March 6: Crock Pot

I am really trying to name unique things every day that bring me delight. It is getting slightly challenging to name different things, partly because it's hard to remember what I have already named, so I have to go back and review my previous posts, partly because we are starting have more regularly repeated delightful experiences, like seeing friends and having game nights. Yesterday we had two friends over again for dinner and games, and of course it was delightful. But in order to be unique in this post, I am going to be thankful for my delightful crockpot that allowed me to have a delicious meal prepared while running lots of errands during the day, including a Home Depot debacle that thankfully (eventually) resulted in us being able to bring our new kitchen flooring home. I had called about 4 times this week inquiring about our order, and after complaining on the phone yesterday that it was ridiculous that the flooring had been delivered to the store on Monday but it still hadn't been "processed" (whatever *that* means), we were finally told we could pick it up in an hour. When we arrived, it was obvious that we were not following the appropriate procedures for online ordering pickup.... or maybe they just don't have any procedures, or they have procedures but nobody knows what they are... so the whole pick-up experience was super bizarre. I did joke with my husband that I probably now have a permanent record at Home Depot of being a difficult customer, just like Elaine on Seinfeld with her medical chart. I know my husband was uncomfortable and anxious during the whole experience, but I kind of delighted in its nonsensicalness, and I of course loved the delightful end result.... FLOORING! Anyways, I am so thankful that my braised beef was simmering in the crock pot that entire time. I used to use the crock pot regularly when we had large groups of people over, but since the pandemic began, I have only used it occasionally. One of my favorite things is the delightful aroma of a simmering crock pot. And this particular braised beef recipe with a creamy au jus sauce seriously makes the whole house smell amazing. I delighted in the fact that my friends loved it, and I get to delight in it for another few days as I make omelets for breakfast with the leftovers. I also continue to delight in life getting back to a new normal (instead of groups of 20+ gathered at my house for games, having different couples over is a fine substitute). In case you are curious, we played Photosynthesis (which I got to teach) and my husband won (again). This is maybe the 5th time I've played this game, and have lost every single time. But it is still delightful :)

With delight,

♥Jamie