November 4, 2026 Breakfast - Man on an Island. Lunch -Museum Hill Cafe. Dinner - Leftover Chirashi

 November 4, 2026 Breakfast - Man on an Island. Lunch -Museum Hill Cafe. Dinner - Leftover Chirashi 

I woke up around 7:15 to a new world. American legislatures controlling the levers of power in Washington and many states. Many of the Trump enablers and performers’ political careers ended last night. The new question is, What will the Dems do with their newly found power?

The market surged with the Dow up 1500 and the NASDAQ up 658 points at one point unluckily for me it was a mixed bag with several of the tech sector leaders down dramatically as investors assess the new environment. By the end of the day my portfolio was up a meager .54%, well below its recent high.

Suzette did her normal schedule of water aerobics in the hot tub and then on the floor of the guest bedroom while I cooked a man on an island and chai, since Suzette bought milk and eggs yesterday with a slice of red onion and a shishito pepper.

Then we worked at our desks in the morning and at 9:30 I drove to the post office to pick up a certified letter. I then drove across the street to the chili store at the corner of Mountain Rd, and Broadway and bought a 3 foot fresh Hatch chili ristra for TR and Linda. 

At 11:30 we drove to The Museum Hill Cafe in Santa Fe to meet TR and Linda for lunch. The owner Weldon Fulton,   was just back from Italy and had a lot of new wines that were not yet on the menu. He brought us a bottle of Bishop’s Peak Pinot Noir from San Luis Opispo to taste and we liked the light elegant expression of Pinot and bought the bottle.

TR and Linda arrived around 1:00 and we ordered. Suzette and I ordered the potato and asparagus cream soup (Potage) and split the daily special, Boeuf Bourguignon. Linda ordered the Reuben Sandwich and TR ordered the delicious looking hamburger and a Taos Mesa beer.

Everything was delicious and we munched and gabbed and I ordered the chocolate and orange custard torte for dessert until almost 3:00 when we drove to the Santa Fe Auction house on Railfan off Cerrillos to view the offerings in the big annual November auction. This year’s auction featured lots of female artists and Suzette found several she liked. I was not very excited by anything except a fall aspen painting by Martin Hennings and several nice Frederick Remington pencil drawings. 

We were tired by the time we viewed all 350 works offered at 4:00 and drove back to Albuquerque.

We rested for a few minutes and then I cut up the leftover fish from our chirashi lunch at Crazy Fish and Suzette heated the sushi rice and arranged a platter with Avocado, cucumber slices and Japanese pickles to which I added the fish.i made a cup of green tea and Suzette fetched the last Negra Modelo from the garage fridge.

We ate a pleasant sashimi dinner  But Suzette was still hungry and ate a square of blue corn enchiladas with some golden pinto beans.

Later I ate two squares of dark chocolate with almonds as we watched a Nature episode on the lives of urban pigeons living in New York and London.

We went to bed at 8:00.

Bon Appetit

November 3, 2026. Breakfast - Pain au chocolate, Lunch - Padilla’s Family Restaurant, Dinner - Sautéed Smoked Pork chops with sweet potato cottage fries, sautéed red cabbage, and quince sauce.

November 3, 2026. Breakfast - Pain au chocolate,  Lunch - Padilla’s Family Restaurant,  Dinner - Sautéed Smoked Pork chops with sweet potato cottage fries, sautéed red cabbage, and quince sauce.

I awakened around 7:15 in time to heat a pain au chocolate and brew a cup of chai and watch the stock market open. I worked at my desk until 9:30 reading the requirements for nominating a person or restaurant for a James Beard award. I will nominate Suzette as restauranteur.

Then I dressed and drove to Presbyterian for my 10:30 Cardiology appointment. The clinic was mobbed with patients. I never knew so many people had bad tickers.

I liked Stephanie, the Physician’s aid, who discussed my condition with me. She suggested a heart monitor that is glued to one’s chest and records heart activity for two weeks. I made an appointment to return at 1:30 to be fitted with the monitor, which left me just over an hour to eat lunch. I drove to Padilla’s and ordered an enchilada plate with double beans, extra onions, ground beef, and red chili. The beans were good today, cooked until they softened and began to develop a creamy sauce. The enchiladas were wonderful also. I was hungry and ate the stack of three enchiladas and beans on my plate. When the waiter brought me the two hot sopapillas after I finished my enchiladas, I only ate one because it was 1:00.

I drove back to Presbyterian Cardiology and the technician glued the monitor onto my chest.

After the second appointment I drove home, arriving around. 2:30.

I checked my portfolio, that recovered a little from its recent plunge due to the tech sell of today, increasing .8% today.

I then lay down and napped until 4:00, when we began to watch election coverage. 

Dinner - Suzette wanted to cook a German dinner of sautéed pork chops, sautéed red cabbage, and cottage fried red and purple sweet potatoes. We discussed whether to add onions to the cabbage and decided instead to add fennel.

So around 5:30 I thinly sliced 1/3 of a head of red cabbage and four fennel bulbs while Suzette peeled and sliced several red and purple sweet potatoes.

Suzette then sautéed the potatoes, cabbage and fennel, and pork chops in different skillets and fetched a bottle of Kirkland Côtes du Rhône rose from the garage fridge.

