This time of year John works nearly non- stop- parties, parties, parties. I, on the other hand use this time of year to catch up on movie watching- and so I embarked on my pre- Oscar prep:
The Black Swan
The Fighter
True Grit.
I spent my weekend catching up on movies. Then on Sunday I met my former college roomies and one adult daughter for Tea at the Rotunda. I had experienced Tea at The Ritz (over rated) due to the ambiance. This was different - a little more restaurant-like. It was nice. I think the best High Tea had to be in London, at the Savoy. I think it was in or around 1985. I was far too young and inexperienced to understand just what I was doing - apparently my friend Jane did know. I went there in a state of total American ignorance. I may have worn jeans. Jane could barely get herself dressed. I recall her saying, "you don't understand, it's tea - at the Savoy!" clearly I didn't understand the class distinctions - to me it was, you know, eh, tea. But it WAS something. We had a white-gloved waiter who brought, you know, tea, and of course, finger sandwiches, scones, clotted cream, and tiny pastries. It was thoroughly enjoyable, and yes, an English Institution as Jane said.
This tea had the finger sandwiches and tiny pastries, but the ambiance lacked. However what the Rotunda lacked in ambiance was made up for by my college roomies. I love that through today's technology we've reconnected and stayed connected.
The week before my company's holiday break was busy, eventful and lackadaisical all at once. The atmosphere before a 10 day shut-down was akin to school kids before summer vacation - it's so close you can taste it. But as this is real life, you can't shove the books under the bed, work has to be done- it won't go away. So we worked, but we also played a bit. Our floor had a decorating contest. My side, the east side, decided on a Martha Stewart-like theme "winter wonderland". everyone pulled decorations from their homes in white and silver only. we hung snowflakes from the ceiling, made trees from silver tinsel and wrapped boxes in white paper to put under the tinsel trees (we did win - winner got bragging rights for the year). I was called for Jury Duty on 12/22 (Wednesday). I was a bit terrified I'd get called and then ruin my little summer/winter vacation. But I rolled the dice - thought process went like this: "what judge or lawyer in his or her right mind wants to start a trial just before x-mas? the jury would be ornery & cranky and most will want to be excused due to vacation plans". Well, clearly my thinking was correct. at 11 a.m. on 12/22, I called in for the second time and was RELEASED! "free at last, free at last".
Thursday began my vacation. I did just the tiniest bit of last minute shopping and rode my bike around town running last minute errands. Friday was Crab Dinner at mom's. Sadly my brother and family couldn't make it up, but we had a great time nonetheless. Of course no family gathering is complete without some family drama. My step-brother (he who shall not be named), pulled a fast one on his daughter and kept jerking her around throughout the day to the point where at 4 pm. she called him an ass and came to our little gathering. My 12 year old cousin put it aptly later that night when she said, "she's got 'lady balls'". Yep - she sure did!
Saturday John and I drove down to Santa Barbara to visit our dear friends. It was quite the long drive (5.5 hrs) and we did it in a soft-top in driving rain. I prayed that the roof wouldn't leak as it tends to do and thankfully it held up. We had a traditional Jewish Christmas with my Chinese friend and went to a Chinese restaurant. It was packed (I guess there are Jews in SB).
Sunday we awoke to some sunshine. We headed to State Street for breakfast and a little window shopping. This was my first 12/26 where I didn't work and didn't shop. Now that was different!
On Monday we went for a sloppy, and muddy hike out to the bluff above the beach. Afterward we played golf. Yep, I played real golf on a 9 hole course for the first time in my life. And get this, on one of the hardest parts of the course, the 5th hole, I got on the green in 1 shot!!!! I shot one over par on the hole. I won't mention my score the rest of the time, but suffice it to say that I did not lose a single ball!!
Tuesday we got up and started our drive back up the coast. I had never been to Cambria, a small artist community just south of San Simeon, so we headed West on highway 46 past about 15 different central valley wineries. The town was adorable and packed! We ate at Linn's and had one of The Best chicken pot pies - every. (the secret was in the flaky crust). I thought to myself after, why drive back 25 miles on 46, why not just head north on 1? So we did. It started out fun, driving past Hearst Castle and then to where the Elephant Seals were resting on the beach - then we hit the windy part; and then it started to rain; and then the road narrowed to one lane in two directions; and then I was ready to gouge my eyeballs out. We had left Santa Barbara at 10 a.m. and we got in the house at 8 p.m.---exhausted.
Wednesday we recuperated, but spent the evening with Lance and Chris for Game Night (I'm sensing a new 2011 activity). We played the Survivor Box game. I wound my way around the board first and got immunity. At that point we had Tribal Council and had to vote a member off. Let's just say that "You Bitches" became the phrase of the night after we unanimously voted Chris off the island.
Thursday John and I drove to Marin to celebrate Klaus' 77th birthday at the Dipsea Cafe before heading up to Reno to the Grand Sierra Resort for John's New Year's Eve gig with David Martin's House Party for 1800 guests (a sold out show!). Driving up was easy - it took the four hours I anticipated and we settled in - then hit the "stuffet" (pronounced stuff-fay). I had all you can eat crab and shrimp. I tried to be healthy, but then the fried chicken and mashed potatoes and soft serve "dessert" (cause it sure wasn't ice-cream), called to me. I had to eat it.
Friday John and I wanted to play mini-golf, but it didn't open until after noon and it was outside (and freezing - literally freezing). We went to the kid's arcade and played air hockey. John won - again. Then we went to the golf area and played a video golf where you use real clubs, a real ball and you whack the ball at the screen. There are sensors (lasers) that judge where the ball went (direction/speed) and you can play any number of courses. We only made 9 holes - I won one hold (1 over par!), and John won the rest.
John's gig turned out to be pretty fun. David pulled me up on stage and I danced behind John for a minute or so before he realized I was bumping and grinding behind him. Of course the best part of the night came when David introduced the band and John was introduced as "Wendy Winter's husband: John Mader!"
I found that to be a fitting end to a great year. And now onto something completely different...
A New Blog.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
Company (wo)Man
Our holiday party was held at the Palace Hotel, just across the street from work. I have to give props to the planning committee this year, for they planned a great after work event. Previously they held it at the same place, but always on a Saturday night. So you had to decide- give up a weekend night to be at a work function, or bail altogether. Normally, I bailed. So this was the first work social (big) company event I attended. After nearly three years I also knew a few people which made it much more enjoyable. The food was terrific and I managed to do a little networking.
They also very generously set up a photo booth for mementos - fun. I also learned from a previous work "social" that they really aren't--social, that is. These are work functions- period. I recalled the time many moons ago when a colleague drank and drank and drank, and as she was sitting at the bar a nice gentleman sat next to her and asked her what she did for the company. She nicely replied and then she asked him his name. He kindly replied and then she smacked him on the arm, "get out! You are not!"
He smiled and retorted, yes, I am.
You are not! She smacked him again.
Now, a little less amused, I am.
"nuh uh, he's the CFO!"
He smiled.
And with that story I always remember- and have just one drink.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
They also very generously set up a photo booth for mementos - fun. I also learned from a previous work "social" that they really aren't--social, that is. These are work functions- period. I recalled the time many moons ago when a colleague drank and drank and drank, and as she was sitting at the bar a nice gentleman sat next to her and asked her what she did for the company. She nicely replied and then she asked him his name. He kindly replied and then she smacked him on the arm, "get out! You are not!"
He smiled and retorted, yes, I am.
You are not! She smacked him again.
Now, a little less amused, I am.
"nuh uh, he's the CFO!"
He smiled.
And with that story I always remember- and have just one drink.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, December 27, 2010
Par-Tay
That Sunday after getting home from LA I had to quickly make cookies for the two Christmas parties we were invited to (on the same day). I got to work looking up a recipe online and grabbed the Molasses, ginger, sugar, flour to quickly whip up some soft ginger cookies.
The first stop, our neighbor Rick and Thierry's house. They are our neighbors on the corner in a fabulous old shingled house. Their front "parlor" could easily hold 100 people and so every year they host a caroling party. I must have timed it right 'cause we missed the carrolling. not that I have anything against it, I just can't sing. So we ate a tad and imbibed a bit and then when the time was right, we quietly left to head out to the next party at Lance and Chris's.
We love L&C and their two dogs (both Westies) and they always throw a lovely party with great friends. We were lucky to enjoy their company and the company of their very nice friends. Lance's good friend happens to have a consulting business writing on-line training manuals, so he and john started noodling about how they were going to get John's on-line teaching business growing. Aside from the good friends, and good food, John also benefited from good ideas.
That week was the last full week before my holiday shut-down. Texas came back into town and we ended up grabbing dinner that Tuesday night. I remember it being a particularly bad day at work. I had a sales guy write me an email (after I had answered his question) that he had a suggestion for improving my communication. I nearly lost it. After reading the email I immediately picked up the phone and gave him a call. He continued to insist that I wasn't answering his question. In order to protect the stupid, I'm going to paraphrase the conversation.
