Thursday, June 30, 2011

This Week...

- After a few stressful evenings, I finally finished (fingers crossed!!!) all my school loan consolidation stuff. It was so terribly confusing! Ugh. Welcome to post-grad life to me!
- This afternoon I was able to breathe a sigh of relief after doing my "Elderly Nutrition" presentation for the interns. (Part of the reason you haven't heard from me since Monday!)
- Living by the Muddy Mississippi is great for the views and all, but you know what else loves living by the river? Bugs! In the last week I've swallowed at least 3 while running!
- Some food picks from this week....
A semi-successful attempt at homemade green tomato sauce...
Beet risotto with goat cheese and sauteed MFM green beans!
I splurged and bought Annie's brand "Green Goddess" Dressing. So yummy!!
Peach-banana smoothie plus almond butter/pear toast. Yes, please!
- My sweetie surprised me with a new cd. :-) I had been desperately needing some new cd's for my car! An awesome compilation of some of my Indie band faves! Such as Grizzly Bear, The National, Sufjan, and more!
Definitely worth a listen!
- So excited tomorrow it F-R-I-D-A-Y!! We're having a little potluck for the 4th of July with the other RDs. I made a beet, goat cheese salad. Hopefully it goes over well!

PS- I ate 3 peaches today.... they are just so addicting!!!

Monday, June 27, 2011

Anne Frank Obsession

You know that 2:30 feeling you get after your lunch has settled, you are at least 5 hours post-morning coffee jitters, and you just want to take a nap more than anything? (Why do only Kindergartner's get to have afternoon nap-time!) I was totally slammed with that feeling a little early this afternoon! (At 1:00!). I don't know what is wrong with me but I still haven't been able to shake myself out of my zombiness. Oi. Perhaps I'll sleep well tonight!!

As usual, I am totally nerding out and going to mention yet another book. Last night, I sat down and finished one of the latest novels I had picked up - Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. It made me flash back to junior high when everyone is assigned to read Anne Frank's Diary. I was so obsessed with her story (what 13 year old girl isn't?? Ok, so I guess I'm the weird one...). Her honest confessions about the confusion of growing up and unique perspective on the war were fascinating. When I went to Berlin a few years ago, I made sure to stop at some of their WWII/Holocaust memorials and was totally awestruck.

This book by de Rosnay intertwines the story of a young Jewish girl Sarah and a modern-day journalist Julia Jarmond. Julia is given an assignment to write a piece on the events of the war in Paris and finds herself on a mission to understand the fate of this single girl, Sarah. I could almost see myself as a bit of a Julia myself, becoming totally wrapped up in solving the mystery of what became of this girl and her family. Anyways, I can't give too much away, but I would definitely recommend this read!
Berlin, 2009
On a totally different note... I made my usual overnight oatmeal topped with a chopped peach last night. It was honestly the best yet. These MFM peaches I picked up are so juicy and decadent. I'm soooo glad I decided to pick up 2 quarts instead of one on Saturday!
Beautiful!


Sunday, June 26, 2011

Weekend Recap

This is why I love summer...
-Trolley Nights on the last Friday of each month! The South Main Arts section of Main Street (ie. outside my front door...) becomes quite the place to party! The galleries, restaurants, and boutiques along Main St. stay open late and local community groups fire up their grills and serve refreshments (for free!) all along the block. Will and I met up with a few people from the psych department at work. (We're making friends! Yay!) On an interesting note, I was able to capture this trolley accident during the festivities! I feel embarrassed for them! :-/

-Sharing a late night waffle at the 24 hr breakfast shack, CK's.
First bite! It just melts in your mouth!
 -MFM on Saturday mornings! I picked up a bunch of peaches. Yum! Plus, it was a busy day at the pet sitting tent. We had our hands full with 10 dogs at once at one point!
-Hanging out by the pool. :-)
-Grilling up MFM veggies (ie. zucchini, squash, onion, garlic, tomatoes, corn) and Asian-ish marinated tofu. I had forgotten how much work it was to grill, but after such a delicious dinner, it felt totally worth it.
My Man made Fire!

Dinner is just about ready!
-Waffle cone with coffee/banana swirl and sprinkles from TCBY!

