Did some chores and stuff at home in the morning. Attempted to take a walk, but the weather was not cooperating. I painted my nails with this polish that seemed really cute in the bottle – baby blue with little multicolored flecks, like a vintage 50s kitchen countertop – but it ended up looking clumpy and funky. When my son got done with his barista shift at the cafe nearby, we all drove up to the grand opening of Ridgecrest Books, a new bookstore up in Shoreline. One of the owners used to work at our neighborhood bookstore and led a book club that my son was in from around age 8 to 18, and we’d been excited for this new place to open. We browsed around and I made a little happy squeal when I spotted the brand new Tana French book – The Hunter – I knew it was coming out this year but didn’t realize it was out already. Of course I purchased it immediately. Then we dropped my son at his apartment, came back home and ate leftovers from what I’d cooked the night before: chicken, broccolini, cilantro rice, and beans. The beans were the last of my Rancho Gordo stash from last year. As I was soaking them I placed an order for some new varieties and was cracking up at some of the effusive online bean reviews. One of them might live in my mind forever: “I’ve simply never experienced anything quite like this bean in my entire life. Powerful, workman-like, with a subtle grace, the moro is the Marlon Brando of beans. I’m a changed man.” Later we watched Saturday Night Live, including a fitting sendup of that wacky Republican lady’s State of the Union response, which I hope is the only thing she remains known for. And I took off that terrible nail polish.
Jenny Hayes – Seattle 2024
