Coffee Break?

Or..."reflections on a summer's passing"!  Yup...aside from the Tuesday Challenges I've rather let my blog slip for a few weeks and, wonder of wonders, haven't really had the time to notice the bereft feeling I usually get when I don't write in a day or two.  Of course, the busy-ness was self-imposed, not imposed upon...okay, in a way maybe...    The boat (often referred to as the d**n boat!) was in and out of the water a few times until the day she threw a rod and we'd to find a new motor.  Needless to say, with newer and bigger power the goal was to make up for lost time before she goes away for the winter.  We did pretty well in croaker and flounder season...we all caught enough to eat but KW caught the biggest flounders out of our group...two coming in at around 22 and 1/2" and one at 26"...good eating!  Of the four of us I'm the one liking fish most and for me it is a rule to only keep enough to provide two meals, back to back, without freezing...totally ruins the flavour.  And they laugh at me for when that meal is finished I sit back and take a couple of seconds to thank the fish for providing the nourishment...just so it knows it didn't give it's life in vain.  And, yes...I do feel a bit guilty about taking a living creature.  My only defence is that since I first left Scotland the only sure way I have of getting fresh fish to eat is by catching them and eating the same day or the one following.  This last week began the tautog season.  Went out last Sunday, fishing from the pier, and caught...well, a boat load but of course the season hadn't officially begun so that was only practice.  For as long we have been here we've heard about the tog fishing but had never experienced it.  That is something else!  They aren't so big but they are hard won...a heavy, meaty fish.  Wednesday, KW caught a keeper and our friend D caught two...all coming home to me.  Must say, while KW will not put a mouth to fish she cleans, scales and filets them to perfection for me.  It was late when she came in that night so I just had a very small piece to try it...yummy!  Next night that was dinner for me...coated them in Panko breading with chili-lime spices mixed through it then pan-fried them EVO, sides were broccoli brown rice and brussel sprouts.  Only one thing...there was a bone...spinal looking thing, deeply embedded in each fillet.  KW worked very hard to get it out...as all the others were...but I could see it wasn't going to budge without breaking the entire thing into small bites so I told her to leave it.  I knew it was there and I wouldn't have a problem...brave last words...almost!   Dinner was about over and I spotted a crispy piece of breading on my plate so popped it in my mouth (talking as usual).  Then I felt my eyes widen and a sense of panic rising...a bone caught.  Not sure where, exactly...the very back of my tongue (that you can't see), back of my soft palate or back of my throat.  Didn't matter...it was sharp, lodged and it hurt.  I could swallow but not well and certainly not without feeling it stab.  The panic on KW's face was worse as she asked "Do we need to make a run to the ER??"  See...she was leaving for Chicago in less than five hours.  Long story short and after several other useless attempts, the old bread trick worked.  Took about four or five chunks but it did dislodge the bone.  Of course by then she was wondering if it would be safe to leave me alone for dinner the next evening which was...another piece or two of the self-same fish.  Lost count of the times she had me promise to check, be careful.  Tell you what...you think I wasn't??  I had dinner from the fish the following evening and lunch yesterday.  What was left I made a sort of chowder for the feral cats we feed...a little treat for them.

So...summer.  Well, usually at this time of year she has a few business trips to make and there was one to Atlantic City about two-three weeks ago.  When she came home two days later she called as she was making her way to the ferry and said she had a surprise for me.  Wouldn't say what it was but "you will really like it...."  My first guess was she had won one of the cars being drawn for...and that was a silly guess because how would she get it home.  We weren't even done laughing over that one when I said "I know...it's a Kindle!"   She stopped laughing like a faucet being shut off.  "You guessed it..."  I don't know which of us was taken aback most for again, I was joking.  One, why would I even seriously think of a Kindle at a trade show for pet suppliers?  Two...why would I even think of a Kindle, especially since I've had one since last Christmas.  But...Kindle it was. The second generation.  And yes...I was thrilled!  A spare, a back-up without having to find another $300 should mine meet an early demise.  But when she arrived home and we had time to check it out, better yet.  This one has a few differences from mine, one of them being the most amazing thing...download a book and sure, you can read it but if, say, you are driving you can switch it in the "Text to speech" on the menu!  Wow!!  Now, I've found most voracious readers don't like being read to...I know I don't.  I want to read the words, make my own "movie" in my head to run simultaneously and being read to is a serious distraction from that.  However, my other half won't take the time to sit and relax and read...has no patience with it...but she does love audio books.  Tah-dah!  And yippee!  Three weeks later she is still reminding me that "this is yours...it's not mine and I don't have time" BUT...she did have me download two books from my reading list, has already used the conversion mode (you can switch back and forth) and, better yet, took it with her on this latest trip...this weekend, to Chicago.  Not that they ever have much time to sit and read but on the plane, a 'bedtime story'.  This is so cool...at least for me.  One of the books she wanted was Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol".  I had pre-ordered it for download the day of it's release and had already begun (umm...there is something like 53 chapters...or is it 153??).  Oh, goody...I said.  You listen, I'll read and then we'll discuss.  The look of joy (NOT!) on her face was enough to scare the tog off the lines.  But listen...we have made such strides in that direction since we met...there IS hope...hahahaha.

