i started a new batch of mung beans. i used better beans this time, layered them on top of some cheesecloth inside of a plastic colander. i also put a plate on top of the beans to act as a weight, supposedly that makes them sprout even more. the only thing i didn't do was use my heat pad. if i did that, i wouldn't be able to tell if the beans sprouted because i used better beans or added heat. if this 2nd attempt is another failure, i will definitely use the heat pad next time.

after a chicken bake for lunch, i biked to market basket to get some groceries. temperature today was in the 40's, warm enough such that the dirty powdery snow on the roads had finally melted. i wore my rubber boots figuring there'd be plenty of pothole puddles i'd be splashing in. i got the bike from the basement, which i put into storage before saturday's snowstorm.

after returning home from market basket, i put my bike away back into the basement and came out to dig out a new parking spot. earlier i watched my neighbor jennifer finally dig out her car after leaving it buried since saturday. she pulled a dick move and dig out just enough to move her car to a new spot, leaving behind a partially cleared spot that no one else could park into. i took it upon myself to clear out the space, so neighbors won't be left with one fewer parking spot. it went faster than i expected, just half an hour was enough to remove the snow bank. it helped that the snow was soft from the warm temperature, and there was already a snow pile i could dump the snow onto. i got so warm i stripped down to just a t-shirt by the end, i got some exercise out of it.

i printed out some return labels, packaged up the 2 macy's purchases my mother had made, then walked down to the UPS store to return them. my mother called me just as i was walking back home, asking if i'd returned the items for her. i also bumped into my 2nd uncle, walking down to dollar tree. he was wearing gloves (the latex kind) and gave me a fist bump.

last night i started reading between two fires by christopher buehlman. i began at 1:30am and had to force myself to stop reading as it was almost 4am. it's about the story of a medieval knight who meets an orphan girl during plague time who may or may not be able to communicate with angels during a time when angels and demons are waging a secret war on earth. it's very well written, in a medieval voice, reminds me of game of thrones by george r.r. martin. anyway, stole some time in the late afternoon to read a few more chapters. can't wait to go to bed tonight so i can read some more.

for dinner i made some crispy teriyaki cauliflower. i basically followed this recipe i found online. i cut my cauliflower pieces much too large, so they didn't disappear but still looked like cauliflowers. i also added way too much teriyaki sauce, which made everything every salty. after finishing the cauliflowers, i threw out the remaining rice. next time i'll try using tofu instead, fry them up a little bit, and make my own sauce. i think all that sodium offset any health benefits from eating a vegetarian meal.