Food Efficiency

2/10/11

I was walking down a street and took a stairway down to another street that was closed to vehicle traffic because a woman was pushing a wheelbarrow down it. There was even one of those flashing signs that warn you when there are cars present with a lady pushing a wheelbarrow instead.

She was expecting someone and assumed it was me. She started telling me about what she had planned and asking me questions that had nothing to do with me. But she was really excited and had me follow her through this maze of cars and driveways until we got to this enclosed porch.

It was pretty big with two levels and a couch and lots of tables covered in books and magazines and these big bowls of food.

She had told me that this week was chicken and she had made all sorts of different things. She had me grab a napkin and then she ran up to the second level behind this massive bowl of what looked like mac n cheese and grabbed a handful (with her hands) and told me to try it. So I like bend over to eat it out of her hands, and she was all, NO silly, use the napkin and a fork! So I let her put it on my napkin and I ate it and it was really good. And then she was like, OH, try this one. And led me around to each massive bowl full of what looked like pasta in each one. And I tried each one. And I thought about telling Tony because Tony loves free food. Also, this woman was Native American.

Then other people start showing up and the woman sits down on the couch and she grabs this poster thing and asks me to sit next to her. And she hands me a blanket. So I sit next to her and she starts telling me about the attached house and how it’s like a community building and they’re trying to make it more energy efficient. She shows me photos of the insulation they started putting in the walls and then asks me about the importance of putting it in the attic and basement. I tell her that it’s essential to put it on the floor of the attic and ceiling of the basement, but it doesn’t require as much insulation as the walls. Then I start talking about caulking cracks and outlet covers and she stops me to tell me that I never tried the “greasy one” at the end of the table. So I get up and try to fold the blanket, but she just takes it from me and flings it on to the couch. I go over to the “greasy one” and it looks kind of like brownies. I try to take a piece and it’s stuck to the foil underneath. I grab a napkin and get the hunk onto it and look more closely and it’s like rice and stuff. And it is greasy. But it’s good.