Adventures in Gastronomy

I got together with Will (of DesignerBlog) yesterday for a great lunch at Z-Squared, in Harvard Square. I can’t recall the last time we got together one-on-one (we normally get together as part of a group of Boston based bloggers), but it’s definitely been at least 6 months to a year.

And so much has happened since then. I’m in a new relationship and have been doing a bit of travel. But more significantly, Will is selling his house, building a brand new home in New Hampshire AND getting ready to retire after 32 years at MIT. Thirty-two years! Of course, it will be said to have him leave the immediate Boston area…but he did promise to let me visit so that makes up for it.

Oh, and the food was good, too. He had a salmon crepe (I believe) and I had an avacado, smoked turkey and gruyere sandwich on sourdough.

Then last night I got to dinner with my friend, Scott. We were supposed to meet up tonight but he called me at 6:05PM to say he couldn’t make it today and asked if I could meet him then and there. Fighting back my inherent lack of spontaneity, I agreed and we met at the rotunda a Quincy Market.

It’s a funny thing, we agreed to meet there in 20-25 minutes since he was coming from Chinatown and I was coming from the North End. Now, as a Boston resident, I never go to Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market. That’s where “tourists” go and no self-respecting local would be seen there (except maybe some local office workers looking for lunch).

And based on the horrible fast-food options in the center (food) building, I can understand why. The options are simply tasteless, mass-produced, food court style nastiness. However, the environment is what makes the place and no matter how many retail and restaurant chains fill Quincy Market, last night made me realize that the architecture does make up for it (the Quincy Market buildings are centuries old wharf buildings and, in Faneuil Hall, markets and meeting spaces).

We ate on the upper level of the rotunda with enormous windows overlooking the financial district. The interior was filled with exposed brick (this is Boston, after all) and old signs. Tourists were eating it up – flash bulbs going non-stop.

Now if only they could make the retail and dining selections as attractive and unique as the space they occupy.

March 13th, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 1 Comment

Getting frustrated with my expanding belly, I finally decided to do something about it. Actually, I began about a month or so ago by not taking elevators anymore (and rarely escalators). So at work I climb the 5 floors to my office instead of taking the elevator. At Harvard Station (which is fairly deep under ground when using the Church Street exit) I climb the stairs instead of using the escalator or walking to the gradual ramp at the main entrance).

But this past weekend, with the weather finally warming up, Randy and I took a nice walk around the hilly Tufts campus. Then we went candlepin bowling (which apparently is a regional thing – who knew the rest of the country only did tenpin bowling?). Anyway, bowling can be a fairly good work-out I’ve discovered (based on the aches I feel the next day). Finally, before bed, Randy and I did some sit ups. I managed to do 75 (in reps of 10). I know, pretty pathetic. But I felt like I was going to puke. Now I know how those B-list (who am I kidding, Z-list) folks on Celebrity Fit Club feel.

Another reason for this health food kick was what took place the rest of the weekend. Brownies and chicken wings Friday night – along with some competitive Uno playing (all games are competitive if Randy is involved). Saturday was a wine-tasting party (along wtih more brownies and chocolate chip cookies and pulled pork and chicken satay). Oh, and for breakfast Randy made me chocolate chip pancakes, homefries and sausage.

I’d bought a new pair of Levi 501’s the weekend before and they were the same size as my last pair: 33X32 (my Mom was there when I bought them and she commented that I looked more like a 34X32…ouch). But when I put them the jeans on for the firs time this weekend, they fit quite differently than my older, comfy pair. I’m hoping they’ll stretch out to it me the same over time.

And I hope the sit-ups will help because I sure as hell don’t have the motivation to join a gym.

March 12th, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 3 Comments

I’m back from Mexico for less than two weeks and I’m already planning my next trip. Like last summer, I want to return to Europe. The current plan (which has already change a gazillion times in my mind) flies Randy and me into London around Memorial Day weekend. We’ll stay with his friends for a few days then fly EasyJet (low cost European carrier) to “someplace else”. From “someplace else” we’ll fly to Paris for a few days and stay with my friend, Mark. Randy would fly home from there and I’d stick around for a few more days.

