Adventures in Gastronomy

Randy had some co-workers in town from his company’s Tokyo and Singapore offices yesterday and they invited me to join them for dinner. I’d apparently met the female co-worker while I was in Japan two years ago (I didn’t remember her…then again, I’d met a lot of people during that trip).

Anyway, Randy picked me up just before 7PM and we headed into Boston. I was left with the responsibility of choosing a place and I narrowed it down to either one of the restaurants at the Liberty Hotel (a hotel that took-over a nearly 200 year old Charles Bulfinch designed prison) or the Beehive.

The Beehive is supposed to be this funky space located in the South End under the Boston Center for the Arts. What I read was that this place was funky, fun, loungy, eclectic and geared towards the 30 and over crowd versus the majority of Boston nightspots that focus on college kids and 20’s-somethings (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

I must admit the space was kind of cool. It was subterranean and had exposed ceilings and brick walls, some plush draperies in an area where performers from local music colleges perform (Berklee, Conservatory, etc…). The art was fun, too…with some puge pieces adorning various walls.

And the food was quite good. At least, the food I had was good. Everybody seemed to like the tuna tartare and flatbread pizza appetizers. The polenta dish seemed to be a hit and I really loved my scallops and parmesan risotto. Our only issue with the place was that it was much louder than I’d expected. Being geared toward 30, 40, & 50 year olds, I would have expected more of a loungey feel with soothing background music playing.

I guess I’m WAY older than my years.

May 2nd, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 3 Comments

Since my scooter was in the shop yesterday, I rode the bus home from work. As we chugged down Mass Ave in Cambridge, near Porter Square, I noticed some bouncing flesh off in the distance. They were heading my way and I soon noticed it was a gaggle of men (probably college kids) jogging down the street in their underwear.

Unfortunately, the wimpier of the lot were wearing boxer shorts 2 times their size (likely in an effort to conceal as much skin as possible). A few wore boxer briefs and one or two wore standard briefs.

Come on guys…if you’re going to do something silly for fun or a dare (or end-of-semester prank?) go all out and have fun. Don’t be a loser and say you’ll participate and then wear the underwear that covers you more than running shorts would have covered. Doesn’t that the defeat the whole purpose? Hell, I’ve read of a similar prank being done elsewhere (Canada, I think) where the students run naked through the streets of town one day each year. Grow some balls, people.

Yeah, you’re still going to have a story to tell the grandkids about how you ran the streets of Cambridge in your underwear when you were in college. But wouldn’t it be more fun if the story was actually scandalous…instead of having to embelish or imply it was scandalous?

May 1st, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 3 Comments

I woke up feeling rather chipper this morning. But between locking the door of the house behind me and getting to the garage to start the scooter, everything went to crap.

I’m going to be using a word repeatedly in this post that should make Randy very happy. In an effort not to offend, I will use a term from Battlestar Gallactica: frack.

…a lot.

OK, so I go to the garage to start the fracking scooter. I unlock the bike lock that I use to secure it and put the key in. But it doesn’t start. It simply makes that wee-wee-wee sound but no vroom-vroom sounds. Now, I had other issues with this before. When I first bought the fracking thing back in March it would always start, but then I’d have issues with it stalling once I was on the street and in traffic.

I had that fracking issue fixed: they adjusted the carburator or some such fracking nonsense. When I picked the scooter up from the dealer, I rode it home with out issue. However, the next day I was running errands after work and the fracking thing wouldn’t start. I tried everything I could think of, including the kick start, but it wouldn’t work. I even called Randy to help and he did manage to get it started. Apparently, now I needed to rev the engine while starting it to get the thing to work.

Fine, I can start doing that.

But this morning…NOTHING would fracking work. I checked the fracking on/off switch, I tried the fracking auto-start, I tried the fracking auto-start with revving, I tried the fracking kick-start, I tried the fracking kick-start with revving. Nothing would fracking work. I gave it a break and tried the kick-start again (while revving) and it finally started reluctantly.

YAY – I was on my way. I rode to work with no issue. Once at the office, I rode to my usual bike rack and parked it. I placed the bike lock through the wheel and into the bike rack, insterted the key…and the fracking thing won’t lock. I sat there for fracking 20 minutes trying to get the fracking lock to lock and it wouldn’t. I have no fracking clue why it won’t; the lock was only purchased last summer when I got my bicycle. When the key is in the lock when the lock bar is not attached the metal u-shaped base, it works like a dream. But the second I put the bar on the metal u-shaped base, the fracking key won’t turn.

It’s official. I hate this fracking scooter. I hate everything it fracking represents. I want my fracking life back.

