mug of hot & black

Yesterday, a doozy. Lightning, extreme heavy weather sweeping through, thunderstorms with wind, tornado warnings. At one point Linda heard something loud outside, and it was a small, driving heavy rainstorm coming across the Bay direct at 7H from The Pass at about 35 or 40 mph. I slammed and locked the bedroom door, Linda rushed and locked the living room door just as it hit. A bit alarming because at that instant we were watching waterspouts and tornadoes with our super weather team on Channel 13, and we didn't know but maybe this little storm had a waterspout inside. But no, it was okay. Probably a good test for the recent contract work to take care of our leak from above us.

During one round of this new extreme weather some months ago, we got pictures of a waterspout moving along out in the Gulf.

Kristen on her way to Atlanta right now, for a Taylor Swift concert this evening. Staying with friends and returning Sunday, she had meant to drive up yesterday but extreme weather prevented it, so she's driving now: anyone is insane who thinks your worries are over once they're grown and out of the house. Insane. For other things to focus on until she texts "I'm here," we plan to go across the street and have dinner at Captain's Table early to mid afternoon.

What? oysters, and may check out their flounder advertised as too big for one person, so it's for two and you get four sides.

Memories of going to Jimmy Mosconis' lodge on Apalachicola River decades ago, for the broiled flounder swimming in butter and chives, stretching four inches off the plate on each end - - best flounder ever. Seems too bad to fry a huge flounder when broiled is so superlatively scrumptious, moist, and not dried out as it tends to end up when fried. We'll see. If they have mullet, no contest, eh?

Steak & Bake at church this Sunday afternoon evening. For years, one of our most fun annual gatherings with church friends, but we may grab and leave with takeout if necessary in order to avoid driving home after dark. I like to stand at the grill and monitor my steak. Good, Better; but my Best steak memories are of being at The Old Place, sitting by the grill on the back porch and sipping red wine while grandson Ray cooked the steaks.

For health at this age, it seems we are becoming a two meal a day household - - coffee very early, breakfast early to mid morning, then dinner stretching from two to three o'clock in the afternoon. Supper a glass of iced barley tea.

Oh WTH, as long as this is turning into a food blog, I'll mention a favorite breakfast that I enjoyed this morning. Ingredients, beef, mayo, one whole grain wheat muffin, mustard if desired, NoSalt potassium to counter the furosemide pills. From a package of 97% lean ground beef, make a beef patty about an inch thick and four inches diameter. Okay, five inches. Save other half of the pound of 97% lean beef for tomorrow's breakfast. Heat cast iron skillet on high. Open the doors to blow wind through so the smoke alarm stops shrieking. Tuck the split muffin into toaster-oven to toast while cooking the beef patty. Rub the beef patty on both sides with truffle oil. Toss a bit of water into the skillet. When the skillet is so hot that the water bounces and jumps out of it because of the heat, put the beef patty in to sear. Sear until crusty on one side, about 45 seconds; flip over and sear until crusty on the other side, another 45 to 60 seconds. Take out and lay on the bottom half of the toasted muffin. Close sandwich with muffin top. Pick up with paper napkin so the juice doesn't run down and drip off your elbow. Shake NoSalt on the edge of the seared outside cool red raw inside beef patty bite by bite, add a touch of mayo for each bite, and mustard to taste, about every second or third bite. Wolf down ravenously. Mug of hot & black. Occasional option: thick slice raw onion.

See, this is what happens when there's no sermon to write to distract me while Kristen is on the road between here and Atlanta.

Traveling mercies, Lord.

pic: my Fox Blue Willow coffee mug up close. it's even scarier on the other side. the mug sits beautifully on a saucer of Linda's Blue Florentine wedding china that has lizards around the rim, running their tongues through the eye sockets of ox skulls.