Thursday Thoughts

I went over 99,000 words on Wildcat yesterday. The manuscript was originally due on Dec 31st, but now I've got until March before I have to turn it in. I could probably finish the whole book today, but I DON'T WANT TO!!! I'm going to miss those cats something awful.

I made the Outback bread yesterday. It tasted great, but it's a bit more coarse than the stuff in the restaurant and has a thicker crust. I think it was the rye flour. Mine was stone ground I think the restaurants use a finer-ground version. I'll post the recipe next week. It's definitely worth a try if you like to bake.

My son Mike came home from college Tuesday night, so last night we had sort of a special dinner. I had some rib eye steaks in the freezer that I'd bought for the Fourth of July and forgot about. Yeah, I know. I'm getting senile... Anyway, I did something then that I know I've never done before. I actually cooked the steaks on the grill. On the deck. In December. Right before the winter solstice. During a light drizzle.

I love rib eyes, but there's about as much fat on them as there is meat. Peaches and Bugsy, however, were delighted with the scraps and did NOT complain. They're eating a little better now, and the hair is starting to grow back on Bugsy's face from where the skunk sprayed him. He still looks a little beat-up, though. They've been spending the nights in the house, and they love it!
















We've had a problem with the water hydrant near the well freezing up in winter, and yesterday, the guys came and dug it up. Imagine a backhoe in your yard, digging a hole that was easily eight feet square and at least that deep through standing water. They they replaced the hydrant and the expansion tank. We've got better water pressure than we've ever had, but the place they dug up looks like chocolate icing on top of crumbly brownies, as opposed to a part of the lawn. Guess we know what I'll be doing in the spring...

While the guys were out digging up the yard, I put on some Christmas music, wrapped all the presents, and put them under the tree. Then I spent a pleasant afternoon talking with Mike while the steaks were thawing and the bread was rising. It already feels like Christmas. Mike's only request is for eggnog. I've got plenty of eggs, but no powdered sugar or cream. Guess I'll be going back to the store one more time....

But enough about that.
You're here for the hunks,
So here's one for your stocking.

 

No, wait, there are four!
But they're a bit young,
So I'll give you one more!



























This guy is too pretty,
Not hairy enough.
So I'll give you another,
Who's got the right stuff!

Only THREE shopping days left until Christmas!!!