4 day weekend. Bekah & I don’t return back to work until Wednesday. I guess I lucked out that one of my two day shifts falls on Monday. I’ll only be actually working one day next week. That humors me.

Saturday began with yard work. We needed to do it anyway but add that freaking hail storm and our yard was a mess. Bekah began to mow while I made a quick run to the store for weekend food. The store isn’t even counting people anymore. Oh well. Now that everything is pretty much open it makes me want to avoid people even more. When I returned I felt obliged to assist with yard work. Weed eat. Clean more leaves off the drive way. Bagging leaves is my favorite. I mowed our weird little side yard.

Yard work behind us it was time for showers & lunch. Shrimp tacos. Used cabbage, avocado smash, pico and this habanero hot sauce my brother had been raving about. He was right, it was pretty good. The tacos were a nice lite lunch. Perfecto!!!

We are boring. The rest of the day Bekah worked on the puzzle Jody let her barrow. I sat around reading the second book in the series that I started. I enjoyed the first, this one might be better. The author seem more comfortable with the character this round. The dark humor is right up my alley. Very much a detective novel, which I’m not usually so fond of reading.

Dinner was something new. Lobster cakes? Surely you make them similar to crab cakes, right? I didn’t plan on having crustaceans all day but it just sort of happened. Easy meal. Salad was nice.

Waiting on the storm. It’s that time of year. Foreseeable forecast we have storms. I kind of like it. I don’t want hail, but I’m excited. The rest of the town probably doesn’t share me sentiment. It did rain. It was more thunder than anything. I spent my evening outside listening and enjoying. It was a relaxing storm. I don’t need another like Thursday. FaceTime w/ Slovak was short lived. She had “service issues”. No shots. Probably a needed break. Bekah worked on puzzles. We are exciting people during quarantine. I guess we could have gone to the bars since they are now opened. 🙄

Sunday brunch. Use what you have. English muffins a good substitute for buns? Sure. Habanero Mayo? Sure!!! Bekah isn’t good at making hash browns, it seems. Of all the brunch we have made, this was the least exciting. It was good, but it was just a burger.

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I spent the day reading and nothing more. Bekah departed to her sisters. Storms were to come. Around 6 I called her to say it might be best to head home. About the time she did they hit. Just rain, lightning & night winds. Nothing like the other days mess. It was lovely to watch.

Drinks again with the Slovak. FaceTime for over 2 hours. Brutal. I enjoy it, I really do. An excess of booze consumed. I was to be left worse for the wear, no doubt. I wonder, when the day comes where we all can be together will we drink more or less than we have been over FaceTime chats? The question leaves me with fear for that day.

Dinner I made my orange chicken stir fry. It had been a while. It was lovely.

Memorial Day. I said it. I was worse for the wear. The rare time I catch a hangover. These gears need oiling. Sluggish, I made my way around the house. Sister-in-law stopped by briefly. Good to see here. In my condition I wasn’t the conversationalist. I tried.

Lunch was to be delivery. We didn’t feel like working for our lunch. Cielo. I got some cheese enchiladas. Comfort food. That and a couple beers, life returned to normal. I was once again myself. Sad, is t it?

The rest of the day we spent FaceTimeing various family members. It was such a nice cool day. I tried to spend a good mount outside but the mosquitos were so bad they were eating me alive. Don’t know what happened to the bug spray.

Since it Memorial Day we had to cook out. It would be Un-American to do otherwise. Pork baby back ribs on the grill for 4 hours slow cooking. Once the ribs were done I threw on some corn & jalapeño cheese sausage. The ribs fell right off the bone. So good.

Tuesday I woke the the sound of rain and thunder. By far the best way to wake. A little storm had snuck up on us. I laid in bed and enjoyed the sounds which eventually lulled me back to slumber.

Bekah had to get the COVID test today. A reality she wasn’t looking forward to. When she returned from having her brain poked we made some brunch with what we had. Bacon egg potato street tacos.

Long weekend coming to its end. I had to get out of the house so I went for a walk. I went for a liquor run restock. Tax free Tuesday. I went to HEB again for something I forgot. I hadn’t been out of the house in a couple days. I was cooped up. When I returned I went back to my book while Bekah worked on the puzzle. Nothing exciting. Ready for work again tomorrow.

