Some days are better than others

Maybe I can blame this on the cat. He was pretty pissed off that he couldn't go back outside after his supper (as if that's a new rule!). We forgot to keep an eye on the little bugger and maybe you can guess what he did . . . again



You think part of this roll can be salvaged?



I think he may have missed that last sheet that's glued to the core.

What makes it hard is we secretly think this is really funny, because we imagine him lashing his tail and thinking, "I'll show them! When I get done with their toilet paper, they'll mew like kittens and beg for mercy! HA, HA, HA, HA..."

I was cooking when this happened, and I was in sort of a hurry, because we wanted to go to a movie. Let's say the cat distracted me, ok, because what happened next was just so completely stupid, I can't believe I did it all by myself.

See, I had onions and mushrooms sauteeing in one pan; the turkey cutlets were browned and lounging casually nearby, and there was this great big ceramic casserole on another burner, ready to saute the rice a bit and then combine everything, right? I looked down into the casserole and thought, "Hunh! That looks hot."

Ok, you're not going to believe this, but I then - oh, yes! - reached into the casserole and touched the bottom - really fast, because just as four of my fingertips touched the ceramic, it occurred to me that the reason it looked so hot was because it really, really was.

There was this tiny Pffffffttt! as flesh met searing pan. My fingertips were a funny shade of white, and after I ran cold water over them for 5 minutes, they felt fine, but sort of like they had white glue dried on them. No pain - none at all!

I know this isn't a good picture, but here's what the bottom of the pan looked like:



There were parts of four fingerprints in that casserole. You can pretend to see the two biggest ones.

I'm really not sure what more to say about all this. Was it a bad day or a good one?

Home again, home again, jiggety-jig

I'm back from grandma-land again. It's as cold and rainy as it's supposed to be in October, which could be depressing, I suppose, except that when I look out the window I see all this rich color and texture



and think what a nice day we're having.

It helps a lot that we finally found pizza that is worth the drive! Because of the dearth of edible pizza here, we've been making our own - with pretty stellar results:



But now we have Apizza - no, not the one in Portland - it's in Stayton, and it's well worth the drive (like going all the way to Morton Grove for Burt's pies). Their pizza crust is crisp, yet tender, and the toppings don't crowd and jostle, but greet our palates a few at a time. The beverage list is twice as long as the pie menu, with Busch Light and fountain drinks, organic wines and beers, pear cider (hard) and cane-sugar sodas (like Coca-Cola as it was made before about 1970).

I'd put in a picture of their pie, but then I'd have to stay up all night worrying you'd come sneaking around looking for the two pieces we managed to save for tomorrow.

At the bottom of the menu it says, "We do not accept tips. Money left at the tables will be donated to charity. Thank you." No; thank YOU!