Happy belated holidays?

This post is a work in progress. Honestly, you can check back later and I will have put pictures in. (Late addition: I've decided to backload this whole entry with the pictures as opposed to scatter them throughout)

Work wall looking snazzier lately!

Nothing really exciting has been going on in my life lately. There were a few days there where I was getting a lot of action, but that quickly died down. I went to Sacramento to spend Christmas with the Mexican and his family. We didn't really do much.

Literally, this is what we did.

After making me wait three extra hours in the San Francisco airport, the Mexican and his sister showed up. I was a touch perturbed considering I had been in JFK for about 2 hours before my flight (JBike drove me, and it was a very quick ride), and the flight is 6 hours. Although, I did have two seats to myself, so I got to sit/lay down across the two seats at 8am in the morning, which was pleasant enough. Thank you vicodin for keeping the pain of sitting for that long to a minimum. Actually, I only took half of one, I was being classy.

Having lost 3 hours to the time change, I left my house at 5:45am, and finally completed my travel time at only 2pm. (On the way back we left the house at 10:30 and I got home at midnight).

We spent a few hours at Fisherman's Wharf eating Clam Chowder out of a Sourdough bread bowl, and having this delicious salad with Jicama, which I usually don't care for. Also, we had the most delicious Mojito. I would show you pictures, but day three of my trip makes that impossible...unfortunately.

We saw the sea lions and ate cotton candy. I didn't stop eating from Wednesday morning until...well I still haven't stopped eating.

Oh look at that it's 5pm. Time to go home. Perhaps I will finish this at home, although it's more likely to happen tomorrow at work because we're back in lull season!

Look at that...it's day 2 of trying to blog. 


Anyway, back to my trip to Sacramento. We drove home after spending some time at Fisherman's Wharf.

Sidenote: We saw this really young couple (neither of the people were over 20 by the looks) and they had a 2 year old downs baby. I salute them, and I feel bad for them because not only did they have babies young, they're in for a lifetime of care of that baby. I could never do it. Knock on wood.

So what the hell did we do...We ate food that the Mexican's mama made which was DELICIOUS - as was all of her food for the rest of the vacation. His mom really wasn't very chatty. I think if I spoke Spanish it would've been different, but she was really nice. His dad was a hoot. Yup, I said "a hoot". Just a funny guy. We got along. I got along with everyone!

I was still on east coast time, so it was hard to adjust and I went to sleep pretty darn early, and thus woke up...pretty darn early. I was up at 9am, but the Mexican didn't get up until noon...any of the days I was there (except the day I left because we had to be out of the house by 10:30). 

 Thursday we went to Davis, ate gourmet bagel sandwiches, and walked around. We went to the UC Davis campus where the Mexican and his friend both went. I almost bought sweatpants, but I wasn't feeling particularly spendy...and then we went to this sweets shop where I got this delicious treat.

Yup, chocolate cake and chocolate mousse in a chocolate ganache dome

Friday, we went to Old Sac, and found this new store called the Olive Mix, and sampled dozens of EVOO and balsamic vinegars. Bought myself 100 bucks worth of them. It was a delicious delicious day. Unfortunately, I didn't take pics at all of what I got just yet, but I've been using them and it's been fantastic! (I've made a million crostinis since I've been home because we are currently "stove-less"). We also went to all of these gag/novelty gift shops. I almost got B shot glasses, but I took pictures of the sayings instead. I, however, lost these photos in the media card debacle of Saturday morning.

Saturday the Mexican and I were sitting in my room and I couldn't get my facebook messenger icon to disappear on my phone, even though I couldn't find the unopened messages...so like anyone with a blackberry would've done, I popped the battery. Unfortunately, my media card was being accessed at the time and by pulling the battery while that was going on, I corrupted the card and lost everything. I tried everything to get it back, but eventually just reformatted and reloaded when I got home. Therefore, I lost whatever pictures I had, because I forgot to take my camera ANYWHERE.

Anyway, for the rest of the time I was there we pretty much only went to holiday shop for the Mexican's family and watched movies. A million goddamn movies. I had seen pretty much all of them before. So basically it was relaxing as shit...until my flight home.

Oh, and xmas was fine. We didn't really do anything special. I got an infinity scarf from the Mexican's mom that he tried to steal (with no success). I didn't really take pictures of ANYTHING. I did try in and out burger on the way to the airport though, so that was nice.

Christmas set up

I was seated next to this kid who must've had Tourette's and bad BO. Thankfully the plane was mostly empty and the woman next to me moved to her own row. Also, the kid was quiet enough during the flight that my headphones drowned him out. By kid, I must tell you that this "kid" was probably 17. He would burst out into song and move around a lot, and each time he leaned back and frantically moved around, his BO would waft over to me. Not the most pleasant thing ever, but survivable as it was only once in a while and I tried to sleep most of the time.

JBike picked me up from the airport. I was surprised he didn't stay over, but I guess he's on his gypsy cab grind. Can't fault him for that. I'd like my money back at SOME point.

How was everyone else's holiday?

I came back to work to a handful of gifts. This year I splurged more on myself than I ever have for the holidays before. I bought mini portable speakers, all of that stuff at the olive mix, a tshirt, and $70 worth of chocolate.

MOST AMAZING chocolate. You should try it.

Basic speaker I can hook up to my phone or ipod.

Awesome little speaker that I can just put my media card right into! FOR traveling!

This is what the tshirt looks like. BINGE eating!

So much chocolate, so little time.

These two truffles were AMAZING from one of the Drs. I work with on grants.

From one of my fellows. I might have to regift this though. I can't handle more chocolate.

From my supervisor. Love Dark Chocolate!

Other gifts from coworkers (basil infused EVOO not pictured)

From the Divisional Administrator. Super cute "ornament" and squishy!

Poinsettia from one of the co-chiefs

Much prettier closer up!

From both co-chiefs. $25 more than last year!

My old temp agency sends the weirdest gifts every year! Gave to my dad.

From my program director. It's full of all sorts of soaps and bath products. Do I need to bathe more?

I've also picked up a snazzy oragami hobby (again) thanks to learning how to make these little gems:

My mom is feeding into this hobby because she wants me to make small oragami beads that she can make earrings out of. DONE! I made a crab and lotus flower yesterday. I might start bringing some to work because it's a slow time of year.

Another admittance of failure

I'm really awful at this blogging thing, so here's what's been going on with me lately that I may or may not embellish upon later.

Work was hell last week. Actually for two weeks it wasn't the most spectacular place. My boss was gone and I had 9 grants due in two days, 7 of which were absurd and required hardcopies and CDs and FedExing. I actually thanked the FedExing gods on Wednesday night because as I caught the last FedEx pickup JUST as he was leaving the building (that I had literally thrown shit across the room to my desk, ran down 6 flights of stairs, jaywalked dangerously, hailed a cab and gotten to the pick up place all in 12 minutes to catch). I've noticed the FedEx gods are fickle though, as they did not pickup my package from the dropoff the night before causing my coworker to hand deliver a grant that was due on Wednesday to the MetLife building as my head spun and almost imploded from the 7 other grants I had to deal with.

This whole grant situation is quite stress inducing because NO ONE knows how to prepare for a deadline, and they have no regard for my workload or that of our grants office. In turn, the grants office HATES my guts because I stop paying attention to little details and end up sending them versions with STUPID mistakes, which makes me look like a complete fool.

Also, the grants office is 8 blocks away, which really blows when things need to have "per ink" signatures because it requires so much back and forth, and if my coworker didn't go pick up all of the signature pages I needed on Wednesday, I would've cried myself into oblivion and no one's grants would have arrived at their destination.

So I was at work until 8:30 on Wednesday. That's after dropping off the signature pages at the grants office at 7pm on Tuesday. Then I was at work until 7:30pm on Thursday because another of the doctors likes to push the deadlines and so I had to wait for her to submit her grant. All in all, I had worked 35 hours by Thursday and bitch didn't come to work on Friday. CHA CHING.

Guess what I did on Friday with my time off?

ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY...nothing.

I did nothing.

I took a whole day off to do nothing. I did go out on Friday night for the Mexican's roommate's boyfriend's bday. I wore wedges (so my feet hated me) and vomited Sangria up at a wine bar before the night even started. We went to this gay club. It was entertaining for the two hours we were there, but my feet hurt and I wasn't drunk and I was ready to go home. So guess what I did on Saturday because I went out on Friday night? Nothing.

Yup. I did nothing again. I packed my bag for Jamaica. Cried in my head a little because I overpacked for the billionth time. I literally looked at the items in my bag and mentally noted the stuff that would never even be unfolded because I brought too much. However, I did get the essentials in my overhead compartment carryon. These essentials are 20 solo cups, 6 ping pong balls and a deck of cards. Yup, I'm going to figure out how the fuck we can play beer pong without a long table in Jamaica. I'm going to figure it out. I swear. There will be pictures.

Did I tell you that I'm going back to Jamaica on Thursday? Yeah...that's right, I'm a glutton for punishment. It should be quite entertaining though and I'm pretty excited about it. I'm ready to be done with the next few days though.

Jesus. I just realized I haven't updated since before Thanksgiving. So here's how that shizz went.

My mom started cooking almost two weeks in advance (I might've mentioned that). I started my cooking about three days before.

