The Pugs love the Peanut

More than they love me. It's true.

And now today

After all of that glorious weekend weather, this. I did a little creative adjusting in iphoto, I wanted to give the feeling of the reality here, not the actual reality. Rainy and gloomy, as only Oregon on the verge of summer can be.

If you weren't born and raised here (or maybe Alaska or some place far north in Canada) I wouldn't recommend moving here. This place is only for the hardened professionals who can tolerate low levels of sunlight and happiness. Coffee is the artificial sunlight here, and I'm out the door to get some. Cheers.

The Peanut is the best!

Not the best picture of me, but I love it anyway. This is from a weekend or two ago. We had gone to J's parents to do yardwork. It was hard and dirty, but lovely just the same.

Weekend

It is Monday.

Monday means work work work.

But before that, let me tell you a little bit about my weekend.

Friday night, I had a lovely evening with J. A relaxed shabbis dinner, with roast chicken, fresh pasta, fresh baked challah and a crispy crunchy cabbage salad. (A little bit different from my regular cabbage, cilantro and rice vinegar cabbage salad. This one had radishes, chives, thin sliced celery and a buttermilk dressing. Lovely!)

Saturday morning, we had bagels with the gravlax we had been preparing all week. (Fresh salmon+white pepper+dill+salt+sugar+mustard seed+6 days of waiting=delicious!) Then we tried to go estate sale shopping, but that was a bust. From there we went to the American Apparel rummage sale, which, to be frank, sucked. Thanks, I don't really want to fight teenage girls and hipsters for some poorly made cotton clothing. Normally I like a some American Apparel stuff, but this was all tights and mustard yellow hoodies.

The we took the pugbutts to a new park:

It was super warm, and we ran around and did cartwheels and handstands (not the pugs....me and the Peanut), and then we walked to the the Lucky Lab and sat outside with Gunter and Dieter and shared some beers and a salad (again, not the pugs...me and the Peanut). It was gorgeous. I got a little sun on my shoulders and it looks like spring/summer is really here. After an Oregon winter, summer is always a revelation.

Saturday night, the pugs and I had a sleepover at J's house. We watched a strange movie called Ink. I liked it. Breakfast at Marco's. Breakfast cake! (i.e. Belgian waffle.) More dogs and the park. Then a 4 mile run at the gym and a competitive game of racquetball against the Peanut (it was a draw). Then a calm sunday dinner (steamed artichokes, chicken salad in lettuce wraps).

A still life of my bedside table:

And now it is off to the studio for me. So much stuff to take care of, so little time. Can't wait for next weekend!

Shabbas Dinners

Challah, steamed asparagus in redwine vinaigrette, garlic roast, colcannon (mashed potatoes and kale),

and gravy of course.

Wow. It's already Thursday. The weeks just seem to disappear between work and pugs and working out (at my new fantastic gym, i.e. the JCC). How is it that time goes so much faster the older you are? My personal opinion is that since you already remember so much and have seen so much time go by, the span of a week seems vanishingly short. Or maybe it's because as an adult you have so much to do, and that makes time go by faster. Or maybe it is both? Most likely.

So Friday night is now my favorite night of the week. I look forward to it and I enjoy planning for it. It's like a tiny holiday every week!

This week will be roast chicken, homemade pasta coated in the juices from the roasting pan (don't knock it until you try it! It is the most delicious chickeny thing you can eat. Seriously. It is essence of chicken!), challah, wine, maybe green beans? Maybe cilantro cabbage salad? Maybe mashed cauliflower? I can't decide on a vegetable. Creamed chard? Braised greens? When I go grocery shopping tomorrow I'm sure something will pop out at me.

And for the pug lovers out there: