A day like any other, in which ...

... our dog, Chai, loses her first bar fight, to a cat;

... a cat is 86'd from the bar for the first time in current memory;

... said cat is summarily marched off of the premises, all the while being lectured by Louise on how his starting and prolonging of fights was completely unacceptable;

... we discover that Shock Top beer and Baileys are a more efficient way of making a cement mixer than traditional recipes;

... Shock Top and Baileys create a glassful of solid matter from two liquids;

... I win the betting draw on the Preakness Stakes, my first time ever betting on a horse race in any form;

... 13 is "unlucky for some", but certainly not me;

... the word "watermelon" is revealed to be the all-purpose word to mouth to hymns for which you do not actually know the words, thus appearing to be singing with great fervor;

... a planned solo mushrooming day tomorrow evolves into an outing for three humans and two dogs;


... Louise, Wakko, and I manage to plan out all of the "Taste of ..." specials for the summer.


All of this, and more, without the presence of the Baroness.

The summer "Taste of ..." schedule at the Wayside is as follows (all dates are Saturdays):

• 20 June - Taste of Texas (featuring rattlesnake, boar ribs, and blue marlin)


• 04 July - Polynesian Night (featuring a pig roast, poi, remaining menu tbd)


• 25 July - Taste of Northwest Montana (featuring elk, moose, morels, huckleberries, etc.)


• 15 August - Low Country Crab Boil (featuring mussels, clams, dungeness crab, black tiger shrimp, andouille sausage, corn, potatoes, hush puppies)


• 05 September - Fresh Seafood Extravaganza (featuring oysters on the half shell, octopus, whatever else tickles our fresh little fancy).