a normal night at home

Hey, I forgot to mention:  Conrad and Van made it back home on Wednesday evening.  Yay!  They had a great time, and I missed them.  So did Olive.

That meant that last night was a relatively normal night at home for me and Conrad.  I poured us Last Words so we could chit chat and sip

while I finished making dinner, then we ate and watched some television and got to bed at a not-too-late time.  And all was good.

Routine can be very welcome, I have to say.  I'm glad to have the guys back. 

date night in South Pas

Hey, that was a pretty good run of posts to start off July, right?  Not sustainable - life just doesn't offer that much to blog about every single day, but it was good while it lasted.  But after a very quiet week at work and at home, I'm back!

Van and I moved our standing weekly television date night to Thursday this week and dropped the television component.  Instead, we headed over into South Pasadena to grab dinner and drinks.  Nice evening for it.  We've had a hot midweek here - the temperatures out at work got up to 101 on Wednesday - but it was just good and warm by 6 or so yesterday.  We also don't have the air quality issue that is plaguing a lot of the country and Canada.  Yikes!  Those poor folks.

Anyway, it wasn't too far to drive over and park near where South Pasadena sets up its Thursday farmers market.  Good market.  I need to get to it.  It wasn't our actual objective last night although Van did buy himself some flowers. 

Instead we ordered at the window at South Pas Smash (and sorry, they don't have a website fully up and running to link to).  A smash burger for Van, a fried chicken sandwich for me. 

Good, simple.  I still don't get smash burgers as a thing (why smush the patty and force the juices out when you can have a nice, thick burger?)(I know it's to get more of a crust to interior ratio, but I still don't get it), but oh well.  I'd be fine going back and doing that again.

After the food and a brief wander through the market, we popped into Sid's Bar.  We hadn't know it was a live music night, and we were relieved we got in and got a table and drinks before so many others showed up.  Nice bar, not too lounge-y, not too hip (but definitely hip).  A dive bar for cool kids and older cool kids, if you will.  But they made Last Words, and that was good. 

The folks at the next table were curious, so I let them try mine, and they ended up ordering one for themselves.  Nice place.  Very loud!  Not a Conrad bar.

The evening was drawing in as we left,

and it had cooled off nicely.  We headed back to the car, drove the short distance home, and got Olive fed.  Once she was done eating and Van's flowers were in vases, I was fading, and as had been the case so often this week and last, I was lights out before ten.  Not our usual television date night, but a lovely little date night in any case. 

USA Day, 2026

That title is (perhaps more than) a little disrespectful, I know.  I choose to live in the US, but I also choose to live a little apart from it, and given how the flag and national symbols have been so horribly co-opted by the right in this country, I find it even harder now to note the Fourth of July and offer Americans any sort of congratulations or cheer.  Sorry.

It was no less difficult this year to summon up July 4 cheer.  Aside from the messy political situation, it oddly felt like there wasn't much being done to celebrate.  Oh, sure, we saw flags and bunting and some really awful (and, frankly, disrespectful) fashion decisions - why oh why do USians insist on draping their flag across their tits or butts (if they can dress crudely, I can use crude language).  But there really was no sense anywhere that this was a celebration worthy of attention.  It felt like a summer Saturday, nothing more.

Conrad and I checked out of that awful room and left through the patio door to the parking immediately outside because I was in no mood to be nice to the desk clerks.  We tried meeting up with his family members and mostly failed.  So it was that, come noon CDT, we were at a Culver's in Marinette, WI.  A burger each, onion rings to share. 

Not the healthiest lunch, but certainly an enjoyable one.

From there it was on to Green Bay, with a stop at Klema's (which was Seguin's for so many years),

and that was a welcome return to something a little more luxurious, a little better.  I know, I know, I am a terrible snob.  Sorry.  It was just such a weird and not entirely great visit to Escanaba, and having a good hotel for a night,

and one with a spa (we each got a treatment) and a nice bar and restaurant, was such a balm.  We checked in, sorted ourselves out, then headed to the spa for a while.

