One small theft; two big gifts
In this case, it was John and Vicky Christ's intellectual property. More precisely, their idea of how to manage through the pandemic. Like us, they're both working from home and have been for most of the year. I've been working from home for years and love it. It's new for the Captain, and he chafes a bit at the lack of other people.
He's also better at painting bright, clean lines around the work day and the play day. The Christs put him over the edge last week when they told him that every day during the work week, at 5 p.m., they meet for a martini on the Lido Deck. For those of you not familiar with cruise ships or The Love Boat, that was the party deck.
We launched our Lido Deck on the back porch, but it's floated to the front porch, too. It's been fun, and a couple of times, neighbors have stopped by, so it has the makings of a super fun, but socially distanced gathering.
The idea landed, however, just as we'd gotten our annual biometric screenings and I was reminded that my Covid 15 are still lingering around my midsection. There will be no bikini moments on our Lido Deck until that's gone...
And yes, I'll work out longer or eat less to make room for the Lido Deck rather than skip it. There's not a lot of summer left, I love my husband and want to keep him at least moderately happy. How many pounds can it add before the snow falls, really?
In other news, we drove up to West Lafayette to deliver some small things to Ali and stumbled onto the best meal we've had in a long, long time. Bistro 501 is in downtown Lafayette, and it's owned and operated by a Mary Buckley and her twin daughters. We bonded when she said she was originally from New England and her daughters had a connection to an Indiana governor's program I'd reported on and dealt with. That led to discussions of Maine and the story of how she ended up across the Wabash from Purdue.
We were in love with the place before we got our food. And after, well, we're already planning our next trip. We were focused on brunch and missed the French Onion soup, but Ali and Jeff had some onion bits on their burger that took us directly back to Paris and the best soup we'd ever had in a little bar off a neighborhood park where live music (and wine) entertained us as we waited for at table.
"Take a bit of that and tell me what first comes to mind," Jeff said as he and Ali oohed and ahhed ala Meg Ryan in that "When Harry Met Sally" diner scene. I took a nibble.
"Paris," I said, joining them in the moment.
It was 2016. Ali and I had never been to Paris; Jeff had. But none of us had known that June 21 is Fete de la Musique, a street music festival that's been happening since 1982. All we knew was the little square was super fun and crowded. There was a narrow alley and at one point, Jeff turned around and said, "I think that's a truck horn."
"That's no truck horn," Ali exclaimed. "That's "Night Boat to Cairo!"
She'd already explored the square and dragged Jeff off to get a better look at the cover band.
Jeff's description of the soup's olfactory magic had Mary dragging him back to the kitchen so he could repeat it for the folks there. The beignets were every bit as good as my memories of Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans.
We'll be going back to the Bistro 501 to see if the soup lives up to expectations. You should, too. You don't have to be a Boilermaker to go to Lafayette. It's an easy drive -- prettier if you take the scenic route -- and so worth it.
It was drizzly that day, and had really rained hard while we were in the restaurant but it didn't stop us from getting a visit to the lab that is one of Ali's happy places on campus. In the hallway is a huge poster describing work she and a team did last year. This year, if all goes well, she'll have one with the results of her very own work.
She loves everything about the lab from the cords hanging from the ceiling to the pipettes and the face shield they all have to wear. Most of all, she loves the lab coat she's earned. She wears it to and from the lab, which has to be quite the sight when she bikes.
"Ana tells me I can just leave it here, but why would I do that?" she said. "I earned that thing!"
On the way home, we bought more flowers, thanks to my father-in-law's generous birthday gift and I've got most of my fall look going into the front yard. I've been thinning my herd of too many black-eyed-Susans and hostas (thanks to great friends for taking some off my hands; and good luck with their re-emergence next year.)
Yes, I do make deliveries, but you can come get your own in whatever vehicle you prefer. Hit me up if you want some plantings or some of my basil bounty as well.
Despite his hatred of yard work, the Captain dug the biggest hole for a Starry Starry Night Rose Mallow bush. At one point, as he was grousing about this or that, I suggested that if he couldn't enjoy himself in the yard, maybe he should go to the grocery - another chore that needed doing.
"It's yard work, honey," he said. "There's nothing to enjoy."
We planted the currently beautiful bush right over where I hope the roots of our felled Sweet Gum tree will continue to decay and feed it for years to come. Once we were done with the chores and were on the North Lido Deck, he enjoyed the yard work just fine.
I'll take pictures once the flowers take hold and bloom more.
This morning we took a 20+ bike ride past one of the prettiest corners in Indianapolis.
It's along Fall Creek Parkway at the bottom of a curvy hill. When the water is high, it's gurgling and rushing over a bunch of rocks. I don't think the photo below does it justice, but it'll get better as the leaves change color.
We'll see some more friends today before the work grind starts up again and then, of course, stops around 5, 5:30 or 6 when the Lido Deck opens again.
Come on over. We'll have something for you, I'm sure.
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