Many memories feature a stop at Wawa and the sight of the goose flying across the sunset brings them back every time.

Wawa is at the top of my list of places I wish were near me. It is a castle of fresh goodness, open 24 hours a day, and always lively. Here are three examples. The hoagies are fresh, made to order, any time of day. In the afternoon, nothing beat a shorti to get you through to dinner time. Or, say you've been out on a late night milk drinking romp with your mates, and you are feeling a bit peckish. Good luck getting your swanky bar to open the kitchen up at 2:30 am. Head to Wawa instead for a nice hoagie with chips. A second thing I like about Wawa is the coffee. I prefer the dark roast, but there is always a battery of about 12 pots of various flavors waiting for you, night and day. No venti, latte, mocha, soy, cheese, hold the garbanzo beans...this is a working man's cup of coffee. Third, cow tails. If you have never had a cow tail, stop reading and go try one. If you have had one, then you know I am speaking from the gospel here. Wawa carries the widest assortment of cow tails I have ever seen -- mini bites, 3" snack size, and what I like to call "the bull whip" sized which is almost as long as a slim jim.

Deborah Madison has compiled what I feel is the "Joy of Cooking" for vegetarians. While I am not a vegetarian, many cookbooks see vegetables as side dishes rather than main features of the meal. Deborah catalogs all vegetables worth eating, describes how to pick the freshest varieties, and offers scrumptious and easy preparations. One lesson I am grateful for is her chapter on cooking with tofu. She offers a slew of tips and tricks that helped us integrate more soy into our diets.

The shoes I am wearing right now are Adidas hybrid running trail shoes. Looking first at the color, they are black, grey, and orange. I think this says a lot about my mood right about now. The black is a traditional color, it says," Look out, I mean business." The grey could symbolize a little bit of accent or perhaps the little pieces that are missing right now from my life. And the orange is my pizazz. It's the little bit of flair that makes me smile when I see the glint of color in my peripheral vision as I walk down the street. Looking now at the tread of the shoe, the construction points to a few of my physical abilities. First, the trail tread. The rugged trail tread ensures that my clumsy side will not fall up stairs (yes, falling *UP* stairs is something I have been known to do). It also makes sure that I will be ready for whatever terrain I might encounter. In southern California this could be very useful in the event you need to run from riots, duck through earthquake rubble, or hit the trail to avoid wildfires. As for the running aspect of the shoe, well, that is so I can get places quickly. I am not horribly fast, so I need all the help I can get. Generally speaking, I have really been favoring my shoes/boots of late. They seem more mature while the sneakers just seem very casual. Don't get me wrong though, a pair of sneakers can be very comfortable while grocery shopping or studying for exams. Which, sadly, is where I must go now.