Now our problem is finding “someplace else.” Does anybody have suggestions? We’re thinking Prague, Budapest, Rome, Naples, Athens, Madrid, Barcelona, or Istanbul. Does anybody have suggestions/recommendations? I’ve never been to any of those places. I’m leaning towards Barcelona since I’ve heard Sitges is really fun (a Mediterranean version of Provincetown that’s not far south). But I’m open to the other places, too. I’m a huge urban planning fan so I don’t think any of those cities would dissapoint me.

HELP!

March 9th, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 9 Comments

It’s been a busy 48 hours. On Tuesday, I had my first dental cleaning in nearly a year (I had to cancel my scheduled one at the end of last year because of my trip to Japan). Despite that fact that the new dental hygienist was a bit sadistic with the scraper, I came out with no cavities.

Then yesterday I had jury duty….for the fifth time in my life. Five times! I must admit this ROYALLY pisses me off since I know people my age who have never had it. Hell, my mother didn’t have her first jury duty until she was 70 years old. Yet I can’t go three years without getting it. In fact, my name is so popular in their computer system for some reason that I’ve been assigned jury duty two additional times but was disqualified since I had served within the previous three years.

So, let’s count them….7 times in 17 years. That means I get called every 2.4 years, on average. This just doesn’t seem fair to me.

Anyway, here are the things I hate about jury duty in Boston.

• I live just a few blocks from two courthouses. So which court did I get assigned to? The one that’s over 30 minutes away in freaking Jamaica Plain, of course – practically the entire other side of the city. 
• When I got off the subway at Forest Hills (the very last stop) there were signs leading me to the courthouse. But once I got to the street, the last sign had bumper stickers all over the arrow indicating the direction of the courthouse. I took a guess…and I was wrong and ended up going a block in the wrong direction. Yesterday morning was 5 degrees with a wind chill below zero. Did I mention that the other courthouses were just a few blocks my house?
• I arrived prompty at 8AM (as was indicated on my summons) to find the courthouse locked and secure. The sign on the main door said “Court hours, 8:30 to 4:30”. Then why the hell have us come at 8:00AM? There was another side door that said jurors should appear at 8:00. Why not just say the building opens at 8:00AM then?
• The informational video they show jurors was produced in the 80’s or 90’s. Video…not DVD…video. And this video has evidently been playing for years because the visual and sound quality were very deteriorated. I mean, I know the court system isn’t overflowing with money….but it’s pretty cheap to burn DVD’s nowadays. They might want to consider it.
• The waiting. As I said, I’ve been on jury duty 5 times (and picked to a trial once). NEVER have they brought the jurors into a courtroom for impanelment before 11AM. Since that’s the case, why do they make us show up at such an ungodly hour of the day? Why not have us arrive at 9AM or 10AM? People’s biggest complain is the waiting…so why not make it so we wait less? A comfortable chair or two wouldn’t hurt, either.
• Finally – and this is my biggest wish…continue the process of making people eligible for jury duty every three years. That seems fair. However, if somebody has actually been a juror on an actual trial, take them off the list. They’ve done their civic duty. It’s no fair that the same people (ME) keep getting called back.

That said, I didn’t get picked for a trial yesterday. I came close, though. They stopped placing people in the jury stand (for a DUI case) at juror number 23. I was juror number 24.

Anyway, enough about that (I’m becoming such a misanthrope). I had a nice night with Randy and life is back to normal. Oh, and going back to my last blog posting about how I find San Francisco ugly – here are some photos of Randy’s trip last week that show what I’m talking about. I just don’t find it pretty. There are pretty things in San Francisco (city hall, Golden Gate Park, the painted ladies of Pacific Heights, Land’s End) but overall I have trouble finding any cohesive beauty or charm. Notice the telephone/bus wires in the first and last photos? Notice the sea of white buildings?

March 8th, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 2 Comments

This may come as no surprise to many of you but I can get worked up rather easily. Plant a seed in my head and my mind starts wandering immediately.

