Cold front!

Perhaps not *exactly* a cold front - but it didn't get up to 100F today, and tomorrow... a chilly 90!  (Hey, at this point, we'll take what we can get.)

Our lives? Freakin' busy! The newly renovated church was open for worship this weekend but G-man and the crew still have lots of details to tie up. The Juj enjoyed his first week back at school, now in the upper elementary class for most of the day. And it seems like things never slow down at the office for me.

But I did cook Sunday - improv:

• Seared scallops on sauteed spinach with a white wine, butter and lemon pan sauce
• Brown rice pilaf with peas and red bell pepper
• Mixed berry fool (lemon juice & zest flavored whipped cream with blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and Splenda)

Et voila!  It was also hotter than Hades this weekend, so we escaped to the dollar movies to see Prince of Persia on Saturday. Not bad, for a buck apiece. Also really enjoying the Netflix hook-up via the Wii's internet connection; been watching movies and TV shows on demand like crazy.  And since the heat makes me sleep poorly, I got to use it to watch Desk Set on Saturday -- at 5 AM.  Thanks to MrsF5 for that one!

End of summer

I find it rather annoying that the Juj starts back to school tomorrow. Now, I know - he's in day camp at his school all summer, what's so different about dropping him off at 8:30 and picking him up after 5, just like most days this summer?

Well, for one thing, he's going to start to spend the first half of his day in upper elementary, so we actually have to get him dropped off by 8:30 AM, a feat we have not managed to do on a consistent basis for the first two years he's been at this school. (It's Montessori, they work at the their own pace, what's the big deal...um, 'parent fail' rationalization anyone?)

But also, I've taken off a fair amount of days this summer, between vacation I carried over from the old job, and furlough time, and this new job doesn't allow you to carryover vacation from one fiscal year to the next, so I've got to 'use or lose it' by the end of September.

So it's been a somewhat loose summer for both Juj and I, and now, sadly, it's at an end. No more long weekends, no more weeks off. This is an extra big shame, since it is not going to start to feel like fall in any way for another month or two. And they go and close the city pools, because the kids (including lifeguards) go back to school in another week.  And it just makes me sad. And hot. Which I really dislike.

Although once it really gets to feel like autumn, that's another story altogether - my favorite time of the year...and the run-up to the busiest time. Although this summer, this year, the past two years I'd say, it hasn't felt like there's been anything except the busiest time of the year.

(OK, that was just a nonsensical rant. I'll tell you about what we ate and saw and ate and ate during our few days off in San Antonio this past week another time.  Happy Fall...bwah, ha, ha!)

What do we do when we're alone?

Not lonely, but having 24 hours without anyone else around, thanks to my dearest husband, who whisked the Juj off to the in-laws for a week before school starts up again. G-man comes back today, and then we'll go get the kiddo later in the week, but for one blissful day, I can do whatever I want without having to worry about when anyone else needs to eat, or sleep, or make noise, or be entertained, or anything!

So what did I choose?

First, a long overdue but admittedly not-that-great chick flick at the dollar movie theater.  Seriously - I paid ONE dollar to see this movie. So I don't have to worry about whether I got my money's worth. And yes, Virginia, this franchise is tied to a lifestyle that I can no longer identify with, even vicariously. And, uh, could we MAYBE keep the mic out of the shots, people? Still, an OK escapist matinee, although glad that I only paid a buck, and that I didn't inflict it on anyone else.

Then, a throwback to my misbegotten hippie youth, by way of dinner at bliss raw cafe & elixir bar. Not only was it totally Berkeley-Oregon-commune in look and vibe and taste, but there was XM Classic Vinyl playing my song(s) the whole time.

I managed to drop a small bundle, despite the fact that there was no steak, lobster or sushi involved. But I really enjoyed it, from the Cordial Sampler (Chocolate Bliss, Goji Paradise, and Hemp Horchata superfood elixirs) to the salad and raw corn bisque, to the OMG delicious decadent chocolate-coconut 'cheezecake' (but also OMG $9? no wonder the dessert menu isn't printed!) and a Noni Fire shot to round things out.

The reviews on Yelp said the seating was outdoors, but there is a little inside "bar" area as well, which did have a modicum of air conditioning. I found the service gracious, and the plates were beautifully presented (sort of in contrast to the laid-back atmosphere). Not entirely sure I'd go back, and I certainly wouldn't inflict it on my family, but I did like it. (Did find some controversial comments about the management online, which turns me off a bit, although who knows which side is telling "the truth"?)

Rounded out the evening with a pilgrimage to Lush. Which just doesn't feel the same since they exploded with stores all over the U.S., but I did pick up a couple of lulling lavender bath bombs and bubble bars, and after 90 minutes of classic Cooking Channel shows (this is what FoodTV used to be!), I took a bath and went to sleep.

And now? A morning of bill paying / budget monitoring, reading the blogs online, then probably a break for exercise and shopping, and then I think I will need to do a bit of office catch-up as well.

Oh, and I'd better clean the cat boxes.

Yup, it's still hot

So I didn't cook this weekend. Just had fun with the kiddo and the hub: hair cuts, pool time, movie, eating out ... and complaining about the heat. Maybe I'll have a menu to share in a few weeks, after my bachelorette weekend and visit to the in-laws. So keep cool in the meantime.

(Although we did make some simple speedy homemade spaghetti & meatballs, and broccoli, and squash at home this evening; I must be acclimating after all.)