a board dinner

I was almost going to talk about Tuesday dinner, but we're deeper into the week than I thought, and it's Wednesday dinner, not Tuesday.  A simple dinner at that - a board of items to graze on while we continued on Cougar Town.  But I was pleased with how I composed it.  Nice job, Peter. 

hard to believe, I know

Remember how I sprained my ankle back in May?  It's still not 100%, I have to admit.  It held me back from swimming through the summer, or at least that was my excuse.  In truth, it's just so easy to not exercise once you stop exercising.  Re-starting is an effort.

So it is that my fitful (at best), wildly-inconsistent swimming resumed this morning before work.  The pool at the Rose Bowl sparkled in the sun,

and it wasn't at all too hot a day for it.  I got in, I splashed, I sucked.  But I also did more swimming today than I had for over three months, so there. 

last weekend in August

Wow, September.  Where did that come from?  A new month, and now just one month to go until the year's big trip.  I'm getting a little anxious as well as excited.  Plus, if you know me, then you know how important this is:  we are closer to Christmas, into a fall month.  I played some Christmas-adjacent music in the office today.  Shhhh.  Our secret.

With the new month ushered in, let's usher out the old one.  On with the weekend that was.

Can you predict these weekend recap blog entries by now?  Friday night:  Maestro.  Saturday morning:  Amara.  Same old, right?  Well, be prepared for a shocker.  Yes, we did go to Maestro on Friday, but no, we did NOT go to Amara on Saturday.  We went on Sunday.  What a twist!

But back to Maestro.  I asked for the Mezcal Negroni but with the Campari swapped out and Cynar used instead. 

I've had that variation before and liked it, so I thought it would be good again.  Conrad and I ate lightly, neither of us super hungry.  We shared oysters,

we had the grilled octopus dish. 

We came home and had a drink and some chocolate and listened to music rather than watch television.

Saturday morning I had a massage booked on the earlier side.  As a result, I didn't want to have a breakfast in my belly or a decaf latte making me have to pee.  Sorry for that detail, but that's what it was.  So we did a morning walk,

and then I headed to massage and grocery shopping.  We had invited Van for dinner, that evening, so at a certain point late in the afternoon, I got into the kitchen.  I made something of a creole sauce for us, based on recollections of what we used to make at the restaurant.  I cooked peeled shrimp in the sauce and served it up for each of us in a bowl with some basmati rice that was pretty much my best ever attempt at cooking rice.  Tasty dinner, not pretty for photography.  I tried a new cocktail that night (minus the fresh mint leaves I thought I had on hand but did not):  the Stone's Throw. 

A good one.  I'll be making that one again some time.  Anyway, after dinner it was an episode of Stanley for us, then Van took Olive home, and the night wound down a little on the late side.

Sunday morning started with a walk,

and then on to Amara. 

This time I ordered the breakfast burrito, taking home half of it because it's so substantial. 

A decaf latte for me as well. 

We came home from that and started in on some stuff for the big trip ahead, getting a few things done.  By the end of the afternoon, I was at Van's for a rare Sunday night television date night.  A good time:  we finished watching the series, Looking, as well as the wrap up movie that was made.  Really well done show despite some of our final frustrations with it.

The first two weekends this month will be out-of-town weekends, so the regular, predictable, at-home weekends will be missing for a few weeks from here.  They will be back.  In the mean time, may the new month be kind to us all.