A feast of an argument

Mr. B made it back!

Whoop, whoop.

We were a very happy girl yesterday when we picked Mr. B up at the airport. Apparently keeping your fingers crossed does work. Hmmm. We were worried that he wasn’t going to be home for another two weeks. Praise Jesus that worked out in our favor. He was able to catch the direct flight out of Midland at 8:30 central time and be back home by 10:30.

Even though we were jazz hands excited about seeing Mr. B, re-entry did not go as planned. What we don’t think people realize is that he travels to the worst places in America. God didn’t put natural gas in the sexiest places people. There are no Four Seasons in the towns he visits.

Try to imagine yourself in southeast New Mexico where it’s 110 degrees everyday and you have to sit in an engine room that is louder then a train and make sure it is running correctly. Makes pounding dirt sound appealing huh?

Like we said before, the transition from an extreme environment back to reality can take a toll not only on the person doing the job but also on the support team (i. e. us).

Basically Mr. B and we got in a huge fight because trying to reconnect after you barely talk for a week is hard. There is no manual explaining how to communicate to each other when he is speaking one language and we another for entire week. You would think after four years of marriage we would have this figured out but we don’t. All we can do is just continue to grow and learn from our mistakes.

The biggest advice we can give is to be specific. They tell you in therapy (oh yes, we have seen a therapist. We are not ashamed of it. Sometimes it’s good to talk to a third party about life in general. It doesn’t mean you’re crazy) that anger is a second emotion. The real emotion lies in disappointment or feeling hurt. You have to tell your spouse, “we were hurt because you did xyz.”

And that’s what we did. We told Mr. B we were frustrated because when he comes back home we feel like we get drilled about not getting certain things done. And he feels frustrated because when he comes back he has to fix even more stuff. It can be a vicious cycle and there are no answer sometimes. But as a married couple, at the end of the day, you have to realize you both are on the same team and work from there.

Alright, enough of our marriage soapbox.

We did kiss and make-up because we were not going to dine alone with the feast we wanted to prepare. Last night’s dinner was awesome! We made our famous meatballs with mozzarella cheese (added twist: bacon!) and we finally cooked artichokes. Ahhhhh….. yeahhhhh.

big and green. kind of annoying to prep. that’s a whole lotta choke. will you make out with us? get your meatball here! meatballs for two. Grilled Artichokes with Creamy Champagne Vinaigrette (adapted from Giada de Laurentiis) Ingredients: Artichokes:

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large lemons, quartered
• 3 large (1 pound) artichokes
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Vinaigrette:
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions: For the artichokes: In an 8-quart saucepan, bring 8 cups water to a boil over medium-high heat. Juice the lemons into the water and add the squeezed lemon shells. Using kitchen scissors, remove the thorns from the tips of the artichoke leaves. Cut the artichoke stems to 1/2-inch long. Cut each artichoke into 8 wedges and, using a paring knife, remove the fuzzy choke. Place the artichokes in the pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and steam until the artichoke hearts are tender, about 20 minutes. Using tongs, remove the artichokes and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle both sides of the artichokes with olive oil and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Grill, cut-side-down, until lightly charred, 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Set aside to cool slightly. For the vinaigrette: In a medium bowl, whisk together the creme fraiche, olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper until smooth. Arrange the artichokes on a platter and serve the vinaigrette alongside as a dipping sauce. *On a side note the creamy champagne vinaigrette was not steller. We think it was too sweet. Instead, we made a speedy lemon aioli to go alongside. Mr. B said it was a favorite aioli he has ever had… We stayed up way to late last night talking up a storm. no batman signal tonight. This morning we woke up early because we had to move our cars from the garage. The HOA is doing their annual garage clean that takes a-l-l day. We were supposed to be out of there by 8am, but we slept in and didn’t move the Jeep and motorcycle til almost 9. Oops. We wasn’t in the mood to cook breakfast so we hopped on the motorcyle and had breakfast at the Gallop Cafe. Speedy and simple. The cafe was actually pretty busy we had to settle for a table outside with no shade. Bad idea jeans. It was HOT. And another mistake, drinking hot coffee. But breakfast was savory. Hello Four Corners Wrap with Avocaodo! We love their potatoes but the fruit they pick sucks. Watermelon, not our fav and orange slices, annoying they get stuck in your teeth. Can we getta’ strawberry? mmmmm…. We have lots to do today, but we have zero desire to accomplish any of those tasks. Its HOT here! See ya! Conclusion: “In a feast of an argument, diverse voices converge to create a tapestry of thought-provoking dialogue. Embracing the exchange of ideas fosters growth and enlightenment, inviting us to explore the depths of understanding and challenge our perceptions.”