ups and downs sunday with soiree

These photos really have nothing to do with this post... they're from the Sydney folder... but they seemed apt somehow given that I spent the afternoon somewhere where we could very likely have seen some lizards.

Let's see.... what have I've done today...

• I made panzanella for the first time
• I drove up to Sugarmonkey's place for The Nut House Christmas Soiree
• I stopped off at the Christmas Shop to pick something up for one of the women at work
• I had a tiny little car accident

Yeah... that last one kinda threw me. And if I hadn't done item number 3 on my list... or if I'd left home five minutes earlier or later... or if I'd gone a different direction when I left the Christmas Shop... or I'd taken and extra couple of minutes to check out their toy soldiers... you know, all those things that you think you could have done differently.

But it was really, really, really minor. In fact, so minor that it's not really worth talking about. It was my fault though... I'd expected that the car in front of me was going to proceed in turning onto the main road since there was an appropriate gap in oncoming traffic, and I must have taken my foot off the brake so I was rolling forward... and I rolled right into him. His car pretty much didn't have a scratch, well, maybe a little scuff mark on the bumper... and I managed to knock the plastic surround off my license plate and bend one of the corners. So nothing drastic.

It just shook both me and the guy, who must have been about 70 if he was a day.

I don't know if it served to focus my mind though, because every other time I've gone to Sugarmonkey's place (I think this was about the third time, although I can only find one reference in the blog) I've managed to get lost or turned around in the wrong direction or just otherwise lost. Not this time. I still didn't really know where the hell I was going, but I just kept going in that direction and found my way there without having to check the directions, turn around, backtrack or anything.

As usual I was the only one there without an "other half"... which doesn't really bother me, other than the fact that Rockchick and her girlfriend are still reasonably in that "fresh love/can't not touch each other" stage... and I kinda miss that. Not that I've ever really dated anybody for long enough that that has gone away... usually the relationship has fallen apart long before the shine wears off.

If a perfect world it would be nice to just spring it on them one year at Christmas... just turn up with someone. Of course the likelihood of that is fairly slim, but still...

All in all it was a pretty cruisy afternoon... I think my panzanella went down okay... I did make a lot of it, but I think people ate more of it than the standard salad that was available. I think it's a keeper though... I just need to refine it a little... make it a little more tangy/peppery maybe.

The other amusing thing about the day was Sugarmonkey Junior... he's not quite doing that "I'm shy" thing, but he was so strange when he came out to join everyone... he just stood there, didn't smile, didn't move, didn't interact. Eventually he warmed up though. He really is just as cute as a button though.

And interestingly, other than one minor mention, we didn't talk about work at all. Actually we don't really do that that often anyway... somebody might mention it, but it's not one of those social gatherings where we can't do anything but talk about work. Just don't ask me what we did talk about though... because I honestly have no idea.

The "accident" notwithstanding, it was a really pleasant afternoon... I think I ate too much bread though (the bread in the panzanella was kind of addictive once it had soaked up all the tomato juice... but bread is totally my Kryptonite anyway)... but I had a good time.

Current Mood: