Adventures in Gastronomy

Easter is one of those holidays I just don’t get. I’ve got religious friends who find Easter to be the most important holiday of the year – even moreso than Christmas. Yet for the majority of people I know, Easter is not a holiday you look forward to. There is no music, there is no gift exchange, there isn’t much decorating (aside from eggs). Yeah, there’s chocolate, but Christmas offers chocolate, too.

Anyway, Easter has always been the holiday I forget about completely until I’m reminded. This year, I was reminded by Randy, who offered to have my parents up for Easter dinner. They arrived on Saturday morning (with Dusty) and left on Sunday afternoon. In between, it was all about food.

Especially for my father who literally walked in the door and went directly for the kitchen; finding a bag of tortilla chips to eat even before taking off his jacket. In fact, he still had luggage in one hand as he tried opening the bag. The tortilla chips were later followed by tortilla chips and salsa, then a brownie, then pistachio nuts. Then we all went to lunch at a place called Krazy Karry’s. We all got burgers, except Mom who got a chicken wrap (but could only finish half). My father, on the other hand, finished his entire burger, plus an order of onion rings, plus a good portion of Randy’s fries. He also had a 22 oz. frappe. We got home and my father immediately dove into my mother’s left-chicken wrap.

It was non-stop and continued into Easter dinner (which we technically had on Saturday, inviting along our friends Chris and Pete to join the family). Dinner consisted of fondue, deep-fried turkey, home-made gravy, asparagus, green beans, roasted potatoes, bread. Dessert was supposed to be a fruit tart, but ended up being Belgian chocolates and chocolate chip cookies.

We worked off all of our calories with a card game.

Easter Sunday was more of the same. This time, Randy grilled pizza on the barbecue..and we played more cards.

Now it’s Monday and I feel 10 pound heavier. My father should be at least 50 pounds heavier, but in his old age he’s developed the metabolism of a humming bird. I suppose that’s a trait I won’t mind inheriting someday. I just wish that day was today.

*I wanted to post a photo from this Easter but haven’t uploaded them yet. The photo above is of a family Easter in 1940’s East Boston. My Mom is on the left.p>

March 24th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 1 Comment

Last night I stored the scooter in the garage since it was supposed to be so cold and windy today (not much fun scootering about with 40 mile per hour winds and a windchill hovering in the low teens). However, when Randy and I prepared to leave this morning, we noticed some peculiar things:

First, one of the garage windows was wide open. The second thing was that some slats to the tall wooden fence in our backyard were either missing or damaged. Randy’s best guess is that somebody tried to climb over the fence, then tried to sneak into our garage.

They wouldn’t have gotten much very easily since the two cars filling most of the garage either had the “club” on the wheel, Lojack, or an alarm…or all three. The scooter was also double-locked. The only other item in there that anybody could have taken was the snowblower against the back wall…but to steal that would require moving the cars our first.

Anyway, I suppose it appears to be a theft attempt. I suppose it could have been the wind (perhaps a heavy gust of wind snapped a piece of fence or caused a limb to hit the fence? We did wake up to find trash barrels rolling around the neighborhood, so that’s not unlikely). Or perhaps (and I know this is pushing it), maybe the wind coming up from under the garage door was so strong that the pressure caused the window to slide upward.

No, I think we were violated. Maybe it’s time to move to rural Vermont. I wonder if Bennington is hiring?

March 21st, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 3 Comments

Everything started out OK this morning. Didn’t stub my toe walking to the bathroom. Didn’t get soap in my eyes during my shower. Didn’t spill my Go! Lean Crunch cereal. But then Randy suggested I take the scooter to work today since the rain was supposed to stop this morning. Until I get more practice in inclement weather (or wet roads), I opted to take follow my old-school routine: walk 5-7 minutes to bus, wait for bus, ride bus, transfer from bus to subway, wait for subway, walk 5-7 minutes from subway.

Instead, I got half way through (transfered to the subway) when I realized that I had left my keys at home. No keys means I can’t get into my office. I climbed above ground again to get cell phone reception, but Randy was already on the highway heading to great outer suburbia.

So, he told me the secret code to get access to the garage. But by this point I was running so late I didn’t feel like starting the commute over again (walk, bus, transfer, subway, walk).

And I survived…with wet roads and even my gym bag on my back. I’m getting good at this. It also only took me half the time to lock it up, too.

Maybe things are starting to improve today. It would be great since I had a such a great time with friends at Tango, an Argentinian restaurant, last night. Ah yes, it was just like our trip to Buenos Aires last year….except down there a three course meal would have cost $10-$12 per person. Up here, we each forked over $44.

But it was goo-ooo-ood.

March 20th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: Comments Off on What’s New, Buenos Aires?

I made it home from work alive yesterday. I also cleared out some space in the back of the garage for the scooter (since it’s raining/snowing today and tomorrow). I’m wondering if there are some mechanical issues with it, though, since it did stall once on my way home from work yesterday. Of course, it couldn’t happen on a side street. Oh no, this has to be on Mass Ave at the big Porter Square intersection. Good times.

The owner’s manual (which is smaller than the manual I got for my old cell phone, and is also written in worse Engrish than any Asian product I’ve received in years) states that it needs time to warm up in colder temperatures. The outsdie temperature was hovering in the 30’s yesterday so I’m hoping that was the issue.

It could also be user error: I’m new to all of this and surely could be doing something wrong.

I suppose time will tell.

Also last night, Deano came over and we played Scrabble (he won by 15 points) and then we played RummiKub, where Randy won, but Deano lost with a negative score. You win some, you lose some.

Then there’s me and you just lose them all.

March 19th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: Comments Off on This and That

My morning commute has officially changed. This was the first morning I rode to work in the scooter. All in all, things went fine. I was able to leave a little bit later than normal and still arrived at work at the normal time. Of course, it wasn’t without it’s issues:

1 – I discovered that the scooter isn’t too keen on being started at sub-freezing temperatures. I also discovered it’s rather chilly to be going 30MPH without a windsheild and roof (and heater).

2 – Scooters aren’t as flexible as bicycles. You have to take corners more widely since the handlebar column doesn’t turn as widely as a bicycle handlebar. This also makes is damn near impossible to park. Bringing it to the bike rack is a pain in the ass. Unlike a bicycle, you can’t lift the scooter to allign perfectly with the bike rack. It’s a game of forward, backward, forward, backward, forward, backward….

3 – Technically, a scooter is considered more of a bicycle than a car so you’re supposed to follow bicycle rules. for example, you’re allowed to drive up along side of cars that are stopped in traffic. However, the scooter is too big to fit beside the cars so I had to follow traffic. Even more confusing are stop lights. Am I required to stop until green? Or, like a bicycle, can I go if there’s no traffic?

4 – Even with very short-cropped hair, you end up with helmet head.

This is going to take some getting used to. It doesn’t help that I’ve always been reluctant to accept change in my routine. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’ve always been a fan of public transit. I’d take that over driving a car any day. And, if Randy and I buy a place closer to public transit (one of my two requirements, the other being a second bathroom), I’d gladly sell the scooter and start using the subway again.

In the meantime, if you’re commuting in the Cambridge/Somerville area, watch out for me. I’m not fully skilled at scooter-maneuvering just yet.

March 18th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 3 Comments

A very good thing happened on Friday; frequent flyer miles became available for a better flight to Puerto Vallarta (18 days and counting). When we booked the tickets a month or so ago, we did what we normally do: buy one ticket, use frequent flyer miles for the second ticket, then split the cost. Unfortunately, for this trip we couldn’t get miles to be on the same flight. Consequently, my ticket had me flying out Friday (taking an extra day off from work) for a three-legged trip (Boston, New York, Dallas, Puerto Vallarta) that took over 11 hours. Randy’s flight was the next day (Saturday), has only one connection, and is only 7.5 hours. Did I mention HE was also flying business/first class?

Anyway, Randy re-checked the availability of better frequent flyer mile options and there was a better one! I’m still leaving on Friday, but it just has one connection (in Chicago) and is 4 hours shorter than the previous flight. I’m still not first class, like Randy, but at least Ill be there earlier enough to enjoy the beach in the afternoon.

More good news: I bought a scooter. Yep, I opted for the Kymco Agility and paid for it yesterday. I can technically pick it up today, but will have to go to the Registry of Motor Vehicles before I can use it. It may not be until tomorrow when I can actually get it. Still, I can cease getting a subway pass – saving me $29.50/month.

March 17th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 2 Comments

We got together with our friends, Chris and Pete, last night for dinner. It’s Restaurant Week in the Boston area so participating restaurants provide a fixed menu consisting of appetizer, entree, and dessert. Pete selected Gargoyle’s in Davis Square. There’s definitely more to this place than you’d expect from the front facing the street.

