Weekend Shenanigans: The salad days

[DowningRules]

Hello there it's been a while. Not much, how 'bout you?

Such a great song. Who is that? England Dan and John Ford Colley? Dorkiest looking '70s dudes ever, but dang that's a good one.

Now, where was I?

Saw the Date Chick Friday night. We've settled into a not uncomfortable routine wherein I go to the gym in the evening and Date Chick and I meet up around 7:30 or so to hang out and listen to some tunes. I'm constantly on the prowl for fresh music that also has some soul. Lately, I've been listening to some dude (or DJ or singer or I don't know what) by the name of Zhu. I'd say it out loud but don't want to be accused of being an anti-semite. Such is the temperature in the nation in these days. Micro-aggressions abound. I like Zhu's song "Paradise Awaits." Good rhythm and overall tone. Expertly produced. Not all heavy on the treble like so much of today's music. If you have any like suggestions, hit me up here.

We went out to our easy lil' I-talian place run by a family from Montenegro (another micro-aggression; raise your fist and take a knee if you please). I always get a nice salad with no carbs. I would prefer to face plant the lasagna but I don't want to face plant the treadmill the following Monday.

Saturday was busy around the house. Date Chick runs stairs (I don't) so I have plenty of time to clean up the house and so on. I've had my two nieces from Spain stay with me a couple nights here and there and was relieved they didn't want to stay the previous night. As Spaniards, they think nothing of stumbling in at 3am waking up their generous tio. One of them was headed back to Spain Sunday so I told them they had to stay down at my mum's house so they could see her the next day. My plan worked beautifully and I had the house reserved for myself the rest of the weekend.

I did some laundry and worked on a little shelf I'm building for my audio/video equipment. I got a fancy new router that, with the antennas extended, looks like a crown in Game of Thrones. Between the receiver, the blu ray player and the router, there's enough heat to bake Trump's face - or make Hillary faint - so I thought it best to create some space to vent. To make it blend in, I'm giving the wood a nice patina of matte black, but it may take two coats. We'll see about that.

Saturday night was very relaxing. Me and Date Chick dove into Netlfix's "Stranger Things." We only watched the pilot epsiode, and it seems engaging enough. I can tell right away that it gets better and better by about the third episode onward. Alot of story and character thrown at the viewer at once but nothing we can't handle.

After, we were hungry (I'm always hungry...I'm at war with myself). Date Chick is prepping for the Long Beach marathon and was planning to run 23 miles the next day. I was not. So she wanted something "hearty." We got salads.

Sunday, after the 23 mile run, Date Chick said she felt out of it as was to be expected. She's run close to 30 marathons so she's somewhat used to the post-run martian feeling.

That afternoon we went to a very small engagement party for the Date Chick's older brother. He's a good part of the reason I know Date Chick in the first place. He's been friends with my two oldest brothers since Date Chick and I were kids. And here we are today.

Back to the engagement party. It was a very small affair. Many cheeses and a few crackers. One thing I enjoyed is some sort of new trend involving honeycomb. You drizzle it on a cracker with, preferably, brie cheese. It was tasty. I would have that again.

I'm watching an episode of Miami Vice right now called "Whatever Works" starring Earha Kitt. There's a cameo by the Power Station (Michael des Barres version). And at present, Tubbs is driving his Cowboy Cadillac at night while the Blaster's "Dark Night" plays. I've undervalued this episode. It's got some good scenes in it.

Sunday night is my semi-cheat night. I get a frozen yogurt, preferably something minty. With oreo cookie pieces and mini-M&Ms. It's so great. I go to America's Cup which really hasn't changed much over the years. It could be in an episode of Miami Vice. Yogurtland is trendy and hip and has the lime green, but African-America's Cup has soul. And as a fan of sailing, I've always appreciated the double entendre of the name. Did you know there's a man who is from Newport named Bill Ficker who once won the America's Cup? He doubles as an architect, though he's retired now. This is the kind of information you need to know.

That's all my fingers have right now.

[Tank]

It is refreshing to read you again. You've become something like the aw.com version of Jim Murray. Good to have you back, DR.

[Amazing Larry]

I thought I was going to read a shenanigans article without a Miami Vice reference. I was relieved when you snuck it in there toward the end. Well played indeed. 

[Adam]

DR, you're looking good my man, at least in the facebook posts Date Chick makes. Keep up the salads!