Monday, November 13, 2017. The day is dominated by efforts to get a plumber to fix a water pipe under our house. Of course, he arrived at exactly the time I went on the air, and nobody else was around. Our problem will have to wait until tomorrow. Meanwhile, we have no easily-available water. The less about that, the better.
When the time comes for me to head over to chorus rehearsal, I find that what looks like a mammoth fire engine is blocking my street, and won't be moving for awhile. Not soon enough for me to make it to the rehearsal. Maybe this is karma for the days lately when I was there an hour early (so I could make sure I was auditioned for a solo number that will occur in February). The only thing I get to eat all day is a Chisesi ham sandwich on whole grain bread. I guess even restaurant critics eat in a spartan way now and then. On the other hand, the distinctive flavor of Chisesi ham has made me happy since I was in my single-digit years. Its flavor never seems to change.
Meanwhile, MA remains on the South Shore, there to spend the night at our daughter Mary Leigh's apartment, so she can get a good shower and I live as I have so many times in the past--solo.
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Tuesday, November 14, 2017. Stop Squirting. The plumber arrives in time to work his way under the house, there to find the problem--a pinhole in a copper pipe. We have seen this before, some 20 years ago. It's soon fixed, but leaving me not enough time to get to the radio studio in time. So I just did the program from home. Once again, the value of the apparatus that lets me do that shows its usefulness.
After the show, MA and I both have Zea on our minds, because of the conversation we had Sunday with Gary Darling. He's a now-retired member of the three Taste Buds, who own Zea. Zea will not be going away. It's quite busy today. We grab our usual four-top in the bar, where if the conversation bogs down, we'll have a football game we don't care about to hold our attention.
I have not had Zea's rotisserie lamb in a long time. Long enough to see that they've shifted from lamb rib racks to lamb sirloin. Although it's a little tough here and there, for the most part it's not only tender but its generous, translucent gravy gives a terrific lamb flavor. Zea now allows diners to have whatever cut of rotisserie they want, instead of featuring certain cuts on certain days. This new lamb dish will get me in more often, I'll bet. On the other hand, you can still get the tomato basil soup only on Sundays.
