Cereal dinner, Percy

I am ensconced on my comfy couch with my snoring pal, Percy pug. He's in his favorite position: nestled in the V made by my legs as I lay sidelong, his little head propped up on my knee. Ever so often, he'll glance over at me with one bulging, molasses-brown eye, just looking, just checking, and I like to give him a loving pat. For such a fine life, this little dog sure can seem anxious at times. Perhaps he thinks we'll bring another child home, or put him in his dog diaper again. Who knows?! Tom thinks I attribute too much in the way of brains to Percy. I'm not sure about that either. What I do know is that he is like a furry, loving hot water bottle who's great to cuddle with at the end of the day. And I am just darn thrilled to be slug-like next to him reading the Sunday Times. I am really quite sad to say that I had cereal for dinner tonight. An assortment of cinnamony flakes was the only thing that sounded remotely palatable.

Nausea to the max

Italy redux over here, and not in the good ways. Oliver threw up the most ungodly amount on Thursday night- hanging from his eyelashes, full scale bed change, into the bath amount. Then T got very sick, and now I am barely hanging on to the ledge, flailing over a vomitous pit, toes tickling the deep sea of nausea. I'm flat on my back in bed forcing down plain toast in an attempt to quell the currents. And T is leaving tonight and won't be back until Friday. Terrific.

Anyway, I made it through the retreat and cannot believe how much swag accompanied me home. Thank you OXO and Calphalon! Knives, cherry pitter, cookie baller, salad spinner, grater, omelet pan, gelato scoop, measuring spoons... You get my drift.

Hoping to get back in the kitch tomorrow!

Toaster, water bottle, postmarkchef

What a cool day at Eat, Write Retreat. I am ass-tired right now but am heading home with a Calphalon 4-slot toaster, a new BPA-free and well-designed water bottle from OXO and a meal kit from the very cool Postmarkchef Co. The sessions today were enormously interesting, educational and humbling in some respects. The Food Styling & Photography class with local power duo, Renee Comet and Lisa Cherkasky was great, and I have lots of good new ideas as well as a reignited determination to take a photog course ASAP. What's an f stop, again? I don't ever want to use my flash when snapping food pics? Shite!

Then lunch at Elizabeth's Gone Raw... Oh man, t-30 minutes. Gotta frost the cheesecake with lime curd, brush my teeth and find a second wind. More later!