I alluded to this yesterday in my blog, but Randy and I were talking on the phone over the weekend about his current trip to San Francisco and our future trip to San Francisco in July. He mentioned that his friends out there kept asking him when he was going to move back (he lived in southern California as a grad student and in northern California after getting his Ph.D). Randy said he didn’t know – but didn’t rule out moving back someday. So, we started talking about all of the “what if’s.” What if we’re together in 5 years? What if he gets a job out there? What if, what if, what if.

Of course, that got me to wondering if I’d like to live there again. It’s been nearly 10 years since I lived there and that’s been more than enough time to dilute the negative memories and only retain the positive ones (a skill I seemed to have mastered throughout my life). So, I kept fantasizing/daydreaming about the idea of moving back and began weighing the pros and cons (Pro: moderate climate, change of scenery, and Cons: distance from family/friends, cost of living, I’ll never get better employee benefits than I have now).

Then there was this looming March cold front barreling through the northeast….single digits with windchills hovering around MINUS 20. That could sway almost anybody into wanting to move.

But I stayed at Randy’s last night. And this morning, while eating breakfast, I looked over the photos he took of San Francisco while he was out there last week. And it reminded me of one thing:

San Francisco is butt ugly.

There, I said it. I know I’m in the minority here since people always seem to leave their heart there…but the city itself is just flat-out ugly. The distant vistas are beautiful. Stand on a hill and look at the mountains of Marin County (a region north of the city) and it’s gorgeous. But the city itself – your immediate surroundings – are heinous. Randy had photos from various hills (and from his friend’s condo) and all you see is a sea of white buildings. The only sprouts of green are in the major parks. Otherwise, it’s literally a sea of concrete and stucco as far as the eye can see. Add in the telephone poles and electric bus wiring above the streets and you get one big unnattractive jumbled mess.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m dying to go back to visit. But those photos this morning should be enough to eliminate my relocation fantasy…at least for now. I mean, next winter is only 9 months away.

March 6th, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 3 Comments

Yawn. Overall I had a good (relaxing) weekend. I borrowed Randy’s car and went down to the Cape to visit my family. Our activities involved the same old – same old: conversation, food, card games, food, DVD, food, shopping, food, computer repair, food. We also ate a lot of food (as all senior citizens do, they dragged me out for dinner…at 4PM).

Randy returns from his San Francisco trip this evening, which will be nice – especially for him! He’s only been home 2 nights since the first week of February. Now that we’re back from Mexico (well, I’m back – he’s still traveling) we were chatting on the phone last night about where to go next. He has a conference in San Francisco in July – (which would mean a free hotel for me for a week…and I could easily entertain myself during the day since I used to live there). I wonder if Matt (who I was partnered with for nearly 10 years) would be willing to get together? I hope so – I’ve not seen him in 2 years.

Anyway, between now and July I’m also trying to plan another trip to Europe. I’m thinking late May/early June – flying into Paris for a week and then “someplace else”. I’m not sure where, though, Randy has friends in London – but I’ve already been there. I’d love to explore another country and since he knows people in Germany, too, maybe we could try that? Lots to discuss.

In fact, that’s too much to think about on a Monday morning. Instead, here is a meme I swiped from Mark (Manley One blog):

What’s your favorite game show to watch?

That’s an easy one…Match Game! Game shows are always more entertaining when the celebrity panel is drunk or stoned, don’t you think? Plus, the sexual innuendo on that show rivals the most risque programming on today – and this was nearly 35 years ago! It doesn’t hurt that I’ve met the host, Gene Rayburn (he used to summer down the street from me when I was a kid).

What game show would you like to be on?

Unfortunately, Match Game no longer exists (except I hear the author, Dennis Hensley, does an occasional version at bars in the Los Angeles area). I don’t watch many game shows anymore – but there’s this one that aired last week after American Idol…something like “So You Think You’re Smarter than a Fifth Grader?”. So far, I’ve known the answers to all of the questions so that could be an easy million dollars for me if I didn’t freeze on camera.

Do you know any one who has been on a game show?

