I Went To Lunch Today & Other Random Stuff

It's 1:52pm and I am sitting quietly in my cube at work. The bottoms of my pants are still damp and my hair looks like I have an electric current running under my chair, but other than that I'm fine. I went out at lunch today.

My lunch time is 12:30 - 1:30 everyday.  There are three of us girls in the office and we rotate on the half hour starting at noon so there is constant phone coverage. We wouldn't want our guys to miss the big deal because we needed to go to the bathroom or down a turkey sandwich, leaving no one there who knew how to pick up a ringing phone. Needless to say, the phone hasn't rung since 10:30am, and that was a cheery girl inquiring about our temporary staffing needs. Commercial real estate isn't exactly booming in Hartford, CT.  

At my allotted time, I headed out.  It wasn't pouring, but there was a steady rainfall. I put my head down and ran for the car door.  My errand this particular afternoon was to pick up groceries for dinner. I decided to make salmon, but I needed some vegetables and I was in the mood for fresh peas. 'Tis the season after all.  I thought Whole Foods would be the logical choice as I could get both the fish and the freshest accompaniments in one stop and would only have to fight the rain once. 

During the 15 minute drive to get to the store, the steady rain turned into a serious down pour. After pulling into a space several aisles over from the front door (this place is always packed) I reached around into the backseat for my umbrella. I have a beautiful black and white, over-sized UBS golf umbrella. It wasn't there. Rats! Maybe it was in the trunk. I hopped out only to find in place of my lovely umbrella a small, black, slightly bent one.  It's better than nothing I thought and opened it as best I could, huddled under it and made my way across the parking lot to the goodies that awaited inside. 

And that's when it hit me. I was pitiful.

As I walked across the parking lot, I started to feel like Eliza Doolittle. Not the glamorous woman in the enormous hat mind you, the frump selling flowers all in black, minus the amazing Hepburn bone structure. I admit, I haven't taken the best care of myself lately. I've been waiting for my trip to Dallas to shop for new clothes. My nails aren't done and my eyebrows could use some professional attention. I'm afraid they are starting to look angry again. And while I did manage to cover the grey a few weeks ago, I haven't had a haircut since last summer and it shows. I've been forced to move from ponytail to bun.  (Six days 'til Dallas!)

So there I walked through the rain ... frizzy-haired bun, black knit oddly-fitting sweater and pants with a  missing button, old boots that just have to hold up another month until the weather starts to warm up ...  nails looking like they've never seen a manicure and a half-opened, half-bent black umbrella flapping in the wind doing absolutely nothing to keep the rain off my face. I'm sure the mascara was running ... that is it there was any left on my face. Simply. Pitiful.

(Mom, we're going shopping. I'm ready. I need a Dallas refresh in more ways than one!)

I walked into the store, slightly damp from head to toe. I got a chill as I walked past the refrigerated pre-made dinners. I headed straight for the produce. Then another odd thing happened. I got spring produce overload. Normally, I walk into Whole Foods in need of a meyer lemon and walk out $65 later with a bag of heirloom tomatoes and some brightly colored root vegetable I have no idea how to cook. That's why I rarely go. But today I was overloaded with options ... purple carrots, golden beets, mini pineapples and a mango display unlike any I have ever seen. Who knew there were so many kids of mangoes? 

My mind was full of pieces of ideas, but not one complete thought ... I thought about what would taste good ... what would photograph well .. what I had seen on different shows ... all the while scanning the stores for fresh peas.  "Stay the course" I told myself.  I smelled the mangoes, the basil, the dill.  I picked up the candy cane carrots and then set them back down.  I walked the produce section about three times before I realized I had nothing in my basket and the were no fresh peas anywhere to be found. 

I ended up with a large navel orange, 3 small blood oranges, a package of pea shoots, some scallions and a tiny red onion. I really wanted a sweet onion, but they were $2.49 a pound and the size of tether balls. I grabbed some tarragon before turning the corner and heading to the fish case. I had to get back to work, thankfully, or I might still be circling the leeks.

As I scanned the fish counter I realized I was officially spoiled. If the fish doesn't look good to you in Whole Foods ... in a New England Whole Foods ... you are spoiled. The fish market just down the way from my office has the most amazing, fresh, lovely fish you can imagine. The only thing that could possibly be better would be to buy it right off the boat. (Which is what I image this market does in a lot of cases!)  It has ruined other fish retailers for me.  I HAVE to buy it there. And while it's the most amazing, fresh, lovely fish you can imagine, it's also the most expensive too!  YIKES! So, it's a rare treat.

I stopped into the market as it's so conveniently located on the way back to the office and I got a beautiful "free-range wild Alaskan salmon".  No note that it was previously frozen. No note that color was added.  Just real fish as God intended. Yum! I take my number and wait. "I'll take that small piece on the end," I say to the all-too-eager-to-please guy behind the counter.  "Yes, yes, that's all," I nod.  I won't tell you how much it was because I'm pretty sure it's a sin to pay that much for fish.  I almost fell over when he told me the price. WHOA! Perhaps it wasn't as small a piece as I thought?! I would never have picked it if I had known it was so much. There are about 4 kinds of salmon in the market. This was just the prettiest. So what I estimated to be a 1/2lb was a tad over 1lb.  Doubling in mind the cost. Good thing I got out of Whole Food for under $10. Well, be having eggs and toast tomorrow night that's for sure!  

I made it back to the office just in time to pull in next to a big puddle.  I was in a hurry so I had swung both feet out before I realized it.  Two wet feet.  Great. Add to my pitiful! I threw the fish downstairs in the fridge for the afternoon and  headed back up to take up my phone rotation slot as I do every single day.  

If dinner turns out as lovely tonight as I am hoping, you know I'll post the photos.  Slow cooked salmon and baby pea shoots - can't wait!