985 Days

009. Go meatless every Friday during Lent - (05/21)
Eggs on toast for breakfast, the Toad's Drunken Cheddar soup (which I must learn how to replicate...) for lunch, and sesame scallops from Golden Port for supper.  Eating this well certainly doesn't seem like a sacrifice...

036. Listen to 25 TED lectures - (01/25)
Jamie Oliver won a TED Prize last month for his work educating children (and parents) about food and cooking in an effort to stem the epidemic of morbid childhood obesity.  In his talk, he provided some shocking statistics about not only what people are eating, but also how fatal these food choices can be.  I think the most intriguing (and, possibly, frustrating) thing about his efforts is that it all seems entirely doable.  It doesn't require a lot of money, or research, or manpower to combat one of the major causes of illness and death in the US.  Wild, right?  People are dying because of the food that they eat, and all it takes is a little education to save their lives.  Unfortunately, as Jamie mentions, there really isn't the financial backing for this kind of movement, so his TED wish was to ask powerful and connected people to lend their support.

I love to cook, so it shocks me when he talks about children and parents not knowing how.  It seems like such an essential life skill... you don't have to whip up lobster thermidor after work, but it's pathetic that people don't even know how to cook simple recipes with fresh ingredients.  

I'm trying to become more aware of what I eat, though.  Particularly where my food comes from.  I'm on the precipice of watching Food, Inc. and reading Eating Animals, but I know that as soon as I cross that line I won't be able to stomach (morally and psychologically) eating meat anymore.  So, essentially, I have to decide whether or not to become a vegetarian, which does not please me.  I absolutely adore meat, but it's becoming more and more difficult to willfully ignore the enormous shadiness (in production and ingredients) of the industry.

008. Eat alone at a restaurant 10 times - (02/10)
I stopped by the Old Toad for lunch today.  Another pleasant meal with my book, and I had the entire place to myself for most of it.  The food there has improved unbelievably over the past few years.  I remember a particularly regrettable shepherd's pie 2 or 3 years ago convinced me that they were content with slopping out typical British pub fare (read: bland), but this year I haven't had a single dud.  And, as I've probably mentioned about 6 million times because I am ob-sessed with it, I'll never get enough of the Drunken Cheddar soup (veggies, ale, sharp cheddar and, I'm guessing, a large dose of crack).

039. Try 25 new beers - (02/25)
At lunch I ordered Victory Prima Pilsner, which was delightfully refreshing.  I was a little toasty after my walk--even with the nice breeze, the midday sun was a little hot--so this really hit the spot.  It tasted spiced, almost like a Witbier, and had a bit of lemon flavor as well.  A very good find, with the warm weather approaching.

044. Take a picture a day for 365 days - (001/365)
I took a walk to the Village Gate and snapped this photo (click to enlarge) inside the Yankee Peddler bookshop.  It's enough to make a bibliophile like moi positively giddy.  It looks like a bookstore in a movie, doesn't it?  Piles of books on the floor, every inch of every shelf crammed full, no idea what each bookcase holds.  In addition to the rare and used books, they also have an impressive collection of ephemera including vintage maps, photos, postcards, periodicals, and sheet music.  I didn't buy anything today, but I love winding my way through the maze of bookshelves and poking my nose in the gorgeously-bound volumes that catch my eye. 

022. (Re)watch each of AFI's Top 100 movies - (007/100)
I haven't seen #94, Pulp Fiction (1994), since I was in high school.  I remember it was a huge deal when it came out, but I wasn't crazy about it the first time I saw it.  This time, however, I liked it a lot more.  As over the top as the film is, there was some really subtle humor that I enjoyed, as well as some great bits of dialogue.  Am I unequivocally enamored of it?  Meh.  I don't know that it necessarily lived up to all the hype I recall from the mid-90s, but it was still entertaining.
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So.  Tired.  I hope I can stay awake long enough to read a little more because this book is kicking my butt.  I'm not even halfway through!  Tomorrow I have to be up early to take my car in to the mechanic, though, so I am calling it a super-early night tonight anyway.  I can only hope that a good night's sleep will make me even more productive, provided they release my car before lunch.