And now its Friday...

I awoke at 5:00 AM. I started a load of washing and ground some coffee beans. I made a pot of coffee and thought about breakfast, but didn't make any.

I posted the Blog and put away the dishes I'd washed last night. When the laundry was done in the washer, I transferred it to the dryer and then turned the sprinkler on outside.

After 30 minutes, I moved the hose. First I filled up the topsy-turvy planter, and then stuck the hose (turned on low) into the reflecting pool. Back inside, I set the timer for another 30 minutes. This will clear out the reflection pool, plus water the Japanese maple and the surrounding herbs and flowers.

I got paid today, so I paid some bills online. I noticed I have about five huge orange Wayne County dump trucks and two road graders outside and in the lot next door. They are grading the heck out of the road. Does this mean they will soon be blacktopping my road? I dunno, but I've never had this level of roadwork done on San Jose before.

So, I quickly shaved and jumped in the shower. Once I was clean and dressed, I got in the car and headed for Radio Shack. My rechargeable batteries are no longer holding a charge (well, it's been a couple of years and I suppose they don't last forever). I only used them in the digital camera but don't want to keep buying AA alkaline batteries (too damn expensive). It cost me $20.00 but I have four new ones in the charger.

I also stopped at the bank and got some cash for the house and CVS where I picked up a few things I needed. I was back home by 11:30 AM. I'm not sure how they do the blacktop, but assume there is a time when you cannot get in or out. So, I got out and back before that time.

Now, nobody did any blacktopping today. But they brought in truckloads of gravel and graded the road over and over (for at least 6 hours). I couldn't help thinking my brother Peter would have gotten the job done a whole lot quicker!

In the afternoon, I was restless, so I made a cucumber salad. I am still trying to recreate the ones my Mom made when I was a lad, but never get close...

For this one, I thin sliced an English (or seedless cucumber) I added about 1/4 of a red onion, also thin sliced. The recipe didn't call for it but my Mother always put onions slices in hers. I salted the cucumbers and onions, added a teaspoon of white vinegar and set them in a colander to drain for two hours.

When they had released their water, I made the dressing: 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, 1/4 cup of sour cream, one tablespoon of fresh chopped dill and some fresh cracked black pepper. I folded the the cucumbers and onions into the sauce, covered the bowl and put them into the fridge to chill.

About 7:00 PM, I warmed up the Sloppy Joe mixture and made one. That, along with a small bowl of the cold cucumber salad, was my dinner.

The cucumber salad didn't taste anything like my Mom's, but I must say it was damn good. Regarding duplicating my Mom's recipe, I am beginning to believe I am over-thinking this and getting too fancy. I can't picture Mom using sour cream or chopping fresh dill. It was probably something much more straightforward, like just mayonnaise and white vinegar.

I noticed an old favorite movie was on tonight so, at 8:00 PM, I watched "Bonnie and Clyde" with Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. Next I watched a show on the Food Network and then after the news was done, I went in the living room and to bed.