TICKTOCKTICKTOCK

what the eff even is having enough time?
besides probably not a real thing?
because i have no experience with enough of anything,
let alone time, which has been at an all time low level of scarcity
ever since i opened AMPERSAND TATTOO.
no foolin', i've been working more, and more often,
than all the everybodies i know, and i know some heavy-hittin' workaholics.
that's not a value judgement, it's a simple statement of allocation of available resources,
chiefly the spanning and passage of linear temporal movement.
y'know?
i put all my time into being at the tattoo studio.
why?
because i was made for that, man.
triple-threat multitasking and entertaining an audience all while training my attentions to
top-notch tattooing AND the immediate needs of my crew and clients,
and still holding court to the rogues' gallery and cast of characters
that regularly come through the doors of the shop.
that's a thing.
the catch? sometimes, there's no time to think about dinner, or to go to the grocery store,
and suddenly, out of nowhere, it's time to eat food,
and nobody knows what right the answer is to the big question:
what are we having?
neighbors,
i don't need a lot of direction-
i mean, really, i'm already well aware of the prime directive:
just be dope, or F* right off.
and i also know the number one rule:
too much is the right amount.
what else is there?
sooooooo,
if that's the motivation, and that's the plan,
as ambiguous as it might seem to those uninitiated
in the wise worldly ways of warrior poetry in motion,
the the only thing left is to do what needs doing with whatvere is on hand to do it with.
that's my specialty.
every no-grocery day is real life improvisational culinary experience.
saturday was no exception.
thanksful-giving gratitude and generosity in a big batch of baked burliness?
don't mind if i do, dudes.
check the teleport:

WORD.
that's a rice and lentil blend in that one corner-
red and green lentils, plus brown, white, and black rice-
y'just boil it up, buddy, and you've got a pretty flippin' expert little thing going on.
so that's cool.
meanwhile, i feel like i should mention what a grey rainy bummer of an evening it was.
that was where my inspiration came from.
it felt like autumn.
dark and dismal and dour and dreary-
that sort of atmosphere begs for root vegetables and comfort.
and since i had that, i made that, because that's the right answer.
two red potatoes, chopped into chunks, olive oiled, salted, and baked on parchment
until golden was where i got started-
the oven was cranking a 400℉.
i knew that the ricey stuff was gonna take half an hour at least,
so that was what i based all my bake times on.
you do that? tight. we're pretty cool, aren't we? well, maybe you are.
i'm  really just hungry all the time.
so, while the lentil jauns were soaking up hot liquid,
and the 'tatoes were getting all kinds of good, i also had that hearty vegetable blend
poppin' off  in the oven as well.
wu-TANG, kids. i want all that hottness for my face, all the time-
that's a head of cauliflower, chopped uniformly;
two carrots, one purple, one orange;
two stalks of celery, chopped;
one small red onion, in hunks;
two cups of homemade sourdough, cut into fat cubes;
parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, GPOP, nootch, and black pepper;
and 1 cup of veggie broth, poured over the top of all of it,
and tossed uncovered into the oven to roast until everything was all ready all at once/.
y'know how good it feels when everything is ready at the same time?
it feels like you just won a prize, guys.
and really, you kinda did, because all that good stuff is there just for you.
mmmmmmmm.
yeah, i also tossed some baby kale in there.
i like green things.
they're good for you.
-
the real superhero of the meal though?
homemade expert sexxxy vegan gravy.
yeah!!!
-
2 T flour;
2 tsp bouillon;
1/2 tsp ea Garlic Powder Onion Powder;
2 T nootch;
2 T olive oil;
heated to make a thick roux, just enough to toast the spices
and remove the rawness from the flour,
before adding 1 1/2 cups water, and letting it all thicken up on high heat,
stirring to prevent lumps, until it's the best smelling and tasting thing
in the whole wide world.
i'm just sayin', if you're already going hard on the roots,
y'might as well fire up allllll the gravy too.
that's the right answer, man.
***********
and now, after days and days and days in a row of tattzapping and dog walking
and sleepless nights drenched in sweat,
and sleepless nights drenched in happiness,
and sleepless nights drenched in distress,
i'm taking tomorrow OFF.
that's right.
i've got prior engagements that demand my attention at it's fullest.
that's what has to happen,
so that's what's happening.
i've got my sights set on a whole new world's worth of responsible adulthood,
and i'm so ready i can't even stand it.
it's all a matter of time,
it's all a matter of what matters, and while it all matters,
tomorrow matters the most;
never quiet, never soft.....