Sunday, Backing Up...

I woke up at 7:00 AM, with the sun just coming up. I put on a pot of coffee. I really was going to make breakfast (I was thinking poached eggs on toast) but when I opened the fridge there was still four bacon & cheese deviled eggs. Hmmm... bacon and eggs and I don't have to do anything? I went for it!

I putzed around a bit and then shaved and showered. There were key errands I didn't get done yesterday (short on time if you remember) so, at 11:00 AM, I am back on the road. I went to the gas station, Office Depot for DVD mailers, Waldenbooks for a Borders gift card (shhh... it's a secret) and so forth. I got home just after 12:15 PM.

It just dawned on me that the AT&T guy asked to borrow a pen so I gave him my Spacely Sprockets pen. But, he took it with him!!! Now, I'm ticked!

I filled out the birthday card inserted the gift card and addressed it. I filled out the St. Patrick's Day card for my old physical therapist, Maureen. I shredded a handful of receipts that were clogging up my dresser drawer. Then I looked outside to check on the bird feeder and was struck on how much debris was left on my patio from the winter. Looks like crap! This cannot stand! And, as Carla said yesterday, "It's too bad the chimmenia isn't outside, we could have had a fire."

So, I used the furniture mover to get the chimmenia outside (a bit of an effort, but I am up to it). Then I hunted down the hoses. I looked in the garage, then in the attic until I finally remembered I had drained them and put them on top of the picnic table and under the tarp outside. Since I had to open the tarp anyway, I dug out the lawn chairs and tables as well. First I blew off all the crud with my blower, then I washed everything down with a brush dipped in hot water and Top Job. Then came the long, final rinse from the hose. I took before and after pictures and posted them.

So, its 2:30 PM and I am a bit pooped. I decided to watch a favorite old movie (Master and Commander) and rest a bit before I get to work on my Sunday supper. But, it wouldn't work!!! So, I tried another DVD that I had made. Same thing! It said "disc error." So, I tried a movie I'd purchased (the 300) and that worked. Hmmm... what's up with that? I've watched both the first two movies many times. I hope my DVD player isn't broke.

I took a nap after the movie was finished for about 40 minutes. Then I got up and started dinner. I'm making bratwurst and German potato salad. So, first I put a package of fresh bratwurst into a pan with two cans of beer and boiled them for 5 minutes. I lit the charcoal in the grill. Now, here's where I made a horrible mistake. I usually use a garbage bowl for peelings, etc., and then throw them in the trash. But, I was in a hurry and peeled the potatoes into the sink and ran the garbage disposal. And, of course, the sink backed up!!!

I used the madoline to slice the potatoes into 1/4 inch slices and cooked them in a saucepan, over medium heat, until tender, about 15 minutes. I drained them into the standing water in the backed-up sink and put the pan in the microwave to keep them warm. In a saute pan, over medium heat, I cooked 6 slices of thick bacon I'd cut into one inch peices until crispy. I added one cup of chopped onions to the bacon pan and seasoned them with black pepper. I saut�ed them for 1 minute and then removed them from the heat. In my large mixing bowl, I combined the cooked potatoes, crispy bacon/onions with fat, 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup of whole grain mustard, four sliced hardboiled eggs, and 1/4 cup of sliced green onions. I seasoned it with salt and pepper and mixed well.

I lightly brushed the sausages with oil. I put them on the grill and cooked them for a couple of minutes on each side. I pulled the sausages from the grill and plated my dinner. I went off to eat and watch my Sunday shows.

At 11:00 PM, I decided that I really did need to wash the load of dishes in the dishwasher. So, I turned it on. Needless to say, the water did not go down the drain, so I ended up bailing out the sink after each cycle and pouring the water down the toilet. I was not happy when I finally got to bed!