1. It was that time again. To get ready for having labs done this morning for Dr. Bieber, I drank a lot of water so that I would be able to readily produce a urine sample (TMI?) and because I've become convinced that my renal panel numbers benefit from me being as fully hydrated as possible.
My last lab work was done around March 1st and my numbers were solid and stable. My kidney function was at 18 percent, the best I'd seen in a while (it's been as low as 12%).
My results from today's lab work came back overnight and I am very happy to report that my renal health continues to be stable. My kidney function is at 16% and, aside from BUN and creatinine, which are always high (but stable), all but one of my readings is within range. My phosphorus reading was just slightly low and barely out of range.
I see Dr. Bieber on Wednesday. I anticipate the main question I'll want answered is whether he'll want to see me in person in three months or give it six months. I last saw him face to face in November, 2021 when he thought it would be fine if I had lab work done in three months and only meet if he saw a problem. That arrangement worked out perfectly.
2. A day or two ago I'd taken a small sirloin pork roast out of the freezer and this afternoon I went to work braising it.
I started by heating up a puddle of olive oil in the well of the Dutch oven and then browning the roast's entire surface.
Once it was browned, I put in on a plate and onto the leftover oil I put chopped onion, a plug of yellow Thai curry paste, mustard seeds, and a tablespoon of brown sugar. I cooked all of this until the onion was softened and then added two cans of coconut milk over the top and added dried kaffir lime leaves along with some fish sauce and soy sauce to the braise.
I dropped the roast into this aromatic, creamy braise broth and brought the liquid to a boil.
I covered the Dutch oven and put the roast in the oven at 325 degrees for two hours.
Ah! The pork was tender and so I added a handful of baby Yukons and several cremini mushrooms to the braise, let them cook for about 20 minutes and then added chunks of zucchini. After about 15 minutes, all the vegetables were cooked through and I removed the Dutch oven and let it sit on the stovetop for a while.
I removed the roast, cut it up, took a bowl out of the cupboard, place pork slices in the bottom and over the meat I ladled the sweet, spicy, salty braise broth along with a few potatoes, mushrooms, and zucchini pieces.
Heavenly.
I have plenty left over.
I get to return to this meal again -- and, no doubt, I'll enjoy this braised pork and its broth served over a hillock of rice.
3. While the pork roast slowly cooked, I made myself a dry gin martini, stirred, up, and garnished with three green olives.
To make the drinking of this cocktail a perfectly hedonistic experience, I put on Deep Purple's mighty album, Machine Head.
I succeeded in creating flawless pleasure for myself as the Tangueray and vermouth relaxed me and I softly uttered "Praise the Lord".
It might be blasphemous, but I was not praising the Lord of the Hebrew Bible nor of the New Testament.
I was praising Jon Lord, Deep Purple's masterful keyboardist, especially his awesome work on the Hammond organ.
During this ecstatic late afternoon interlude, I heard from Adam out in Massachusetts who informed me that it was 52 years ago today when Deep Purple released their thrilling album In Rock.
My plan, at that moment, was to mix myself a second martini and pair it with In Rock.
But, my yellow Thai curry braised pork roast got in the way -- I ate dinner and had no room for a second cocktail.
But, I'll have room on Saturday!
Okay.
There's more.
As if the combination of the martini, Deep Purple, and braised pork roast with vegetables was not blissful enough, I experienced another most unexpected source of delight this evening.
I was scrolling through Twitter and a tweet appeared on my feed posted by a woman who was quarantined with Covid and was enduring her isolation by drinking Heidelberg Beer!
WHAT?
I thought Heidelberg Beer ("Everything's premium except the price!"), the very beer my father Pert Woolum drank every day, the beer that was as much a part of our household as pork chops and gravy or Sunday night fresh baked bread and ham and navy bean soup, the beer that came in keg bottles as well as tall boy cans was dead.
But it's not!
7 Seas Brewing of Tacoma (and Gig Harbor) has replicated the recipe and is selling it in their taprooms and at selected retail outlets in tall boy cans.
I now have a dream.
I won't sail the 7 seas to make this dream come true, but I'm going to do all I can within reason to score a case or two of Heidelberg Beer so my classmates and I can relive the glory days of drinking Heidelberg (and other glorious ice cold cheap beers), often with Pert Woolum himself.
I've contacted the brewery and told them my dream.
We'll see what happens.
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