. My friend came down today and took me to lunch to celebrate my birthday early (it's tomorrow) at the German restaurant that's across the street from my mother's assisted living place. I had goulash, which was pretty good, and he had the sauerbraten. After that, we stopped in to see my mother, which was nice, although my friend, perhaps understandably, was ready to go after about 40 minutes. I usually stay much longer.
My friend also brought me a hanging basket of pretty pink impatiens he grew from seed. I will try to overwinter them as he said he's done it many times, and I know how easy it is to propagate them from little clippings, which I'd like to do this week as there's still plenty of summer left.
I had time before and after my friend came to do some much needed weeding on the back brick patio. Crabgrass is the worst to pull out from cracks between bricks, let me tell you.
In fact, the whole back area is in dire need of attention. At least I made a significant dent in the weed situation but if I don't stay on top of it, all will be swallowed up whole.
I noticed while I was back there that I have weeds growing in the roof gutter! I'll have to hire a guy to hose down whatever debris has collected in there, which it shouldn't have since i have screens on the gutters.
This evening I also made my lunch for tomorrow at work: I cut up fruit for a fruit salad, put some of my peach and wineberry crisp in another container, and then put some cooked basmati rice with white kidney beans in another container with a cilantro olive oil dressing over it. That's quite filling because i used a full can of beans plus one of those little Seeds of Change packets of rice which you can heat up in the microwave, oh so conveniently. Rice and beans is probably one of the healthiest meals you can eat; I'm trying to fit in more legumes in my regular diet.
Oh yes, and for my thermos, I prepared a pitcher of cold water with a half cup of lime juice (2 limes), 2 packets of Stevia and a half cup of fresh mint leaves, all to steep overnight, resulting in an amazingly refreshing beverage tomorrow and through the week.
So I got a few things done but at a leisurely pace today.
This Thursday is our annual "team outing" with others we work with in one of our Massachusetts offices. a group of 5 of us will be renting a van to ride about 2 hours to the home of someone in the group where we'll have our daylong picnic. Not especially looking forward to it; I don't interact with any but 2 of these people and it will be a big group of 50 or so. After about a half hour I'll be ready to head home but it's basically an all-day thing. And it takes place on one of my work at home days, so I'll only have one work at home day this week 
No yarn sale activity this weekend though I did trade messages with a weaver here in town. She sounds very busy so I'm not sure if she will ever get over here, which is my hope. Also this week I will post a small weaving comb for sale; it's lightweight so should be easy to ship for $3 or less. I'll ask $12 for the wood comb.
I'm preparing to apply for another bonus credit card mid-month in August. The timing will be such that I can charge the remainder of both my friend's room and my own for a planned 2 night stay in Rockport, Mass, so I guess about $500. Then I can charge both my car and homeowners insurance in October so that will get me well on the way to charging $3,000 to earn the rewards. It's the Citi Thank You Premier Card and I would earn $500 in gift cards. I don't think I"ve ever had this card before, but I did have the Citi Thank You Preferred, which i THINK is a different card.
Lunch at the German restaurant
August 3rd, 2015 at 01:49 am
August 3rd, 2015 at 01:56 am 1438563400
August 3rd, 2015 at 01:48 pm 1438606138
Happy Birthday!
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