Cool Learning Assist

Since I have been learning the Korean alphabet lately I decided to get a mug that would be both helpful and cool. I'm not going to use it for coffee, just keep it around where I frequently sit (couch or computer table) so I can passively absorb the letters. 

Two Days

Yesterday I went to Dad & Ma's at 1:00 pm for my birthday dinner and the Patriots/Dolphins game. Ma fried chicken wings for us. So good! They gave me a pound of coffee and a 50 dollar bill. Georgia came by for awhile to hang out with Ma, and Sarah & Jon stopped in on their way home from a weekend in Portland, ME (the real Portland, as least as we in New England see it). After I left I realized I had forgotten my cell phone, so I circled back. A fun time!

Today I got up at 9:00 am, and after breakfast (2 eggs scrambled, ham steak, fresh broccoli, multi-grain toast, orange juice and coffee) and 2 episodes of "Riding a Unicorn", I made an errands run. Target for laundry detergent and an 8" frying pan; Pet Smart for cat litter ($3 coupon, plus $2 in customer credits); and Starbucks, for my first pumpkin spice latte of the season. I missed drinking these, but at $7 a pop for a venti-sized cup they are way too expensive.

I made my first batch ever of somen noodles at 4:30. They are best eaten cold supposedly, so I added shrimp, cucumber slices, and soy sauce (leave out next time, ugh). It was decent.

And in the evening I had some Deep Purple Cow, a black raspberry ice cream (with chunks of white and dark chocolate) from of all places, Life is Good (a favorite clothing company of mine). It's exclusive to Market Basket, so I made a special trip earlier in the week. It tastes amazing, but is a bit sweet to have too often.

No Sleep and Soju

Yesterday I went to bed at 10:30 pm, and slept until around 2:00 am. I couldn't fall back asleep, so the rest of the night and day have been abnormal...

After washing the dishes in the sink I went online to play Konkr.io for awhile, and listen to my Bandcamp music in headphones for several hours, until around 6:00 am. Then I tried to sleep some more before sunset, but my body wasn't having it. I got up, fed Chumble, and watched some more of "Be Melodramatic", a K-Drama I began yesterday. It's like a funny "thirtysomething", three South Korean women in their thirties, who all work in various aspects of the television/film industry. I slept some more from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm, and picked up the show where I left off, doing a load of laundry, and having some pasta with butter, salt and pepper at 4:00 pm. Then I dozed from 6:00 - 9:00 pm. I put away the laundry, and then made more coffee accompanied by a toasted bagel with strawberry jam. It's 11:0 pm now, and unless I comment later, the rest of the evening will be a shower and the final two episodes of "Be Melodratic". The great news is there will be a Season 2 next year! Most K-Dramas don't do this, and it's doubly exciting because the first season came out in 2019...

The soju part: I am cooking for Sarah & Jon tomorrow night, fancy ramen and o ther stuff, and I bought a few bottles of soju for us to all try together, some Soon Hari Yogurt flavor (new to me as well), and another brand called Banzai Bunny. I got the "Super Fresh" flavor, thinking it would be a nice experience after the disaster with the Soon Hari Citrus & Apple flavors (a post for a future/previous day - haha). But it was pure 16% alcohol. Yucko! I will say it had a mildly pleasing aftertaste, but it wasn't a flavor I would ever choose again. Hopefully the Soon Hari Yogurt will be a revelation tomorrow!

Lake Time

A lazy couple of  hours of reading (Dave Duncan's "A Man of His Word" series) and floating, with coffee, water and and apple:

Coffee Run

What a nice way to kick off the Memorial Day Weekend...

I made my version of a South Beach Breakfast to eat while watching a few episodes of my latest Netflix run-thru of "Community".

And later in the day, from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm I drove in a big circle to the vet for Chumble's medicine, and then to the Lexington Peet's Coffee to get Gaia Organic Blend coffee beans and a large dark roast for the road. What a nice drive, and a nice day overall!

Pheasant

I decided to get out of the house (finally) and headed up to the Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua, NH around 2:00 pm. It was a nice ride, no traffic, and I had "Spooky" by Lush playing on my cd player. First, it was off to the local Barnes & Noble, to use up the last $12 or so on two gift cards. I came away with "Leviathan Falls" by James S. A. Corey (the final novel in the 'Expanse' series) and "You" by Caroline Kepnes (the source material for the fantastic Lifetime/Netflix series I've been bingeing lately).

Once I got to the mall I hit the Newbury Comics. It's been ages since I was inside one of these cool stores. I wandered around amidst the toys, collectibles, vinyl music, mugs, stickers, tees, and oh yes, comics. I didn't buy anything, but it was a fun half hour.

Then in quick succession I went to:

• Starbucks for a bag of Siren's Blend beans.
• Vans to use points (they had nothing eligible in stock, but gave me a free pin anyway!), and buy a random pair of socks.
• Auntie Anne's for a couple of pretzels for the ride home, since I hadn't eaten lunch. SO good!

There was little traffic on the way home, too. What a nice way to spend a few hours out of the house...

Beverages

Friday night I had a four pack of Zero Gravity's Powder Jones IPA (Strata & Idaho hops). It had a nice 'wild grape peel' and citrus scent, was very smooth, and tasted very decent, but it wasn't super-remarkable. Very good, but not great. I'd buy it again if there was nothing more interesting available, but I wouldn't make a special trip for it as I have in the past for that brewery's Tiny Hat IPA (SO amazing) or I'm a Radio IPA.

And today I stopped at Barnes & Noble because I needed coffee, and I had a gift card. After an interminable wait (two older, cranky women behind the counter, neither with any sense of urgency about the line of seven customers) I got a bag of Starbucks "Tribute 2023 Blend" beans. It's a mild roast, and actually tastes a bit exotic after all of the dark roasts upon which I thrive. I'd buy it again.

Results

Results from a couple of 2022 activities:

1. My Starbucks visits.
   
   
   
2. My Fantasy Footbal League, which I won, for yet another year. I need to play in a league that pays money!
   
   
   

NYE

Nothing fancy for this year's New Year's Eve.

Breakfast was coffee & cereal (shredded mini-wheat) as I watched the final 90 minutes of "Thor Love and Thunder". The weather was suuny-ish and 50's.

Late lunch during college football and "New Girl" was angel hair pasta w/ground beef in Ragu sauce.

I had night coffee and cinnamon toast for a late supper, with Ken Burns' "Benjamin Franklin" documentary on.

The end of the evening (midnight and beyond) I spent drawing a few Legionnaires, drinking my last two beers, and playing "Dig Dig" and "Elvenar".

L to R: Kid Quantum II, Invisible Kid II, Ferro Lad, Tyroc.

Christmas Eve

The family Christmas gathering was very small this year.

Kevin's family was all down with Covid, or at least exposure. Judy & Rich decided not to come (under the weather as well). Hayden & Audrey came early. So it was me, Dad & Ma, and Sarah's clan. It was still fun though, and a lot less hectic than usual.

Ma made a roast beef to go with a charcuterie platter and a cold shrimp plate. All very good! The kids all liked their ornaments/"Hang Out With Food" gifts. Dad & Ma LOVED the mugs I got them. And I came away with a pretty cool haul (haha).

Starbucks Sumatra K-Cups & scratch tickets from Kevin.
'Paris' Starbucks mug and $20 from Sarah.
'Mexico' Starbucks mug & $25 SB gc from Jason.
There is a theme here, but I can't quite grasp it...

It was a fun evening, low-key and cozy.

Miss Ell Aneous

A 32 oz. bag of Peet's Alpine Blend coffee, and a photo of Chumble in his couch tent! ♥