Planting, Meading, Leaving

Saturday's entry

When we visited last year at this time, we took Doug's mom to Home Depot and got her a ton of flowers. This year she insisted no flowers! NO FLOWERS! I told Doug so help me God do not just take it upon yourself and get her stinkin' flowers.

And then, suddenly while we were here, there she goes. She starts talking about flowers. We went to Home Depot for other things, like a doorbell, but she didn't see anything she particularly wanted or liked. Okay great. Back to the house. Doorbell installed. Fun.

She received some little plants and flowers for easter and mother's day and so they were in individual pots, and she wanted them moved into one big pot together. Doug volunteered me to do it. To be honest, it sounded blissful. Go outside, dig in dirt, repot flowers. 

I went out to get started and she came out and let me know what I was doing wrong, where she wanted things. That's too close to the edge, move it to the center, oh no then there's not room for this to happen. It's awful crowded. 

Well then why are we doing this. Why. Are. We. Doing. This. Why aren't YOU doing this if you know exactly where you want things. Or think you want things until you change your mind

After a little while I just sat there and let her talk. She fussed and pointed. I moved things. Moved them again. 

Literally a 5 minute job, 40 minutes later we're finally done. 

This was all rather frustrating to me because there was no need for the level of fuss, micromanagement, and oversight. They are plants. They're fine. I came inside, she put lunch out for us, I angrily got a shower, ate, and Doug and I got in the car for a drive. Where? Elwood City. Why not. Doug found a brewery online, it was somewhere we'd never been, as far as a town goes, and this is all very (as Jess would say) "Dougcore."

The ride up was lovely, even with construction. Beautiful day, blue sky, big puffy clouds, not being fussed at about plants. We enjoyed looking at homes with giant plants and hanging baskets. 

The Time Brew Pub is semi-themed on the artist formerly known as Prince but also, known as Prince. Beer was great, beer tender was super friendly. The building was once upon a time an elementary school, and the tasting room/restaurant was the old cafeteria. They even had the station where kids used to bring their trays up, and the sliding vertical steel gates to the kitchen for the lunch line, everything. The bathrooms are still the elementary school bathrooms. It's kind of neat. 

Several other business are in the building including a hair salon, which takes up the circular area that used to be the library. There's a courtyard that the owner is hoping to make an outdoor patio. 

In a lot of ways it is so similar to a church brewery, a reclaimed space for fun and frivolity. 

When we were driving in, we passed a meadery, so after two beers we'd decided that we should check them out too while in town.

Meads can be hit or miss, I've had some that taste like rubber tires (allegedly supposed to be "lemongrass" but ... no). I'm sometimes a little wary of anything beyond a basic flavor. When they start getting into cucumber, thai basil, habanero peppers, it strays off my tasty path. 

The meads at Fitzgibbon Meadery were great. We got the Maxiumus Flight - a full 10 samples on the back of a wiener dog viking ship. How could we not? Again, very Dougcore. And Mecore when you think of it. 

We had a great time, and headed back to mom's because Doug's sister, her husband, and their son were coming over for pizza. We sat and chatted until after 11:30 about things. We only get to see each other once or twice a year and sometimes it is stressful with Doug's mom fussing. Last night only had a little bit of fuss. 

Here are some pictures from the meadery. 

Right now it is Sunday, we're packing up to leave so I wanted to just post this before I forget. More later!

Saturday digits

exercise: 12/12 hours. 26 minute very nicewalk. 7100+ steps by bedtime

blood glucose:

9:45am: 147
5pm: 197
11pm: 185

food:

coffee/water
10:30am: 1/2 slice of sourdough toast
11:45am: metformin
1pm: sliced turkey, sliced ham, one slice of swiss cheese, a little mayo, rolled up. one small scoop of potato salad
2pm: 2 beers (and a half, split with Doug)
3pm: Mead. Lots of mead. cheese & salami
5pm: protein shake
8pm: 2 slices of pizza, salad, metformin+jardiance