-Church and a bit of shopping on Sunday. I finally invested in a cheap DVD player. Now, I'm going to have to catch up on all the cheesy rom-coms I've missed over the last 6 months!
-Chilling at home and ending a couple games of phone tag I had been playing this week. It was so good to catch up with friends and family!

Hope y'all had an enjoyable weekend as well!!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Spinach... for Breakfast!


Today, I thought I would try something totally different. Something a little weird. I had come across a few recipes in my blog stalking and recipe site browsing for a "green smoothie". Hmm. Spinach in my smoothie? The recipe writers all claimed I would not be able to even guess there was spinach in my glass. Heck. I'll give it a shot! Here's breakfast this morning!
Breakfast served with salad... to drink!
Green Smoothie Recipe:
1 cup skim milk
1 cup(ish) fresh spinach
1 banana
2 tsp ground flax seed

The result? Well, it definitely didn't make me want to shout about it's deliciousness from the rooftop... however, it was a fun experiment. The taste was strange and the only way I can describe it is.... grassy? I may try to experiment with the recipe a bit though and see if I couldn't work something out. Or maybe spinach just isn't meant to be in a glass. :-/ I definitely enjoyed my almond butter and jam toast though!

On another note, I finished another book the other night! Gone with a Handsomer Man by Micheal Lee West. It was an enjoyable mix of cheezy romance, intrigue, and murder mystery (minus the gore!). Definitely a beach/pool/vacation/long weekend kind of read - moves quickly and keeps you entertained the whole way through. :-) Plus, the protagonist is a baker/food lover (woman after my own heart!) so West throws in some interesting foodie things and even a couple of recipes!
Check it out!
I just started another good historical fiction novel yesterday. I'll have to tell ya about it in a couple days. Now, off to bed. It's been a bit of a hectic week at work battling hypertension one vet at a time through low sodium diet education! :-)

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Nutrition (Mis)information

The other day I came across this article in Marie Claire as I was reading on the elliptical at the gym. It's entitled "Nutritionists on: How to Eat Healthy". Of course, my interest was immediately piqued. To my disappointment however, I found out that the article included 24 hour recalls for 5 different "celebrity nutritionists" only one of whom actually had a degree in nutrition or an RD behind their name!One chick eats nothing all day but then binges on an incredible amount of fruit and a box of macaroons after dark. What?! The others were a bit better mostly based on salads and smoothies but also some off-the-wall foods like raw sauerkraut, sea plants, and rice protein powder. Perhaps I just need to become better informed about alternative "natural" foods and nutrition. It is discouraging though to know that there is just so much inaccurate diet information out there. It's daunting! Good nutrition does not have to be complicated! Just eat real, as close to the farm/tree/body of water as possible, food.
As a little bit of a rebuttal to the article. Here's a recap of what I ate yesterday...
Breakfast:
Overnight oatmeal with blackberries, ground flax seed and almond butter. Yum! Plus, a cup of coffee to drink.
Lunch:
Plus 2 homemade chocolate chip cookies...
Dinner:
Whole wheat pasta tossed with fresh tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil with sauteed green beans alongside. To drink  - a can of diet Pepsi. For dessert, just one more chocolate chip cookie. :-)
So, there you have it!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Food on my Mind

I hope ya'll had a wonderful weekend! Monday always comes around way too quickly. When I was mulling over my weekend, I realized just how much of it revolved around food! As an RD, I seriously think I talk about, think about, dream about and eat(!) food all day, every day! Well, ok, so I did take a break to appreciate some local art. :-)
Let's see, on Friday we went to Bosco's where I enjoyed this hearty black bean and goal cheese tamale. Yum!


Afterwards, we browsed a couple of art openings in Midtown. Both were drastically different from one another. At one gallery, the artist used ancient Apple computers he had dug up while dumpster diving and "beatified". They kind of reminded me of the shadow boxes I made a few times in elementary school...

