I’m still trying to get through the jet lag. The change back from Daylight savings time doesn’t help. It is 5:15 on Sunday evening and I feel like I could call it a day and go to sleep. I just keep pressing through. I’m sure this feeling of needing to go to sleep at 5p and waking up at 3a feeling like it’s noon will pass. In the meantime, I am just living my life. And, a great life at that.
We broke open some of the Gouda cheese I brought home and had it with the Belgian beer I found at BevMo. I was thrilled to find the Delirium Tremens beer yesterday. (I was even happier to see it for less at Cost Plus today.) The cheese is amazingly creamy and delicious. I don’t remember Gouda cheese tasting that way. Maybe it is more processed for the US. Maybe it’s the kind I bought. I don’t know. What I do know is that it was and is ridiculously delicious. We have some left over that I want to savor.
This morning we woke up early and took our time getting it together. Since I got home I have been making it a point of taking a long walk everyday. I don’t want to lose that fit feeling I have after walking the streets of Amsterdam. I am really enjoying walking. Life in Los Angeles, at least for me, just isn’t set up for a walking lifestyle. I need to find places where I can add it into my daily life. Today, we ended up walking down to the Farmer’s Market at 3rd and Fairfax. I have been going there since I was a child. I have wonderful memories. Even with the addition of The Grove, it is still a wonderful place. The walk from our apartment makes it approximately a 3 mile round trip walk. In some ways it felt really far. It’s a slow incline back. There aren’t hills in Amsterdam (save for the tiny cobblestone bridges) so I felt the slight burn but it was a good burn. We got there before all the stores and kiosks opened and before the huge Sunday crowds. I love Los Angeles early in the morning, especially on the weekends, because most people sleep in. Restaurants don’t normally get busy before 10a. We ate at Charlie’s at the West end of the Farmer’s Market. We had our pick of the tables. I am sure the person who designed the chairs for the Farmer’s Market is Dutch as they are very small and definitely not made for comfort. Maybe they don’t want people to linger longer than it takes to eat a meal. They also seem very, very old. When I sit on them I always give them a little test to be sure they feel sturdy. Then I sit gingerly. Today was fine. I ordered our breakfast and staked out our spot and John went and got us coffee’s from Starbucks. I love being with him!
Then we walked through the Farmer’s Market as the kiosks opened. The crepe stand was packed, as usual. 
It is definitely a favorite for most people. Every person I told we were going or had gone to the Farmer’s Market mentioned the crepe restaurant. I love looking at the fruit and vegetable stands there. Even if I’m not shopping I find the displays to be like works for art.
After being in Amsterdam and drinking as much coffee as I did, I have a yen for a Nespresso machine. My sister has one and it got a lot more use while I was visiting. I love the idea of making a perfect cup of coffee every time. Especially, now that I am drinking a couple of cups (or four) a day. In Amsterdam, we walked to the big department store to buy more coffee and I loved the whole concept. I was first introduced to the Nespresso machines at Thanksgiving last year at John’s Aunt’s. It is just a great cup of coffee. So, today I was thrilled to see they had the Nespresso machines at Sur La Table. John wanted to go in and look around. We had a great sales person talk to us about the machines. He made John a cup of his choice of coffee and he was sold the minute he took a whiff and a sip. It isn’t something we are going to jump into buying this minute. With the holidays coming up it is more likely than if he had tried it in July.
Tomorrow is Monday. A new day. I will get up and walk and then go to the dentist. Then the day is my oyster. I have some things to think about. It will be a good day to take stock of what’s next as that is the ongoing theme of my days.