Lotsa Hiking and My Food Fixes

The cold and drizzly weather of last last weekend depressed me a bit. And when it’s cold, my house is freezing! Only under extreme conditions i.e. sub-50 degrees will my parents consider turning on the thermostat. Saves energy, money, etc. and I suppose it is better to take a brisk walk or run outdoors than stay bundled up in the house, sedentary. 

So outdoors I went! First, I took Berry on a long 40-min walk before lunch in the morning. After a rather early lunch, I hiked up into the Berkeley Hills at around 1pm with my mom. On the way, we browsed around inside a new pharmacy that opened near my house. Nothing super cool, but they did have interesting flavors of Clif Bars for only 99 cents each, which is comparable to grocery store prices. I may be returning in the near future for more Energy Bar Review fuel…

Before meeting up with some college pals in downtown Berkeley, I ran out of the house again at around 3pm for a really quick 20-min run. I was planning to have a run-free rest day, but when you got da urge, you gotta run! Anyone with me? 

Once my two friends and I congregated on campus, what did we decide to do? Hike the fire trails! We got a peek at the new Memorial Stadium on the way up. I will be impressed if they manage to finish the stadium in time for the start of the football season, as it looked like they were still in full-blown construction mode. Secret fact about me: I have never been to a football game (if Tightwad Hill doesn’t count.) I know, a sadly small amount of school spirit right here. 

Anyhoo, surely you agree with me that the “Lotsa Hiking” part of this post title is valid. 

Hungry hikers eat sushi for dinner: 

Spicy salmon roll (drool)

I did not snap a photo of the spider roll in time...

CU Sushi was packed, which is always a promising feature of a restaurant. 

My definite favorite was the spicy salmon roll. We also shared a spider roll and Lion King roll. 

I will digress now and explain to you my “foodie fixes:”

1. My most frequent and desperate craving is for Mexican. Specifically, burritos. If there’s anything remotely burrito-like on a menu, i.e. wraps, breakfast burrito, etc. I will choose that item, which helps resolves the inevitable restaurant menu indecision. I can still remember the experience of the best burrito I’ve ever had.

2. My runner-up most frequent cravings would probably be for Indian food, and then Japanese (I probably crave sushi less often just because it is more expensive.) My favorite curry is anything with spinach, which I’ve learned is “palak” or “saag.” Is it sad that I’ve learned other languages by studying restaurant menus?  

3. These fixes all pepper the constant background that is delicious Chinese food. Mom-made Chinese food that I missed oh-so-much during my stint as a real college student who can’t go home every weekend in Boston this summer. 

And now you know the way to Amy’s heart/stomach. 

After dinner, we walked past Cinnaholic with plans to indulge in delicious, tremendously sweet vegan cinnamon buns, but they were closed and thus we were devastated. 

At my suggestion, we ended up at nearby PIQ Bakery for scrumptious pastries (although I was pretty full so I resisted) and another two hours of chatting into the night.