Who'da Thunk it?

There was no physical therapy for me today but that does not mean my Sunday was without adventure. I took a long nap in the morning...no, that's not one of the adventures. AFter lunch this afternoon I was visited by a young man from the kitchen. He said he didn't know anything about vegan cooking but he wants to know more. He said we're having sloppy joes for dinner and he knows I could not have that. I said but yes, I could - just replace the meat with chili beans or corn or rice or whatever looks like a good texture for it. He said he had never thought of that, and that he wants to be sure I get enough protein. I said fruit is about the only thing that doesn't have protein in it. He was surprised by that. So, I said, don't worry about it. He was surprised and pleased and headed back to the kitchen. Not much later he returned, saying he had come up with a dish with brown rice and mixed vegetables and it is simmering on the stove and he thinks it is going to be good! So that was a real pleasure. It is so rare for a cook in an institution to be curious. Mostly they just want to be rid of me. I understand that, but frankly, with all of the versions of diets these days it is a lot easier, I think, to go the curious route than the woe is me. Later I was surprised by a visit from Kristen! Carrying a decaf soy mocha! My wish!! She also brought a vegan cookie, which I am saving for a little later, after dinner if I can resist that long. We had a nice little chat and she went on her way. As if my heart could stand all the adventure, I went into the living area, where the rec person was showing a man named Wally how to use the Wii. I stepped in to offer myself as another player and the rec person took this as an opportunity to turn it over to me. So I bowled with Wally while she went on walks with other residents, checking in from time to time, and while some other residents watched us from the sidelines. Nobody else wanted to play, but maybe they will next week. I won one game and Wally won the next. Kris also brought some magazines. One is Veg News, to which I subscribe. I might offer it to the person from the kitchen - or not. The recipes are often aimed at people like me, who really enjoy cooking. In any case, it's a good one to have around here for others to read. And that's just how it is here at the ever-exciting SLO Transitional Care Center.