rain.

an entirely too-nice day,
swallowed whole by wind and wet and dour grey clouds,
ending in an enfilade of surround-sound thunderbolts
throughout the forest realm.....
july started off with alllllll the weather.
i s'pose that's just a little reminder from mama that she's still here,
and that nature wins,
no matter what we were hoping for.
i had a day,
and then i had a night,
my terrible terrier crabtree and i spent many hours disagreeing
on the best ways to interact with muggy sunny mornings,
and cold rainy evenings.
essentially,
he wanted to hang out INdoors while the sun beat us up,
and sniff around at all the drippity-droppin' sounds OUTside
as the downward pourings drenched my bald pate.
what could i do about a doo-doo buttery end-of-shift transition?
i mean,
i was tattooing the afternoon away while the bright shines were at their best,
and i had the whole night to catch a cold in return.
i opted to grill up some stuff, and since it was mostly brassicas,
and totally awesome,
i figured i could supercharge my body with antibody activation against the rain.
neighbors,
check the teleport:

mmmmmmmmhmmmmmmm.
cauliflower, sweet corn, brussels sprouts, blanched broccoli rabe, red cabbage,
sweet onions, red onions, and red tomatoes,
plus a link of sliced homemade vegan sausage.
i mean, c'mon, guys.
simple and ample.
that's the ticket when time is of the essence,
and enthusiasm is at a low.
a few cucumbers for crunch,
a few more tomatoes for color,
some soy sauce, s&p, and olive oil,
and you've got yourself a grilled salad that's pretty flippin' expert.
what?
oh yeah...
actually, that IS seitan.
i almost forgot about the bottom third of that plate.
ha.
rainbrain makes me dumber, i'd wager.
i fired up a couple of chipotle-marinated, chipotle ho'sauced steaks,
charred just right,
with chopped pickles and onion sprankles to freak it off a touch.
simple isn't my favorite path.
i'm glad i at least still made too much,
or i'd have felt let down.
preoccupation with my occupation put the damper on whatever the rain didn't dampen,
and both of them, together tried to extinguish my spirits.
haha.
no way.
i just get mad, and make food, and that's how i keep the flames lit in the moisture.
you have your styles, i have mine.
*
repeated sniff'n'listen forays into the forest;
hours on end of alert dogness searching for the source of the pittering pats;
late night en-garde thousand-mile stares into the dark corners of the house;
there are times where having a puppy is less cool than others.
rainy anytimes are responsible for a bunch of the least of them.
july is not my favorite,
and i doubt the first week of it up here is going to change my mind about that.
there's lots to do,
and very little opportunity to do it.
responsible adulthood is a double-edged sword,
but,
only if you're doing it right.
awwwww.
off to a wet start,
and not just because we're sweaty as heck-
-
dear july,
             thanks for being a real b!tch.
                   yours in briny bitterness,
                                                   albie;
never quiet, never soft.....