OH! You guys, I forgot to share the most exciting thing I learned last night: My Congressman is Chris Evans's uncle! WHAT.

meara, as long as you keep the cats' bathroom clean, it shouldn't be a problem. I had a friend who used their half-bath as the kitty bathroom, but they kinda used.. all of it as the kitty bathroom. Litter everywhere, and it stank... you really didn't want to go in there.

I didn't get either one of the jobs I interviewed for, and I am feeling kind of like there's something wrong with me.

One of the people I interviewed with is having lunch with me to go over her impressions and what may have sunk me, what the good stuff was, etc.

Just feel rejected and dumb.

BtDT, Allyson. If there is basil in Thai food, that explains why it makes me ill. Too bad. I would have liked it.

Allyson you are not dumb. Not being the right person for the job is not a failure.

I am sorry that you didn't get the jobs Allyson, but I do know there's nothing wrong with you. I just wish I could show you what you look like to me, you'd see such a smart, witty, totally competent woman.

this dog is giving the camera such a stinkeye: [link]

Oh my god, I want that dog. Disapproving dog is SO disapproving.

This guy, on the other hand, is all, "Why? WHY are you torturing me?"

The continuing saga of I eat my way through Spain, and still haven't gained a lb (I checked a luggage scale at the bus terminal, and if anything, lost a few walking the better part of 8+ hours a day for all but 3 days, and those I got at least a couple hours):

Morning: 2 cafe con leches and gratis churros at a bar/cafe that is apparently the go-to place for the post-partiers at 6:30 am. But some were still drinking beer. Culture shock there.

In Avila, availed myself to chocolate con churros as recommended by some random stranger. Eh. It's a lot like pudding. Eh.

Waiting for the bus back to Segovia, stopped for a glass of wine (because who can turn down spanish wine?) and got a gratis bocadillo of jamon, tomato and olive oil. I'm not sure if it was meant to be gratis, because it was on the price list, I ordered it, and it was more that 1.80EU, which was the wine alone.

Later, stopped by Limon y Menta and got some sweets. Think teeny pralines (but not brown sugar) of piñons, another of almonds, piñons and raisins (the size of a half dollar, maybe) called crocantinos; a traditional segovian almond sandie called a mantecado and a raisined rosquillas yema (think donut but not.) Had just a bite of each. Conclusion: CROCANTINOS!!!

Waiting for the Segovians to get their asses together dinnerwise, I went the free tapas route. Had a nice tinto rioja and mushrooms. Mushrooms sauteed with chorizo, but not greasy. OH MY GOD. So good. Now I love mushrooms, but there are mushrooms and there are mushroom. These were Mushrooms. You could taste them over the chorizo.

Then, dinner. Decided to pig out, literally. After reading many offerings and being put off by pretension or lines, found a little out of the way place with 4 or 5 families in residence. Starter of a giant white bean (local) chorizo stew. It's a traditional thing. The serving they gave me was 2 meals in itself. I need to recreate it. Then the limb of a roast suckling pig. It was good. Solomillo-tender like the pork I had the other night. And quite tasty. But piglet! Then desert was a whisky tart. Oh and rioja and bread and water. I was full.

So I wandered down to the aqueduct and back and a little sideways. And found this adorable bar and restaurant , Redebal (frankly everything is a bar and something here if food is served) tucked in a corner twisted behind another (I have a habit of going down rabbit holes streetwise.) The proprietress looked like a 20s movie star, and the place fit her and I just had to go in. I ordered a verdujo, and she picked out as tapas a hard toasted slice of bread topped with a pate of those same local white beans and garbanzo and something else in there that made them magic, topped with thinly sliced bit of some sort of hard cured pork drizzled with an almost sweet green olive oil. It was so good and I wanted more, but I was so full at that point, I just asked for a drink suggestion. She brought me a cava with hibiscus and limon caviar. I have no idea what that means except it was tasty.

I do dream of spinach still, though!

Allyson you are not dumb. Not being the right person for the job is not a failure.

Oh, I know that somewhere in here. I just need to lick my wounds for a little while.