Rinds

Today Denisse was in Hong Kong and RJ, Pennsylvania, on his way to his second son's wedding in Maryland this Saturday.

Without these two my Blackberry sure hasn't made much noise this week.

Today was one of those days when i didn't hear much from anyone. I've said it before and i'll say it again: i feel disjunct!

I kept busy by regressing to the persona of a cooking maniac. Made three things, all firsts. A feat that has not be repeated since my hermetic ways in 2008.

Even managed to get out of the house first to get Alley treats. Ulterior motive: so she would get out of my hair.

This afternoon, after i'd created two versions of chicken wings and set my pork belly (well, not my pork belly) to slow cook, i sat down to watch an episode of House on DVD.

That's right. House. Another dropped ball picked up and dribbled once again.

And before long Alley hopped on the couch to snuggle again. And by snuggle i mean relentlessly in my face demanding to lick it, never taking no for an answer. It takes all my strength to hold her down. And that distracts me from my TV viewing.

The thing with Alley is you can't pay her attention. It's opening a can of worms. She'll just want more and more and more. I have likened her to my mother: there's no pleasing her. You can NEVER do enough.

It wasn't even four yet! As told to RJ: it was way early for me to be loving.

So i whipped out one of the three goodies i purchased at Petco earlier: beef-flavored raw hide.

She disappeared with it for a short while. And when she reappeared, she observed her restraining order. Magic!

But she's been acting so depressed since RJ's departure on Monday (guarding the door, sighing; sleeping by RJ's side of the bed) that i don't have the heart to reject her 24/7. She's been there for me when I'd felt disheartened.

The sun intermittently peeked from behind clouds later this afternoon. As fickle as for seconds.

The sky was a lovely postmodern camouflage print of baby blue, white and grey again. I didn't remember it doing that other than in October.

Wind at 17 mph. I fluctuated between comfortable and flushed and chilly. Couldn't decide.

That's California for ya.

But i stayed out because i knew Alley wouldn't if i didn't.

I concluded that having a dog gets you outside. It's true.

It gets you social, too. I remember a conversation with Elsie years ago. Elsie and W are, what shall i say, guarded and private. Not long after getting TC Elsie observed that having a pet means obliged to interact with strangers.

And of course, now, with kids, that just blows up to an exponential degree.

I savored the duration this afternoon outside, doing nothing but being there, as close to nature as i'd get in a Wednesday afternoon. I didn't need to read, or get online, or select a playlist on my iPod. I just watched the wind-swept grass, listened to the birds chirp, and felt the (unreliable) sun on my skin.

Having a relatively suburban, sizable backyard is having nature as accessible as i have ever experienced. And the fact that i can take in as much as i desire at any given time and return to the safe haven of the great indoors (cuz i can be as fickle as nature)? Priceless.