Sun Dog

Another cloud shot, but, really...how could I resist this pretty sun dog. I did enhance it a bit, so the colors would show up brighter. I was outside for a while after I got home (because it was 75 degrees today!) from taking my aunt to the mall to return her vacuum and to order her one that would work better for her. We also went to Pier 1 and looked around Sears while we were there. I fussed around with a few photos of leaves and then I saw several flocks of geese fly overhead and then the sun dog came out. Well....I think this is pretty, so sun dog it is.

Back to the vacuum story: My cousin who was here a week or so ago bought my aunt a very nice vacuum, but my cousin can be a bit overbearing too enthusiastic and talked my aunt into the vacuum that my cousin liked. Well, it's a top of the line Kenmore canister vacuum and it's heavy duty, which means that if my 85 year old, 5' nothing auntie has to wrestle that big, heavy thing, I think the vacuum would win. And in her apartment there was no place to store it either. I told her that every time she wanted to vacuum under the bed, it would be like wrestling an alligator. So, it was fairly easy to return and she ended up ordering the cutest Shark canister vacuum (new on the market and wrestling the shark will be a lot easier than the alligator) that is much easier to handle, lighter weight by far, AND she won't have to mess with vacuum bags AND it was cheaper for my cousin AND it is a pretty color AND it will be easier to store AND it is highly rated and should do what she wants it to do just fine. And it was my aunt's choice, as it should have been in the first place. (Auntie kind of caved under the onslaught of my cousin...shhhh, don't tell either of them I said so.)

Then we went to California Pizza Kitchen. My aunt has the same thing every time we go there.... arugula and asparagus salad with a lemon herb vinaigrette and their avocado egg rolls, which were created by them in 2001. I know this because I asked. If you have a CPK in your area, next time try those, because...they are heavenly. We both had the salad and shared the avocado roll. Perfect!

Speaking of food....we had a fun time at our friend's birthday party. They have 3 kids and this was held at their son's small house, but he has it fixed up really nice and the kid (he's 30) loves yard work and his yard looks awesome and he even has a nice vegetable garden. Now if we could only kick out the room mate and find him a nice girlfriend/wife, we'd be cookin' with gas. (It's just a suggestion, it's his choice.) The daughters helped to whip up a nice dinner for all the family and friends that came. Mostly family, and we were honored to be the "and friends". Their eldest, Amy made the BEST LASAGNA I've ever had. She used the "no cook" lasagna noodles, and it was loaded with ricotta cheese, and meat and tomatoey goodness and, honestly, kids....it was so tender and fluffy, it was like eating a bite of a cheesy cloud. I need to see if she will share her recipe. Lots of nibbles and also a sausage/onion/pepper dish that was good, but maybe a bit too spicy for me. My friend, the birthday boy's wife, made a wonderful carrot cake for the birthday cake and it was to die for. We are blessed to know this couple, because they have always been really good cooks. Well, that's not the ONLY reason, as they are good, nice and funny people, but we were talking food, right? We have been the recipient of many a good meal at their house. The really sad thing is that I got a Stouffer's frozen lasagna the other day, not knowing we were going to have lasagna at their place, and that's what the left overs are for tonight. Boy, this is really, really, really not going to hit the spot tonight. :(

My diet starts tomorrow.