“Remoted” – Day 489 (Sunday)

Four o’clock this morning was heralded with vivid lightning that illuminated the bedroom like an LED spotlight followed by deep and rumbling thunder that shook the house. It subsided, but at 5:00, it roared back even louder and crazier. Moose was panting and seemed nervous so I began running around looking for the Thunder Shirt. It’s been so long since we needed it I couldn’t remember where it was, but it was quickly discovered where it wasn’t, which included the dog drawer in the closet or the dog basket on the office shelf. It was finally located in the bedroom, buried under a pile of my clothes with the velcro stuck to my favorite and most expensive sweater – the delicate Peruvian handknit alpaca. This did nothing to help improve the 5:00 am mood.

After the dramatic start, the day had more light rain. Then it stopped. Then it rained. Then it stopped. Rain seems to be an important theme for this summer. The driveway puddle grew again and the lawn remained studded with raindrops all day but at least the basement remained mostly dry. There was no mowing due to the wet grass. The punishment for this is going to be brutal. 

Tuna casserole. 

The damp and gray weather resulted in a desire to bake something, but nothing requiring much effort. Baked macaroni and cheese was the front runner, but while rifling through the cabinet to inventory the pasta shapes, there was a weird and mysterious notion to make tuna casserole. It’s weird and mysterious because I have never really liked tuna casserole, partly because it smells so fishy. 

Today’s was made with mixed frozen vegetables, rotini, mushrooms and onions sautéed in butter, and half and half, then topped with bread crumbs mixed with parmesan. It came out surprisingly good, despite the baked fishy stench, it being a bit dry, and also forgetting to add melted butter to the bread crumb parmesan mix before sprinkling it on and then trying to pour/spread the melted butter over the top of the crumbs.

There was zero interest in leaving the house all day, so it just never happened. Netflix ruled the day, along with trying to coax the dogs out to go potty in the light rain, but they would have no part of it. A nail from yesterday’s manicure was dulled while using steel wool on a pan with egg baked on it, which led to a high level of being peeved. I love baked egg dishes, but the baking pans are always a royal pain to clean.