Email: Can you tell me why product a is more expensive than product b?
Reply: Dear recipient's name, there is no rule that states that product a should always be less than product b. as a matter of fact, because of the "laws" of supply and demand, there are times where product a would be more expensive than b. Here are past examples of when a was more than b: (blah, blah, blah).
Email: in an effort to help you more effectively communicate to customers, your curt responses are not helpful. The customer feels that you are often more expensive and you haven't explained why he should pay for blah blah blah when blah blah blah....
Phone Call: Bob (not real name), I'd like to talk to you about your email.
Bob: yes, you didn't answer the question
Phone: the question asked why a was more than b.
Bob: that's not what the customer wants to know
Phone: with all due respect, the email asks why a is more than b
Bob: that's not what the customer is asking
Phone: Bob, let me read you the question< 'why is a more than b?"
Bob: yes, but that's not what the customer wants to know
Phone: Bob, again, with all due respect, my fucking spidey sense doesn't work like that... tell me the fucking question and I'll answer it.
Well - it didn't go exactly like that. Actually at about the time that I was about to toss out F-bombs, the line went dead as Bob was driving in the middle of the dessert. Good thing too. My VP was listening and a little surprised that I was having this challenging conversation. By 5 p.m. she TOLD Texas to take me out for a drink. I think that conversation went like this:
VP: Texas, you guys are having dinner tonight, right?
Texas: of course
VP: great. Take her out for a drink. Now.
Texas: okay
VP: Now. Ok. Now.
Texas took me (and my boss) over to Belden Lane, I drank and all was right with the world.
Thankfully the next day I got an email from Bob telling me that I was right, the customer had not asked the question he was insisting I didn't answer. And with that, I let out a big sigh.
Wednesday night John played a gig with Mike Zilber at Coda in SF. They played Wayne Shorter's music (Weather Report). Prior to Coda I went to have cocktails with two colleagues at Ducca where I had a fancy Lemony-cinnamon-y cocktail and then headed over to the gig. I had never seen Coda so jam-packed with people. Sadly, just after that gig I found out that this NY Eve would be their last night. Another victim of the down economy. I spent the evening in the company of my neighbor Todd and some other acquaintances enjoying beautiful music.
The first stop, our neighbor Rick and Thierry's house. They are our neighbors on the corner in a fabulous old shingled house. Their front "parlor" could easily hold 100 people and so every year they host a caroling party. I must have timed it right 'cause we missed the carrolling. not that I have anything against it, I just can't sing. So we ate a tad and imbibed a bit and then when the time was right, we quietly left to head out to the next party at Lance and Chris's.
We love L&C and their two dogs (both Westies) and they always throw a lovely party with great friends. We were lucky to enjoy their company and the company of their very nice friends. Lance's good friend happens to have a consulting business writing on-line training manuals, so he and john started noodling about how they were going to get John's on-line teaching business growing. Aside from the good friends, and good food, John also benefited from good ideas.
That week was the last full week before my holiday shut-down. Texas came back into town and we ended up grabbing dinner that Tuesday night. I remember it being a particularly bad day at work. I had a sales guy write me an email (after I had answered his question) that he had a suggestion for improving my communication. I nearly lost it. After reading the email I immediately picked up the phone and gave him a call. He continued to insist that I wasn't answering his question. In order to protect the stupid, I'm going to paraphrase the conversation.
Email: Can you tell me why product a is more expensive than product b?
Reply: Dear recipient's name, there is no rule that states that product a should always be less than product b. as a matter of fact, because of the "laws" of supply and demand, there are times where product a would be more expensive than b. Here are past examples of when a was more than b: (blah, blah, blah).
Email: in an effort to help you more effectively communicate to customers, your curt responses are not helpful. The customer feels that you are often more expensive and you haven't explained why he should pay for blah blah blah when blah blah blah....
Phone Call: Bob (not real name), I'd like to talk to you about your email.
Bob: yes, you didn't answer the question
Phone: the question asked why a was more than b.
Bob: that's not what the customer wants to know
Phone: with all due respect, the email asks why a is more than b
Bob: that's not what the customer is asking
Phone: Bob, let me read you the question< 'why is a more than b?"
Bob: yes, but that's not what the customer wants to know
Phone: Bob, again, with all due respect, my fucking spidey sense doesn't work like that... tell me the fucking question and I'll answer it.
Well - it didn't go exactly like that. Actually at about the time that I was about to toss out F-bombs, the line went dead as Bob was driving in the middle of the dessert. Good thing too. My VP was listening and a little surprised that I was having this challenging conversation. By 5 p.m. she TOLD Texas to take me out for a drink. I think that conversation went like this:
VP: Texas, you guys are having dinner tonight, right?
Texas: of course
VP: great. Take her out for a drink. Now.
Texas: okay
VP: Now. Ok. Now.
Texas took me (and my boss) over to Belden Lane, I drank and all was right with the world.
Thankfully the next day I got an email from Bob telling me that I was right, the customer had not asked the question he was insisting I didn't answer. And with that, I let out a big sigh.
Wednesday night John played a gig with Mike Zilber at Coda in SF. They played Wayne Shorter's music (Weather Report). Prior to Coda I went to have cocktails with two colleagues at Ducca where I had a fancy Lemony-cinnamon-y cocktail and then headed over to the gig. I had never seen Coda so jam-packed with people. Sadly, just after that gig I found out that this NY Eve would be their last night. Another victim of the down economy. I spent the evening in the company of my neighbor Todd and some other acquaintances enjoying beautiful music.
Monday, December 20, 2010
LA
Thursday the 9th John and I went to hear a Cuban band at Yoshi's - Los Van Van. They were supposed to have been here months ago, but there were visa issues, and so they were delayed. Tickets weren't cheap at $40 a piece, but this was pretty much a once in a lifetime opportunity. They hadn't been to the US in more than 10 years and with the likelihood of Republicans taking the majority again in two years we had to jump on this opportunity. There were 15 (ish) members of the band on the stage at Yoshi's (no small feat). They rocked a sold-out crowd. We had reserved seats upstairs, but the dance floor was packed with people just shuffling to the beat to full-blown salsa dancers. The house was a rockin'.
Friday I headed out to the Oakland airport to meet my friend Michael. We were going to fly down to Burbank together. My plan for the weekend was to spend time with M & his partner Joe. I was getting a little nervous at the airport waiting for M to show up. I texted, "I'm here. You?" He texted back, "at gate 30"; "me too!" I searched around until I spied a giant beard. this was no Brian Wilson beard - this was Santa-like only perhaps a bit grander.
Oh-My-God!
It's glorious, someone told me today.
Glorious?
Well, we'd have to agree to disagree at least until I could get used to it.
The weekend was a whirl. We arrived at his home where his killer dog, Bento, finally decided that he didn't need to eat me (at least not right away). thankfully M had been away for a few days and Bento was starved for M's affection. I must have been the recipient of a little loneliness because after two days, he licked me and I don't think it was because he was testing to see if I was done. I think he actually liked me.
M & I went to an outdoor mall where we shopped for holiday gifts. I also had my LA star sighting, Andre Royo, "Bubbs" from The Wire. I was tempted to follow (stalk?) him through the mall until M said, "he's just another guy shopping in the mall". Okay, fair enough, but if he had seen Walt Disney, he would have behaved differently (you reading this M?).
That night we went to Musso and Franks, an old, old, old school restaurant in Hollywood before going to a special showing of "Tangled" (Disney) across from the Kodak theater. When we exited the theater, Hollywood Blvd was shut down (on this block) and the "Blue carpet" was being laid down for the premiere of "Tron" the next night with Jeff Bridges and Jeff Bridges. We headed over to Grauman's to look at the foot prints in cement and then headed home.
Saturday we grabbed breakfast and then went to Pasadena to the Huntington Library where we could see "Pinky" and "Blue Boy" and the fabulous gardens that surrounded this estate.
Our trip was cut short because we had more to see that afternoon with a private tour of the Gamble house,
an original Craftsman designed by Greene & Greene architects. by the evening I was exhausted and made them promise we could stay in and watch old movies. We watched "White Christmas" and then "Elf".
Sunday a.m. we grabbed pastries at one of the most famous bakeries in LA (name escapes me) and then I hopped the plane back home. Phew - they wrecked me, but I had a GREAT time.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Rounding the Bend
As a year comes to a close, I confess this exercise in doing different 365 turned into Doing Different 182.5 - I managed to do a lot of different things throughout the year, more than any year before, but hitting that "different" thing every day became a chore after the first two months. I began petering out in the middle of March and by the spring I was resigned that I would never make my goal. Michael told me it felt a bit like "eating different" and sure, there was a lot of that. I admit that to really "do different" every day for a year, I would have had to spend a lot of time planning, contacting people, and putting a lot of effort forth. It's why Julie (of Julie and Julia) is was in her 20s and so are many of the other bloggers who attempt to stir up interest in their adventures. This stuff takes work and dedication.
