Weird Days

It's so weird.

It's so weird that we can't see our friends.

It's so weird that our libraries are closed.

It's so weird that on a Sunday afternoon one says, "Do we have a hoops game to listen to . . . oh wait."

It's so weird that this is really just the beginning of it all.

It's so weird.

But what isn't weird and what isn't changing is we have today. We have this. We have this bizarre new reality and we have . . .

. . . an avocado . . .

. . . although we no longer have that . . .

. . . because we ate it.

. . . and we have leftie pizza . . .

. . . although we no longer have that . . .

. . . because we ate it.

But we do have .  . . . . . .  .

. . . books
. . . and audio books
. . . and streaming movies and shows
. . . and wine
. . . plenty of wine
. . . (I hope)
. . . and arugula
. . . so much arugla

. . . okay maybe I did not buy enough TP. Maybe I didn't, during this Great TP Crisis of 2020. Maybe I'll be the chump standing on the side of the road holding out bags of arugula in the hope of trading it out for toidy papes . . .

. . . but in the meantime . . . 

. . . did you go outside yesterday?

Because what we *do* have  .. . . 

 . . . is early Spring.

 People, we have daffs.

So Happy Early Spring, everybody.

Please please take care of yourselves.

Big Plans

We had Big Plans with our good friend the Small Boy yesterday afternoon.

We were going to Field, we were going to play Ball, we were going to have ourselves a Time.

Our good friend the Small Boy, however, had other plans.

He doesn't go in for that whole napping-at-an-appointed time business. No, he's more into the napping-when-he's supposed-to-be-Fielding school of thought. The little rascal.

So we made do with slightly bigger but no less adorable friends.

Well, one is still kind of small . . .

. . . not as small as she used to be . . . (can you stand it?)

. . . but just as fun and sassy and interesting and hilarious as she always has been. And adorable.

We had Jacquie with us in a little rectangle . . .

. . . and I'm pretty sure some random menfolk down below tending to the fire . . .

. . . but mostly we sat on the deck and basked in the sun and talked about all the things and drank all the bubbly and had ourselves our own Time . . .

. . . but man, did we miss our good friend the Small Boy. And man, do we miss our good friends his spectacular moms.

We need to make more Big Plans.

Palm Trees and Maple Leaves

I swear I was here a few days ago . . .

I know, right?

Plus . . .

. . . fish tacos.

And moonie and Venus rising over palm trees and I know.

But now?

Now I get to watch Mr. Dibble making maple syrup.

Seriously.

This is what I get to do. Hell, this is what I choose to do.

There are perks, though . . .

. . . there is Jane . . .

. . . and there is Jane In Steam . . .

. . . I love Jane.

Oh, wait. There's Mr. Dibble again. Never mind him . . .

. . . except for his elixir . .

. . . which either catches sunlight beautifully or glows from within.

It's a pretty amazing set-up over there across the river . . .

. . . but it seems to me they could be using their brain power -- and their kid genius' brain power -- to create one whole hell of a lot more than maple syrup . . .

. . .  but that's just me.

But seriously. It looks like they could generate Life over there. At least an early form thereof . . .

Anyway. The earth-colored peoples were lovely . . .

. . . oh so lovely.

And the toys were trotted out . . .

. . . and the chickens gave us snacks . . .

. . . and the maple syrup? . . .

. . . well, I guess we'll have to wait and see about that.

And in the meantime?

I swear I was here a few days ago . . .

*Sigh*

Sandy Eggo

I'm here . . .

. . . and I may never leave . .

. . . I mean, why would I?

We're talking and laughing and singing -- in pretty great harmony, I might add -- and eating and drinking and laughing and crying and resting and planning and watching things and trying to figure out Life.

And, ohmygod, singing.

And, really, what else is there?

Except for missing Mistah and my peeps . . . seriously . . .

. . . what else is there?

Lefties

One million years ago, during our years on the road, we needed to pack it up and leave Gold Head state park and head for the hills and so I made dinner from all the lefties in the fridge . . .

Yes, we had a tiny refrigerator we carted around the country and plugged in when electricity was available. Of course we did.

I made Swiss cheese, pepperoncini, and sweet potato quesadillas.

And they were amazing.

They were so good that we bought the ingredients and made them -- willingly! -- again. Million dollar idea, right there.

You're welcome.

Flash forward to, well, yesterday, when we had nothing in the Frigidaire -- as Denise's Grandma Trudel called the icebox -- but I did have a bag of broccoli florets in the freezer that you can be sure had been used as an ice pack. And grated cheddar. And veggie burgers. Because, always always veggie burgers in the freezer.

I cooked the VBs, chopped them up, mixed them with the broccoli and cheese and red onion and . . .

. . . voilà. Pure brilliance.

They were preceded, of course, by an appetizer of every other thing we had in the Frigidaire spooned out into tiny little dishes . . .

. . . also purely brilliant.

And that was preceded earlier in the weekend by a Valentine's Night movie date with some of my favorite Galentines . . .

. . . (my other favorite Valentine took the photo. Natch.)

And then we all went to a charming piazza in Italy and basked in the sun . . .

. . . no we didn't. That's a pizza box. Mistah photographed it in the sun. It looks like it would be lovely there, though, doesn't it?

Right. I need to go to the grocery store.

Bulbous and Irregular

There are so many things that are bulbous and irregular in this world ...

I beg of you, do not look up that combination of words online -- the results are not good.

photo cred: stolen

Okay, wait, fruits and veggies are okay . . . 

photo cred: julie

. . . as is Julie's shallot . . .

. . . but the many photos of noses online you should not look up are not.

But mostly I mean philosophically, emotionally and intellectually, it's a bulbous and irregular world. For example:

The movie fest at the Garde? It's amazing. But every movie is bulbous. I volunteer to become an editor and cut every movie by 30 minutes.

You're welcome.

And irregular?

There are irregular heart beats, irregular trouser sizes, irregular verbs, irregular galaxies, irregular employment . . .

. . . and then there's me talking to Jacquie on the phone yesterday.
Hi Schnook!

Here's to bulbous and irregular.

And here's to the absence thereof.

Eat, Drink, Cook

You know how some people Eat, Pray, Love? Well, we don't.
We Eat, Drink, Cook. All the ding-dong day yesterday.

I was making chili for the Superb Bowl, because, of course. So I took the opportunity to make soup stock. And then I found red potatoes in the fridge so in they went, and then, since the oven was already on?

Jennie-inspired roasted broccoli rabe.

I know.

Wait, let me show you.

Welcome to my kitchen.

What was it I said? Oh yes . . .

I was making chili for the Super-Duper Bowl . . .

. . . so I took the opportunity to make soup stock . . .

. . . and then I found six wee red potatoes so roasted them . . .

. . . and since the oven was already on? Jennie-inspired roasted broccoli rabe . . .

. . . I know.

We ate the whole pan.

Here's the "after" of the potatoes, which we ate from the pan with toothpicks. Okay, I did.

We ate that whole pan too.

And here is part of the "Drink" part, although we were drinking neither Captain's Daughter nor any Grey Sail brewing beer, although their brewery is really fun.

We Ate, we Drank, we Cooked. We had a wonderful time with our wonderful friends and then we went to bed.

The End.