Until the Lentils Are Ready

I must sit here until the lentils are ready, so says my book of prompts: 45 minutes I am consigned to this chair, which is approximately how long it takes for my lentils to cook. Well, not just lentils. The dish quintessentially mine: Lentils, barley, vegetables of choice (think: onion, potatos, carrots, broccoli, corn), and a fat of choice. I usually do peanut butter because it’s readily available. Other good options are olive oil and, especially, tahini. You see, that’s what the appeal of the dish: it has protein in the lentils, carbs in the barley and potatoes, and fat. Oh, of course it’s seasoned with whatever you want: I normally do nutritional yeast, cayenne pepper, maybe some Italian seasoning, and a quarter teaspoon of salt. So, yes, there you have it: a dish containing everything the body craves – except simple sugar, I guess – and it does the body good.

Anyway, this feels quasi-journal-entry-like, so we’re just chilling. It’s Thursday, November 4 just before 4:30 p.m, and I’m listening to Sleater-Kinney’s No Cities to Love on vinyl. They, and this album, rock – so hard. I saw them (just Carrie and Corrin) at Revolution Hall a couple of months ago, and they brought the house down. I fear when this album ends and I won’t be able to get up and put something else on. At least I made it to the B-Side before I sat down.

Anyway, although it’s Thursday, it’s my Friday, meaning I don’t work the next three days til Monday. And a busy weekend it shall be! I have two dates scheduled, one tomorrow and one Saturday. That’s a whole tangent – I’ve historically been very passive dating, but now I’m being active with it. Books on growth, etc., etc. Also Saturday, before the date, I am playing Dungeons & Dragons for the second-ever time with some new friends. The first time was a bit underwhelming, but hopefully this time will be better. I’m a huge Lord of the Rings fan, and I’d love to live out my Middle-earth fantasies vicariously through DnD. Bare with me for another tangent: I’ve long thought it curious how some words are almost solely used with particular pairs (e.g., to live vicariously through someone, to commit suicide, (I’m sure there are others)). Then, Sunday, I have a concert I’m performing in, as an alto saxophone member with a symphonic band. This ‘season’ is the first I’ve played since high school (+10 years ago), so I was (am) quite rusty, but I’m glad to be playing again. Another: the B-Side has just finished. Pray for me as I type in deafening silence (hey! That’s another example!), alone with my thoughts. Oh, yes, band. It’s going okay. We just had our dress rehearsal last night and… it’s uhhh… it’ll be an interesting night, to say the least. But it does feel good to be playing again and to be part of community.

Often one for solitude, perhaps more so out of accustomed habit than actual preference (I’ll at least entertain that indictment against me), this is a busy weekend for me. And it speaks to the broader character arc I’m in, well one of two, anyway (maybe they’re related?). The one is relationships: friendships and dating. The other is writing. Well, that and general self-improvement and taking my hobbies seriously instead of feeding my anxiety, wasting time, and fueling billionaires on objectively horrible social media. That’s not to say I haven’t been enjoying much more TV than normal recently (The Chair Company and Pluribus), because I have been. So, yeah. I’m trying to write most days, as well as play saxophone and play piano. Reading would have been in that list, but that’s such an ingrained habit at this point that it requires zero effort to engage with. Apart from the prompt book mentioned at the top of this stream of conciousness, the two (three, no strikethrough on WordPress?) books that have changed my brain structure recently are The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Hidden Potential by Adam Grant, and Atomic Habits by James Clear. I guess I can only just recommend the latter two, because Letters is pretty niche, but yes, those latter two are definitely helping me grow, which is great.

Anyway, where to go from here? I’m starting to think of ya, lentils! I don’t have a show lined up, which is frightening. What am I going to watch while I feast? I’m caught up on Pluribus and The Chair Company, but oh! I just realized I can watch the newest – the valve on the Instant Pot just dropped! Meaning: the lentils are ready!! Goodbye, love you!