October 2022
October 31, 2022 - Monday - Today was another busy day at the office. Which is about 10 feet from where I’m sitting here with Biscuit. I can probably count on one hand the number of times all three of the dogs are all laying with me together. On the rare occasion when it does happen it usually only last a few minutes. My phone was on the coffee table and when I reached for it to get a photo of this momentous event Zak and Pancake left.
October 30, 2022 - Sunday - Today we had a shoot for Sparkle All Over for the upcoming holidays. She has some incredible new flavors and today I got to try all of them. I’ve never been a big fan of macademia nut cookies but she has one that really good. There are two more in here that I think might be new favorites. It’s shame these are only on the menu for a limited time.
October 29, 2022 - Saturday - I’m sitting very near where another friend lives. This afternoon we got together again. I made guacamole like I do almost every time I visit. The avocados I picked up at Kroger I think were refrigerated. They were very cold when I cut into them. They were perfectly ripe and had no bruises. I think I’m going to start putting my avocados in the fridge first. The guac was even better with a bit of a chill.
October 28, 2022 - Friday - This weekend I’ll be dog/house sitting for a friend. Phoebe is such a sweet girl but she has no sense of personal space. It’s part of her charm. It took her a minute to recognize me but before long we were outside playing for a bit. My friend has a lemon tree out back. It was still sprinkling a bit when we went out. There’s a towel to wipe her feet when we come back in, but boy you get a bath from her in the process.
October 27, 2022 - Thursday - Preparing for the shoot this weekend. I sent this photo to my client and the AD to show them what plates and bowls I have for props. It wasn’t until the morning of the next day that I realized that I hadn’t take a photo of anything purposefully. So it was either this or one of the photos of the food I ate for my nutritionist. I did make a good spaghetti with meat sauce but the photo was crap.
October 26, 2022 - Wednesday - This morning I walked out with Zak. The girls were still sleeping with Riley. I spread out my tarp the other day and it got rained on so it’s still out drying on the patio. When I was done I noticed this growing in the back. In past years it’s been a huge bush but this year I guess with the heat it’s only a few small branches. I got my camera from inside and took this in the morning light.
October 25, 2022 - Tuesday - I finished the next to last episode of the Rings of Power tonight and was about to go to bed when I realized I hadn't taken a photo of anything other than my meals today. I sat down to shut off my computer and saw my almost empty bottle of Gentleman’s Jack sitting on the side of my desk. I gave it a quick wipe down with my shirt and set it near the lamp and got this.
October 24, 2022 - Monday - I’ve been pretty busy for the last several weeks. At the end of the day I’ll sit on the couch to watch some TV for a bit and the dogs all come and keep me company. Pancake here has taken her position on my right keeping my leg warm and being a good little arm rest. I realized I hadn’t taken a photo today so I got this one of her cool little mohawk. She’s so scruffy.
October 23, 2022 - Sunday - So while we were south of the metroplex yesterday we stopped at the Amish bakery in Itasca. I mean we drove that far we might as well stop while we were in the neighborhood. They have one of my favorite treats there, the Chocolate Whoopie Pie. They have a small grocery store and sell lots of good stuff. I picked up some sweets for the family and also picked up a loaf of their really good sourdough bread.
October 22, 2022 - Saturday - I was talking to dad this week and we decided to spend the day together. I got up a little early and drove out to pick him up. We planned on having breakfast at our favorite menudo place down in Hillsboro. They bring the bowls full to the brim. We ran a couple of errands after and then went to go test drive some cars I’ve been looking at. Thinking about getting in debt soon. I hung out for while after we got home but then had to get home to the pups.
October 21, 2022 - Friday - Today while I was working at my desk I saw something fly by my head. A few minutes later I noticed this little ladybug on the wall. Since the weather has been cooler I’ve had the windows opened. I have screens everywhere so I’m not sure how this got in. After spending some time on the the wall it decided to fly down right near my mouse. I got a photo of it before I took him back out into the wild outdoors of Dallas.
October 20, 2022 - Thursday - I finally found some store bought sourdough that I like. It’s not nearly as good as the fresh stuff I get from the Amish bakery south of the metroplex but it’s good for toast and sandwiches. This morning the avocados I got the other day were finally ripe enough to eat. I fried a couple of eggs sunny side up in a little bit of olive oil and then sprinkled a little salt, pepper and garlic powder over all this. Zak and the girls are big fans of this.
October 19, 2022 - Wednesday - My day got a whole lot better around 2:30 today. My dietician has told me to watch the amount of sweets I eat. I was trying to get through the next couple of weeks without ordering Sparkle cookies and just wait until our shoot coming up. The last several days around 3:30 or so I am just craving something sweet. Maybe it’s all in my head since I know I didn’t have anything in the house. Either way I ordered a 50/50 box of her two oatmeal cookies. I’m better now.
October 18, 2022 - Tuesday - I ordered grocery delivery again today. While my shopper was shopping I added flour tortillas to the list. Not the regular store bought kind. The Kroger by my house sales good tortillas they make there. My dietician has told me I should switch to wheat tortillas. Ewww. Apparently she’s been talking to my shopper because she brought me wheat tortillas. These taste kinda crappy but even worse have the texture of warm, damp card stock. What a waste of eggs and sausage.
October 17, 2022 - Monday - Today I cut a bunch of chicken breasts in half, seasoned them and took them out to the grill. I also had a little bit of zucchini. I’ll be having chicken sandwiches for a while now. I don’t know why I do this with Zak but I’ve never given my dogs people food before. With him he’ll get a good bit of this as a snack over the next few days too. Of course if he get some the girls get some too. Just a little less since they’re smaller.
