A Last Summer Hurrah

Yesterday was one of the kinds of days that we have had too few of frequently.  For one thing, it was gloriously sunny.  I wanted one last summer hurrah--which is odd, for someone who loves autumn so much.  But I wanted to sit in the sun and read a book and take a dip in the pool.

And so, I did.

I was at a moment when I had no work to do with my online classes beyond answering a few e-mails.  I got some writing done--how much I love the short stories that are coming now!  It's interesting to be seeing these stories as a linked collection earlier in the process rather than later.  I can make decisions based on the larger visions, both decisions which might seem minor, like character names, and decisions which are larger, like the overarching themes.

I went to an amazing spin class.  I knew that it would be amazing because I knew it would be a direct repeat of what we had done on Friday.  I wanted to see if I could replicate results on a different bike--and I did.  The bike showed that I burned 426 calories, the most ever.  I remember 6 weeks ago (or was it 12?) that I burned 300 calories for the first time, and now I've progressed to a new level.

It takes much effort and staying ever present to burn 426 calories in 55 minutes.  If my attention drifts away and my effort drops off for 5 minutes, then there's no way to make that up.

I came home and we had grilled chicken with a delicious dipping sauce of mayonnaise, mustard, dill, and fresh mint and sage from the yard while we watched my favorite PBS cooking show, A Moveable Feast and my spouse's favorite show, Project Smoke.  Later, inspired by Project Smoke, we made hickory smoked, bacon, chicken and onion macaroni and cheese on the grill, with chicken left over from lunch.  I love that kind of impromptu cooking, although I did have to run out to the grocery store since we no longer keep milk on hand like we once did.  And we needed bacon.  And cheese.

But that was O.K. because I needed to get to the library.  I had forgotten that I wanted to read Lionel Shriver's latest--but the branch closest to me had it on the shelf--and so, I combined 2 trips.

I usually do my grocery shopping during very early morning hours or when kids are in school--I was surprised by how many families were shopping on a Saturday afternoon.

Here's a picture of the mac and cheese on a pizza stone on the grill.  The picture doesn't capture the billowing smoke that infused a subtle flavor to the dish.

To me, it symbolizes yesterday:  time to cook, time to experiment, time to relax with no firm plans or commitments.  I have had too few of those kinds of days recently--perfect for the last week-end of summer.