Monday, December 10, 2012.
The New Dog. Casablanca Chicken.
The warm, sunny weather of the past few weeks came to an end with a line of strong thunderstorms sweeping through, filling all the ditches and making it impossible for the roofers to work today. The delay is coming close to deranging Mary Ann's mind. Jude's girlfriend will be here in two weeks, and for her benefit the house must look perfect. Jude--to whom Mary Ann listens far more attentively than she does to me--says that a $15,000 house repair job is absurd for any reason other than the comfort of the residents. That's my right-thinking boy!
But MA has another obsession. Steele, the German shepherd puppy that lives next door, likes our hospitality here far more than that of his actual owner. Here, he has the run of the house. (And he's not housebroken.) He is cuddled lovingly all day long by both of the Marys, and is allowed to eat all the food in all the other pets' bowls. The cat Twinnery truly hates the aggressively friendly puppy, who has learned to back off from the swishing feline talons.
Mary Ann doesn't think that Steele is comfortable enough with his real master. He has to live outside, for goodness sake. I insist that dogs wouldn't be around at all if they couldn't stand outdoor temperatures in the 40s. And, barring any abuse (no evidence of that), the owner should be able to dictate the puppy's lifestyle, regardless of how adorable the pup may be.
Both MA and I were too busy for lunch. When dinner rolled around, she said that my choices were a) staying home and eating the three-week-old remnants of Thanksgiving gumbo; 2) going to Zea, or iii) going out by myself anywhere else. She needed to comforting surroundings of Zea, she said. Well, time spent with her comes before other consideration, so there we went.
The red bean soup was excellent for the second consecutive time. This is worth remembering. The entree was a dish I didn't remember: Casablanca chicken, which is marinated and grilled, then served with a pile of what they call "Mediterranean hummus." That's their regular good hummus served layered with olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and a few other things. I don't think I've had this before. I do know that they have to figure out a way to toast the pita bread better than they do. Flaccid pita won't pick up the dip.
Details.