Post Thanksgiving, I really just wanted to relax - I knew I was going to go to Napa with mom and had plans for the night prior.
Friday, "the gang" had tickets for a local Rotary event. It was a little fundraiser at a funky location (a car repair place, where they didn't really repair cars there, but they rented the space out to non-profits). We went for cocktails and hors d'hoeuvres where I met a really interesting man - he was CEO of a non-profit that directed funds and doctors and nurses to care for people in Kenya. I thought a lot about my former best friend Amy who would have been all over this guy, but I was also excited to pull Kate out and introduce her to Dr Peter (?) because Kate loves wild and weird places. This would suit her perfectly. After the snacks, we went next door to see a marionette show of Cinderella. It was interesting - well done, and of course, seasonally very festive.
Post Marionettes, we ventured outside to the Art Crawl. I thought it was one of the coolest, hippest events I had been to in a really long time. I felt like I was in New Orleans, or New York. The air had a chill (it wasn't freezing), and people were out, all over the street in different venues, looking at art, drinking, chatting - everyone was friendly and cool. There wasn't a single point in the night where we were walking around the streets where it ever felt dangerous. Frankly, I'm happy to have the moniker of the 8th most deadly city in the US, it keeps the rif-raf away.
Saturday I drove up to Napa and mom and I met at the outlets and shopped. and shopped. and shopped. then we lunched in downtown napa and then we shopped. Unfortunately, a cold starting coming on hard 'n fast and by dinner, I could barely breath. Which was a bit unfortunate - we had reservations at Ubuntu. This is one the Chron's top 100.
Ok - so here's the dining different part - This is a 1 Michelin star restaurant and I honest can't tell you what we ate. So here are four of the $15 each small plates we tried - more or less:
an ubuntu steam bun stuffed w/ burrata and coated with SUNCHOKE dirt
Post Thanksgiving, I really just wanted to relax - I knew I was going to go to Napa with mom and had plans for the night prior.
Friday, "the gang" had tickets for a local Rotary event. It was a little fundraiser at a funky location (a car repair place, where they didn't really repair cars there, but they rented the space out to non-profits). We went for cocktails and hors d'hoeuvres where I met a really interesting man - he was CEO of a non-profit that directed funds and doctors and nurses to care for people in Kenya. I thought a lot about my former best friend Amy who would have been all over this guy, but I was also excited to pull Kate out and introduce her to Dr Peter (?) because Kate loves wild and weird places. This would suit her perfectly. After the snacks, we went next door to see a marionette show of Cinderella. It was interesting - well done, and of course, seasonally very festive.
Post Marionettes, we ventured outside to the Art Crawl. I thought it was one of the coolest, hippest events I had been to in a really long time. I felt like I was in New Orleans, or New York. The air had a chill (it wasn't freezing), and people were out, all over the street in different venues, looking at art, drinking, chatting - everyone was friendly and cool. There wasn't a single point in the night where we were walking around the streets where it ever felt dangerous. Frankly, I'm happy to have the moniker of the 8th most deadly city in the US, it keeps the rif-raf away.
Saturday I drove up to Napa and mom and I met at the outlets and shopped. and shopped. and shopped. then we lunched in downtown napa and then we shopped. Unfortunately, a cold starting coming on hard 'n fast and by dinner, I could barely breath. Which was a bit unfortunate - we had reservations at Ubuntu. This is one the Chron's top 100.
Ok - so here's the dining different part - This is a 1 Michelin star restaurant and I honest can't tell you what we ate. So here are four of the $15 each small plates we tried - more or less:
an ubuntu steam bun stuffed w/ burrata and coated with SUNCHOKE dirt
SUNCHOKE tostones, roasted and raw ‘fuyu’ persimmon, smoked GREEN TOMATO
QUINCE soffrito, fermented APPLE, ‘sheep’s’ SORREL, raw ‘purple haze’ CARROTS
goat’s milk ricotta, chanterelle and GREEN TOMATO chow-chow
Yes, the flavors were interesting, but if you walk out of a restaurant and can't describe what you eat, they have done something wrong. Also, for the price, we should have been at least "sated" for $100. That included only one glass of wine and no dessert... so there you have it.
By Sunday, I was wiped out and could barely muster the energy to shop, but we went for an hour and after that it was home, to bed. I was so bad on Monday, that for the first time in years, and I mean, YEARS, I called in sick and pretty much worked most of the day from home. That said, I was able to rest a bit and get in a good 2 1/2 hour nap. That helped so that by Tuesday, I was well enough to return to work. I needed to rest up for the weekend ahead - a weekend chalk full of stuff in ... LA!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
A week (and a half) in review
Thanksgiving was a mellow day. We went to Starbucks and got a treat - that would be a salted caramel hot chocolate with whipped cream for John and a minty mocha do-dah for me. We headed to mom's for dinner - we were only 6 for this festive eve: me, John, Klaus, mom and their tenants, Michael and Catherine. I had met the tenants once before and they seemed nice enough. He got drunk and she was quiet and demure. My first impression was indeed correct, he's a drunk and she's quiet and demure. It's not that he's a bad guy, it's just that he drinks- a lot, and then he drinks more and then he's just a loud, drunk, know-it-all. But other than that Mrs Lincoln, the play was fine.
Friday morning I awoke early and pondered, whether to venture out for the 5 a.m. bargains. I thought about it, and then swiftly rejected the thought, pulling the covers over my head. I did have to get up at a reasonable hour as I had a brief conference call at 9 a.m. At 8:15 I decided to see what the crowds were like. Most of my friends and family think that this is my favorite shopping day - au contraire! My favorite shopping day is the day after Christmas - the day when the stores desperately try to lure customers back, knowing that it will be a long, cold winter with only the sound crickets chirping on the escalators until spring apparel arrives with a bit of sunshine. That said, I wanted to get out and check out the scene. I tried to park in the lot for Best Buy but aborted after a once-around the lot. Then I drove across the way to (sound effects here: duh duh duh!) Toys R Us! Yes! Toys R Us on the day after Thanksgiving. The same Toys R Us that opened at either 10 p.m. or midnight of Thanksgiving. I walked in and I heard a familiar sound, but not a sound a Christmas, no, it was the sound of post-Christmas, the sound of crickets chirping. The store was empty! I breezed through and picked up this 'n that for my nephews. I had four, yep, four sales associates try to help me and I stood behind one woman if that's what you call a line. I was in and out with my gifts in a few minutes. Now THAT was different.
That afternoon I decided to try making a new dessert - inspired by the hot chocolate from the day prior. I made a salted caramel pudding - from scratch! This was no boxed pudding. This was the real deal. We planned to have our friend David and his wife Yofi and Charlotte and Pee Wee Ellis. Pee Wee is a legend in the music business. He wrote something like 26 of James Brown's hits, was in his band, was musical director for Van Morrison and has played with just about everyone but Jesus. Pee Wee and Charlotte became friends after John toured with Pee Wee and Fred Westley as part of the JB Horns tour.
Post Thanksgiving I decided to stay away from Fowl, so I made a cioppino , some Turkey-shaped bread I bought at Boudin's, a salad with fuyu persimmons and pomegranate seeds and then... the pudding served in individual tea cups (spectacular). Yes, sigh, dinner was a hit, especially the pudding. I was pleased with myself.
Saturday I went for a ride with Dale on my trusty steed Petunia. That night, John would play with Pee Wee and our friend Fred Ross at Harry Denton's Starlight room. I got all dolled up and headed into SF by myself. I knew I'd know people there. As I stepped out of the elevator, Charlotte saw me and ran to the door man. At first I was directed to stand in line, but after a few whispers, I was yanked out of the line and into the room - Phew! I admit it, I've become spoiled. I just don't "do" lines (unless forced to). Thankfully I was saved.
It was this night where I discovered the 60-40 rule. Men in their 60's like to dance with women in their 40's. I can't imagine that there will be a 70/50 rule - more to come on that. At one point during the evening, while dancing with a short, older, Italian man, Charlotte looked my way, mouthing to me over the band, "are you alright?" She had a slightly concerned expression on her face. "I'm fine" I mouthed back - knowing full well that John's aim with a drumstick was deadly and all I needed was a nod in his direction. Hey - at least the 60 year olds think I'm hot...