Mind you, we do Thanksgiving at our house on Saturday so we can invite friends who spend Thursday with their family. We also go to my Uncle's house on the Upper West Side for actual Thanksgiving, because they can never make it to our house due to my Aunt's family having some annual shindig. After my Uncle's Thanksgiving I took my car, leaving my parents to take the train home, and made my way over to the Mexican's for their Thanksgiving. Their party was lovely. I carved the turkey (which was the best ever) and The Mexican got schwasted, everyone was happy. It was a Merry Thanksgiving. Great success.
 

Here is what I contributed to Thanksgiving:

• Mac and Cheese (I think I used about 7 cheeses)
• Bacon and Jalapeno Mac and Cheese (Same base as above) - took to the Mexican's and abandoned
• Bacon wrapped stuffed jalapenos (with herb cream cheese)
• Bacon wrapped waterchestnuts (with sriracha aioli)
• Bacon wrapped dates (stuffed with marscapone and almond slivers dipped in soy and brown sugar)
• Spinach, artichoke and crab dip (with mozzarella melted atop - very much like a restaurant..but better)
• Garlic Mashed Potatoes that are glorious and I don't even like potatoes
• Brussel Sprouts two ways (baked and crispy, and creamy mustard)
• Salad (with home made dressings)
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Pumpkin Cranberry Cookies
• Gingersnaps and pumpkin dip
• Sangria

Here's what my mother contributed to Thanksgiving:

• Her famous spinach that I always always want
• 6 types of stuffing (cornbread and sausage, sausage and sausage, water chestnut and chinese sausage, some kind of vegetarian one, oyster, wild rice with something or other)
• Gallatine (turkey stuffed with duck stuffed with chicken stuffed with sausage - no bones)
• Turkey
• Curry Pumpkin Soup
• Homemade chicken liver pate
• Cornbread
• Mozzarepas
• Mushrooms and Onions
• Sweet noodle kugel with peaches
• Stuffed mushrooms
• Sweet potato casserole
• Pumpkin pie
• Apple Pie
• Pear Tart
• Cheesecake
• .....I know I'm missing stuff, and some other people brought things as well but yeah...there was a shit ton of food and I remained mostly stress free. My mom and I didn't kill each other, and I was semi-social.

Here's what my dad contributed to Thanksgiving:

• Labels - his one and only job was to label the food, he failed. I labeled most of the stuff. I guess he also did everything else my mom told him to, so he contributed SOMETHING. He went to the store a lot for us.

I didn't go to my college friend's leftover party on Friday though. I pretty much hibernated until Monday actually.

In other news, let me tell you about the new guys in my life.

You see, Compas is pretty much gone. He got the hint that I wasn't interested. I'm an ass. I've moved on.
HWizard has been out of town for quite a bit, so that's all blah - but should be fine. Steel Pans works like a fucking fiend and has to wake up at the ass crack of dawn, but after our little tiff over money things are fine and he comes by for quickies when he can. I spent the day after Thanksgiving with JBike, and saw him on Saturday. He's finally working so maybe my money will come back to me soon!

I decided last weekend it was time to really get on my meeting people ish.

So I've been talking to this guy that we'll call Big Blue, because he's a Giants fan. GAG. But whatever, we talk about football and it's sweet. I went to watch the games with him yesterday in the Bronx and it was rather pleasant. He invited me to dinner on Friday, but I couldn't get my shit together in time to go before going out with the Mexican, so Sunday it was. We spent the day watching the games and rooting against each other eating pizza. It was lovely.

After I saw Big Blue, I went to go see this guy I will call Baby Hustla...because he's 21 (JUST turned 21 on Nov. 6) and well...he's a hustler folks. That's right, I'm talking to a goddamn pubescent drug dealer.

Whatever. He's an idiot. He has a face tattoo (which he thinks is fine because it's a cross and he loves Jesus), he also has some bible verse tattooed across his whole chest and kind of up his neck. He has a baby face, but is at least taller than me. His family is from Jamaica, although he is not. He's been shot twice, and recently. Everything about him screams AWFUL IDEA, but he's entertaining. We cuddled, he tried to get in my pants, and I didn't do it! He did bite my fucking throat though. Thanks for the hickey, asshole. He said he wanted me to remember him every time I looked in the mirror. I nearly punched him in the face.

All of that being said, I will most likely see him again because I'm a fucking fool and I think it'll be good sex. Also, he makes me feel smart because he says some of the dumbest shit I've ever heard and who doesn't need an intelligence ego boost from time to time?

The most important new boy I will call Playboy...because that's what he is. He admittedly doesn't care much about girls' feelings. However, he's been to my house twice now (Thursday and Friday) and all we did was cuddle and well, I let him get to second base, but seriously it was precious. He's a really sweet guy - so far - and we're really comfortable with each other. Great cuddler. He does give me slight panic attacks when he wakes up, because randomly he'll wake up, make some random movement like pulling me close or basically waking up saying that it's time for him to go. Motherf-er, RELAX. I told him that, because it freaks me the fuck out when he does that. Also, his car was blocking my mom's in, so I knew he had to be out by 8, so I didn't sleep so well on Thursday.