Dinner was chicken Caesar pasta salad. A refreshing meal to end this “extended” weekend. Weird to have weekends again. Simple meal. Effortless.

Done. That’s the end to a long on. Cheers!!!

Monday was my first day back on the job after 8 weeks. I was stuck in the office for 4 hours w/ Jimmy. Let me just say it was certainly a Monday. See, this was also Jimmy’s first day. Jimmy can give out a tons worth of information in 4 hours. I heard things I wish I’d not heard. Poor Jimmy almost voided his bowels again at the grocery store. Poor Jimmy got drunk, stumped his toe, landed and broke his arm. Poor Jimmy doesn’t think mask were meant for smokers. Poor, poor Jimmy. I had no one to rescue me from him as I usually do. Poor me…

Other than Jimmy, it was a rather boring day. I’m not sure how I feel about being back. The facilities guys were running around like a circus. No one knew what they were suppose to be doing. They have to get temp checks each time they come in and they are required to wear a mask. I went most of my 4 hours with a mask on and let me tell you, it’s not cool. Especially having conversations. It wants to slip off and my glasses fog up. Might be time to go with contacts again.

Wednesday I was working with Leroy. I got the feeling he was a little happy to see me. Took his eyes away from his videos and actually seemed to have a conversation in which he was actually listening. A rare thing. Never once did I hear him say “This is bulls***!” I don’t know if a day has passed in the 8 years I’ve been working have I not heard that from his mouth. Also saw some friends from campus which is always pleasant and puts me in a good mood. I miss these folk. It’s amazing what a familiar smile will do for a person.

Rain rain rain. The threat of storms. We had a concert. We got rain. What a night it was. Light show. It poured. It was exactly a sure shot until it was. Happy camper, this weather geek. Heck, I almost even put my car in the garage.

Funny. When I wrote the above paragraphed rain and storms were welcome. Thursday… yikes. What looked like a little thing on the radar became stationary and found strength. I’ve lived through one hell of a hail storm. This was equally bad. Maybe worse. Never have I seen balls of ice fall from the sky for bomber 30 min. What started as pea, marvel, golf ball, tennis ball. Maybe larger. Dead birds everywhere. I filled a grocery bag with them. Roof, surely f***ed. I love storms. Hate hail.

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Friday was lame. I cleaned up some. The driveway was a mess. I love raking. Let me tell you. Got on the roof to see how f***ed it was. I’m not expert. I noticed a few dings but not near as bad as expected. Will call the insurance for a professional opinion. Better safe than sorry. Bekah came home early due to over time. I went for an expedition around town because I was bored out of my mind. Noticed all the bars looked pretty full. Not sure how that makes me feel. As of right now, it looks like a storm free night. Hope all are well. Happy Friday!!

Jalapeño

Caribbean jerk pork. I used a different brand of pork and it wasn’t as good as my HEB brand. Bummer. I have another one to cook this week.

Because I don’t like going to the store all the time I have been buying more premartinated packages when I go. They last a long time and require less work and or shopping time finding ingredients. On this evening I decided to go with HEB Italian chicken. I’ve eyeballed it for a while. It was… okay. I could have done better. Will not get this again. Not a good week for dinner at this point.

BBQ pork tenderloin w/ Mac salad & BBQ beans. No complaints. Nothing special. We are really just trying to clean out the fridge this week.

Stuffed red, yellow, orange bell peppers. I somehow made these while artillery shells were falling from the sky. Friend claims I have multi tasking skills. Who knew.

Bibigo pork tenderloin w/ kimchi and broccoli. Korean BBQ. Have not done this with pork, or have I? It was good. Lots of pork this week. It happened that way. I do t know.

With me returning to work Monday for the first time in 8 weeks this feels like the real thing again. I mean, when you have no real obligations everyday the idea of the weekend is kind of lost. Also, it’s not like life is back to normal. I only work Monday & Wednesday for a total of 8 hours. That’s not s***.

Saturday morning I languished in bed till after 9:30. FaceTime w/ Slovak tends to have this affect on one. Surprisingly the dogs let me sleep in. When I did eventually return to the world of the living I was pleasantly surprised by how brisk it was outside. The prior nights storms brought a refreshing cool to the air.

