Adventures in Gastronomy

Is it possible to get high through osmosis? Here’s the story:

Randy had a tooth pulled yesterday. The doctor prescribed him Percocet for the pain. I spent the night with him to aid him in his time of need (did laundry, cooked dinner, cleaned dishes, etc…). He took his first Percocet around 8PM and within an hour he was smiling and somewhat loopy. But by 9PM he said he felt unpleasantly drunk, and by 10PM or so he said he felt nauseas, and that it reminded him of why he doesn’t smoke pot.

So, essentially, that was our last conversation before retiring to bed…and that’s where the dreams kicked in. For some reason, we were on vacation in San Francisco. And, in my dream, San Francisco legalized pot in coffeehouses, tea shops, and (of all things) CD stores. We went to a store that resembled Boston’s Newbury Comics (in San Francisco I suppose the equivalent would be Amoeba Records) and sat down at the counter where Randy ordered some pot.

Now, before I go on, I should say that I’ve never smoked pot in my life so I have no idea what the effects are on a personal level. I just recall when I was in Amsterdam that you could buy it at coffeeshops in the form of a joint, a space cake, or a brownie.

In my San Francisco dream, however, you could buy pot in the form of Sprees. You know, those multi-colored candies from your childhood. Anyway, the clerk brought us a small bowl full of them. You were supposed to pay for each piece of candy you took, but when the waiter wasn’t looking, I kept grabbing small amounts of pot-laced Sprees and putting them in the pockets of my cargo shorts. Needless to say, we left the store with more than we paid for.

It was a very trippy dream – as if I was the one under the influence of the Percocet’s and not Randy.

I think I’m going to run to the candy aisle at CVS…I’ve got the munchies.

August 31st, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 2 Comments

A few years ago I included a photographic journal of my daily commute (showing my neighborhood, North Station, and the walk down Massachusetts Avenue from Porter Square to Harvard). The path of my commute hasn’t changed over the past three years but the scenery sure has changed.

For one thing, my photos showed the remains of the old elevated expressway (photo above) that I used to walk under (now it’s a park under sweltering sunny skies). But the sights along Mass. Ave have largely remained the same – aside from the relocated houses and construction going on at my place of employment.

But one thing that constantly changes is the people. Just this morning I saw the following:

a) a man at Porter square with a t-shirt that said “Don’t let your friends derive drunk”…it was sponsored by M.A.D.D.: Mathematicians Against Drunk Derivation. Only in a college town.

b) a man I see fairly regularly who is actually a rather handsome late 40’s/early 50’s fellow with some salt and pepper at the temples. However, he’s CONSTANTLY wearing pleated highwaters. I’m serious….he has multiple pairs, but they all don’t hang lower than his ankle (while standing!). I can’t imagine how high they ride when he’s sitting. And pleated? Oy vey.

c) a billboard for the new Billy Bob Thornton movie, “Mr. Woodcock.” On the left is uber-hot Seann William Scott. In the middle is Mr. Thornton himself…wearing a tracksuit and holding two basketballs where is anatomical balls are located. To his right, is the lovely Susan Sarandon…dressed with a sash for “Corn Cob Queen, 1970.” Brilliant.

d) a man riding what appeared to be a home made bicycle where the pedals (at their lowest) at even high then the roof of an SUV. His head was nearly at the level of the roof of a bus. I’m not sure how he gets on or off this thing. Or what he does when he has to stop at a stop light, but I was definitely intrigued.

Oh, and before I forget, I should clarify about my comments yesterday. I know Somerville is still a city (in fact, it’s the densest city in Massachusetts). I’m not going to miss living in THE city (of Boston) as much as I’m going miss living in A city; meaning, his location in Somerville doesn’t have the attributes of urban living I’ve always had.

As a kid, I lived in a village…but everything was walkable (beach, library, post office, market, restaurants, bank, etc…). Since then, I’ve always lived in places where I could walk – even when I lived far from a major city in places like Newburport and Salem. So, it’s not just that I’m going to miss living in Boston (since I know it’s still only a few miles away). What I’m going to miss is being able to walk out my door to find amenities within close walking distance. I’m going to miss the energy that a “downtown” setting offers. Randy’s neighborhood (I mean, OUR neighborhood) is purely residential…for blocks and blocks and blocks in every direction. So that’s what’s going to take getting used to. But I’ll cope. And I’m still looking forward to it.

August 30th, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: Comments Off on Observations of a Morning Commuter

Randy came over after work last night. The original plan was to continue the on-going project of converting my Dad’s record albums (yep, vinyl) into MP3 files (his belated Father’s day/upcoming wedding anniversary present). While the albums were recording, I also planned to begin packing/tossing knick-knacks. As you probably already know, I’m moving in with Randy in a month or so.

I’d originally told my landlords that I’d move out on October 13 since it’s easier/cheaper to move out mid-month. They were fine with that. Then yesterday their broker showed the unit to the first person and he fell in love with the place. He also told both the broker and the landlord that he loved the way I’d set up the place. Methinks my replacement may be family.