In fact, I do! My own friend and co-worker, Mindy! (props to Mindy). She was on Jeopardy back in the 90’s.

What do you think the worst game show is?

HMMM – I don’t think I know enough of them. I miss the old-style Wheel of Fortune when, after you won, you’d view a revolving stage and choose prizes from that (versus just getting money as you do nowadays). But I guess the worst game show must be that new version of Press your Luck (No Whammies!). I loved the original in the 80’s, but this new-fangled one confuses the shit out of me.

Bob Barker, Howie Mandell, or Alex Trebeck?

Tough one. I’ve always found Howie Mandell kinda’ sexy so I’d prefer to watch him. But there’s something so mellow and cool about Bob Barker that I think I’ll have to go with him for my final answer. Plus, like Mark said in his blog, it’s fun that he can make fun of himself (like he did in Happy Gilmore).

March 5th, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 4 Comments

I’ve been tagged by Chris (of Chris-Says) to share stuff about myself. How unlike me to talk about myself!

Ahem – no comments from the peanut gallery.

Anyway, here you go: List 10 things you want to say to 10 people you know, but never will for whatever reason. Don’t say who they are. Use each person only once and only use one sentence.

1. I love you to death but as you’ve gotten older you’ve just become so OCD and cranky that you’re driving away those closest to you – at a time when you need them the most.
2. I regret how things transpired toward the end but we both know that it was for the best, despite the pain, and it just kills me to accept that we may actually never speak face-to-face again.
3. You should know that I have a history of screwing things up or self-sabotaging….so if you that start to happen – snap some sense into me!
4. Sometimes we end up in a pattern in our life that keeps us “safe”, but that safety doesn’t necessarily mean happiness, and it prevent us from actually living and experiencing everything the world has to offer.
5. I had such a crush on you!
6. If you’re that miserable with your job, then do something about it and stop bitching.
7. I’ll never know why somebody who suffered so much had to have their life taken so early without ever being able to feel joy….but rest assured that to this day I can’t think about you without tearing up and I get angry every time I’m reminded of how difficult your precious few years were.
8. Because I said so.
9. He’s cheated on you more than once.
10. You’ve proven to me that you can be very generous and caring, but until you’re capable of being that person all of the time instead of some of the time, I worry that you’ll never find the love of your life (which you deserve).

Four of these statements are the truth and one is a lie. Can you tell which is which?

• I’ve stolen money
• I’ve had sex with more than 3 people….at one time.
• I’ve cried over a television commercial
• I had my first sexual encounter at 11 years old
• I’m frightend by sunflowers

March 2nd, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 9 Comments

This country seems to becoming more and more of a joke. There were two articles in the Metro newspaper this morning that caught my attention:

1 – The City Manager (mayor) of Largo, Florida, has been in that position for 14 years. He must have been doing something right if he’s kept the job for that long, right? Well, last week he announced that he was going to procede with a sex change operation. Less than a week later the city council fired him because of that. Not because he stole money, not because he wasn’t representing his constituents, not because he was doing anything illegal. But solely because he was going to have a sex-change operation. In Massachusetts (and many other states) he’d be protected…in Florida, he can be fired. Makes me sick.

2 – There is apparently an existing law in North Dakota that forbids unmarried men and women from living together. I remember seeing something about this on the news a year or so ago when a woman was living with her boyfriend (and their children, mind you) and they were fighting to be able to live together (the whole town was against them). However, I think that case was in another state, and it was just a town that had such archaic laws. I was completely unaware that there was an entire state out there that forbids unmarried couples from living together. Ironically, this kind of helps the gay couples out there since it essentially encourages same-sex cohabitation – but I’m sure that wasn’t their goal. Anyway, if a man and woman live together unmarried in North Dakota, it’s considered a sex crime…punishable by law. Seriously!

Can you believe that? Fortunately, the state is seeking to change this.

And Romney thinks France is bad?

March 1st, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 1 Comment

I’ll be the first to admit that I know nothing about the economy and what makes things tick. And I know that, politically, I tend to be a bit biased.

