This year, instead of juncos, we have wrens, not even an arm’s length from the door.

Alumni weekend was just great, seeing some people I’m still in touch with and others I haven’t seen since graduation, catching up and bonding again.

Walked around the eastern side of town this morning, then rocked down to Electric Avenue and off to Claremont.

Had dinner at El Burrito Jr. last night, somehow unchanged in decades, then walked around the west side of town and briefly over into Long Beach.

Heading down to LA for a college reunion.

Finished reading Dinner in Rome: A History of the World in One Meal by Andreas Viestad: a light overview of food and history, through the lens of a single (large) meal at Rome’s La Carbonara. The lightness is counterbalanced by an excellent bibliography, like A History of the World in Six Glasses (discussed in the bibliography).

Oven guy came to repair the oven again.

Visited Mom (back from South Carolina), then walked over Queen Anne to Pike Place Market: about 14k steps, 7 miles.

Went to the game store for Magic with the dude and Greg and his son. We had a good time; one guy played against me and Greg and the dude in his three rounds.

Mowed the lawn yesterday, first time this year.

Finished reading The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett, another murder mystery, though not quite so noir-y as Cahokia Jazz. This one is set in an odd fantasy world, and we’re left with a clear path to more stories starring the protagonist and his brash boss.

Thinking back on it, the book feels somewhat similar to Bridge of Birds.

Took Mom to the airport with her sister and brother-in-law for their trip to the east coast.

Finished reading Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. This was a harrowing book, written in the early ’90s, about a teenager growing up as the United States is collapsing in 2024. It ended on a slightly hopeful note, and the book’s society is more collapsed than ours, so I guess there’s that.

Content warning: nothing on-screen, but there are plenty of references to rape.

Today’s kitchen victories: crêpes with berry sauce, bœuf Bourguignon, bread, and crème brûlée.