Actually, I think I was long overdue for some down time and now I'm getting it. Of course, in my fashion I'm filling up my days with job hunting, cleaning, unpacking, and admiring the flora and fauna of my new nest.
I HAVE LIZARDS!!! Big green ones, smaller brown ones with a lighter strip down their backs, and night-prowling geckos (which aren't really lizards but they kind of look alike). Yes, some of you may think "ick," but lizards remind me of my St. Croix childhood, so I feel doubly at home.
It's a new challenge because I'm cooking for two people now instead of four. Granted, there are fewer opinions and palates to consider, but "what do you want for dinner?" is unfortunately met mostly with a bored "I don't know . . ." followed by "no" to my menu suggestions. I have had a few hits, though: Beer Can Chicken last Thursday was definitely one of them. I've decided I like anything that takes about 10 minutes to prepare and then cooks by itself for an hour and a half. That left plenty of time to sit on the patio with a glass of wine and talk with a friend.
My wine tasting has been drastically curtailed due to lack of funds -- it's a luxury, not a necessity. I did, however, allow myself $6.99 for a bottle of Smoking Loon Pinot Noir. It's really pretty decent, but you have to get it to the right temperature. Reds should be served between 55-65 degrees, and whites (for the most part) between 45-55 degrees. That estimate varies based on the dryness and sweetness of the wine, of course, but suffice to say that the warm top of the refrigerator does nothing to improve the bouquet of a $6.99 bottle of red wine. Live and learn!
