a weekend south of us

We're home.  Big sigh of relief there.  We left Wednesday for Boise, got back to California at lunchtime on Friday, spent an hour unpacking and repacking, then hit the road south.  Destination:  San Diego County.  Late this afternoon (it's still Sunday as I write), we got back to the condo.  Hooray for a few days before I leave again.  But also, hooray for seeing friends this past weekend.

Friday night we spent with Chuck and Violet at their home in Carlsbad.  Former neighbours in our building, and still dearly missed.  They made us dinner, we enjoyed a goodly amount of wine.  We all got caught up.  Such an enjoyable evening.  On Saturday, we had a very lazy morning, eventually making our way to the Original Pancake House in Encinitas for breakfast.  Violet ordered the German pancake, and we all helped out a little with that one. 

Wow, quite the big pancake!

After breakfast, Conrad consulted with them on their wifi system, and then we got our stuff in the car and hit the road.  Onward south to pick up Courtney and Robert at San Diego Airport and then get to the hotel.

Yes, Courtney and Robert again, and we'll get to see them in July, too.  It's always a treat.  And not our first time in San Diego together, either.  We checked in at the Intercontinental, unpacked and such, and then converged on the bar for a couple of drinks before dinner.

Mmmm... dinner.  Our original plan fell through (a message two days beforehand or so that the entire restaurant was booked for a private event - weird), but Conrad had the quick thinking to direct us to another place, Kingfisher. 

Van (not our Van, and not pronounced the same way) who used to work at Maestro and whom we and everyone else adored had moved to San Diego and was working there.  We had a booking for an outside table.  Not long before we were going to head out, the restaurant messaged to say that because of the chance of rain (and it did rain a little after all), they were offering to move us inside to the bar.  When we got to the restaurant, they had a table for us, but we wanted to sit around the one corner of the bar

so that we could enjoy engaging with Van.

Would I go back?  Oh yes, big time.  First off, how awesome to see Van again,

but on top of that, what generous and terrific hospitality he provided, guiding us through the menu so well.  The cocktails?  Top notch.  I had the Endless Prosperity to begin with

and the Sesame Soiree to end. 

In between, we got advice from the sommelier on a wine to enjoy, and we shared two bottles of the French grenache she recommended.  As for the food, superb.  Every dish - we shared eight of them - was fantastic.  That whole fish was so beautifully cooked,

and yes, I was the one who suggested the mushroom congee. 

It had morels.  I like morels!  Van surprised us with a gift of a vanilla flan to end the evening as well. 

Just such a wonderful meal together.

This morning I was awake before 7, though I promise I had a good sleep.  I lazed around a little while, then it was out on foot along the waterfront for a couple of miles. 

Look at that cool little ray I saw swimming in the harbour! 

I eventually met up with Courtney and Robert on the return, then headed for the room to get ready to check out and head to brunch.

Brunch, funnily enough, was at the place that had cancelled on us the night before.  It had tables free and a decent location, and the menu looked good.  I think I liked the menu more than the actual breakfast - great eggs, tough sausage, toast that I wasn't given butter or preserves for. 

The pastry basket was nice, but some greater variety would have been good.  Still, I'd also go back to Provisional Kitchen at the Pendry (and maybe stay at that hotel if I could) to try some of the other items and the drinks.

After brunch, sadly, it was time to say goodbye for now to our friends.  The drive home wasn't terrible - no more than 2.5 hours, but we did hit some rain.

And now it's winding down.  I have a busy week that will have me in Chicago from Wednesday to Sunday for meetings.  We've watched some television, and I made us a pasta with caramelized cabbage.  I should close up here and head to bed.

making the most of an unwelcome adventure

I'm in the lounge at SFO as I write this, heading home with Conrad from Boise.  We'll be back at the condo early this afternoon.  A short trip to Idaho done, and one we wish hadn't had to happen this way.

I met Gina I don't know how many years ago thanks to our work in our association.  In 2014, she and I were elected to the executive board, and that bonded us.  Three years of working together, sitting next to each other in meetings and passing notes.  The accidental coordination of our outfits when we were installed on the board. 

