If yesterday’s post appeared to end rather abruptly, that’s not your imagination. After several hot hours outside, and several gin and sodas, things kind of got away from me. First, Tara tried to video call me, but I couldn’t figure out the screen. Then I decided I should make dinner, so I cooked up a spicy pork stir-fry. Dished myself up a plate, sat down on the recliner, took a few bites…and the next thing I knew, it was a few minutes before midnight.
WTF?
My plate was right there beside me, mostly uneaten. The cat hadn’t been fed. The sprinkler had been running for hours. And I hadn’t published my blog post, nearly ruining my streak. I leapt from my chair, dashed out a few hurried lines, and got it published with about three minutes to spare. Whew. I’m just thankful I pre-wrote most of it earlier, while still coherent.
BTW, I didn’t remember the sprinkler until I’d already crawled into bed, which necessitated a mad dash outside to turn it off. Do not ask me what I was wearing. I’m just thankful the neighbors were all inside and/or asleep.
Guys…this is why I shouldn’t be left alone for extended periods. Thank god Tara is on her way back now. She’s the only one who can save me from myself.
I woke up feeling pretty humiliated, but fortunately, not hungover. I honestly didn’t drink any more than I normally would—I just did so outside, in the stifling heat, on an empty stomach. Whoopsie. Anyway, I made coffee and returned to the scene of the crime (the back patio) but it was overcast and really windy, so that didn’t last long. Tara called, and this time I knew how to work the phone. Things were looking up! The wind died down, the clouds dissipated, and I spent 90 minutes weeding. In the hot sun. I really should’ve timed it better and gotten an earlier start.
Showered, read some blogs, ate the spicy pork stir-fry for lunch, and then watched as some really ominous clouds built up.
Holy mammatus! That was directly overhead, and no filter. We had a lot of lightning and thunder, but the storms were just spinning around over the Black Hills and eventually petered out.
After that drama, I watched another drama unfold. “The Departed,” from our DVD collection (yes, we still have one). It had been years since I’d seen it, and I’d forgotten just how brilliant it is. So many great performances. Then I grabbed my wireless speaker and adjourned to the patio, accompanied by Brussel’s sprouts and a ribeye steak, which got cozy with the CharBroil while I caught up on Instagram et. al.
The steak was a recipe I’ve had tucked away for years but had never tried: a MEXICAN SPICE-RUBBED RIBEYE W/ LIME BUTTER. I wrote it in all caps because damn, that meat deserves respect. Tara called from Rock Springs just as I was finishing up—her overnight stop. She’ll hit the road early and should be here before dinnertime.
Now that the sun is going down it’s pretty pleasant out, so I’m going to hang out back here for awhile. No fireworks for me. I do see some dark clouds on the horizon though, and I don’t mean that metaphorically…
Mark My Words 
I had to laugh at the thought of you running out to turn off the sprinkler after forgetting about it. I’ve been there, but I must say, never at midnight. The grass must have been so soggy!
I can’t believe your unfed cat didn’t wake you up! You must have been OUT! I hope in your compromised state you didn’t forget to turn off the stove burner . . . Nah, you would have written about it.
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Sydney was chilling on the patio with me during what would normally have been her dinnertime, so she didn’t even notice (or if she did, she wasn’t vocal about it!). The grass was slippery. I’m glad I didn’t fall in my haste to get the water turned off!
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Lime butter? Mexican spice? Ok so you are going to have to share that with me. 🙂
What a fun slice of life read. 😀
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It was so good! Here’s the recipe: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/mexican-spice-rubbed-rib-eyes-lime-butter?fbclid=IwAR34Pl0-HQFXFlcbEDarHWeBDSn4baEMSA1l8yBmnG5gvGXpxTL99jnozKw
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Mark, this was the strangest July 4th ever. Being that Philadelphia is where the Declaration of Independence was signed, which is only a few blocks from where I live, usually the city is busy, and loud with fireworks. I think most people here went to the Jersey shore instead because they didn’t want to have to deal with the crowds and try to socially distance.
That photo of the clouds is AMAZING! It almost looks like foamy water.
Last night I watched the movie, “Chef.” It was fabulous! I think you would like it!
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I’ve seen “Chef” and you’re right – I did like it!
There were lots of neighbors lighting fireworks last night. I ended up seeing some nice ones from the comfort of my living room. It was a weird one, though, without Tara. I never even left the house.
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Fabulous clouds! They look like a giant balloon dachshund..wearing sunglasses.
Or maybe that’s just me…
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My mom saw hearts. But you know, strange as this may seem, I see the sunglass-wearing balloon dachshund!
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Which is why we get along….
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Amazing cloud formation–just when I thought I’d seen it all.
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Looks otherworldly, huh? We get mammatus clouds like that a lot around here during the summer. They’re a sign of an unstable atmosphere (ya think?).
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LOL. More unstable than usual, you think?
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Funny how a small amount of alcohol can hit you like that. Good thing Tara’s almost home to start monitoring you again. LOL
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No kidding. I need her to keep me in line!
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First off, the sun can sap the energy out of nuclear fission. Second, leaving your sprinkler on only mean you will get a tremendous return on your weer eater.
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Finally busted it out today. After dealing with a very old weed eater that required a long extension cord and weighed roughly 300 lbs., this one was so much easier!
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And is it auto feed?
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It most assuredly is. The instruction manual even warns NO BUMPING!
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Sounds like deja vu with the sprinkler. I believe that has happened to us. Glad you sometimes might have difficult finding the right screen also.
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And then, naturally, we got 1.5″ of rain over the next two days…
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Mark, Since I began The Bachelor Chronicles, I had to see how it will end. Huge, wow, on the cloud photo! I have added “The Departed” to my watch list, too.
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Let me know what you think! If you like Scorsese and DiCaprio as much as I do, you’ll love it.
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