Had one of those vacation days today that you just *dream* about when you’re slaving away at work. I slept in, woke up exactly when I wanted to, ate breakfast, took the pup on a walk, then laid back down in my PJs and spent a couple hours just browsing on my flipboard app. There was a lot of news to catch up on! Did you guys know there’s, like, a full-on civil war brewing in Thailand??? Well, I do too, now.

Then I think I slept for another hour or so before deciding it was time to maybe do something remotely productive, and I sketched out my review for the Foundation trilogy I finished reading a week ago while I ate some lunch. I remember thinking a sentiment that was echoed an hour or so later when Liz returned from shopping with her mom; “It looks like a book report.” And it basically will be, once it’s done. And I love it. Is that some twisted shit or what? I remember HATING book reports, or in high school, essays on books. I literally was against all of it because I was a reader for pleasure. It ruined the whole process, needing to go back and dissect stuff. And now I love it. What’s happened to me?

So, I got started on the review, not in that it’s going to be so long and involved that I needed to work on it in two separate sittings. I probably would have finished it today, and then looked over it tomorrow to make sure I don’t sound like a jackass before posting it, but then the Ho came home and said the afore-mentioned “book report” comment. I agreed, we shook our heads, and then we decided to take a nap together with the dog.

Have I mentioned I love naps? The unrestricted, un-stressful nap is practically my definition of “vacation.”

vacation, (noun); free time in which Ira takes naps. [syn.; vacay, staycation, afternoons]

Then, I was up first this time to feed and walk the dog. I found myself thinking about how early the sun was going down this time of year, although I must say it is *legitimately* later in the day up here in the Bay as opposed to down in LA. Anyway, I remembered back to a tweet from Neil deGrasse Tyson earlier about the winter soltice today, and I realized guys! Today was the shortest day of the year. It’s over! The period of days getting way too damn short this year is over. It’s only getting better from here.

I’m a sunlight kind of guy. Me and sunlight, we go way back.

Speaking of “way back,” that segue’s nicely into Liz and I driving into the city later that evening to meet an old friend. Sugar Ry, as we so love to call him, moved back up to his home town earlier this year, and the Ho and I haven’t yet been able to see him during the couple trips we’ve taken up north. We remedied that situation this evening, and it was soooo nice to see him. He’s always been a bit of a little brother to me, and I couldn’t be happier for where he is at the moment, which is taking the time to take care of himself and figuring out what HE wants. And no, I’m not just saying that because he’ll probably read this (He says he reads all the time. We’ll see). I really mean that shit. It’s something that not enough people do, which is stop and really reevaluate. Check direction with the internal compass. Make sure we’re on the right path. It’s so important, and it actually take a huge amount of balls to do it. Big, hairy ones. We were definitely sorry to see him leave LA, the Ho and I, but we also had faith that it was exactly what needed to happen. That it would make him a happy person in the long run. So far, that seems to be the case.

The restaurant we were at was one of the one’s we’re considering for the family gathering following our civil ceremony to get married at City Hall. Not sure if I’ve said that on the blog before, but that’s the plan. Our wedding out in Hawaii will actually not be our REAL ceremony that binds us together for all eternity. We’re going to do that official business here in the Bay so that certain family members who are not fit to travel are still able to attend. In any event, the restaurant was called Sociale on Sacramento St. in San Francisco, and while our server was great, and the restaurant itself was charming as all hell…the food was actually disappointing. Our appetizer we got was an interesting riff on a jalapeño popper, with olives instead, but the entrees were all super bland. I had Quail, which I’m pretty sure is supposed to be tender as shit…I just checked with Liz and she used words like “moist” and “succulent”…yeah, mine was dry as fuck. And no seasoning to speak of, with a shit-ton of white beans to accompany the bland-ness. I thought maybe I had just picked poorly, which I so often do, but both Ryan and Liz also thought their dishes were “meh.” It was a shame, too, because I was all excited to have Quail for the first time. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the food was okay. It wasn’t BAD…but, at that price point and with us considering for a rather major family event there, it just didn’t do it.

Anywho, that’s all for tonight. Up “early” tomorrow, which means any time before 10am. I know, I’m a monster.

Tonight’s artwork is courtesy of Sarah Miele at Deviant Art.