Regulars

Gainesville

Although exact details aren't finalized yet, we will definitely be making the West Virginia trip the week of August 6. Bill wants to stay at the Glade Springs Resort, which is very close to the Gates compound, and quite close to Beckley as well. We had dinner there on one of our previous trips, but it was night so I didn't see much of the place. It will make a nice change of pace. I haven't been out of town for over 8 months(!) so I'm up for it.

Thursday night when we went to Outback, Mel still wasn't back from her vacation. Angie sprang a big surprise on us, though-- an invitation to a party for their selected "regulars" next Tuesday night! Who ever heard of such a thing? The invitation says "refreshments and Aussie-tizers," but those so-called refreshments include steak, salmon and lamb chops, as well as all their signature appetizers and Chocolate Chocolate Tower. The staff gets to bring their families, so that will be fun too.

Thunder is rumbling in as I type-- if I were you, Mom, I'd be unplugging everything and headed for shelter. Life's too short for that, and I have great faith in my UPS. [She knocks on wood.] The cat, however, has her own bunker for these occasions-- under the coffee table. If it gets really violent, she hides under the bed in Bill's lair.

Sounds like it's starting to rain, which is still very welcome. Thunderstorms every day is the typical August regime, and the flora and fauna here just don't do well without them.

Speaking of fauna, Bill and Carrot take a morning stroll in the back yard. Yesterday they were surprised to see a young doe at the back edge of the property. All three saw each other. Bill picked up Carrot, just to be safe, and then they heard a thrashing further away, and here came the young fawn, bumbling back to it's mom. It's fun living on the edge of the woods, however small that woods may be.

A nice slow Saturday. Slept late, didn't hurry anything, got the 5-star Sudoku done. I'm completely addicted now-- day just isn't complete unless I solve one (online) and it's the first mind game I play now. I can do the 1-star ones in about 10 minutes.

Having the Publix so close tends to allow me to delay the weekly food shop til late afternoon, since I know I can do it in about an hour, and won't be tempted to go to other places like Best Buy or B&N. This procrastination also promotes real Q&D meals-- like today's already-roasted chicken (mike it for six minutes, and there you are) and a salad of spring greens, chopped apples, blueberries, walnuts, raisins and dried cranberries. We had half of it, with blue cheese dressing. The rest I'll turn into a chicken salad with the leftover bird later in the week. I did do some token cooking, making fried Spanish cauli-rice from the rest of the cauliflower I shredded early in the week. I've yet to master this one so it comes out the way I want it to, but it always tastes good.

Swiffered the floors, which completed the weekly Blessings except for the coffee table stack and the bathroom floors. Tomorrow for that.

Forgot to tell you I'm proud of you for doing your NT and organ yesterday, Mom. Any day that you get both of those in deserves a big gold star, I think, no matter what else you do or don't do. They probably do more for your general well-being than anything else other than eating and sleeping properly.