Friday morning I awoke early and pondered, whether to venture out for the 5 a.m. bargains. I thought about it, and then swiftly rejected the thought, pulling the covers over my head. I did have to get up at a reasonable hour as I had a brief conference call at 9 a.m. At 8:15 I decided to see what the crowds were like. Most of my friends and family think that this is my favorite shopping day - au contraire! My favorite shopping day is the day after Christmas - the day when the stores desperately try to lure customers back, knowing that it will be a long, cold winter with only the sound crickets chirping on the escalators until spring apparel arrives with a bit of sunshine. That said, I wanted to get out and check out the scene. I tried to park in the lot for Best Buy but aborted after a once-around the lot. Then I drove across the way to (sound effects here: duh duh duh!) Toys R Us! Yes! Toys R Us on the day after Thanksgiving. The same Toys R Us that opened at either 10 p.m. or midnight of Thanksgiving. I walked in and I heard a familiar sound, but not a sound a Christmas, no, it was the sound of post-Christmas, the sound of crickets chirping. The store was empty! I breezed through and picked up this 'n that for my nephews. I had four, yep, four sales associates try to help me and I stood behind one woman if that's what you call a line. I was in and out with my gifts in a few minutes. Now THAT was different.
That afternoon I decided to try making a new dessert - inspired by the hot chocolate from the day prior. I made a salted caramel pudding - from scratch! This was no boxed pudding. This was the real deal. We planned to have our friend David and his wife Yofi and Charlotte and Pee Wee Ellis. Pee Wee is a legend in the music business. He wrote something like 26 of James Brown's hits, was in his band, was musical director for Van Morrison and has played with just about everyone but Jesus. Pee Wee and Charlotte became friends after John toured with Pee Wee and Fred Westley as part of the JB Horns tour.
Post Thanksgiving I decided to stay away from Fowl, so I made a cioppino , some Turkey-shaped bread I bought at Boudin's, a salad with fuyu persimmons and pomegranate seeds and then... the pudding served in individual tea cups (spectacular). Yes, sigh, dinner was a hit, especially the pudding. I was pleased with myself.
Saturday I went for a ride with Dale on my trusty steed Petunia. That night, John would play with Pee Wee and our friend Fred Ross at Harry Denton's Starlight room. I got all dolled up and headed into SF by myself. I knew I'd know people there. As I stepped out of the elevator, Charlotte saw me and ran to the door man. At first I was directed to stand in line, but after a few whispers, I was yanked out of the line and into the room - Phew! I admit it, I've become spoiled. I just don't "do" lines (unless forced to). Thankfully I was saved.
It was this night where I discovered the 60-40 rule. Men in their 60's like to dance with women in their 40's. I can't imagine that there will be a 70/50 rule - more to come on that. At one point during the evening, while dancing with a short, older, Italian man, Charlotte looked my way, mouthing to me over the band, "are you alright?" She had a slightly concerned expression on her face. "I'm fine" I mouthed back - knowing full well that John's aim with a drumstick was deadly and all I needed was a nod in his direction. Hey - at least the 60 year olds think I'm hot...
Monday, November 29, 2010
Gobble Gobble
Sunday the 21st, after book club, John and I had dinner with our friends Lance and Chris and their good friends Steve and Jen. You never really know what to expect when new people enter the equation - you generally end up liking one or the other, and rarely both. This must have been a rare instance because we all got on splendidly. During dinner we found out that Jen had been the personal assistant to Hunter S. Thompson in Colorado for many years. Yes - there were stories...
Jen turned out to be intelligent, charming and incredibly witty. There are moments which tend to stand out and there was one in particular that night. As Lance was telling the sad tale of a friend of ours who had spiraled out of control with drugs and mental illness, the line of the night came from Jen. The story, albeit brief goes like this:
Sandy (not his real name) moved back home to Sonora (not really, but a Sonora-like place) with his wife and kid so that they could purchase a big home and raise the kid in a rural setting. Things went awry after he was caught having an affair with one of his students (college) and post-divorce, drug use ensued. He was teaching a young, teen student music lessons and noticed some valuable instruments in the home. The student's family went out of town and during that period, the instruments disappeared. Sandy was pulled over for driving erratically and caught with - this is the line per Jen, "guitar residue under his nose" (Insert uproarious laughter here - okay, well, maybe you had to be there). Actually, Sandy was caught with an instrument and a crack pipe, and other paraphernalia, and the rest of the instruments were found, and eventually returned. Sadly, Sandy was found guilty and now his life is in ruins. That- is not so funny.
We left our merry band of friends and headed home in order to get ready for the upcoming short week. Much to do to prepare for the feast - shopping and cooking. My role for this Turkey Day was to make an appetizer and veggie. I settled on my favorite, the Brussel sprout with brown butter, Parmesan and capers. Only one problem - limited Parmesan and no capers... oh well, brown butter makes everything taste good. Luckily I had my trusty hubby to do the shopping on Wednesday a.m. My appetizer was a hacked together recipe for warm crab and artichoke dip. We got king crab legs, for some reason, the dungeness were out at Safeway. Those king crabs are prickly little buggers and I jabbed my thumb with one of the spikes on their shell - Ugh! But the dip was a tasty success and I even had enough left over for our dinner party on Friday night!. After cooking for an hour or two, John and I walked down the street to see Megamind, a new animated movie. John paid $10 for a good nap, but I enjoyed it - cute little movie and not a big crowd. I love the holidays, where you get out of work a little early, people are off doing so many other things that you're either deep in the crowd or nearly alone. This was the latter and it definitely improved the movie-going experience.
Jen turned out to be intelligent, charming and incredibly witty. There are moments which tend to stand out and there was one in particular that night. As Lance was telling the sad tale of a friend of ours who had spiraled out of control with drugs and mental illness, the line of the night came from Jen. The story, albeit brief goes like this:
Sandy (not his real name) moved back home to Sonora (not really, but a Sonora-like place) with his wife and kid so that they could purchase a big home and raise the kid in a rural setting. Things went awry after he was caught having an affair with one of his students (college) and post-divorce, drug use ensued. He was teaching a young, teen student music lessons and noticed some valuable instruments in the home. The student's family went out of town and during that period, the instruments disappeared. Sandy was pulled over for driving erratically and caught with - this is the line per Jen, "guitar residue under his nose" (Insert uproarious laughter here - okay, well, maybe you had to be there). Actually, Sandy was caught with an instrument and a crack pipe, and other paraphernalia, and the rest of the instruments were found, and eventually returned. Sadly, Sandy was found guilty and now his life is in ruins. That- is not so funny.
We left our merry band of friends and headed home in order to get ready for the upcoming short week. Much to do to prepare for the feast - shopping and cooking. My role for this Turkey Day was to make an appetizer and veggie. I settled on my favorite, the Brussel sprout with brown butter, Parmesan and capers. Only one problem - limited Parmesan and no capers... oh well, brown butter makes everything taste good. Luckily I had my trusty hubby to do the shopping on Wednesday a.m. My appetizer was a hacked together recipe for warm crab and artichoke dip. We got king crab legs, for some reason, the dungeness were out at Safeway. Those king crabs are prickly little buggers and I jabbed my thumb with one of the spikes on their shell - Ugh! But the dip was a tasty success and I even had enough left over for our dinner party on Friday night!. After cooking for an hour or two, John and I walked down the street to see Megamind, a new animated movie. John paid $10 for a good nap, but I enjoyed it - cute little movie and not a big crowd. I love the holidays, where you get out of work a little early, people are off doing so many other things that you're either deep in the crowd or nearly alone. This was the latter and it definitely improved the movie-going experience.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Catching up (part deux)
Monday, the 15th was a gloriously warm day. I could hardly contain my excitement at walking in SF on a mid-November day in a t shirt and skirt (no stockings!). The week started out slow, not too much new until Wednesday when Texarkana came to town. This isn't my friend, Texas, who lost the bet regarding the Giants and the Rangers, this is another colleague who also happens to be from Texas, is also a Tea-bagger and claims Obama is a communist (sigh). I had invited Texarkana to join me and two other colleagues for dinner. Picking a place to eat was may early week challenge.
me: what do you like to eat
him: chicken fried steak
This would be a challenge. Chicken fried steak is akin to fascism or tea bagging in San Francisco. You won't find it. That said, upon doing a little open table research, I did find Town Hall, a venerable SF restaurant, with upscale comfort food. You can find a pork chop or a steak on the menu, just prepared a tad different Texarkana chose the wine, "fisticuffs" (for real - check the link). There were a couple of issues we were dealing with: 1) business - the them vs us (field vs home office) and 2) red state vs blue state. The wine was a perfect fit. It was delicious. Thankfully all went well. Our business discussion was productive and we helped educate Texarkana such that he left feeling more knowledgeable and more attuned to our goals (those which pay him in his US greenbacks). Of course no evening would be complete without at least one political dig and at the end of the evening the gloves came off and he did start in on Obama. I did my best to stay true to myself without throwing myself across the table to throttle him when the "C-word" came out (communist).
