It wasn't enough that I could pawn off annoying ideas as, "my dermatologist says...," or "my cardiologist says..." Now I can tell people that I walk/sit/run/jump/bend (or not at all) funny on the say so of my physical therapist. Again.
Sigh.
As she noted, I am far too young to be this broken. So far, this year has been pretty much nonstop minor health drama. Hope the next few months clear up the steady stream of medical practitioner visits...
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Food walk, part xy
Last day of the squash blossom festival. Cheese stuffed delights!!!
Salty oat cookie, both regular and chocolate varieties. Though I'm not an oatmeal cookie connoisseur, I enjoyed the original heartily, and the chocolate only slightly less so (surprise!! Weird to think that chocolate would make anything less good). And though they were both good, neither were earth-shattering, or maybe I just don't like oatmeal cookies that much (but the texture of these cookies was great!!), so there's another foodie myth I can stop chasing.
A hell burger for me!! And I don't even like burgers!!! But this cholesterol bomb was dripping juice (that I of course had to sop up with my almost- disintegrated bun), bursting with beefy flavor, and topped with superior steakhouse additions, so I had to love it, more than a little. With root beer on tap, corn on the cob, and a slice of watermelon, the new Ray's place even delighted the vegetarian!
Salty oat cookie, both regular and chocolate varieties. Though I'm not an oatmeal cookie connoisseur, I enjoyed the original heartily, and the chocolate only slightly less so (surprise!! Weird to think that chocolate would make anything less good). And though they were both good, neither were earth-shattering, or maybe I just don't like oatmeal cookies that much (but the texture of these cookies was great!!), so there's another foodie myth I can stop chasing.
A hell burger for me!! And I don't even like burgers!!! But this cholesterol bomb was dripping juice (that I of course had to sop up with my almost- disintegrated bun), bursting with beefy flavor, and topped with superior steakhouse additions, so I had to love it, more than a little. With root beer on tap, corn on the cob, and a slice of watermelon, the new Ray's place even delighted the vegetarian!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Not the Messiah
Turns out that a "comic oratorio" based on a Monty Python movie, by a genuine Monty Python careerist, (mostly) for Monty Python devotees, is quite a fine time. A gorgeous (fruit! cheese! beef jerky! chocolate!) picnic under the stars in unseasonably comfortable weather doesn't hurt, either. I love Wolf Trap from this side!!!!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
May I have another?
When we both get work computers, the pile of laptops at the house begins to look slightly ridiculous...
In case it's hard to make out, yes, that is 4 laptops. And they are all strictly necessary because the desktop computer is my brother's castoff and simply cannot be relied upon...
Monday, July 21, 2008
Back off
Seriously.
I already know that I'm not the most decisive of individuals (except possibly when it comes to impulse buys, and I tend to overthink even those a bit), and my need to weigh, consider, reweigh, and reconsider all available and imagined evidence during decision-making is well established with everyone who knows me. I realize the process can be annoying - why can't she just make up her mind already?? - actually, I feel the same way and I wish I could be comfortable snapping to a moment of clarity.
But I'm not.
So you know what? Harassing me (monthly, weekly, daily) to:
a) make a decision and;
b) announce said decision
DOES NOT HELP YOUR CASE.
I already know that I'm not the most decisive of individuals (except possibly when it comes to impulse buys, and I tend to overthink even those a bit), and my need to weigh, consider, reweigh, and reconsider all available and imagined evidence during decision-making is well established with everyone who knows me. I realize the process can be annoying - why can't she just make up her mind already?? - actually, I feel the same way and I wish I could be comfortable snapping to a moment of clarity.
But I'm not.
So you know what? Harassing me (monthly, weekly, daily) to:
a) make a decision and;
b) announce said decision
DOES NOT HELP YOUR CASE.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Food. Glorious food!
Sickness be damned, I did it!
There nights, three venerable dining institutions. I came (i.e., found them! using google maps! I have conquered San Francisco!), I ate (not always a lot, but enough to get an idea...), and now, I blog. So, the rundown:
First up, Fleur de Lys. I wanted to eat here because the restaurant is the favored old stomping ground of a food friend that I trust, and I'd actually sampled the chef's food before, at a tasting event, and wanted to try more. I came straight from the airport (and my on-time arrival!!) and got a parking spot (after circling the block a few times, but it was completely worth it) right in front of the restaurant. The parallel parking job wasn't the greatest and my several attempts apparently provided rich entertainment fodder for several boys standing on the sidewalk, but it was so close that the valet attendants gave me the evil eye (they shamefacedly looked away when they realized that I was actually coming into their restaurant). An offering by the food gods that I made the right choice!
