There is scarcely a better way to spend an afternoon than walking down the side of the street carrying a parasol and eating a carrot. That is what I discovered today when I braved the generally horrible Portland afternoon sun with my portable shade to go to the Moreland Farmers Market to pick up some fresh vegetables. Fresh locally grown produce is far superior to supermarket stuff, and though it’s a bit pricey, it’s worth every penny. Carrots especially — the ones I got today are completely different from the ones I normally find in stores, even Trader Joe’s, that it made me glad I hadn’t gone for the blackberries instead.

Last week I got back from a small mini-vacation at ‘home’ on Bainbridge. I had been reluctant about the trip and seeing my family again, with some unknown anxiety making me nervous. But the night before leaving I had an odd dream in which Max and I calmly escaped a building set to explode, and apparently this small fictional interaction was enough to cure me of that weird anxiety. And lo and behold, I had a wonderful time. I had to see Thomas off for the rest of the summer, but I lucked into seeing Anna and Lena for Laura’s birthday lunch.

The way back was less than grand, however. My train hit someone who was crossing the tracks and killed them. We were delayed for an hour and a half waiting for the coroner, but the inconvenience was relatively minor (at least for me). What was more disturbing was hearing everyone get on their mobiles and complain about this inconvenience, as if we had stopped because of a fallen tree and nobody had just died. To be fair, there wasn’t a complete lack of concern… and I find I am struck by these things more than most. I spent most of the ninety minutes staring out the window at the little cottage on the hill wondering who it was we had just hit.

Now that I am at Reed again, I find I miss having my family’s omnipresence. I like being alone, I suppose, and there are very few people I feel totally comfortable around, but those few aren’t present. Yet I’m determined not to be a homebody: I have a Wednesday night roleplaying game with Tom and Amy, and a Sunday morning brunch with just about everyone else I know.

Speaking of food, my carrots call to me. Oh what a simple joy it is to have fresh food!