The Return of Dad! And Food!

So let's hear it for Pops, who made it home from the hospital today. Wahoo.

He and his lady have adopted a radically healthy diet since they've both apparently had the crap scared out of them. He needs to take it easy for two, three, four weeks, and then he plans to get back to swimming pretty soon. In the meantime, I say siddown and chill.

My dad's about as stubborn as the day is long (sorry, Dad) but he's not a stupid guy. It'd be hard not to learn a lesson or two after all he's been through. I think he's going to go like gangbusters into this healthy new life. I think the price he paid was ultimately too high, and he's looking for a better deal.

Nice to see. I'm pretty optimistic about that.

And the job thing of mine might still work out. All I need is three or four production assistants to drop the ball and Bob's me uncle.

I've got my fingers crossed that, yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and, yes, incompetence and/or forgetfullness and/or missed deadlines are still aplenty out there in the world. Hey, something new to pray for. We likes variety.

Oh, and I made chicken stock. Two carcasses of roasted birds, roasted veggies, and a few other things. I'm trying to mimic the rich stock of The Stock Market on Granville Island. The best stock ever (theirs). Too much clove, I fear. Such a hard thing to judge, clove. Next time, half the cloves. But, still. The rest of it seems a thing of beauty. I have every confidence I'll crack their code. Part of me suspects I'll beat its ass, too. I usually tend to one-up these things. They're seasoning to accommodate slightly better than the lowest common denominator. A mean, of sorts. Me, I'm seasoning for my tastes, and those of discerning snackers everywhere. I make better hummous than the Parthenon, even though I've stolen their idea of using the chickpea canned water for getting the consistency right. It's my cumin. See? Season!

It's fun... Like a contest you play with yourself. Good stuff.

Tomorrow, I test-drive it with a single-serving batch of potato-leek soup. Should be wicked good.