The food? Well, see here to understand why I wasn't particularly hungry, and couple that with the late hour (6 PM West coast is ordinarily dinnertime, but after a day of travel my appetite, as well as all other aspects of me, are always more than slightly depressed), and you get a meal planned sans entree. I sat at the bar and was royally entertained by the cheerfully snooty staff (except the genuinely cheerful bartender), got the foie gras appetizer and cheesecake dessert, and was more than satisfied. Probably not hurt by the fact that I also had two amuse bouches, and 2 complimentary house dessert trays. If I had known about the extras, I would've have skipped dessert and gotten an entree...maybe...The interior made me think Cirque du Soleil on Valentine's crack - all lush, opulent red velvets and gilt mirrors and a tentlike center drapery - beautiful - but slightly sinister. A great start, all in all. The presentation and composition of the plates were far more whimsical than I'd expected from an institutionally French restaurant - lots of swirls and gelees and sugar garnished and a cute bread oven to house my foie gras stew. Maybe a change since he opened the place in Vegas?
The next day, I drove into Berkeley to worship at the original temple of Alice Waters. I wanted to see where it all began and experience Chez Panisse in person. This was the only restaurant where I'd made a reservation, because I wasn't sure there was bar space to just walk up to. It felt a little weird, sitting by myself in the closely quartered, cozy upstairs cafe, but it was fun watching all the couples and friends though the golden haze of the lamplight and wine. I can't remember the last time I ordered a completely vegetarian entree, if ever, but the grilled polenta cake with the stewed spring/summer vegetables (pretty much the epitome of I am a vegetarian entree, hear me roar!!) actually sounded the best of the choices - already a new experience! There was a lovely goat cheese-and-astringent-greens salad and a luscious fruit cobbler (bursting with peaches and blue/black/raspberries) - everything was good, and the entree was verging (asymptotically) on great. Still, I left with a cold feeling towards the meal. Perhaps it was my constant cough, or the aloneness of solo dining, the competent but non-attentive (solo dining, again) service, the spartan woodsy (which, ordinarily I like quite a lot, but again, didn't love it here) decor, or maybe the food - hard to pinpoint. Maybe I should have tried the formal dining room downstairs. While I liked everything I ate, I wasn't raring to come back and try everything else. Still, I'm glad that I went, if only to satisfy my curiousity.
Day three in dining adventures seemed to start poorly. I ran into a lot of traffic entering the City, and then couldn't find a parking space. Finally, I gave up and used the general pier parking, which turned out to be just a few blocks away. There were still a few seats left at the bar, so I didn't have to wait as I'd feared. I could see right away that Restaurant Gary Danko is my favorite kind of fine dining - Modern American/Continental, great attention to luxuriously clean decoration (smooth stone, soaring glass, dark, gleaming wood, and water trickling in the background somewhere) - with many delicious dishes to choose for every course (none of the 2-3 per nonsense, of which I might only like the sound of 1 or at best, 2 options), and well-dressed, gracious, and gregarious servicefolk. The whole experience left me feeling taken care of, that people were really interested in how I was enjoying my meal (which they'd helped me pick), and much attention was paid to the pacing, presentation, and preparation of my selections. I went with an appetizer and an entree this time - the bass the light yet meaty, with an amazingly crisp seared skin, and my two quails were stuffed with a hearty fall-hearkening concoction - grain, foie gras, pork, mushrooms (some of my favorites!!!) - but served over a summery broth (corn, peppers) that kept the dish rich, but note-perfect for the season. I was also served a couple of amuses and a plate of adorable petit fours that was more than enough for dessert for one. An A+ experience (and since I still had a rather viciously hacking cough, the impression wasn't due to lessening of my sickness) all around, and I can't wait to get back. (Even off per diem!) After all of that, I still had enough energy to mozy down to the Ghirardelli factory store on the waterfront on the long way back to my car. I got my free square (peanut butter-filled), inhaled the waffle cone baking scents, walked along the waterfront for a bit, and then drove leisurely back to my hotel. A blissful night altogether!!!!
