Sigh

So the busy season has un-busied itself for the time being, the result of which is group lunch at work. We bring our own lunch, but we sit together and try to think of new and exciting things to tell each other...not an easy task when you see each other five days a week (and sometimes more). About half an hour before these gatherings, a IM is circulated about the time we will break. At this point I suddenly desire a sandwich. Often enough I fight this urge through necessity (no money or no sandwich fixings) but sometimes it can't be fought. This happened last week when L. suggested that she was ready for her first Wawa experience. I suggested that I was ready for my first Spring Garden Deli experience and L. acquiesced and came along. The place is special...half convenience store half diner, it doesn't seem to really use its space very well. We went up to the counter to order take out, a woman placed a plate of cheese fries in front of a man sitting at a nearby table-they looked good. I had an Italian hoagie. I forget what L. ordered. The place doesn't take credit cards. Oh, and it makes really bland hoagies. This we realized once back at the office. Eh. I might go back for cheese fries, but not their deli offerings.

Semi-Finals Says Me

So a while back I played Scrabble at the Free Library in order to qualify for a later tournament. This ended relatively successfully, and last Monday I participated in the semi-finals. I lost my first game to a bloody eyed Ghanaian...he was very nice and good at Scrabble but he did have blood eyes and he was originally from Ghana. I lost by, shoot, 50 or so points. My next game I played against a relatively well put-together older lady who continuously played defensively so that neither of us could really make any good plays. I beat her and she deserved it because her method of playing was rude.

Lackluster

On Sunday I was still feeling pretty awful. My mother emailed me with the general message of: stay put, don't go anywhere, don't do anything, just rest. Now, for those of you who know me...well, that's what I'd like to do most all of the time. So my plans for grocery shopping and laundry-doing were nixed in favor of ordering Chinese food and lying on the sofa, watching-crap, what did I watch? Oh yes, Made of Honor...it kind of was crap, but good hearted crap featuring that new doctor on Grey's Anatomy, talk about dreamy...or Mc'Post Traumatic Sexy? Anyways I ordered wonton soup and a dish called 'Fried Bean Curd and Broccoli'. Those of you who know me, or have followed this blog throughout the years, will know I am in a continuous search for a Chinese restaurant that makes this dish to my liking (having had it made to my liking for years in Red Hook, NY). This place did not make it to my liking, so much so I'm not even going to bother with a photograph. I believe the restaurant's name was Mandarin Garden and nothing about its food will make me order again. Sigh.

Sushi c/o Bluefin c/o J. & J.

On Saturday, after driving home in the rain, I continued onward (also after a nap) to J. and J.'s for dinner. They ordered sushi from their most recent favorite restaurant, Bluefin. There were a number of rolls and I think trout as well as ikura, white tuna and spicy tuna. Considering J. and S. had to pick it up and drive it back, it was pretty gosh darned good. I can only imagine how it would taste if eaten in-house. I love sushi. I need to eat more of it.
You can't really see them, but S. has magic chopsticks that stay together even if one doesn't have the most dexterous of hands.

Oh ikura, how I love your little individual briny salty pops of wonder.
There was also a Japanese beer, the bottles of which had an owl on them...Hitachino.
And for dessert, giant cookies. I tried to compare the size of the cookie to S.' head but he didn't really get the whole 'stay still' thing. The cookies had chocolate chunks, dried cherries and had a slight sprinkle of salt on top. The cookies did not come from the restaurant, but I forget where the did come from. My bad.
It was a lovely evening. Thanks to J. and J. for the invitation, company and dinner!

Approaching the Tom's River Bridge

There you are.

Notes

So, as someone who has been smoking since they were 13 (off and on, mostly on once I hit college) I am pretty proud of the fact that I've smoked one cigarette since last Saturday. The trick is not knowing any one who smokes and not walking to Wawa.

Note to self: do not read your old emails. It will make you want to smoke. And cry. But mostly smoke.

So was this a congratulatory post or a self-defeating post? I don't know!

I Love The Ocean But I Should Really Bring A Chair

I spent the night in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. It was silly.
The next day I drove to a beach state park to learn it had a $5 fee I couldn't afford (ie I had no cash), so I went to another beach and didn't have a chair and I don't know, I 'm a loser. Then I drove through Tom's River, NJ, got lost for the nine millionth time, asked for directions to Double Trouble State Park and, just as I passed its first exit, it began to torrentially rain. Sons of bitches.

