Sweet Blog o' Mine

And in the Sad, But True Category

I signed up for a time management seminar scheduled for today and completely forgot to put it in my calendar.

A Family That Eats Together

My brother, sister and I got together this weekend for a belated exchanging of Chanukah gifts.  My sister and I had pulled together a gourmet gift bag of sorts for my brother -- funky sauces, Valrhona chocolate, a sake set.  He then turned around and gave me . . . a gourmet gift bag.  My brother and I got my sister an espresso machine, and my sister got me two books, one of which being Ruth Reichl's new one.  Can you tell that the food-focus runs in the family?

Yee-haw!

Yee-haw!

Just another Thursday night at Otto (for the record, meant to post this Friday morning).  Just be thankful I didn't snap a picture of Nic doing his somewhat terrifying "sad cowboy clown" face . . .

The Way to My Heart

As Valentine's Day grows rapidly nearer, I'm constantly aware of it. At every grocery store and drugstore, there are aisles swathed in red and pink and heart-shaped treats strategically placed near the registers. As a single person, I've come to view V-day as a day to celebrate both my singledom itself as well as the people in my life who make it so fabulous.

But this year is different. This year, I think I am falling in love.

It's still early yet, as we've only spent three precious night together, but each one has been magical, awakening my senses beyond my wildest dreams.  My new lover was so kind -- comfortable and inviting -- even from the first time we were together, and upon first glance, I knew this was something special. In just a few short hours, I was exposed to so many new and exciting things, and each rendez-vous has expanded my horizons greatly. But love can be painful, and at the end of our nights together, it often hurt to leave a significant part of myself behind.

To be honest, I know we won't be spending Valentine's Day together as there will be too many others vying for attention that day, but I know in my heart that we will share other nights together.  So until our next encounter, Babbo, I send you my love, and I'll be dreaming of your rich and decadent goose liver ravioli and delicate pasta pyramids with passato di pomodoro until we meet again.

Sometimes You Can Get What You Want

After a bout with food poisoning on Thursday night/Friday, I recovered enough to start off Saturday at a spin class with Hallie and Eliza.  The instructor had picked some fantastic music, which can make all the difference in a spin class, including a final 7-minute hill to "You Can't Always Get What You Want."  Absolutely perfect.

Yesterday, after paying all my bills, I met up with Deb for a snack at the lovely Tarrallucci e Vino and then I accompanied her to Starbucks so she could get a drink.  She ordered with such precision and accuracy -- clearly this was a woman who, through trial and error, had learned how to get exactly what she wanted through Starbucks-speak: a tall, skim, no water, 180 chai latte.  In translation, this is a medium chai latte made with skim milk, with no water (normally they use 1/2 water), heated to 180 degrees, rather than the typical 160.  It was the best Starbucks ordering I have ever heard.

Vodka, Caviar, and Cheesy Costumes, Take 2

Ah, the Old Russian New Year.  The decadence, the debauchery, and don't forget -- the vodka.  Plenty of it. 

Many thanks to Bryn for organizing, Seth for inviting me (and timing his visit so perfectly), and Max and Marianne for being such wonderful company (and a special shout-out to Marianne for being the first to ask me to dance!).  You can find the pictures here.  And if you want to relive the fun from two years ago, you can do that too.

Cycles

Tonight, on my way home from the gym, I bought two bunches of daffodils, the first I have seen this year.  They're slowly opening up, and by the morning they should be open, giving my apartment a sunny burst of yellow.  It might only be January, but I'm already thinking about 2006 as it stretches ahead of me and the pleasure of familiar cycles -- winter turns to spring, which turns to summer, then on to fall, and back to winter. 

And speaking of cycles, there's one cycle that has been somewhat neglected this past year -- my bike has been sitting woefully in the corner while I've been out in Kismet at the beach.  Not so this year -- that cycle is going to be broken.  I'll still be out at the beach, but hope to balance it out with some more time on the bike, culminating in a Blue Marble trip to Spain in September.  I can't wait!

Catch Up

Somehow I haven't managed to find time to post about my adventures last week, which included delicious meals at Momofuku, Pampano, and Cookshop, and the Old Russian New Year, from which I spent a great deal of Sunday recovering on the couch.  Granted, I am still setting up the new computer and only last night got my camera hooked up to download, but still -- there's really no excuse.  Stay tuned for pictures.

Jackass Denoument

I was berated by a friend, colleague, and blog reader when I told him I hoped that 2006 would be a jackass-free year.  "But what about your readers?!"  he lamented, "What about our entertainment?"  Never fear, I'm sure I'll find something else to write about that will be equally entertaining.  If I don't encounter any jackasses this year (hell, it's still January, I've got plenty of time), I'll solicit your stories and we can all vote on the best. 

This has been another super-busy week, but full of good eating -- will fill you in later.  The good news is that I think I've solved my internet connectivity problems, and am falling head over heels in love with my laptop -- I simply adore being able to write while sitting on my couch!  I can just imagine how thrilled I'll be when I actually leave the house with this thing . . .

Nerd Alert

I got my hot new laptop this weekend.  I've had my previous computer for about six years -- it was time for it to go, but it has served me well.  With my return to the corporate world came a return of a lovely phenomenon which I had all but forgotten -- the end-of-the-year bonus.  Laptop, here I come. 

My new baby arrived on Friday, but I hadn't gotten to spend any quality time alone with it until last night.  I was up until 2 AM with RCN (my internet provider) and Netgear (who makes my router) figuring out why the hell my wireless internet access wasn't working.  I have learned that apparently my cordless phone and my router can't play nice in the sandbox together.  Guess my phone's days are numbered.  Now I have to unplug my phone in order to get online, but here I am.  Grrr.