• Back when I worked at FSU, my boss always had a summer picnic at her house for the new grad students who had just taken the pedagogy classes and were about to teach for the first time. I always looked forward to it because I liked meeting all the new students I’d be working with throughout their time in the program, and her picnics were fun! Everyone brought some kind of food so we got lots to choose from. Some students would swim in her pool, some drank beer. It was always a good time. On Sunday night, I dreamt she was having her picnic but all the students had jammed into her office instead. In the dream, I was trying to talk to the grad students, especially ones who were talking about metal music, but everyone was ignoring me. It was quite stressful!
• I feel sort of beat down lately. I’m keeping my chin up and plugging away but I just feel exhausted. I know that August will bring so very many changes soon – as it always does – and while I know I will make it through, it always feel daunting. I have started making more lists, because that helps, and prioritizing certain things but I still feel behind and flailing.
• Actually, I had a realization this morning: on the 12th and 13th of August, I get a gift: Ash has to go out of town for work and the kids start school. I’ll be home by myself those days! For an introvert who is also highly motivated by time to myself, this is awesome! I am going to clip hedges and weed and clean baseboards, and organize. Oh yay!
• I had this plan to eat at home all week but then I forgot that tonight, we have the executive committee meeting for brew club and tomorrow we have a going-away event for one of Ash’s bosses. Thursday we’ll eat at home, I think, so that’s good. Friday is free but is also Deep’s reveal of this year’s Deeptoberfest and they’re having German food as well so we may go. Then Saturday is Dakota’s birthday so we’ll probably go to Outback. I don’t know what it is about my younger two kids picking that place for their birthday meal. It’s just ok.
• Last night, we saw Deadpool and Wolverine again. We get 3 movies a week with the pass we have so it was worth it. I was actually surprised how many people were in there on a Monday! The movie held up the second time, for sure. I haven’t reseen a movie in the theater since… maybe Gladiator. And that was a looong time ago.
• A lot of people have asked about my devilled egg recipe so I’m going to detail it here, for funsies. I have a couple methods that I rely on. One of those is making sure you bring your eggs out before you even begin your boil. The best ones I made recently had never been refrigerated because they came straight from the chickens’ butts up the road from me.

So, here goes:

• Room-tempish eggs, SLOWLY lower into boiling water; I turn mine down to about medium/5 while entering. Turn back up to maybe 7 and let them go for about 14 minutes.
• Add to an ice bath for 20 minutes. This makes it so they almost always peel perfectly!
• Now, slice in half carefully and add yolks to a bowl and smash. My recipe is almost entirely eye-balled so take this with a grain of salt.
• I use Duke’s mayo only – eye ball until it’s the right consistency for you. I also eye ball my horseradish. Get the kind that’s pretty creamy, not chunky. I also add salt, pepper, and dried mustard to taste.
• Add to a ziploc baggie, cut the tip on one side, and squeeze into egg halves! Sometimes I make the mixture the night before then bring it out to the counter about a half hour before putting into the eggs and I find this makes for tastier eggs.