Category: food, it’s what’s for dinner

I never reach out to friends anymore. I kinda miss social media actually but I just cannot stand any of their business models. this little pile of garbage is my replacement for social media but it ain’t very social. maybe if I let search engines crawl it, maybe I’d get some randos on here.

truth is, I should do better here. I’ve definitely slacked off and dropped the original mission of snand. this is a family blog, or at least is supposed to be. I’ll see what I can do about posting more, even if it’s just drivel.

I intentionally did not take pictures of last night, but we went with some very good friends to Owamni. honestly, it was simply amazing. I absolutely LOVED the food, every single thing we ordered was a hit. let me see if I can remember everything.

we started with local drinks. I had a birch, chokecherry iced tea. was kinda wild, almost creamy. truth be told, not sure I’d order it again but I’m glad I did. next up was the smoked trout bean dip; his one might have been my favorite thing of the night (well until the scallops). I have no idea what kind of beans but the creamy, smoky dip with the smoked trout was just divine. then came the carrot tartar, honestly I can’t say it was anything terribly special but it was a nice, refreshing carrot dish, I could eat a lot of it. sweet potatoes came next, what can I say, roasted sweet potatoes with maple and chili, of course it’s going to be good.

for the main course, we pretty much got it all. turkey ashela which was essentially turkey stew, tasted kinda like taro so quite good. elk skewers, quite tasty, bison birria tacos which sadly I did not try, and corn chowder, which was good (but was also just corn chowder).

lastly we had the scallop spoonbread and the smoked bison. we were all quite full by then but a fight nearly broke out over who got to finish because both of them were utterly fantastic. The scallops might have been the best scallop I’ve ever had, cooked to perfection with a very delicious rhubarb jam and even the duck yolk on the spoonbread was a perfect compliment. the bison was just stupid delicious, smokey, tender and meaty.

beyond just the food though, sitting there, near the river, looking out at the bridge it just felt wonderful. we were out with some very good friends who we have not seen enough lately. we had great conversations, our friend has just the best story ever so we had no shortage of things by a to talk about. then we went and got ice cream.

a perfect night, maybe the best one of the year so far.

guessing this blog doesn’t come across as sunshine and rainbows all the time. truth is though, I have a lot to be thankful for.

I’m thankful that despite this trash year, I’m still here to experience it along with everyone important in my life. it may have been a difficult one but it’s brought us closer together as a family in some important ways and despite all the difficulties, we keep ending up with the best possible outcomes.

I’m overwhelmed to have found the opportunity of a lifetime and the extraordinary patience of my new employer. I realize I have and am still carrying some trauma from my last employer, and I have been suffering a pretty bad case of imposter syndrome. I feel like such a stereotype because as the saying goes, it takes at least 6 months to settle into a new role. week before last marked my 6 months.

I’m grateful for the care team at Abbot. I have my thoughts about the timing of all this and communication, but the folks who are taking care of J are a group of dedicated, loving and overworked professionals who are far more cheerful than I honestly even think is possible. she once again faced a difficult and dangerous surgery and came out of it better than anyone expected.

I’m beyond pleased to be alive right now. almost constantly, I tell my children that now is the best time to ever have been alive. I know I doom and gloom a lot, and there is a lot to doom and gloom about in this world. that does not change the fact that it still contains beauty, wonder and a collective knowledge that’s brought us to a point in time where almost anything that can be imagined; can be built or created. even this crappy site is an example of something I used to dream about as a nerdy kid (seriously, I was a huge DORK).

there is so much more, I owe thanks to so many people, for so many things. I would not be here, I would not be able to raise these children, to experience this amazing, world if not for countless family and friends who’ve carried me over the years. I’ll try to be worth it.