The next gallery showcased some art that was just exploding with color! Personally, I think this painting was my fave. :-) They also had some really impressive works of art glass as well as some things done in bronze. Will and I even got a little lesson in how the bronze artist creates that colors on the metal.
I totally look like an art connoisseur. Kidding!
Looking at all that art made us hungry for some dessert! Yolo has become an almost weekly stop for us. :-)

Saturday, after fun times at the market, we headed to Whole Foods to gather a few things that just can't be locally produced (like bananas, coconut milk, and almond butter...). Afterwards, Will cooked up these cute stuffed patty pan squash "cupcakes"! He filled them with sauteed mushrooms, parmesan cheese, garlic, and white onion then "iced" them with white bean puree. Love! I contributed by cooking the catfish we had alongside. (Not as impressive... but still tasty!) I tried to create a "rub" with chopped cilantro, ginger, sugar, oil, and S+P. Then I pan sauteed it just a bit and finished it off in the oven. Not too shabby.
He's so creative! :-)
For breakfast on Sunday, we cooked up some crepes (after a few failed crepe pan flips-flops along the way...), filled them with warmed goat cheese, and topped with MFM berry compote.
Ok, so this is a terrible pic! It doesn't do it justice!
Goodness. I am getting hungry all over again just writing this... Anyways, I hope gives you a little better idea of why I'm obsessed with food. :-) I only wish I could better teach the Vets/anyone I talk to daily that food can be fun, tasty, and healthy. So many of my patients tell me how they don't like any vegetables (except potatoes!), that fruit is only acceptable in the form of gallons of juice, and protein is limited to bologna, sausage, or bacon! It doesn't have to be that way! Skittles aren't the only way you can "taste the rainbow"! Just take a trip to your local farmer's market! Sigh.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Happy Father's Day!

Since, it's Dad's day, I thought I would share a few things that my Dad has taught me over the years... 
1.) You can do anything if you put your mind to it.
2.) Have faith in God.
3.) Practice an attitude of gratitude.
4.) Don't let what other say get you down. They're just jealous of you. (Haha!)
5.) God has a perfect plan for your life.
6.) How to check the oil and transmission fluid levels as well as general maintenance or "clunker car" care. :-)
7.) Just figure it out. (I used to hate being told this! Now I'm realizing that it was an invaluable lesson as I've become an adult. I've had to already do many things on my own like student loan paperwork, buying a cell phone plan, filing taxes, and general mundane life skills.)
8.) An immense love for (good!) coffee. :-)
9.) An appreciation for antiques.
10.) Patience. Patience, patience, patience!
11.) It is possible to make cowboy boots look cool anytime of the year, anywhere in the country (even in the Northeast!)
Love you Dad!!! Doing it all on your own was never easy I'm sure, but you managed - and I think we turned out OK. :-)

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Loot from the MFM

Saturday mornings may have become my favorite part of the week. Today, I was excited to make it in time to get a big quart of blackberries (yum!), as well as some juicy, succulent plums. Plus, peaches are in season here already! I love peaches!!! Back home in PA, I remember having to wait until August! I took a picture when I got home of all the fun fruits and veggies I scored this week.
So colorful! :-) :-)
After shopping, I headed back to the market for my weekly shift at the pet sitting tent. I think my favorite pup of the week was this cheeky little Pomeranian named "Chewbacka" or "Chewy". So much fun! After saying goodbye to the last pup and picking up our tent, I went home to start in on some of my MFM loot for lunch. :-)
Here I toasted bread with some mozzarella cheese and topped with lettuce and some orange tomato slices from one of my favorite vendors, Micmak farms. (They recognize Will and I now and are such a cute and friendly family!!) And honestly, their tomatoes are like candy. Mmm... Alongside my toast, I had some carrots and cauliflower dipped in hummus and one of those delicious plums I was so delighted to find this AM! Now, that's some tasty loot - argh matey!