Look, it's a work in progress, but I'm just proud of myself for keeping my pants on lately. Trying to form bonds of substance...although not one of these guys will end up going anywhere, so sad. They're all so damn cute though.

So damn cute...

Here's a fun little tidbit about today though. So I went to get the salad dressing from the fridge, and someone put it in there without screwing on the top and it slipped onto the ground and EXPLODED all over me. My shirt is currently drying. Thank goodness for layers. I smell a bit like balsamic vinaigrette and I had the stuff all over my face. I keep it classy blogosphere, I keep it classy.

Day 5: Foods

1. Vietnamese Summer Rolls:

Seeing as how I like to wrap anything and everything in rice paper, this is an obvious choice for number one. There's something just so amazing about the clean flavors of a summer roll. I like to put shrimp, cucumbers, scallions and some kind of fruit in mine (oh and I put the peanut sauce on the inside).

2. Sashimi Salad:

There's hardly anything better in the summer than sashimi salad. Fresh raw fish and other raw vegetables. So crisp, and refreshing.

3. Steak:

Honestly, who other than vegetarians/vegans/pescetarians...etc doesn't crave a delicious steak from time to time? On the rare side of medium rare for me please.

4. Watermelon Salad:

My summer obsession. I like mine with watermelon, feta and watercress, walnuts with a touch of champagne vinaigrette (not even necessary). AMAZING.

 

5.  Tiramisu:

I've had great Tiramisu and I've had awful Tiramisu, no matter what a good piece will always remind me of college and going to eat dinner at Michael's with Jared. They made brilliant Tiramisu there.

Get FIT (Food, Injuries and Traveling)

My favorite store called me yesterday to say I had a $40 coupon to use before next Wednesday, so what did I do? I went shopping after work. I bought 5 shirts that I didn't need for a grand total of $49, which is typically what some of their shirts cost by themselves. I'm pretty excited about this. I also might be returning one of the shirts because I realized when I got home that I already have that shirt - it was the only full price item that I bought (so basically I will have spent $10 on 4 quality shirts - that I might not need, but love anyway). 

After treating myself to my shopping indulgence, the night just got better. 

I'm pretty sure by this point you have deduced that I love food. I've really been trying to eat as much delicious food as I can in the past two weeks. Yesterday was no different. Not only did I take myself to classy lunch, but I also went to classy dinner (this next section is for you Maxwell)

Some of the foods that I crave, not all the time, but often, are grilled octopus, red meat cooked on the rare side of medium rare, and rice pudding (usually with a touch of cardamom). So, when perusing the restaurant week menus of the places on the Upper East Side by my job, I was pleasantly surprised to see Persephone on the list. It's a restaurant I knew nothing about, but walked past 2-3 times a week on my way to the train from my gym. Guess what was on their menu.

Yup, my perfect craving indulging meal. After trying to go to two other restaurants in the area and realizing they were way too classy for my bermuda shorts and no reservation, I found myself at Persephone, and I was not disappointed AT ALL. The maitre'd was wonderful. I wanted to have a quick meal, and it worked out perfectly because she said she could seat me, but the table had a prior reservation in an hour. NO problem. I could get out of there in less than an hour and not feel like I was eating too fast to be classy - because they needed the table. It was like the planets aligned.

They had wonderful EVOO on the table for me to eat my delicious crusty bread with before starting my meal. They had a special of suckling pig, that had it not been restaurant week, I would've jumped all over. However, my intense craving for red meat helped me to stick with the prix fixe and I was not disappointed.

The grilled octopus was probably the best I've ever had. It was the perfect texture, soft with a little bit of tension but not chewy. My teeth just cut through it, not quite like butter - but maybe a well refrigerator stick of butter (although I've never done this before). The citrusy sauce was perfect and yet still creamy and smooth. The suction cups added texture because they were a little crispier from the grill. I was in HEAVEN.

I wish this picture could better convey the delicousness

For the main meal I was a little worried, because as some know, skirt steak can be a little touch and go. Typically found more in Mexican food, it is often overcooked and I definitely prefer rare to well done. When it came, the israeli couscous made me happy and made me think of my mom. the spring vegetables were chunked, cooked but not mushy, they still had a crisp to them. I love texture! So the couscous was soft and the vegetables added crunch. I was pleased and then I tried the skirt steak. They had actually rolled different pieces of steak and so I got to unroll them and see how perfectly purple/pink they were on the inside. It was brilliant. Add some grilled onion and a delicious sauce and life couldn't get better. I couldn't get a good picture because the restaurant had romantic low lighting and it didn't feel right to have my flash go off, but trust me, it looked simply divine.