The getting to know her wife Kathy, them getting to know Conrad.  Gina's career took her out of libraries after our experience on the board, but we have remained friends.  Conrad and I attended Gina and Kathy's wedding,

the two of them came to California for a Disneyland weekend with us.

About a month ago, Gina let me know that Kathy had been having some health problems, and at last they had been diagnosed.  As late stage pancreatic cancer.  There wasn't hope for a cure, just some relief.  And even that hope was evanescent.  Kathy died on Easter.  I cried at the news and since then.  Just so unfair.  I usually keep these blog posts happy and light.  I won't post much about experiences I hate, and I usually try to find good things to say.  So forgive the profanity:  fuck cancer.

Gina sent out word of when the memorial service would take place, and Conrad said to me, we have to go.  Yes, we did.  We absolutely did.

No, no photos from the memorial, though it was lovely.  Kathy was devoutly Catholic, and this reflected in the service and also in what seemed to be many people from her congregation in attendance.  Truly, it was a large number celebrating her life, at least 200.  Gina was able to speak to us all, and she told us some loving things, some funny things.  At the reception that followed, we got to talk with Gina a couple of times and give her our love, but we also got to hear a little more from others there about Kathy, which was so delightful.  But no, no photos from the memorial.

Conrad and I made the most of our time in Boise, all things considered, and Boise made the most of things as well.  It's spring there - trees in bloom,

young leaves painting the branches that fresh green.  Mild, even warm weather.  We arrived in time for a nice steak dinner at The BrickYard,

plus some oysters

and a bottle of an Idaho red wine,

on Wednesday.  On Thursday, we went to Modern Bar and Restaurant and had excellent cocktails (the Celery and Smoke was mine, and it was so good),

plus more oysters,

bread service,

duck curry for me,

halibut for Conrad,

and a warm chocolate cake for dessert. 

And then we packed up and got ourselves to bed for an early departure.

Boise is a handsome city

in a state that has cruel and awful politics.  I hope we'll go back to see Gina.  She's absolutely welcome to come see us as well.  We won't get to see Kathy again, but as we did multiple times the past few days, we can raise a glass to her memory and be glad we called her a friend.

Boise

Just popping in briefly to say that we're not in state right now.  We're in Idaho, in Boise. 

Lovely city, sad reason for being here.  Home tomorrow!  And more to come.

a swim was swum

I don't need to be on campus until lunch time on Tuesdays, so I had some leisure time this morning to head to the pool and do a bit of a swim.  I won't pretend it was good, but it was better than last week's awful session.  My watch, meanwhile, once again decided that I finished at the opposite end than I started at (which I didn't), and so I cannot say exactly how much I did.  Ah well.  A swim was swum, and that's that.

Monday night

It was weird being back at work after spring break.  After some time at the library with it being closed and next to no one there, it was jarring to me to see students yesterday.  Ah well.  Not a bad day of work in the end.  I made it home and then to Van's, and after much catching up, we poured a cocktail and settled into the evening.  And hey!  A Naked and Famous for me after making so many this past weekend. 

Tasty!

It was a television night - we had some American Idol to catch up on.  Much as with The Bachelor, though, Olive was unimpressed.🤣

Party!

Gosh, it's been a long time.  So very long.  I think the last time we had a party that wasn't a dinner party was, oh, August of 2019.  We did a wine tasting, the weather was terribly warm, and it was a fun time.  Add last night to the (meager) list of our parties.  A cold April night, wine and cocktails.  We had a fun time.

I have to say, all the work that Van did on the planters really paid off.  And all the work that Conrad and I did on swapping out artwork and tidying did as well.  The condo looked great.  I set up a nice spread of things to nibble on, and we were ready for guests to arrive at 7.

I didn't take many photos during the party.  For one thing, I was stationed at the bar I had set up in the kitchen,

making cocktails. 

And - much to my surprise - folks wanted cocktails, not wine.  So be it.  But there were people who came over we hadn't seen in so long, like Carrie and Ron. 

Almost 5 years!  Too long.  So good to see them.  So I caught a few photos, like of Jennifer

and Erik,

but not many more.  I was just too busy enjoying the talking with friends.

What a late night, though.  Clean up was done by one, but I was too wired to go to sleep.  I think I was in bed at 2 AM, and awake again at 7:30.  Oh yes, a Sunday morning nap was needed.

I joked with Van earlier today that I have now become a dinner party person.  Yes, cooking for folks is exhausting, but unlike last night, at least I get to sit down!

Friday/Saturday normalcy

This will post about the time that guests are here, and I am pouring them wine or making them cocktails.  An atypical Saturday night.  Last night and this morning, however, we more typical of the weekend for us.

We were parked on stools in a corner of the bar at Maestro last night, enjoying our drinks and chatting with the staff and owners and each other.  I only got a shot of the calamari we shared in between the guacamole and the mole with chicken,

so you'll have to take my word on it that the rest was a familiarly good as hoped.

And then this morning we headed for Amara.  No walk for Conrad, who is nursing a sore leg still from a tumble a few days ago, but our usuals for breakfast.  An arepa for me, and - of course! - a decaf latte.

I had better get myself going on more party prep here!

more small improvements

We have a bit of a party planned for tonight, friends and drinks and little nibbles set out.  That's been great impetus for us to actually tidy our place a little more.  Finding home for piles of things or putting them in storage.  Swapping out artwork what with the stuff having come from Vancouver.  Replacing the toilet seats even!

We did the bedroom first.  No, we're not entertaining there, but we will be giving some folks the tour of the condo.  It all seemed pretty impressive to me once we were done. 

There's more we want to accomplish - we'll be swapping out the rug and the oval table and adding some lighting there eventually - but I was pretty pleased.  I'm loving looking around here in the dining room where I am parked at the table at the pieces we now have hanging on the wall as well.  Over time, I'll capture some of them in additional photos for sharing.

the landscaper at work

So here's the deal:  Conrad and I are indifferent at best when it comes to potted plants.  And that is being very very generous.  For years we've had some succulents in pots, and we willfully ignored them.  Occasion watering, pruning once, never transplanting or replacing.  The plants were out there, and that was about it.

But honestly?  We wanted better.  And hey, there's Van, who tends to all the plants on his large patio and knows his stuff.  Apparently I bring cooking, Conrad brings engineering, and Van brings green thumbery to the relationship.  So we gave him a budget and let him do his thing.

Last week he cleared out every pot but one.  Today he got the pots (and more) filled and rearranged.

Friends, it looks good.  It's so different, and while we kept one succulent, it was good to have some other things, including flowers.

Van, thank you.  We have a party coming up this weekend, so it will be great for people to see the new greenery and admire it.

just a Wednesday night

It's been a quiet week.  Spring break at work, so the library is closed.  I was there the past few days, though, getting a lot of dirty dusty things moved and even discarded.  Busy days there, not something to blog about.

At home?  Even less to blog about.  Dinner, home life.  Simple.

I was at Van's last night - we had some television to catch up on.  It had been a sunny, warm spring day, so we had a cocktail out on the patio (a Havana Sidecar),

then he served up some salmon for dinner. 

Olive, as always, was nearby in case there was something good for her to munch on. 

By the time we were deep into American Idol, though, she was done with us for the evening.🤣

Easter dinner

I've gotten lazy, friends.  First there was a Christmas meal, now Easter.  And there am I, getting a Honeybaked Ham ham for dinner.  It's easy, I just make the sides.  Special occasion meal, Bob's your uncle.

Sigh.

Ah well, I did make sides.  A potato gratin from a new recipe, and not one I'll make again.  Some roasted carrots, some steamed green beans.  Buttermilk biscuits.  It was all fine.  Erik and Avery came over from next door, and the five of us enjoyed the meal.

Ah, but the dessert.  The dessert!  I haven't made this one in years, but it popped into my head to do it a couple of days before Easter, and so I did.  Tuscan cream cake from Emily Luchetti's awesome Stars Desserts cookbook.  A treat.  It could have looked better as a whole,

but a wedge of it was tempting to look at, I think. 

It was good, friends.  So good.

We're into April.  Spring break at work, some travel ahead, maybe a little more rain before winter is fully done with us.  Welcome to a new month, everyone!