My niecelette N coined a new word: nerxcited. It is a state of being both nervous and excited. I wanted to share it because it is the perfect descriptor of how I have been feeling ever since we started down the adoption road. I constantly feel like a kaleidoscope of butterflies have taken up residence in my stomach, living side-by-side with a pit of nervousness.
In other news, I am now suffering from some voluntary sleep deprivation and loving it. I have mentioned before that I work for a company where almost everyone works remotely. A few of my colleagues are in town this week for the Write the Docs conference, which means I have the pleasure of their company. It also means that I get to be an ambassador for this lovely place I call home.
My colleagues are visiting from Phoenix, LA, New Jersey (Philly area) and Toronto. Two of them are vegans and one cannot tolerate gluten. It has been a pleasure to been able to show off the marvelous food options we have here and watch their faces as they enjoy treats not usually available to them.
For example, yesterday we went to Petunia’s Pies and Pastries for lunch. Petunia’s is all vegan and all gluten free so everyone was able to enjoy pretty much everything available. And to Petunia’s credit, there was only one item that had soy in it, which is a rarity in vegan restaurants. After we all gorged on an absolutely delicious meal, we then proceeded to share 3 HUGE slices of cake amongst the 6 of us.
As someone who has dabbled in gluten-free baking, I must publicly recognize that Petunia’s bakers are miracle workers. Their party cake can hold its own next to a glutenful cake. Usually gluten-free baking is regarded as “good” when it can closely approximate its glutenful counterpart. Therefore, a gluten-free baked good that can stand up to its glutenful competition is a truly outstanding feat.
I has been a while since I did the food tourism thing in Portland and had forgotten just how filling it can be. I feel like I have been continuously full for a couple of days now, and I still have at least a couple of more meals to go. Then I have one day of recovery before I head to Chicago and overindulge on that city’s offerings. Although it is Spring, I feel like I will need to go hibernate and digest when I return home from my travels. Unfortunately, the following two weeks are pretty busy so I will neither get the chance to hibernate nor get back into my normal walking schedule.
I know I sound like I am complaining, but really it is just me appreciating the wonderful people in my life and just how much fun they are to be around.