After that, we had an easy evening ahead.  We took care of repacking for our travel the next day before we went to dinner, then headed up to Taverne in the Sky for a nice meal, commencing with a cocktail each (Last Word, thank you to them for having green chartreuse)

in the bar with its view of Lambeau Field

before heading into the dining room.  They've spruced things up in there.  They've also got a new chef (who came out to chat with us), and he has focused the menu nicely.  The service was attentive and knowledgeable, too.  Summer is clearly not their busy season, and I'm sure the holiday further affected things.  It was fairly quiet in the dining room, which feels like a luxury in this day and age of loud music and chatter in restaurants.  We were grateful for it all.

The food!  Oysters to start, and I liked the apple brunoise. 

I especially liked the glass of Sardinian wine paired with it just as the host suggested when we were talking with him at the bar.  The tuna crudo was also tasty

- Conrad liked that one a lot.  We also had some bread, which was a nice quality. 

I kind of wish restaurants would stop with the balsamic vinegar thing with bread, but ah well.

I was glad that they had a smaller steak on offer, a 6 oz filet.  Much more than that can be too much meat.  The steak was nicely cooked, the cauliflower was a colourful side, and the parsnip puree was ridiculously silky. 

I could quibble and suggest that it all might have been warmer when it came out, but it was a meal to savour slowly anyway, so it was rather cool by the time I ate my last mouthful.  Dessert was good although it felt a little like something halfway to a great idea. 

The lemon parts were terrific, but the pile of pistachios with the vanilla ice cream did not go with it as well as it could.  We had a lot of desserts on this trip that involved a scoop of ice cream, and I get that it's summer, but I don't think that's always the solution.  The nuts could have been made into something, a praline perhaps.  Still, the dessert was a satisfying way to finish the meal.

As the meal ended, we could see fireworks in the distance from three locations.  These continued on as the skies darkened.  We got back to our room where we could still see fireworks

beyond the Titletown complex. 

We wound down, in no great rush in the morning thanks to proximity to the airport, time of flight, and generally being ready to go.

I don't think Conrad and I really remarked much on it being a national holiday all day, which is so odd for a 250th anniversary.  A milestone that got sidelined.  It was a nice day, though, so I am appreciative of that.

making it north

Remember how I posted yesterday, a transition day, all eager and such?  Heading north with Conrad to his hometown for a few nights?  Well, we made it here, but not as smoothly as hoped.  Thank you, United, for what was ultimately a small nuisance but felt like a colossal irritation a mere 24 hours or so ago.

Look! 

There I am, seated by the window, tons of leg space in the exit row, ready to conk out on my during-flight nap.  See how cheery I look!  And then we land, and... for some reason or another not at all explained to us, my bag was not loaded on the flight.  It would come on the next one.

Sigh.  Thank you again, United.

We could have hit the road north, but we figured it was only a couple of hours, so we would drive around town and pick up some things for our hotel room.  That brought us to a couple of grocery stores and the delightful world of Michigan and Wisconsin wines.  I absolutely love some of these wine names and labels. 

Clever!  I'm not sure they are to my taste - the frosting ones sound like they would be far too sweet

- but I kind of want to try them all.  Or have a wine tasting party!  That would be so much fun.  Another time, perhaps.

Anyway, the next flight kept getting delayed, so we decamped to the bar at Taverne in the Sky, which we know from past experience has green chartreuse.  I slowly sipped a Last Word,

we each had a very tasty burger as an early dinner, and by the time we were done, the plane was about to land.  When we got to the airport, by bag was there on the carousel.  I grabbed it, we got it in the car, and off we went to Escanaba.  A longer travel experience that expected or wanted, but we made it here.

spring break vacation, Day 1

8 days ago Conrad and I headed to Burbank Airport.  Oh yes, I am digging into the blogging of the spring break trip to New England.  Day by day - there's a lot of ground to cover!

Day one was easy.  Burbank to Denver, and that was it.  We had wanted to get to Providence in time for dinner with friends, and to do that, we needed to break the outbound trip in two.  That meant we could leave from Burbank, though, which is always preferable.  Such an easy airport.  And hey, first ones on the plane!