Please note that those are indeed yellow grape tomatoes - one of my weaknesses

I was stuffed, but my rice pudding came anyway and it was another textural revelation. The rice was not overcooked and mushy, and still provided some sustenance while the pudding was creamy and perfect.

It was an incredible meal to end the night.

I got home and I talked to my dad for a cool 20 minutes, which always makes me happy. I love talking to him and I think that it's a good thing that I provide him with someone who understands how crazy my mother can be. In fact, at one point I felt a tiny twinge in my heart for him because he's almost at his wits end with her. I feel like this happens every summer, and then it's magnified by the fact that she's not been feeling well (I will touch on shortly).

I'm very much like her, or maybe she's very much like me. When she gets bored and doesn't feel useful, she turns into a crazy bitch. Not that she isn't that way a lot of the time, but as a teacher, when she has off during the summer, she has all of these grandiose plans but ends up spending all of her time watching tv on the couch. This makes her feel like shit, and in turn, she makes my dad and I feel the same way.

My dad never had to take solo car rides with her much before. I was usually the buffer, and not that I provide any real kind of buffering, but my mom would rather direct her anger towards me than my dad. Also, I sometimes provide her with a reason for this. Anyway, they've been driving together a lot more lately and he finally understands what I went through for 12 years being trapped in a moving vehicle with her every morning for at least 20 minutes. I told him how I used to look out the window as we drove through the park for the perfect patch of grass to jump out of the moving car onto, so as to hurt myself the least. More than a half dozen times in high school I opened the door of the moving car to fling myself out. He FINALLY understands, and I'm glad I can be there to commiserate with him. He's such a nice guy, I hope my mom doesn't fuck it up. Anyway...

I think my dad is going to get a dog soon - probably hypoallergenic - so that my mom can have something to entertain her that loves her and doesn't yell back and he can have a retreat. I think it would be cute to see him biking with the dog running alongside.


There's one problem with this though. We tend to end up with pets with shit health, and in the past year or so, collectively with my parents, we have been in the hospital 2-3 times a piece at minimum. I've been three times (ER twice - I took this guy I knew there once during the christmas snowstorm just a week after I busted my knee), I believe that today is my mother's second stay, but her first one was way longer (both admitted through the ER). My dad had one hospital STAY, but he was there at least a half dozen other times for tests and when he popped his calf muscle. Pretty much, this past year has not been good for us, but has been great for the hospital business! I blame working at a hospital.

In 2008-2009, I was in the hospital once, my mother once and my dog about a half dozen times.

Basically we're tired of hospitals, pet or otherwise - thus a new animal with unforeseen issues might be tough. And as I mentioned before, my parents are at the hospital right now. My mom's stomach is not doing so hot. I'll update you later on why that is, other than the fact that she's an idiot that can't take care of herself and after being fat for so long, she kind of takes pride in not being able to eat very much (even if it's not healthy).

While my parents are in the hospital, I was enjoying a nice sushi lunch of sashimi salad (with tuna, white tuna, salmon, mango and kiwis), a white tuna roll, a shrimp tempura roll and some green tea ice cream with my favorite Mexican.

I inadvertently touched this girl's butt on the train this morning because it was so packed and immediately I started hearing the typical train announcement in my head talking about a packed train is still no excuse to touch people inappropriately. The Mexican told me a story about a gafasian (guh-fay-zhun) on the train this morning. Basically a gay fat asian guy with frosted "highlights" and a too tight shirt literally stood 3 inches from the Mexican on the train and their bellies touched. The Mexican wanted him to and I quote "trip when they got off the train and get AIDS and then fall into the tracks". He was not pleased. I laughed hysterically and considering we had both inhaled our lunches, my stomach hurt.

I have a meeting in less than a half hour and I plan on spending the rest of the afternoon on the phone with ITS, again. Gotta love it, eh?

Lastly, I hate planning vacations. Something's always a mess. I'm a little sad because I could've gone to Philly to see T with B the first weekend in August, because B's plans got canceled (and she never has a free weekend), but I already told Ni that I would go with her to this "crab fest" thing in Gettysburg, PA (WHICH I DID NOT REALIZE WAS A 5 HOUR BUS RIDE EACH DIRECTION) and I already paid for it - so it doesn't make sense to bail. I need to suck it up, but planning an alternate trip to Philly is going to be tough.

I was talking to Mo about going on a road trip to the south this fall, but we figured September would be best - and part of the originally road trip was for me to get to Chicago via Detroit to see B, but B won't be there until October.

Basically, we're postponing said roadtrip and planning a two week European extravaganza - stay tuned.

