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Neighborly Food Tastings

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My next-door neighbor likes to occasionally pop over for a leisurely chat over a bottle of red wine every once and again. This time around (last Sunday), we both apparently had the same idea to make it more interesting by also putting together some tasty dishes in the Spanish and Italian styles.

He had smoked a rack of beef short ribs earlier in the day and brought over some cubed portions along with a plate of goat cheese and sliced tomatoes from his garden, drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Oh, and of course, an excellent bottle of Italian red.

For my part, I prepared small portions of fresh bruschetta, ventresca tuna in olive oil dressed with relish aioli, roasted piquillo peppers, and some prosciutto with shards of Parmigiana Reggiano. I also made some gambas al ajillo (shrimp and garlic simmered in olive oil).

All eaten tapas-style over toasted crusty slices of baguettes from Dan the Baker.

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Address Pillar, Revisited

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I can’t believe it’s been over 4 years since I worked on this Address Pillar project. The thing is looking a little tired and now needs a makeover. So today, a 2-coat re-staining was in order. Here are a few before and after pictures.

Next year, I’ll need to spruce up the plants around the base and add a little more color.

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Lobster Roll Dinner

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My buddy Brad stopped by Thursday afternoon after I got back from donating blood to help me with some small projects at home. Afterwards, we decided to hit downtown Powell for some dinner at Huli Huli.

Started with crab rangoon dip paired with prawn crackers. And lobster roll is in the menu so of course I had to have it.

Crab Rangoon Dip

Lobster Roll and Fries

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Live Jazz Band at the ... Library?

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Went to the local public library for some quiet time and to get some work done on the laptop. Over an hour after settling down in a quiet corner, I hear this …

Curiosity got the better of me, so I decided to get up and check out where the music was coming from. I walked straight into a live jazz band show and a full-on dance party!

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Feeding the Brain

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There’s a limitless supply of both relevant and mindless “information” out there, whether in digital or print form, and whether we seek it, or is presented deliberately to catch our eyeballs. It is challenging to be discerning these days when it comes to actually useful and edifying knowledge, but luckily, with a little effort, we can curate a collection of content in a variety of forms that can be both.

Having had e-books on the iPad for a while, I have gone back to old-school print books borrowed from another old-school source: the local public library. Here’s what I’m reading right now —

Here are the other library-borrowed books I have read so far this year —

I also listen to Overcast every time I get in the car, and here is a list of podcasts that I keep current at this time.

I also have a long list of YouTube subscriptions, but that’s mostly for mindless stuff - travel, food, music, photography, architecture, and general knowledge vlogs. A few empty calories here and there can’t hurt.

Brain food … mmm, almost as good as a Michelin-star dining experience.

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Cookout with the Breakfast Club

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A cookout this past weekend to celebrate the Moodster’s birthday and to bid farewell to Steve who’s moving back to Alabama.

A Post in Time

Surprise! A long due post. Sometimes, life happens, and blogs and posts are neglected. Sometimes, one needs time off from the internet and its social universe to maintain decent semblances of sanity and overall mental health. Sometimes, the Squarespace mobile app just needs to get better and more user friendly to encourage more frequent posting. All excuses, I know, but all valid nevertheless.

Anyway, a most recent notable change is my new ride - a 2019 Passport Elite AWD, in Modern Steel Metallic. Here are some pics.

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A New Hobby

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So I started a new hobby this week.

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Outdoor Dining

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New outdoor dining set is finally in and now completes the new Japanese-themed backyard space.

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Big Green Egg Life

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Now that the backyard landscape is finished (and thriving despite this recent stretch of dry and hot weather), I’ve been putting the BGE to use in its new table setup.