Concetta dons her Sicilian widow outfit to swim. Matches the dog.

 

WEATHER THE STORM

Last night I went to my first Seattle Storm game. In fact, it was my first professional basketball game of any kind. I'm not a sports fan or a fan of sports crowds. But J is a season ticket holder and D (co-season ticket holder) couldn't make it. And if a non-sports fan has to go to a sports event this is the team to watch.

I was surprised at how small a basketball court is. The movies and TV make the floor look as if it goes on forever. I was releived to discover that Storm games aren't full of rowdy, drunk guys yelling. And no T&A because the "cheerleaders" are kids ranging in age from what appeared to be 4 to about 17. It's a family event (and a family event!).

I twas easy and affordable to park. It wasn't too crowded. We don't buy concessions so there was no standing in lines. J's tickets are pretty good.

Granted it was a pre-season game but still. I think it's not unlikely that I will be willing to attend another game when a ticket needs to be used. Here are a whole bunch of photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I Saw...

...this clever squirrel, sitting on the fence in the alley, chomping on a chiken bone. Actually, I heard him first. Took a minute to find him. He was well camouflaged.

Today I Saw...

...the first borage flower of the season. The borage plant is out of control. It gets huge. I'm constantly pulling out volunteer borage babies. This year I will not let it go to seed. It's coming out as soon as it's glory fades OR I will get some row cover tied around it to catch any dead heads.

Droopy-Eyed Cat Visits Again

The first time I shot a pic of this neighborhood cat, I thought I had caught him in a blink. But after a few visits to the alley, I realize that he just has a droppy eyelid. Earlier this evening I noticed a set of ears on one of Chandan's steps. I made kissy noises and got half a turn. Typical cat. I made a loud noise and got a full head turn but only for a moment.

Today I Saw...

...the inside of an exam room. Nothing untoward. Got to keep my clothes on the whole time. But I did remove my shoes and socks. Exciting stuff.

Today I Saw...

...these views from my dentist's office on the 12th floor.

Looking northwest down 6th Avenue.

Looking a little less northwest down 5th Avenue. You can see the Monorail rail and just a bit of Puget Sound.

Looking pretty much eastward up Stewart to Capitol Hill. My building stands one block beyond the tall red one on the left.

Chipotle Black Bean Burgers

Found this recipe on 28 Cooks. Of course, their photos looks much nicer. We were enjoying the food too much to photograph it when it actually looked nice on the plate. This is today's leftover lunch to take to work. But you get the idea.

Of course, I doctored the recipe to suit my taste but not by much. First, I didn't measure any of this stuff. I usually find recipe measurements restrictive. Most recipes need more flavor. I used dried black beans that I soaked overnight. In the saute I also added corn and a small dice of carrot, more garlic and a few dashes of garlic podwer and cumin. I went easy on the chipotle and adobo to play it safe. We have plenty of condiments to spice up food if it falls short of anyone's hot and spicy expectations. As it turned out, the burgers had a nice bite and a wonderful smokey flavor, enhanced by the mesquite woodchips used to grill them. We used a smaller grill grate and the burgers held up pretty well. I'm thinking of a couple of ideas to make them moister. I'm not giving up any secrets just yet.

The yogurt sauce is delicious too. I used more of everything called for, except sugar. But I also made a bigger batch than 4 oz. Who the hell uses only 4 oz. of anything? I'm a condiment whore. I used fat-free plain yogurt - Nancy's is my favorite brand. It's thick and has a nice tang. We served these along with grilled zucchini and roasted sweet potatoes with cumin, sambar, cayenne, and chili powder. It's a Cafe Flora inspired recipe that we make again and again. Of course, I put my own twist on it. I add chopped onion, garlic, a carrot and because I had one, half of a yellow bell pepper. Why would you roast just sweet potato? Come on.