they needed to be transplanted into a bigger pot. Today I walked back to Alix's (about 15 min) and retrieved a large pot and a bag of soil, which were sitting on her balcony. But since she lives near Jean Talon Market, I couldn't go over there without paying a little visit to my favourite place.

Going there on Mondays is not as fun as the weekend. There's less produce and less people and less festivity in the air. But there are still the same vendors who now have more time to help you hum and haw over what ground chili powder to buy. (I settled on the Aleppo pepper which smells like hot spicy roasted tomatoes.) And then I just wandered around, buying dried sausage, new carrots, broccoli, strawberries, potatoes, eggs, balsamic vinegar; you know, a lovely little assortment of things. I now limit myself to a certain amount of cash and when it's gone, too bad Jude! (Except of course when I'm investing in things like chili powder and different oils....oh my elitism....)


It would have been easier to bring back the very LARGE pot and very LARGE quantity of soil without all of my market loot, but I decided to do it anyways. It's really quite a work-out trying to haul things around for many city blocks. But the other night when I sprinkled some chopped fresh rosemary and oregano over broiled tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and dusted with grated pecorino romano cheese, despite the lack of enthusiasm from a tardy mathematician who came for dinner (he will not be invited back), I almost lept from my chair and shouted a glory hallelujah! However, I wasn't interested in creating an even MORE awkward situation, so I kept my peace. The point is that I want these little herbs to be as happy as can be. Plus, as long as I have The New Pornographers blaring in my ears nothing can deter me. I get all excited and skip along marvelling at the poignant beauty of life, therefore motivating myself to go to whatever necessary great lengths to complete the challenge before me. I've listened to their album Electric Version probably 10 times in the last two days.



When I got home I dripped water all over the floor carrying in the dirty pot and soil and my bags of groceries. I immediately transplanted the little guys into their new roomy home, stared in dismay at the catastrophic mess I'd made on the balcony, thought Arianne (my roommate) will kill me, knocked over the cat's water dish (again!) and went to wash my hands, eager to chomp into the tomato and cheese sandwich I was about to have.


But despite the rain, the water was off and I quickly discovered holding my hands out in the pouring rain wasn't going to work, so I used some of the water I had in my water bottle to rinse off my hands, ate my vegetables with whatever horrible horrible chemicals and germs they had on them, (not willingly, but I had no choice).



For the rest of the day? I dunno. Day off's rule when you're not in school! Maybe I'll go running in the rain, maybe I'll sing, maybe I'll eat a piece of my chocolate cake that I still have! Maybe I'll convince a friend to make pork-butt tacos with me. Really, anything could happen.

-murph