Day 19

Day 19: It is raining in Sacramento.

Hand to God, raining. 

It's not REALLY raining.  It's not a summer thunderstorm, or a hurricane, or anything.  It's more like the sky is leaking.  Slightly.  But it remains a fact that moisture is dripping (slowly and sparsely) from the clouds above.

Or, possibly, someone is mis-using a hose on the roof.  But I *think* it's raining.  My plants are happy, and I wanted to tell you that I've actually started to see green things growing up out of the planters!  Hooray!!

UPDATE: It has stopped raining. (seriously, it stopped in the time it took me to write this.  *sigh* )

I did nothing of particular note today, and yet still experienced adventure: 

I went to the grocery store. 

"Oh, come now, you're really stretching.  How is THAT adventure?"

I hear you, gentle reader, and I ask you the following:

When you head to your local grocery store...

No, wait.  Let me rephrase this.

Let's say you are constructing a grocery store to service the local peasantry.  You, mighty mogul of foodstuffs, have decided to construct a grocery store, and you set about considering what you should include.  A deli counter?  Certainly.  A bakery?  Obviously.  Adequate parking? ... Well, I'm sure you'll do your best.

A giant statue of a horse covered in shards of broken mirrors?

Oh!  Didn't think of that, now did you?  Of course you didn't, for you are not an insane crazy person.  However, at some point in history, someone in Sacramento said, "You know what this grocery store really needs?  And, I mean, right out front?"

Behold:

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

I could NOT make this stuff up.  The next time you are in your local Publix, or, better yet, Bi-Lo, ask if and when they are installing a giant horse covered in shards of broken mirrors.  THINK of the looks you'll get!  The stories you'll have to tell?!

Adventure, I say!

I also had dinner with R, and I prepared a charcuterie plate, with meats, cheeses, and olives, showing here:

I wrapped it up, carried it to R's place (conveniently exactly one block away), and we enjoyed this as we waited on our steaks to come up to temperature.  We determined that the steak filet might require some additional flavoring, and we'll be exploring this in the coming weeks.  I'll keep you posted.

I should mention at this point that R has a wonderful technique for steaks:

1 - Freeze them solid.
2 - Put them, frozen, into a small amount of oil, and char the sides, well.
3 - Put them into a low temp oven (180 - 200 F) and slowly cook them up until the internal temp is 131 (use a probe thermometer, and the alarm will pleasantly ring to notify you when your steak is ready; note that this can take hours, but is worth it).
4 - Remove from the oven, and rest for five minutes.

The resulting steak is perfectly crusted on the outside, and a uniform pink on the inside.  Delightful in every possible way.

Food can be an adventure, too!

And from now on, every story that I ever write ever will probably include the hero riding on a giant horse covered in shards of broken mirrors. 

Because it's awesome.

I also wanted to take a second and put in a plug for "The Name of the Wind", by Patrick Rothfuss.  It's the first of a trilogy (the second book is recently out, and I'm starting it tonight) of a fantasy series that is sort of like if Harry Potter went to a school designed by Tolkein; even that is selling it short by several miles.  It's just completely wonderful, original, and great, great fantasy.  I'm twelve years old again, honestly.  You'll enjoy it, I promise.

Good evening, gentle reader, and I find myself once again wishing, for us both, that tomorrow brings ADVENTURE!!  :)