Friday, June 17, 2011

I Love Breakfast

Seriously. It's my favorite meal of the day. Most nights I fall asleep thinking, "Soon it will be breakfast! Hmm.. what should I have...?". I think the reason I am so obsessed with the first (important!) meal of the day is that you can go for savory or sweet (dessert for a meal? Yes, please!!). Plus, coffee is the beverage of choice. (And if you know me, you know how much I love coffee!) I am drooling just thinking about it... waffles, pancakes, omelets, crepes, breakfast burritos, cereal, toast, bagels, muffins, hash browns, yogurt, fruit, smoothies and the best breakfast entree of them all - OATMEAL! In college I learned to love it. It's cheap. It's filling. And it's extremely versatile. Therefore, I thought I would share something new I tried. Summer has most definitely arrived here in the South and I was starting to get concerned that I wouldn't be able to keep up my oatmeal habit because as I was eating in the AM I would get soo hot, I'd start sweating! Haha.A delicious solution? Overnight oatmeal!
Hidden inside this bowl:
-1/2 cup oatmeal
-1/2 cup skim milk
-1/2 cup plain yogurt
-Handful of blueberries
-1-2 tbsp ground flax seed (for healthy Omega 3s!)
Stir together and refrigerate overnight. In the AM, I added the following:
-1/2 banana
-1/4 cup cocoa krispies
Tada! Chilled oatmeal ready to eat! :-)

The only down side is that this morning I had no more half-and-half left for my coffee so I made a trip just down the street for an Americano to take in with me to work - because I couldn't very well function without my caffeine fix!
PS - Just for kicks here's what I packed for lunch today... (now you have an idea what an RD - the "nutrition expert" eats!)

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Mood Matching Music

There's something indescribable about how certain music can sort of stir things up inside of you... (or is it just me??) After work today, I went to this Memphis District Dietetic Association (MDDA) "Spring Event" for a lot of the RDs in the area. It's kind of a tough crowd for an outsider like me to break in to. All the other ladies are loyal locals so (other than Will), I feel like the only one who isn't best friends with at least 6 other people there! Oh well. I just have to keep reminding myself to be patient. Be pleasant and friendly, and friends will finally be made(?). Anyways, back to the music reference I started this post with... After the "spring fling" the Faded Paper Figure's song "North by North" came up on Pandora. The lyrics from the chorus were just what I needed to hear "You said a long long time ago; you were happy being someone; Let's go far far far from home; I'll be glad to be with someone". I was definitely happy to have finally accomplished all I had originally set out to do after finishing school and finally landing my first RD job. Then I moved, and I realized Memphis is far, far, far from home. :-/ Yet, I am determined to make it home eventually though! I am afraid with all of sounding like I really hate it here! It's not true - at times, I feel like my Southern ignorance is a bit comical. Haha. Plus, every day I am glad to be here with a certain someone too. :-) Having Will, one of my closest friends here has really made this whole transition a lot easier!
That's a Long Way!!!
Wow! I didn't mean to make this post so personal-like! Oops. So, on a comical note before I sign off... I have been covering my office-mates floors the last couple of days since she's been off. One of her wards happens to be the psych ward. It's one of those places you kind of have to kind of mentally prepare yourself for... Anyways, they all hang out together in the lobby and you just have to stand and yell for your "man". Haha. As I was calling my patient's name out one of the others responded with, "Hey Doc, can I call you Dr. Ample Bosoms?". Ummm... (You talking to me?!)  Let's just say, it's a good thing he was a little crazy already! Never a dull day at the VA! Lol.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Good Reads and Good Food

I've just been on a roll with reading books lately! I think I'm now trying to make up for all those years of college that I missed out on reading "just-for-the-fun-of-it". The other night I finished Rescue by Anita Shreve. The reason this one really hooked me was that the father/daughter bond portrayed was so touching. The mother is forced to leave and the father is left to raise the daughter on his own. As you can imagine, I found a lot I could relate to.

 Last night, Will made some fantastic fish tacos! (I'm so lucky to have hooked such a good cook.) I traded a fish taco for a can of coconut milk I had hiding away in one of my cabinets and had not yet gotten around to using. It was so worth the trade! Plus, one of the other great things about these tacos is that they were probably almost 100% local (other than the corn tortillas and spices!). I've realized that now that Will has inspired me to be even more proactive about making the most of the Farmer's Market is that I think almost 75% of my diet was purchased locally. He's still working to convince me to start buying local, raw milk and I'm almost about to take the plunge...
So delicious!
Last night I made a trip to the library to stock up again! :-) Since I still have yet to invest in a DVD player or.. well, make many friends here, I've got a lot of free time to read!
More books, yippee!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Ahh... Summer-Time

