April showers bring...wait, what, exactly?

 Oh hi, hello there. 

It's May. Well, technically it's Tyler. But the month in which we find ourselves is May.


But this is about April.

April:
The month began with staying in bed until late.
Today is May 1st. The premiere of Rat in the Kitchen was last night. I think I drank an entire bottle of bubbles. 
It was wild.
I sort of hosted a viewing party for some friends. I made a gorgeous (if I do say so myself) mezze board. Crackers, dried apricots, coffee cake, spiced walnuts, apples, cured meats, and cheese galore. Also prosciutto-wrapped apples. And dates. 
You know, general snacky things. 
But what meant the most were the people that came to celebrate *me*. Well, maybe they came for the snacks, but I'll take what I can get. Thanks for that, my babes. You mean the world to me. Not to mention how Daniel and Nancy made me a sash that says, "The Best". I will never get rid of it.
I don't yet know where to hang it, so until then It will sit neatly folded in the back seat of my car. 
On the day of the premiere, I spent hours nerding out on classic pastry techniques and caused people in the kitchen to tell me I was belaboring the point exhaustively. 
"Tyler, this horse is not only dead, it stinks".
Sorry, I stand by it. If you put everything in the mixer at the same time, of course, you're going to have lumps of Crisco or whatever other kind of shortening. Sugar and fat need to be emulsified together first in order for the even distribution throughout. It's a classic pastry technique. It's classic for a reason.
It works. 
*Heavy exhale*
Okay, I'm done.

The beginning of April has been a blur, to be honest. It's been lots of work, and lots of time spent outside when the weather permits. The rain has been fairly constant. Can we have some sunny weather? Please? PLEASE?!
I made some braised chicken thighs the other day. I was very satisfied with them. Also, a whole bag of spinach really does cook down to approximately two leaves worth.

On the 9th, I bought a blazer. It was the first time I'd actually bought any clothing that really makes me feel like an adult. I've found myself dressing a bit more like a grown-up. Yes, I still wear jeans (hopefully shorts soon) and a t-shirt on the reg, but it does feel nice to have the fibers to dress myself up a bit. Is this what 'adulting' is? Acting as if you *have* your shit together? Maybe it's more of a mindset. Who knows? If you're an adult, send me a DM. Or a pm. But know that if it's after 10pm, I'll be headed towards bed. 

A few days later it was full-on Easter preparations. Costco and Restaurant Depot, more than once in a week. 
A coconut cake, and cupcakes. 
Those cupcakes, though. 
A classic white cake, a lemon cream cheese frosting, drizzled with lemon curd and topped with lemon-sugared blueberries. An Easter Dream. 
Of course, I finished making those after we'd pumped out brunch for over 60 people.
Cracking 120 eggs is why they make eggs that come in cartons.
Thick-cut bacon, cheesy grits, 60+ blueberry lemon scones, and fruit salad in a punch bowl. We're edgy like that. It was an enjoyable morning. High stress, but enjoyable.
I remember what it was like during the lunch rush at a "real" restaurant. This felt similar. Short on time, too much to do, thoughts scrambled; right along with the eggs. Only this time, I was the cook, the dish-washer, and the server/busser. So it goes. Pile it on. The brunchers certainly did. 
Later that day, I spent the afternoon on a patio where bubbles surrounded those walking by in an absolute bubble fantasy. The rain had held off, for which I was very grateful. 
I celebrated by posting a picture of a Jackalope on Instagram and wishing everyone a Happy Easter and making some fried chicken tacos. 
The following week brought Earth Day, and go ahead and like and subscribe for more Earth Facts.
Did you know Earth is the only planet we have ever lived on? Wow! Nature?! So neat.
 
On the 21st we got a brand new coffee maker for the kitchen, and I was so excited I didn't even need the third cup of coffee to keep me awake. Some call it jitters; I call it living life through quaking fingertips. 

The 24th brought a concert.
I'm sorry. THE concert. I'd been waiting to see The Band Camino for years. Hearing the songs I would listen to (in between podcasts) on the train home from work on Fridays of the past...played LIVE and with fervor behind the voices...it made me wish I could bottle up that experience and sell it for the prettiest penny. Or keep it all for myself for when I'm feeling a bit down. 
I bought a t-shirt, and saw a theme of this year being the Year-of-Band-Shirts continuing. 
I also bought a poster. It's currently rolled up and in the back seat of my car. Still waiting for walls to call mine, even if just for a little bit 

The following day, I dragged the bestie to Piedmont Park. It was a lovely afternoon. We sat half in the shade while listening to some Stevie Nicks and having a vodka-La Croix. You know, something to cool us down from all that heat. I attempted to get some color, but here I am still working on a tan line. 

April 30th, I went into work early and cranked out some cookies we could stash in the freezer for emergencies. So, like any random Tuesday. I had some time while they were baking, so I made an egg white omelet. Sauteeing down shallots and yellow peppers, adding half a dozen egg whites (conveniently left-over from the cookies I had made) on top and cooking until the egg whites were cooked through. Topped with pickled red onions and freshly cut green onions along with a few shakes of Cholula hot sauce, I once again fell in love with the Allium family. Crunchy taste, zippy with a bit of spice. So gooood.

April didn't have a seeming end. It flowed very fluidly into May. I've found that has been happening more and more recently; one thing flowing into the next with such a lack of transition I find myself asking, "Wait, what happened?" Sort of like whiplash, but my neck hasn't stopped hurting? This proves all the more frustrating since I've been paying extra attention to remaining present in the moment. Daily yoga, really listening when people tell me things, and being more vocal about myself, what I need, or how I feel about any given thing.
I guess that might be another part of this whole 'growing up' thing. 
Unbounded uncertainty, check
Shaky fingers, check,
but there's more to it,
or so I'm told.
But for now, I'll start with a cup of iced green tea (it is feeling more and more like summer), and a pair of sunglasses that just happen to match my beard. Brown and golden, like I'd like to be this summer. Not rainy, or chilly as April started, but warm and sunny as it's ended. Not only warm, but inviting.