New York City Arrival and Snacks c/o John Barry's

The train's final stop was Penn Station. I figured I'd get off there. No, wait, that's where I was going. I called my friend L. and we decided it made sense for me to meet her at her place of employment. So I started walking it since it wasn't far enough away that taking the subway made sense. As I was crossing one street in a crowd of people I suddenly heard someone say my name. There was a surprised note in their voice and it almost seemed like they were getting swept away in the opposite direction. It turned out to be S. from Chicagoist. We stood at a corner talking about New York for a while. I mentioned that I had just spent a few days where I grew up and every where I went I half expected someone to notice and recognize me from some bygone era...mainly known as childhood...but it never happened...and yet less than five minutes in New York and that's exactly what happened. Except the bygone era was more recent. We parted ways, I met up with L. then she, her coworker and I went to John Barry's.
We had white wine and watched as the happy hour folks packed up and left. Then we had snacks, pizza and hummus.
The pizza wasn't bad. Neither was the hummus.

Wednesday, Wednesday Can't Help That Day

On Wednesday No-Longer Wayward and I went to a wine and fish pairing/tasting at McCormick & Schmick's Chesnut street location. There were Blue Point and Kumomoto Oysters (my favorite kind). There were also seared scallops (yum), shrimp cocktail (a few of my shrimp were frozen), canape/appetizer type things (not overly impresses) and Oysters Rockefeller (good). I'm writing a post about it today.
Afterwards we took a bus back up north so we good meet No-Longer-Wayward's boyfriend at Hamilton's to watch the first Cubs' play-off game. When we got off of the bus and started heading the right way, No-Longer had an unfortunate run-in with a mud puddle:
We had noise sticks. I didn't stay for the whole game. But they lost. And then they lost again. And then, surprise, surprise, they lost again...last night...I was watching the OSU/Purdue game...where OSU, ha ha, won! Purdue is for CHICKENS. Sigh.
I've cut down on the smoking, generally speaking, but I'm not yet down to 5 let alone 3 cigarettes a day. I'm averaging 7.

Alan Greenspan Got an $8 Million Advance For His Book

I googled new job and this was the most entertaining, if not entirely accurate to my situation, of the first few images. Today was my first day jobbing. I liked highlighting things on the computer different colors, I really did-no sarcasm. And I can't wait until I get my own headset where I touch a button and the phone lifts itself up so's I don't have to hold the receiver (I'm not really joking about that either). I wonder if I will like it as much in 6 months. Maybe. The thing that freaks me out is how I didn't factor in having to pay x amount of money per month for health insurance. And, more importantly, the entire concept of 401(K)s is confusing and strange. Suddenly I should be saving for my retirement? Actually, I should have started saving for my retirement eight years ago. Here's the thing. I was planning on saving money but my plan for that money wasn't retirement, it was a house or a kick ass cheese tour trip in France. Now I have to worry about how I'll live when I'm 65? Sheee-it. I wasn't as worried about my future before I got a job. Well, yes I was. It was just a different version of worry. Ah me. I'm having a glass of Cakebread Cellears Rubaiyat wine c/o the dogs' owner...and she's right, it's very tasty.

A Two Stop Wine Night

On Monday mousehead and exploded viewer hosted wine night. They had a lovely spread that included cheese, veggies, chocolate M&Ms and smoked oysters. Their's is a tricky apartment for large get togethers...people go to sleep early there, I think...or something. So we ended up going to Simon's Tavern for a little more wine night.
The next day I made myself a bacon egg and cheese sandwich. It wasn't perfect but it was just what I wanted.

Whining At Wine Night Is Not Allowed, Though Wining Is

The boyfriend and I hosted wine night this past Monday. We had a pretty good turn out even with the flooded streets and crazy thunder. The spread included homemade chocolate peanutbutter fudge, cream-a-licious brie, robust roquefort and melty (it wasn't actually melty as much as moist, yes! moist!) mozzarella cheeses, paté with (one whole percent truffle oil), salmon caught by tonguethruster, a beet dip (made by the boyfriend), an artichoke dip (made by myself) and other things.

