Monday, August 3, 2009

Eating and talking about riding

Last night was "bridge" at Loretta and Tony's house. There actually was a hand or two of bridge played by a few people, but mostly it was a wonderful excuse to get together, eat great food, drink great wine and talk to friends.

Tony is Italian and he loves to cook. We started with several very good Italian red wines and some good cheeses. Dinner started with a lovely soup full of vegetables and grains. It had basil in it, but the underlying hint of rosemary made it really special. We then had a delicate poached cod, corn and a salad full of colorful peppers and tomatoes. Dessert was ice cream and blueberries. The coffee, though decaf, was full bodied and strong.

Grey, who I haven't known all that long, lives with my friend Leslie. He likes to bike just about as much as he likes small-brewery beers. It was great to have someone to talk about the Tour with. We're both interested to see what kind of team Lance builds. He was more forgiving of Contador than I was, and he made some good points. I worked hard to talk him into coming out for a visit. Leslie said we could all go cycling and she'd stay home and pet the cats.

My friend Arna is in town as well, and she'll join us for dinner tonight at Janet's. Janet runs the kitchen at Balkan Camp and we'll talk menu and particularly, what I'll be baking. We usually do a little bit of shuffling at this point to make sure my work flow goes well, while also making sure the desserts work well with that particular dinner. This will be the last evening I'll see Arna. She heads back north to her daughter's in Cambridge, and then she heads back to Norway. She's been here all summer, and while she has loved seeing friends and her new grand daughter, there really is no place like home and sleeping in one's own bed.

Today, once I get my act together, I'm going to do a little second hand store shopping, and maybe make some ice cream to take to Janet's tonight.

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