This weekend, Will and I took the time to enjoy some of the things that truly make summer great...
-Chilling at the pool side. (We both ended up getting a little pink. Oops!)
-Drive-In movie!!! The Malco was showing X-men so we drove my Patriot over to enjoy the show. Only, next time I am definitely bringing bug spray! The mosquitoes kept wandering in our open windows and feasting on me. :-/
Pumped for X-men!
-Ice cream at YoLo (of course!). I indulged in espresso - white chocolate mousse swirl. It was delish!
-Blueberries have arrived at the Memphis Farmer's Market! Woot! I just sprinkled some on Greek yogurt with a bit of dark chocolate for dessert after dinner tonight. Yum.
-June Bugs and Juleps! Will found this fun event in the Memphis Flyer on Wednesday. A local Victorian home/museum was open for the evening - offering art, refreshments, and of course, mint juleps! We met a few characters and some sweet older women who were docents at the mansion. It made for an evening that was out-of-the-ordinary, but in a good way. :-)
Looking like he owns the place! :-)
-This morning I woke up with a hankerin' for pancakes so we headed across the street to The Arcade for breakfast. The sweet potato pancakes were definitely worth crossing the road for! I even tried to play it like a true Southern gal and ordered grits as my side.


Hope y'all had a great weekend as well!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Ramblings...

I just made this for last night for dinner for Will and I. We paired it with this interestingly tasty Indian beer. Yum. It all came together much better than I had imagined it would! I scrambled some eggs then topped them with chopped heirloom tomatoes from the farmers market, a sprinkle of feta cheese, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and diced basil leaves from my very own plant. :-)


My little basil is growing up so fast!
 On Tuesday I sacrificed this Dove dark chocolate bunny that had been hibernating in my fridge since Easter to make some chocolate chunk cookies. They are soooo good! They're even technically "healthy" since there are healthy antioxidants in the dark chocolate and I used whole wheat flour for the starch. Right? I like to believe so. ;-)
When two dietitians put their heads together, we know how to make a colorful meal! This one we had on Sunday. It consisted of roasted beets with feta and balsamic vinegar, white beans and salsa, shredded roasted brussel sprouts, and mashed sweet potatoes.We even managed to follow the "healthy plate model" that I am always telling the vets about at work, "Fill 1/2 your plate with non-starchy vegetables, 1/4 with protein, and 1/4 with starch...".

Yesterday, one of my favorite blogs, eatliverun.com, featured a post on the trials of moving. It was exactly what I needed to hear. I will find friends here in Memphis, despite the fact that I'm a Northerner.
Something I am getting pretty excited about starting at work is that my office mate and I will be coaching the "expert" (eek!) running group for this employee fitness program they are starting at work. I in no way feel like an expert runner but I think it could be a fun activity! We are supposed to help people train for their first 5K. It will give me an opportunity to get back into running more religiously too!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

I'm a Nerd.

I admit it. I realize I'm a total nerd. I knew I could learn to like Memphis the first time I visited their main library and practically got lost wandering its 4 stories. They even have escalators... and bright pink and yellow life size trees(!). The other equally great part about having such a large library handy is that I no longer have homework to hinder me from indulging in reading. Yippee!
In the last week I've been doing a lot of reading actually. I've discovered the "reshelving" shelf where all the latest, most popular books wash up before their lost in the sea of shelves on the rest of the floors. Last week I came home from work one day and picked up Room by Emma Donaghue. It was basically glued to my face until I turned the last page at close to midnight when I passed out in bed. I was totally entranced by this book from the first page. The entire story is told through the eyes of a five year old boy as he recounts his daily life as a captive with his mother inside a single room. I can't really say too much more about the plot or I'd give it away. So, you'll have to read it. I promise it won't disappoint. :-)
Another good read I just finished this evening was called Ape House by Sara Gruen (she's the one who wrote Water for Elephants). I seriously love this author! This is the second book of her's that I have picked up and just been swept away by how artfully she spins her story. Ape House recounts the capture and rescue of a group of bonobo monkeys. I had no idea that bonobos could learn American Sign Language! This was definitely another great read!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Freakin' Weekend!