Thursday night I took dear Dale to see Cavalia for her milestone 60th birthday. We ate at Momo's first. I had a french onion soup and crab louie and honestly, I was too engrossed in my cheese to even notice what she ordered. Cavalia was amazing! We marveled at how happy the horses were - not an ear turned back. The gymnastics paled to what the horses could do. I loved how the trainer could get the horses to line up and rest their heads on each others backs with what must have been the most subtle of all cues. This was in fact one of the best shows ever for its performance, relevance and beauty. It wasn't cheap, but it was worth every penny. The vision of the Lusitanos resting together will forever be burned in my memory.
By Friday, fall had arrived. The temperature had dropped to the normal high 50's / low 60s. The morning air had the fall chill and the light had changed. There was "that smell" indicating the season had changed - no more Indian summer. And by Saturday, the sky opened up and dumped. I was driving about 15 miles to Neo's house where he was hosting about 45 people (in his 2-bdr bungalow) for a food-sharing and wine tasting dinner. I was sadly solo once again. But as this was my second event at Neop's at least I had met a couple of the folks before. I wished that John could have been there. We were all sharing our recipes and admiring each others unusual dishes. There was one: Israeli couscous with mint, pine nuts, lemon and ... not sure, but delicious. Someone else made polenta toasts with wild mushrooms. I had felt inspired earlier in the day and pumped out two different fall cupcakes: persimmon eggnog with a salted caramel butter cream and then a pumpkin cupcake with a tangerine/ginger cream cheese frosting. I met a former baker who very graciously told me that even though he was a baker, he resents baking now, however my cupcakes were an exception and he thought that they were fantastic. He ever so gently broached that they could be commercial - I shuddered, "been there, done that."
Sunday afternoon I was preparing to head over to Charla's for book club. I headed up the hill to pick up Sue. Through the turned-up volume of the radio I heard a chunka-chunka sound. I slowly turned around and as I was doing so, a car pulled up along side of me, "you have a flat tire." UGH. Well, a few months ago the BMW guys told me I needed new tires, I guess this was a sign - an expensive sign, and an unfortunate sign during a short, holiday week. Sue picked me up as I was marveling at the flatness of my tire. I don't think it could have been more flat. Book club provided a lively conversation and we agreed on two new books for our next meeting: Just Kids by Patti Smith and the The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls - date tbd. Getting 6-8 women together on the same date has proved to be a challenge, however I discovered a tool, called Meeting Wizard which allows you to pick a bunch of dates and have your attendees select their available dates. It saves all of the back and forth, excuses, reasons, etc for who and why people aren't available. If only everyone would use it...
Sunday, November 21, 2010
playing catch up
yikes. Where did the time go. We're rounding the bend, nearing the end of a jam-packed year and frankly, I've lost steam. I keeping doing a little different, but finding it hard to keep up. The night after I had dinner Texas, Sarah and I got together for dinner at the Melting Pot in Larkspur. I was thwarted on my way over by some horrific traffic. I landed, at the landing, about 15 minutes late. I was certain that I would arrive on time, getting out of work a few minutes early. Sarah and I had salads and then shared an anemic artichoke and cheese fondu. Anemic as there was hardly a ramekin of artichoke hearts stirred in. That's not to say that it wasn't cheesy-good, but it wasn't exactly an artichoke fondu.
On Thursday, Veteran's Day, I raced home from work to make two-dozen cupcakes for a work pot-luck. I was under tremendous pressure to produce. One of my colleagues had become known for her baked good after having finished baking school at Tante Marie's. Charlotte's pasteries are world-class, delicious and gorgeous. Her standards were high and I had to be creative. I decided to use the persimmons from our tree. Remembering the creativity of the cooks on Cupcake Wars, I started scouring the cupboards for interesting ingredients. I used ground clove, ground anise, ground in a little orange tea, plus the usual "pumpkin-pie" spices: nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger. I made a caramel and worked that into a butter cream frosting to put on top.
During the pot luck, Charlotte came over to me and raved about the cupcake telling me I should be very proud of myself. She LOVED the frosting, thought it was fantastic and thought the flavor was really good - interesting flavors. I love the creativity. I was inspired.
On Saturday, I hooked up in Marin with my junior high school best friend Joanna. We met for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory in Corte Madera. There was something about getting together with my friend in Marin, where I just felt I needed a glass of wine. I was surrounded by kids and dogs, and Juicy Couture. Marin is just not the place it was when I grew up. Money, money money - everyone had money, but today people show it. My dad started the trend. Jo and I had a great time. We've surpassed the "getting back in touch" stage and moved into a new, natural stage of our friendship, where we're not just catching up on the last decade, but where we're catching up on just the last month or so. After lunch we wandered around the mall. Dogs and babies surrounded us. Before I knew it it was 4 p.m. and I was late to get home. I told John I'd be home in time to go out with him that night. My friend Shannon was coming into town from the tri-cities area of Washington state, Kennewick.
Upon her arrival and after a few minutes of hugging and ooing and awing over our newly renovated yard, we walked down to Sidebar restaurant. Shannon was just happy to be eating at some place other than a chain like, say, Cheesecake Factory or Red Robbin.
I was telling Shannon the story of how I was outed as a liberal when I was in Birmingham and our bartender came over and was fascinated by the story. "I love this!" He wanted to hear more. When, but in CA, can you tell the story of being outed as a liberal and a waiter has to hover like he's in your dinner party? It was entertaining. Our waiter was originally from the mid-west and found it oppressive and too conservative (no surprise) and ended up on this end of the world. For the rest of the evening, he was our new friend.
Sunday was a beautiful day. The sky was bright blue and the temperature was going to be in the 80s. I don't care if it's global warming, global weirding, or just California sunshine - the weather was fabulous. We rode our bikes down to Beer Revolution. I love the owner, Rebecca. She's super cool - tatted up, dark hair, super friendly: I know you! I've seen you here before, she hollered at me as I stood in line. John and I decided on a flight of 6 different beers for $15 bucks. We sat out on the deck and sipped at our offerings. I fell in love, and I mean love with the Chocolate Pilsner - I had to let everyone at our table try it (nope - didn't know them) and they all loved it too - not bitter, not sweet, just delicious. For some reason I seemed to have a magnet on for funny people (not ha ha) and this guy sort of glommed onto us. He was okay, except he kept drinking and kept talking and finally, I hit my yakker max and let John know it was time for us to hit the road. But that was not before John had run around the corner to get a fried oyster po-boy with some sweet potato fries. Yum!
After lunch we hopped on our bikes and made our way home. I was H-O-T and we were now late for dinner at Kirsten and John's house. We had to quickly shower, shave and shine and hit the road for another social event (Damn - we were busy!).
On Thursday, Veteran's Day, I raced home from work to make two-dozen cupcakes for a work pot-luck. I was under tremendous pressure to produce. One of my colleagues had become known for her baked good after having finished baking school at Tante Marie's. Charlotte's pasteries are world-class, delicious and gorgeous. Her standards were high and I had to be creative. I decided to use the persimmons from our tree. Remembering the creativity of the cooks on Cupcake Wars, I started scouring the cupboards for interesting ingredients. I used ground clove, ground anise, ground in a little orange tea, plus the usual "pumpkin-pie" spices: nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger. I made a caramel and worked that into a butter cream frosting to put on top.
During the pot luck, Charlotte came over to me and raved about the cupcake telling me I should be very proud of myself. She LOVED the frosting, thought it was fantastic and thought the flavor was really good - interesting flavors. I love the creativity. I was inspired.
On Saturday, I hooked up in Marin with my junior high school best friend Joanna. We met for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory in Corte Madera. There was something about getting together with my friend in Marin, where I just felt I needed a glass of wine. I was surrounded by kids and dogs, and Juicy Couture. Marin is just not the place it was when I grew up. Money, money money - everyone had money, but today people show it. My dad started the trend. Jo and I had a great time. We've surpassed the "getting back in touch" stage and moved into a new, natural stage of our friendship, where we're not just catching up on the last decade, but where we're catching up on just the last month or so. After lunch we wandered around the mall. Dogs and babies surrounded us. Before I knew it it was 4 p.m. and I was late to get home. I told John I'd be home in time to go out with him that night. My friend Shannon was coming into town from the tri-cities area of Washington state, Kennewick.
Upon her arrival and after a few minutes of hugging and ooing and awing over our newly renovated yard, we walked down to Sidebar restaurant. Shannon was just happy to be eating at some place other than a chain like, say, Cheesecake Factory or Red Robbin.
I was telling Shannon the story of how I was outed as a liberal when I was in Birmingham and our bartender came over and was fascinated by the story. "I love this!" He wanted to hear more. When, but in CA, can you tell the story of being outed as a liberal and a waiter has to hover like he's in your dinner party? It was entertaining. Our waiter was originally from the mid-west and found it oppressive and too conservative (no surprise) and ended up on this end of the world. For the rest of the evening, he was our new friend.
