My dearest Sue, I’m grateful you were so thoughtful, I’m grateful you were so understanding, I’m grateful you were so much fun to be around, but most of all I’m grateful you were my wife. I love you!
We had our favorite places, and one such place was the LA Farmers Market. We loved the French restaurant, Monsieur Marcel, and went their quite often. They had many vegetarian selections and, of course, fine wines! The picture below was when we had Michele and Theo with us, so that was about thirteen years ago now. We took many people with us over the years.
Sue loved being the grandma to all the kids!
I was up and at ’em by 5:30 AM and took a look at the new paint job in the guest bedroom. In that room, the yellow seems very subdued perhaps it’s because the rest of the room is white! I may need to do some additional work in that area!
The trashman cometh today, so I must delve into my collection of science projects located in the refrigerator and make sure they are all doing well. I collected a lot of food. Not being sure of where the pandemic was headed I bought enough for a few weeks. Now the poor little refrigerator’s tummy it full to overflowing. Sometimes I can hear it “burp” in the background. I know it is full because I have trouble getting the ice cubes out for my evening gin and tonic!
Today’s challenge is the office. I must figure out a way to keep at my fingertips the things I always need but clean up the messy desktop. I see another plastic box in my future.
Simply too many wires!
OK, errands need to be done! First to Lowe’s for a three-minute visit to get door stops and some new paint rollers. Then to Ralph’s to get groceries. I am good for another two weeks now! I am replenishing the spice cabinet as many of ours were out of date. I will continue to keep them in alphabetical order just like Sue did all these years.
After putting up the groceries, I did some minor chores and then awaited for Irene to arrive. We had a staff-meeting” scheduled at 2:00 PM.
I took two of our comfortable patio chairs out to the driveway and put a space heater next to her seat as it was a tad nippy. The boxes on the ground next to Irene are puzzles to keep her out of trouble (as if that would work!)
We talked until probably 4:30 PM, at which time I changed into my cooking costume, after all, it is time for dinner!
Jon (our oldest grandson), Sue, and I used to cook almost every day. We got Jon a chef’s hat and he said, “Grandpa, you have to get a chef’s hat also1” Jon is now 32, so this old hat is about 28 years old, I just found it!
Did You Know? The toque is a chef’s hat that dates back to the 16th century. The taller the cap, the more senior the position the chef held. Alongside this, some historians report that the number of pleats on a hat also signified a chef’s seniority. According to some, the number of pleats was specifically related to the number of ways a chef knew how to prepare or cook eggs.
Sue would have been a “Black Hat”! The “Black Hats” were the instructors that ran the school; they were hard-charging and utterly dedicated to what they did. The black hat symbolizes a strive towards excellence. It represents someone who will take the risk and do whatever needs to be done. Black Hats are the best in what they do.
Tonight it is Creamy Parmesan Chicken Spaghetti. It took about 30 minutes to make, and it was terrific! I had plenty leftover, so tomorrow I am going to have it again for lunch!
The roasted tomatoes were magnificent!
I prepared the table, got my glass of wine, and settle in for a delightful meal.
The meal hit the spot!! A while 880 calories! That’s all I ate the entire day, so it was OK.
After dinner, I talked to Colleen on the Bat Phone and shared my cooking experience. OK, “What Experience?” you ask. I got everything ready and began the process. When it came time to add the chicken, I knew it was in the frig. Alas, it was not there. PANIC! I ran to the garage and no chicken. Damn thing must have flown the coop! Well, I finally found it, frozen hard as a rock. PANIC SQUARED!
No time to thaw it! Then I remembered I had a large chicken breast in the frig for another meal I was planning. Out it came and quickly under my newly sharpened knife, it became tonight’s dinner. Into the pan and away we go. Lesson learned: Get ALL the ingredients out, including the meat, fish, or chicken!
Excellent dinner, fine wine, table for one!
It never looks like the package, but it was pretty close. I enjoyed the roasted tomatoes; they were terrific. I shall find a small roasting pan so I can add them to many other meals I have planned.
This dinner was perfect for me for dinner with a glass of chardonnay and candlelight. I even took my time eating and listened to my Alexa Show playing soft jazz in the background!
The pasta was perfect, slightly al dente and the chicken came out just right.
I called Colleen to tell her about my kitchen adventures; we both got a giggle or two out of that! Returning to the kitchen, I did clean up, which was my job for the past 35 years. I am an expert at turning a disaster into the kitchen again.
I then headed to the living room for a little TV and a cup of coffee. I listened to Fox News for about 30 minutes, and then I was “newsed-out.” No “Rancher” at first, I needed a movie. Silly me, I selected 2012, a disaster movie. I did not know it was two and a half hours long.
Summary: Earth’s billions of inhabitants are unaware that the planet has an expiration date. With the warnings of an American scientist (Chiwetel Ejiofor), world leaders begin secret preparations for the survival of select members of society. When the global cataclysm finally occurs, failed writer Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) tries to lead his family to safety as the world starts falling apart.
It’s god to be a mountain climber!
So it was time for bed, at 1);30 PM. OMG, I am getting old! On the way to bed, I peeked in the office, and I am making some headway on the computer desk cleanup! There are still wires to hide. What is not shown is the dual-screen PC to the left plus the two desktop scanners. Today, I will finish the job. Colleen has given me incentive as she organized her kitchen yesterday!
Progress is slow, but it is going in the proper direction!
After brushing my tooth, I hit the sack and watched “The Ranch.” Rooster left the series (in a motorcycle accident), so I looked up why on the Internet, sad but undoubtedly appropriate.
Lights out at 11:00 PM. I need my beauty sleep!
