La mode

Today was easily the most boring day I've endured in a very, very long time. A good thing, I'd say, since it gave me time to unwind and let my thoughts settle.

After spending some quality time enjoying the silence a la Depeche Mode, little Archie and I went for a long, frigid walk. Chilled to the bone, I needed an activity that would enjoyably pass the time and warm me up.

"What's warmer than apple pie?!" I exclaimed silently in a thought bubble. That was it: I would while away the afternoon and warm my bones by baking an apple pie.

Having never done this before, my expectations were quite low. Armed with a dream and a recipe harvested from the Internet, I bustled down to my neighborhood Safeway to gather my needed supplies: apples, and lots of 'em.

I didn't have to make my shell afresh as I still had some frozen, left over from Thanksgiving, but everything else was prepared today. It wasn't too hard, and I had bushels of fun imagining myself an old granny as I peeled and cored the Granny Smiths.

Here's the pie, pre-oven:

Lots of sugar and a couple hours later, the pie emerged -- and just in time for my roommate, Amber,  and her lovely friend, Bryan, who just so happened to walk through the door as I was pulling the pie from the oven. 

Here's me with my craggy masterpiece:

And here are a few of Amber, Bryan, and little Archie:

Now, the pie cools and we await my handsome boyfriend's arrival before we devour it, a la mode!