It's midnight, and the temperature in my kitchen right now is 82 degrees. Yes, that is correct. The absolute coolest it has been today is 82 degrees, and I had to stay awake until now to experience it.
I've been "glistening" for weeks, along with the rest of LA, as Fall has apparently been kicked to the curb so that summer can just hang out here for a bit while the rest of the country gets to have soup and break out the flattering knitwear.
Not that I'm bitter or anything. I just want to want to get under the covers sometime soon, that's all.
In lieu of the elusive crisp autumn days, I had to settle for these crisp shortbread bars. Mind you, my idea of settling involves brown sugar, pecans, and chocolate.
Then, when you get older, sharing becomes almost normal. Think group projects in college, or carpooling to work.
When you have kids, divvying things up is less optional and more a matter of preserving your sanity and achieving critical mass in the face of overwhelming odds. And then, when the kids get older or even disappear, shared arrangements between friends become a coveted luxury.
I hit the jackpot with my carpool moms, and I've hit another home run with my weekly game night group. Hostessing duties move from one home to another, giving us a chance to cook fancy or light as the mood strikes us, to try new things or old favorites, and crack open a bottle or two while we're at it. I've collected awesome recipes from my cohorts, like roasted chicken, summer pasta salad with roasted baby tomatoes, or a light and easy Caesar dressing for any weeknight. Mostly the dinners are low key, although I do go a little bit nuts with the birthday desserts for the group. Most notably this one, this one, this one and this one.
And now, this one.
Super simple supper with a crazy celebration dessert. Both recipes are going right into regular rotation*.
I have a job. I love the people I work with and the products we make. Not to mention the dress code of t-shirts and jeans when we don't have customer meetings. Even more incredibly, the office is a three minute walk from my house*.
Some days, though, work does take me a little farther away from home.
It's a really, really good job.
I haven't yet figured out how to duplicate the astonishing cheese and custard filled cake from the night market in Taipei, or the perfectly fried chicken with hot chiles from Hong Kong.
But the killer sweet-spicy skillet cornbread with maple butter I had in Eden Prairie, Minnesota?
Today, my son is finishing up his first year of college. He'll be going to one last class, saying goodbye to his roommate and friends for the summer, covering up holes in his wall with toothpaste, and stuffing a pile of dirty clothes into a duffel bag before turning in his keys and leaving campus behind.
He will do all of this on his own, just like he experienced all the rest of freshman year for himself. Thinking back*, I don't think I appreciated how much of a gift this independence was for me. How foundational having the space to misbehave and strive and goof off and win and fall down and lose sleep and connect and love and eat poorly and bond and learn and type and cheer and drink and run and get naked and question and write and be me would be. It was, I think, one of the most important periods of my life. My parents had no part in it. None.
That is as it should be. But I kinda wish my mom was around now so I could tell her I get it. Long distance relationships are tough. Long distance motherhood is brutal.
And then, just to make it that much worse, the first birthday away from home comes around.
Yep. Today is his 19th birthday. He's there. I'm here.
Deep breath. Text. Call. Bake.
Tomorrow, he'll be here. Tomorrow, we'll have cake.
Bonus! Unless your clock runs on military time, or you live outside the US****, on this very special Pi day, you get to celebrate twice.*****
* Did you know that everybody's birthday appears in the number Pi? Mine is at digit 70,113. Find your birthday in Pi here.
** Explained wonderfully here, with five more drool-worthy pie recipes, on the always tasty Shockingly Delicious blog.
*** Literally, I weigh a ton.
**** Pi Day never happens in countries that put the day first in their dates. America rules.
***** At 9:26:53 a.m. and p.m. Not to mention that you can have mini celebrations at 1:59:26 a.m. and p.m. as well, like people do on non-monumental Pi days. While you're at it, have an extra slice for Albert Einstein. It's his birthday today.