Other things like freshly baked bread...made by the boyfriend.
Mmm, salmon.
I had planned on having an early wine night, the kind where one politely asks all the guests to leave before midnight. But, alas, somewhere in there I lost my gumption and people left when they wanted...this is not to say that they stayed when I wanted them gone, no, just that the time came and went without my having the urge to say goodbye. That's how it goes sometimes, I suppose.

Last WIne Night

On Monday there was wine night and it was good. Cheese and cheese and popcorn and yumminess was everywhere.
There were even cupcakes to celebrate exploded viewer's 42nd birthday.

Wine Night, The Awakening

On Monday a little group of SAIC graduate students got together to celebrate wine...or ourselves...or maybe it wasn't a celebration. A few whites and few reds, a fine porch to whisper and smoke on. All in all a very successful reinstatement of wine night, complete with cheese and fancy chocolates.
I made chocolate peanutbutter fudge on Monday and brought it along.

Wine Night Chez Nous

On Monday the boyfriend and I hosted wine night and it was, I believe, a success. I made cookies. The boyfriend made 7 layer dip. People came. Wine was had. Indeed.
There were even deviled eggs.

Wine Night Knows How To Fight

Another lovely wine night hosted by exploded viewer and mousehead (I'm too lazy to link right now but their blogs are just to your right). Fabulous guacamole was in attendance. The boyfriend and I brought a bottle of Four Emus wine and two bottles of Boone's Farm (Snow Creek Berry and Mango somethingerother). I like having so many friendlies in the neighborhood. The boyfriend had his first day of work yesterday, so he left early, but it was a rather late night for yours truly.

Wine Night 2.0

So after our delicious French dinner the boyfriend and I headed over to a friend's for the reinstatement of wine night. What a good friend to reinstate. The mood was festive, we had a few new faces and a bunch of old ones. Oh yes and artichooke dip and taquitos. A lovely event.

Wine Night, Clap Your Hands And Say Huzzah

After dinner we drove on up to wine night where a good time was had...except when I tried to talk about the troubles I'm having with this writing guy...that made me get all wonky...but the night was good. We ended up ahead one box of girl scout cookies.

This is what the Sheridan train station looks like when one waits for a train at midnight.

Wiine Night A Drinkable, Edible Treat

Wine night was lovely last night. Our hosts had quite the spread...zuchini bread, grapes, cheese etc. Yum yum yum.

Adieu Wine Night, Adieu

The last wine night of the season was pretty excellent if you ask me. There was spiked hot cider, cookie decorating and Amy Sedaris showed up. If that's not a wine night, well, I'm confused as to what a wine night should be.
There was cheese and crackers, very tasty. And of course the aforementioned cookies...mine are the ones with slightly anxious looking faces.



I also played ninja...then purple bowling ball face did too. Or maybe she was just dancing?

Wine NIght...Good Times, Great Oldies

Last night's wine night was a very successful one. There was brie and grapes and cookies and dip and, of course, wine. The boyfriend and I brought a Retsina...a Greek wine we were introduced to at Diaspora Restaurant in New York...a restaurant I still miss. The wine has a very distinct pine taste that people either love or hate. We went with love.
The CD exchange was good. I brought two different mix CDs thus got two...excellent.
A slightly latecomer brought doritos and I remembered how good MSG can be.
On the walk to the train we ran into this guy.

Wine Night...The Journey Continues

Last night wine night was held in an apartment in the loop. It was fantastic. There was a veggie plate with two kinds of dip, four kinds of cheese (no five) and crackers, a tasty artichoke dip and much more.
Brie cheese wrapped in dough with some sort of chutney in the middle (above).
Baklava and other sweets (below).
The view from their apartment...that building with the pink top...that's the Hancock.
11/8/05-ammendment: that is in no way the Hancock Building...I was mistaken.
There is nothing, not nothing, like flaming Greek cheese. Nothing.


Thanks to our hostess for a righteous good time. The only thing that could have gone better would have been the Astros winning their game. The hard-core fans said the guy who hit the homerun in the top of the ninth is a robot and I think I believe them.