A thousand chores... DONE!

[susandennis]

I did not go out today. I did go down to the dumpsters 3 times so faux out. But, mainly I did house shit and a ton of it. The kitchen is clean, the laundry is done and folded and put away, a million little pick-this-up-that-has-been-out-for-a-week-and-put-it-where-it-belongs. I cleaned up the sewing room and organized the two projects going on there plus changed out the thread in the serger. I cleaned out the litter box.

And, can I just say, paying for non-cheap litter is so worth it. I have always bought pretty much the cheapest litter in the most convenient form factor. I don't like the bags, so no bags, but if it's got a handle and it's cheap, I bought it. Then I bought cheap light weight litter. And finally, last time I emptied out all the litter and scrubbed the box and its cabinet completely, I refilled with the high priced spread. (Specifically Fresh Step Lightweight Extreme Scented Litter with the Power of Febreze, Clumping Cat Litter.) It smells better, it really does clump more efficiently and she does not track half of it out with her every time. Worth the extra shekels for sure.

Not worth the shekels are the peaches and tomatoes we get around here even in peach and tomato season. The Japanese grocery has some of the highest quality produce in town. Yesterday I bought peaches there (only two - I knew the risk) and, sure enough, the flavor is reminiscent of peach but also of cardboard with a bitter after taste. It's ripe. It's just bad. I gave up on tomatoes entirely several years ago. I'm not a big fruits and veg person but this time of year, I'd about kill for a New Jersey tomato.

Comments

[roasted-beets.livejournal.com]

We escaped from NJ to Maine in '97. The ONLY thing I miss are the tomatoes.

[susandennis]

i hear that. someday someone's going to figure out how to ship them overnight Oh, Amazon???!!! I'm lookin' at you.

[river57.livejournal.com]

Jersey tomatoes are the best! I'd kill for one here in Florida, too.

[ragnarok-08.livejournal.com]

Well done!

[meowmensteen]

Now that I grow my own tomatoes, I can't buy them from the stores. Once you've tasted a good tomato, you can't go back to grocery store tomatoes. Ever.

[river57.livejournal.com]

Amen, sister

[rsc.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised that you can't get decent tomatoes or peaches in Washington.

Around here, we only buy peaches at farmers' markets or farmstands, making sure that they're local. Peaches that have been shipped any significant distance have been picked too early and are pretty much invariably no good.

Supermarket tomatoes are pretty consistently useless. Supermarkets, apparently, have their "regular" suppliers and won't switch to getting local tomatoes in tomato season. Early in summer we sometimes buy farmstead tomatoes, but we grow our own cherry tomatoes, and at this time of year we're up to our ears in them. They are *so* good. (Still, by mid-September we'll be tired of them, but past experience says that they won't be tired of producing.)

[susandennis]

It's the dirt. BUT mainly it's the sun and heat. We don't have enough of either consistently to make good tomatoes or peaches.

Our farmers markets and the Japanese market get from the same peops. The Japanese market is just cheaper :)

That said, tomorrow I'm actually going to go to one of our farmers markets and see what they've got. I'm not hopeful.

I'm ok with cherry tomatoes but they are, to me, a different animal than say a Big Boy or just any large tomato grown in the right place with the right conditions.

[opakele.livejournal.com]

Don't get me started on cantaloupe!

My grandmother spoiled us on fresh tomatoes, peaches and cantaloupe from the farm in Iowa.

I've wondered if a trip east of the mountains, here, at the right time of year, to buy properly ripened produce would be worth it.

[susandennis]

That's a very good wonder.

[ani-mama.livejournal.com]

I grew up near peach orchards, so a bad supermarket peach seems like the most awful thing. We actually have peach orchards in our corner of Washington, so the local markets have excellent peaches. The best ones are still straight from the orchard though. It is about an hour drive, but worth a visit or two every summer.

[susandennis]

I spent lots of years in and near the peach country of South Carolina.

Here's a picture of the town's water tower.



Right from the orchard, skin and all, dripping down your elbow... THE BEST.

[ani-mama.livejournal.com]

Haha, love that water tower.

Yup, I have fond memories of evening walks with my parents through the peach orchards. The peaches from the local orchards here are pretty good too. We buy 20 pounds at a time and it is all gone within a few days, LOL.

[dimity-blue.livejournal.com]

Expensive catlitter is definitely worth the price! The one I use isn't dusty and that makes such a difference.

[susandennis]

oh yes, the dust or lack of it. I totally forgot about that. WAY better.

I found and bought more of the good stuff yesterday. I didn't even look at the price. :)