Jeez, I started this post on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, added a bit on the Monday, and am now trying to wrap it up on the following Thursday, and that’s already June 1, this year.
Traditionally on Memorial Day I invite people over for a picnic/cookout in the driveway and backyard. This year, because of all the work we’re getting done on the house the backyard is full of ladders and other equipment and there’s a port-o-pottie and a dumpster next to the driveway, that’re both a bit smelly – the dumpster because people keep flinging their bags of dog shit into it while they’re out walking their dogs. Our street is very popular for dog walking. The port-o-pottie could be smellier, I guess, for the obvious reasons, but it really mostly smells like urinal salts, which I do not like. So not very conducive to picnicking.
Although, when I did a search on Memorial Day in previous posts turns out that due to pandemic, this is actually #4 in Un-traditional Memorial Days, especially 2020 when it was Susan and (the late) Carl for cimmy buns in the driveway. And somehow, even though tagged Memorial Day, 2021 and 2016 show up way down in the list; the titles We’ve Made It Through May and The Universe is Telling Me Not To Make Potatoes are the likely culprits.
Mark and I both got a cold that I think I brought home from Jasper. Also not conducive to festivities. Emma says Jasper has his first ear infection. I think I might have one too – my right ear was totally plugged on Tuesday and when I put in a piece of cotton to hold in the ear wax melt away drops, it hurt. I never got any big pieces of wax out, and it unplugged while I was sleeping that night. So maybe it’s all OK. But I’m still coughing and really gluggy and my throat is sore.
Al & Jasper with ear infection but not looking too unhappy
And I’m tired and fat. Up 2 pounds since the last time I weighed myself, and almost 5 since the start of the whole knee thing. But last time I weighed myself was Sunday, so maybe that 2 pounds isn’t “real” – it’s retaining fluids or something. Still, Ugh.
Me, selfie with cold, but also not looking too unhappy – a bit red & chapped under the nose.
But lets talk about happier stuff. On actual Memorial Day, Susan and I biked to the East Side Club and saw this local band, The Jimmys. Susan said it was the official opening day of outdoor concert season for east siders, and she’s right. Even a few of us random migrated west siders. We enjoyed watching all the (mostly older) crowd dressed for the day. There were a few women who we both thought were just a bit too dressed up for an outdoor concert; one had a slinky dress and silver high heeled sandals. I liked the woman who was wearing a gauzy, flippy skirt with bike shorts underneath. I also go with the bike short under some of my shorter skirts – the play skirt I had on Monday doesn’t need them; it’s long enough.
View of the Capitol from East Side Club
Same view, backed up a bit
I started getting a headache around 3:30 and came home. Somehow the long bike ride really set my knee up and it’s felt way better all the rest of this week.
We had a reduced Memorial Day meal – I thawed out TWO brats and broiled them in the oven and we ate them with baked beans and macaroni salad.
I took Al & Emma a carton of the salad on Tuesday.
Other stuff i cooked over the weekend include:
Pickled asparagus
That I used for a topping on Noodles with Mushrooms & Spicy Tofu Sauce, both CSA recipes. The more traditional topping for the noodles would be pickled cucumbers which aren’t in season yet, but we do have asparagus. I like the taste of the pickled asparagus but the color is a bit off, I think – it really clashes with the tofu sauce.
Looks better here where I buried the asparagus a bit
I also made cream cheese creamed spinach, and we had it with baked eggs for Sunday brunch, Or at least I did – I made Mark’s with ham & cheese.
And thanks to Hetty McKinnon for the idea, although her NYT recipe uses frozen spinach and a lot more cream cheese. I’m thinking about buying her new(ish) book – it’s getting lots of good reviews.
I also made rhubarb muffins, and they’re not soggy this time. Used my Better-Than-Stella’s recipe.
In other news, I bought out the lease on my car on Tuesday. I wanted to do it before June 1 in case the economy goes whack with all the debt ceiling stuff. Even though I never thought buying out a lease was a very good deal, I think it’s the right move this time. The remainder I owed on the car, that I took a Credit Union loan for, is only about a half to a third of what I’ll be able to sell it for. And ultimately I want to get an electric vehicle, but there’s nothing I really want to buy right now – and the finance person that set up the buyout for me confirmed waiting. She said, at least with Subarus the EVs are currently 1st generation, and I should wait until 3rd, at least that’s what all the employees are doing.
Some friends are coming for dinner Saturday and I think I’ll push the season bit and make Dad’s Day Cake.
So I guess it’s time for a final random baby pic, and outta here.