I had a lovely baby spinach and goat cheese salad with strawberries, a tasty proscuitto and mustard encrusted breast of chicken with mashed potatoes and greens, and a sinful warm chocolate and cinnamon cake with butterscoth ice cream. The dessert could only have been better if it was one of those molten lava cakes with the hot chocolatey liquid oozing out of it.

We’re talking about trying another restaurant next weekend (Ironically, Restaurant “Week” is technically two weeks).

In other news, a southern, trailer-park dwelling woman was on her toilet for two years. Yep, she had to be surgically removed since her skin grew around the toilet seat. In fact, the toilet seat went with her to the hospital.

How does this happen? How did she bathe? Hell, if her flesh grew around the seat, how did she wipe? Who fed her? How did she earn money? I could easily see this happening in Japan since their toilets will do anything (the toilet seat above was from my trip to Japan): heated seats, bidet function, white-noise machine, scent-sprayer.

I’m guessing this woman made history on an good ole-fashioned run-of-the-mill American Standard. What’s scarier is that this woman is probably considered a run-of-the-mill American standard. Oh, our foreign neighbors must be having a field day with this one.

March 13th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 1 Comment

I went to the dentist this morning for my semi-annual cleaning. Typically, I don’t mind going to the dentist. But this was the visit where they do the x-rays. Not just the ones they do once per year, these were the full mouth xrays that get done only once every 5-years. I was sure that the x-rays would reveal horrible news resulting in needles and sweaty palms. Miraculously, it was all good news.

Looks like I’m safe for at least another year.

Oh, and I opted for the “sonic” scraping today instead of the old-school scraping with that sharp instrument of death. My fear has always been that the hygienist would slip (a hiccup, a hilarious co-worker yelling “boo” behind her, fire alarm going off). Iv’e requested the sonic apparatus in the past but she said it’s geared more towards patients with plaque and tartar. Since I never have any, she said there really was no purpose. But since all of my friends say they go with the sonic ones and don’t feel the pain/discomfort of scraping, i wanted to try it.

And I found it less pleasant than the scraping. I kept feeling these little shocks (not electrical shocks, just nerve endings being aroused). And it felt warm- a mix of the water and friction caused by the rapid vibrations. She said she wasn’t surprised by my reaction since people with healthy teeth and gums usually find the sonic ones unpleasant. If my teeth were covered with tartar/plaque, the sonic would be hitting/removing that versus hitting my teeth and gums directly.

Now I can see why.

March 12th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 3 Comments

Jason and Bryan came over last night for dinner and games. I even cooked dinner for them. ME! And we all survived! Granted it was just a simple chicken parmesan dish with a salad….(and the sauce came from a jar). But cut me some slack – this is a leaps and bounds ahead of that dinner I prepared for Jason a few years ago: frozen pizza, hot dogs, and sauerkraut.

Anyway, we started off with some Wii tennis and bowling. Then Randy arrived and we had dinner. We ended the night with a game of Rummy-Foo. I know for a fact that I’ve butchered the spelling of the game (Rummy-Fool? Rummy-foux? Rummy-Fous?). It’s apparently French. My friend Marin (who lived in Paris) taught it (or something similar) to me a few year ago and then my friends, Jeff and Paul, came back from a trip to France and taught it to me again when we were in Orange County after Christmas.

Bryan – who played it for the first time, won the game. Randy came in second and I came in third by only 10 points (which is technically one point in this oddly scored game). I won’t say where Jason ended up since he’s fiercely competitive and I refuse to use the L-word to describe him. But that word starts with L, ends with R, and has OSE in the middle. You figure it out.

March 11th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 3 Comments

I’m still feeling the pain from using the Wii Friday night. We had some friends over for dinner and games. The last few hours were spent playing Rayman’s Ravin’ Rabbids (a great party game). Anyway, you really do get involved in some major exercise with some of those challenges. Consequently, I never went to the gym the rest of the weekend (don’t judge me).

On Saturday we drove up to New Hampshire for lunch with friends, before doing a bit of shopping. I was feeling the early stages of a cold coming on so we laid low that evening. It was quite enjoyable and lazy.

Sunday wasn’t much more exciting. Randy went for a massage at noon (a birthday gift from last summer) and then we began scooter shopping. I think I’ve narrowed it down to the Honda Metropolitan (a cute-n-sexy retro scooter) or the Kymco Agility (a slighty more affordable, yet sturdier/larger scooter). It’s only going to be used to get to and from work…so I don’t need anything fancy. That makes me think the functional Kymco is the way to go.

…but the Honda is so cute!

March 10th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 1 Comment