Did I mention that I hate planning vacations? Honestly, I'd rather someone just tell me when and where and then I just have to book the tickets. All of this searching for the best price shit is terrible. I also have to somehow tell my bosses I'm planning on taking off a lot of time this fall. With my impending surgery and vacations, I don't know how I'm going to manage to get a paycheck. I just want to take September off.

I'm also supposed to go to Texas with B and her family over Thanksgiving, but now I don't even know if she's going.

I realize I only have middle class problems and I should stop complaining, but WHATEVER.

P.S. I promise to be funnier in the future. I realize when I RANT, I'm hilarious. When I talk about my day - not so much.

Restaurant week and stifling heat

Written on Tuesday: 

I currently look like a little boy and his grandpa, all at once.

I don't know what made me wear these brown plaid bermuda shorts today (and having been to Bermuda a mere month ago, I can attest first hand that these are, in fact, considered formal wear - I'm not wearing the high socks though, so maybe it doesn't count). I really don't like plaid, but I wanted to be casual - hence looking like a little boy. Also, I'm wearing a 4 sizes too big thick brown cable knit sweater - hence looking like his grandpa. Sometimes I really wonder about myself.

Oh and here's another fun fact about shorts. Since it's summer and hot as balls outside, I wear them. This does not mean that you should stare at the heinous scar on my left knee. Seriously, if you're going to stare that hard, please just ask. Also, making offhanded comments about how bad of a scar it is, isn't really the nicest thing in the world to do. I will tell you what happened if you want. I will even login to my facebook and show you the pictures. Or I will lie to you and tell you that I was bitten by a small shark on a trip to the tropics at the end of last year. And somehow I managed to get away without it biting through my leg, just kind of sinking its teeth in and ripping. I swear you'll love the story, so stop staring and ask. Or, don't stare.

And another thing. I don't like "in between pizza". Either it's gotta be piping hot where my mouth will get burnt, or completely cold. The flavors are different. Don't be in between. Don't be THAT slice, it's just wrong.

Written Wednesday:

After work yesterday the Mexican and I decided to partake in New York City Summer Restaurant Week 2011. We decided on The Water Club. Might've been one of the best decisions we've ever made.

Every year, there's restaurant week and I always miss it. For one reason or another I cannot get someone to go with me and spend $24.07 for lunch or $35 for dinner - prix fixe, at these magnificent restaurants that would normally cost WAY more than what the prix fixe is. This year, I was/am determined to go to as many restaurant week meals as I possibly can.

From 2-5pm yesterday I had Customer Service training. It was pretty stupid, but I also developed a tiny friend crush on the instructor. I wanted him to be my new best friend. In all honesty, I still do. If he were a bit taller, I might have a legit crush on him. He's just an all American boy. Raised in Connecticut, college at Cornell in Ithaca, worked for Nestle in Wisconsin and now works at the same institution as me. Considering I was raised in the Northeast, went to school an hour away from Cornell in Binghamton, and went to Nestle's Chocolate Fest in Wisconsin when I worked there, we have quite a bit in common (we are meant to be besties). However, I don't know how to break the ice with men who are shorter than me. This is a general rule. I'm much better at talking to taller men. Shorter ones, I guess I just feel like I will automatically be talking down to them, so I don't even bother. It's probably a bad thing. Maybe my "vanity" is what keeps me from meeting lots of new people, because I judge. I judge a lot. Sorry, that's the way it works.

Anyway, my vanity is a topic for another day really, but I want to get back to my restaurant week experience.

So at 5pm, the Mexican and I met outside of the building and began our walk towards the bus/restaurant. The Water Club is on the East River between 23rd and 34th street. That's right, 23rd and 34th; big range, eh?

We started to walk down 2nd avenue because we were planning on taking the bus and so we kept walking. It was balls hot out yesterday. Like, uncomfortable, felt like you were melting and couldn't breathe, walking through hot jello type weather. So we're walking along, and there's no bus coming. We must've walked 20 blocks before finally being able to get on the bus. It felt like a lot longer than that. Also, we tried to stop for fro-yo and there was no one at the counter, so after waiting for 5 minutes with no service, we left.

We got off the select bus at 28th street because the place was on 30th. This was a stupid stupid idea, because we walked to the East River, past the Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital, in a really shady neighborhood, just to find out that we had to walk all the way up to 34th street to cross over the FDR to the East River.

The Mexican and I were melting. I'm surprised we weren't just a puddle when we finally got there, but we did arrive.

It was magnificent. High ceilings, even though it was on a boat. One wall was all windows, and we got to look out over the river and watch everyone else. They had fresh home made biscuits and corn bread, two pieces each of which the Mexican and I ingested, rapidly. So fast that after we finished the first piece and the server asked if we would like another, by the time he found the bread man and told him that we wanted another piece, we had already gotten and consumed another from an alternate bread man. It was slightly embarrassing. We were probably the youngest people in there, I mean it was 6pm, but still. There was this young couple there too, but we still don't know why they were at this classy restaurant and what they could've possibly been celebrating. They were ordering off the normal menu where appetizers were at minimum $13, and the salad was a wedge of lettuce with some stuff on it (classy, I guess?).

