The “squirrels” were safely deposited at camp, and the house is almost empty.  I spent the day at my apartment.  Rain continued to water the garden for me.

In the evening, Avdi and I and Jess ended up at the Crack Fox (dance club and dive bar), where they danced and I held down the table of drinks.  A introduced me to some of his DJ and other friends, who were very pleasant.  I wasn’t feeling at my best, but I enjoyed watching A get his needed dance fix.  He’s going through a lot of life changes, or passages.

It continued to pour, and fog shrouded the tops of tall buildings downtown.  It’s always very atmospheric here.

This was the final erev before the “squirrels” leave for camp for two weeks.  Duffels and suitcases were everywhere.

I baked challah, harvested another large salad, including celery, made spaghetti and sauce, and heated some great rice and veg leftovers by E.  It was just A, K, Y, and me for dinner.

This morning A drove E and Y to camp.  Of course it continues to rain and flood.  I haven’t had to water in days.  The first calendulas and poppy bloomed!  Also orange daylilies.  Hummers are buzzing around in a feeding frenzy.

I think I’m about to be on mini-staycation between my two homes.

As always, a night out with Avdi is always a memorable occasion.  It was pouring after the tornado warning, but that didn’t deter us.

First we ate at O&O (Olive and Oak) Pizza in Webster Groves, which sounds like an ordinary pizza dive, but is upscale, lovely, with exquisite Italian food and wonderful craft cocktails served by professionals.  The food was extraordinary.  Homemade gnocchi, morels with herbed polenta, and the absolute best veg lasagna either of us had ever had, don’t even begin to describe how perfect it was.  The drinks were very unique, as well.  I think we both died and went to Italian heaven.

Then for a switch, we checked out the Berlin-styled tschüss bar and club in the Cherokee Street District of StL.  I think they were having an off night with understaffing, so I won’t judge it by the drinks.  The atmosphere was pleasant.  Downstairs was a very divey dance club, no frills, but good DJs (one of which was a friend of Avdi’s) and house music.  I couldn’t stop photographing this one person who threw themself into dancing.

I didn’t even get schnockered this time, because the first drink was for savoring, with water, and the second was undrinkable, so I shared Avdi’s!  The rain let up, providing just the right atmosphere for holing up in nice bars.

Yesterday I got to spend most of the day at home: then I covered for Avdi overnight.  E had prepared a great-looking dinner, but I wasn’t up to eating.  Mostly I just went to bed upstairs and actually slept.

E stayed up baking up a storm (i.e. working through some private stuff).  I think everyone was up half the night but me.  Then they slept in and I got up.  It was very quiet this morning!  It had rained a lot overnight, and was continuing on and off through the day, so I didn’t have to water.  All the plants were twice as big as yesterday!

The bird pair have a nest full of babies right over the back porch.  They’re getting used to me and let me take their picture.

Finding I didn’t have a whole lot to accomplish there, I walked home during a brief rain break.  Later, Avdi and I are going out on our monthly date.  I wonder what new discoveries we’ll make.  Stay tuned.

I just have a brief rant digression.  St. Louis is still reeling from the tornado devastation, yet up until now, only local grassroots orgs and volunteers have shown up to do the heavy lifting; the gov, local, state, and fed, have been nowhere to be found.  It’s obvious why: racism.  I keep thinking, if this had been WG and other well-off suburbs, the city, county, and state would have been out there doing the work from day one.

These local groups are not even set up to do this job, but they took the initiative right away, because who else would?  It really reveals the hypocrisy and indifference of people (repugs) in power.  It gives them an excuse to clear away the rubble of unwanted people’s lives, leaving even more  homeless.

And ironically, the sirens just came on again.  It’s too much.

It was hot and muggy yesterday, i.e. more normal STL weather.  The kind that sucks what energy you have to garden right out of you.

