personal

Everybody’s home again

I shouldn’t be exhausted, right? I mean, I’m not the one fighting a six-hour jet-lag, not the one who started the morning in Venice and ended it, a nine-hour flight later, in New York. That would be my parents, home from two weeks on a tour of Italy. Me, I just spent the day cleaning the house, vacuuming, doing laundry, and then driving to the airport to pick them up. But I nodded off a little after dinner nonetheless.

Anyway, it’s good to have them home. I got to see lots of lovely photos — Capri, in particular, looks gorgeous – – and hear about the tour group. I think they had a really good time.

The dog, of course, was disappointed they only managed to bring back a single squeaky toy. For this he put up with two weeks of upset in his regular routine? Well all right, but he’s only going to play with the toy under protest.

And that was Sunday. Well, that and the crossword puzzle, but that’s pretty much a given.

Last night

Last night, I got take-out from a local Southern restaurant, one I don’t much opportunity to visit. (I think this is actually only the third time I’ve ever been there.) I ordered fried green tomatoes, fried catfish (with hush puppies, cornbread, collard greens, and coleslaw), and banana pudding for dessert. I feel like I maybe should have gone with the brisket, even though the catfish was quite tasty, just to change things up a little. But the tomatoes, particularly the horseradish dressing, and the pudding were ridicuolously good. I spent the rest of the evening wrapped in a food coma.

I was disappointed to discover the Thai place I really like, that used to be right next door, is now a Five Guy’s hamburger joint. I’ve become slightly less enamored of Five Guy’s now that the novelty and rarity has worn off. (There’s one across the street from my office.) Truth be told, I don’t love their fries, and I think I prefer In-N-Out Burger. And I really did like that Thai place.

Anyway, other than that, yesterday was a pretty ordinary day. We had a brief presentation about author filming, what to do and what not to do, and how it can be a tool for promoting a book. I don’t know that it’s something that I’ll have call to do in the near future, but you never know.

Today was my last day all by my lonesome, just me and the dog. My parents fly home from Italy tomorrow, and both I and the dog will be happy to see them. Tucker dosn’t like change in his routine; I don’t love having the house all to myself at night. It’s one reason, I have to admit (though it sounds silly), that I’ve shied away from watching anything like a horror movie while they were away. Tonight, I watched t Transsibberian, a thriller, which is about as close as I’ve gotten these past two weeks. (The movie was good, and well acted, although honestly a bit disappointing in the end.) I’ll be happy to have a little more noise than just a barking dog (and me talking to the dog, or, sometimes, myself) around the house again.

Today was mostly about running a few last-minute errands, doing laundry and dishes, and trying to reassure Tucker he’d only have to put up with me for one more night.

Anyway, that’s it for Friday and Saturday, such as they were.

How did it get to be the end of May already?

Today was more Thursday than any one person can be expected to stand.

As Thursdays go, though, it was actually pretty normal. It’s hard to believe the week is almost over, and with it, soon, these two weeks of just me and the dog. I don’t want to put too fine a point on it or anything, but, from the dog’s point of view, I think these weeks can’t be over too soon. He misses having more people around. And while it may just be that he’s been going progressively gray over the years, I’m pretty sure I’ve spotted several brand new white whiskers just this week alone.

Anyway, ever onward to Friday and — gasp! — June!

Back to it

Today was just like falling off a log, if you forgot exactly why you were up on this particular log and managed to remind yourself just as you fell off into the chilly but ultimately not so terribly deep waters below. You know, or something like that.

Honestly, it was really just like a Monday, though on a Wednesday, which is the sort of thing that happens every now and then.

And hey, the work week’s already half over. Imagine that!

Back to the daily grind

Well, almost. I worked from home today, what with it being a Tuesday and all, and I didn’t have any trouble easing back into things. (Mostly because a lot of the people I’d hoped would have responded to my e-mails in the time I was out…didn’t.) I don’t really get back into the swing of things until tomorow, when I have to get up and get the train and all that again.

For lunch, for my last day home, I went to my favorite sushi and seafood buffet — actually, the only sushi and seafood buffet I ever go to. I think it’s a great place to explore sushi, which I used to hate, in an unintimidating setting, thanks to all the other more typical Japanese fare like beef teriyaki and shrimp tempura. And the quality is excellent, which is a definite must with raw fish, and you’re able to sample from an extensive collection of rolls and other stuff, constantly being replenished. (I’m a newbie, often content with nothing more adventurous than tuna and avocado, and the nomenclature eludes me.) My meal was excellent, and more than filling, and so even the relatively high price tag — with tip, about $25 — didn’t seem bad at all. Especially when compared to the absolutely awful microwave country-fried chicken with gravy I tried having for dinner. (For shame, Marie Callendar, for shame.)

Anyway, that was my Tuesday, more or less. Sushi (and more) for lunch, working from home…oh, and discovering what looks like a half-made bird’s nest in the tree in the front yard. This is a tree, understand, whose branches are at best six or seven feet above the ground, relatively sparse, and, at the end of the driveway, in an area of considerable foot and vehicle traffic. I found piles of twigs around the base of the tree and couldn’t figure it out — was the tree molting? do trees molt? — until I spotted what looks like a nest, sans bird. I’ll keep an eye on it, but it seems like an exceptonally stupid place for a bid to roost.

Okay, so that’s my Tuesday. Now to bed with me.