Sunday was a beautiful day. The sky was bright blue and the temperature was going to be in the 80s. I don't care if it's global warming, global weirding, or just California sunshine - the weather was fabulous. We rode our bikes down to Beer Revolution. I love the owner, Rebecca. She's super cool - tatted up, dark hair, super friendly: I know you! I've seen you here before, she hollered at me as I stood in line. John and I decided on a flight of 6 different beers for $15 bucks. We sat out on the deck and sipped at our offerings. I fell in love, and I mean love with the Chocolate Pilsner - I had to let everyone at our table try it (nope - didn't know them) and they all loved it too - not bitter, not sweet, just delicious. For some reason I seemed to have a magnet on for funny people (not ha ha) and this guy sort of glommed onto us. He was okay, except he kept drinking and kept talking and finally, I hit my yakker max and let John know it was time for us to hit the road. But that was not before John had run around the corner to get a fried oyster po-boy with some sweet potato fries. Yum!
After lunch we hopped on our bikes and made our way home. I was H-O-T and we were now late for dinner at Kirsten and John's house. We had to quickly shower, shave and shine and hit the road for another social event (Damn - we were busy!).
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Gloating Glory
The work week came and I had to prepare for a visit from my TX colleague, the one I had the bet with during the World Series. I had created a virtual shrine on the exterior cube walls, so as he entered our floor, the first thing he'd see was the homage (if you will) to the World Champion Giants! The VP of my group, also a Giants fan, told me to decorate away, go crazy, decorate my door too! I was inspired. I gathered as much propaganda as I could - pages from the daily papers with images of people in the streets, hugs, cheers, and of course, pennants and orange pom poms - anything and everything went on the cube walls so that when Texas entered the building, he'd feel some Giant love.
Texas entered on Tuesday and said, "I expected more" (insert cartoon sound here - wah wah). Then he totally poured water on the whole thing by saying, "you know, I probably go to more Giants games each year than Rangers. I actually like the Giants".
Me: big sigh.
Oh well, it was fun, and my shrine still lives a week later.
Dinner that night with Texas was terrific. We went to Le Colonial in SF. A year or so ago we had eaten there and although we had a gentleman's agreement that we would eat at different places each time he came out, he just had a hankerin' for French/Vietnamese food. We shared the following: Mien Xao Cua - Stir fried glass noodles with Dungeness crab, Laughing Bird shrimp,
egg and scallions, an order of Xu Bruxelles: Pan fried Brussels sprouts, Portobello mushrooms and crispy shallots with a sweet chili sauce, and an order of Vit Ngu Vi Huong: Seared 5-spice Pekin duck breast, with crispy Brussels sprouts and tamarind ginger sauce.
Texas and I couldn't stop saying, "Oh. My. God. This is SO good", as we were each telling tales the other would interrupt with that statement. We kept laughing over the deliciousness of the meal. It was just crazy good - and Texas doesn't love the sprout!
I had wanted to bring the leftovers home to John for his dinner. I mean, there's always something left over - but not tonight - nary a sprout was left on the plate. Poor John. After I got home we sat down together to watch a little t.v. He came into the living room with a plate of something. "what's that?", "something from the freezer." "oh, I'm so sorry. I really wanted to bring something back for you, but, well, it was just, SO good." Oh well, next time.
pot Luck
The sky opened up on Sunday and with that an idea emerged: Pixar exhibit at the newly renovated Oakland Museum of Art. After a hearty breakfast we drove down to Oak street. there was anything but a light rain and after we zipped up our rain jackets, we emerged street level to find a line down Oak and around the block. People were huddled under umbrellas (we didn't have one), waiting for the museum to open.
Apparently I had tapped into the collective consciousness of all of Oakland - this was clearly the place to be on a dreary Sunday. We assessed the line, felt our legs getting cold and wet and unanimously aborted. Next stop: Lucky's.
John said we were "going ghetto" - not exactly - but Lucky's isn't Safeway, nor is it Trader Joe's and it certainly isn't Whole Foods/paycheck. That said, this is probably the nicest Lucky's around. We needed to bring an appetizer to Kaya's for a pot-luck. This crowd is probably the most low-key, down-to-earth group of people I know (and love). Nothing snotty here - just plain 'ol good people. Now... what to bring. I reached deep into my early childhood memories, certainly not upscale as we were growing up (early in my youth), and I remember: weenies wrapped in Pillsbury dough (with ketchup and mustard). Yum. Then I thought, fried shrimp - well, I was kind of thinking catfish, but catfish can be challenging, so shrimp it was. I was also thinking, "rain, cold, football... fish 'n chips!" As we were waiting in line, an older black dude was pondering the same, "I really want fish 'n chips today - give me some catfish!"
Um, wow, was my brain truly in sync with the rest of Oakland? How random was that? So we started chatting him up and sure 'nuf - football and fried fish. We settled on cod and home we went.
I made a beer batter and plunked those bad boys in the vat of hot oil - YUM. I made a home made cocktail sauce (that was new too) and yum-me!
That evening we schlepped our Fry Daddy and a pound of shrimp over to Kaya's and chowed down on those little weenies and fried shrimp. Good times.
Apparently I had tapped into the collective consciousness of all of Oakland - this was clearly the place to be on a dreary Sunday. We assessed the line, felt our legs getting cold and wet and unanimously aborted. Next stop: Lucky's.
John said we were "going ghetto" - not exactly - but Lucky's isn't Safeway, nor is it Trader Joe's and it certainly isn't Whole Foods/paycheck. That said, this is probably the nicest Lucky's around. We needed to bring an appetizer to Kaya's for a pot-luck. This crowd is probably the most low-key, down-to-earth group of people I know (and love). Nothing snotty here - just plain 'ol good people. Now... what to bring. I reached deep into my early childhood memories, certainly not upscale as we were growing up (early in my youth), and I remember: weenies wrapped in Pillsbury dough (with ketchup and mustard). Yum. Then I thought, fried shrimp - well, I was kind of thinking catfish, but catfish can be challenging, so shrimp it was. I was also thinking, "rain, cold, football... fish 'n chips!" As we were waiting in line, an older black dude was pondering the same, "I really want fish 'n chips today - give me some catfish!"
Um, wow, was my brain truly in sync with the rest of Oakland? How random was that? So we started chatting him up and sure 'nuf - football and fried fish. We settled on cod and home we went.
I made a beer batter and plunked those bad boys in the vat of hot oil - YUM. I made a home made cocktail sauce (that was new too) and yum-me!
That evening we schlepped our Fry Daddy and a pound of shrimp over to Kaya's and chowed down on those little weenies and fried shrimp. Good times.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Now that was different
I walked to my car in the MacArthur BART parking lot after a long week of work on Friday. I turned the key in the ignition and the lights on the dash started going crazy. There was barely a whrrrr of the engine. "CRAP". I tried again, and again.
Nothing.
AAA arrived within 15 minutes and jumped started the car - ah! just the battery. I drove to Tiburon and stopped at the super market before going to Diana and Harvey's for a Paella dinner. I got to my car and ...
Nothing.
Rather than calling AAA I flagged down a guy in a giant truck. After a few tries (apparently maneuvering a Jumbo truck in a near empty parking lot requires a certain skill) , he got his truck close enough to my car to give me a jump.
After dinner at Diana and Harvey's (a fun event attended by former High School classmates, none of whom I'd ever met in my life), my cousin Rebecca's husband Joe jumped me. This provided hours of humor for the whole family - my car battery is in the back of the car - therefore requiring that I get jumped from behind. Joe giggled endlessly.
We got to George's in San Rafael - now the new, New George's, without the "New" to see John play with American Drag.
Then Harvey jumped me from behind.
In the morning, Saturday, Dale picked me up so we could ride (horses). That afternoon, Dale jumped me - from behind.
I made it to the gas station to get the new battery and learned that my "cost per wear" was equivalent to making money on the battery. I couldn't recall ever getting a new battery in the 10 years I've had the car - apparently the life-span of a batter is 3-5 years. I definitely came out ahead on this deal. Plus - I am now an expert on jump starting a car - front, or back.
Nothing.
AAA arrived within 15 minutes and jumped started the car - ah! just the battery. I drove to Tiburon and stopped at the super market before going to Diana and Harvey's for a Paella dinner. I got to my car and ...
Nothing.
Rather than calling AAA I flagged down a guy in a giant truck. After a few tries (apparently maneuvering a Jumbo truck in a near empty parking lot requires a certain skill) , he got his truck close enough to my car to give me a jump.
After dinner at Diana and Harvey's (a fun event attended by former High School classmates, none of whom I'd ever met in my life), my cousin Rebecca's husband Joe jumped me. This provided hours of humor for the whole family - my car battery is in the back of the car - therefore requiring that I get jumped from behind. Joe giggled endlessly.