The server convinced us to order wine, and I magically ordered the best Riesling I have EVER tasted. It was like rainbows and butterflies in delicious alcoholic beverage form.

We couldn't pronounce the name, so I took a picture of it to search for it.

The meal was also just as glorious.

Tuna Tartare (with Roe) in a golden gazpacho with an avocado mousse

Lamb three ways, the rigatoni is stuffed with creamy lamb

Le Piece de Resistance, the Pina Colada Panna Cotta with toasted coconut, mango sauce and assorted fruit.

I was so incredibly full after this meal that it hurt, but it was marvelous.

I went to another restaurant week place today for lunch with my mom and her childhood friend who is visiting from Austria, Le Perigord. The decor was a little old style for me, but the food was quite good. I had a warm fresh pea soup (they both had delicious pate), bay scallops with vegetable risotto (some of the scallops were a touch over cooked, but still delicious), and chocolate mousse with a vanilla creme and berry coulis (heavenly). It was my treat. I actually felt like an adult taking my mom and her friend out to lunch, also it didn't hurt that I took an almost 3 hour lunch. I felt justified because I got to work at 8:15am this morning, which reminds me....

Last night, I fell asleep at 10:30pm. Food coma, plus gym in the morning makes for deep deep sleep, but it was SO hot that I had to turn my AC on at 2am this morning. I really really really hate waking up sticky. It was unfortunate and made it hard to get out of bed at 6am. However, I'm really trying the early rising thing and it's working pretty well. Morning gym Tuesday/Thursday, Chiro Monday/Wednesday/Friday with afternoon gym. It doesn't mean much if I eat the way I do, but shut up.

I will probably put together a more meaningful post tomorrow, because there are some things I've been thinking about lately that I need to get off of my chest, even if I vented to Mo about them earlier.

Wet feet and baby steps

Do you know why Mondays are tolerable? Because I get to read all of the blog updates since Friday from the blogs I follow. Other than that, Monday pretty much lives up to its reputation. No need to explain what this reputation is, you all know. You've all had the Monday morning blues at SOME point in your life.

Sad to report folks that I had a pretty uneventful weekend yet again. I think I'm coming to grips with the fact that I'm over 50% homebody. Sure I enjoy going out with my friends, but once I am in the comfort of my own home, it's truly difficult to pull myself away.

Friday after work it was raining. This made me upset, because I was wearing flip flops. I hate wet flip flops. I don't like the squeaking they make when you walk. I don't like that you have to be extra cautious so you don't lose a shoe by just walking. I especially hate when your feet get wet AND dirty. I was not a happy camper, but I was able to catch the bus, so I didn't have to walk much outside.

Other things I hate about the rain (when I have things to do). Umbrellas. I hate them. I hate carrying umbrellas, I hate bobbing and weaving around everyone else's umbrella. I hate having to maneuver around other people. I hate other people's umbrella's dumping on me. The smell. Now don't get me wrong, I don't mind the smell of the warm pavement after it's just rained, but it's hard to smell warm wet sidewalk when you're overwhelmed by the stench of warm wet garbage, and people...but not in a good way. People smell bad when they're hot and damp. That's just the way it goes. I'm getting a little sick just thinking about it.

However, I did see a dog in the most glorious red raincoat. Normally, I don't care for people dressing up their dogs, but I get a real kick out of seeing animals dressed up in rain gear.

I managed to force myself to go to the gym, even though I was functioning on a cool 3 hours of sleep. Did a lot of cardio, a little big of other stuff before getting bored and deciding it was time to go the fuck to bed.

I went home and although I probably could've made plans, four people I was talking to had the same idea about staying in. It was just a lazy friday. I passed out at 10pm and didn't wake up until 8am the next morning.

Now let me tell you, I was not pleasantly woken up on Saturday. The roofers were there again. Pound pound pounding away at my wall/the roof outside of my room. They decided 8-9am would be the very best time to do the noisiest work. Let me tell you how FUMING I was when I dragged myself down the stairs to the kitchen just after 9am. I basically wanted to rip my father's apologetic head off. I just wondered why/how he could be so stupid/inconsiderate, to allow these men to start at 8am on SATURDAY. After angrily eating my cucumber and dip and yelling at him, he said he would talk to them about starting a bit later in the day.

I was just really upset not necessarily because they woke me up (which they did and had I gone out on Friday I would've been even more livid), but because it was too hot to close the windows, and too loud to watch my overpacked DVR. All I wanted to do was watch tv. Normally I could go into the living room and watch my mother's overpacked DVR, but since she's on summer vacation, she's actually been keeping up with all of the TV she records, just my luck.