Rather than head into the city (and, sadly, we no longer have Courtney and Robert there)(and Laurie and Marc were busy with family visiting), once we got to the airport in Denver,

we picked up our luggage and headed to the adjoining Westin Hotel.  I love the looks of the hotel.  So cool.  Every time I have been to or through Denver, I admire the design.  And now was my chance to stay.

We had a regular room,

and rather than a view of the tented terminal we looked down on the train station for the metro coming in to the airport. 

That was fine.  The room was for one night, and we had an early Sunday morning flight.  We dropped off bags then headed down to the lobby bar for a cocktail

(appropriately enough, an Aviation for me). 

That refreshed us.  We then headed to the ground floor plaza to wander, take photos of the installations on each side,

get a few steps in.

Dinner that night was at Grill & Vine at the hotel.  Conrad taught the bartender how to make Last Words,

and we sipped them whilst enjoying a shared tuna tartare (pictured)

and genuinely super burgers (not pictured).  Bellies a little too full, it was upstairs with us and on to bed.  That 3:45 wake up was going to come far far too soon....

PS weekend

The weekend that was in now days behind us, so of course that means I am at long last writing about it!

Van had the idea of the two of us getting away to the desert last weekend.  I know, I know - it is bloody hot there at this time of year.  Each day easily got above 100 degrees, and we can comment on dry heat all we want, but it's still hot.  Nonetheless, we got ourselves packed up, and on Friday afternoon, after I had finished off some work things, we hit the road.  Olive came with us, by the way, but you won't be seeing photos of her in this blog other than this one. 

We made sure, I promise you, to keep her in air conditioned rooms and walking on pavement as little as possible.  She was comfortable, and she loved her meet-and-greet sessions with the other hotel guests.

Anyway, Van had had an email regarding some good summer time prices at a hotel we like and have stayed at before:  L'Horizon.  It's a handsome setting, with decent rooms and a fine pool and bar area. 

It's quiet, no outside people allowed to use the bar.  And at this time of year, although they told us they had a lot of bookings (good for them!), I don't think I saw more than ten other people using the pool area at any one time.

Oh, but we used the pool area. 

Friday evening after dinner.  Saturday, late afternoon after shopping.  Sunday morning before breakfast and then checking out.  I took advantage of it.

I also took advantage of cooler morning temperature (relatively speaking) to get out on morning walks.  In part to swing by Koffi and grab a decaf latte, but also it's just nice to see the neighbourhoods nearby. 

On the Sunday morning, that moon was still bright out when I set out. 

For such a tourist town, Palm Springs can be quiet early, and especially away from the main drag downtown.

We only had the one full day there, and we enjoyed ourselves with poking in some stores, buying a few things here and there.  I had scheduled an early afternoon online happy hour with some ALA friends as well, so I got a cocktail from the hotel bar (The Rhodonite) and sat in our room and then on our patio, catching up with folks.

We also dined well.  The new Thompson Hotel downtown has some dining options, and we tried out Bar Issi. 

Terrific waiter, some clunky service from the food runners.  Good cocktails

- just look at that drink that Van has! 

A variation on a mai tai for him.  My drink was so conventional and boring alongside that (but I liked it)! 

I enjoyed the fried zucchini blossoms

and the branzino,

but that bread was the star of the meal. 

So good!   The next night we went back to Workshop Kitchen, not without some trepidation given how poor the service was the last time we were there.  This time, however, the service was quite dine, affable and helpful.  Last Words for us,

bread

and a beet salad to share,

and then the pork steak for me. 

Really super - the cherry mostarda was intense, and the meat and the grits worked well with that.  Van enjoyed his corn risotto, and passed me the heads of the grilled shrimp to enjoy. 

We didn't need dessert, but we went for it (and felt so full afterward).  A passionfruit pavlova? 

Yes, please.  It made me feel a little closer to Conrad all those miles away in New Zealand.

An excellent weekend escape, and I was glad to be back in the desert after more than two years away from it.  I do sometimes still daydream about having a nice home down there, I admit....