Ranging on a Meat Recon

Yesterday was yard day chores with the payoff later in the day of a visit from my Keene Friend who briefly escaped the bondage of his new job.  Before all that though, my wife was insisting we conduct a reconnaissance for the meat we are going to buy for next week’s party.  I’ve never done anything like this before but when it comes to party organizing I’ve learned (painfully at times) never to second guess her.

So Many Choices

We are lucky enough to have an old fashion butcher shop just down the road. To someone on the keto diet, this was like a trip to the candy store.  After asking my initial question I was referred the resident head butcher who provided exactly the kind of advice I needed, all the while my wife looked on with her “I told you so” expression.

We returned home as the heat and humidity soared and the upstairs air conditioning failed after two weeks of bliss.  I was confronted with a huge patch of toadstools or mushrooms in the front yard.  They grew up in less than three days which was impressive if they weren’t sitting right in the middle of my front lawn.  I think it stems from my trying to mow down their predecessors who achieved revenge by spreading seeds.  I carefully filled a huge bucket with these descendants before mowing this time.

The Mushroom Infestation

My Keene Friend showed up and was immediately put to work by the industrious wife while I finished the lawn.  We eventually wore her down and she accepted a dinner and a movie plan.  We hit the Cracker Barrel for dinner and then the bar portion of the local Chicago Bar and Grill to wait for show time.  It’s been a long time since I’ve had a chance to sit at a real live bar and I relished the time with my wife and friend.  There’s just something intrinsically fun sitting at a bar with friends – could be my history but this was a lot of fun despite the disinterested bar tender whom I had to chase down for the bill.  She was more interested in sharing her life story with other waitresses.

My Outstanding Dinner Companions

We went to see The Lone Ranger mainly because Johnny Depp is one funny son-of-a-_____.  He didn’t disappoint but the rest of the movie pretty much did.  Having one of the Winklevoss twins playing the lead role was a huge mistake, he just didn’t have it.  I don’t think it was his fault but the way the part was written.  This could have been an epically memorable film except it was too “Disneyfied”.  They tried to have edgy characters who weren’t allowed to be “edgy” by their squeaky clean Disney overlords.  All the best moments were Depp’s and when the original music burst on the scene the movie briefly soared.  Unfortunately, all too briefly.

Too Clean