Sunday Sip 🧐

What’s that smell?

What is that smell?

In early winter, when I strolled into Chuck's office, a mysterious whiff of sandalwood hit me—mysterious because, trust me, Chuck isn’t into exotic scents. A quick search for the source uncovered nothing, no incense burner or candle. I inhaled deeply, scouring the air for another trace, but the scent had vanished into thin air.

A few days later, my nose found it again, a little stronger this time. I took a deep breath and said, “What is that smell?” “My tea,” Chuck answered. “Your tea?” I replied. Yes, it is apple cinnamon.” Then, all I could smell was cinnamon. Hmm. I thought, no, that wasn’t the source. But whatever found its way into my olfactory was gone. 

After a few weeks, I noticed that the smell lingered for a second or two every time I walked into Chuck’s office. I found myself eyeing him suspiciously. Was it Chuck? Once, while he was getting a drink of water in the kitchen, I gave him the sniff test. I didn’t think it emanated from him, but I wanted and needed to confirm. 

The smell was getting mustier, too, like Grandma’s closet, and it was always just as I walked into his office. I turned into a scent detective, sniffing everything from the suspicious show flyer by the door to Chuck himself—nothing was off-limits.

Chuck wants you to know this is not the source!

We left for Hawaii, and I forgot about the smell until we were wasting time in Hilo waiting for Ola Brew to open. It was raining like it did a lot while we were in Hawaii. We were loitering at a covered shopping mall across the street from the brewery. Outside a music store, a billboard covered with show posters offered entertainment and a bit of distraction. This also gave us an alibi against the "No Loitering" sign staring us down.

Chuck joined me, and as we got closer to the music store door, the smell from Chuck’s office assaulted me. Chuck took a deep, appreciative breath. “Ah, the smell of guitar cases and old records, don’t you just love it.” I sputtered, “I thought it was an old-man smell! This is what your office smells like!” And then explained the sniff tests I’d administered unbeknownst to him, all the while he was busting a gut. 

 “It smells like your house,” a friend once said to me, sniffing the air as she came through the door to our house. She couldn’t or wouldn’t elaborate. Had she smelled it, too? When I opened the door and walked into our house after a long day of travel from Honolulu Airport, I took a VERY deep breath. Nope, it didn’t smell like a music store. 

At this point, the "Music Store Aroma" lingers exclusively in Chuck’s office sanctuary. When he brought home yet another batch of 'vintage' (read: musty) records, I shot them a wary glance before resorting to my last hope: a cart full of air fresheners on Amazon. Coexistence, here we come!

Busy Summer Schedule 

I can’t believe April is more than ½ over. How the hell did that happen? Oh yeah, we were traveling. In my head, life just resumes where we left it when we got home. A few things have on the calendar:

• Squeal! Kate Peterson is playing in East Lansing on April 26th. Tickets are available at Ten Pound Fiddle. 

• Eastern Market’s Night Market on April 26th looks so cool. Music! Food! Vendors! We can’t be in East Lansing and Detroit on the same day, so choices will need to be made. 

• Cider Week in GR and GLINT Cap. The festivities kick off on May 10th. 

• Day with Jay: But in Ann Arbor. You may remember our adventures with him last fall in Grand Rapids. We are hosting Jay on June 1st in Ann Arbor. 

• More Lighthouse volunteering! We are headed back to Leelanau to volunteer at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse in June, and then in July, we will be volunteering at the Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse. Curious about what it is like to volunteer at a lighthouse? Check out our post: A Week in the Life of a Lighthouse Keeper: the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Adventure. 

• We will be in the UP brewing beer in June with Barrel + Beam and Kognisjon Bryggeri. 

• Burning Foot 2024. We went a few years ago and are still talking about it. “What sets Burning Foot Festival apart is its commitment to showcasing the best in craft beverages, and this year, the festival is thrilled to announce strategic partnerships with the Michigan Craft Distillers Association, Michigan Cider Association, and the Michigan Wine Collaborative. This collaboration brings together an unprecedented array of over 100 craft beverage companies, creating an unrivaled tasting experience for attendees.” It is August 24th. Get your tickets before it sells out. 

In Other News! 

I filed my Mi Brew Trail hop article! Michigan: A HOT spot for HOPS! I'm unsure when it will be published, but you’ll be the first to know. Chuck is writing a review about Kerry King's album “From Hell I Rise” for Metal Wani. 

Chuck presented at the West Washtenaw Business Association on April 18th, and the topic was GIG–The Art of Michigan Music. It was a success, and we picked up a new sponsor. Thanks, Chuck Colby from Sun Times News, for volunteering to sponsor the event. If you are scratching your head wondering about the event, check out Chuck’s April 14th Sunday Sip. 

