Gotta slam this one out because it’s already nearly 9pm and we’ve had a long day. So, Reader’s Digest condensed version:

Rory and I drove up to Austin today to visit an old friend who we haven’t seen since Rory was working in Vancouver BC nearly nine years ago. Mark was the same as I remember him, with maybe a few more grey hairs and a few more crinkles around his eyes, but otherwise unchanged. We had a really nice lunch at a restaurant in the Domain, a fairly tony outdoor shopping area a bit north of downtown. It catered to the health-conscious younger vegan crowd but there were a few turkey and chicken items on the menu, as well as a decent selection of beers. I desperately wanted to get a glass of the Hefeweizen that they had on tap but I didn’t dare. My liver has been taking a beating again from the chemo and I want to be as kind to the old thing as possible, so no alcohol. Rats. I loves me a good heffie, especially with a slice of lemon.🥰

On our way home we stopped at the market to pick up some small steaks, because no one else had planned anything for dinner and I decided to commandeer the kitchen for the first time since I’ve been home. I wasn’t sure that I would be able to manage, even with something as simple as pan-seared steaks, sautéed asparagus and rice, but I didn’t have any issue. I felt pretty solid, no weak spells, and even managed to finish the cleaning up afterward, although I definitely had help. I’m seriously chuffed! I may be able to do the soup dumplings this week after all!😄