…when I sat down to write this post. Seriously: it has been downright almost kind of cold-ish down here, and today we are having black skies and persistent rains and you would nearly think it could be fall or even almost winter. I know! Spooky! My air conditioning is not even on right now.

I had, for the most part, the lovely, low-key Thanksgiving holiday of my dreams. I stayed home, watched a lot of movies and read some books, and cooked some good food for myself. I wasn’t planning on going all out for dinner or anything, since it was just going to be me, but when the grocery store didn’t have the protein I’d been looking for, I wound up getting flustered and I just decided on the spot to buy a Tofurky.



Yes, one of these. I’ve made one once before, and it’s just ridiculously easy and tastes really good. Surprisingly good. I’m not usually interested in processed boxed foods, but this is a rare exception.



I put that together with some of the usual vegetable fare from my CSA farm’s bountiful Thanksgiving-week harvest and came up with this:



It. Was. Great. Those little carrots were delicious.



I just love any roasted vegetable, but carrots are a particular favorite.

I also made myself a vegan pumpkin pie (recipe here), which was delicious as well — so delicious, in fact, that I am downright relieved to have finally eaten the last piece. I mean, as long as it was around, I had to keep eating it. To be forced to eat a piece of pumpkin pie every night after dinner? I tell you; life is hard.

The short break, however, is over. We are back in classes this week with final exams to follow. While I cling desperately to the memories of cozy pajamas and books and couches and pie, life and the fall semester march relentlessly on. Eyes forward; both hands on the wheel: work and grading and paperwork and clean eating and good hydration and no more silly happy hours. I’ve got a semester to finish and, oh yeah, a marathon training program to complete.

In eleven days, I will be done with both the semester and the marathon, and then, my friends, then! There will be blood. And champagne. Mostly champagne.