Like a vegetarian in a meat market...

Trying to order a wheat-free meal in a restaurant is an exercise in patience. More often than not, you are isolated in the salad portion of the menu, sans croutons. I guess that's healthy and all, but hey, every so often I need something smothered in melted cheese, OK?! Enter nachos...so long as the tortilla chips are of the corn variety, you are usually safe. Rice-based dishes abound, but watch for those of the Asian persuasion, because then the soy sauce could get you.

Grocery shopping becomes a bit like detective work, too, as you scrutinize every label for wheat and its derivatives. Labelling has become much better, with warnings for common allergens, but the ingredient scan is hard habit to break.

Fortunately, many stores have specific sections (albeit small ones) which contain wheat-safe products. A handful of restaurants have offerings catering to the needs of the wheat-challenged, as well.

Some of my faves:

Trader Joe's - Grocery store of the gods, they publish a list of their gluten-free products (not the same as wheat-free, but it is usually covered here). The Organic Brown Rice Pasta is awesome, though does not translate well in cold pasta dishes.

Hawthorne Fish House - All sorts o' fish & chips, all made with rice flour. Safe for me, and damned tasty, too. Will even satisfy you Portland flour eaters out there. Do try the deep fried cheese curds...gooey heaven!

Old Spaghetti Factory - Did you read that correctly? Oh yes. They recently began offering a gluten-free pasta as a substitute in their standard spaghetti dishes. I no longer need to deny myself my occasional mizithra and clam sauce indulgence.

I am still searching for a really good pizza crust recipe/mix...

Musical Cubes

Reorganization is becoming a way of life. The business world is certainly not for the faint of heart. Evolution on a very small scale and at a much quicker pace than found in nature...enough to make anyone a little dizzy.

We'll get through this, too.

Adventures in Sweeping

I don't need to explain this special phenomenon to anyone who owns a cat and hardwood floors. You manage to crouch down to get the broom under any piece of furniture, only to pull it back out...with a brand new cat attached. I'm not sure how a creature so small can produce a fuzz farm like this. I affectionately refer to the fluffy creations as 'tumblecats'. If you have them, you understand.

SEE THEM BLOWING AROUND
SO QUICKLY FORMED ON THE GROUND
ON THE END OF MY BROOM THEY ARE FOUND
DRIFTING ALONG ARE THE TUMBLING TUMBLECATS

CARES OF CLEAN FLOORS ARE BEHIND
NOWHERE THAT I WILL NOT FIND
A CAT HERD THAT BOGGLES THE MIND
DRIFTING ALONG ARE THE TUMBLING TUMBLECATS

I KNOW WHEN CLEANING IS DONE
THAT A NEW CAT GANG FORMS AT DAWN

I'LL KEEP FLOATING ALONG
TRYING TO BUTCHER THIS SONG
UNDER MY COUCH I BELONG
DRIFTING ALONG WITH THE TUMBLING TUMBLECATS.