Friday again? Hmmm....
1) Fuzz Aldrin, our new hamster, is still terrified of us. I have managed to get him to take a seed from me now and then, but the poor little thing is really very jumpy. I'm trying to keep life calm and slow around him, but I did have to finally vacuum the living room (where he lives) yesterday, and he's still in trauma. Poor little guy. This is a
very young hamster. I'm thinking he may have been taken from his mum a bit early. Fortunately, I have a very large bag of sunflower seeds... and a lot of free time. Left KUSC classical station on the Roku on for him to kind of soothe out the noise coming from outside and around the house. Hope it helps. He jumps whenever a neighbor slams a door. Poor little guy.
2) The Daughter seems happier, now that she's working in a position that is not customer-facing at the shop. She can't decide if she wants to remain here or go "home". I have reminded her that she'll have to buy a car, deal with real heat, and find a job immediately that has good health insurance if she wants to bail out. So she's putting out job applications again, and will give it another year. Depending on how things go here, and there, and for her and with Brexit.
3) I ordered quite a bit from the WholeFoods place online this week, and it's due in later this morning via the post. I also ordered a half-dozen Kilner storage jars to put a lot of it in (I prefer to store dry foods in glass), thinking they would not be coming in until next week, but they are also showing as due to be delivered shortly in the Post. I also bought a needlework frame that was not supposed to be delivered until late next week. Same thing - it's showing as due to be delivered today, but by Yodel. So we were going to nick out for lunch after the postman came with the food and jars, but now we don't know when Yodel will come so it's almost a sure bet that if we both leave to have lunch out, Yodel will show up when nobody is home. Regardless of when we are out.
The Yodel website just says due to be delivered today, not when. If I go out for my lunch, which I've wanted to all week, it'll seal it - he'll show up while I'm out and it'll be days to get the thing redelivered.
I may chance that as I need to get out of the house.
4) We grilled out on Wednesday, with the little Weber kettle grill we brought with us. Cooked up a lot of the meat that had been in the freezer for a while. Marinated the chicken in lemon and orange juice, with some spices, and marinated the beef steaks in Claude's Brisket marinade. Had been out there for a while, lovely weather, neighbors all at work, breeze blowing such that the BBQ's smoke was not blowing into the building or over our neighbor's washing... all going well. Was blue skies when we set up. Clouds came up suddenly and we had to abort the mission, although the beef was done, the fajitas (onions, peppers, spices, chicken slivers) had gotten some smoke, and the chicken was 3/4 done. Dumped the coals in a bucket of water, brought everything else inside to finish up cooking on my cast-iron frying pan. That was really tasty, and we now have cooked meat enough to last for many meals, in the freezer, as salad toppings or in stir fry. SO glad we brought the Weber grill.
Note to self - next time get beef that is less lean if it's going to be grilled. Need to have at least a little fat on it to grill properly (to get a char without overcooking it).
5) Did a pantry stock-check and we are full up. Am SO glad we brought over all the Peerless flavored coffees from the States. The flavored coffees here are... mediocre at best. Also found we'd brought a bag of Hawaiian coffee beans (I'd forgotten about that). That stuff is really good sipping coffee. But don't want to open up too many different bags, to keep it all fresh longer. Am working on a cup of chocolate hazelnut now that is just divine.
Another week of hopefully decent weather. Can't travel this week, but maybe next week.
Hope everyone has a good weekend!