So she is in Chicago...well, for the next hour or so when they catch their return flight.  They had the usual thing...the trade show, being feted at dinners by their distributors, all go and today was a free day so, as is his wont, the boss treated them to something special.  Sometimes a show, tours, a couple of extra days where they are.  This time today was a football game...Da Bearsss!  He bought twelve tickets.  They were going to have to leave during the fourth quarter so they'd get to the airport on time but all were excited and KW is as raging a football fan as any I've seen.  (At least she says she is and gives that appearance but it's funny...football Sundays when I pop into the tv room occasionally, seems to me like she is constantly checking for pin holes in her eyelids.  No doubt so she doesn't miss a thing in the games...Ahem!).  And she isn't a Bears fan but going to the game was a treat.  She called me this morning around breakfast time...the boss had had the tickets tucked away in a jacket pocket.  Back at the hotel last night he had taken the jacket off and put it in a bag at the bar.  The bag was stolen...went missing, I should say and the desk did not have it turned in there.  Ultimately, it magically reappeared in the hands of the manager...bag, jacket...tickets gone.  Twelve of them.  Now while they were trying to cancel them, trace or report the theft to police etc. they were also figuring out what they were doing with the rest of the day until evening flight.  I just heard...they decided to go to the game anyway and try to get tickets.  And it all worked out beautifully...thanks to a young lady at the ticket booth.  KW spotted it on her walkabout looking for someone selling tickets, went over to tell her this possibly 'unbelievable'  story.  She did some checking and saw that it was, indeed, genuine and gave them twelve new tickets.  Gave them...I'll never listen to another bad word about Chicago!  So that summer episode ended very happily.

Meanwhile, back at the menagerie.......we have had a wonderfully selfish weekend.  I could live like this if  I had to...it wouldn't be my choice...but once in a while a selfish couple of days every one needs and since I am woman I'll venture to say especially women.  It's inherent in us to nurture, to care for those we love...not that we do every little thing for our other halves but honesty dictates that we be honest with ourselves.  We do most things...because we 'know better how to', 'it's my job', 'can't help myself'...and we put the others in the household first.  But leave us alone for a couple of days and look out!  It's "ME, me, me..and me..."  I've read, I've played computer games, I've watched movies and caught up on taped shows.  I ate dinner at 4pm yesterday because I wanted to eat chips and peach salsa in the evening!  Yaaaayyy!  And dessert!  Whoooooo!  (Normally I don't do this...dinner at six or later, who needs snacks?)  I haven't stepped outside the door since Friday...unless you count feeding the ferals who come to the deck or taking a trash bag out to the garbage with all my evidence...lolol!  Housework you say?  What about housework?  Nah, nah...this is my weekend off, too!  Truth be told, I'm tidier than she is...one mug, one ashtray and since I don't do projects under the best of circumstances unless forced...by KW...the only thing I drag out are books.  Now I don't even do that since all of my newest books are on the Kindle so it's ONE book-like thing and always goes with me...from living room end table to office to bedroom to living room. (I have a chunk of velcro glued to every robe and caftan so I can just slap it on and go...hahahaha...no, really...I don't).  And she would be totally amazed at how quiet I am at such times...lolol...well, what choice do I have when there is nobody to talk TO?  Even the 'kids'...they know who they have in charge...I'm the alpha (at least when KW's not here...and she's only the alpha female because she's "Party Mom").  They know full well I'm the one with boundaries and expectations of behaviour.  She has none.  On the contrary...with her at home THEY have expectations of behaviour from her and they get it realised...need I tell you that those are very, very different from what I want from them.  But at least when it's just us..I get it.  They have all been very, very good at letting me do my thing, whatever it might have been.  And now, later on tonight the entire neighbourhood as far as Seaford (look out, Wolf and Trina...this means you too) will be startled awake with the raucous partying, barking, baying, yipping, squawking and meowing as Party Mom walks through the front door.  And that's just ME...I hate to try to describe the cacophony of the animals!      :)