posting up at home

 Ah, a pre-ski season November weekend in SLC - the very definition of shoulder season.  Alta is expected to open on Friday 11/22/24, however, so we'll get some skiing stuff to post about.  For full disclosure, I did not get a ski pass this season.  I just barely got in all ten days for my ten-pack last year, begrudgingly going up on cold and stormy days (although I had a couple of sunny spring days that were just so much fun).  And for some reason, Milton is having some separation anxiety issues - after six years of absolutely no problems at all - and we've started to crate him while we're at work.  He doesn't seem to mind it too much, and it is safer for him and the window blinds, but I am glad that I will be with him on the weekends while H is skiing.

Meanwhile, shoulder season.  Friday night, H and I went out to a new (to us) bar, The Midway, to see a friend's band.  (Milton hung out in the car.) We'd never been there before: it's got a mixed vibe, part sports bar, part working class dive, and a huge outdoor patio with firepits.  The band was fun, doing 70s and 80s covers.  The bar staff were all super friendly (nothing vegan on the menu except fries and chips and salsa) and we'll have to find out if the patio is dog-friendly.

It started precipitating as we drove home, continuing overnight and into the morning, leaving a couple inches of snow.  Saturday stayed pretty gloomy and cold, with snow showers off and on.  Milton made out like a bandit on walks: a four-miler with A in the morning, a 3.2 miler with H early afternoon, and then another mile or so later in the afternoon.  It seemed like a good day to bake (chocolate chip cookies and a chocolate-zucchini bundt cake) and braise (tomato-fennel braised chickpeas for dinner).

The weather system moved out and Sunday was chilly and gorgeous: 25F and bright sun when A and Milton headed out for their walk.  H had hoped to go for a bike ride but, given the temperature and all the downed and damp leaves on the road, opted for a trail run instead.  Clouds moved back in starting around noon, which led to more cooking: pumpkin muffins, homemade vegetable stock and a Thai green curry soup for dinner.