FAGIOLI

man, i dunno.
i slept, or i fell into a coma, or somethin' yesterday,
after a looong tattzappin' finger-crushin' detail-oriented experience
at AMPERSAND TATTOO tested my ability to perform at the pro level
to the limits of sleep-deprivation and physical discomfort.
that's no joke.
i had another 'nother long night in the woodsly goodness,
and while i can't seem to avoid those these days,
they don't actually get easier-
that's one of the drawbacks to too much being the right amount-
certain things get worse the more you do them.
like being always awake.
that's bad for you.
sure, i'd rather be up and at 'em than well-rested,
and looking back with regret at all those hours lost in slumberland-
but, eventually, you do fall apart without sleep.
and you look worse.
and you suck more at doing regular things.
and those jauns are NOT invited, neighbors.
ha.
so, after another 'nother vampire-style perpetual night of nocturning and tossing,
i had a real tight tattoo to do, with alll the little lines,
on no sleep, less food, and a powerful sip of real espresso.
yup.
i went down that road.
and if you know, then you know,
and if you've not heard about how much MORE difficult my days are
with real caffeine introduced into 'em, then you'd best ask somebody......
ugh.
i'm sure emily's arm felt sore, but only half as tender as her poor ears,
while i non-stop chatterboxed them into submission on a coffee-powered filibuster
of blistering bluster for like, a whole bunch of hours....
and when i finally finished the intricate third-pass outlines in white ink,
my whole body hurt like i'd been beaten,
bludgeoned, brutalized, starved, and left for dead.
dudes, in no way is that an exaggeration, except maybe the left for dead part.
but anyway,
i got back to the Folk Life & Liberty Fortress, and i needed nourishment.
badly.
so i fired up the stovetop, and i got into some heavily-vegged-out gluten free pasta.
yup.
i'm gonna be tip-top at this sh!t by september.
you'll see...in fact, check the teleport:

RED LENTIL PASTA!
it's virtually indistinguishable from real, actual, semolina sexxxiness.
i mean, they're not even red after you boil 'em!
and it's not terrible, which was a surprise, for sure.
that's great news for people who like noodles,
but in this instance, they were really just one component in a big ol' bowl of
supreme beans and greens, with allllll the tomatoes, bros.
mmmhmmmmm.
the secret is in the tomato-oil-onion beginnings.
that's real.
ok.
it's like this:
half an onion, and 2 T olive oil and a cup of halved tomatoes
all sizzled up in a high-walled pan.
there's a lot to appreciate about that sort of caramelization-
flavor, texture, infused and activated and transformed with heat-
but,
then you add a 15 oz can of italian-style stewed tomatoes, too? with the juice?
c'mon. that's what you want, friends, trust in that.
(i snipped those stewey blarps with a scissors to make them the right size)
there's a rinsed 15 oz can of great northern white beans,
and black pepper, a heavy shake of GPOP, a punch of nootch, pink salt,
and fresh-af-from-the-garden oregano and basil,
plus a heavy-handful of baby kale simmered in that succulent sauce.
that's expert.
and it's not even that many ingredients, is it? seriously.
a punch of parsley, and broccoli rabe for the ultimate in pasta fagioli upgrades.
wordimus prime.
if you don't boil your broccoli rabe for precisely two minutes, and drain it,
prior to using it in your meal it will taste awful, and your friends will hate you.
real talk.
put it all together,
add radicchio ribbon sprankles,
and you're the champion!
***********
i gotta put in some work, dudes.
upstairs.
right now.
i got three thousand books about dragons and druids and elves and sh!t,
and i have nowhere to put 'em.
i've got clothes i've not worn in five seasons taking up too much space
all over the place.
i've got a closet full of shoes i don't wear.
today is the day where the first round of layoffs begin.
saying goodbye is my least favorite, even to an out-of-style boot,
but it has to happen,
and so it will.
i'm rested enough to forge forward with wide-open and alert eyes looking ahead
to how much better this place will be with the ghosts of the past exorcised,
and the cluttered tomb of yesterday cleared the eff out.
it's just the beginning,
but it's still beginning;
never quiet, never soft.....