Two Birds, One Stone

I'm multitasking. I just completed upgrading the Internet circuit to my office (well, technically I just swapped a cable from one router to another; one of our network services techs in Minnesota did the real work.) So I am both testing Internet connectivity by updating my blog and simultaneously killing time while waiting the arrival of Jake's flight from Sacramento at Ontario Airport. Since time flies I figure it easily qualifies for one of the two birds being killed.

I guess I should 'splain why Jacob is in Sacramento. A new quarter started at UCD for Nicholas on Monday, so he had to head back up to Davis on Saturday night. Jacob tagged along for the ride to visit a friend in Sacramento.

I thought the original plan had been for them to leave Sunday morning, since they had both been gone about all day Thursday, Friday and Saturday. They returned home late Saturday afternoon and Jake immediately decided they should head for Davis that evening. So, they didn't get on the road until about 7:00PM and arrived in Davis sometime around 3:00AM, according to my wife who received the safe arrival text message. Oh, to be young again. Being college students they can apparently run all night. I would have been quietly snoozing behind the wheel until an abrupt end in oncoming traffic.

Anyway, Jake is coming back home tonight. Has to be here for an appointment with the orthodontist and for no end of pinochle games with his Grandmother who arrived at our hovel on Sunday.

My sister Jackie and her husband Mike brought Mom up from San Diego. They also brought their new puppy, Abbie-something. She is quite cute. The dog that is. Which is not to say that Jackie and Mom couldn't be considered cute. I better stop there before I get in trouble.

Leo loved his new cousin dog, but then he loves all dogs. The two of them ran around like maniacs in the backyard, wearing themselves out. You can check out the chaos here.

I had planned to do a little tailgating party for my family when they came up, serve a little lunch and watch the Chargers game, which is always on TV. As it turns out the game was not on in Temecula, apparently the network having decided that since the Chargers had already clinched the division title they would show some other game instead. Jackie and Mike are huge Charger fans and I'm sure hugely disappointed by my failure as a host, but polite enough not to spit on me.

They did get a free lunch out of me, and some Hot Brazilians, so the trip was not a complete loss. Falafels with Tahini Sauce and a Green Lentil Salad and a Toasted Pecan/Red Lentil Pâté (more of this vegetarian stuff.)

Now, here I have to make a confession that I might have been a little hard on Tyler Florence in an earlier post about his Ultimate Chili Dog recipe. The falafel recipe was by Tyler Florence and was pretty good, although I probably should have added a little more salt and a lot more crushed red pepper to satisfy my tastes. I also made a Tyler Florence black bean recipe in my new pressure cooker (Did I mention that I bought myself a pressure cooker for Christmas?) and converted them into vegetarian black bean burgers. Also very good. I think the secret to my black bean vegie burgers was one key ingredient in the black bean recipe; a smoked ham hock. OK, IT'S MEAT, but it was just a very little meat, so I think it should still count.

I should make one small aside about this vegetarian cuisine; all this black bean and lentil and general legumieness has a certain, shall we say, less-than-totally-pleasant byproduct. Man, I was starting to feel like the Hindenburg. Anyway, I found the perfect restorative: Carne Asada Breakfast Burrito. I can't think of a better way to cure a vegetarian overdose.

Anyway, I think I will have to keep this short tonight. Need to wrap it up and head out to the airport. More later. Bye.