Weekend accomplishments
Rian is arriving on Tuesday. I used to complain about him staying for an entire month, but he was a lot of help with the 'rents last year. He huffs and puffs and complains endlessly, but that's just how he's always been and I've long since learned to tune it out. It's just how he gets stuff done, I guess. Jamie needs music when she cooks; I need wine and to sit down and read a few pages between tasks; Rian needs to claim that handling raw spinach is making his dermatitis flare up. *shrug*
Saturday I made eggs and toast, then got in the shower right away since I had a haircut in the early afternoon and a few things I needed to besides. I went to CVS in Abbeville, then drove to Lafayette. First stop was going into Rouse's real quick to get my stylist a bottle of rosé (and a wine bag to put it in). Wine is a good holiday gift for service industry people, because you can drink it yourself, bring it to a party, or re-gift it. (I hope calling her a "service industry person" doesn't make me sound like a ridiculous snob. She's a nice person--intelligent, too--and we're friends on Facebook, but I never see her outside of paying her to cut my hair every 6 weeks, so calling her a friend seems both sad and like level-jumping way too many steps.)
Next stop was the Catholic gift shop for novena candles, they have the kind in plastic sleeves designed to be inserted in whatever glass holder you have, so when it's burned out you can just take out the sleeve (which never melts, something that I do not understand and which low-key fascinates me; I guess the flame just isn't large enough and is far enough away not to effect it) and throw it away. I couldn't just take out the candle I had been using for the hurricane altar and put in the St. Lucy holder, because I dress my candles and they're not the same. (Hurricane season is salt, lavender, angelica, and an essential oil blend I make myself; St. Lucy is lavender, hyssop, and olive oil which has been steeping on the altar with rock salt, frankincense, and star anise. This has been more information about my weird swamp witch practices than you probably asked for.)
I misjudged the amount of time I needed before my haircut and arrived nearly an hour early, so even though I hadn't planned to go to the record store I did. And when my haircut was finished it was an awkward time, like I was hungry but it was too late for a full meal. So I just got some french fries in the McDonald's drive-through and scarfed them down on the way back to Rouse's. I skipped the carwash because it's the other side of town. After putting away the groceries and updating LJ and my planner and journal, I read until dinner. I've started Mr. Mercedes and I'm almost like, annoyed at how good King still is at writing a page-turner (or was about 10 years ago, anyway). Like it's not great literature and there's stuff I don't like or just doesn't work for me and other stuff that comes across as slightly cringey in a "well-meaning white Boomer dude" way, but the overwhelming emotion I have is still WHAT HAPPENS NEXT??
David made eggs in purgatory for supper and afterwards I finished The Outsider and painted. And stayed up later than usual reading Mr. Mercedes, argh.
Sunday I made the eggs in a basket with the little grilled cheese for breakfast, then vacuumed all the rugs. (If this seems like a lot of eggs, it's because Mom bought 2 dozen farm eggs from the home health aid that sometimes helps Phil, and we like to eat those within a few days.) I watched Dateline and changed/washed the bed sheets, then read for an hour before showering, which felt weirdly luxurious because I almost never just read and listen to music on a Sunday morning.
I did a load of towels, then decided I was tired of looking at the loads of laundry Mom has left lying all over the laundry room all week. I tumbled and folded 2 clean loads, and put them in her room but told her she needs to put them away herself, or have Phil do it. There was one unwashed load, so I put that in the washing machine. There were 4 slices of bacon in the opened package that looked like they should be used, and we hadn't had bacon with breakfast--in fact, Phil said "I missed bacon" when I got his breakfast plate, to which I responded "The only thing I want to hear about the food I make you is 'thank you', old man"--so I made turkey and bacon sandwiches. I toasted the bread and used colby-jack cheese and lettuce (no tomatoes in the house, sadly), they were pretty good. I did not refrain from saying "Here's your fucking bacon" to Phil when I gave him his sandwich, because I usually give in to the intrusive thoughts.
I baked a cake, and also made some dip with sour cream and ranch mix, because I'd bought plain Ruffles the day before and was suddenly craving dip. I had some with a couple glasses of wine and read some more. Dinner was maple mustard chicken, which doesn't require much prep, salad, and jalapeño cheese bread. For dessert I made the chocolate potato cake from Baking Yesteryear.
