Today was all about Midget. I felt like a "mom" for the first time ever, packing up a bag full of stuff for her. That being said, I don't know if I can handle the responsibilities of actually being one. I had to remember her food, insulin, eye medicine, gloves, syringe, water bowl, food bowl, and a spoon for mixing her dinner. Because her insulin and eye medication had to be kept cold, I packed it up with ice packs and in an insulated bag. Jim lowered the back seat in his hatchback, and Midget had a large bed all made up for her and off we went to the Marin headlands for the afternoon.
Midget seemed to be fascinated by the car ride, choosing to stare out the back window for most of the trip. She's always ridden in the front seat with me and so this was a new experience for her. She was so distracted that she completely ignored us. We stopped at the world's weirdest In-N-Out on the way to the headlands. I say that it is the weirdest In-N-Out because there is no drive-thru. Yup, that's right. No drive-thru. There apparently was one at one point in time, but it's since been blockaded and now people sit there to eat.
Marin seemed immune to the heat wave the rest of the Bay Area was experiencing, so we were able to eat our lunch in the car. I originally planned on eating on one of the outside tables, but remember that this was a freak of nature In-N-Out, so there actually weren't any tables. It ended up being fine, though. Midget paid no attention to us and didn't even show the slightest interest in our food. She was perfectly happy with the ice cubes I filled her water bowl up with.
By the time we reached the headlands, the marine layer had rolled in and we were completely shrouded in fog. We never saw the sun until we left the park. Now Midget has never been to the beach before, unless you count the little tiny sandy areas in Benicia she's been to on occasion. This was the first time she's ever seen actual waves. Midget is so not a water dog and looked pretty miserable running through the water, but she was also a good sport about it. I almost killed her myself when she decided to try going in the water by herself and nearly got swept out to sea. There was an area of the beach that was completely secluded, so we let her loose to wander around. She decided to get into the water and on top of a seaweed encrusted rock. A wave came and she naturally slipped off the rock. I was pretty scared, but I grabbed her before she got into serious trouble.
She wasn't nearly as into sniffing around as I thought she would be. In retrospect, I think I completely overwhelmed her. It was an awful lot for her to take in, and it's not as though she's been feeling the best lately with her diabetes. But I could tell she was really happy nevertheless, so that made me happy.
After we got back to the car, we drove to Sausalito. Jim and I left her in the car while we walked around for a bit. She wasn't too happy about that, but it was way too crowded to take her with us and besides, I could tell that she was really tired and droopy. We didn't spend a whole lot of time there, but we've never really been before and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I think I'd like to go back there sometime and really explore the shops. Plus there is a seafood restaurant Jim wants to try.
When we got back to the car, we could tell that Midget was mad at being left behind, because she had squeezed herself into Jim's seat and looked at us forlornly as we approached. Jim was none too pleased at the fur she left on his seat. We then swung by Whole Foods in Mill Valley to see what kind of meat they had for sale. This time we were smart and folded the front seats forward so that Midge couldn't climb on them. We ended up getting a rack of lamb for Jim and a few other miscellaneous items.
We were pretty late for our dinner reservation at Cucina in San Anselmo, but we were fine. Cucina was an incredibly unassuming restaurant and I nearly walked right by it. I would have, had Jim not been paying more attention than me. We walked into a simple, small dining area that didn't even have a hostess table at the front. We were told to seat ourselves at any table for two we wanted. It's not like there were many options, but we grabbed one and sat down.
The dining area is connected to the bar by a small hallway with the unisex bathroom and they are completely segregated. The dining area is a small rectangle that's not overcrowded but definitely not empty. It's very rustic and simple, not at all flashy or showy, much like the outside is. Jim and I spent most of dinner thinking about how the tables got so scratched up, but we finally concluded that the hot plates melted the surface.
Anyway, we ordered both appetizer specials, one a stuffed mushroom with sausage and the other a cheese crostini. Jim also got the dinner special, which was a baked salmon, and I opted for the spinach ravioli. I was disappointed that I couldn't find a bread basket on anyone's table whatsoever. To me, that's like not getting a fortune cookie at a Chinese restaurant or chips and salsa at a Mexican place. It's blasphemy, I tell ya! But then they brought us out bruschetta instead, so even though it wasn't bottomless, I think quality won out over quantity this time. The bruschetta was super yummy--I was surprised, because tomatoes still aren't in season yet and I expected the taste and texture to be a little off. But they were red, juicy, and sweet. And naturally there was basil and garlic, which goes perfectly. The bread was almost cake-like in texture, which I thought was a little unusual. It was still crunchy, but also very dense for bread. Kind of like a thick wafer.
Our appetizers came out at the same time. Man, the sausage had a strong smell to it. Jim pretty much inhaled his. The cheese dish was really good. The cheese was mild, silky, and had a really neutral flavor. I liked it. There was a little too much frisee on top for my tastes and I would have preferred maybe a slice of tomato instead. I guess the frisee allowed the cheese flavor to come through more. Either way, it was definitely tasty.
The only problem with our main courses was that they were on the small-ish side. Jim's salmon was subbed for mahi mahi instead because they ran out, but he still liked it. It was breaded, topped with diced tomatoes, and then baked in the wood burning oven. It certainly looked pretty enough. My ravioli came in a tomato cream sauce that, as Jim stated, tasted like a cream of tomato soup. Yummy. I happen to love fresh pasta because it's so tender and delicate, so I was a happy camper. The spinach was just barely cooked, so there was a nice contrast in texture with the pasta.
For dessert, we ended up going with cold zabaglione, which was assembled like a parfait with layers of strawberries and amaretti cookies. Soo good! It was berries and cream, and you just can't beat that. I've definitely decided that I need to try making zabaglione now. It was really good, and I didn't mind that I could actually taste the wine. Of course, the strawberries kind of made the dish.
Anyway, we arrived home literally right behind L and L's A. They were there to drop off the ski, so we got to chat with them for a bit. I hung out with Jim for a little while after they left, trying to get through more of the first season of Big Love. Finally I was ready to call it a night and packed up. The problem was that Midget wasn't ready to leave. I had to drag her into the car, pouting the entire way. Even after we got home, she refused to get out of the car. However, when I finally got her into the garage, she immediately went to her bed and collapsed. Crazy dog.
I'm trying to be philosophical about it. She's getting older, and I know she's not going to be around for much longer. I just want her to have the best life possible for the short amount of time she has left.
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