The ocean is an amazing thing. I was tempted to just walk in....but it would have been very cold, and the action would have been interpreted as vaguely suicidal and that wouldn't have done me, or anyone else, any good. But seriously, the ocean is a big ol' thing and even when you know it's cold and not friendly, you can find yourself staring at it in a way that seems hypnotic and pulling you in...unless you get so pulled in that suddenly your feet are wet, then it's problematic. What? You know, I have no idea. Most of the shells I saw seemed more like shells of fishermen's bait, but I did bring one shell home with me.

A Trip That Looks Better In Pictures Than It Was In Reality

Though I was sickly, I had a day off and I had a whole plan to go to Double Trouble State Park and then go to the beach. But then I missed a turn a got lost, saw some water and got lost again, saw the beach briefly but was illegally parked, and then got seriously lost.



Then I had dinner at Europa South. I had a dirty martini with three olives. My waiter's name was something like Armando. He had a way with flourishy presentation. I think he was slightly amused by the fact that I was dining alone, but in a way that didn't make me feel like a loser--which one should never feel, eating alone.
Originally I was given butter with my bread. But then I was given this tasty red onion, garlic and olive/olive oil stuff that was much better. Given with flourish, I might add.
Then I had the lobster bisque, which was-according to the menu-a house specialty. I'll say this, there were a good number of lobster bits in the bisque, they were certainly generous. The bisque, on the whole? Very doily-ridden and okay.
I had the Mariscada in green sauce. Mussels, calamari, shrimp, clams and half a lobster in a parsley and garlic sauce. The actual sauce was kind of not as good as I had hoped. Weirdly thick and not as powerfully parsley garlic, if you know what I mean...and if you don't that's because I did a really bad job of describing it.
There was saffron rice too. I had a glass of Marqes de Vizhoja wine with dinner.

And a "Portugese Cappucino" to end...I thought it was just going to be regular cappucino but it had Hershey's chocolate syrup and, after a few sips, I discerned some kind of alcohol...turns out it was Kahlua (very Portugese).

Sunset Ale c/o Tiedhouse

Last week a few coworkers and I went to Tiedhouse after work. I had the raspberry mead ale. I had been once before, and partook of the sunset red ale. A majority of the establishment's beers are General Lafayette-made, which is nice since I liked the beers I tried back-when but never feel the need to drive all the way out there to drink them.

Well, now I need to do a few things. I have been procrastinating on the whole laundry-front for a week now, and it's getting a little out of control. I've also been procrastinating on the whole food-in-the-house thing. I'm tempted to go to Costco solely for its four packs of Tropicana orange juice, but that seems like a long trip for only one thing. And I really should get a dresser (I continue to live out of suitcases, as if I'm not going to be here long enough to warrant a dresser...which is false). What should I do!

Mmm, Chipotle

I want to make this.

Fries From McCrossen's

On Saturday I overindulged at McCrossen's with L. and C. There were french fries and a suprisingly tasty/spicy mayonnaise.

Halloween

C. and M. threw a Halloween party out in the 'burbs. L. and I went. I didn't really know the other guests but the lovely hostesses put out quite a nice spread, which included cheese, artichoke dip, puff pastry brie (technically part of the whole 'cheese' category), pumpkin risotto, roasted pork and roasted turkey (or chicken?).
There were also cookies, cupcakes and a lot of booze. Since I drove, and wasn't planning on staying the night, mine was a sober holiday. My costume was me in nice regular clothes and a trucker's hat...there was writing on the hat, it said: "Beneath this cap is a winner". So....I dressed up as a winner for Halloween. So there.

I was, at one point, struck by hearing married couples discuss how lucky they were to be married and their shared opinions of what the 'secret' to getting married is. It boiled down to 'you just know' and 'the time has to be right' and 'be yourself' (this they discussed with each other, it wasn't really one of those married couples speaking to single girls kind of conversations, this is what made it that much funnier). While I think being yourself is a big part of most good things in life (unless you're unbearable, then it's really better to keep it to yourself) but I think those other two statements are so easily formed in retrospect. Like the narrative of their relationships wouldn't be as valid or true if it didn't start or end like that.
Thanks C. and M. for the lovely dishes.. Oh! And I met one of their friends who is big into Twilight and I think I'm jumping onto her Twilight, the movie, bandwagon. Though I don't think any thing good will come of watching this movie. Unless...is swooning considered good or bad these days?

Hamster On A Piano

Panic At The Parade

The panic was all mine, and came in a relatively low dose...or it seemed relatively low until I left and found my heart beating too fast, my face flush and my head wooshy. Note to self: next time you think you want to be part of 'history', just remember what a bunch of people told you later 'it looked great on the t.v.'. It did not look so great smashed up against a wall, jumping for a view. It was dumb.

