Catching up on Friday

I was too tired, last night, to stay up to write a blog post.  I actually went to bed at 1:30 a.m., which is rather early for me!

Yesterday (Thursday) was a good day.  Sunny and hot enough for me to turn on one fan for a couple of hours in the late afternoon!  I slept in, spent what was left of the morning answering blog comments, catching up on a few blogs, and watching the confirmation hearing.

My daughter texted me around 1:20 p.m. to say that the apartment building fire alarm went off, yet again!  This seems to be an almost monthly event!  She said she couldn't see or smell anything (any smoke, etc.), but, she grabbed her laptop and her emergency backpack (containing a change of clothes, some disposable masks, a box of granola bars, etc.) and evacuated the building.  There really isn't any place to evacuate to, but, she stood on the sidewalk outside the building, along with other residents, until the fire department showed up and turned off the alarms.  She was able to go back to her apartment shortly afterwards.  We figured that someone left a pan of something to cook and it burned and set off the alarms.   

Later in the afternoon, I practiced the piano.  My two new pieces are "O Sole Mio" and "The Entertainer".  One has an arpeggiated chord at the very end and my fingers, especially on the left hand, refuse to move as quickly as required.  The other has a syncopated rhythm; it's a very good thing that I know the tune and have an idea of how it should sound.  But, it's a very long way from how I play it now to how it should be played!  LOL!

I also called the eye doctor's office and confirmed my appointment for Monday morning and double checked which clinic I should go to; they have two locations and the letter of authorization listed one location, which is their main office (and that's where I called), but, I was last seen at the second location and that's where I am supposed to go on Monday.  Then, of course, someone from the second location called me, today, to confirm Monday's appointment!  

Next week is going to be a busy week!  I have the eye appointment on Monday, a blood test scheduled for Tuesday, the dentist on Wednesday, and the oncologist on Friday!  That's the most number of appointments I've had in one week since March!   

In the evening, I watered the front garden.  Everything was wilting in the heat.  A couple of my neighbors across the street were out in their gardens, too, watering.  I picked the first pomegranates from my tree and went across the street to give them to my neighbors.  They were very appreciative, one neighbor saying her husband has been admiring the fruit and has been hoping I'd give them some!  LOL.  I also watched one of the two town hall meetings that were being televised.

Yesterday, while looking in the freezer for a package of chicken drumsticks to thaw, I managed to cause some packages to fall down a gap in the back.  The packages fell behind the slide out drawer at the bottom, pushing the drawer out just enough to prevent the door for closing.  I had to empty out the slide out bin in order to pull it out to retrieve the packages that fell.  I took the opportunity to wipe up the bottom of the freezer before I put the bin back in place and put all the frozen meat back.  In the process, I came across a package containing two hamburger patties I had made and frozen, earlier.  Suddenly, I was craving a hamburger!  I quickly thawed the patties in the microwave and cooked them in a frying pan while I toasted the last two slices of bread.  I spread one of the slices of bread with a mixture of Miracle Whip, relish, and ketchup, added lettuce leaves, topped it with one of the hamburger patties with more ketchup on top and I had myself a hamburger for brunch!  I was going to save the other hamburger patty for today's lunch, but, I had that for dinner, last night, instead!  The two bread ends (or 'heels') made a satisfactory "bun".  

Yesterday's drawing prompt was "Outpost".  

Day 15: Outpost

According to my daughter, this is Lelouch Lamperouge from Code Geass.  I asked her what he had to do with 'outpost'.  Her reply was "outpost ⇨ military ⇨ Code Geass, an anime in which Lelouch is the main character and stages a rebellion against the tyrannical Holy Britannian Empire".

Today, Friday, has also been a sunny and warm (high of 98F) day.  I called and chatted with cousin P in the morning, then, I decided to make a bread pudding so I could use up all the bread ends I had in the fridge and the last cup or so of milk that I had left in the half gallon container (with a best-by date of October 1) before it spoiled.  I added the last muffin from the last batch of muffins I had made to the cubed bread ends, a handful of cashews and a handful of raisins, beat up three eggs and half a cup of sugar into the milk, poured that over the bread cubes, sprinkled the top with a little grated nutmeg, and put the mixture into the pre-heated oven at 350F.  While it was baking, I washed the dishes and wiped down the kitchen counters, etc.  By the time I had finished doing that, about 20 minutes had passed, and the bread pudding was done:

Bread Pudding

After it had cooled for 10 minutes or so, I cut myself a piece for brunch:

Bread Pudding for Brunch

It was good and I soon had a second piece for dessert!  LOL.

Later in the evening, when M came to tend to the garden, I served him a piece of the bread pudding and, afterwards, I took half of what was left to friend R, along with a box of the disposable masks I had bought, earlier.  She gave me a bar of chocolate and an individually wrapped snack cake in exchange!

M brought me this mini pumpkin he had grown: 

Mini Pumpkin

Isn't it just beautiful?

In the afternoon, I practiced the piano and cleaned the bathroom (on the weekly cleaning list for Fridays). 

Daughter sent me today's drawing; the prompt is "Rocket":

Day 16: Rocket

It is a Pokemon named Meowth, dressed in the Team Rocket uniform.  

The things I'm grateful for yesterday and today include:

- Yesterday's fire alarm at daughter's apartment building was a false alarm

- Being able to share pomegranates with neighbors

- M bringing me a mini pumpkin

- R giving me a bar of chocolate and a snack cake

- Being able to make a yummy dessert with some bread ends and a few extra ingredients

Yesterday's joyful activity was being in the garden.  Today's joyful activity was baking the bread pudding.

I don't have any special plans for tomorrow.  Nothing that I must do, so, I will probably just relax and take it easy.

What are your plans for the weekend?