What do we do when we're alone?

Not lonely, but having 24 hours without anyone else around, thanks to my dearest husband, who whisked the Juj off to the in-laws for a week before school starts up again. G-man comes back today, and then we'll go get the kiddo later in the week, but for one blissful day, I can do whatever I want without having to worry about when anyone else needs to eat, or sleep, or make noise, or be entertained, or anything!

So what did I choose?

First, a long overdue but admittedly not-that-great chick flick at the dollar movie theater.  Seriously - I paid ONE dollar to see this movie. So I don't have to worry about whether I got my money's worth. And yes, Virginia, this franchise is tied to a lifestyle that I can no longer identify with, even vicariously. And, uh, could we MAYBE keep the mic out of the shots, people? Still, an OK escapist matinee, although glad that I only paid a buck, and that I didn't inflict it on anyone else.

Then, a throwback to my misbegotten hippie youth, by way of dinner at bliss raw cafe & elixir bar. Not only was it totally Berkeley-Oregon-commune in look and vibe and taste, but there was XM Classic Vinyl playing my song(s) the whole time.

I managed to drop a small bundle, despite the fact that there was no steak, lobster or sushi involved. But I really enjoyed it, from the Cordial Sampler (Chocolate Bliss, Goji Paradise, and Hemp Horchata superfood elixirs) to the salad and raw corn bisque, to the OMG delicious decadent chocolate-coconut 'cheezecake' (but also OMG $9? no wonder the dessert menu isn't printed!) and a Noni Fire shot to round things out.

The reviews on Yelp said the seating was outdoors, but there is a little inside "bar" area as well, which did have a modicum of air conditioning. I found the service gracious, and the plates were beautifully presented (sort of in contrast to the laid-back atmosphere). Not entirely sure I'd go back, and I certainly wouldn't inflict it on my family, but I did like it. (Did find some controversial comments about the management online, which turns me off a bit, although who knows which side is telling "the truth"?)

Rounded out the evening with a pilgrimage to Lush. Which just doesn't feel the same since they exploded with stores all over the U.S., but I did pick up a couple of lulling lavender bath bombs and bubble bars, and after 90 minutes of classic Cooking Channel shows (this is what FoodTV used to be!), I took a bath and went to sleep.

And now? A morning of bill paying / budget monitoring, reading the blogs online, then probably a break for exercise and shopping, and then I think I will need to do a bit of office catch-up as well.

Oh, and I'd better clean the cat boxes.