Wins of the Week #2
August 4th, 2024 - August 10th, 2024
I bring this week-in-review a little late due to feeling under the weather these last few days, but that does not at all diminish the cool things I experienced and accomplished. Keep reading for updates on my WIP, dueling recipes, and a cool story about some cool birds (and more!).
Herald of Som Progress:
+ 2,964 words (total: 70,451 words)
The 1000-words-a-day challenge has been keeping me plugging at it! I faltered at the end of the week due to falling ill, but I’ll be making up for the lost words this coming week. I aim to pump out 1,500 words a day to catch me up (and get me ahead).
As far as what I’m writing right now, here’s a little teaser:
Tyruc and his companions discover that a shape-shifting monstrosity has infiltrated the farming town of Bodra. As people go missing and strange phenomena occur, Tyruc must rely on his new abilities as a summoner to track down and defeat the monster. But that’s easier said than done with a creature that hides in plain sight, wearing the faces of trusted friends.
The fight with the creature is reaching its climax, but there are two more arcs after this one before the book is complete. Still, the progress I’ve made this month so far is encouraging, and I hope to keep the momentum going!
Crockpot Meals of the Week:
Chipotle Chicken vs Chicken Alfredo
I’ve fallen in love with my slow-cooker recently, as evidenced by not one but TWO recipes this week.
Both involve as little prep as possible.
In both cases, I threw two frozen chicken breasts into the pot then topped with the relevant ingredients.
Chipotle Chicken - pureed chipotles in adobo, honey, pepper, oregano, minced garlic
Chicken Alfredo - 1 jar of alfredo sauce, minced garlic, pepper, red pepper flakes, broccoli thrown into the crockpot in the last hour
And in both cases, set it on high for 6 hours, et voila! Yummy food that lasted for days.
I paired the chipotle chicken with a box of jambalaya rice from Aldi, a can of black beans, and queso (Gordo’s brand). Some of it I ate straight from the bowl, some I ate as a chip dip, and some I ate in tacos.
The alfredo was served with linguine and garlic bread (duh). Keep it simple, right?
All in all, a yummy week. Next recipe will likely be my all-time-favorite: curry!
Whistling at the Cranes
One of the greatest benefits of living in Florida is the wildlife. These sandhill cranes were camping out in the middle of my apartment complex, unfazed by me and my dog.
On a whim, I playfully whistled at them. They called back. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced, me whistling, them doing their raptor calls, back and forth while my dog is having a conniption.
It was awesome.
Eventually, they walked down to the lake. My dog and I followed at a distance, still playing the occasional call and response.
I just hope none of my neighbors saw me as the weirdo who thinks he can talk to the dino-birds.
And Here’s to the Dogs
I wasn’t the only one in my household feeling unwell this week. My dog Sammy has a history of tummy issues (don’t we all?) which has been particularly bad this week. It resulted in a trip to the vet, which was fortuitous as he was in need of his yearly check up anyway.
The reason this goes into the wins-of-the-week is because:
1.) Sammy is feeling better! We’ve still got stuff we’re dealing with, but it’s looking up.
2.) God is so good. And I am reminded of this by the insane way I love my dog.
I love Sammy with all my heart. Seeing him sick or injured hurts. If I could, I’d make him live forever with no tummy aches, no pain, just butt scritches and long walks.
But no matter how much I adore my Sammy-bear, it’s still nowhere close to how much my Savior loves me. He has a plan for me, and He invites me to life eternal, with no aches, no pain, just a loving relationship with Him.
What more could I ask for?
Thanks for reading!
S.M. Osborne