Eight, plus 1

**Spoiler Alert** Schmaltz ahead.

(Not sure what schmaltz is? Click here for the definition.)

(Oh. Sorry. I didn't really mean the literal chicken fat version of the word. I meant the first definition on this page.)

Today is the eighth anniversary of the day after Christopher and I had our first date.

I know it's a little odd to mention that, but I think that, for me, it's kind of an important day. You see, when we met, I had been going out on a decent number of dates. Not long before, I had been going through a "dry spell" and had decided that I really needed to get out more, so I had set myself up with a couple of online dating sites and decided to just jump in with both feet.

And, mainly, all that got me was wet. (And not in any kind of adult double-entendre sort of way.)

And then I had a date with the most gorgeous pair of brown eyes I'd ever seen. They showed up at my door one evening for a night of pizza and beer and a movie. (Which, in retrospect, is kind of funny, because although we both love pizza and movies, we're not big beer drinkers - but I think that just sounded right when we were setting up the date.)

So, we had this really good date, and the evening ended with him leaving and saying we should get together again the following week. We couldn't make plans for the coming weekend, because it was Labor Day, and he was going to be out of town with friends.

And, anyway, I had two more dates set up with different guys for that weekend. (Like I said, I'd jumped in with both feet.)

Labor Day weekend rolled around, and this guy that I'd only had one date with was out of town, and I went on the first of my (scheduled prior to the date) dates. And for pretty much the entire date, I felt like I was doing something wrong. Like I wasn't supposed to be going on dates with other people.

I don't think I actually even had the second date I was supposed to have. I'm pretty sure I cancelled it in advance with an excuse of "something came up..."

But... anyway... The point of all of this is that, although the first date on August 28th was pretty darned good, I think that the fact that August 29th found me with someone new on my mind is pretty important, too.

So today I toast Eight Years, plus a day. Schmaltz and all.

New Shoes

There is something about getting a new pair of shoes. Especially this time of year when it's time to go back to school.

And, no, I'm not going back to school any time soon, but I did get some new shoes the other day. I'm wearing them in the house right now to try to break them in a bit - and to make sure I want to keep them. (Since we all know that once they touch pavement, they're not going back to the store.)

I got these:

And I have to admit that wearing them makes me feel like this:

I suspect that I'm going to keep them. But I'm not going outside tonight, just in case.

Egg and Tomato on Toast

I had my dinner a bit late, tonight, and I wasn't even sure what I was going to have. Then I looked at what was in the kitchen and knew right away: Egg and Tomato on Toast.

I'm not sure where this sandwich comes from. I am sure it's not something I came up with on my own. But it's just so darned good. 

My version is open-face on white bread toast, with a little bit of mayo, then a slice (or two) of tomato, and a fried egg. All topped with just a little salt and pepper. 

I fully admit that when I'm eating breakfast eggs I tend to go for ketchup. But with these, it's just the salt, pepper, and a dab of mayo. 

And the tomato was fresh out of a friend's garden. So it had real tomato flavor. 

Summer can be kind of nasty sometimes. And we're looking at a full week of 90+ degree days with high humidity. But there's no other time of year for a really good egg and tomato sandwich. 

Bad Quote Quotient - This Time It's Titular

Sometimes the best bad quotes come in the most unexpected of places.

Today, while working on a cookbook at work, I came across the following chapter title. What makes it even stranger, is that the author had gotten this correct in the Table of Contents, but had gotten it wrong in the actual book.

The chapter was titled "Hard Working-Woman".

My immediate thought - which I did not write into the manuscript while suggesting that "Hard-working Woman" might be more acceptable under the chapter's circumstances - was "I bet she still had a heart of gold."

Either way, it made me laugh at work. I didn't share it at work, because I figured most people wouldn't think it was funny.

I still do, though.

I Know It's Summer, But...

I know that summer in Minnesota tends to be pretty short. We seem to have winter for about 7 months of the year, damp pre-spring for about 6 weeks followed by 2 weeks of spring, and a couple of months of fall. That only leaves us with about a month to get in all of summer. 

And although I'm not sure I'm thrilled with the 7 months of winter (who am I kidding? I tend to really dislike about 4 of those months), I kind of like the short period of really hot, steamy weather. 

You see, I went to grad school in southwest Ohio, where the school was in an area where three rivers all kind of converged. It was medically known to cause major allergic flare-ups for people because all of the particulates would get trapped in the river valleys. And it also made for hot and humid days - and nights. 

After that, I moved to Baltimore. Which - for those who have problems with geography - is located on one arm of the Chesapeake Bay. It's coastal. It's south of the Mason-Dixon line. In the middle of summer it is downright swampy. It's the kind of place that is great to visit in spring (which starts in February/March) or fall (which goes all the way through November). 

Part of why I moved to Minnesota was so that I could have more liveable summers. And - for me - that means cooler, and less humid. Okay. So the whole "being on the Mississippi River" thing tends to add to the humidity, but it's supposed to be cooler, at least. 

And, for the most part, it is. Which makes me very happy. Even so, when it's really warm, it makes me whiny. So, tonight, I'm sitting in the air conditioned house, very glad that I'm not outside. And tomorrow, when the air conditioner at the office doesn't quite keep up with the demand, I'll be very happy that our office at least has a fan. 

And, yes, I know there are people who live here who really like the heat, so if you see me on the street, I'll do my best to say things like "It's supposed to cool off after a day or two..." instead of being too whiny. 

Stuff on Top of Trucks

I don't have a camera with me most of the time I'm in the car. And my phone is small and old and can only send photos to other phones. So you'll have to take my word on what you're about to read.

Lately, I seem to be seeing all sorts of things being transported on top of cars and trucks. And some of it is a little scary.

On my way to work last week, I saw someone had tied a mattress and box spring to the top of a Suburban. And, while it was well tied down, the front of the mattress was kind of rearing up, as if it wanted to get away. I did not stay behind it any longer than I needed to, fearing the worst.

The other most interesting thing I've seen was a Pathfinder with a "stand-up" bike rack on top. And, yes, I know you're thinking "lots of people drive with bikes standing up on top of their cars." But this one had 4 bikes on top of it. The mounting rack extended about a foot beyond the roof of the car on both sides. And the bikes on the outside (there were 4, remember), were actually mounted beyond the edges of the car, as well.

I was behind this guy and his bike-antlers for a while. And I kept expecting them to tilt as he went around corners, but they didn't. The bikes actually seemed sturdy up there. I still didn't stay behind him any longer than I needed to, though.

It makes me wonder, though... If these people were able to keep mattresses and bikes on top of their cars, why did I see couch cushions and a single shoe on the side of the road today? How can bikes stay mounted to a roof, but a cushion breaks free?

And what's with the fact that you always just see *one* shoe on the side of the road?

Short Battery Life

I seem to be having problems with my battery. I can get a full charge, but after shorter and shorter periods it just conks out.

What's worse is that it will sometimes go from a decent charge level to shutting down and going to sleep with almost no warning.

And, you know, my computer's battery seems to be doing the same, lately.