Hey blog readers…this has been one of the most enjoyable, relaxing weekends I’ve had in recent memory. No obligations, no traveling, no shifts at work and no trivia tournaments!

Having these two days off without any real “commitments” helped rejuvenate my enjoyment of cooking. I haven’t really been inspired lately to do anything but “basic” cooking (thankfully my husband has become quite a good cook and enjoys putting his mad skills to use in the kitchen). Saturday, I made my “signature” grilled cheese sandwiches, and tonight I made “zucchini parmesan.” In addition to the star player zucchini – the tomato sauce is loaded with lots of veggies (including peppers and tomatoes from our garden) and turkey sausage. My husband decreed that “it’s awesome” when he was eating it, so I guess it turned out good! I was too busy making sure the meal turned out well to bother taking photos (plus my hands were a bit gooky with bread crumbs and stuff).

I’ve been diving head first into facts today – I have “fact du jour” posts ready to post each day until September 10. I’ll need to think about a really good one for September 11, since that’s kind of an “important” date. Spoiler? One of the “fact” posts will compare and contrast the differing “styles” that Henry Ford and the Dodge Brothers had while dealing with their employees…

On a personal note, my mom called me earlier today, which always alarms me a little – because she’s one of the only people who ever really contacts me by calling me. And I presumed it would be…bad news. I was right – she said that their cat, Mack – will be put to sleep later this week. The poor kitty has numerous health issues – he can’t poop, and is suffering from internal bleeding, bloating, etc. He’s probably at least 13 years old. He was  “discovered” in the mid 2000s while living on a loading dock at the store in which me (and previously my mother) work, and he eventually became my mom and dad’s kitty. He’s a friendly bloke, and loves rubbing his body against people’s legs when they’re sitting at the couch – or dining room table. He would also love following me down to the basement when I was “cat sitting” and went down there to scoop the litter. He loved to flop on the cement basement floor and “talk” to me. I speculated he was “thanking” me for scooping up his poop!

Mack is on the right – here he is with his BFF Nicky.

My dad is absolutely devastated…I talked to both of them earlier. He loves that cat so much! There isn’t anything I can say that could possibly make him not feel bad about all of this…

Of course, my parents aren’t strangers to having to say goodbye to beloved pets. But it never gets any easier for them to see them go.

In happier news, my niece is moving into her dorm room at Michigan Technological University this weekend. It seems like only a few years ago that I was teaching her how to blow bubbles into her drinks with a straw! She’s going to be representing Michigan Tech on her regional junior ski team. There are going to be some other really, really good young skiers on her team, too!

One of my brother’s former dorm mates commented on the “move in” photos – and inquired about whether he was going to build a “loft” for her room – as he and my dad  had done when he attended MTU in the early 1990s. He said that lofts “aren’t allowed anymore.” He added, “It only takes one to spoil things for the rest.”

Which immediately made me think of University of Michigan student Courtney Cantor, who died after falling out of a window in her dorm room in 1998 (she was sleeping in a loft when the accident occurred). That was quite a big news story when this happened…

What else is going on? I’ll be helping my dad serve food next Friday at the YpsiFest (formerly called the “Heritage Festival.” He decided several years ago to take over the reins of a charity “Italian dinner” put on by his church, and I’ll be helping serve lasagna – or garlic bread.

I know this must all be incredibly dull, right? I’ll be back in the “trivia saddle” Monday night. It would be nice if it doesn’t suck too badly!

As always, thanks for stopping by…