Wake the sun
Entry posted by docoflove1974
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March is an amazing month here in Baghdad-By-The-Bay. The weather is either rainy (but not cold...55'F or so) or gloriously sunny. It seems like we're done with the rain for about a week, so I spent much of the mid-morning and early-afternoon outside. Bella was all too eager to join me, and was ecstatic to be outside again. I don't know who had more fun: her going all over the backyard as I cleaned up the debris from the neighborhood trees, or me playing with her. She took several naps in the sun while I read (more on the book below). After about 3 hours outside, she wanted in, so I obliged her. The rest of the day one or both doors were open, letting in the springtime air.
I got quite a bit done outside. I wanted to fertilize the plants and prune the rosemary bush. I pulled a ton of weeds that had been growing wantonly between the brickwork. My landlord keeps saying he's going to come by with weed killer, and I know he means to. But I also know he's more than got his hands full with other duties. Besides, I told him the backyard was something I somewhat wanted to keep up, so he lets me do pretty much whatever I want. Nothing major, but general upkeep. The only thing I won't do is the bar; I'll clean up my own stuff, but if the boys can't take away their dirty pint glasses, well, tough shit. I ain't their mamma. My landlord has threatened to recycle/throw away their deserted glassware...and still no action. Hmmm, maybe he and I will talk about that.
Overall this was a productive day. Along with the backyard gardening, I finally got to the 9-months' worth of paper shredding. I finished the survey that I'll send to my students, so that I can plan my private courses in the fall. I finished the biography on Marco Polo that my dad gave me (Laurence Bergreen's 2007 Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu), which I recommend very highly. It's under 400 pages, yet you get the feeling you've read a huge volume's worth of text on the great Venetian. I also did some general farting about--a luxury I was afforded having done most of the grading yesterday, and one which I haven't had in a few weeks.
Dinner even tickled my creative bone: Cajun-Asian Fritto Misto. Say what? Basically, cubed yellow squash and chicken breast are quickly marinated in a milk, vinegar, and Tabasco batter, fried, and then sprinkled with more Tabasco and soy sauce. Outfrigginstanding. Dessert was taking platanillos (the very small banana-like fruit, yellow ones which are in between a plantain and a banana in the starchy scale) and fixing them the only way I like a banana: sauteed in butter and brown sugar, with rum. No ice cream...I don't want it in the house, or else I'll eat it...particularly when I get home from teaching.
For tonight...Well, I should really start on what remains of the grading. That way, tomorrow is a domestic day, ending with the finishing of the grading and the creation of the last of this round of midterms. Then again, the Sharks are playing tonight...hmmmmm....
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