Eatin' Outside

It seems like ages since our last patio dinner. Patio dinners are my favorite thing ever! Among all those other things.

It was chilly Sunday night so we loaded our plates and ate a hearty southern meal under Mom's twinkling string lights. I've noticed that often times, post-Honbon weekend, Dad likes to try out things he's learned from those wacky Hon people. I recall a brisket dinner inspired by Laurie and the always popular Baking Soda Burp routine that now takes place when someone has indigestion. There was also a three-day window last year where Dad sported a Don-stach. This time around Pops cooked a pork butt in the crock pot, a nod to Will and Cam's spectacular BBQ. 

"But how did they season it?" he wondered aloud. 

In family news, Dad's ditsy property manager, the sluggish gal who replaced Ellen, could sense Dad's distaste for her air-headish disposition and quit the job just four days before Dad was planning to fire her. There's another girl lined up for the position but she can't start for one month so Ellen wholeheartedly quit her job at The Chicken and is back working for The Man until Ashley starts in November. Ellen and Dad are both excited about this. Dad's excited to have the efficient and surly Ellen back at the wheel. Ellen's happy to make more than $23 a day.

Chris carries on, working late nights to afford Ellen's lavish lifestyle. Chris took Ellen down to Orlando for her birthday and got his brothers and their girlfriends together to celebrate with lil' Ellie. It won't be long before the two of them head off to Haiti for Chris' cousin's wedding. 

I don't have much other news as I am no longer a proud resident of my favorite place ever. I just hang out in my own empty house now. That sounds sadder than I meant. I get lots of things done when Mom isn't around to distract me. I've also reaped the benefits of the No Pants Policy that can be simply because I live alone. The other day, I didn't put pants on until 4:00. 

I'm actually kind of concerned about this. I need to get a roommate, pronto.

There is a downside to my new living arrangements and that is simply a lack of my previous living arrangements. I can't just scamper out onto the dock when I feel like it and now Buddy and I get less exercise. I don't have a neighborhood to run in and Buddy has no slipshod monitor for his own neighborhood exploits. I also miss the view. The dock has been my special quiet place since high school. 

I've always felt like I'm in a snow globe when I'm on the dock and Mom sometimes refers to it as such. "Going out to the snow globe?" she'll say when I appear with a book and a pillow.

I love my snow globe. 

How did I get to talking about this? You see, this is what happens when I start one of these blog posts without a plan. I tell you too much. Now you know about my trouser troubles and my snow globe.

Anything else you wanna know?