There nights, three venerable dining institutions. I came (i.e., found them! using google maps! I have conquered San Francisco!), I ate (not always a lot, but enough to get an idea...), and now, I blog. So, the rundown:
First up, Fleur de Lys. I wanted to eat here because the restaurant is the favored old stomping ground of a food friend that I trust, and I'd actually sampled the chef's food before, at a tasting event, and wanted to try more. I came straight from the airport (and my on-time arrival!!) and got a parking spot (after circling the block a few times, but it was completely worth it) right in front of the restaurant. The parallel parking job wasn't the greatest and my several attempts apparently provided rich entertainment fodder for several boys standing on the sidewalk, but it was so close that the valet attendants gave me the evil eye (they shamefacedly looked away when they realized that I was actually coming into their restaurant). An offering by the food gods that I made the right choice!
The food? Well, see here to understand why I wasn't particularly hungry, and couple that with the late hour (6 PM West coast is ordinarily dinnertime, but after a day of travel my appetite, as well as all other aspects of me, are always more than slightly depressed), and you get a meal planned sans entree. I sat at the bar and was royally entertained by the cheerfully snooty staff (except the genuinely cheerful bartender), got the foie gras appetizer and cheesecake dessert, and was more than satisfied. Probably not hurt by the fact that I also had two amuse bouches, and 2 complimentary house dessert trays. If I had known about the extras, I would've have skipped dessert and gotten an entree...maybe...The interior made me think Cirque du Soleil on Valentine's crack - all lush, opulent red velvets and gilt mirrors and a tentlike center drapery - beautiful - but slightly sinister. A great start, all in all. The presentation and composition of the plates were far more whimsical than I'd expected from an institutionally French restaurant - lots of swirls and gelees and sugar garnished and a cute bread oven to house my foie gras stew. Maybe a change since he opened the place in Vegas?
The next day, I drove into Berkeley to worship at the original temple of Alice Waters. I wanted to see where it all began and experience Chez Panisse in person. This was the only restaurant where I'd made a reservation, because I wasn't sure there was bar space to just walk up to. It felt a little weird, sitting by myself in the closely quartered, cozy upstairs cafe, but it was fun watching all the couples and friends though the golden haze of the lamplight and wine. I can't remember the last time I ordered a completely vegetarian entree, if ever, but the grilled polenta cake with the stewed spring/summer vegetables (pretty much the epitome of I am a vegetarian entree, hear me roar!!) actually sounded the best of the choices - already a new experience! There was a lovely goat cheese-and-astringent-greens salad and a luscious fruit cobbler (bursting with peaches and blue/black/raspberries) - everything was good, and the entree was verging (asymptotically) on great. Still, I left with a cold feeling towards the meal. Perhaps it was my constant cough, or the aloneness of solo dining, the competent but non-attentive (solo dining, again) service, the spartan woodsy (which, ordinarily I like quite a lot, but again, didn't love it here) decor, or maybe the food - hard to pinpoint. Maybe I should have tried the formal dining room downstairs. While I liked everything I ate, I wasn't raring to come back and try everything else. Still, I'm glad that I went, if only to satisfy my curiousity.
Day three in dining adventures seemed to start poorly. I ran into a lot of traffic entering the City, and then couldn't find a parking space. Finally, I gave up and used the general pier parking, which turned out to be just a few blocks away. There were still a few seats left at the bar, so I didn't have to wait as I'd feared. I could see right away that Restaurant Gary Danko is my favorite kind of fine dining - Modern American/Continental, great attention to luxuriously clean decoration (smooth stone, soaring glass, dark, gleaming wood, and water trickling in the background somewhere) - with many delicious dishes to choose for every course (none of the 2-3 per nonsense, of which I might only like the sound of 1 or at best, 2 options), and well-dressed, gracious, and gregarious servicefolk. The whole experience left me feeling taken care of, that people were really interested in how I was enjoying my meal (which they'd helped me pick), and much attention was paid to the pacing, presentation, and preparation of my selections. I went with an appetizer and an entree this time - the bass the light yet meaty, with an amazingly crisp seared skin, and my two quails were stuffed with a hearty fall-hearkening concoction - grain, foie gras, pork, mushrooms (some of my favorites!!!) - but served over a summery broth (corn, peppers) that kept the dish rich, but note-perfect for the season. I was also served a couple of amuses and a plate of adorable petit fours that was more than enough for dessert for one. An A+ experience (and since I still had a rather viciously hacking cough, the impression wasn't due to lessening of my sickness) all around, and I can't wait to get back. (Even off per diem!) After all of that, I still had enough energy to mozy down to the Ghirardelli factory store on the waterfront on the long way back to my car. I got my free square (peanut butter-filled), inhaled the waffle cone baking scents, walked along the waterfront for a bit, and then drove leisurely back to my hotel. A blissful night altogether!!!!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Slightly more than strictly necessary
So, I got to inspect another chocolate factory. The inspection experience was glorious, and I came out smelling fairly brownie-like, similar to last time, but the patina of new experience was not quite as shiny as the first time. This one, however, had an onsite factory store, so I made up that lagging sense of excitement there. And how! Perhaps I went a bit overboard:
Lugging these boxes home made me feel like I was smuggling treasure across the (state) border. Looking at this box in particular gives me a slight touch of Midas' fever.