Anyway, he wanted the unit a bit earlier so I’m actually now moving out sometime BEFORE October 7. Which is all fine and good – but it’s also why I figured I’d start sifting through my belongings last night.

However, since it was such a gorgeous night, we opted to go for a walk before starting the MP3 and packing process.

I think it was a big mistake to go for that walk around my neighborhood! EVERYTHING was just so perfect: the slight smell of low tide, the perfect temperature, the lovely sunset, the subtle cracking of waves, the creaking of boats, the free concert at Columbus Park, the crowds enjoying tasty Italian meals and pastries.

Sigh – I’m giving this all up in a month’s time. Then again, I’m also gaining to so much more.

But it’s going to require some adjusting. I already told Randy that we’re going to have to venture into Boston at least once (hopefully more) per month for dinners/walks in the city. It’ll no longer be my backyard – but at least it’ll be a next door neighbor.

August 29th, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 4 Comments

I got together with my friend, Deano, last night. He came to the North End with the intention of hanging out and eating dinner. But over dinner he mentioned his competitive nature with games such as Scrabble. Big mistake! I snarfed down the rest of my meal as fast as I could and we rushed back to my place for a game.

He is a very competitive person, as evidenced by his refusal to place down any letters even remotely close to a “triple word” score. Or the one time he did do that, he put a word adjacent to a “triple word” score that could not be added onto – thus rendering that spot useless for the rest of the game.

Oh yes – he’s competitive. Midway through the game his Red Sox cap twisted backwards and teh boy had his game on.

Alas, it made no difference. He suffered a humbling ass-whopping with my score of 272 to his score of 232 – a 40 point difference. Ka-ching!

But I deserved it. You see, the first time we played Baggo together, he managed to get a perfect score of 12 points in one single turn; an extremely difficult feat. On that day, I had to hang my head low in shame. This time, he left with his tail between his legs.

Next time? Your guess is as good as mine.

*Photo found on Yahoo! Images, posted by drockromeo.

August 28th, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: Comments Off on Payback’s a Bitch

Sigh.

Tonight will end the Feast season in Boston’s North End. The St. Anthony’s Feast, the biggest of them all, technically ended last night. St. Lucy’s feast ends tonight at 11PM. And that’s it until next year.

Last night, the procession (basically a tiny marching band, a statue of St. Anthony being carried on the shoulders of a bunch of men, and hundreds of spectators) came down my little dead end court. They parked themselves below my windows as neighbors ran down to pin dollars to the statue. Fun stuff. I tried taking pictures…but I was nekkid behind my blinds and didn’t have the energy to dress for the occasion. And forcing the camera through the slats in the blinds proved too difficult.

The festivities began on Friday night and I got together with a group of friends to watch it (as you can see in the photo above, we were the facial hair contingent). Many of these friends were feast virgins. Others were experienced and thrilled with the tackiness of it all. Except for Randy – he just doesn’t get it.

He had a better time the following night when he attended the birthday party I through in his honor. About 20 people showed up for the wine-tasting themed party…and Randy woke up the next day with what he calls a wine headache (I gently corrected him and said it’s more commonly known as a hangover).

August 27th, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 4 Comments

This weekend is the last weekend of the North End Feasts until next year. It saddens me to realize that this will be the last feast in which I’ll actually live in the neighborhood. This really has been the best neighborhood I’ve ever lived in. Safe, convenient, quiet, and loaded with old-world charm. Yeah, the architecture isn’t the prettiest in the city, but what it lacks in design integrity it more than makes up for as the best urbanism a city can offer.

And these feasts are just so fun! Entire blocks (including mine – and all streets leading up to mine) are closed to traffic. There is garland strewn across every street with lights dangling from them. Vendors and stages are set up all over the place – serving unhealthy Italian specialties, cooking demonstrations, and concert performances. And then there are the parades led by the local Italian marching band and the statues being carried down the narrow streets…with people running up to pin money to it.

Ah – what those Catholics won’t do for a good time. And speaking of religion – check out this FABULOUS video! It’s for real – some religious folks re-made Sir Mix-a-Lot’s song “Baby Got Back” and called it “Baby Got Book.” And it’s all about the Bible. I think the best line is when a woman changes the line “Me so horny” to the best line of all time:

“Me so holy.”

Check it out!

August 24th, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 3 Comments

In between converting my father’s old record albums into mp3 files (yep…he still uses those black, circular vinyl things), I’ve begun the process of weeding out the stuff I don’t need before my move. My previous condo was 1,200 square feet. I downsized to 500 square feet just under three years ago. With a space that small, you’d think I’d have been good at purging periodically since 500 square feet doesn’t necessariliy provide much storage space.

WRONG!

I guess I did a really good job at keeping the clutter concealed (closets, drawers, cabinets) because I’m realizing i’ve got a lot of stuff that I don’t “think” I need. You’ll notice I put think in quotes…that’s because I’m still not sure if I need these things. For example:

* floppy disks (well, the firm square shaped diskettes). My computer doesn’t even have an a: drive anymore
* framed photos. They really just collect dust. I should probably just keep a few
* knick-knacks from my ex. Some are tacky, some are fun, some might even be worth something if I choose to sell them. I’ve kept them because I like them – not because of sentiment.
* paper towels. This is embarrassing. Back in the day when I had a desktop computer at home, I’d often eat dinner at the computer desk. Every evening I’d bring one piece of paper towel with me. Since I never make messes when I eat (ask Randy…my napkins are always untouched by the end of the meal), I just stacked them in the corner of the desk. It’s an armoire desk so I shut the door and you can’t see them. Anyway, I’ve now got a 9 inch tall stack of folded paper towels.

