Now that we’re back to a standard work week, we have to squeeze all of our domestic responsibilities and fun into two days. Rhonda had to renew her drivers license Saturday morning, so we were out of the house by 8:30. Refreshed ID in hand, we ripped through a complement of errands: butcher, vegetable market, farm stand for corn, and even groceries at Shop Rite. We were back before noon, which gave me time to iron and hit the squat rack and bench for some strength training.

We took Moscato with us to the winery on Saturday, too; she was looking at us as we were fixing to leave, and remembered that we had been talking about taking her with us recently. It’s a nice loose place to hang out at: lots of outdoor seating, and they have poop bags on hand for cleaning up deuces. She was OK about it; she hates riding in the car, and was a little worked up when we got there. She settled down though.

Belmont Peanuts

The director I used to work for (now a friend and colleague), Teri, used to buy a can of Belmont Peanuts for the office sometimes. They’re the nice dry, slightly salty take on the humble peanut, as opposed to the greasier canned type you get from Planters and other vendors. They remind me of the excellent Monkey Joe’s peanuts.

When Rhonda first ordered a can for the house, we found them on Amazon for like 20 bucks. When I told Teri that I got them on Amazon, she tsked at the price and suggested we check our local Marshalls. While Amazon is hella convenient, getting them locally for six bucks is worth the effort. I eat about 15 grams of them every day at work, mixed in with almonds and some roasted edamame.

Kettlebell Swings

I’ve done 1,000 or so this month. They’re supposed to be great exercise. Watch some videos to ensure that you’re using proper form so you don’t hurt yourself. Bonus: Pavel Tsatsouline’s accent. I can listen to this guy talk about kettlebells all day.

Matiz Piri Piri Sardines

I read an article earlier this week about ways to eat sardines. I like them a lot but don’t always have a way to eat them, and after a particularly funny incident that I experienced at work years ago, am reluctant to eat them there. I grabbed a can of these yesterday with the intention of taking them to the winery, and I ate the whole can myself. I try to limit how many processed carbs I eat (crackers and bread), so I was slathering everything with the sardines: radish slices, cheese, salami, and more. They were great and not very spicy at all. I love all manner of “trash fish” including mackerel and bluefish.

El Paso, Elsewhere

This game is a shameless copy of Max Payne (a game I’ve played through dozens of times on the Mac) in the best way. It’s got the noir detective vibe, monotone voiceovers, bullet time, and a complement of satisfying weapons for taking out vampires. Lots of fun.

Lost in Play +

I read about Lost in Play on Jolly Teapot, so I downloaded it and tried it out on my iPad mini. The audio is amazing, and sounds great using AirPods. The gibberish the characters speak is delightful, and the variety of monsters you encounter are comic yet artful. It’s a point-and-click puzzle game, so it’s not about speed. Also lots of fun.