Fireworks

Ok, I like fireworks. But I like the kind that trained pyrotechnicians set off and the crowd says, "Ooooh" and "Ahhhh" at appropriate intervals. I do not like the sorts of things that people shoot off and then you read about fingers being lost.

The property next to mine is vacant, except for a couple of weekends a year, when the property owners' family assemble there with cars, campers, tents, kayaks, and whatever else they can ram into their vehicles, and they camp there. This is, of course, complete with a campfire, loud revelry, and, at this time of year, fireworks. The people from whom I bought the house warned me of this, so I went into the situation informed, at least.

Were it not for the smoke from the fire and my utter terror of these home-style fireworks, I'd perhaps join them for a beer or some laughs. But... the reality is that I'm here inside my wonderful cozy house with the SHADES pulled, that the sound might be muffled, and that I may be able to dwell on possibilities other than the chance of one of their airbornes landing on my roof and catching the house on fire. I guess I'm a stick-in-the-mud.

Other than that, life's great. Jack's house is coming along nicely. Egged on by the fact that he has visitors coming in August, he's gotten the back bedroom vacated now, and he's working on scrubbing the carpet. I helped with this vacation, of course (it's taken weeks), and I'm hopeful that the room will be all put together with clean linens and a new light fixture within a day or two. The other bedroom is coming along nicely. We took a load of stuff to Goodwill today again.

This morning, I made some of my fabulous and super-easy version of French Toast. I really call it Egg Bread, because it doesn't have the milk that French Toast needs. You can make it for two just as easily. Just use a medium skillet instead of a small one, use two eggs, and two pieces of bread:

Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat.
Add a teaspoon of your favorite yellow butterlike substance. Mine is actually butter. :)
Once the butter's melted, crack an egg into the skillet and, using a spatula, beat it a bit.
Put a slice of bread in on top of the still-raw egg. Turn it over with your fingers (it's not hot yet!) so that both sides are covered in the egg.
Cook slowly till the bottom is cooked. While it's cooking, get out your plate, a fork, and a napkin, and pour a glass of milk for yourself.
Turn the toast, using that same spatula.
When the 2nd side is done, turn it over again, so that the pretty side is on top.
Pour some maple syrup or spoon a dollop of your favorite jam or preserves on top of the toast.
Now flip the toast over, so that the topping is in the skillet, getting warmed!
Flip the whole thing over onto your plate and enjoy it with your glass of milk!