Oh, what fun it is to screw up cooking. Yes, that was said with sarcasm. I put too much onion in my veggie soup, so that was a bust. Then I used the tenderizer after I seasoned it and before I remembered that I now have one. I hope I didn’t wake him up beating the shit out of it. You don’t really have to hit it that hard. It seemed to flatten it a bit.

Because these are thick pork chops, you’re supposed to sear them in an oven-safe skillet for two minutes on each side. I’ve been meaning to get one of those, so I finally put one in the cart. It was the cheapest one I could find that still had good reviews and was a best seller.

For now, I had to improvise by searing the chop and then transferring it to a cookie sheet. There it was baked at 400 degrees for 10 minutes on each side. I don’t know if I could call it tender. It was a little dry. But I liked how the edges were seared crispy and it tasted good. It was like it was straight off the grill.

The grass is continuing to thrive. The park used the sit-down mower again and they had no problems mowing it. No clumps came up or anything like that. The side yard still looks a bit brown due to the lack of rain, but it’s starting to green up a little bit as we slowly ease back into the storm season.

Anyway, between cooking, cleaning, and other things, I’ve been having trouble focusing, but I guess that’s just how I’ve always been. I get distracted and sidetracked easily. It’s hard for me to focus on one thing at a time and stick with it. I always seem to jump around. This is my fifth attempt just to finish this journal entry. I always remember something else I want to do or want to check on.

Jessie is getting annoying because first she told me that what was going on that was so crazy was “so bad.” Today all she said was that the state of Florida called her. I asked why, wondering if it was for jury duty. Then she said, “I got a job” and that was it. She never elaborated on what was “so bad.” I hate it when people do that and go talking in riddles without explaining what they mean. You can’t be that vague and expect people to magically understand. I’m just not that psychic. My mind was all over the place from a problem with the house or contractors to her getting a bad medical diagnosis or someone close to her getting sick or in an accident.

Steve is still pissing me off with the dog, even though it’s gotten better…I think. I miss the days when I rarely heard barking. For now, just like at the old place, I hear it every single fucking day. Yes, it’s only a few barks at a time, but still, I don’t want to hear it at all. Why do people do this to me every single place I live and annoy me with their dogs? Other people’s dogs have been an issue for me for decades. Is something trying to tell me something? Like to get a dog of my own? Would one really make a good pet for me? I would worry about it barking while I was sleeping, so I don’t know. It would have been easy to keep away from the bedroom in the other place, but not this place. It’s still a possibility, but first I want to make sure that yes, we are going to remain in Florida.

I use my outer office from 8:00 PM to 8:00 AM. Even with Steve out of the picture, this way, I’m less distracted by little sounds.

Looks like book sales are tapering off. I didn’t even manage to bleed $25 out of them this time around. Kind of insulting, but I knew I was never meant to make money. Some things are in our cards and some aren’t.