Wow, we finally got some much-needed rain here. Unfortunately it all came during my weekend, greatly limiting my entertainment options. I kid you not: It started Friday afternoon and did not quit until early this morning. I heard Folsom lake rose six feet. (And, unfortunately that only brings it up to 1/3 of where it should be.) Not a total loss of a weekend though, we mixed in a few new restaurants and such. Friday I kicked things off with a (very) short happy hour at Ruff Haus. It was pretty much just to say I went to my standard Friday afternoon happy hour… I was only there about 30 minutes. After that I did something remarkably fun and exciting. The details escape me though.
Saturday the monsoon continued outside. Thanks to a nasty episode of insomnia, I kicked my day off early watching No Holds Barred. Widely considered to be one of Hulk Hogan’s finest artistic efforts, it is indeed a true masterpiece of 80’s cinema. It also features the breakout performance of Tommy Lister, another great American legend. After a moving experience like that so early in the morning, the rest of the day was rather anti-climatic. We went to a late lunch at a nearby Thai place, Chantara. It was very good, if a bit on the spendy side. (That seems to be a recurring theme at all the restaurants here.) After lunch we headed back home and I vainly tried to exercise the dog a bit. The rain made that a bit difficult, limiting us to indoor activities. Ever heard the sound of a 50 lb. dog playing fetch on carpet? I seriously doubt the landlord would approve. A close inspection revealed no damage though, whew. For our evening entertainment we decided to actually go to the movie theater, a rare occurrence indeed. After much negotiating, we agreed on Lone Survivor. All in all, a very entertaining movie. I had a few titles I’d have rather seen, and I know for a fact she had a few other preferences, but hey, it’s all about compromise. As an added bonus, I must say that what I thought was an overpriced lunch at the Thai place seemed like a much better deal after I spent the same amount on a tub of popcorn and two drinks.
Sunday, unfortunately, was our declared “shopping day.” Ugh. We were dangerously low on food in the house, and it was time for a trip to town for provisions. We loaded up the car, said goodbye to Teagan and Kane, and set out on the harrowing five-mile trip to Folsom. After braving the rain-soaked freeway, we eventually arrived in The Big City and set about our errands. We kicked things off at The Dollar Tree, which has an entertainment factor roughly equivalent to Walmart, and then moved on to the dreaded Costco. Man I love to hate Costco. The one in Folsom is perpetually crowded too; it buys you nothing to try and go during an “off time,” as there is no such thing. And like every other Costco, the aisles are rather narrow and nobody thinks anything of just stopping their massive cart right in the middle and engaging in a 15 minute phone call while you try and maneuver by them. We survived it all though, if barely, and then wound our way back to El Dorado Hills for a quick stop at the grocery. For some inexplicable reason we decided to get all crazy and try the Raley’s store instead of our tried-and-true Nugget. Failed experiment. Weary from our journey, we made it home in time for dinner, then settled in for a round of Wii Sports to wrap things up.