Connie, my sister-in-law came over for lunch and drinks. They made a run for supplies and came back with a bundle. While drinks were being made I began work on some ahi tuna street tacos.

Ahi street tacos were delicious. I used store bought plain Jane taco seasoning. I was hesitant but it payed off. Who would have known taco seasoning on tuna would work. For toppings it was radish, cilantro, cabbage, mango pico & sriracha Mayo. (Disclaimer: I don’t like mango but I think it works with pico on certain fish.). Again with the fresh tortillas. Everyone enjoyed lunch.

With the high being in the 70s we spent most of the remaining day outside. The ladies sunbathed while I just kind of did my thing. Bekah went full bartender mode. I figured for the worst. All that pineapple juice is a belly ache waiting to happen. Also, am I cooking dinner? All this booze is going to impair me quick if I’m not careful. I mean, I thought Saturday would be the chill day. I didn’t have them planned for party mode. F***ing hell!

So a day of drinks. I was suppose to cook… What for dinner? Pizza!! I’m happy with the decision. Relax and say f*** it! Lily’s again. Can’t go wrong.

The evening concluded with us outside enjoying the lovely weather. With a full day of drinking behind them, the ladies did not last. One by one they succumbed to the willful temptation of sleep. Rather than stay up on my own as I would usually do, I also considered it a night not long after. What else was a boy to do?

Sunday funday? I don’t think that was the case for anyone initially. I took stock and left the ladies for my weekly grocery run. The store wasn’t packed but the number of people wearing mask was low. It’s like everyone has given up. Had enough. Who cares. It’s behind us. Uh, no it isn’t. We had the most positive cases in Texas yesterday since this thing began. I hate to say it and hope that I’m proven wrong, but I think we might be f***ed.

Upon my return I acknowledge that Bekah seemed to be feeling better. Oh, she has had a drink. Shocked was I. We began what would possibly be the most decadent brunch yet. Waffle grilled cheese breakfast sandwiches. I made the waffles, she did the eggs & bacon. American & cheddar cheese. Maple syrup & tabasco. Insulin and a walk was required. This was a fabulous meal. If it didn’t hurt me so, I’d be content with this every morning.

Well that meal required a walk. I was about a block from the house when I hear an unlikely voice yelling my name. When I turned around I briefly thought to myself that my blood sugar must have really peaked. No way what I was seeing could be real. Well guess what? It was certainly real. The motherf***ing Llama!!! Yes, that sight for sore eyes seems to be living right up my f***ing street. F*** me!!! We shared pleasantries in the blistering sun for what felt like a f***ing eternity too long. I was defeated. Life is a big f***ing joke.

You must excuse the fouls language. I was put off by the unexpected encounter. Of all the faces I desire to see that wasn’t one. After my walk I threw cation to the wind and made a drink. I was to meal prep for Bekah & myself. She was busy cleaning the house with a buzz so it was my duty to grill 4 pounds of chicken thigh. While in the midst of this adventure my blood sugar decided to drop below safe levels. The joyful life of a diabetic.

For dinner we mixed comfort w/ classy? I don’t know. Felt like something I would have made in college. My younger self had great taste. Combine steak with Mac? Heck yeah! I wanted steak and Mac & Cheese was perfect for the wife. It was a pretty great cap of meal for the evening. For the weekend. Both very satisfied.

Another weekend behind us. I hope you all had a great one and the following week is a delight. Cheers!!!

Monday Monday. I had the opportunity to see a friendly face that I’ve missed for far too long. Puzzle exchange w/ Jody. See, people are putting puzzles together like crazy during this pandemic. It’s easier to exchange than find ones in the store. So I had an excuse to walk my happy a** onto campus (I’m there all day anyway, but not working). It was great seeing her. It felt like a little bit of the old normal. Conversation was all around. We tried our best to solve the worlds problems but got nowhere. That’s about the usual. Venting felt good. One thing. I am not yet familiar with her being in a different office/department. The first day I went to visit her in the new office was my last day on campus. Although it’s been going on 8 weeks, it’s only 2 days for these eyes. It will happen. Hopefully soon enough I will have time to build up that experience level and she won’t feel out of place in my eyes. Cheers to you, Jody!

