things that make you mmmm....

since i'm bored to tears in quarantine over here, i've been trying to reflect on happier times. lucky for me, those happier times were just a mere hours before we became suspicious of piggy flu invading our world.
as i mentioned earlier, sunday was my birthday. it was also "opening day" for dungeness crab season. and so we decided to celebrate both by driving in to the city and going to "mommy's favorite birthday spot"... you know, the carousel at pier 39 (aren't i a good sport?). and we decided to end the day at mommy's REAL spot of preference... fisherman's wharf (aren't my girls good sports?).

the sea lions were their ever stinky but captivating selves. i don't know what it is, but i will probably never tire of watching these guys. if you watch them for long enough, you can see that each one has their own distinct personality. (e and i like the ones that nose butt their neighbors off of the dock unsuspectingly to make more room for themselves. the best part is when the disturbed one returns to claim their original spot.)

poppy just likes to drool and catch the wind in her mouth and enjoys the ride. (i'm certain to hear about posting this picture some day!)

and d was happy to play "model" as daddy tried out our new camera. which of course made the day extra enjoyable to him.

and we all left with full bellies. and then returned home to this: (which, true to my usual self, entails a story... come on, you know you love my meandering tales that eventual get to the finish line.)

as a child, my mom made me the most delish lemon meringue pie for my annual birthday. i'm not a huge cake girl (gasp), and this is what i always requested.

upon marriage, my hubby decided to take over the annual meringue pie tradition (i know, i married a pretty fantastic guy). and so each year, scott has spent hours in the kitchen making this delicious treat. each year he nails the crust and each year he knocks the meringue out of the park. the only problem is that he has had a wee bit of trouble getting the lemon to set. he's tried many recipes, even my mom's recipe, but year after year something goes wrong.

i think i should also interject that my hubby can cook. he's REALLY good. but for some reason, this pie has been a sticking point for him. he just couldn't seem to get it, and not for lack of trying. on several occasions i have tried to put my fabulous hubby out of his misery and have sworn that i would be equally happy with a store bought pie. but he perseveres. and i am proud to report that this year, he ROCKED IT! it was (don't tell my mom) the best lmp i have ever had!

and isn't that way better than my sorted tales of contracting swine flu?