Life In The Not So Fast Lane

The past week was one of those that had a little going on but not a lot. I am trying to figure out how life is going to be when TheHub quits working entirely.  He seems to still be on his work schedule, even when he is at home. I have had decades of days either with kids around or, once they were all in school, days to myself. I am finding I am more selfish with my alone time than I thought I would be. I need an adjustment to life.

Meals I planned to have (haha)

Out to eat (dinner with friends)

Out to eat (trivia night)

Hamburger patty, saffron rice, green beans

Grilled tuna steak, baked potato, coleslaw

Veggie meal TBD

Eggrolls, rice

Paprika chicken, broccoli, rice

vs.

What we really ate:

Monday: I spent some quality reading time while TheHub did a little more work, though he did actually work from home at least the first part of the day. He left after eating lunch (not sure how I feel about this high noon lunch thing) and I then got some serious uninterrupted reading done. 

Monday dinner: We met 2 couples we have known all of our adult lives for dinner.  One of them we see regularly, but I had lost contact with the other, except for Christmas cards and an occasional phone call. About a week ago I decided I needed to put an end to that and invited both to meet us for dinner at Saltgrass Streak House. I chose it because they had beef, pork, seafood, fish, and chicken on the menu__something for everyone.  I did not necessarily go for the food, but went for the fellowship*. Turns out both were great.

Steaks, salmon, crab cakes, stuffed chicken, tossed salads, baked potatoes, asparagus and  onion rings (I put what everyone ordered instead of just my meal)

Tuesday: I stayed home and worked in the laundry room, pool bath and dressing room. I just have entirely too much stuff, and began some serious decluttering there. 

TheHub was working from the house dealing with some residual tax work from the job he retired from. I do have his word that this will not happen again. Do I believe it???

Tuesday dinner: We had intended to go to trivia, which would mean no cooking, but his work ran late, so dinner had to be made at home. Luckily we had some leftovers and other things on hand that I could easily throw a quick meal together.

Leftover lady peas, corn on the cob, coleslaw, sliced cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, cinnamon rolls (I figured he needed a little treat after the really difficult day)

Wednesday joy: I went to class but when I got out it was too beautiful to just go home. Instead I called Sluggy, stopped at Starbucks to get my semi annual caramel macchiato, then pulled into a parking place by the lake to talk and laugh while I sipped the coffee and watched swans, geese, and ducks. 

Once the coffee was done, but not the conversation (thankful for hands free phone usage) I headed to Aldi to cherry pick them. I did not take Sluggy into the store with me though.

Wednesday dinner: TheHub and I had planned on eating out to celebrate his last day in the office (because retiring in June means working through mid- October, right?). 

Son2 had been working out of town for the past 3 weeks, and we invited DIL2 to join us. Because she needed to go home and take care of their dogs after work, we met her near her house at The Half Shell Oyster House. 

Crab beignets (for the table) pecan crusted snapper, tossed salad, cheese grits

Thursday joy: I was happy to have a day at home when I needed to go nowhere. We had a little cold snap ( meaning our highs were right at 70, but our morning lows were chilly) signaling my need to start the winter wardrobe change over. We do not have enough of a fall or winter to require transitional clothing so my cold weather duds are actually pretty lightweight. 

My day was spent taking clothes upstairs, bringing them down stairs, and sorting through whatever Halloween decorations I want to keep vs. those that are leaving forever. I only decorate for the kids in the neighborhood anyway and most of my interior decor needs to go. I do keep the dining room table seasonally decorated, and will have a modicum of decor in the foyer, but I am over the whole house Halloween fuss.

Thursday dinner: TheHub went into the office for the first time beyond his supposed last day on Wednesday. I was surprised___NOT!  I planned a meal that could be thrown together easily whenever he arrived home. 

Egg rolls,  Japanese steak house salad*

Friday joy: TheHub actually stayed home for the morning, other than  going to work-out. He signed up to work with a trainer and has been going 3 days a week to build strength. I should follow his example, but knowing myself I probably won't. 

He had to run something to a real estate attorney's office midday so we decided I would go with him then we would go out for lunch and run a few errands afterward.

Well the quick stop turned into a little more than a quick stop. Fortunately I took something to read, then had a long phone conversation with one of my cousins.

We did go out to lunch at about 2:30, then after our meal, we decided to just run a couple of the errands we had planned. 

Friday dinner: We had eaten a late lunch and were not hungry at all. Campbells to the rescue!

Tomato soup

Saturday joy: Our plan was to stay home, watch football games, and do a few chores around the house. We had success staying on plan, unlike every single team I was rooting for during the day/night. Roll Tide, even though they lost.

I was in the mood to bake and remembered something Mom made nearly every fall.  I decided I would do the same. I am thankful I have her old recipe box with the frosting recipe in it.

Saturday dinner:  We were not particularly hungry again, and knew we would have a piece of the cake I had baked, so our meal was fairly light.

Vegetarian vegetable soup, spice cake with cooked caramel frosting

Sunday joy: Though TheHub's birthday was Monday, we put off celebrating it until Sunday so DIL2 and Son2 could join us. We have had enough birthdays that worrying about celebrating on the actual day is off the table. What could be better than having them here to join us anyway? Well, other than having the rest of the family here, but their locations make that impossible.

Sunday dinner: We chose bringing food in rather than me cooking. Yea!! I was not going to complain about that. We had enough leftover to send DIL2 home with dinner for one night, and we had plenty  for at least one dinner meal and a couple of lunches.

Ziti, tossed salad, garlic bread, birthday cake

Possibilities for the week:

1. Leftover ziti, tossed salad

2. Pork chop, green beans, potatoes

3. Veggie meal

4, Chili, coleslaw, cornbread

5. Out to eat

6. Chicken divan, coleslaw, dinner rolls

7. Grilled tuna or steak,  tossed salad, baked potato

Books read in October:

Bicycles, Bloomers and Great War Rationing Recipes

Gambler Secrets from a Life at Risk

Everything's Fine

Have a great week, staying on plan, going off plan, or with no plan at all.

May all your weeds be wildflowers.

Anne

*We all agreed we need to meet every couple of months for dinner because none of us are getting younger.

** Iceberg lettuce, sliced scallions, grated carrots, and the delicious dressing:

2  T sesame oil

2  T rice vinegar

1  T coconut aminos or soy sauce 

1 T ginger, finely grated

1 T mayonnaise

1/2 T Honey