To make the weeks start all the better I was awoken to the sound of rain!!!! Yes, it finally rained again. It had been at just a month. Monday was a beautiful cloudy day and the potential for downpour was ripe for development. Just a matter of time. Sadly, AM storms so I didn’t really get to experience it how I would have liked. Either way, rain is a welcome. Had another chance Wednesday. Thunder and lightning but no real rain here at our casa. We had a few sprinkles. I was told other spots in town had heavy showers. Oh well.

I also saw a handful of familiar faces throughout the week, which means a lot to me. Is that silly? Maybe it is. Either way, they brightened my days. My most face to face social week in… 8 weeks.

Big news of the week is that I’ll be going back to work next week. I’m ready, I think. Wait! I’m working with Jimmy! I think I’ll stay home. F*** my life. He also has been stuck at home this entire time. Imagine me his only audience in 8 weeks. Will this be hell? How have I wronged the Gods? It will only be for 2 days, 4 hours a piece. 8 actual work hours a week. Kind of a joke, but they are trying to get us back on. Because of my preexisting condition they really don’t want me their but it’s discrimination to not let a person that want to work work because they have a health issue. Same goes for all those that had to go home because they are over 60. Age discrimination. Who knows though. All of this could change within the next hour. No one really knows what is going on. Tentative date to phase people back on campus will be June 15th.

Friday arrived fast. I don’t know why the week flew by like it did. I read. I walked. I finished that Mario game. It rained. Briefly saw Bekah. Bachelor night, she was slumber partying it up with her sister. It stormed. FaceTime with Slovak. We kept it short, but not the shots. I was happy. What a week. Cheers!!

Funny thing is that this is actually a real Friday for me. And actual weekend since I will be working again Monday. 41 week days since I’ve last actually really worked. Funny that my last day was was March 18th & my first day back is May 18th.

Jalapeño

This week is ocean dwelling week. That’s the protein. Good fun.

HEB stuffed salmon with broccoli & queso. Sriracha is great with this. I love this salmon, but the broccoli is next level good. I could have that as a meal and be content.

HEB coconut shrimp. You recognize a theme here? Use some Thai chili sauce as a dip. I ate all that. I was bloated.

Seared tuna w/ seaweed salad. Tuna takes 2 minutes. Such an easy meal.

Fish tacos!!! I used Atlantic Cod. I only just did this a few weeks ago. Couldn’t pass it on an all seafood week.

Teriyaki salmon w/ jasmine rice & broccoli.

Another weekend is upon us. What a beautiful Saturday. Can’t pass up the opportunity to do yard work when it’s in the 60s outside. Well, not me. I was to make a run to the store for essential needs and prepare lunch while she worked the yard. I’ve been taking away her mowing for far too long.

Off to the store I went. My lord, everyone is out today. The store was a mad house. Half people following guidelines and the other half like it’s a regular day. Why in the hell are you shopping with all 5 family members? Like your little children are really helping! People are waiting in line outside to get in here and you could be knocking this out all on your own. So frustrating.!!! I stripped to my undies when I got home because I felt filthy. Too many mouth breathing no mask wearing f***’s all too close to me. I got home in a worse mood.

Cooking is therapy. It really is. It helps me so much. I was going to make some chicken fajitas. Got the grill going, chopped fresh red & green bells with some onion. In foil, they hit the heat. I open a beer. Also needed a after that joyful grocery run. What next. A quick marinade for the chicken. Done. Quick pico & guac. Warm so black beans and queso. Cook some of those raw tortillas I keep raving about. So so so good. With everything coming together it’s time to add the kicker to the chicken. What might that be? Italian dressing! You heard that right. Baste the cooked chicken with Italian dressing and let cook for about a min more. It makes all the difference, trust me. One hell of a lunch.

Booze to the house or to-go?

Bekah put some yard furniture together. Had a friend swing by for some jalapeños. Lots of sitting outside. I grilled some teriyaki chicken. It was good. Not the original evening meal, but it worked.

Karaoke night. Sure. I had fun. I sang a few 80s tunes. I generally hate karaoke. What the hell though. It was fun. I sang “Man on the Moon, Don’t Dream it’s Over. What can I say. This was soon followed by another FaceTime session with the Slovak. I’m having fun. It’s hard on the system. Love her. Our bodies are deteriorating. Broken machines. At some point it became a f***ing Phil Collins marathon. Life is funny. Kill me please!!!

