What She Shovels

We just (ok, it was a few days ago, it still feels like “just”) got back from a 9 day trip to the east coast. We were in VA (briefly), DC (just about as brief), MD (4 luxurious nights) and PA (3 nights) visiting friends, family and hurricanes. We’ve been forbidden from ever going to DC again, as every time we go, there’s a hurricane (Isabel in ’03 and Floyd in ’99). Relatives in MD welcomed us with open arms, fed us well and spoiled us rotten and were sad to see us go, almost as sad as we were to leave. The PA trip involved the hurricane (we were sure to leave Baltimore before it rolled in – it was ‘just’ a nasty storm by the time it reached PA, but still managed to dump a metric assload of rain and blow down all kinds of trees), a cross stitch festival and visiting with some friends. Incidentally, not much cross stitching took place, but plenty of knitting, stamping and drinking was.
So we’re home, still living on East Coast time, not making any effort to switch back to our lazier ways and recovering from being gone. I have returned home with new support and renewed exuberance for working on the Dreaded Thesis, a desire to knit, an itty bitty 40 count cross stitch piece, bad airline food, nay ‘snacks’, and a shitload of laundry.
So far I’ve gotten the first set of blocks done on my knitting project. I’m using a speckled blue/white yarn that’s nice and cotton-y fuzzy, not scratchy like everything made in the 70s with pastel yellows and greens. I like knitting better than crocheting so far because it’s a lot harder to get “lost.” I have a really hard time counting correctly with crochet and figuring out where the next one goes and maintaining some semblence of consistent tension. With knitting, I can always count the little loopies on the stick and know right away where I stand. Maybe my new handy dandy $2 knitting book has a crocheting companion.
In other news (I guess it’s been a while since I said much), I’ve landed myself a part time job (whoo. blergh) teaching high school algebra and biology two days a week, and I’m taking a class at the local community college. Suddenly my life seems far busier, and it’s nice to feel like I’m accomplishing something. It makes working on things I Really Don’t Want To Do and loathe and despise seem less mean and nasty.
It’s suddenly starting to feel like fall around here, too. Apparently it was 102 while we were gone. yuck. The temperatures are dropping into the 60s at night (which, trust me, is really nice when it’s been 80s or 90s at night most of the summer), even if it’s still climbing into the 90s during the day. The roses look fairly neglected after not being deadheaded for 2 weeks, but are on the road to recovery. The pumpkins are still taking over the backyard, and we’re still getting tomatoes on the giant vines out back. My basil plant is the only herb that “took” but it’s also doing well.
Last night I made sea bass and fettucine. Sautee sea bass in pan lightly coated with olive oil. Remove fish when done (flipping once, cooking over lowish heat, covered so it doesn’t get too done outside before the inside is done). In pan, add 3T butter, let melt, then add 3T chopped garlic (mmm, garlic), 3 chopped tomatoes. Stir over higher heat until it gets a little saucy. Salt and pepper. Divide cooked fettucine between plates, place fish on top, add sauce (there won’t be a ton, but it’s goooood) and top with a chiffonade of basil. Yum yum.