I’ve been keeping busy. Turns out the hotel blocks for Otakon this year are all but sold out, and we’re scrambling to find a place to stay during the con, even if it means paying more or extending our stay an extra day in order to make the hotel reservation thing werk. The con is usually our vacation, of sorts, and we’re hoping it all works out. I have a lot of phone calls to make today and tonight, I think.

Over the weekend, I managed to track down the 8-bottle wine cooler I’d been lusting after for so long. I had wanted one for several months now, I figure it’d be a good excuse to keep more bottles of wine around the house to pair with different dinners. At the risk of sounding like a dork, I’ve been caught with some meals thinking that a nice wine would pair beautifully with it, but then not having any or not having thought to pick up a bottle with dinner, so without wine I would go. This gives me a chance to buy a bottle here and there when I’d like, and keep it cool in the wine fridge until I want it. Well, a gift check landed in my hands and I was trying to figure out what to do with it, and this came to mind. I ran out to my local Target to pick one up only to find that they were sold out. The next closest Target had one, so we went there after grocery shopping on Saturday to pick one up. We got home, unpacked the groceries, plugged in the wine cooler (after cutting off the leaves from the top of the box to make a stand for it, no less) and found out that it didn’t work – plugged it in and nothing happened. Ouch. These things were already in short supply, and we were afraid we wouldn’t see another one. I boxed the defective fridge back up, and on Sunday decided to take it back, and possibly make the drive to Silver Spring (nearby, but out of the way) which had the next closest Target with one in stock.

We got back to the Target we got the fridge from, and had absolutely no problems returning it, thankfully, taped up box and all. On a hunch, we went back to see if there were any more, all but sure there wouldn’t be. To our delight, we found two more in stock! We hefted one out, plugged it in next to the customer service desk after paying for it, discovered it did indeed work, and carted it home – all in all, much quicker than expected. We were so pleased we even ordered delicious vegetarian Chinese food from our favorite joint to pick up on the way home. Good times.

That same evening I dragged out a corned beef roast I had picked up the night before while grocery shopping and decided that I’d cook it for dinner on Monday, not to mention fodder for my breakfast english muffin sandwiches I’ve taken to making. Quartered two potatoes and put them on the bottom of our crock pot, then put the roast in, added the spices, a ton of steak seasoning, and filled the crock pot up with water. Turned it on low and let it cook overnight. When we woke the next morning, the entire house smelled like corned beef and spice, which was a delicious scent – it reminded me so much of my old house, back when I lived with my mother and my mom would cook corned beef (and cabbage and potatoes, every St. Patrick’s day! For those who know me, or even know what I look like, this is hilarious. And no – I have no Irish ancestry that I’m aware of.) and it was a welcome recollection. I spooned out some of the liquid and let it continue to cook all day during werk. When I got home last night, I had quite the meal, and the potatoes were incredibly seasoned. I paired the plate of corned beef and potatoes with some steamed broccoli, and I had myself a meal. I even took pictures, I was so proud.

And yes, before you ask, I did enjoy a beer with the dinner, even if it was a werknight.

And yes, it was a Guinness.