goodbye, summer.

well,
it sure was a weird one,
and i say that with complete certainty.
huh?
oh.
i mean, this summer.
it sure was a weird one.
for realsies,
summer '16 really took me for a very toad-like wild ride
down some dirty backroads and alleyways i'd not expected to see again.
and yet, for all my surprise,
here we are, doing the same sh!t, neighbors-
autumn is upon us,
and today is the big day.
the first day.
the kickoff jumpstart beginning.
also,
it's my best friend in the whole entire world's daughter's berfday today.
she's ONE!
that's a big deal.
and i, for one,
in my official position as the weirdest uncle,
am very excited.
that's pretty fresh.
you remember being ONE?
me neither,
but i bet it was pretty  cool.
y'know what else is pretty cool?
tacos.
yup.
i did what i do,
and it was a good idea from the start-
taco time is the best time,
and i sent summer packing with a pile of perfectly prepared foldover flaps.
also,
i dominated the whole dish in a matter of mere minutes.
yup.
lots of prep, but damned short action on the payoff.
sorta like dominoes, y'feel me?
check the last-tacos-of-summer-type teleport:

ADIOS, VERANO!!!!
*
dudes,
that guacamole was tight!
jalapeno, red chili, poblano, orange and yellow bell pepper,
cilantro, red onion, scallion, GPOP, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon, lime,
and delicious, decadent, buttery avocados!!!!!
* 
the coconut lime rice?
with scallion sprankles???
c'mon, man.
that's what's up.
i ate a hundred spoonfuls before i was even finished making anything else.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
*
and what's up with those mutha-'ucking tacos, son!!!!
* oven-roasted fat chips of blue potato,
with red beans, garlic, and leeks,
over torn baby spinach, hooked up with red onion,
scallion, and some weird yellow tomatoes.
SO good.
* seitan asada,
slow marinated with onion, garlic, lime,
cumin, coriander, cilantro, paprika, black pepper, GPOP,
oregano, and ho'sauce,
over shredded purple cabbage, with crushed red tomatoes straight outta the garden,
and cilantro sprankles-
dudes,
BOTH of the kinds of treats i was reppin' got sweet spicy smoky homemade
chipotle mayo drizzles too.
i HAD to.
rules is rules.
limes rule, so i used them heavily.
i like a lot of citrus on my plate.
turns out, i most likely HATE scurvy, too.
seems linearly logical.
***********
it's fall, now.
let's all try not to get too excited.
i know i'm ready for all the new englandy good times that this whole region
waits for all year long.
we're the o.g. sweaters and woodstoves crew up here.
it's all really happening,
the change of season,
the equinox,
the shift in light and dark-
the balance is skewed from here on out,
so it's likely up to us to make things brighter.
i know what i'm doing.
i hope you do too;
never quiet, never soft.....