April 30th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 12 Comments

I’m responsibility-phobic. I really think I am.

I’ve always has suspicions. And my ex, Matt, used to tell me all the time that I could be making so much more money if I’d just assert myself and take on jobs with responsibilities. He thought I had it in me to take charge and manage something. Randy has said similar things (that I could make more outside of Harvard or in a different, more senior, job at Harvard).

That’s all probably true. But I like Harvard. I like what I do at Harvard. I like my boss. And, to be quite honest, in my old age I don’t think I’m as capable as I once was as a young whipper-snapper to expense all of the energy to work my way up the corporate (or academic) ladder. I don’t want to work 60+ hours per week like Randy. I don’t want to be responsible for 7AM conference calls or 9PM conference calls…multiple times per week.

And I think that’s also why I’m not falling in love with my scooter. Riding the subway (and/or bus) means no responsibility except showing up and paying the fare. I can do that! But riding the scooter requires ownership. It requires paying attention to what I’m doing and where I’m going (avoiding pot holes, pedestrians, car doors opening). I have to worry about finding an accessible spot in the bike rack for such a large beast. I have to worry about theft.

To be honest, it consumes me. Yeah, my commute gets cut by more than half as a result of the scooter. And it gives me control of my schedule (I can leave when I want and not rely on a bus schedule). But I’m not sure I want that control!

…or if I’m capable of such a responsibility!

April 29th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 3 Comments

For the most part I took it easy this weekend. During that day on both Saturday and Sunday I just rested, took antibiotics, and watched TV. However, Saturday night I did get together with some friends to see the most recent play by Ryan Landry and the Gold Dust Orphans at the Ramrod Centre for the Performing Arts.

The place was packed and the play (actually, a musical) was quite fun. It was a remake of the Wizard of Oz (or the Wiz) called ‘Whizzin’. But this wasn’t your childhood 1939 version of the story. Oh no. Without giving too much away, let’s just say the (white) Dorothy has a black mother. Instead of Kansas they live in Hyannis. Instead of farming, her family grows and sells pot. Instead of that sideshow magician Dorothy runs into, it’s Miss Cleo (the “psychic”…remember her?).

And that’s the part of the story before things get surreal. Like the munchkins who all have floor length penises. Or the scarecrow, tin man, and lion (the latter who wants go from King of the Jungle to Queen of the Jungle, if you catch my drift). Oh, and there are no ruby slippers…just ruby panties.

Oh, and instead of a yellow brick road they all climb into a giant vagina to get to the wizard. And that scene in the movie where the flowers (poppies?) make them fall asleep? Well, here they fall under the influence of poppers (and disco balls).

Did I mention that Dorothy has a bladder problem? Yes, when she’s nervous, she can’t control her bladder. That’s a key plot point since, well, that’s how she kills the Wicked Witch of the South End – by accidentally whizzin’ on her (hence the title).

Gee, it all seemed less far fetched when seeing it live on stage. I can’t recommend it enough!

**The photo above is from my own 6th grade play in 1983, Alice in Oz (a mix of Alice in Wonderland and the Wizard of Ox). I’m the geek in red on the left.

April 28th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 2 Comments

That was such a great album. Bob’s Yer Uncle is one of the most sexy songs. Unfortunately, sex is the last thing on my mind at the moment. That little cold that kicked in two weeks agos today has morphed into a sinus infection. It’s bad enought that I couldnt’ sleep Wednesday night. Randy took my temperature in the middle of the night (he’s so good to me) and it was 101 degrees. Another clue that I had a fever was the actual pool of water (sweat) that had formed in the center of my pillow.

This morning the doctor prescribed antibiotics. Randy’s been on antibiotics for the last week as a result of the dental work he had done so this may explain how he’s avoided this whole mess. Anyway, the doctor also prescribed lots of medications (Sudafed, Mucinex, ibuprofin, Claritin) along with the old stand-by’s of water and plenty of rest.

Sounds like a good combination to me.

April 25th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 1 Comment

As always, I’ve got another trip on my mind. For the past few months I’ve been mentioning to Randy that I’d love to go to Europe again this spring/summer. As always, I’d use Paris as a home base and like to pop over to another nearby country for a few days. Of course, the economy and the value of the dollar have been playing a factor in making this trip less and less of a logical choice.

However, various factors are coming into play that could make this an affordable trip after all. First, I have enough frequent flyer miles to get me there without having to pay for a trans-Atlantic ticket. Second, I have free accomodations in Paris with my friend, Mark, so I don’t have to worry about lodging expenses for a bulk of the trip. Third, Randy may have to visit Munich or Dresden on business so if we incorporate that into the vacation, his company can play for the bulk of his airfare plus a bulk of the lodging in the other city/cities.