Mother’s Day! I woke with a massive headache I attributed to low blood sugar but even after fixing that I couldn’t seem to kick it. What can you do? Suck it up.

Sunday brunch. Brisket hash brown poached egg sandwich w/ spicy hollandaise sauce. This worked out SO much better than I envisioned. I saw this being a total mess but it seems the grilled but soaked up the yoke and sauce. The hash browns added a nice crunch texture that complemented the eggs nicely. Pulled this one right out of my a**. I literally bled for this meal. Careless shaky hands and a knife are a bad combo. Can you believe this is my 8th brunch. 8 weeks of weekend blogs. Whoa!

So for Mother’s Day we made a little journey across town to visit my momma. Got her some cakes I’m sure she secretly cussed us for. We sat and talked on her patio. She has done a great job with it. It was good seeing her. Oh, her dogs were also happy for the company. Had a beverage at a social distance. Unlike what feels like the rest of the town, we are still trying to be safe and taking things seriously. Not only am I at higher risk due to diabetes, I found out today that new studies show people with vitamin D deficiency seem correlate with the mortality rate. Sheesh. Great news. 2 strikes against me. Wait, blood pressure is high. 3 strikes….

I do wish we could have done more for Mother’s Day. I think what we did was the best we could during these times. Love you, mom! Happy Mother’s Day!!!

For dinner we just rummaged through the fridge. Okra? Let’s make BBQ something. How about the chicken thigh we have because at one point breast were almost impossible to find. Sure. Yay! Easy Sunday meal. Throw a little bed of canned corn down and make it look fancy.

Bekah made me a drink. Ranch Water!

It’s finals week. Blows my mind. Where have the last seven weeks gone? Seven f***ing weeks… I feel like I’m living the movie “Goundhog Day”. Every day is basically the same. My life feels stymied… it still remains to be seen when I will be going back. You know what, f*** it. Could be worse.

I admit, I’m kind of saddened by the semesters wrap up. I always am at the close of another school year. What a time it must be for the students. I mean, graduation is on hold. This is a major moment in their lives and they have to handle it differently than any class before them. I’ve seen lots of cap & gown photo session on campus this week. I’m curious to see what the campus will be like during the summer. It’s already a ghost town. How many of the remaining students will depart?

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I vividly recall the end of my final semester. It was both exciting and scary. I loved classes. Loved the work. Love the structure. I was going to miss the professors. The familiar faces of my fellow students who had gone the long journey with me. The study sessions together. The joys of being a naive youth. I didn’t know what the world had in store for me. I toyed with the idea of taking more classes. Before that I vowed to just enjoy my final summer. This time of year I feel sort of nostalgic for those days.

I actually had a project this week. Clean up our strange little side yard. We have a section that is separate from our back yard. It’s fenced in and was wild the day we moved in. Not really a priority, I never had the desire to put in the time and work cleaning it up. Large weeds, brush & mesquite trees worked as a deterrent. It didn’t help that I had already dumped a fair amount of trees from an earlier culling. This was going to be rough. So I gathered clippers, chainsaw & weed-eater. I went crazy cutting and made a mess I was forced to clean up. 3 hours later we had an additional yard. What am I going to do with this? I’m open for suggestions.

Spicy chicken thighs & vegetable medley. I kind of threw what I could find together for this.

Cinco de Mayo!!! Steak street tacos & Bekah’s famous Spanish rice. I’m really liking these raw tortillas I’ve been using. Just spray with a little PAM and throw on the stove or grill. So delightful. Way better that the store bought I’ve been using all my life. Being the day it was lots of tequila was consumed. I got a little intoxicated. My significant other has a heavy pour. With tequila I have about a 50/50 chance of waking up with a hangover so the night was a gamble. Lucky for me I awoke just fine and dandy.

Taco Rice. Japanese street food to the rescue again. Simple, no work, cheers! Great meal. Try it please!!

Whiskey mushroom Swiss burger. I actually used a freaking bun for the first time in ages. I sautéed the mushrooms & onion in whiskey. If you have never done this, do it. The meat consisted of beef & jalapeño. Assorted seasonings. Top with some think Swiss cheese. I buttered the buns. The ketchup ended up for presentation because I didn’t need it. So good.

