Simply a lovely spring day

I'll admit it: I'm relieved to be done with doctoral study for the summer.  Having survived the hurdles of writing back-to-back double-digit-page papers two weeks ago and finals (with sometimes downright insane "drop the needle" listening portions) this past week, it's good to put it down for a while.  Not that there's nothing to do until September; there are a few more studio projects to wrap up in the next week, and DeAunn and I are getting to work to find ways to make a summer living as musicians, sussing out new students and cajoling libraries, nursing homes, and any other venue we can think of to pay us to perform.

Having started early and fought the good fight earlier today, I found myself on my own for the afternoon and evening; DeAunn played a recording session this afternoon, will play the opera downtown tonight, and taught a lesson out of town in between.  Stopping

at Whole Foods on the way back from logging some studio time, I found their salmon steaks on sale for nearly half off.  What was there to do but have one for late lunch/early supper, pour a beer, and sit out in the beautiful spring sunshine?

I don't have a lot of experience cooking fish--I've never eaten it regularly--so after some online perusing I seared it with a little olive oil and the inimitable Spice House's Lake Shore Drive Seasoning, then baked it for a few minutes to cook it through.  A few slices of raw tomato and a sauteed chopped green onion finished the plate; I laid on too much lemon juice, but it was still excellent.  Accompanying the salmon, the dog, and myself on the porch was a glass of my "new" old ale (formerly known as my IIPA).

It still gets chilly at night, but the days are getting increasingly warmer, a trend that's right in line with my own constitution.  I look forward to more glorious days like this, hopefully including a few back in the Midwest with my fellow brothers of the Order this summer.

-Br. Absalom