But yesterday’s stock market activity sprouted countless articles and news reports that this could be an indicator of a potential recession. Potential recession? Like I said, I’m probably rather clueless…but based on what the media has reported for, say, oh….the past 7 years, we’ve been in a recession since the final few months of Clinton’s administration. And since 9/11, it seems that there are weekly reports about inflation or a housing crisis or employment levels or the economy or the deficit…and how there is barely any good news for any of these things.

And now we could be entering a recession? When did the last one end? Did I miss it?

Truth be told, the last (or current) recession never personally affected me. Hell, even the big one in the early 90’s (while I was working two jobs to get through college) never affected me. Maybe that’s why I didn’t notice that the last one ended?

Now as for politics…what the hell is up with Mitt Romney and his presidential campaign? First, he’s a bigger flip-flopper than Kerry ever was (at least Kerry’s “change of opinion” was based on him not knowing the facts when he approved the war in Iraq). Still, I can accept changing your mind – it’s a woman’s prerogative, after all.

But what’s up with his France-bashing? And what the hell does France have to do with his presidency here? I’ve been to France twice and had a lovely time. And France has been around a lot longer than the United States…so what, exactly, are they doing wrong? Sure, they had race/class riots a year and a half ago. But we’ve got our own issues, too (Katrina, any one?).

Now Romney’s campaign is considering bumper stickers that say “First, not France”. What the hell does that mean?

February 28th, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 2 Comments

The last few days in Mexico were rather subdued…at least for me. After the doctor told me to avoid the sun for the rest of the trip, my options were limited (and I was too prickly and itchy to want to do much anyway). On Friday I took the doctor’s advice and did nothing but lounge about the air-conditioned room. That night, Randy and Sandy went to dinner at some mountain top restaurant where Randy took the most magnificent sunset photo I may have ever seen:

On Saturday I defied doctor’s orders and went outside. In the morning, Randy and I kayaked on ther resort’s river (not the lazy river “pool” but more of a real river that connects actual ponds…and even has crocodiles. Then I sat poolside (in the shade, of course). I did manage to stand in the sun long enough to photograph them as they rode the lazy river in inner-tubes:

That night – our last night – we picked up food at a local restaurant and returned to the resort to eat it. Here is the final sunset photo of the trip – taken from our balcony (not as spectacular as the one above, but still pleasant):

On Sunday, we lounged (shade, of course) by the pool before heading to the airport to return home…and then reality set in. The storms that hit the midwest caused incredible delays and cancellations. At one point we were told that our connecting flight was canceled (from Chicago to Boston) and that the only other available flight to exit Puerto Vallarta would have been Tuesday afternoon!!! Fortunately, we were able to leave Mexico only an hour late. And even more fortunate, our flight from Chicago to Boston was delayed by an additional two hours allowing us to actually catch that flight and get home. Unfortunately, that also meant that I didn’t get home/to bed until nearly 4AM on Monday morning. Stupidly, I even returned to work on Monday – but didn’t blog.

Alas, here are the few remaining photos from the trip. It’s good to be home…and even good to see snow (believe it or not). That said, I’d still go back in a heartbeat!

This is Playa Los Muertos:

And this is Bucerias…note the unpaved roads. This is the main part of town, too! This is like a mini-artist colony located on the northern half of Banderas Bay. It’s predicted it will eventually become resort-like in the coming decades. I hope not.

Yep – this is totally posed (by Randy, I might add). But any other pose would have put us in too much shadow.

Dinner at Sandrina’s, in Bucerias. They apparently make killer cranberry margheritas. I only had a sip since I wasn’t supposed to drink alcohol…but Randy and Sandy loved theirs…ALL of theirs, I might add.

What’s a blog posting without a little porn? Here’s a nekkid Randy on our balcony (each balcony came with mini individual pools overlooking the ocean). I think he looks damn hot here, I must say (he looked even hotter in others but I couldn’t post those here).

This is the open-air flea market in Puerto Vallarta.

Finally, one last “nature” shot of the resort.

February 27th, 2007
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 6 Comments