Summer on the Side

Gainesville

I went back to work. I survived. What else is there to say about that? It was quieter than usual, since many of the usual suspects were off at the ALA national conference-- held where, you ask? Why, fun-filled New Orleans, where else?!

It was overcast all day and not all that hot, so tonight I braved the oven and stuffed the hot dogs with pepper jack, wrapped them in bacon, and broiled them. My adjustment to the recipe is to mike the bacon on paper towels for a couple of minutes before wrapping. Makes the end result much less slimey. Miked some kraut. But then, my big Mistake: I took on the Tomato Salad with Feta, Olives & Mint from FC#79's "Summer on the Side" supplement. Don't get me wrong, it was wonderful, and I had everything I needed in fresh, perfect shape. It just took a long time to make, is way bigger than we'll ever be able to eat, and seems kind of overkill as a side to a '50's meal like dogs 'n' kraut.

I started reading a book last night that I already love: The Geographer's Library, by Jon Fasman. I picked this up at Borders on a table of "3 for the price of 2" trade paperbacks, to go with the two I knew I wanted, and see which I picked up first! But how could I resist a title like that, especially when it's billed as "a brainy noir" and "Eco meets Fowles"? As I used to say in my diary, will keep you posted, but so far it reads like a winner.

Thanks for the stuff on Aunt Rachel, Mom. What fun to hear all those details about her. Dan always held her up to me as a model of why it was good to be a librarian. Alas, I don't think I ever quite measured up to Rachel's Miss Firecracker career. Never knew she remarried in her 90's! Ah, those crazy Bauman girls... Her scandalous motorcycle date with Addison reminds me of visiting Birmingham with Lee's family sometime early on. His teeny-bopper little sister, Dianne, wasted no time in attracting local interest-- within a day or two, she was dating one of our Workman cousins, who cruised by in his pickup.

Enough for now. In the morning, gotta get up and do it again. Amen.