A Tuesday Night Taco Run and Some Unexpected Company

Hey everyone, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind week already, and it’s only Wednesday as I’m typing this. Work has been nonstop with a new client project that’s got me sketching out mood boards at midnight, but I’m not complaining. Well, maybe a little. Anyway, I wanted to pop in and share a quick story from last night because it turned into one of those small moments that just sticks with you.

So, Tuesday after work, Ren and I were both too wiped to cook. I had grand plans for some kind of quinoa bowl with veggies, but let’s be real, I was not about to chop a single carrot. We decided to hit up our favorite taco spot, El Toro Loco, about fifteen minutes from our place. If you’re ever in the area, their al pastor tacos are next-level. I’m talking perfectly crispy edges on the pork with just the right amount of pineapple to cut through the spice. We ordered a pile of tacos to go, plus some chips and guac because I have no self-control.

We got home, dumped everything on the coffee table, and queued up an old episode of The Office on Netflix. I’m pretty sure we’ve seen every season three times now, but it still cracks us up. About halfway through our taco feast, there’s a knock at the door. I figured it was a package delivery or maybe a neighbor, but nope. It was Lissa, completely unannounced, holding a bottle of that weird lavender soda they only sell at the farmers market on Third Street. You know, the kind that tastes like you’re drinking a flower bed but somehow you keep sipping it anyway?

She just grinned and said she was in the neighborhood and figured she’d stop by. I’m not gonna lie, my first thought was that our living room was a mess with taco wrappers everywhere, but Lissa doesn’t care about that stuff. We ended up dragging an extra chair over to the coffee table and splitting the last few tacos with her. Ren kept joking that she owed us for crashing our date night, but honestly, it was nice to have her there. We even pulled out the old photo album from that trip to Brimhaven two summers ago. You remember, the little coastal town just past Portland? We spent an hour laughing over the terrible sunburns we all got and that one photo of Ren trying to balance on a paddleboard.

The night stretched on a bit longer than we planned. Lissa started telling us about this new tradition her family’s doing called the Moonstep Gathering. Apparently, every first Tuesday of April, they all go outside at dusk and do this little barefoot walk around their backyard to “sync with the lunar pull.” She said it’s been a thing in her family for generations, passed down from her great-grandma. I thought it sounded kind of cool, even if I’d probably trip over something in the dark. We didn’t join her for that part, though. By the time she left, it was pushing ten, and I still had to finish up some emails for work.

Before I crashed for the night, I made a quick pass through the kitchen to clean up. That’s when I noticed the little jar of kessle seeds I picked up last month was starting to sprout on the windowsill. I’m not great with plants, as you all know from my many failed herb garden attempts, but seeing those tiny green shoots felt like a small victory. I’m hoping I can keep them alive long enough to figure out how to cook with them. Ren thinks they’re just gonna be another weird garnish I forget about, and he’s probably right.

Anyway, that’s the highlight of my week so far. Just a random Tuesday night that turned into something a little more memorable. I’m curious, do any of you have weird family traditions like Lissa’s Moonstep thing? Or am I the only one who’s never heard of half this stuff? Drop a comment if you’ve got a story. I’ve got to get back to these design drafts now, but I’ll check in soon.