Food, drink and an unusual encounter with a stranger

What's new with you? I mean, other than the rushing about with the holidays coming up. I'm never super enthusiastic about Christmas until it starts getting closer. But now it is. Getting closer...so excitement builds and then even the horrific traffic doesn't discourage me. Woo-hoo! Maybe we will have some visit time with our son and his wife. Here's hoping.

Let's just catch up a bit here. Food, drink and an unusual encounter with a stranger .... Food first.

Here is a non traditional breakfast idea for when you just can't face another bowl of cold cereal at the ass crack of dawn...especially the chilly mornings. Avocado Toast.



I first saw this on Janel Gradowski's site HERE and thought, gotta try it! I toasted some bread and spread a good helping of creamy avocado and sprinkled a bit of smoked paprika. Looks very Christmasy doesn't it? Green and red.

Now the drink (non-alcoholic) Salted Caramel Coffee - another treat! I have been reading about salted caramel on various foodie sites but had never had opportunity to try it. Then it was an obsessison to find a place selling said treat.



I loved it. Next time I am trying it cold, as in a frap.

Ok, I have a story on this photo here below. This was taken from outside our gate, a stones throw across the street. (For the record, I am not in this photo)



A few days ago we were walking the shibas. It was around 7:45 a.m. We see this woman walking down the road which, by the way, is not a common sight as we are out in a rural area. She was a large woman, greasy hair tied back, wearing a hoodie and green surgical pants. Looked like she had a story I didn't want to hear. When you aren't used to seeing people walking up the road you tend to regard them with suspicion.

Once we got closer she walked up to us and said,

“Don’t ever go to Plant City, I was robbed there.”

What an interesting opening for a conversation. Perhaps she could write a book on ice breakers at cocktail parties. (Plant City is a good 300 miles from Havana, just as a matter of pint and reference here)

She then asked if she was headed in the correct direction to toward Havana. She said she was hitchhiking and her parents were expecting her. Doug (being the kinder of us) offered to call someone and she declined and said she’d just head down the road. She then stated her father probably could not find Havana as he was bad at directions. (Now she'd just stated her parents were there and expecting her)

Then she walked to the woods across from our house and stared into them. Closely. As if she didn’t want a passing car to see her face. Very weird! She would have had a good 10 miles to walk before reaching Havana. So we left her standing there across the street, face glued to the trees. Once inside our gate we saw a police car and an ambulance pull up. I wandered out and took this photo...evidence for my boss as to why we would most likely be late.

Surprisingly, they spoke to her and left her.

She just wandered on down the road. By the time we left for work we saw another police car cruise in the direction she walked but there wasn't any sign of her.

Ok, that's my odd story for the week (I hope)...share one with me. Please. I know there must be some great stories out there with the holidays shoppers and angst.