Anyone else feel super energized and ready to take on another week in quarantine? Um, no? Too much pantry time, TV time and cocktail time? Yep, me too. But, here’s a wrap up of my last week and hoping this week in quarantine is a little more productive.
What Iām Reading
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Did you think maybe during this week in quarantine I would have read six or seven books? Nope, could barely finish one. And it depressed me.
Back in the 80s there was a book that got a lot of hoopla, and frankly, it still has really good reviews, so I picked it up (at the library before it closedā¦) ā The Unbearable Lightness of Being.Ā Oh, no I am not recommending this one.Ā I was not only disappointed, but frankly, disgusted.Ā This is a book whose protagonist is a middle-age man who gets sex several times a day from women he meets, cheating on his wife.Ā He has written off his first wife and son and has never given his son the time of day.Ā This is a character Iām supposed to believe, much less like?Ā It is a premise so outlandish; I cannot get past it, much less soak up the āexistentialā psychological theme.Ā How is this such a highly rated novel?
On audio Iām listening to #4 Tres Nevarre, The Devil Went Down to Austin by Rick Riordan.Ā These keep getting better and Iām addicted.Ā Tres has his PhD in literature and a PI license.Ā This book truly weaves his two interests together.Ā He lives in San Antonio, but this book uses Austin as its backdrop and I feel like Iām there waiting on a margarita.Ā Fun!
As I’ve mentioned 100 times before, I’m a big Kindle fan, but having the library closed during quarantine, has been really stressful for me.
What Iām Eating
This week we had some beautiful weather and some cold weather.Ā During cold weather I made chicken tortilla soup.Ā Technically, it was cheating for my Low Fodmap diet, but it was delish.Ā This is the recipe I posted a few months ago.
When the weather warmed, we made sliders on the grill and I made a side of Grandmaās potato salad.Ā To keep it more in line with my diet, I used just the green tops of the onions.
I am more of a baby back ribs-on-the-grill type of person, but I tried them in the oven this time. Frankly, I thought they were a little dry even though I basted them every half hour. The flavor was good (especially after I gave them a good dousing with Frankās). I had a side of grilled zucchini and homemade French fries in the air fryer.
In any case, here is what I did (again, not Fodmap friendly):
Oven Baked Baby Back Ribs
- 1 package ribs
- Ā¼ white onion, sliced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Bottled bbq sauce to taste
Sprinkle ribs with spices, top with onion and bbq sauce.Ā Add a small amount of water to a pan.Ā Ā Bake at 300 for about 3 hours until meat is tender, basting every 30 minutes.
What Iām Watching
I downloaded Hoopla from the libraryās site to stream movies.Ā Just in case the million movies on Amazon are not quite enough.Ā I watched The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then Who Killed the Bigfoot.Ā Yep, that is the name of it, and as youāve probably guessed, it is based on a true story.Ā Ha!Ā Other than that fantastic title, I loved that it had my two heartthrob actors ā one old and one young.Ā Sam Elliott plays old Calvin Barr and Aiden Turner (who I have raved about as Ross Poldark) plays young Calvin.Ā The movie had tons of promise which I feel left on the table, but I watched it and liked it anyway.
We watched a couple Hallmark romance movies.Ā I wonāt even bother to review those because if youāve watched one, youāve watched them all.
What Iām Doing
Generally I don’t use too many essential oils because I’m too lazy to research which ones are safe for animals to breath, but I did get some Immune Aid and have my Innogear defusers going. It’s actually very nice and relaxing.
Well.Ā We had a community member test COVID positive.Ā A person who uses my gym.Ā The gym is closed now, but it really gave a lot of people the heebie jeebies.Ā The guy is ok and is recovering at home, thank God.Ā He self-reported to the club and they immediately sent out an email detailing his and his wifeās recent activities, which was nice.Ā Because I worked for 100 years in health care, including five years in the OR, I am always on the lookout for any sort of contamination, and I keep my area and myself really contained in the gym.Ā Iām not worried for myself, but Iām 100% respectful of those who are worried.Ā I spent a lot of time out walking this weekend and everyone was very nice, but made sure they kept their distance and kept their dogs on short leashes.
I have been doing a lot of wiping with disinfectant, and should we ever get guests, I think this is a nice welcome for them in our powder room. Ha!
Here’s to another week in quarantine, and hopefully among the last. Hope things are not too bad for anyone right now and if anyone is feeling lonely, please reach out.Ā Iām at my desk!