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Friday we wanted to give some money to a local restaurant. Our favorite Asian place finally opened up for carry out so we made the call. I got double spicy chicken, 5 pepper hot, no rice & an egg roll. My lord had I missed that. And it was surprisingly warm to boot! I was a happy camper.

Cocktail of the Week: Big Red Margarita.

Well Saturday rolled around and it felt like a weekday with Bekah off to work. What a bummer. I look forward to our time together on the weekends and it felt like I got cheated a day. I hate to say it, but I found myself a bit lonely. Loneliness is a thing when you see no one the majority of your waking hours. Who knew! At least I have my dogs and my obnoxious cat to keep me company. They are usually great company. I’m sure they are sick of me at this point. BTW, anyone want a cat?

While it felt like a weekday, I decided to not treat myself to the usual weekday lunch. I’ll be the first to admit that they are generally pretty pathetic. Awful might be a better description. Blah. So 1 o’clock rolled around and I finally decided on what to make. I would make a story of bun-less chicken sandwich. Grilled onion and jalapeño as topper and then some pepper jack cheese. Little bed of lettuce served with grilled lime, avocado & tomatoes. It was missing something. Hmmmmmm? Why not make a little Serrano mayo. F*** yeah! High five!!! Some gourmet s*** right there.

What to do with myself for the remainder of the day? Thought I’d switch it up and play an old video game. Super Nintendo. Super Mario World. Anyone remember this one? August 1991. I was 2 months past 10 when this one hit the streets. I still remember how blown away I was upon fist playing. The graphics were out of this world. I immediately fell in love with Yoshi. It was nice to return to something that I so fondly cherished as a child. Took me away to a different time. I also realize I have lost a skill in my old age. I’m just not as good as I use to be? I think I’ll continue this stroll down memory lane and see if I remember all the secrets. Never one to quit.

Dinner was a experiment. Loaded spud? Sure. Sweet potato covered w/ broccoli, chopped BBQ brisket, and jalapeño. Idea came from a post I say on Facebook. It was fun and very delicious. Something I would have never thought to make myself. Always enjoy a new idea.

Another Saturday, another FaceTime. I’m talking hours. First with family followed again with the Slovak. Almost 3 hours. It was brutal. Tequila. Why do we have 3 bottles.? I don’t understand. Either way, it was fun. Entertainment. It seems I might soon have clean shaven legs. This was a topic that was discussed. Exciting, right? No wax please!!!!

Sunday was a lazy morning. Bekah was worse for wear. But she is a real trooper and made us some brunch. Biscuits & gravy. I fried a sunny side and grilled some jalapeño. It was a really good meal. Not anything we would usually have. Nothing I’ve made. Happy camper.

The rest of the day we lounged around. Watched whatever we could find on TV, which wasn’t much. I ventured out once for Big Red. Wanted to try this margarita my friend kept talking about. It was hot so frozen was in order. What a tasty beverage. Who came up with I’m this? So many questions. I would not have thought the flavors would blend so well but they did. And I needed it. I overestimated how much insulin I needed for the brunch and had a low. And excellent excuse to drink, right?

Pizza pizza!!! I cheated. I didn’t make my own crust. Toppings. PINEAPPLE!!!! Such a divided topping. I’m sorry, I love it. Throw some pepperoni, Canadian bacon & jalapeño. What a treat. I can’t believe I once hated pineapple on pizza. What a fool I was.

Well, that’s another weekend blog. Hope all are safe & sound. Cheers!!!

My kitchen. It’s were I spend most of my time these days. Well, that and walking. I’ve broken the 200 mile mark since March 19th. Lost a few pounds and inches. This week I don’t really have anything to write about. Pretty lame, I know. Hey, all weeks are the same now, right? I’ll try and get creative again. Figured I’d just post some pictures that I’d taken throughout the week. Enjoy!

Jalapeño

Brisket. On a Monday. A benefit of working from home. A meal generally reserved for weekends. Bekah made potato salad to accompany. I don’t know what I did differently but this was one of my best yet.

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Steak and scalloped potatoes. From a f***ing box. It was fantastic. Reminds me of my college days.