Woooowheeeee! Things are really starting to heat up down South! I think it's been hovering around 100 degrees with a percent humidity to match all week. Oi. Thank God I have AC. I think I would totally melt. Or fry - like the fried chicken they love so much here. Haha.
Although I had an uncharacteristically short week, I was still more than ready for the weekend. After work, Will and I have been making it more of a habit to head over the pool for a bit to chill. Friday, a woman came up to us and asked if we would like to go the the Michael Buble concert that night at the Fed Ex Forum. Heck yes! She had tickets and couldn't go so she just gave them to us. Buble is definitely your typical charming, lounge singer type - the kind that makes girls feel all warm and lovey and gushy. (As evidenced by the thousands of swooning women filling the Forum!)
Saturday included the usual Farmer's Market fun. I helped the a few of the interns from my work do a little poster session on potatoes. Will was such a sweetie and surprised me with this gorgeous bouquet of flowers from the market. :-)
 After some more pool time in the afternoon, because what else is there to do when it's 100 degrees (!), we went to church then headed to Midtown for the Italian Fest. I was so excited to go, but left after staying only a few minutes (and paying $13, grrr). Memphis is weird about its festivals. Unless you know the right people there's no point in going. :-( Just like BBQ Fest, the Italian Fest involved a park full of tents where cliques of people meet to cook, eat, and not share their food. Ugh. However, the night was not all lost because we wound up at The Elegant Farmer which Will had learned about at the market earlier that day. The owner is a board member of the farmer's market and makes all the dishes in his restaurant using, almost exclusively, ingredients from the market. We shared a beet and goat cheese salad as an appetizer; catfish, roasted cauliflower puree, and bok choy for the entree; then key lime pie for dessert. It was fantastic! Plus, the owner Mack was super friendly and excited that we were getting involved with the market. He definitely made up for the snobbishness we had felt at the Italian Fest!
I am always being reminded that it isn't easy to make new friends. I still often find myself feeling a bit out-of-place down here - the lonely Northern vegetarian in a world of BBQ, tornadoes, and cliquish festivals. Then I remind myself that things can get better, it just takes time. There's some exciting possibilities for getting more involved in the market and making new friends there. Plus, our church just announced that they are planning on buying food trucks to deliver meals to the needy in the city. Will and I were both excited about the prospect of getting involved in that project!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

The Big D! (ie. Dallas!)

So sorry! I totally meant to post an update about my fun, fun, fun trip to Dallas but a few things kept delaying it. :-/ Anyways! Here goes! So, after work on Friday we packed our bags and bikes into the back on my little Jeep and drove the 7.5ish hours to downtown Dallas, with plenty of coffee and a great driving companion :-), the hours didn't seem so long at all.
Saturday we headed to Fort Worth for the Kendall Art Museum. We had been looking for the Modern Art Museum but walked into this one by mistake. It was still worth a gander however! I fell in love with this piece in a series on Willows by Monet and even scored the print. Will also picked up a print of one of his favorites so now we have a fun framing project for this weekend. After some art, we headed to the Rahr and Son's brewery tour. The place was packed! (Which, is not too much of a surprise... they're beer was tasty!)

We hadn't quite gotten our art fill yet so we went back to the first plaza and found the Modern Art Museum. The pic below is from inside this giant metal structure they had outside the museum.

After being so "artsy-fartsy", we took our bikes out for a spin an a trail in between Fort Worth and Dallas. It felt good to get outside and burn off a few extra calories. For dinner, we found this classy little place within walking distance from our hotel and were particularly impressed by the impeccably fresh Caprese Salad. Yum!!

Sunday was focused in Dallas. We started the day the Dallas Farmer's Market (which was much bigger than the Memphis one!) bought a few plums, enjoyed an ear of freshly roasted corn, and tasted the wares of a few of the friendliest of the vendors.
My Sweetie with some sweet corn!
 Next we set off to the Aquarium - sharks and penguins and sea dragons - oh my!
Sea Dragon! 
After chilling at the pool a bit after the kid induced craziness that is the Aquarium, we found a local comedy club to check out. We got there just a minute late and were seated practically on top of the stage, ie. "the hot seat"! It was totally hilarious! A couple comedians picked on us a bit, but nothing too bad.
Monday it was time to make the long journey home. Unfortunately, I caught a bit of a stomach bug (I may never eat tofu again...) so I wasn't feeling to "hott", but luckily I have an awesome boyfriend, who didn't complain once while I snoozed in the passenger seat the entire drive home.