I took Friday off because I had had two days in the prior week when I worked until 9:00 PM (even though I did work at home on Monday). On Wednesday I had to chair a pretty important meeting. On Thursday morning, I hoped to finish all the emails I had to send to place 37 students in internships this summer, but I didn’t quite finish before I had to leave – I had to attend a lunch hour committee meeting, to evaluate proposals for MOOCs, then go on a site visit in Sun Prairie, for a student who is placed there this semester, then go to the Teaching Academy induction ceremony and introduce one of the new inductees. Didn’t get home until 6:30, and then I still had to do the remaining placements. Which are all still tentative – I’m sure I’m going to be moving students around next week.
On Friday I got up and walked with Ann. Then did various stuff around the house – I had ordered some new summer dresses, so I cleaned out my closet and dressers and did a run to Goodwill. Then I put gas in the car and got it washed – which would’ve been more satisfying if there hadn’t been scuff marks on the back bumper when I got home – from their vacuum hose maybe? I scrubbed those off, and then actually lay on the couch and read magazines for a while – although I got a couple of work phone calls and emails. I made tuna melts and Ovens of Brittany tomato-dill soup for dinner, and then we went to UW varsity band concert in the evening. 4oth anniversary – where else do you get to see an old man in sequined clothes? As Mike Leckrone said.
On Saturday, we biked to the outdoor farmers market. It was crowded, because Saturday was also the annual Crazy Legs Run. Somehow, I was oblivious to Crazy Legs this year – other years I’ve walked or even run it. It was still nice to get out for a ride. After, I had breakfast, and puttered around the house, did a little work email, and made another batch of chocolate covered matzoh. So I could take it over to Belinda, when we went to E. Wash, so Mark could do a few minor plumbing repairs and I could measure for new blinds, to make up for the vegan buttery sticks batch she made for our late Passover. I biked over to Whole Foods while the matzoh cooled and hardened, and got fruit – bananas, apples, strawberries. Lemons & limes (very expensive limes). While we were over on the east side, Mark needed one little washer for the faucet, so we went to the Ace on Willy Street. I had to restrain myself from buying a 12-inch cast iron skillet. I only have a 9-inch. It was less than $30 ….
And, oh yea, I ordered some test swatches for the new blinds.
We went out for dinner at Nostrano with two bookish friends from Chicago, here for the Caxton Club meeting at the UW Libraries. We split a charcuterie platter, and it was all delicious, especially the two patés – a country and a chicken liver mousse. Mark got the bunny and I got the quail. The rabbit was a Boudin blanc, and it was more like a dumpling than a sausage – light and delicate. There were some pan-browned gnocchi and shredded bunny and vegetables on the side – all really tasty. The quail came on a bed of lentils, that had been cooked with a ham bone, wth some dandelion greens mixed in. Nice meal, nice company. We got asked, politely, to give up our table two hours later, so they could seat the 9:00 reservation. We could all think of times when we wished restaurant staff had done that for us – especially this one time in Denver, that Mark remembered.
We came home, and I got into PJs and poured a small glass of Port and watched Mad Men, and then Saturday Night Live. I poured a second glass, and then knocked it down and broke it when I got up to go to bed. I got most of the glass and stickiness up, and then got the rest in the morning.
On Sunday morning, it was rainy and dark, but I was pretty awake at 6:30 so I made the dough for these raspberry pinwheels from the new Saveur. Then I went back to bed, until 8:20.
Raspberry Pinwheels
The pinwheels came out pretty well – they spread a little too much. Probably because I did the thing where you read the recipe, and it says “one egg + one egg yolk” and I put both into the dough, only to read on and realize the yolk was for mixing with cream to brush on the pastries for a glaze to make the sugar stick. Sigh.
I also made a potato, spinach and roasted red pepper fritatta, based on a Tamsin Day-Lewis recipe from the same magazine (not online yet). I forgot to get out the ham and fry some – but we were pretty full anyways.
All day I’ve been feeling the effects of a Negroni and 3 glasses of wine at dinner, plus the Port when I got home … I took a walk, but I’m still not feeling that great. And my right hand hurts – this funny tendon-y pain I get when the seasons change. Ever since 1980, when I broke my hand – and my nose, and bruised my sternum, and had stitches in my knee – in a bike accident. Maybe a shower will help. Then I’m going to try making graham crackers for dessert with Game of Thrones.
