As she strolled through Macy's today, Kathleen was distracted by an enticing demonstration of a new vegetable marinade. She sampled a mouthful, found it toothsome, then stopped at Cub on the way home for Portabella mushrooms, carrots, zuccini, tomatoes, green peppers, red peppers, and asparagus.Chuckling away in the black spider, the vegetables sparkled in their bright coat of Tuscan marinade. Kathleen is too traditional to serve a man just vegetables, of course, so thin-sliced beef strips accompanied today's experiment in healthy eating.
In return, Stan offered the best neighborhood news he could remember from the day:
- Steve, fresh from his 1700 mile drive from Tucson, dropped by with Stan's bike and Kathleen's forgotten copy of "Still Alice," her half-read book about an Alzheimer's victim that Kathleen ironically didn't remember to bring home from Tucson.
- Our neighbors, the Pundts, are flying back home to Florida after two weeks in Minnesota with the grandson and his parents. Newly-retired Jeff thinks a winter home in San Antonio might be nice, safe from hurricanes, and near his brother's golf course.
- There are more than 80 golfers planning a round tomorrow at Stonebrooke, possibly a record for this early in the season.
- Nephew Ford opened practice Monday for his Shakopee varsity tennis team. The family is moving to their new Shakopee house soon.
- Tom's tax business is rolling along, he's got all the clients he wants. Should probably raise his rates if he's getting too busy.
- The Minnesota Twins had a nice surprise phone call for Kathleen today. Turns out her ticket package includes the exhibition game on Friday, so we can extend a streak. Stan and Kathleen attended the very first exhibition game held in the Metrodome back in the 80s, and saw the first home run. Scrappy Pete Rose hit it, probably winning a bet. Friday we'll see the first major league exhibition game ever held at Target Field, but we shan't see the first home run. The Gophers took that away Saturday. We play the St. Louis Cardinals. Last time we saw them was in the seventh game of the World Series in 1987. Welcome back, Cards.
- Stan sanded and finished the third of four beat-up leather chairs, rescued this weekend from the clubhouse dungeon; Kathleen thinks today's chair may be his best one yet. He's starting to get the hang of the sanding procedures. Steve inspected it and thought it quite respectable.
- The neighbor's daughter stopped by the garage today and asked if Stan could consult on a basement bar project that she and her husband want to do in their new house near here. She's very pregnant so Stan suggested her husband make a crib instead, but she is not only pregnant, she's adamant as well. Stan then agreed to consult on a sexy, curvy bar top, but won't lift a hammer. He's retired now, you know.