Then The Phillies Won The World Series

Game 5 ended well for Philadelphians. I walked home accompanied by the sound of happy shouts, cars honking and, well that's pretty much what the soundscape was like. I witnessed this with my coworkers A., M., B. and S. in a bar at the bottom of A.'s apartment building. The name of which I don't think I ever knew. I do know this: the owner, upon the Phillies final pitch, said that if I came back he'd get me drunk...I don't think he would remember me, however, and will not bank on that if I ever return.

Lambaroo Luncharoo c/o Zorba's

Our company has a new member who, a few weeks back, came into the office for training. In honor of his visit and in an effort to let him get to know those of us who will be assisting him in his work, the company paid for lunch from Zorba's. I had the lamb lunch, it was tender and delicious and witnessed by my new plastic zen master as well as the dragon.

Game 4 c/o McKenna's

On the Sunday that was also game four of the World Series, I met up with N. at Mckenna's for $2 beers and a snack. Got there early enough to snag a table, which was wise since the place filled up once the game started.

I had the cheese quesadilla, it wasn't very impressive. N. had the chicken wings and deemed them not good...though he did eat all of them.

I Do Like Sammitches

This was dinner on another night. Probably Saturday. Maybe Sunday. I think I actually have a better photograph, but I'm too lazy to track it down (I'm sick and in the middle of New Jersey, give me a break).

Beddy Cat

I do like my bed, I do indeed. This photograph was taken two Saturdays ago, I think. I made my bed and cleaned my room and it looked very nice for about three days. Now it's back to clutter (though minus three boxes I finally brought down to the basement). I just got out of bed, actually, due to the fact that I'm feeling a little sickly. All achey in the lower back, shoulders and head...low grade/hardly existent fever. How I wish I had someone to make me soup, rub my back and get me ice cream. I'm not really that sick, I could pull myself together and make my own soup and get myself my own ice cream...and if I was patient, and Zul was smarter, I could train the cat to walk on my back. Tomorrow I have a day off from work and I am resolved to go somewhere, even though I'm not flush with cash and feel ooky. I have some ideas, but we'll have to see what happens.

Phillies Cakerphinalia & My First Wawa Meal

A few of my coworkers have been committed Phillies fans for real. So, on the eve of another World Series game, my coworker M. brought in Phillies inspired cupcakes. The dragon was for Tampa Bay, but still wanted a piece. The same day of the cupcakes, I was jonesing for a sandwich (almost every day I jones for a sandwich...or a magical, beautiful, perfect hoagie) and it was suggested that I try Wawa's food wares. I ordered an Italian on one of those touch screens, magical in their way (mostly because you start picturing the perfect sandwich on the basis of summary descriptions of low quality meats, cheeses, breads and condiments, on a convenience store's interactive ordering equipment. My sub was poorly, poorly made. You think Subway's sloppy? Yeah, well this Wawa had nothing on any of the Subways I've ever visited in my life, and that's (when I think about it) a pretty large number of locations. The dragon fell over in disgust, as you can see here--it's mid-fall.

By The Way

Barack Obama won the election last night. I stood in no lines to vote. And I am so glad. Though I wonder what's going to happen now, all these people united for this one man, each and every one with a different expectation of what he can accomplish? I would like to see people coming together more, finding ways to hold a belief without forcing it upon another. Finding a way out of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan would also be pretty cool. And a magical way to avoid any more seriously long-term and even more detrimental blows to our economy. And what about Proposition 8...that's pretty fucked, if you'll excuse my language.

That said, sincerely I am still hopeful and glad.

I Hope

So, it seems that deep down I'm an optimist, and I really almost totally want to (and do?) believe that today's whole 'election' situation will not end in the majority of my nearest and dearest groaning...for the third straight time...But then I've seen a few of McCain's latest campaign commercials and I wonder if I'm underestimating the ease with which others can be intimidated, riled up and misled.

Deep down though? I just really think that everything's going to be fine.

Eggs Etc c/o Hawley Diner

We went back to the dine for breakfast. My eggs were cooked nicely but the sausage was weird and the potatoes displeasing.

Morning Walk

The morning after the wedding I woke up early enough to take advantage of the more rural setting for a little walk about.
This specific turn, and a yellow apartment building to the left, made me feel like I had been in Hawley before, which I don't think is the case. I really do think I dreamed the approach and everything. If I had a little more mystic in me, I'd think it meant something.