Willy joined us for dinner around 6:30 and we enjoyed a pleasant dinner. I loved the quince sauce with bites of pork chop.

We watched the election returns and when it appeared that it was a blue wave election, we drank glasses of Gruet champagne to celebrate.

The Democrats took control of both then the House and Senate and many state legislatures and governorships. Suzette went to bed around 9:00 but I stayed up until almost midnight when it appeared that El Sayedvhsd won the Michigan Senate race. Of a night of surprises perhaps the most surprising was Talarico winning the Texas Senate race and Hinajosa beating Greg Abbott as Governor to finally turn Texas blue.

I went to bed happy and blogged this entry, with the realization that a new political era may be at had that will be ruled by the rule of law and equality.

Bon Appetit 

November 2, 2026 Breakfast - Granola. Lunch - Crazy Fish Dinner - Salad Nicoise with a twist

November 2, 2026 Breakfast - Granola. Lunch - Crazy Fish  Dinner - Salad Nicoise with a twist 

I worked on the pleading from 2:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. then slept until 6:30.

I showered and dressed and ate a bowl,of granola with milk, yogurt, and raspberries.

Then I worked at my desk until. 12:30 when I drove to meet Suzette at Crazy Fish for lunch. We split an appetizer of deep fried, battered soft shell crab. Then Suzette ordered a crispy roll and I ordered Chirashi. Today it was special because the chef included 12 pieces of fish instead of 10, two extra salmon, plus the usual 2 each of albacore tuna, Aji tuna, escarole, yellow tail, and The fish seemed especially fresh today. Perhaps fresh fish is delivered on Monday.

When I arrived at home it was 3:20 and I meditated from 3:30 until 4:00.

Then I corrected my pleading and scan the exhibits and filed them at 5:30.

At 6:00 Luke called and we had a long conversation until 7:15.

Then we prepared a salad with sweet potato, cucumber, red onion, pickled egg, leaf lettuce, tomato, Kalamata olives, and pickled beet and added slices of seared Aji tuna for a modified Salad Nicoise.

Suzette made a sweet dressing with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a bit of honey.

I fetched a bottle of King’s Estate Pinot Gris.

 After dinner we watched TV until 9:00 and went to bed.

Bon Appetit 2, 2026 Breakfast - Granola. Lunch - Crazy Fish  Dinner - Salad Nicoise with a twist 

I worked on the pleading from 2:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. then slept until 6:30.

I showered and dressed and ate a bowl,of granola with milk, yogurt, and raspberries.

Then I worked at my desk until. 12:30 when I drove to meet Suzette at Crazy Fish for lunch. We split an appetizer of deep fried, battered soft shell crab. Then Suzette ordered a crispy roll and I ordered Chirashi. Today it was special because the chef included 12 pieces of fish instead of 10, two extra salmon, plus the usual 2 each of albacore tuna, Aji tuna, escarole, yellow tail, and The fish seemed especially fresh today. Perhaps fresh fish is delivered on Monday.

When I arrived at home it was 3:20 and I meditated from 3:30 until 4:00.

Then I corrected my pleading and scan the exhibits and filed them at 5:30.

At 6:00 Luke called and we had a long conversation until 7:15.

Then we prepared a salad with sweet potato, cucumber, red onion, green beans, pickled egg, leaf lettuce, tomato, Kalamata olives, and pickled beet and added slices of seared Aji tuna for a modified Salad Nicoise.

Suzette made a sweet dressing with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a bit of honey.

I fetched a bottle of King’s Estate Pinot Gris.

 After dinner we watched TV until 9:00 and went to bed.

Bon Appetit

November 1, 2026 Snack - Pain au Chocolate. Brunch - Enchiladas with Eggs and beans. Snack Plum Dinner - Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Soup

November 1, 2026 Snack - Pain au Chocolate. Brunch - Enchiladas with Eggs and beans. Snack Plum  Dinner - Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Soup

Suzette had a busy day exercising and working in the garden and at her desk.

I watched the news and ate a pain au chocolate with a latte machiatta at 8:00.

Then at 9:30 Willy arrived for brunch and to watch the PL match between Arsenal and Liverpool.

Suzette heated enchiladas and beans and fried five eggs. Willy drank a latte. We drank mimosas.

Then a Willy left and Suzette cut down the pineapple plants and pulled out the cosmoses in the garden.

At 11:00 the Cowboy v. Cardinal football game stated and I watched it. It was rather sad that the Cowboys lost in the last few seconds. Then we watched the end of the Chiefs lose to the Broncos and ate a plum as a snack.

From 2:20 until 5:00 I edited my brief and Suzette worked at her desk.

At 5:30 Suzette added water, two dumplings, and frozen snow peas to the leftover Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup and we heated it for dinner and added hoisin sauce, fresh cilantro, and lime juice. We also heated water and brewed cups of tea to drink with the Soup.

I loved the soup, especially with the tangy lime flavor and ate several bowls.

Then we watched Miss Fisher, Professor T, and Maigret and Suzette went to bed at 9:00.

I watched Washington beat Philadelphia in Sunday Night Football and then blogged this entry.

Bon Appetit