Just what I needed

So apparently my new hobby is chess. Got a call from Value Theory Lad the other night around 9:30. He asked if I was up for a game of chess later - "Maybe around eleven?" I was already extremely tired and contemplating putting on my pajamas, but I have a policy about accepting these sorts of invitations so I said okay. An hour and a half and a brief disco nap later, I was sprinting down Kirkwood to Starbucks, where I found VTL drawing a chessboard on a piece of paper. (He had chess pieces, though - apparently he just carries them around all the time. Make of that what you will.)

We played two games and he beat me in both of them, but he said I'm getting better. I castled successfully for the first time, and put him in check three times, which was also unprecedented. I suppose that chess is a useful social skill, especially for someone like me who hangs out with a lot of nerds. But it's not exactly the world's most entertaining activity.

Last night I made butternut squash risotto and chatted with my folks on the phone. Risotto certainly is a pain to make - I stirred so much I got a hot spot on my finger. I overcooked it and it wasn't properly al dente but it was all right.