Week 34

This week, Margot and I were each others' companions as Joel took Luna on business (his business, not hers) to the west side. We really lived it up, the cat and me. We watched all the ladies' shows on Netflix, slept in 10 minutes each morning, listened to the news while getting ready, and cuddled on the couch at the end of day (yes, even while I ate dinner). I think she might have missed the dog.

Not an optical illusion: she is resting her head on Luna's thigh

I relived the economy of my 20s. It was the return of a weird sort of dependent independence in which my schedule was dictated by the bus (Joel had the car), and my meals were inspired by what I had on hand. I had hoped to run some errands on my bike, but the smoky air kept me indoors. I got off the bus downtown each evening and relished that feeling of "Where should I go now?" I ended up just going home, aside from one trip to the library to return a book. Yes, a pretty exciting week, indeed. I did get a haircut and if you look closely, you might detect some rose-gold hues my stylist added, just for kicks and to start my transition from blonde to warmer colors for fall. I'm excited because it looks great with lipstick. I never really wore lipstick in my 20s.

Over a few days, I watched a lot, read a lot, listened to a lot, and made some good food. And I had one fun evening out with girlfriends at Ruins, which is conveniently located next to a bus stop.

I did not take many pictures.

Walking with the turkeys from the bus

When Joel got home, we took advantage of the Moderate level of air quality on Saturday to take Luna on a good walk, and to go on a bike ride to check out the Grain Shed (for beer sampling, though their bread looks divine), with a stop at Benniditos Brewpub for breadsticks and Kolsch. 

Watching

What a sweet little show Netflix made of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It felt like a Downton Abbey reunion show, so how can you go wrong. It's been years since I've read the book, so I don't know how faithful they were to the original story, but it was nothing but enjoyable to me.

I followed that with more brain fluff: Like Father with Kelsey Grammer and Kristin Bell. Gosh darn it, I enjoyed that, too. I even got a little teary-eyed during a karaoke scene.

When Joel returned on Friday, we continued our binge on The Staircase, a true-crime documentary following the death of writer Michael Peterson's wife, found dead at the bottom of the staircase in unusual circumstances in 2001. After all the stuff we've been listening to and reading about our brains and how our memories and cognitive biases deceive us, it's been an interesting watch. We have just a few more episodes to go.

Reading

I finished Walker Percy's Lancelot. What a trip; it was quite a random choice for me. Ultimately, I think I liked it because it was such a different kind of book for me. I felt my horizons expand a little reading it.

I'm quickly reading Mrs. Fletcher, a bit of a racy book that is a great page-turner for bus rides, as long as no one is looking over my shoulder. I picked it up while returning Lancelot at the library, remembering it was all the rage on summer booklists this year. I try not to read this on my lunch hour at Whitworth because I don't want to have to explain what I'm reading to my coworkers. (Now you're dying to know what it's about? Here's a synopsis.)

Recipes

Use-Up-the-Pantry Cereal bars

As I mentioned above, I solely cooked with what we had. I made a pasta concoction similar to my BLT Bowtie recipe, with basil, mozzarella, bacon and fresh tomatoes. I then unearthed some ground venison from the freezer and sautéed it with peppers and onions and Penzey's Adobo seasoning, then served it on brown rice. I used up some tasteless off-brand cereal and a number of other aging pantry ingredients (cocoa nibs, coconut, golden raisins, honey, almond butter, oats, toasted wheat germ) by turning them into cereal bars, based on a Bon Appetit recipe I'd been saving. 

When I at last returned to the store on Saturday morning, I got what was needed to make Next-Level Chicken Piccata on Saturday night, with a carrot salad, both from Cook's Illustrated. Neither Joel nor I had a good idea of what original-level tastes like, but this was delicious.

By the way, Deb Perelman explains exactly how I feel in this opinion piece.

Listening

I got hooked on the 20-minute daily podcast from the New York Times appropriately called "The Daily." I might be adding it to my very limited daily news consumption for its thoughtful exploration of current events.

Occasionally I listen to a podcast called "By the Book" in which two women read and live by the tenets of self-help books for two weeks. The most recent one was their experience with The Curated Closet. The basic idea is that you define/refine your wardrobe based on what you enjoy wearing most and then come up with a name for your style (e.g., Grace Kelly Goes to College or Minimalist Disco). All your clothing should reflect that, as though you're curating a museum collection. (This is a very basic explanation of the book - there's a lot more to it.) I've been spending the last few days trying to name my style as a result. It's proving difficult, but I think I'm narrowing in on something.

Making

I re-figured out how to start the second side of my Francis sweater, and I'm well on my way to finishing! Yay.