The Calories of October 2010

Based on my documentation, I can tell you the rest of October was full of delicious food and a lot of fun. I mean I was still sad most days. We were still sharing an apartment, although XBFJ didn't always sleep there. I did make it a point to ask him not to bring bed bugs from his secret location to my couch, and it appears he obliged. I still worried about his drinking and if he was safe at night. He told me he slept at hostels. But he had also become a bit of a liar so take that as you will.

But back to the proof of deliciousness. Let's examine the evidence. Here you see a plant burger I had the pleasure of eating October 18th. I got it from The Plant Cafe Organic. It's a restaurant that serves as much organic food as possible. And the menu does not suck as a result. It's a great place to go for eating out and not feeling guilty about it. I mean for what organic food costs, I can have a burger, with bread, AND fingerling potatoes without worrying about cholesterol. I dare you to tell me otherwise.

22 October
Someone left a Flounder hat type thing on a desk. My best guess tells me it was from Disney on Ice. But I suppose it could have been part of a promotional package as well. Either way, I got my hands on it. If I had seen the rightful owner, I would have asked to keep it. Flounder was sitting there being entirely unappreciated. He made me smile, even before I put him on my head and took a picture. I would wear Flounder often, despite my dislike of The Little Mermaid. That's right. A cartoon I dislike. You might not have thought it possible. It brings me no pleasure to dislike The Little Mermaid, but I am bound by my conviction.

Hello little guy!

Let us not forget I studied media. Let us not forget I studied the roles of women in said media. I studied damsels. I studied mammies. I studied how characters were drawn or cast in a way that shaped opinion. I learned why blond was always the ideal and dark was always sinister. I learned why fat was gross, big lips meant black, and Caribbean accents meant ignorant. And in many of my studies, The Little Mermaid was blasted as a great travesty. And I hear what you're saying, that it's just a cartoon. But it's really not. It's a statement, like other shows make statements. And it's worse because it targets kids who absorb associations without realizing it. It's just awful. But I digress.

We had heavy rain October 24th, which meant I got to use two of my favorite gifts ever: my rain boots and my umbrella (courtesy of XBFJ and Lucy). I wore them shopping, which had become a pastime of mine. I'm not exactly sure when, but sometime during the BU, shopping became fabulous. I bought things because I had a mild need for them, as opposed to just the necessities. I think it was the start of putting "me" before "us." And I liked it.

The San Francisco Giants got into the World Series. The city turned orange and black and friendly. The mood was infectious. It was unifying. People were happy. People were nervous. I was under dressed. I had no Giants gear to wear, and I felt like people were judging. I thought to get something cheap in Chinatown but was lectured out of it. A coworker told me buying knock off items puts money in the pockets of terrorists. How could I argue with that?

Celebration.

27 October
I trudged down to the dugout store, where I stood in line outside for nearly an hour. I tweeted. I called some people. Knowing what I didn't want made it easy to find what I did. I ended up with a lovely zip-up hoodie. The sticker tells me (and the world) that it's authentic, and not at all associated with terrorism. It was made in Pakistan. But no one seemed to care about that.

28 October
This day was particularly delicious. While walking toward a reading spot in the Ferry Building, someone handed me free humus. A few feet further and I got a free cup of coffee. I pocketed the humus, grabbed the coffee and went to Cowgirl Creamery for a yogurt bowl containing persimmons, pomegranate seeds and walnuts. It was fantastic, and of course purchased at the suggestion of XBFJ. Having him know things I'll like before me was and is more than a little annoying. But I'm working on beating him to the punch.

"October the month" finished with more cupcakes, for no reason at all. And then it was time for "Halloween, the weekend."