Catchup and Random Thoughts

As usual, things are pretty much the same here, and yet are constantly evolving. Lisa's been enjoying the freedom of her new car. Karen's finished chemotherapy for breast cancer and has started endless rounds of radiation.

Despite Deb's sudden death, we've continued the tradition of poker night, our communities longest lived regularly scheduled social event. You can see our neighbor Mark raking in the pot-- or is he worshipping it? For once, HBO's Big Love is catching up with our life (Weber gaming), rather than the other way around.

Speaking of Big Love, the final episode "Oh, Pioneers" ends with Bill relaxing and appreciating his wives as they whisper secrets to each other. I feel the same way watching my wives cooking in the kitchen, or waiting to confront me together when I get home. That such a close relationship (is there any closer?) has formed between two women not related by blood is both incredible and gratifying. We are truly pioneers, too.

As for me, I've been committed to reviving the community common meals, which have been sparse lately. On one front, I'm using my rusty skills as a web programmer to put the complex meal system online. This will make it easier to sign up for a meal, to count the diners and determine a budget, and to bill everyone accordingly.

We have three systems, depending on how the meal is cleaned. Cooks and cleaners get so many free meals, diners who neither cook nor clean get charged a nominal fee for the dinner. The system is carefully designed to break even, with a small profit to buy oil, flour, and other commodities that the cooks can use for free.

On another front, I've organized the second in what I hope is a regular series of cookoffs (themed potlucks). The first was a Thai food cookoff. Tonight's will be an Indian food dinner. I already have commitments from fourteen cooks, so it should be quite a feast!