Unfortunately, I have a tendency to dwell on things. Yep, I can get pretty anal (dare I say annoying?) when it comes to planning. And since we were hoping to plan this trip around the Memorial Day holiday, there is only a month left to plan. And as I’ve been tracking ticket prices and options over the past few weeks (back when I was considering purchasing a ticket instead of using frequent flyer miles), the prices of tickets were going up while availability was going down. Consequently, I can only imagine what it must be like to be partnered to somebody like me constantly harping on this or that. Poor Randy. I think we almost had our first fight on Monday night.

I suppose it wasn’t really a fight since there was no yelling. There was also no physical abuse. And neither of us belittled the other. HMMM, maybe it wasn’t a fight after all. Perhaps it was just the first time we’ve both been substantially annoyed at each other simultaneously. Either way, it sucked.

But things may be working out in the end (as they always do). I’ve got a ticket on hold around the dates that I want (I’m having to stay one extra day to use frequent flyer miles, but I can deal with that). We have until May 6th to confirm, which means that Randy has until then to finalize the dates of his Germany business meetings. If they can be incorporated into a vacation, great. If they can’t, then I can cancel the ticket that is on hold and we can plan something else. In the mean time, I just need to learn to relax. Poor Randy – he really does have to put up with a lot.

April 23rd, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 4 Comments

The evil spring cold is finally exiting my system. I’m still exhausted 24/7, but the “bricks-behind-my-eyes” sensation has finally gone. And my throat is only sore in the morning.

We ended up with a fairly relaxing weekend overall. Since Randy had dental work done on Thursday, he was in pain Friday (and his reaction to the Oxycodone didn’t help). So, we stayed in that night and lounged on the sofa comforting each other in our misery.

On Saturday, the rat bastard had me help out in the yard putting mulch in the gardens (front and back). This consisted of shoveling heaping mounds of wood chips into garbage barrells, dragging the barrells to either the front or back yard, then lifting them and tipping them over. Smart – have the guy with a stuffed head and sinus issues work in a garden during peak allergy season.

That night we had a few people over for the first barbecue of the season, but the temperatures dropped rather quickly and we ended up eating at the dining room table and then playing Wii. It was fun, though I was still exhausted.

I slept/rested most of Sunday before making a brief appearance at a friends’ birthday/housewarming party in the South End. A lovely home, a lovely friend, and some lovely edibles. Doesn’t get much better than that.

Well, I guess it can. The pope’s visit is finally over. It figures I’d be home sick during the week that he’s here (and coverage of his visit was all over the TV day and night). I don’t understand the significance of his visit…especially considering the news stated that only 1/4 of the country is Catholic: that’s not even a majority of people. And I don’t care how important that man is to you, you cannot expect to use the word “popemobile” in a sentence and be taken seriously. Yeah, yeah, yeah, the previous pope faced an attempted assassination. But so have countless real world leaders and they don’t have Reaganmobiles or Kennedymobiles.

April 21st, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 5 Comments

I filled the gas tank of my scooter for the first time this morning. Supposedly, it’s supposed to get about 85 miles per gallon. The gauge was showing the line at the lower end of the red “empty” zone so I figured I’d better be safe and fill ‘er up.

The nozzle clicked that it was done within seconds of putting the nozzle into the gas tank. I looked at the gas pump and it read just over half a gallon (technically .63). That seemed odd considering it’s supposed to be a one-gallon tank so I topped it off to the tune of .72 gallons.

That’s still 1/4 of a gallon less than a full tank so all I can assume is that even if I run on empty, I’ve still got another 1/4 tank to go.

In the end, my total sale was a whopping $2.46. That’s highway robbery!

April 18th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 2 Comments

Oy vey – that was quite a cold. Well, it still is. But now it feels like what I recall normal colds to feel like. I never take sick days for a simple cold (I’ve had quite a few colds since the last time I took sick days in 2006 and never dreamed of skipping work over them). But this one has been brutal.

On the plus side, the strange dreams have ceased, as has my ibuprofin/aspirin/Sudafed/Afrin/Mucinex cocktail. I wonder if there’s a correlation?

And on the plusser side (is there such a thing?) Randy and I each received $500 vouchers from American Airlines for our inconvenience during last week’s “emergency” repair episode. In addition, they also said to fax them receipts for any actual expenses we incurred as a result of having to extend our stay (extra night’s lodging, meals, transportation). Sweet! I knew American Airlines was my preferred airline for a reason.

April 17th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 3 Comments