A Living Magazine - Prologue 5 - Good Giants and Bad Shrimp

This will be a very short post, because a I have quite a lot to do today again.

I ended up finding my jacket yesterday. It was exactly where I left it in Pleasanton. It looked so lonesome and vulnerable all folded up and waiting for me. The song "Reunited" (1978, Peaches and Herb).

I also went to the 99 Ranch Market (an Asian market in Pleasanton). David Sixsmith brought me there once when we were buying crab. It has tons and tons of exotic stuff for low prices. I figured I could spend about $5.00 and buy an interesting lunch. So I bought a cooked package of shrimp and some giant oyster mushrooms. The plan was to cut the mushrooms into round slices, plop some Hoisin sauce on each, then add a piece of shrimp. Little hors d'oeuvres...

When I got back down to Main Street and sat at the park to eat, I smelled something extra fishy. I figured it was just the smell of the bag. Since the 99 is always processing seafood, perhaps the smell had just attached itself.

But no... When I cut off the plastic wrap on the shrimp the odor was disturbingly strong. But even worse, was the smell of ammonia. It was like they had marinated the shrimp in it. I tried a few shrimp tails and they tasted OK if I plugged my nose. My stomach was telling my brain not eat any more.

Now, I knew that sometimes Asian food is fermented or aged and that can cause the smell, but this was just boiled shrimp. I tossed them. That left me with five giant mushrooms. I sliced a couple and ate then with the sauce. Pretty filling. I was surprised. These had dense flesh, and with the Hoisin really reminded me of a steak flavor.

Fortunately, I never got sick from the shrimp. And I still have 3 mushrooms back at the campsite. Another good lesson!

Typical Wheels Bus Map at a stop

I took the bus back to Livermore and worked outside the Safeway via their internet connection, and then headed to the Arroyo Trail for the night. I know my way all around that area now. I walked over the dried river, across the tree branches and through the sharp-seeded grass and into my little area. I said "Honey, I'm home!" The mocking bird rustled in his tree and let out a few tired chirps, with only a few bells and whistles.

The night was much cooler. I was thankful to have my jacket back. Sleep was no problem and I awoke this morning to the same birdy-alarm clock at 5:00 sharp. By the way, he seems to do a great cuckoo impression!

Pack up was fast and I collected any trash from my backpack, and around in the grass, and walked it down town to Civic Center Park - a place I like to hang out sometimes in the mornings - then collected any trash there, before disposing of it outside the library.

My secret hangout place at Civic Center Park

I placed this here weeks ago...

Then, it was downtown to buy my coffee and do some writing. I finally bought good batteries for the camera, so there should be more pictures soon! On the way back to the library I bought a Subway sandwich that was a little light on ingredients...

Slim pickins...

The rest of the day was spent working at the library, where I am now, just about to go visit Sheryl and say good by to David who is leaving town and won't be back until I'm gone. I'm running out money. I have a strong feeling that I will be walking out of Livermore with little more than i had leaving Portland, Maine. I am just hoping that as I report from the REAL road, people will be inspired to help out, or at least share these posts! Thanks for reading.