Time flies when you’re having Sunday night fun. And then on Monday, when Hampton’s car dies in the middle of the street on the way to his 6 a.m. shift. On a holiday. In the rain.

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Mon – We tested out TJ’s new line of steaks. And realized how spoiled we are by Smoke City Meats. “Do you want to make a sauce? I don’t think we need to make a sauce.” Hashtag famous last words. Served with mashed potatoes heavily spiked with truffle parmesan and a take on wedge salad with little gems and a homemade buttermilk ranch that was also not as satisfying as I wanted.

Tues – our first hot pot! With friends from that Vietnamese trip I really will write about one day. We have always wanted to try but need to be forced to drive anywhere further away than the 12 minutes it takes to get anywhere in Winston. Luckily, we’re getting our own KPOT soon!

Wed – TJ’s has a new guava spread that we turned into a glaze for pork tenderloin. Served with a coconut/mango rice, red beans, and quickle of cucumber, radish, and carrot.

Thurs – Italian-inspired burgers feat. TJ’s new tomato labneh, plus their kale pesto, fresh mozzarella, and balsamic glaze-drizzled air-fried brussels sprouts.

Fri – to avoid parking downtown when there was a festival happening, we hosted a Mystery Men Productions rehearsal. And because we are us, wanted to feed people — last minute and even later minute decisions. As we had gotten a new bean club box earlier in the week (and already have quite a stash), chili it was. Ish. Because I don’t do onions, Hampton doesn’t do green pepper, we both dislike chunky tomatoes. I had some recipes, but Hampton wanted to go on vibes…. which had me highly stressed out at one point, but it all worked out pretty dang splendidly ifwedosaysoourselves.

Sat – when in Greensboro for hot pot, we hit an Asian market and picked up a banana flower and green papaya. We turned them into a salad with the last little gem and a tangy/salty fish sauce/lime dressing with some grilled pork tenderloin medallions.

Sun – to use up the buttermilk we bought for the ranch on Monday, fried chicken sammiches with some pickled green papaya and a mix of fries and kale chips because we only had one serving of fries and forgot to add more to the shopping list.

🥃: still on a quest for my new house white. So far an Albarino is winning, and it looks like a spell on the receipt — Bodegas Vina Cartin Ruta.

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📚: I was recently gifted a NetGalley for the second in a series… whose first I hadn’t gotten around to before it was archived on NetGalley 😬 This week, my Libby hold for the first came in and Shame On Me for not getting to it sooner. Olivia Blacke’s A New Lease on Death was a fun bump up from your average cozy mystery while still having a lovely cozy feel thanks to plenty of quirky characters and red herrings. Cordelia is a perfect unreliable narrator — and not just because she’s, you know, dead. I appreciate that this is a solid (no ghost pun intended) standalone story while still leaving some mysteries unsolved for the next book. Very much looking forward to the next!

Also this week, in a theme, Last Girl Ghosted by Lisa Unger was a darker take than usual on my fave white last thrillers. I definitely saw the movie in my head — perhaps Lee Pace as a more conventionally attractive version of the lead dude with the pretty boy from that terrible Tracker show as the P.I.? I don’t always love Alexandra Daddario but her reservedness would play well for Wren. Also would be happy with Abigail Spencer.

Deviating from the ghosties this week, God of the Woods by Liz Moore. I’m not sure why this got on my Libby list. Perhaps The Lazy Genius? Who also casts all her favorite books? Kendra’s work doesn’t always resonate with my childfree life, but her WLT recs don’t fail. Her more straightforward lit recs haven’t hit for me and this definitely is a “family drama” vs. suspense so maybe it wasn’t her… But, man, I hurt for Alice and think I want Harriet Dyer to play her. Louisa Harland for T.J., the next gen of/even younger Sophie Thatcher for Barbara and Sophie Mitri Schloss for Tracy, Jamie Kaler as Peter III, Jacob Elordi as John Paul, Isabela Merced for Louise — even though that height difference will make for some real interesting camera angles. I’ll come up with a younger Linda Cardellini for Judyta and a Donald Sutherland-type for Peter II as soon as I hit post.

🎭: As mentioned, we had a rehearsal for an upcoming murder mystery. 12 pages of dialogue, 3.5 hours of fun.