I did a few things outside, and tried to be useful in the house, but somehow just three kids managed to be busy and surly in every room at once, and I was running out of rooms to go be out of their way in!  My downstairs retreat is no more, since the kids will soon be playing musical chairs, only with rooms.

I hate being useless, or more accurately, role-less.  Maybe most of it went to Michigan with S.  So I went and chilled in the pool.  I had my drink alone on the patio.  Neither of which is fun by yourself.  Then I got a ride home on their way to Costco.

I know it’s just temporary, and this too shall pass, as the squirrels are headed for camp this weekend.  That will really change the dynamic.

Today I had part 2 of my root canal done.  One more goal on the dental checklist completed.  Maybe by the time I croak, I’ll have all my teeth fixed or replaced.  I won’t be a toothless corpse!

Today was my last kitty car patrol.  Odin was all ready to show off and play, but Pixie was back up on her bed throne, bored of me already.  I ran an errand and drove to Avdi’s.

It was extremely quiet.  Avdi had taken Y and friend to the mall (sounds dreadful), E went out for hours, and K was doing his usual thing downstairs.  I halfheartedly did some cleanup, then finished the USA puzzle.

Avdi came home, drained mostly from the whole exhausting week.  I set up the charcuterie, but we did a very abridged version.  Then I walked home.  That was my day.  I think everyone is readjusting to the absence of S in their own way.

Look, I grew cucumbers!  Finally!

The cats both greeted me at the door enthusiastically, and wanted to play, so I complied.

Then, since I had the car, I did some overdue shopping for the Avdi’s and me, then hung out at their house with Stacey and S until evening, when it was time to say goodbye (for now).  They left early this morning.  S’s room is mostly cleared out.  It will be different over there from here on out.

One more day of cat duty and having the pumpkin car.  Then I revert to bipedal again.  And figure out my new S-less role.

There’s one of me “relaxing” by the pool.  JK.

Yesterday both Odin and Pixie were waiting for me when I got there, ready to play, so we did!  Normally I’d be in a hurry to bake challah at Avdi’s, but I made an exception for circumstances, and –gasp–bought challah to save time, along with ingredients for the meal.

Stacey was traveling to join us for the weekend in order to take S and his large quantity of belongings back to Michigan to stay.  It took a while for everyone to realize Shabbat was not on vacation along with them and clear the kitchen!

I made a Greek-style dinner of baked flounder and perch, salad, olives, lemon basmati rice with snow peas from the garden, raw veggies with tzatziki/feta dip, and Greek yogurt.  Everyone was at the table, and then each of the kids spent some time with Mom.

Packing up S to go to Michigan has been a difficult transition for Avdi, though everyone (especially S) is on board with this new chapter.  It will be interesting to see the effect and adjustments his departure will bring about.

PS–But is it challah?

Having Jess’s car, I was able to check in on Odin and Pixie, stop at the store for beer for Avdi, and drive over.  Then we just hung out while S and friends had his going away party.  Avdi was finishing up an almost all-nighter of packing up S’s room, a daunting undertaking.  The rest of the family hid in their rooms!

It was like a mini-B&B.  Despite the cold and rain, some of the kids were determined to play in the pool for quite a while.  Others, like Joyce’s daughter R, wanted to just chill with the grownups under a big canopy that A set up on the patio.

It continued to rain harder, until eventually most of us retreated inside and played games on the big screen and ate taquitos and pizza.  Both kids and adults had a lot of fun together.  I’d say all-in-all it was a success.  Nobody got murdered.

Summary of jobs done: created another hideout for S in the wooded area; transplanted variegated solomon’s seal to the big shade garden; weeded and mulched (carefully) the prickly pear bed; mulched Y’s rock garden; weeded and mulched the hollyhocks; and other cleaning and weeding.  Call me the Weed Queen!

S bravely initiated the very cold pool.  Today he’s having a going-away party with his friends, while grownups “supervise” i.e. stay out of the way of the sugared-up hordes.

I got to borrow Jess’s car through the weekend, so as to do cat duty!  Doodie.