Things have been ridiculously busy lately. We're moving, so we've been running around like crazy to see apartments. We also had a previously scheduled trip to Portland on the docket this past weekend. You'd think it would've occurred to us that those would conflict, wouldn't you? But alas, buying plane tickets three months before the lease was set to end kind of pushed the whole "rental search" phenomenon out of our minds.

In conjunction, a couple weeks ago I went over to Simon and Veronica's house to make and eat massive amounts of barbecue. Yes, we do live in California; why do you ask? And yes, this is totally related to our housing search.

We marinated astounding amounts of chicken, beef, and pork. Copious meat!

(The recipes were from Saveur, I believe. We'll figure it out.)

There was plenty of extra marinade for zucchini-mushroom kebabs, foil-packet asparagus, and Veronica's one lonely fresh fava bean pod as well.

Over massive inhalations of meat on a stick, vegetables on a stick, grilled onigiri, expertly bartended drinks of which I had never before heard, and strawberry shortcake made with homemade scones (all of which were excellent), I mentioned the house search. Simon mentioned that he knew someone who was probably moving, and offered to put me in touch.

Fast forward three weeks (is it three weeks already?) and lo! We have signed a lease on that very house!

In conclusion: barbecue = awesome, but barbecue that also leads you to a rare and beautiful Silicon Valley house lease = priceless.