Yes, it has half a boiled potato (unpeeled!) in it. Potato is a great addition to baked goods but it doesn't get used much in sweets anymore (although there is a wonderful potato doughnut shop in Ocean Springs, MS that's been around for years). Which is a shame, because it provides a fabulous balance of moisture and crumb coherence. This also had cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in it, so it was really a chocolate spice cake, very appropriate for the holiday season.
Saturday I made eggs and toast, then got in the shower right away since I had a haircut in the early afternoon and a few things I needed to besides. I went to CVS in Abbeville, then drove to Lafayette. First stop was going into Rouse's real quick to get my stylist a bottle of rosé (and a wine bag to put it in). Wine is a good holiday gift for service industry people, because you can drink it yourself, bring it to a party, or re-gift it. (I hope calling her a "service industry person" doesn't make me sound like a ridiculous snob. She's a nice person--intelligent, too--and we're friends on Facebook, but I never see her outside of paying her to cut my hair every 6 weeks, so calling her a friend seems both sad and like level-jumping way too many steps.)
Next stop was the Catholic gift shop for novena candles, they have the kind in plastic sleeves designed to be inserted in whatever glass holder you have, so when it's burned out you can just take out the sleeve (which never melts, something that I do not understand and which low-key fascinates me; I guess the flame just isn't large enough and is far enough away not to effect it) and throw it away. I couldn't just take out the candle I had been using for the hurricane altar and put in the St. Lucy holder, because I dress my candles and they're not the same. (Hurricane season is salt, lavender, angelica, and an essential oil blend I make myself; St. Lucy is lavender, hyssop, and olive oil which has been steeping on the altar with rock salt, frankincense, and star anise. This has been more information about my weird swamp witch practices than you probably asked for.)
I misjudged the amount of time I needed before my haircut and arrived nearly an hour early, so even though I hadn't planned to go to the record store I did. And when my haircut was finished it was an awkward time, like I was hungry but it was too late for a full meal. So I just got some french fries in the McDonald's drive-through and scarfed them down on the way back to Rouse's. I skipped the carwash because it's the other side of town. After putting away the groceries and updating LJ and my planner and journal, I read until dinner. I've started Mr. Mercedes and I'm almost like, annoyed at how good King still is at writing a page-turner (or was about 10 years ago, anyway). Like it's not great literature and there's stuff I don't like or just doesn't work for me and other stuff that comes across as slightly cringey in a "well-meaning white Boomer dude" way, but the overwhelming emotion I have is still WHAT HAPPENS NEXT??
David made eggs in purgatory for supper and afterwards I finished The Outsider and painted. And stayed up later than usual reading Mr. Mercedes, argh.
Sunday I made the eggs in a basket with the little grilled cheese for breakfast, then vacuumed all the rugs. (If this seems like a lot of eggs, it's because Mom bought 2 dozen farm eggs from the home health aid that sometimes helps Phil, and we like to eat those within a few days.) I watched Dateline and changed/washed the bed sheets, then read for an hour before showering, which felt weirdly luxurious because I almost never just read and listen to music on a Sunday morning.
I did a load of towels, then decided I was tired of looking at the loads of laundry Mom has left lying all over the laundry room all week. I tumbled and folded 2 clean loads, and put them in her room but told her she needs to put them away herself, or have Phil do it. There was one unwashed load, so I put that in the washing machine. There were 4 slices of bacon in the opened package that looked like they should be used, and we hadn't had bacon with breakfast--in fact, Phil said "I missed bacon" when I got his breakfast plate, to which I responded "The only thing I want to hear about the food I make you is 'thank you', old man"--so I made turkey and bacon sandwiches. I toasted the bread and used colby-jack cheese and lettuce (no tomatoes in the house, sadly), they were pretty good. I did not refrain from saying "Here's your fucking bacon" to Phil when I gave him his sandwich, because I usually give in to the intrusive thoughts.
I baked a cake, and also made some dip with sour cream and ranch mix, because I'd bought plain Ruffles the day before and was suddenly craving dip. I had some with a couple glasses of wine and read some more. Dinner was maple mustard chicken, which doesn't require much prep, salad, and jalapeño cheese bread. For dessert I made the chocolate potato cake from Baking Yesteryear.
Yes, it has half a boiled potato (unpeeled!) in it. Potato is a great addition to baked goods but it doesn't get used much in sweets anymore (although there is a wonderful potato doughnut shop in Ocean Springs, MS that's been around for years). Which is a shame, because it provides a fabulous balance of moisture and crumb coherence. This also had cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in it, so it was really a chocolate spice cake, very appropriate for the holiday season.