We got to George's in San Rafael - now the new, New George's, without the "New" to see John play with American Drag.
Then Harvey jumped me from behind.
In the morning, Saturday, Dale picked me up so we could ride (horses). That afternoon, Dale jumped me - from behind.
I made it to the gas station to get the new battery and learned that my "cost per wear" was equivalent to making money on the battery. I couldn't recall ever getting a new battery in the 10 years I've had the car - apparently the life-span of a batter is 3-5 years. I definitely came out ahead on this deal. Plus - I am now an expert on jump starting a car - front, or back.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Giant Monday
Most of us at work could hardly contain our excitement on Monday. Even our VP said, "go home early to watch the game", so I caught an earlier bus home. Of course by this point my TX pal stopped texting. At the 7th inning, when Renteria slammed in that 3 run hommer I couldn't help but send a text - the silence was deafening. At the end of the game John and I jumped up and down and screamed so loud the cats nearly tore a hole in the couch trying to run away from the insanity. We were ecstatic - unable to contain our joy.
Tuesday I pinged TX - "no congratulations?"
"They didn't play well. It was like a little league game"
"sour grapes"
Wednesday I got into the city at 8 a.m. Our building sits on the corner of Montgomery and Market, right along the parade route. I had never been to a parade before - not like this - not when the Niners won a super bowl - Never. This was going to be a great day. The energy of the fans coursed through the city as a dense crowd had already gathered.
I pinged TX again,
"surprised I haven't heard from you"
"I'd rather re-take Congress than win a World Series any day"
"Can't hear you over the noise of the parade"
"you're a bad liar. the parade doesn't start for two hours"
"the crowd gathered early. Gotta go. You're distracting me from my joy"
My 10 a.m. meeting ended quickly and my colleagues and I had blocked out time for a "meeting" from 11 - 1. At 10:30 we were already suffering from " fear of missing out" syndrome, so we hopped the elevator down the 28 flights. The crowd must have been 50 deep and I'm just not good in crowds. Thankfully our lobby is slightly elevated - in fact, just enough for me to stand safely inside and just above everyone's heads. As the parade passed I could see the faces of the players. Although being inside made me feel insulated, I still enjoyed the event, especially as Bochy rode by holding up the World Series Trophy. Fifty years in the making and finally a World Series trophy.
As the parade passed I went outside. The crowd lessened and I could still feel the joyous energy. Black and orange ticker tape covered the streets like a fine dusting of snow. I stood outside for about 10 minutes just enjoying the buzz of the crowd. By 5:30 as I headed home, the streets were still filled with people in their Giant's gear. This must be what it's like to live in NYC when the Yankees win - everyone in their garb - all part of the same tribe. We were all one that day - all Giant's fans united in our love for the city, the game, the players and the team.
Tuesday I pinged TX - "no congratulations?"
"They didn't play well. It was like a little league game"
"sour grapes"
Wednesday I got into the city at 8 a.m. Our building sits on the corner of Montgomery and Market, right along the parade route. I had never been to a parade before - not like this - not when the Niners won a super bowl - Never. This was going to be a great day. The energy of the fans coursed through the city as a dense crowd had already gathered.
I pinged TX again,
"surprised I haven't heard from you"
"I'd rather re-take Congress than win a World Series any day"
"Can't hear you over the noise of the parade"
"you're a bad liar. the parade doesn't start for two hours"
"the crowd gathered early. Gotta go. You're distracting me from my joy"
My 10 a.m. meeting ended quickly and my colleagues and I had blocked out time for a "meeting" from 11 - 1. At 10:30 we were already suffering from " fear of missing out" syndrome, so we hopped the elevator down the 28 flights. The crowd must have been 50 deep and I'm just not good in crowds. Thankfully our lobby is slightly elevated - in fact, just enough for me to stand safely inside and just above everyone's heads. As the parade passed I could see the faces of the players. Although being inside made me feel insulated, I still enjoyed the event, especially as Bochy rode by holding up the World Series Trophy. Fifty years in the making and finally a World Series trophy.
As the parade passed I went outside. The crowd lessened and I could still feel the joyous energy. Black and orange ticker tape covered the streets like a fine dusting of snow. I stood outside for about 10 minutes just enjoying the buzz of the crowd. By 5:30 as I headed home, the streets were still filled with people in their Giant's gear. This must be what it's like to live in NYC when the Yankees win - everyone in their garb - all part of the same tribe. We were all one that day - all Giant's fans united in our love for the city, the game, the players and the team.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Rainy Day
It was a good day to come down with a cold, if ever there's a good time to get sick. It had rained the night before and the rain Gods weren't ready to depart our fair city just yet - besides, it was time for another baseball game.
I ran up to the barn and spent quality time with Miss Petunia and then headed home. As the sky darkened, and the ground became damp, my nose followed suit (not the darkening part). I popped Severe Cold meds, grabbed a box of Kleenex and pulled the blanket up around my neck as I stretched out on the couch. It was as if someone had put superglue there. I simply couldn't get up. And so there I stayed, as glued to the couch as my eyes were to the T.V.
The text messages started arriving from Tx - it wasn't a great day for the giants, but I knew there was more to come. Besides, we were up by two.
Then came Halloween. As the sky cleared, so did my cold, so John and I went for a hike up in Redwood Park. Normally in the fall, we see brown, but as we had had some early rains, we were delighted to see the bright green mosses adorn the trees. We headed up Stream Trail and found that the lady bugs were already gathering. This is an annual occurrence where the lady bugs gather in the same spot every year.
Millions of them huddle together, normally in the dead of winter and hibernate until the spring when they fly away. Strangely, it was in the high 60's, and the lady bugs were about two to three months early. We watched them huddle for a while and then continued on our way.
That night, I once again found myself on the couch - eyes glued to the game. Never, in my entire life, have I been so engrossed in baseball. But this year was different - the team was different, everything was different. I appreciated the strategy, the offense and the defense of the game. It finally made sense to me. That's not to say that I don't think that there are about 120 games too many in the season, but this was pure fun - especially since the Giants took their third game and were now just one away from winning the World Series - after more than 50 years in SF - could they really bring it home. Oh, and the text messages from Tx - well, my colleagues cell phone battery must have died, 'cause it got really, really quiet.
After the game, I headed down to my neighbor's house where he hosts an annual neighborhood party. He gets a ton of kids so he invites his adult friends over to join him. I brought my four bags over as I didn't have a single visitor. That's what happens when you live just slightly up a hill - a blessing in some ways. The neighbors and I talked about the joy of the game and our thoughts on the upcoming election - who would be our new Mayor? Who were "you" voting for and why? What would happen in Washington. It was all good though when the evening came to an end.
Dinner. Quick!
What was I thinking, agreeing to have four people over for dinner on a Friday night at 6:30? Normally I get home at 6:30. I had been thinking all week, what can I throw together that will be yummy and easy? I decided on clam chowder and crab cakes on salad - easy.
I dashed out of the office a little early and hopped on BART. I ran in the door at 5:15 - started prepping appetizers (cheese and bruchetta, with tomatoes and basil fresh from the garden). Luckily my clam chowder "recipe" calls for a lot of cans and little cooking: three cans from different mfrs of chowder, 1 can of corn, bake two potatos, toss in some extra milk, a little chopped onion, cayenne, and add butter - voila! The crab cakes were a tad more challenging - crab season hasn't opened yet - we resorted to the $16/8 oz tin of crab (good quality but pricey). They turned out fine, but there's nothing like REAL REAL REAL crab.
Guests arrived on time and we imbibed. They seemed impressed by my de-canning ability for which I was grateful. Finally around 10:30/11:00 guests departed and I collapsed.
I dashed out of the office a little early and hopped on BART. I ran in the door at 5:15 - started prepping appetizers (cheese and bruchetta, with tomatoes and basil fresh from the garden). Luckily my clam chowder "recipe" calls for a lot of cans and little cooking: three cans from different mfrs of chowder, 1 can of corn, bake two potatos, toss in some extra milk, a little chopped onion, cayenne, and add butter - voila! The crab cakes were a tad more challenging - crab season hasn't opened yet - we resorted to the $16/8 oz tin of crab (good quality but pricey). They turned out fine, but there's nothing like REAL REAL REAL crab.
Guests arrived on time and we imbibed. They seemed impressed by my de-canning ability for which I was grateful. Finally around 10:30/11:00 guests departed and I collapsed.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Giants Fever 2
Thursday I went to the Ebbie awards - an award given by the SF Chamber of Commerce to "best of" businesses. I accepted this invitation as a guest of my company, which was being honored for being a centenarian. We're actually around 175 years old, but who's counting?
