I spent the first week of September entertaining my father-in-law and then flying to Salt Lake City, where I sat in a dark room for 2 days, ate too many chicken salads because I didn’t trust anything else on the chain restaurant menus we had to choose from and gave my boss parenting advice on how to deal with an underachieving 18 year old son (because I’ve kind of been there).

Needless to say, this past week has been MUCH better.  Here are some of the things that have made me happy since I got back.

• Rita stayed with us!  My good friend Rita, who (is/may be) moving to San Francisco, needed a place to crash after the movers took all of her stuff, so we opened up our house.  And since it was Rita, we cooked.

We had a particularly successful trip to the farmer’s market on Saturday, so we decided it was time for me to lose my canning virginity.

• I still don’t have a dog (Mike still insists that he’s allergic- liar), but our landlord does, and I get to hang out with him.

Tigger loves me

• Speaking of our landlord, sometimes she makes us dinner.  And it’s good.  This is what she fed us on Sunday.

bbq-ed rainbow trout, couscous, corn on the cob and potato salad (by me) (no mayo)

• We’re finally having a housewarming party this Saturday!  I am a sucker for themes, so I’m doing a make-your-own panini bar and calling it a Sandwich Warming Party.  While it isn’t the most original idea ever- I’m blatantly ripping off the Quesadilla-bar I did for my friend Elizabeth’s engagement party a few years ago- it has allowed me to make the best shopping list ever-

yum.

This doesn’t even include the veggies.  Or the fruit and nutella combinations for dessert paninis.  Happy.

• Finally, I’m almost finished with a knitting project- elfin baby hats for my co-worker whose partner just gave birth to twins.  I may not be the biggest baby person in the world, but I am definitely a sucker for elves.  How could I not be?  Aubrey means “Ruler of the Elves.”  It’s fate.

• Finally, I’m REALLY looking forward to our trip back home next week.  We get to see family, watch two of our friends get married, and catch up with our nearest and dearest.  Not to mention, it will (probably) be sunny.  And that is a very good thing, considering it looked like this outside when I walked to get coffee:

I am so not ready for winter.