Where did the long weekend go?

My four-day weekend was fantastic, though as usual it went by too quickly and I do regret not making it to Baltimore for my friend's divorce party, which was to include "seven-year-old wedding cake baseball." Perhaps she will regale us with stories of the party here, or better yet photos!

Highlights from my weekend:

I made no less than three trips to the furniture store on consecutive days. My favorite Scandanvian supplier (kind of a local, more expensive Ikea) is having a big anniversary sale. I swear they know me by name, and every time they see me coming they see giant dollar signs, especially if I'm with my mother because she eggs me on to spend! spend!

It started with a modest, rectangular table. It had pocket leaves that stowed under the main table top and pulled out easily. Somehow I ended up buying a different, discontinued table (rounder, bigger, infinitely prettier, same price) AND a china cabinet. These things tend to snowball, but oh they will look great in my house.

Had a nice dinner with a friend Saturday night and then checked out a new Irish pub that opened in one of those cursed spots that can't keep a business, regardless of its great location on Cooper. Some of you will remember it as the dim sum place, three restaurants ago. A lot of effort was put into making the pub pubbish, and it had a nice atmosphere (helps that the building is actually an old craftsman house, so pub isn't too far a stretch).

Generally, I hate Disneyfied attempts at authenticity, but I am a sucker for anything publike. Also, there was a good-looking Irish bartender. I remember him from somewhere in the very distant past. Maybe we went to the same coffee shop in college, or he worked at some long-forgotten favorite restaurant. It seems like I should be able to recall, but those brain cells have died, or shuffled to the back of the bookcase.

I made Shorttina-friendly pesto on Sunday (because I am horribly allergic to pine nuts, and so must use walnuts as a substitute) from basil growing in my yard. It was the first use of the new Cuisinart, which gave me a rush not unlike riding a motorcycle. Such power! Such chopping and blending and liquefying! It's really very exciting. The pesto was excellent, though a very small amount resulted from so many basil leaves. A single dinner party could consume my entire herb garden.

Had a great time cooking and relaxing. I finally got some couch time in yesterday, and also did a lot of sweating in the yard. It was damn hot all weekend, and somehow I found myself pulling weeds once again. The yard is reaching that point in the summer where things start to go to seed, wilt, or fall over and it's really too hot to get out there and clean it up. Weeds are taking over the herbs, and I think the only recourse now is sheets of black plastic and better planning next year.

Now it's back to work. The bosses are gone, so the few people around are hiding in their offices, pretending to work. I think I'll spend the day throwing away old papers. Too hot to do anything else.