Monday, Monday...

Okay so you remember it was almost 50 degrees and raining yesterday here in Redford, right? Well, when I woke up Monday morning, it was only 36 degrees with occasional snowflakes! Old Man Winter is back and he's pissed! So much for the January thaw!

Going home at lunch, the wind had picked up (20-30 MPH). The icy cold took your breath away! Now it's not a few gentle flakes, its spitting snow out there.

The winds had moderated just a bit when I went home at 5:00 PM. There was more light snow falling (flakes) but they didn't seem so evil, then. Of course, nothing seems so evil when you're "leaving" work.

Once in the house and shedding my coat, I treated the cats, opened up the less than inspiring mail and changed clothes. Then I washed up the crock pot liner and lid and then set them out to air-dry.

I thought about what I could or should do and decided to take the night off.

So, I checked the Turner Movie Channel (one of my favorites) and watched the 1959 version of the Hound of the Baskervilles (a Sherlock Holmes movie starring Peter Cushing).

Somewhere in the middle of it, I paused it to make some dinner. My original plan (given the excess of pot roast-eating yesterday) was to just make a big salad. But the cold and damp (my right shoulder, my right upper thigh and my left knee have been complaining, all day), I decided I wanted something warm.

So, instead, I heated up a can of Campbell's "Bean with Bacon" soup (damn the resultant gastric problems! I ain't going anywhere tomorrow!) And, I added two small packets of oyster crackers to the bowl.

If you remember, I gave away a whole big box of them at my Mother's last anniversary picnic. But when I mentioned that to Jake, he said that was a terrible mistake; they are great in certain soups and chili. Now, I admit that in the past, I have crushed up regular saltine cracker and added them to chili and liked it. But, in soup?

So, I got some more and have been experimenting. In soups that have noodles (chicken or beef noodle soup), it only adds another flour level and I don't like them (changes the broth to glue or something). But in soups with beans or chili, it's pretty good.

Anyway, I went back to the movie and ate a satisfying dinner.

After the movie ended, I watched some taped TV shows until 10:00 PM. Note to Jake: I did watch "Mexican Made Easy" with Marcela Valladolid. She's got beautiful hair, a lovely face and a great butt! And, the food sounded good too!

Note to self: We are now approaching the CaptainK danger zone. With three of my four kids born within two weeks of each other in late October/November, obviously February/March is a problem!

At 10:00 PM, I switched to the latest Anthony Bourdain "No Reservations" show. It was a visit to Brittany in France and was just fascinating! I think I found the place I want to retire to!! Check it out and you will see why. I want to marry Anne Belon, a fifth-generation oyster farmer (Damn, there's that February/March curse, again!)

I went to bed just after 11:00 PM.

Sidebar: In my last telephone conversation with my daughter Melissa, she remarked on how they have moved just about every seven years. She said she loves that: new place, new decorating ideas, throw out the old crap, etc.

I said I have been looking for a home to live and die in since I was like 16. We chatted a bit and realized since she was a young girl, she's moved every now and then since forever, while I had always lived in my "ancestral farm home" my parents bought back in the '30's or '40's. So, we decided it seemed like it depended on how you were raised.

At one point in the conversation, she said, "It sounds like you want to live in the Walton House!" I laughed and said, "You got it!" The idea of three or four generations growing up in the same house really does appeal to me!

Anyway, to make a long story short, I woke up around 3:00 AM for a bathroom break. When I lay back down to sleep, Melissa and my conversation replayed in my head (I dunno why! Maybe I had a dream or something.)

So, anyway, as I was drifting back off to sleep, with Scruffy at my feet and Caley on the other pillow, I said:

"Goodnight, Scruffy" and he said (out the side of my mouth) "Goodnight Papa John!"

"Goodnight, Caley" and she said (in a higher tone of voice, still out the side of my mouth) "Goodnight Papa John!"

"Goodnight, Newt" and he said "Glug, glug..."

I was still laughing when I fell back asleep...