October 16, 2022 - Sunday - This morning I woke and decided I’d make myself and the pups a little breakfast. I bought one of those Egg McMuffin cooker things a while back and I gotta say it’s not too shabby. Sometimes I put ham in them but I’m out now so it’s just eggs and cheese. The dogs seem to like them too. I really love the morning light I get on the dining table. Actually it’s nice all day long unless it’s cloudy. Then it’s just really dark in the house.
October 15, 2022 - Saturday - Today my friend invited me over again. I made guac as usual and I must say it was one of my better batches. The avocados were just right; soft, creamy and vibrant. After, we went out to the patio with a little Jack and a couple of good cigars. Phoebe was out enjoying the cool weather until we lit up. I don’t think she a fan of cigar smoke. What does she know, she’s just a cat.
October 14, 2022 - Friday - I had some cherry tomatoes that had been in the window for while. My brother told me if I put them there they get a little sweeter. I’ve not made this dish in a long while and I’ve never made it with grilled chicken. When I grilled all the chicken the other day, I seasoned half of them with Ziziki seasoning. I used one of them in this and it should now be a staple with this old favorite.
October 13, 2022 - Thursday - Today was another busy day of work. By the time the day was done I didn’t feel like cooking at all and I wasn’t too hungry either. Later in the evening I decided I do something simple that I thought the dogs would like too. It’s been a while since I made peanut butter crackers for all of us. It’s funny trying to be fair to all the pups but Zak can eat like four of these in the time Biscuit and Pancake each eat one.
October 12, 2022 - Wednesday - I bought a large package of boneless, skinless chicken breast the other day. Today I sliced them in half, seasoned half of them with blackening seasoning and took them out to the grill. I also found these Hawaiian burger buns at the store. I made a little spicy ranch, grabbed the jar of pickles and the provolone cheese and made myself a pretty good sandwich.
October 11, 2022 - Tuesday - Looks like this is going to be another busy week of work. Toward the end of the evening, after sitting almost in my lap for a long nap, Zak went to the other end of the couch. I didn’t have a photo of anything except the avocado toast with eggs that I made us for breakfast. He looks so pensive here. Almost like one of those old Olan Mills photos. There should be a ghosted photo of him in the corner.
October 10, 2022 - Monday - The other day Riley had another gig modeling for Earthbound Trading Co. She said there were a few shots they needed to use right way. I think the rest of the shoot was for later in the year or next Spring. She came and showed me this this morning. Those first few shots were already on their website.
October 9, 2022 - Sunday - I slept in a bit this morning. When I finally got up I made some avocado toast for breakfast for Zak and I. For lunch I had a baked potato with some of the left over pulled pork. Of course I shared it with the pups. I got good photos of all that but during the Cowboy game I got this photo of Zak sleeping. I like it best. Love this noodle brain.
October 8, 2022 - Saturday - Today the daughter of one of my nieces had a birthday party. It’s her last year before hitting the double digits. I remember grocery shopping with Riley when she was 9. With a cart full of groceries, I asked her, “What are you cooking for dinner?” I remember her saying, “I can’t cook dinner. I’m haven’t even hit the big 1 - 0.” Who would have known she would become a Sous at a restaurant when she was the Big 2-4.
October 7, 2022 - Friday - Today I had another shoot with the same client. Thankfully it wasn’t as early as Tuesday’s. It was a bit of a drive, but we got done in time for a late lunch. This time we went to Chuy’s. We both had Blackberry swirls with lunch. These are really good! If I weren’t driving I’d have another. I got home and didn’t have any work to do so I relaxed on the couch with Zak.
October 6, 2022 - Thursday - I met a friend today at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants today. These are their brisket enchiladas. They’re filled with mashed potatoes and topped with tender pulled brisket. I remember the first time I heard about them I thought mashed potatoes are the wrong texture to fill an enchilada. Much like fish is wrong to put in a taco. I’m glad I tried these. The poblano sauce these sit in is amazing.
October 5, 2022 - Wednesday - Today was another busy day of work. I’ve been doing a lot more video editing and animation lately. I must say I really do enjoy that more than most other things I do for money. I watch a lot of YouTube videos to learn new stuff. They also have a lot of old Cowboy games. Tonight I was watching some different cooking videos. Pancake came to lay in front of me for a while.
October 4, 2022 - Tuesday - Today I got up really early. Well, really early for me. One of the clients I work for has a client up in Prosper. We had a shoot with him today. It went well and we wrapped up in time for lunch. She’s one of my favorite clients and it was nice to get to spend some time getting to know her even better. I got home late in the afternoon and after making up for being away all day I laid on the couch for a bit after dinner. Biscuit was laying nearby.
October 3, 2022 - Monday - I was pretty busy today with work and didn’t take a photo all day. I’ve been feeling quite a bit better for a while and back to riding my bike almost every day. At the end of the evening I rode my bike while watching TV. I got got off the bike when I closed all my rings. This was probably going to be the only remotely interesting thing that I do today since it’s already almost 10p so it’s my photo of the day.
October 2, 2022 - Sunday - A while back I grilled a pork roast and made pulled pork from it. I actually cut the roast in half before I cooked it to save for later. Today was later. It’s marinated in blackening seasoning and brown sugar, grilled for a bit, then finished in a crock pot with crushed tomatoes, crushed pineapple and more seasoning. It’s like a a spicy, Italian pulled pork. I served them on Hawaiian buns with provolone, dijon mustard and a little pickle relish. So good!
October 1, 2022 - Saturday - I’m loving this cooler weather. After a really hot, dry summer it’s nice to be outside and not sweat just sitting still. My friend was thinking the same thing. He invited me over for dinner. Before we started the grill we decide to have a drink out by the pool. After dinner we lit a couple of cigars out on the patio. A good meal, a good drink and a good cigar with good friends, not a bad way to spend a cool evening.