It's such a beautifully decadent sight! If you look closely, however, you'll see why I'm so gleeful about this particular acquisition:
Not yet available for public sale!! I get to try something brand new!!! It's milk chocolate with vanilla caramel. I tried it in a head to head to head competition tasting with the milk chocolate and regular caramel, as well as the 60% dark with caramel, and neither compared. Yes, it seems sweeter (some may say it tastes like the best Rolo ever), but that strong whiff of vanilla, mostly in the nose but also light on the tongue, makes a world of difference. They are disappearing at a rather alarming rate...
Friday, July 18, 2008
Here again. I hate it here.
I've been sick again. A cough, mostly, but a bad enough cough that I'm kept up nights unless I dose myself thoroughly with a sleepytime agent (and I didn't even think of that until I was reminded of its effectiveness a few days ago). Thus, my days (and nights, actually) have been filled with:
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Road food
From food that Alice Waters blessed to food that Alice Waters would cry about - quite a fall. Still, hotel continental breakfast doesn't actually promise much, it was free...and I am out of food $!!!!
Monday, July 14, 2008
Eat this
The Plan:
Three nights, three San Francisco dream dining destinations. I am out there, working, on a per diem, and as God as my witness, sickness be damned, I will not eat at Marie Calendar's (and I actually like it! Love the quiche! But this is such an opportunity!) yet again.
Can I do it? Only time and stomach capacity will tell. But I'm sure going to try!!!!
Three nights, three San Francisco dream dining destinations. I am out there, working, on a per diem, and as God as my witness, sickness be damned, I will not eat at Marie Calendar's (and I actually like it! Love the quiche! But this is such an opportunity!) yet again.
Can I do it? Only time and stomach capacity will tell. But I'm sure going to try!!!!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Food from the porch
The porch makes food for me!!! Other than the continued health of my Gerber daisy, this is pretty much the culmination of all the hopes I had for the porch garden.
What a beauty! We showed it off to appropriately admiring folks, then cut it up:
We dressed it simply, in salt and pepper, skipping any oil, herbs, or cheese. I enjoyed looking at the gorgeous red hues, but POW! eating it was amazing! The flavor packed a punch that any store-bought tomatoes, coming into season of not, just plain lacked! It was ridiculously, wondrously good, and I can say that I honestly and genuinely am excited by the prospect of counting off the days of ripening until I can eat more porch food!!!!!!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Pizza in the house
One well-spent William-Sonoma gift card later, there is an actual pizza pan in the house, which, of course, has resulted in a lot of this:
Thursday, July 10, 2008
BOOM!
...and that's how my dream date at Wolf Trap came true.
The end.
Just kidding. But BOOM! really is the best way to describe it. Tcheers for Tchaikovsky (say it at home for a week - t-cheers-4-t-chaikovsky - for some good old-fashioned, nerd-tool fun) is a show that goes out with a bang. I've seen it twice, maybe thrice, now? Yet I'm continually delighted (hmm, doesn't seem strong enough to convey that I jump up at a classical concert and do fist pumps, all while shouting YEAH! in time with the blasts) by the 1812 Overture cannon send-off. This time, however, I got to have my wine-laced public picnic and under-the-stars snuggle to boot. So, yay + boom = happy!!!!
(Oh, and the music was good, too.)
The end.
Just kidding. But BOOM! really is the best way to describe it. Tcheers for Tchaikovsky (say it at home for a week - t-cheers-4-t-chaikovsky - for some good old-fashioned, nerd-tool fun) is a show that goes out with a bang. I've seen it twice, maybe thrice, now? Yet I'm continually delighted (hmm, doesn't seem strong enough to convey that I jump up at a classical concert and do fist pumps, all while shouting YEAH! in time with the blasts) by the 1812 Overture cannon send-off. This time, however, I got to have my wine-laced public picnic and under-the-stars snuggle to boot. So, yay + boom = happy!!!!
(Oh, and the music was good, too.)
