finishing the weekend

It's been a great one.

I had a fun day at River Rock on Friday. Everyone was happy and much laughter was heard from employees and customers. I love my job.

We met school friends for happy hour at Patrick's. More stories. More laughter.

Saturday, I started and finished the big switch in summer clothes to winter clothes in my closet and drawers. Not like I have so many but my closet is small and I have little space to accommodate them. It was driving me crazy...short sleeved t-shirts mixed in with sweaters. Sandals and boots.

We met friends at the OK Corral for dinner. They live in Eden Prairie so it's about 30 for each of us. The last two times we've met, we've gone to Suzette's for dinner and then to the OK for a drink. I think we'll go back to that. The food was expensive and only mediocre.

Kathy and Jack are going to Africa next week to spend two weeks on a safari. That's one of those things that is so far outside my circle of possibility that I almost couldn't comprehend. I like to see wild animals on Wild Kingdom. Mutual of Omaha, remember? Marlin Perkins would say, "I'll stand behind this tree while Jim wrestles the bear."

We're on the last 20% of our home improvement project and we've stalled out. Here's what we have left to do:

1. Finish the last coat of paint on half of the north wall.
2. Paint the woodwork on two walls in the living room. And around the windows.
3. Wash and rehang the curtains in the living room.
4. Paint the woodwork in the kitchen (some of it) with the barn red paint like the cupboards.
5. Lay the new rugs.
6. Put together the new IKEA bookshelves when they come.
7. Unpack the boxes in the back porch: books, glassware, CDs, decorative items...some of which may end up in a box at the curb.

We have a flank steak in the refrigerator to cook for dinner with some hot stuffed and grilled peppers. It's one of our favorite meals any time of the year but especially in the fall. The colors are so autumnal. I have a bottle of Firefinch, my favorite sauvignon blanc that I've been hoarding, too. It will be delicious on the patio in the warm afternoon sun. Ah, Sunday in the fall, we love you.

We have to get some pictures of Gus today. He is so smart. When he goes out first thing in the morning, the grass is wet. When he comes into the back porch, he stops on the rug, rolls over on his back with his paws in the air, and waits for us to wipe them off. We didn't teach him that, he just figured it out. He's got giant paws so he can drag a significant amount of debris in on them.

Regis has been working with Gus so he is better behaved at dog school this week. God knows, we don't want him left behind. No dog left behind. Get it? Just to remind you, he was the worst behaved dog in the class except for a dingo. A dingo. How embarrassing is that? A wild dog that eats babies and Gus can't behave better than that. Oh, man.

They're having a big wine sale at MGM this week so it's time to stock the winter wine cellar. Two of my favorites are Root One pinot noir and OKO:

How will I decide?

Well, Regis is starting to move around and accomplish something which means I better make a plan. I have a few things to do before the hardware store opens at 10 and I can buy more paint. Whoopie. I told Regis last week that Rose was seeing more of him than I was. If you don't know Rose at Ace you really should make a point to get to know her. She is a no-nonsense but very funny woman who knows more about hardware than most men ever thought of knowing. It you have a what's-it and want to know where to find another one, she can tell you. Always happy, too, which is a nice quality in a person who works in a store.

More later. Maybe a Sunday in pictures.