The noise died down around 10am and I returned to my room. I started to pull my act together.

I agreed to go to a family function. My second cousin graduated from high school and they were having a party for her. (if you don't understand how first/second/third or removed cousins works, my dad will be more than happy to explain it to you....every time.) Normally I would avoid family functions like the plague, but this section of the family is the good part of my dad's family. Also, my dad kind of guilted me into fulfilling my familial obligations - damn Jewish blood.

I should've eaten something substantial before getting in the car.

I wanted to kill both of my parents within the first hour of the car ride. I was starving and the promise of food was still 3 hours away. I didn't know this at the time. My dad said that it would be an hour before we stopped. I can handle an hour. What I didn't know was that meant an hour until we drop Lisa (my mother's friend visiting from Austria) off at her brother's house "sort of" on the way to my cousin's house. I looked at the GPS and it told me the truth. I had almost 3 more hours to go and my blood sugar was dropping quickly.

Normally I don't have any issues with car sickness. In fact, I can comfortably read in the car for hours...unless my stomach is completely empty. I had to stop reading at one point and put my head between my knees. I was infuriated. Also, I wanted to charge my Kindle, but of course my parents' Prius only has one electrical jack, whereas my Camry has oh...4? MINIMUM. Again, perturbed. I threw the charger and then yanked it away yelling "FORGET IT" at some point, when my parents couldn't figure out how to have their GPS and my Kindle plugged in at the same time while I was sitting in the backseat.

Pretty much I threw a tiny temper tantrum and immediately regretted agreeing to any kind of family outing.

I didn't want to get out of the car when we got to Lisa's brother's, but I was forced. I wasn't the most friendly, but I wasn't a complete asshole either.

20 minutes later we were back on the road for another 2 hour tour.

I read and tried not to imagine how I could decapitate someone with my bare hands if I didn't get something to eat, NOW.

We arrived and there weren't many people there, but there were cocktail shrimp. I said hello to two people before making a beeline for the food. I probably ate 40 cocktail shrimp and some other random stuff, but mostly shrimp. There were so many gnats around that I remembered gnats/fruit flies were my least favorite living creature on the planet. They wanted my shrimp. I was frustrated. And then everything evened out.

I was really disappointed in the Sangria, it was so watered down. The guy they hired to serve or whatever looks like he was a few chromosomes short. Not in a fetal alcohol/downs syndrome way where there are telltale signs that the kid is a mess, but in a "the lights are on but nobody's home" kind of way. I chuckled about this every time I got a bottle of water from him.

My stomach was still uninterested in alcohol from Thursday, so I didn't take much advantage of the free booze. I also had no cell reception so I was forced to be social.

The good part of my dad's family was pleasant and I think overall it was actually quite enjoyable, and the food was great. I would really like some of the strawberry shortcake they had, right about now.

One day I'll tell you all about the bad part of my dad's family. The good part descends from his Aunt. The bad part (excluding him of course) descends from his late mother. Let me tell you the novels that can be written about those gems. You won't believe it until you hear it.

We got home at 11pm-ish and having been woken up at 8am, I took my ass to bed. Steel Pans was supposed to come over around 4:30am-ish, but I guess he got too drunk and for the first time in his life he decided not to drink and drive.

I did see him Sunday night though. At around 11 something I'd say he came over. It was like a sauna in my room because my laptop had been on all day and somehow that manages to heat up MY ENTIRE ROOM.

I was watched the Next Food Network Star and we were pretty much laying in my bed in the buff. I've realized that he's really the perfect BC. I enjoy his company for the brief period before we go at it. He makes me laugh. He's aggressive and when he's tired of actually talking to me he just takes off my clothes. We can comfortably sleep next to each other and think nothing of it in the morning. And, I can't see this going anywhere but where it is right now. I got a little sad this morning when I thought about having to give him up if I ever did get into a real relationship.

After the deed was done - and brilliantly might I add, he decided within 15 minutes it was too hot to sleep in my room and he had to be up early anyway to take his daughter to school in the morning. So he left at 1:30.

I woke up at 2:30 and realized I forgot to call this boy in North Carolina. He was still up, so I called. We talked until 4am. He'll be up in NYC on Wednesday and I think we'll get dinner. I felt like a teenager again, because I am definitely not a phone person anymore, but I actually wanted to talk on the phone all day yesterday. Maybe I've realized that you can't maintain/build friendships/relationship based solely on textual communication.

There are still two more hours in the work day. I don't know what the hell I'm going to do, but if I keep eating I'm going to explode. This working out shit doesn't make any difference considering my intake is still greater than my output these days.

Baby steps.