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Telling it like it is
I just can't look someone in the eye and tell them I don't like their food/clothes/children/etc., even when I know that such an admission is needed unless I plan on partaking/wearing/dancing attendance on future iterations of the experience. Really, I'd choose to grit my teeth and bear it, even if I didn't like it/enjoy myself. Still, I understand that there are people out there who would be genuinely horrified to find out that we were all perpetuating an unnecessary lie. So how do you politely, earnestly, and gently tell it like it is, without hurting anybody's feelings?
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Courtesy of Cedar Fair
Wake up, wake up, WAKE UPPPPP!!!!! Don't you know what day today is??!! It's our day to tour America's Roller Coast!!!
Shake, shake, shake. Slowly waking up. Stumbling around, getting ready, mostly consisting of applying a lot of sunscreen.
Eat the last healthy meal of the day.
Drive, drive, drive.
We arrive!!! The roller coasters look bigger than last year...
Run, trot, being dragged (Come on! Come on! We're missing it!).
Wait in human holding pen, watching the special hours guests ride on nearly empty coasters, until regular park hours begin.
Wait, wait, wait.
Wait some more.
IT BEGINS!!! Run, trot, being dragged (Come on! Come on! We're missing it!).
Queuing.
Ho hum, it's hot out already!
Waiting.
Scream, scream, scream.
OMG, that ride was amazing!!! So whooooshy! So fast! So high! Hooray, I love this place!!!
Run, trot, being dragged (Come on! Come on! We're missing it!).
Queuing.
HOT! Sticky! Sweaty!
Short wait.
Screaming.
Ow! But fun. Upside down while standing up! This is so totally worth it! Bring the pain, yeah!
Run, trot, being dragged (Come on! Come on! We're missing it!).
Eat fried thing.
Queuing.
So hot.
Wait, wait, wait.
SCREAM!!!!!!!!
Best roller coaster ever!!! I love it here!!!
Run, trot, being dragged (Come on! Come on! We're missing it!).
Eat sweet, cold thing.
Queuing.
WHY IS IT SO HOT??!! My sunscreen is pouring off of me!!!
Waiting, waiting.
SCREAMING!! So much screaming!!!!
This is the funnest fun of ever there was fun! YEAH!!!!!!
And so on...
Shake, shake, shake. Slowly waking up. Stumbling around, getting ready, mostly consisting of applying a lot of sunscreen.
Eat the last healthy meal of the day.
Drive, drive, drive.
We arrive!!! The roller coasters look bigger than last year...
Run, trot, being dragged (Come on! Come on! We're missing it!).
Wait in human holding pen, watching the special hours guests ride on nearly empty coasters, until regular park hours begin.
Wait, wait, wait.
Wait some more.
IT BEGINS!!! Run, trot, being dragged (Come on! Come on! We're missing it!).
Queuing.
Ho hum, it's hot out already!
Waiting.
Scream, scream, scream.
OMG, that ride was amazing!!! So whooooshy! So fast! So high! Hooray, I love this place!!!
Run, trot, being dragged (Come on! Come on! We're missing it!).
Queuing.
HOT! Sticky! Sweaty!
Short wait.
Screaming.
Ow! But fun. Upside down while standing up! This is so totally worth it! Bring the pain, yeah!
Run, trot, being dragged (Come on! Come on! We're missing it!).
Eat fried thing.
Queuing.
So hot.
Wait, wait, wait.
SCREAM!!!!!!!!
Best roller coaster ever!!! I love it here!!!
Run, trot, being dragged (Come on! Come on! We're missing it!).
Eat sweet, cold thing.
Queuing.
WHY IS IT SO HOT??!! My sunscreen is pouring off of me!!!
Waiting, waiting.
SCREAMING!! So much screaming!!!!
This is the funnest fun of ever there was fun! YEAH!!!!!!
And so on...
Sunday, July 6, 2008
So they call this vacation
Current mood: some would called this relaxed - I might say virtually comatose
Sleep.
Eat.
Beach.
Read.
Jet ski.
Swim/float.
Eat again.
More beach.
Sunset!
Reading.
Play games.
Snack.
Back to sleep.
I was going to ask, where are all the activities?, but I think that would just be annoying at this point. I could get to like vacation, as long there was something exciting planned somewhere in there...please see next post...
Sleep.
Eat.
Beach.
Read.
Jet ski.
Swim/float.
Eat again.
More beach.
Sunset!
Reading.
Play games.
Snack.
Back to sleep.
I was going to ask, where are all the activities?, but I think that would just be annoying at this point. I could get to like vacation, as long there was something exciting planned somewhere in there...please see next post...
Friday, July 4, 2008
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