It was my second instance of being in a place where I might normally like to be (I mean, I had a free glass of champagne in my hand) but my mind was somewhere else - namely Pac Bell Park. Luckily throughout the event I was not the only one checking my phone for the score. They had the game on, on TVs throughout the Masonic Auditorium and I made sure to keep my eyes on as I passed by. Additionally, while awards were being given out, they would also announce the score.
After all awards were presented, my colleagues and I wandered the joint nibbling on the free food (lots of finger food like chinese dumplings, onion strings, tiny desserts, etc). And after about 45 minutes, we grabbed our bags and hit the road.
On our way to Powell St BART, we ended up on the street in front of Lefty O'Doul's. A crowd had formed as a TV was turned streetside and we watched with joy as the Giants went up by 3, then 4, then 5! We jumped up and down and screamed in the middle of the street. My TX colleague's texts became more sullen and pouty, "they don't deserve to win if all they can do is walk them in". My response, "how do you look in orange?"
It was my second instance of being in a place where I might normally like to be (I mean, I had a free glass of champagne in my hand) but my mind was somewhere else - namely Pac Bell Park. Luckily throughout the event I was not the only one checking my phone for the score. They had the game on, on TVs throughout the Masonic Auditorium and I made sure to keep my eyes on as I passed by. Additionally, while awards were being given out, they would also announce the score.
After all awards were presented, my colleagues and I wandered the joint nibbling on the free food (lots of finger food like chinese dumplings, onion strings, tiny desserts, etc). And after about 45 minutes, we grabbed our bags and hit the road.
On our way to Powell St BART, we ended up on the street in front of Lefty O'Doul's. A crowd had formed as a TV was turned streetside and we watched with joy as the Giants went up by 3, then 4, then 5! We jumped up and down and screamed in the middle of the street. My TX colleague's texts became more sullen and pouty, "they don't deserve to win if all they can do is walk them in". My response, "how do you look in orange?"
Monday, November 1, 2010
Giant Fever
I'm a post-season fan. It's true. There are something like 160 games in a season which is easily about 120 too many if you ask me. So right around august, when talk of the post season heats up, I start to CRT interested in baseball.
This was a good year. Wednesday night I had a social action meeting at the synagogue. I went- a bit begrudging as the first game of the world series was on, featuring my beloved Giants.
I honestly felt a bit like my grandfather, who used to wear a transistor radio like a body part- glued to every word of the announcer. Me, I had my trusty iPhone.
I engaged as much as possible, grabbing my phone and checking the score as if i were waiting for life saving news.
I also kept getting text messages from my friend in Texas- hard to respond when I was trying to help solve critical Oakland issues. The meeting ended after about an hour and a half and I ran out to the car, giddy to hear the giants were ahead.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
This was a good year. Wednesday night I had a social action meeting at the synagogue. I went- a bit begrudging as the first game of the world series was on, featuring my beloved Giants.
I honestly felt a bit like my grandfather, who used to wear a transistor radio like a body part- glued to every word of the announcer. Me, I had my trusty iPhone.
I engaged as much as possible, grabbing my phone and checking the score as if i were waiting for life saving news.
I also kept getting text messages from my friend in Texas- hard to respond when I was trying to help solve critical Oakland issues. The meeting ended after about an hour and a half and I ran out to the car, giddy to hear the giants were ahead.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, October 29, 2010
Mystic Pizza
So maybe the title is a bit dated, and my event didn't take place in Mystic, Ct., but I did make my own pizza, from scratch on Monday!
I bought a small bag of already yeasty dough at Whole paycheck which apparently kept rising in the fridge, because when I pulled it out on Monday, after two days, the cellophane taped bag was open and dough had forced its way out and into the vegetable bin- like "the fog" it crept through the fridge.
I rolled the soft, yeasty dough out, making sure to get the air bubbles out. I then pulled tomatoes and basil from the garden to make my own tomato sauce. Rolling the dough onto corn meal and dusting the top with olive oil before spreading the sauce on were the tricks to a crunchy crust and a non-soggy pizza. Delicious!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Sunday Rainy sunday
I had the sneezles on Saturday night and as much as I wanted to see my girls on Sunday for movie club, I decided to lay low- too much of a good thing and all that.
It rained on Sunday which also provided a perfect excuse for staying in- all snuggly buggly in a ruggly. That was until 5 when we went to the "evil" step's house for family dinner.
I actually love my evil step family. I got pretty lucky. Once a month we plan to get together for dinner. We started this about a year ago when we realized how much we enjoyed holidays. I asked, "why don't we do this more often" also, I was inspired by tv shows with fake families having Rockwellian moments- I wanted a slice of that life. So we made it happen. Like every Rockwell painting there is more to it than what's in the picture, and not every picture is perfect, but we love our imperfections.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
It rained on Sunday which also provided a perfect excuse for staying in- all snuggly buggly in a ruggly. That was until 5 when we went to the "evil" step's house for family dinner.
I actually love my evil step family. I got pretty lucky. Once a month we plan to get together for dinner. We started this about a year ago when we realized how much we enjoyed holidays. I asked, "why don't we do this more often" also, I was inspired by tv shows with fake families having Rockwellian moments- I wanted a slice of that life. So we made it happen. Like every Rockwell painting there is more to it than what's in the picture, and not every picture is perfect, but we love our imperfections.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
SF Jazz Fest
John had toured a bit with Vieux Farka Toure when he was with Pee Wee Ellis on the Tribute to James Brown tour. I thought it fitting to get tickets to see Vieux play with Taj Mahal in a combo blues / African / jazz combo platter at the Paramount Theater in Oakland for John's birthday.
So here's the deal: John killed my ability to enjoy music. It's true. I can no longer listen like a civilian / regular person. I hear music differently now. I understand music like a musician and it has totally ruined my ability to just sit back, listen and have a good time. Now I hear the crap. I can tell when a drummer is rushing or when he can't play well, or when other musicians make mistakes and train wrecks occur. I hear it all, and it sucks.
So on that rainy Saturday night, we found our seats (great seats - and they should have been for $75 each!) and settled in just as Vieux started playing. I loved his set. His playing, singing and stage presence was fantastic. Then Foday Musa Suso played a bit on the Kora. It was spectacular.
Then Taj came out with his trio. I listened to the first couple of songs - Taj has a great presence on stage and at 70, he has not lost a thing in his performing ability. He's still amazing, charming and engaging (and a great performer). His drummer, well, that's another story. For two songs, I chalked up my ennui to the sound. The Paramount has lackluster sound compared to many Bay Area venues. By the third song I had pretty much made up my mind that he was just an uncreative player who could play 16th notes really well. And that was about it. Just tink, tink, tink, tink on the high hat. There was no playing on the rim, no dynamics, nothing. It was the same tempo, same beat, like a goddamn junior high school player - not a single thing to get me interested in the songs. Even during an ensemble piece with Taj, Vieux and Foday, Vieux turned to the drummer to indicate, "bring it up with me" (that means - help me with the intensity of the song), the drummer kept plodding along - think "happy trails" do de do de do de do de.... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. John was ready to pull a "John Bonham" and run up on stage, shove the guy off the stool and grab his sticks. I would have welcomed the change of pace.
So there it is - Me - a ruined music listener. I'm done for.
So here's the deal: John killed my ability to enjoy music. It's true. I can no longer listen like a civilian / regular person. I hear music differently now. I understand music like a musician and it has totally ruined my ability to just sit back, listen and have a good time. Now I hear the crap. I can tell when a drummer is rushing or when he can't play well, or when other musicians make mistakes and train wrecks occur. I hear it all, and it sucks.
So on that rainy Saturday night, we found our seats (great seats - and they should have been for $75 each!) and settled in just as Vieux started playing. I loved his set. His playing, singing and stage presence was fantastic. Then Foday Musa Suso played a bit on the Kora. It was spectacular.
Then Taj came out with his trio. I listened to the first couple of songs - Taj has a great presence on stage and at 70, he has not lost a thing in his performing ability. He's still amazing, charming and engaging (and a great performer). His drummer, well, that's another story. For two songs, I chalked up my ennui to the sound. The Paramount has lackluster sound compared to many Bay Area venues. By the third song I had pretty much made up my mind that he was just an uncreative player who could play 16th notes really well. And that was about it. Just tink, tink, tink, tink on the high hat. There was no playing on the rim, no dynamics, nothing. It was the same tempo, same beat, like a goddamn junior high school player - not a single thing to get me interested in the songs. Even during an ensemble piece with Taj, Vieux and Foday, Vieux turned to the drummer to indicate, "bring it up with me" (that means - help me with the intensity of the song), the drummer kept plodding along - think "happy trails" do de do de do de do de.... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. John was ready to pull a "John Bonham" and run up on stage, shove the guy off the stool and grab his sticks. I would have welcomed the change of pace.
So there it is - Me - a ruined music listener. I'm done for.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
