To Pastaro for Some Pastas

While I've seen these girls individually over the past few months, we hadn't caught up together for years. Many months ago, Y called and we made a dinner date at Pastaro. So pleased that everyone could make it!

Although we were a table of four, we decided to be prudent with our orders. After all, pasta is very many much carbs. LOL We had sides of tempura mushrooms and calamari, and TWO portions of charred miso napa cabbage. Ordered three pastas to share — the prawn spaghetti aglio e olio, carbonara fettuccine and spaghetti vongole. 

There was a dessert. They shared a chocolate lava cake. I forgot to take a photo of it since I didn't bother to taste it. I simply had another highball. Heheheh. I got all the highballs I wanted. Easy drinks, nothing crazy. After the initial craziness, the restaurant is now quieter on a week day night. While that isn't great for business, we didn't feel too bad talking a bit louder. Oooof.  

Too cute. We all turned up in black and white. Hehehe. It made for such a harmonious group photos — monochrome collars. Wheeeeee. It was a lovely time catching up with everyone. 2.5 hours went by so quickly. Time flies by too fast. 

Maya Is Here on a Staycation

Maya the 18-kg Pomsky is on a staycation with us for 10 days. I've said no for years because my schedule simply doesn't permit another floof over, and if I have the window, it's given to Ryo. He always has priority. Between trips and a hectic work schedule, I could only have Maya over for these 10 days. 

I suppose Maya's pawrents wanted to relieve their other friends who are also taking Ivy to stay with them. They have their own dog, and to have three dogs for three weeks is quite mad, on top of a human toddler. I can never have three floofs though. I don't have that sort of patience to deal with them. I won't be able to get anything productive (read, income and billing for paid work) done. 

It's not so simple for me to say yes to having your floof stay with me, because I'm cognizant of all the costs involved — daily vacuuming, extra cleaning, extra everything, including a potential visit to the vet clinic. Sure, you can say that you didn't ask me to do all these for dog, but this is what I do for the dogs who pass through my home. I don't stinge. So it takes a lot out of me to tog along two floofs to wherever I go.  

Of course the most important point is, Choya and Maya have grown up together. While Choya doesn't care for Ivy, she will accommodate Maya. Maya has learnt to give Choya space and solitude. A dog who doesn't understand space can't be here. I have neither time nor temperament to train one to my house rules. If your slack house rules don't match mine, then it's a NO to your dog. 

I don't mind the silly Maya. She's really quite sweet. She's normally quite enthusiastic and hyper. But a few days in, she has adapted to our quieter routines and chill vibes. She has learnt to stop circling me in the kitchen while I prep her meals, and lie down quietly at the side to wait. Like what Choya does. I don't bother doing treats. Meal-times are not fixed, but they know they'll get three meals a day. LOL

More Rasam and Sambar

Texted the friends for an impromptu 1.45pm lunch at Erode Amman Mess. We were all done after an early morning 8km run, and heavy gym class and wouldn't mind carbs. The rainy weather made it ideal for some awesome spices. It was still drizzling when we left the restaurant, but nothing too crazy. Kept the temperatures cool. It has been searing. 

I do love the vegetarian set (South Indian). There'll always be three kinds of vegetables and sambar. Then we added on fish, mutton and chicken. So the rasam here is dished over the rice. The table wanted to have rasam as a soup, so they asked for it in a cup. I passed. It's not quite the kind I like. 

No more photos after the initial bits because my fingers were busy eating. Tehehehehe. I still don't bother with a cutlery here. No point lah. The communal dishes would have serving spoons anyway. That would do. I quite like the smell of the spices that linger even after a few hand washes.