The Walk to Nugget

I intended to walk 3 miles after work last evening, which I estimated would take about an hour. But M suggested we have Chicken Salad for dinner, which required crunchy chow mien noodles to top it with. "Why don't you walk down to Nugget and get some?" he suggested - so I did. It took me longer than I expected: 45 minutes of brisk walking. I called him as I left the store to let him know I'd be a little late getting back, and he said, "change of plans - we don't have enough chicken."

Ooohhh!

So I walked 45 minutes back with a can of crunchy chow mien noodles, a bottle of lite soy sauce, and a packet of Chinese chicken salad seasoning - then heated up leftover spaghetti for dinner, which we consumed at about 8:15 p.m. And the battery in my Zen Nano ran out of juice, so I couldn't even enjoy the consolation of a good story.

Google Pedometer said it's 2 miles to Nugget, 4 miles RT. My right knee has been complaining all day. I wonder if I'm actually going to make this half-marathon! My training plan shows a 5 mile walk this weekend - hope I can do it! The gel ice-pack is my friend!

Watermelon Days at Nugget

Our local grocery store, The Nugget, has always mounted interesting seasonal displays. Tonight, I spotted this bed of a pickup truck heaped high with watermelons. I wish I knew where they get their antiques. The beer, for example, is displayed inside a really old icebox, and their soaps in an old footed porcelain bathtub.

We give the store lots of business, because we feel they offer the freshest produce as well as an eclectic selection of common and regional items, including fresh papayas and pineapples from Hawaii (at $5 per fruit). The staff is known for its friendly customer service, and regular shoppers are rewarded with discount coupons a couple times a year and with a free poinsettia plant at Christmastime.

The Nugget Truckbed

Here's the same truck bed that showcased a pile of watermelons in the Nugget Market the other day - now it's featuring asparagus, onions, potatoes and flowers.

Fresh produce is abundant now, with summer in full swing. The Farmer's Market in Cesar Chavez Park attracts hundreds of shoppers every Wednesday afternoon. I haven't visited it yet, because it is on the same day as my Weight Watchers meeting.

Mudder Spotted in Nugget Parking Lot

After dropping Laurel off at Brannan and waving the busload of 8th graders off on their weeklong adventure in DC and NYC, Marty and I went to Nugget to buy some seafood for dinner - something the kids don't like, so we generally don't buy. There, parked right in front of us, was this pickup - covered grille to tailgate in thick mud! I guess there's a story there, but I don't know what it is.

Feeding the Fish

Discovered our local Nugget Market's recycle area this afternoon - art, fun and green all rolled into one package! The blue bins are inside, and the top of the case is labeled for paper, plastic, and can recyclables just in front of each fish. Seriously fun!