Sunday Supper

I woke up at 6:30 AM. I made a cup of coffee while I threw on my shorts and t-shirt and then went outside to set up the sprinkler in the front yard. Thankfully, at this time of the day, it was dead calm, so there was no fooling around with positioning. I went back inside and set the timer.

I processed yesterday’s photos and posted them. Then I finished the Blog entry and posted it as well. I made a second cup of coffee and turned on the morning news. I ate breakfast and refilled my pill box.

When the timer went off, I hooked up the rain wand and hand watered the forsythia. I weeded around the lilac and then put the rest of that bag of mulch I bought around it. Then, I watered the hell out of the mulch, too.

I pulled the hose back over the north gate and dragged it around the house and out the south gate. I set up the sprinkler to water the side lawn, tree garden and the mailbox garden (first time this summer – I’ve been hand watering instead).

Back inside I started on today’s mundane chores (no projects). First I cleaned the main bath, except for the tub area. I’ll do that after I take my final shower up here (I have to wait for the outside watering to be done).

The timer went off for the side lawn at 10:30 AM. I went out and shut off the water. Then I reeled in the hose, leaving the sprinkler and just enough hose to water around the rear of the house. But, there are the usual “pop-up” thunderstorms and showers predicted after 3:00 PM, due to the heat (highs in the 90’s to8), so I’ll wait and see if I get lucky. If not, I’ll water after dinner.

While it was still in the low 80’s and I had my brace on, I had a few things to do before it heated up. So, first, I went into the attic to get some things I wanted. Then I went out back and did a trash pick-up patrol. I completely filled up the mulch bag (I saved it for this very purpose).

Back inside, I took off my brace and started the main project for today: cleaning the house. Boring, yes, but it needs to be done.

I took a break after the office, bedroom and living room were complete and ate the other half of that musk melon. I just finished that when my daughter Melissa called. We talked for quite a while (Dave was watching the British Open), but then I had to beg off. I’ve got a house-cleaning to get back to!

I cleaned all the glass surfaces in the office, bedroom and living room, including mirrors and then I dusted everything. I put the lap blanket (from the living room rocker) and the throw rug (from Caley’s Cat-o-matic basket) in the washer (both were covered with cat hair). Then I used the pet hair remover attachment on the vacuum cleaner (for the first time) and did all the furniture in the living room. I was surprised. It worked pretty good!

Next was the downstairs bath. I loaded the glass shower door and all the aluminum in the car for disposal in the dumpster Monday morning. I was very tempted to keep it, as I had conceived of a possible way to use an angled piece of aluminum in place of the one side wall jam. But, I decided to let it go.

Then I scraped off as much of the silicone caulk from the tile as I could. I re-hung the shower curtain after installing the rod.

I put the lap blanket and the throw rug back where they belong when the dryer stopped. I was surprised that the lint filter was full (and I clean it after every load)!

It was almost 6:00 PM, so I started the charcoal for the grille. I took out the T-Bone steak I bought yesterday and the bratwurst I had thawing in the fridge to come up to room temperature.

When the charcoal was ready, I cleaned the grate and oiled it. Then I started grilling the brats (they’re for the coming week, BTW). Inside, I shelled the last two hardboiled eggs, cut them into large chunks and mixed them with the deli redskin potato salad.

I pulled off the brats when they were done and set them on a paper plate to drain and cool. I put them in the house and brought out the star of tonight’s Sunday supper: the steak.

I am somewhat of a purist now with grilling steaks. Oh, I’ve tried various marinades, dry rubs and Montreal steak seasoning over the years, but I have learned that (for me, anyway) the best steaks are merely seasoned with salt and fresh ground pepper.

But, I did try a little twist tonight. I cut two long stalks of fresh rosemary and threw them directly on the coals. Then I put the steak on the grate.

I didn’t touch it for four or five minutes. I never do. I like it to get a nice crust on it and if you fiddle with it, that doesn’t happen. Then I flipped it with the tongs; Never a fork! You just let all the juices run out that way. In fact, if ever someone gives you a nice barbeque set as a gift, I would recommend the first thing you do (after thanking them, of course) is to throw that stupid fork away. There is nothing I know of you should use it on.

But, I digress. I let the steak grill until it felt done (yes, I feel it with my finger). I pulled it off and set it in the house to rest (and redistribute the juices). Outside, since we never got any rain, I turned on the sprinkler which I had previously set in place to water the gardens around the reflecting pool.

Back inside, I set the stove timer for an hour and proceeded to eat on of the best damn steaks I ever had. Oh, I had some of the potato salad, too. But the steak was excellent, a perfect medium rare and seasoned so well, I didn’t even add any extra salt (which I normally end up doing).

When I was finished, I cleaned up the kitchen counter, putting the rest of the potato salad and the now-cooled brats in the fridge. I took my evening pills and watched TV until the timer went off. I relocated the sprinkler to water the raised herb bed garden and the new garden at the back of the house addition.

An hour later, I turned off the water, disconnected the sprinkler and reeled in the hose. I locked the downstairs door, checked on the garage door and the front door deadbolt and then watched TV until bedtime.