May 26, 2004

A Break in the Routine

Tonight I broke out of my usual Wednesday night routine of going to Curves, going home, having dinner, watching TV and going to bed, and did something different! Tonight was the official opening of the New and Improved Atascadero Farmer's Market, and mom and I decided to go to it. The Market used to be held Wednesdays from 3pm - 6pm in the Rite Aid parking lot, but it just wasn't very inviting or convenient. Now it will be held from 6pm - 9pm in a wide alley in the downtown area, which is much nicer! Many of the downtown shops are staying open later, so people have a chance to shop, and there's plenty of food and drink and even entertainment in the form of a local jazz band to add to the fun atmosphere.

I went straight home from work, changed into some comfortable clothes, and mom and I walked up to the Market. It was a beautiful evening - warm, but not too hot, with a light breeze to make it very comfortable. The girls softball teams practiced in the park, kids roller bladed or rode bikes up and down the street, and families were out for an evening stroll. It felt good to be out getting some fresh air, rather than cooped up in the house in front of the television! Mom and I agreed we'll have to do this sort of thing at least once a month.

The Market itself is quite small - only about a block long, as opposed to the SLO Market which is about three or four city blocks. Mom and I decided to have dinner at Frankie's Deli before checking out the produce, and found the usually quiet restaurant was very busy! We were happy to see that: we like Frankie's, and really want it to do well; so many quaint little eateries have come and gone without us having the opportunity to enjoy them. In another routine breaker, mom and I each enjoyed a glass of EOS Chardonnay with our dinner. It's rare that we drink during the week, but since we were walking, we figured we could get away with it!

After dinner, mom and I headed to the few produce stands in the market, and gathered up some delicious-looking vegetables for the coming week - carrots, cauliflower and zucchini - and after sampling some beautiful red, juicy, sweet strawberries, which the gentleman assured us were picked fresh this morning by his wife, we purchased a pint of the scrumptious berries. We also bought a bag of dry roasted almonds and a super-sized and sinfully delicious chocolate chip cookie. Once we had our purchased secured in the backpack I brought for just that purpose, we headed home. The walk felt really good, and was a nice change from just the usual routine!

Mom and I decided we need to do more of these routine-breaking activities. The Market on Wednesday is just one of the things we can do - there are going to be free concerts on Tuesday evening at the Lake Park coming up this summer, which sounds fun, too. We can go and walk around the lake, then have a BBQ dinner, and sit and listen to the band. We also want to do our own BBQing in the backyard, but those will mostly be on the weekends. Still, it'll be different, and that's exactly what we need.