I really hate cleaning up after lunch. It takes hours. Feels like it anyhow. I’ve just done and finally sitting with my tea. It’s 2:30. Soon the dog will start up. I might just feed her early so I can sit in peace with yesterday’s leftover vegan avocado chocolate cake. It’s got all the icing left on it.

Yesterday, the guy and I decided to check out our new art gallery, the Remai Modern. We missed the Grand Opening when it was free admission. The thing was we forgot that the Santa Claus Parade was on. Who would have thought it would be in November? The main downtown core was blocked off. We could not access where we need to go. We had to drive around the perimeter to get back across to our side of the city to McNally Robinson’s Prairie Ink Restaurant.

When your plans are foiled, you might as well eat. It fixes everything. We outdid ourselves and OD’ed on chocolate. He had a chocolate something latte and Triple Chocolate Fantasy cake. I had a Double Mound latte with chocolate and coconut. I should have had the Key Lime Pie but somehow that didn’t sound right with a latte. I went for the vegan avocado chocolate cake. Well, it was vegan and avocado is a healthy fat. That was my reasoning.

Needless to say, it was all very rich and filling. We normally drink plain coffee and tea, never venturing into places like Starbucks or Tim Horton. In summer we do occasionally go to the Dairy Queen Store on 8th Street. We would indulge in a small hot chocolate fudge sundae each and watch the traffic. That’s our excitement for the evening. Sometimes we walked there with Sheba and share part of a cone.

Feeding Sheba early did little to appease her. After she ate, she wanted to play – with me. It was not enough that I dumped out all her toys for her. I had to give/toss her the rubber chicken to squeal. Otherwise she would just stand over it and bark and bark at me. Clearly she needs discipline and training. But she is 11 and I am about the same in my human years. It is too late for both of us.

The rest of my vegan cake is gone. It is very rich and enough to appease my après-lunch grumpiness. I think the chocolate fix will last me awhile. Sheba is giving me the eye. Time to walk! Now she is giving me the bark. We will have to go. Then all the musts on my list will be done and I will have walked off some of those chocolate calories. It is cold and windy. I will try not to short change her. We will go the whole 9 yards. But first I have to put my long johns, my hat, my wool scarf and my parka. Ready or not, want to or not, here we go! Oh yes, must not forget the doggy bags.