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cozy weekend
February 27, 2017
the weather shifted back to its usual shitty, late-February self at the end of last week; cold, wind rain, and even some light snow. The sudden plunge back into winter put me in a very cozy, home-y, nest-y mood for the weekend.
Friday, I came home from work and made my pressure cooker cassoulet. That came out divinely, and made a brilliant (if a trifle late-ish) lunch, and filled three freezer containers for future Friday lunches.
Dee-lish, but it kind of spoiled my appetite for the excellent Chinese food Spouse brought home for dinner. He wanted to stay in, but didn't want to ask me to cook, so we had take-out from China Star again. (Personally, Friday would be a great day for me to make nice meals--obviously! But when he is being respectful of my Friday afternnons, I tend to roll with it.
Saturday, we got up and I worked on the usual housework while he tended to some maintenance chores, and then we went to breakfast. I hate that, because there is no way I can get away with just having coffee, and I end up having to choke something down to make him happy. And we went to Mason's, which I don't really like anyway. I managed a single scrambled egg, two slices of bacon, and one piece of whole-grain toast. I also managed to pretend I enjoyed it. Or at least, that it wasn't making me want to puke. (I REALLY don't like breakfast out.)
Then stopped for a handful of items at Fresh Thyme and Meijer, and went home. I did more chores, and went back into domestic mode--I made a chocolate pie at Spouse's request, then I baked off the rest of the cookie dough that was in the freezer from Christmas.
After that, I did another load of wash, and chilled for a while with my book and a nice mug of my favorite tea. And then I made a batch of make-ahead meatballs. Result: 32 lovely Italian Meatballs, packaged out for four busy weeknight meals, when we can thaw them in some simmering marinara, boil some pasta, and enjoy a quick and easy meal with a homemade touch.
Spouse needs to cook up a batch of his sauce, though--we are out, and reduced to using jar sauce. It's a really good one, but nothing compares to his homemade.
We decided to have an easy dinner for Saturday; I did ready-made popcorn shrimp and french fries in the oven, and made a tossed salad. It was passable.
On Sunday, I got up early with the dog, and after he was pottied and pilled and fed, I went back to bed. Got up around 6:45 and had coffee, followed by grapefruit. That would have been plenty for my breakfast, but he made some nice French toast and sausages, so I had to eat it all up like a good girl, and say thank you. It was lovely, really--if I had been hungry for it, it would have been a joy. But I just wasn't, and I don't know how to tell him that without hurting his feelings, or making him feel like it isn't worth doing just for himself.
Compromise.
After breakfast was over and I had done my usual Sunday cleaning chores, we got cleaned up and went out. Spouse had a haircut appointment, and I rode along and waited in the car. Still cold and very windy, but at least the sun was shining!
Then we ran to the hardware store for some drain cleaner, a new sink mat, and a couple other little fiddly things. After that, Spouse decided he wanted to check out the new Ross store in town, so we did that--I found a cute top for vacation, and he found a great deal on a pair of santoku knives with self-sharpening sheaths from Pfaltzgraff. He found a set with a 5-inch and a 7-inch for under nine bucks. I didn't think much of their clothes; most of what I looked at was either skeevy-looking or too much like what my mom would have worn for me. But the one I got will pack well, and make a nice top to wear to dinner on the boat, with a black skirt or slacks. I tried to get him to go to Marshalls, too, but he wasn't having any. :(
We popped in to the grocery store next door to the Ross, for apple cider he needed for his dinner recipe, picked up some Girl Scout Cookies on the way out, and went home to be lazy. We had some popcorn, because it suddenly struck him at the store that WE (!!!!) have a microwave again, and he could have microwave popcorn. Then we just stretched out and read, napped (him), messed about with my pens (me), and generally chilled until he was ready to make apple cider corned beef in the pressure cooker, with potatoes and carrots.
After cleaning up the dinner mess, we did our Monday prep, and he retired to read while I watched some old QI episodes (Eating and Exploring from series 5). Boy, watching episodes from the early series really makes you realize how hilarious it used to be when they had a good panel and they just started riffing off each other and needling Stephen. I still enjoy it, and I think Sandy is a fine host, but there is no doubt that it has changed a lot. They are so much more reigned in that they used to be.
I was ready for bed at nine, and fell asleep during my hypnosis recording, waking only long enough to pull the headphones out of my ears. Woke up at two to pee, and managed a doze before the alarm, if not a deep sleep. Work tried its best to worm its way in between me and sleep, but was not entirely successful.
Today was fairly quiet at the office; made a nice change. Especially on a Monday.
I am taking tomorrow off, even though my doctor appointment isn't till four. I tried to get them to allow me to come in first thing in the morning for the blood draw, so I didn't have to starve all day, but "Doctor wants to wait till after your exam, in case he wants to change the bloodwork order". So I'll starve all day on Wednesday instead, and go after work. (It is very nice, I suppose, for most people, that they open at 7:00 am. But for me, being 30 miles away and 45 minutes into my workday at that time, they might as well open at 9:00.)
Well, what can I do? They are holding my thyroid script hostage--I have to come in, and I have to get the bloodwork. I'll just enjoy my day off. Sleep in, savor my coffee, make a nice little lunch, and take plenty of time to shave and get ready for my appointment.
I am not looking forward to this, since I have to own up to taking myself off of the Zoloft. I'll probably get a lecture about that, but I am not going to beat around the bush--that shit was messing me up and jeopardizing my livelihood. It had to stop, and I stopped it gradually.
But I have decided I want to discuss weight loss with him, since I am working on that anyway. There probably isn't anything he can offer that I can afford, but I'll take a shot. (It may appease him a bit!)
Reading: Since I just read or re-read the other three Sayers/Paton-Walsh Wimsey books, I figured I may as well re-read "The Attenbury Emeralds" (2010), too. I find I can remember next to nothing of the actual mystery, and very little of the Peter & Harriet bits, anyway. I think I was in kind of bad shape when I originally read it.
Listening: Psychedelic Furs, Vampire Weekend, Arctic Monkeys, Foxboro Hot Tubs. I made myself a new playlist with all my particular favorites on it.
Inked Up: The Retro 51 Tornado, refilled with Iroshizuku Kon-Peki (since I wrote it dry last week--great combination!), the Conklin Duragraph cleaned out and reunited with its soulmate, Pelikan Brilliant Brown, the Duke filled with Diamine Claret, and the Waterman Kultur, loaded with a long cartridge of Waterman Serenity Blue.
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