Labor Day Weekend, Day #3

Monday morning, I woke up at 6:30 AM. Which was more normal and better for me as I’ll have to get up at 5:30 AM tomorrow for work. I got a cup of coffee and filled in the rest of the Blog posting.

Today, the sun was out again (it did make a brief appearance Sunday evening) and there’s still no wind, so I went out and sprayed the grass and weeds in the driveway with an herbicide (Groundclear – I think it works the best). I walked backwards so I didn’t accidentally get it on my shoes, but I still washed off my Crocs when I came back inside.

I ate breakfast and took my pills. Then I dug out my owner’s guide files to get the correct numbers for a new air cleaner, filter and spark plug for the riding mower and the push mower.

I used a flashlight and the owner’s guide as, well, my guide, but could not find the oil filter on that beast. The owner’s guide keeps saying “if equipped” but that’s the biggest model mentioned in the guide (501 cc and 17.5 horsepower). The trouble is the guide lists, like, 6 different models and pictures without identifying which is which. You would think the damn thing would have an oil filter, but I cannot find it!

Back inside, I just finished washing my hands when the phone rang. It was Jake and we talked for a while. They plan on just chillin’ today (as do I) but mentioned they took a 180 mile bike round trip to Augusta, Georgia, on Saturday, just to try a burger place they heard of. See, that’s why I think foodies and bikers don’t mix well.

Speaking of Jake and Carla, there was a flowering bush and/or tree I was fascinated with the last time I was down there. They almost looked like lilacs. But not really. So, I asked if either knew what they were and, of course, they didn’t. They may be bikers and foodies, but they are definitely NOT gardeners! I never had the chance to ask anyone else what the hell they were, but they were everywhere.

So, this morning, when I was watching a DIY show (B___ swears that’s what gets me in trouble, all the time). I was sure I freaking saw them again! I checked on Google and here’s what Wiki said:

“The Common Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) from China and Korea, was introduced circa 1790 to Charleston, South Carolina, in the United States by the French botanist André Michaux. In the wild the species is most often found as a multi-stemmed large shrub, but two hundred years of cultivation has resulted in a huge number of cultivars of widely varying characteristics. Today it is possible to find crape myrtles to fill every landscape need, from tidy street trees to dense barrier hedges all the way down to fast-growing dwarf types of less than two feet which can go from seed to bloom in a season (allowing gardeners in places where the plant is not winter hardy to still enjoy the intense colors of the frilly flowers).”

So, I am pretty sure those flowering bushes and trees I was so interested in were crape myrtles. Mystery solved!

After we hung up, I shaved and showered. Then I headed out for a few, last minute errands I missed. I stopped at Home Depot and bought two more furnace filters (I’ll need them three months from now) and a box of Swiffer Duster refills. I also checked on some wood prices for a bench I want to build. Note: I took my oldest tape measure so nobody could question that I stole it. I dunno, I just worry about sh*t like that.

From there I went to Petsmart and bought two more bags of cat treats and a 42-pound bag of clumping kitty litter. Then I stopped at a liquor store for a pint of Absolut vodka (for tonight’s dinner). Since I don’t need much, I am going on the foodie bible that always says NOT to use wine for cooking (or in this case liquor) that you wouldn’t want to drink. Not I like to drink vodka. I always thought it tasted like lighter fluid. I liked bourbon (sigh)...

Back home, I unloaded everything but the kitty litter and treated the cats. Then I took my wheeled walker out to the garage and loaded the big bag of kitty litter on it and rolled it into the house. I used a shopping cart at the store, so I didn’t screw myself up, but getting from the car to the back room made me fear hurting myself again (no BLT, remember?)

I changed out of my regular clothes and, once in my shorts and tee-shirt, I made a sandwich of the ham and pickle salad for my lunch. It was now getting cloudy and overcast. Since I had no outdoor plans, I was hoping for at least the soaking shower that they kept predicting.

So, instead I watched some of the Labor Day DIY marathon they have been advertising all week long. Fortunately, it was very interesting. Unfortunately, it gave me about 13 different ideas I’d like to try (B___ is right!).

I gave up on the non-existent rain about 5:00 PM and started hand watering everything. I especially hit the new grass seed around the arborvitae garden. I finally quit by sticking the hose in the reflecting pool, turning the water on one-quarter turn and setting the timer for an hour. That was tip my old friend John Sellers, who worked for me in Maintenance, back in the day. It not only slowly cleans out the “pond,” but the overflow waters the Japanese Maple.


Back inside, I stared on tonight’s dinner. I completely gave up on making the Ratatouille I had planned as a side dish (it was just too complicated for how late it was) but went with my Penne Alla Vodka (recipe by Fabio Viviani).

So, I cooked about 1/2 pound of penne pasta in boiling salted water until al dente (say nine minutes). Now penne pasta is cool if the sauce is the king, as it is both hollow and has ridges, which allows the sauce to really “stick.”

Meanwhile, I caramelized a 1/2 cup of onion and fresh cracked pepper in butter, in my 12-inch skillet. When that was finished, I added 1/2 cup of vodka and flambéed it. Now, I know you can do this on a gas stove, like I have in the past, by simply tipping the pan into the flame. But that works in restaurant kitchens. Here at home, I have a microwave and fan just above the stove I don’t want to scorch. So I held it off the stove and lit it with my barbecue lighter.

When the alcohol burned off, I added the pasta to it. Then I added one cup more of vodka to it and reduced it. I added one cup of heavy cream to that and reduced it, too. I added in three cups of homemade marinara sauce ad let that reduce as well.

I topped it with fresh shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano and ate both helpings. Now, I must admit I have eaten a lot of pasta with Alfredo sauce and loved it, so the marinara sauce addition seemed weird while I was doing it, but it definitely added a brightness to the dish.

I cleaned up the kitchen then checked the TV guide. My choices were between “Thunderbolt and Lightning,” the original “Rocky” (both of which I love) or a Walton’s Easter Special (that I’d never seen) on Hallmark.

Being the softy that I am, I settled for the Walton’s. When it was over, I went to bed. And that was the end of my Labor Day weekend.