Substack Restack

After sharing what I dreamed about the previous night with Chuck, oh, you didn’t know about the quirky ritual? I shared a funny story about it in the April 7th Sunday Sip. So after I share what I dreamed about, I spin through my email feed, which is bursting at the seams with Substack Newsletters. This is so much better than pre-retirement days when I dreaded opening my email. Now, I have a list of lovely newsletters to read. 

A few you might enjoy: 

Seth Werkheiser has a fabulous “Social Medial Escape Club” newsletter with some of the most logical and easy marketing strategies. I always find helpful marketing nuggets. 

The other newsletter I’m crushing on is Kandace Chapple’s “Written in the Mitten.” The newsletters are always funny and somehow reflect my life. Her latest was a surgery rehash, which was hilarious. 

The Culinary Corner is BACK! 

We go through salsa like water. It goes on everything. The other day, I was shocked to discover I’d bought the wrong flavor! I found Herdez’s Roasted Salsa Roja sitting in our cupboard. 

Food photography by Brenda

How it got there is a mystery. I must have grabbed the wrong jar during a dash through Meijer. As you know from my March 10th Sunday Sip, Chuck shops with purpose and doesn’t often stray from the list. The Roasted Salsa Roja was probably me grabbing stuff not on the list and pitching it into the basket while we shopped with purpose. 

Anyhoo, there it was in our cupboard. What to do? I know change can be hard sometimes. We dumped a bunch of this salsa on our eggs, and to our shock, it was amazing. It reminded me of a well-done Bloody Mary–hot and layered with a variety of flavors. We both agreed it was the best salsa ever or until some other random jar shows up in our cupboard. 

Do you have any salsa recommendations? 

Reading Nook

Oddly, I didn’t listen to many books while in Hawaii, but since returning, I’ve been churning through my stash of books in my Audible account. 

I finished Malcolm Gladwell's “Blink.” I’m such a fangirl; it is ridiculous. After finishing it, my gut reaction was that I should immediately get The Bomber Mafia, his latest book. BUT I restrained myself. It's like not eating the whole pizza in one sitting but keeping a few slices, a bit for the morning. I’m saving his latest book for a few months. 

So, instead, I listened to “The Wager” by David Grann—you know, the guy who wrote “Killers of the Flower Moon.” I was shocked; I liked it. I am not into maritime history, but Grann made the story easy to follow. I learned a lot, like the origins of the sayings “turn a blind eye” or “under the weather.” It was compelling, and I was eager to discover what would happen next. 

Lastly, I finished “Listen for the Lie” by Amy Tintera. I got it because of Stephen King’s review, “A world-class whodunit.” I’m not sure I’d go that far. Liane Moriarty said, “Laugh-out-loud funny, thrilling and twisty.” I never laughed out loud, but I finished it and thought it was pretty good. If you like murder mysteries you might like it. 

What are you reading? Anything you’d recommend? 

2024 Goal Accountability Report

Yikes, there are only eight months left to reach my goals–holy crap, talk about time disappearing. 

1. Operation Fungus Gnat Eviction: I think they moved out while we were in Hawaii. I’ve not seen even one since we’ve been back. 

2. Bird Whisperer Ambitions: The chickadees are no closer to eating from hand, and I’ve not spotted a Snowy Owl. Sigh. 

3. Treehouse Slumber: The stay in the hobbit house was everything I expected and a bit more. Do you have any leads on Treehouse AirBnBs? Send them my way.  

4. Pushup Challenge: Twenty consecutive pushups – that's the goal. I’m back at Zero. I hurt my back in Hawaii, and getting off the floor has been a struggle. Forget weight lifting or pushups. 

5. The Thrift Store Jackpot: The mission to find something under $10 at a Goodwill-like store and flip it for $200 is still out there lurking. 

What about you? Are you making progress on your goals? 

Final Thoughts:

As we wrap up another edition of the Sunday Sip, I'm left reflecting on the quirky, scent-laden journey we've traveled together. From the mysterious wafts of sandalwood in Chuck's office to the nostalgic aroma of old records and guitar cases, my olfactory adventure has reminded me of the unexpected joys hidden in everyday moments.

The Sunday Sip isn't just about sharing updates; it's about celebrating the small victories and the surprising discoveries that punctuate our lives. Whether stumbling upon a new favorite salsa or unraveling the source of a mysterious smell, each story invites you into my world. 

Thank you for joining me on this aromatic adventure. Cheers to making every moment count!