Fish f***ing tacos. I have been making these for years. Recently without tortilla. The raw ones from HEB are the best. Cook them to your liking. This worked tonight.

Ahi tuna poke. I’ve never made this and it turned out to be a hit. First, the imitation crab salad. This stuff is so gross to work with. It’s like the Spam of the seafood world. So I chopped it, added mayo & sriracha, and you got the basic fillings of a California roll. You know what? It was actually pretty good. It tasted authentic. Seaweed salad next. Sticky rice. Seared tuna and other toppings. I made a sauce with rice vinegar, mirin, soy & brown sugar. All in all a delicious meal.

Fajita chicken. Picture didn’t happen. You’ve seen it before.

Cocktail of the Week: Strawberry margarita.

Well it’s the weekend. Saturday. I slept in. Woke to find Bekah gone. She went to her sisters. Opened the fridge. The potato salad I was going to serve with brisket Monday had been demolished. Looks like eggs and hash browns had been made. Wasn’t sure what to make of the scene in the kitchen? Cleaning products everywhere. Furniture off the floor. Was it clean or abandoned in the process? It was nice outside. I grabbed the leftover eggs & a beer. Breakfast of champions on the patio. I stayed up past 3…

After my unexpected breakfast I drove out to my mothers. I had spare mask and she was in need. She got a little flack from my brother over a expedition she made to the local store without wearing one. We visited briefly and I made my departure. Bekah had placed carry out for me to grab of the way home.

A familiar face greeted me in the parking lot. I was set up. My wife wanted me iced. The treachery of it all. Fortunately for me, I was connected and off the hook. The incident wouldn’t be forgotten.

Back home with lunch and a little package of unexpected booze. Lunch was phenomenal. Spicy chicken lettuce wraps. I had been missing these. Extra spicy because they know me. I don’t know if it had been the time away from this meal or if the kitchen stepped up their game, but this was about as good as it gets. It felt good giving to a local establishment. The booze mix was sweet. I stuck with beer.

Guess what? We drank with the Slavak. This is getting out of hand. S***! I think we might be killing each other at this point. Even so, good company. At this point it would be weird if we didn’t see each other via FaceTime on a weekend. I’m having fun. What will I do when this ends? It sort of seems like I’ve become ever more social on weekends be it from home.

Hoisin wings w/!sriracha corn. So good. Not hungry. I ate. I ate. I’ll have to make this again. Pretty much fell right off the bone.

Sunday funday. Lazy day. Woke up exhausted. Cheap whisky. Not wasting the good stuff on FaceTime drinks. Maybe that’s a bad idea? Normally this is the day I go shopping for the week. No really happening anymore. Make a menu with what we have at home. I will say I stocked up nicely during the week.

Chicken & waffles for brunch. Never made this. Never eaten this. No precedent set. Bekah & I worked as a team in the kitchen. It was fun and experimental. Having both never tried this meal before, we went in with curiosity. It was delicious. Odd, but delicious. Splash some syrup, hot sauce & powder sugar on top. Talk about a cheap meal. I bet restaurants make a killing in this.

That meal really kicked my diabetic a**. I needed both insulin and some exercise to get it down to a safe level. After that was accomplished I sat on the couch and watched High Plains Drifter. A movie I’ve likely seen 100+ times. It’s like comfort food. One of my fathers favorite. I know it by heart. A classic in my book. I’m a sucker for Clint Eastwood movies, and this ranks towards the top of the list. I recognize that it isn’t his best by a long shot but I have great memories with is film. Nostalgia. It’s a powerful drug. “The Stranger” is the epitome of “anti-hero”. This movie probably hasn’t aged well with today’s political viewpoints. I’m sure it’s a little offensive to some. Defiantly would be passed on by today’s studio standards.

Dinner. What to make. Chicken curry? Sure. But I wanted to grill! So I worked out how to make it on the grill. My goodness. Might just make it this way from here on out.

Time to relax and get ready for the work week. What a joke. Hope you all had a fantastic weekend. Until next time. Stay safe. Cheers!!!!

Well, another week. Nothing really exciting. I mowed the lawn? I walked? Painted the door from the garage to the kitchen? Saw a couple people from work during walks & needed office visits. To be honest, it was a good week. Much improved over the blues that had settled over me the week before.

