Cheering Up
I received some bad news this week, both at work and at home, which has put a bit of a damper on this beautiful spring. I'll try to write about it later, but for now I'd rather focus on the things that made the week good in spite of the bad.
I want to get back to using my digicam regularly again, but all of the photos here were taken with my phone (a Pixel 8 Pro, unfortunately).
Ranni
My priority with Ranni is making sure she's happy and healthy, rather than relying on her for my own mental health, but having her around all the time is a definite mood booster. I'm happy to report that she's been her usual peppy, playful, adorable self.
She loves to lie on the couch and look out the window, so I try to keep the blinds open for her while there's daylight. (Also, yes, I keep some Halloween decorations up year-round.) She also thinks she's a lap dog sometimes and is perfectly content to sit on Danny's lap.
Good Food
I found a local food truck serving authentic Afghan street food, and it's my new favorite place to eat. It's owned by a really sweet and hospitable married couple who are originally from Kabul. The chicken plov is amazing, and the portion size is enough for two or maybe even three meals!
I decided to try making ochazuke, and it came out wonderfully. I used salmon (cooked and flaked), white rice, green tea, rice wine vinegar, furikake, sesame seeds, and nori. We had rice crackers with it as well. It's such an easy dish to prepare and so comforting.
Little Things
Chilling in my friend Marz's stream is one of my favorite things to do. She has cultivated a really warm community, and she plays a lot of retro horror games that I've loved for literal decades at this point, like the Resident Evil series, Parasite Eve, and Haunting Ground. I often have coffee in my Silent Hill Harry Mason mug while watching her stream and chatting away. Check her out at MarzCakez on Twitch!
I'm trying to spend less money on frivolous things, but I couldn't pass up this gorgeous Harley Quinn statue by Kotobukiya, featuring one of her iconic Birds of Prey looks. It's a work of art! Birds of Prey is one of my top five favorite movies, so I love having this piece as a collector's item. (Apologies for the mess in the background. This was before we gave our dining table a much-needed de-cluttering.)
Finally, my mom recently got this pretty green and pink plant that's commonly known as a "Wandering Dude." As somewhat of a wandering dude myself, I feel a sort of kinship with this little guy.