I’m beginning to think that the process of clearing things out is going to take longer than I expected.

August 23rd, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 3 Comments

I got together with Randy last night for the usual (dinner and TV). We’re catching up on episodes of Big Love (the Mormon polygamy show on HBO). It’s interesing…and Margie, the youngest of three wives, is totally hot! I can’t believe I’m saying that about, gasp, a female. But it’s true – she’s adorable.

Anyway, after our Big Love, I asked if we could do a walk-through of his condo to see where my stuff could fit, what I should give to family/friends, and what I should sell. It looks like nearly all of the furniture I’d like to keep can easily fit. And he plans on clearing out an entire closet for me, and allowing me share another (for coats and such).

What we discovered was that, after three years living there, he’s accumulated decent piles of shit that can be tossed. I’d originally hoped to do the move in just over 5 weeks, but with so much going on socially over the next month and a half…plus with us needing to clear out space for me and with me needing to pack, sell, and toss…it may make more sense to give ourselves a few extra weeks.

Oh, and one other thing we did while I was there last night was download photos from our trip to Virginia last week. The one above is of Randy at his mother’s pool. I’ll post the rest in my Flickr photo gallery later on.

August 22nd, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 3 Comments

So Citibank just charged me an annual fee for my credit card. I had this card with them back in the 90’s but canceled it when they began offering their “Thank You” rewards card. When they asked why I canceled the card, I told them it was because the other card offered no annual fee. The representative said that I should have let her know because they’d just permanently waive the annual fee to keep me as a customer.

Well, I signed back up again…and now the annual fee has reappared. Only this time, it’s gone from $50/year to $85/year. And I won’t stand for it, dammit! Credit card companies are raping people with their interest rates and fees (annual fees, fees to use the card in another country).

I’d hate to cancel the account since I’ve been with Citibank for nearly 18 years – but I’m a cheap bugger and I’d do it to save $85/year! Besides, Randy has shown me other cards with similar benefts that don’t charge a fee.

In other news, I know my flight from Virginia was just an hour and a half…and it didn’t cross through any time zones…but I still feel a sense of jetlag this morning. It probably has to do with my flight yesterday being at 6:45AM. Add to that having to be at the airport an hour before my flight, and another 45 minutes for getting ready in the morning and you have one grumpy, sleepy Karl.

August 21st, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 5 Comments

Despite my fears of heat and humidity, I thoroughly enjoyed myself during my little trip south this past weekend. Randy and I flew down at 4:51PM on Thursday night (Boston to Dulles, DC). We then drove an additional 3.5 hours south and west to reach Roanoke, VA just before midnight. The last 2 hours of the hour we were stuck in a massive lightning storm that lit up the sky as bright as day every second or so. I’d never seen so much lightning. One benefit to the lighting was that it made things bright enough for me to see the Blue Ridge Mountains all around us.

We stayed with Randy’s father, Roger Ray…a self-admitted redneck who has a HUGE pick-up truck, tons of guns, and the cutest little accent you ever did hear (slow, well thought out, and chock full of phrases like “I reckon” and “Earl’s gon’ die,” (referring to the groundhog that has taken up residence in his back yard and who will be shot dead in the near future). Hell, he even has redneck wind chimes in his house (empty beer and bean cans hung from a board by a pieces of string).

Aside from some furniture shopping (his father is looking for a new sofa), we spent the rest of the time at Randy’s mother’s place a few minutes away. It is there that I got to meet the rest of the Beverly Hillbillies, I mean, family. There was Charlene – his charming and incredibly sweet mother. Living with her were her boyfriend, Enis, her mother, Grannie, her sister, Enid, and Enid’s grandaughter, Gabby. The house was lovely, and behind the house they’d built a great deck and swimming pool. And that’s where we all spent the bulk of our days.

The outside air was in the 90’s (even approaching midnight) with only a brief spell of upper 80’s on Saturday. But the pool made things VERY refreshing (even 86 degree water can feel cool when the outside air is 10+ degrees hotter andhumid).

Charlene also kept me VERY well fed with southern cooking; home made biscuits and gravy, country fried chicken, corn bread (VERY different from northern corn bread). I think she may have toned down her recipes on my behalf (Randy told her my taste buds are limited), but the food tasted amazing either way. There was constantly a kitchen counter full of food from morning to night.

But the best part of her house was the love. I swear, by the end of my three days, EVERYBODY told me they loved me (hell, my family never even does that). His father, his mother, even his 91 year old Grannie gave me a kiss and hug good bye when it was time to leave.

I could get used to this. I’ve lucked out in that I already have a damn good family. It’s great to know I can add this clan to it now, too!

August 20th, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 5 Comments