I have been reading a lot. Found a good book to settle into. Blood Standard by Laird Barron. I’ve read his works before. They tend to fall into the “weird fiction” genre. Creepy dark stuff. This one is a completely different style. Picture a Humphrey Bogart film, but a reformed hard hitting mafia enforcer. Now, throw in a boot full of dark comedy. I’ve been laughing out loud. I also reached a moment that made me a bit misty eyed. I’m not all that big on crime thrillers but this surprised me. The protagonist isn’t really a “good” guy. I kind of like a story about a character that is morally compromised. It seems this is a series so I have more to consume once I conclude this first book.

Thirsty Thursday. What a day!!! Boy howdy was I ever thirsty when 5 rolled around. Bekah took a “mental health day”. Originally that meant working from bed. Later she invaded my office (kitchen). My quiet morning of self reflection went kaput. Hard to think when someone is playing drums on the cookie jar. Might as well throw in the towel and admit to myself this work day is spent.

We had a cookie delivery! Sad I missed the deliverers, I was indisposed. How lovely to have cookies waiting on your doorstep. Real treat! Out of the blue Jamie bakes oatmeal cookies. My f***ing favorite! Sooooooo good. I’d ask her for the recipe but I’m sure it’s a secret and besides, I know I lack the skills when it comes to baking. It’s been an eternity since I’ve had homemade oatmeal cookies. The struggle will be not eating them all in one setting & keeping Bekah’s hand out of the cookie jar. Lol.

Since Bekah was taking a “mental health day” I figure I had no choice but do the same. I went on my afternoon walk and ran into a familiar happy face on campus. Let’s call her Miss E. Always a pleasure. Always a mood enhancer. I was all grins and at that moment I realized the day was going to be pretty good. Nice little chat behind us I made my way home. My meager little lunches were not going to cut it for Bekah on her day off. It was decided to order carry out. It was also decided margaritas were needed. Oh boy. This really is a vacation day. The Rita’s were strong and I felt a little tipsy. The first time I have had a drink on a work week before 5. Is my wife a bad influence? We had a nice time. It was great to have company for a full day.

After Bekah went to bed I made myself a stiff drink. I was finally able to have that self reflection. The evening was rather lovely so I meandered myself outside. Town was silent except for the distance cries of an engine roaring. The crickets chirping. The wind chime gently singing with a breath that soothed my soul. Temperature was how you’d expect heaven on any given night. I gazed upon my various solar lights. Many of which don’t seem to stay lit this late. I looked upon the sky. I wondered how all my friends were feeling? I wondered if they were all safe. I hoped at that moment they were as relaxed as I. I hoped they had a good day. I was lulled into peace. I was lulled into sleep. It was a good day.

Friday and we made it another week, 5 to be exact. I agree with My friend Jody, it feels longer. Nothing so special about Friday. Just another day. I guess what’s worth mentioning is my lunch. I had a hankering for some cheese bread. I did that. Carbs. Probably gained 5 pounds. Soooooo worth it though. Hope all of you had a good week as well. BTW, the beard is partially back, to Bekah’s relief. Cheers!!!

Jalapeño

Cilantro lime chicken over cilantro lime rice. This was really delicious and will be made again. Lime juice makes such a great marinade. I made a quick avocado mash that kind of worked and a sauce. Perfect summer time dish.

I’m missing some local Asian food. I made my own again. Some spicy chicken. I had leftovers the next day for lunch.

Italian pork tenderloin. I started marinading the pork a day in advance with Italian seasoning, pepper & Italian dressing. Green beans sounded like a good side. Cooked with in more dressing. Used a raspberry chipotle sauce as a finish glaze.

No idea what to name this. Ground beef, red bell, onion, jalapeño, squash. Added some Velveeta. Just salvaging the fridge. Made a hell of a dish over some sticky sushi rice.

Sweet & sour pork tenderloin with broccoli & crab rangoon. What a cow I was Friday. Just look At the carbs in this blog! 3 meals with rice!!!! Whoa!!!! Kill me now!!!!! It was amazing. When was the last time I had crab rangoon? And I’ve never made sweet & sour pork. What a treat. Great way to top off a great week.

Cocktail of the week: jalapeño margarita by Bekah.