Sage pesto, fab article, etc

Did you read this preposterously entertaining article in the NYTimes Magazine recently? Tom and I were in stitches and complete admiration of the monkey. Seriously, it is an absolutely awesome piece. That monkey rocks! Can I just tell you about my youngest son? A) It is good that he is enormously cute and charming because he'll need both attributes to offset his extreme mischievousness and bad-yet-hilarious sense of humor. For example, he B) death-gripped-of-love his penis for about 8 hours today, and C) tried to put said penis on my leg at bath-time, all the while laughing like a hyena. D) This morning, he flew out of the bathroom with a long piece of toilet paper hanging (I think purposefully) from (out of) his bottom. E) He is one of the cutest children I've ever known. This may be because he's mine, but I don't actually believe that. His eyelashes touch his eyebrows when he opens his eyes for the love!

In any case, you see what I'm dealing with.

My oldest son...well, A) I just spritzed him with lavender spray and applied a silk eye mask to the tender visual part of his visage because he's having trouble sleeping. This might be because I just went in and found him B) listening to a book on tape and, concurrently, C) reading -in the dark- another book from the same series but NOT the same one. Christ almighty.

Between the times of tucking in and this awake discovery, I made a sage-walnut pesto, slapped it on some ziti lungo (long ziti), topped it with toasted walnuts, fried sage leaves and pecorino and devoured my half. Delicious!

Wish I'd made some dessert, but the time, it ran the heck out.

It's been a long time since I've vented about idiot drivers but here's a new one: don't leave your car door wide(!) open on any, but especially a really busy city street, while you're doing whatever you're doing instead of closing the door and moving on. You are just inviting someone to drive straight through your door, like a bull through a toreador's flag. Good grief, people. You've got minds, use them.

WTF re: Clint Eastwood?

Catching my breath

Today has been delightful, but I have been so busy that I'm certain I could tuck in for the night right now. Several hours were spent at Jack's school, snapping photos of the darling new students and more shelving in the libe. Then some photo editing, new school shoes for Jack, choosing a birthday present, wrapping the present, setting up our Magic Rocks tank and so forth. I don't remember anything I've eaten nor any specifics regarding travel between any of the places I've been. Isn't it weird how you can be preoccupied as to literally not recall driving or walking from place to place? You just do it automatically, and I do believe I pay attention and am careful, but it's still an odd feeling to arrive somewhere and have distinct memory of the trip. Weird! Off to the market. My sage is out of control, so I'm going to make a sage-walnut pesto and perhaps even some homemade fettucine on which to daub it. Will keep you posted!

Spaghetti alle vongole, ice cream

At the market earlier today, I was seized with a desire for spaghetti alle vongole, one of my favorite pastas ever. I recall once, when Jack was still a baby and I was nursing like a fiend, eating a portion that should have served 4. I was in Lake Charles visiting my family there, and I seem to remember that everyone at the table was both wide-eyed and impressed by my voracious consumption of the vat o' pasta. Nice! My sister, l'italiana, passed this recipe onto me, and it's great. I'll post it for you soon. Each time I make it, I have to get over the death sentence to which I subject the poor, innocent clams, but once it's done, it's done, and I then enjoy with glee. For dessert, we have a bit left of each of my recent ice cream creations. They are superb, especially the almond joy-cardamom one. Whoa! It's awesome. Make some this Labor Day!