Quickies # 13 - Jive Tofurkeys

As I started typing this, I realized I'm gonna have to make it quick. I was having some cramps (I know, TMI) and was offered a couple of Tylenol with codeine for the pain. I had no doubt that they would work well, but now I just really have the urge to lie down for awhile.

But first things first. Yesterday, I embarked on a trip to Tübingen to figuratively knock Frosty's socks off all surprise like. Being unemployed means you have a lot of time on your hands and I figured I'd go hit that before the new semester starts the week after next. Hooray for priorities!

Normally, when I visit Frosty I go by plane. It's often cheaper and always faster than going by car or train, which is good because I don't do very well after about the 4th hour of traveling. However, since this trip was somewhat spontaneously planned, there were no more cheap flights for the day I wanted to leave. I ended up getting a ride in a car to Stuttgart and then going on to Tübingen by train...and all of that took about 10 hours. I'm not too keen on doing it that way ever again. In the end, it all worked out. Frosty was happy and surprised. I was happy that he was happy.

At the beginning of September, a few days before I moved into my new place. Frosty moved into a dorm. It's located fairly centrally, which helps me save on bus fare (which is ridiculously expensive for such a small town). Also, it's not really like a dorm-dorm, but more like a 14-person residential co-op (think like Hopkins House, for those familiar with Smith). Everyone seems to be very nice (see: the sharing of Tylenol with codeine). Every night one of the residents makes a meal for the others. As far as I've been able to gather, most of the residents are vegetarian or vegan, so the communal meals are all vegan.

I suppose some people would turn up their noses at this, but I ate the most glorious homemade hummus that I've ever tasted in my life. I am and will always be a fan of delicious food, whether or not it contains meat is a moot point.

Here's the thing that amuses me though: meat substitutes. I think if I were going to go vegetarian or vegan, then I would probably avoid faux meat. At least for like the first 5 years. Just until I forget exactly how real meat tastes. There's always something off, maybe not appearance-wise, but definitely either with the taste/texture. Ten years maybe? Anyway, I wouldn't feel so awkward in a room full of non-meat eaters who swear up and down that "OMG! It tastes just like chicken!"

Well, it looks just like chicken...but I guess it kind of like if you were really craving an apple, so you buy an apple, but when you bit into it, it tastes like an olive...or something else that is totally off the mark for the apple taste you were going for.

That's a horrible analogy actually.

I blame the drugs.