The Society of Prima Donna Car Owners and other news

So last night, after on and off testing for two days, the mechanic called friend next door to say he could not find anything at all wrong with the car.  Everything checked out. No charge happened, either.  Friend said he wouldn't charge if he couldn't find anything.  However, knowing friend, I would not put it past him to quietly pay the labor and decline to tell me anything about it.  I'm like a kind of honorary mom to him, I think.

So today, after its expedition to the garage and back, more mileage in one run than it's had from me, it's home and smug and working just fine.  Everything lighting up and ticking over and let's hope it stays that way. Meanwhile, the portable battery jumper travels with me.

Friend is quite absent minded, tends to leave vital stuff all over.  I've found his phone in my house, his jacket on the patio, etc.  One time he left his ladder in the loft. So I get in the car, and there on the passenger side floor are his winter gloves, the jumpers from his kit, the carrying case, the lot.  So I returned them, and his partner rolled her eyes, not at all surprised.  He tends to get thinking about the next project, and he's helping people all over the place with different needs, so material stuff tends to fall off the radar.

I now plan to found the SPDCO, see post title, and invite Pam and anyone else with similar automotive issues to join as founding members.  Regular whining is required, as is logging of number of failures to launch.  Dues consist of listening sympathetically as needed.  The prima donnas, in case it's not clear, are the cars, not the owners.

Meanwhile, in other news, food also happened today.  I've been fancying a bit of pasta for a while, and need to eat more greens, so I did both, before the Mischief box arrives tomorrow and refills the freezer.

So I made Fettucini (actually egg noodle, didn't have fettucini in the house) Alfredo.  Didn't make a separate sauce, just minced a ton of garlic, grated Parmesan, and had a chunk of butter ready.  You'll notice the chef's knife, for turning on its side, trapping the garlic so you can bring a mighty fist down and crush it.  Except my fist is not quite mighty enough, so I use the wooden mallet thing to hammer on the knife blade.

The broccoli I boiled right along with the pasta, six minutes did it for both.

And tossed the pasta with the minced garlic, cheese and butter, divided it into two bowls so there's some for tomorrow.  This would be enough for two moderate eaters, I guess. For me it's two meals.

And since there's a ton of garlic, it's good either to live alone or persuade your companions to eat garlic, too, then nobody is felled by your exhale.  Or you could wear a mask, come to think of it.

Mask wearing is good for more than shielding from viruses.  I wear mine no matter whether I'm alone out walking or not, because it keeps my face warm in the winter wind. And today because the landscapers were pruning and blowing dust and molds everywhere with their leaf blowers, which does me in.  And it helps ward off pollen in season, too. All that.

So, fortified by garlic against all kind of demons, including the credit card bill that just arrived, with totals for the jumper kit, the phone, the phone service, and sundry other items,that's where we are right now. 

I also fancy making gnocchi, haven't had them for years, and have no potatoes, also no floury potatoes in the Misfits box, not available in the choices.  So I think I might make them with the yogurt dough and Parmesan cheese grated in.  I also fancy an experiment with cooked drained pumpkin for gnocchi, too, to see how that works.

I really like making items, like potstickers, or ravioli, or gnocchi, which involve a big pan of boiling water you drop things into and when they surface they're done.  More of a game than cooking, really. Haven't made ravioli in an age, either. Must make a note.