Just another summer day

Oh, I know, the posts around here have been few and far between.  I have no excuse other than the fact that life keeps getting in the way.  I come home from work and we try to get dinner going so we’re not eating at 8:30 pm every night.  Then there are dishes to do, dogs to pet, e-mail to check, maybe a DVR’d show to watch and before you know it, it’s bedtime.  I have countless photos on my digital camera to sort through and upload.  T has piles of actual photos waiting to be sorted and placed in albums.  When do I have time to sit and write about the little day-to-day things we’ve been doing?  I feel like we barely have time to even do the day-to-day things…

So, we went to Vegas, we came back from Vegas, and then we discussed Vegas.  We’ll just say it was a trip that made me realize my pretend-to-be-nice functions aren’t all that functional.  So, if anyone out there has ever wondered if I actually like them or have been faking it the whole time, rest assured I must actually like you.  Because I am lousy at faking it.  I feel very lucky that I am dating someone who doesn’t actually get mad at me (aside from drunk argumentative statements), doesn’t hesitate to apologize first, and is able to calmly discuss problematic situations without getting defensive or illogical.  This helps, because I have a tendency to get defensive and throw out radically illogical statements sometimes.  I’m also fortunate to be with someone whose main concern is always my well-being and comfort.  It is a comforting and cherished feeling to know that someone has put you first in his life.

We also started “menu planning” for the week’s dinners.  This really only works if you’re able to do one big shopping trip on the weekend.  Doing it after work means you get home later, which makes dinner later, which delays the option of twice-baked potatoes because those suckers take a LONG TIME.  Also, buttering the outside of the tortilla for quesadillas makes a big difference.  I highly recommend taking the caloric plunge to do so. 

Salt has become my new best friend in the kitchen.  I mean, I’ve always used salt and I know that when food tastes flat it’s really just lacking salt.  Salt brings hidden flavors out and makes everything alive.  Brines add moisture and flavor to just about any meat out there.  But lately, I feel like I’ve really been testing that theory and I feel a little bit dumb when I realize how true it all is.  Before we grilled lamb chops, I sprinkled them with salt and let them rest.  Every bite of lamb was juicy and full of flavor.  Yum.  When we grilled ribeyes, I just sprinkled them with kosher salt and let them sit, instead of adding the Montreal Steak Seasoning we usually use right before grilling.  Even though the steaks were mildly beyond medium/med-rare, each bite tasted heavenly and like a happy cow.  The other night T used the rotisserie to cook a chicken, a chicken liberally spiced and salted and each inch of chicken meat had flavor and was delicious.  Granted, I know the juiciness has to do with cooking method and not overcooking it, but I can’t help but feel that salt played a good part in those meals, too.  It kind of makes me want to read Salt: a World History.

Let’s see, what else… Maya the pup is still cute as ever and it makes my heart twitter when she gets so excited to see me that she cries.  I love that dog, even though she’s not mine.  Cassie would never let her come home with us, anyway.  Any time Maya comes near me, Cassie runs up and sits next to me, letting me know that she’s my girl, not this wiggly dog.  I do love Cassie… she’s my favorite. 

The sod is being installed today!  I think that marks the end of the landscaping project!  Except for the plants we need to buy and plant.  And the drip system that we need to install to water the plants we haven’t planted.  Yay!  I can’t wait to get home and see new grass.  It’ll be so awesome.

Also, in totally boring news, Poway finally started (restarted?) issuing rebates for low-flow toilets, which means it’s time to swap ours out (because they’re leaking and old anyway).  Every time I look at them, I know they need to be replaced, but I’ve been waiting for the rebate program to kick in.  Why not save some money?  So, now I’m trying to decide if we want to go with a dual flush toilet or not.

There you go.  There’s my update.  See?  It’s not like we’ve been globe-trotting or working to solve global warming.  We’ve just been living life and trying to enjoy the rest of the summer.