Sunset

Tea for Two

I'm working on a book--actually two--where the characters have tea parties. They hang with their friends eating tea sandwiches and cookies and drinking lemonade or iced-tea...not this political tea-party crap.

I was so psyched about someday hosting my very own tea party (inspired by those books) until Jon pointed out that it might be misconstrued as a political statement.

Fuck that. I want crustless bread with cucumbers and scones and raspberry preserves!

Is This Passive Aggressive?

"I didn't think it was my tooth. I'm pretty sure I'd know if I lost one . . ."

From a book I'm working on--I want the editor to change it.

Morning Commute

I finally got to work earlier than I have been. It's odd--the streets are just a touch more crowded and my walk east along 42nd Street is a little cooler because the sun hasn't risen as high as it does when I'm a little later.

Around the Conde Nast building, I temporarily walked behind a man that smelled strongly like salami. When I passed him, I realized it just must be the way he smelled because he didn't have a sandwich in his hand or stick of hard salami.

What's also been weird is that there are a LOT of people selling New York Times (and maybe even the Post) along Sixth Avenue. The block with the Fox News building has at least 5 people every few feet with a New York Times. Why?

On the elevator television, I saw some chocolate chip cookies being advertised for Mother's Day. I want cookies.

At least today is Friday--but will I pay this weekend for only completing 25% of one of my three projects due Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week?

Oh, My!

I just roped my third proofreading project that's due next week. I am a little crazy--but it shall be done!

Oh Snap, Bacon Cake

My Sentiments Exactly

So true:


But in the meantime:


Anyone know a good screaming song?

*Illustrations from here: http://www.vintagechildrensbooksmykidloves.com/2010/04/open-house-for-butterflies.html

Sesame Street

Anyone know how they got the name Sesame Street? Sounds pretty delicious.

At 1:30, there was supposedly an e-book meeting. We all showed up with notepads in hand, but then the department's assistant shows up with champagne.

Everyone likes those kinds of meetings! *I'm a little buzzed myself...and it's about an hour later...Oh, Asian flush*

It was to celebrate one of our head production manager's ten-year anniversary. TEN! I want to be here for ten years and have to debate whether to get a slow cooker or a binocular with a camera in it. (Apparently for your five-year anniversary, you get to choose a CD-walkman. Nice!)

(Sidenote: Coconut has been here for eighteen years--since she's graduated college! She's been in my department since 2000 though.)

Anyway, one of the topics of conversation was Sesame Street. I've not watched the show in awhile, but apparently it's still as hip as ever.

Jason Mraz's I'm Yours is covered as Outdoors:



Norah Jones's Don't Know Why is Don't Know Y:



And OMG, Feist!



My favorite of all time though is:



Those pigs are crazy. I remember watching it when I was three and being so transfixed on these pigs. How cool are they?

and, though they're not Sesame Street, the Muppet's version of Kokomo:



and, She Drives Me Crazy:



What are your favorite Sesame Street/Muppets music numbers?

Monday. Coffee burn.

So it's 8:48 a.m. and I know I'm going to miss the 8:50 a.m. bus, and the next one I'll get is the 8:55 a.m. or 9:00 a.m. bus instead. I'm a little sad that I'll be late to work, but then I remember that my inbox is empty, so there's really no reason for me to be sad about waiting for something to show up in it.

I wait for the elevator, and the neighbors, who moved in a day before us (basically why we had to move in on a Tuesday instead of a Monday because only one apartment can move a day, and it couldn't be on a weekend) and who have a really fluffy cat that you think of when you see Fancy Feast commercials, come out and wait with me. I try organizing myself to run for the bus, and then the elevator comes. On the elevator is a man with a coffee.

We load ourselves into the elevator, and the man in the elevator says "Good morning" and I'd say is in a good mood, which I do not feel myself. So the man in elevator goes to press the button to close the doors (though whether it closes the doors faster at all is hard to say), and then his coffee slips out of his hand.

It splashes me: my feet, legs, and ballet flats. I see the doors closing on my floor and wonder if it's worth it to dry off and change shoes. I say "Ow" because, well, the coffee was pretty damn hot.

The man reacts quickly--asking if I'm okay. He whips out a navy-ish handkerchief (who carries that nowadays?) and pats my feet and legs dry as best as he can.

It's a little odd, but he doesn't linger so it's fine with me since the handkerchief and his patting was getting me dry. He asks if I'm okay again.

The neighbors say something stupid like "Happy Monday" or "What a way to start a Monday"--really? Well, I never liked them much anyway--just their cat. Meow.



The tops of my feet still feel a little burned (like a sun burn), but I'll survive. At least it was coffee and not something like orange juice. And unlike the illustration (creative license), the flats I'm wearing are the suede black flats, which look fine. I don't think I smell like coffee either.

Guess What!

Round 2

SAKAGURA presents
The Annual “OHANAMI” Sake Tasting Dinner Party 2010
Enjoy Over 50 Selections of Nihon-shu!!

Thank you very much for waiting, Sake Connoisseurs!
Monday, April 19th, 2010


Sakagura is very excited to announce the arrival of our anticipated Sake Tasting Event in 2010. The tasting event will feature over 50 selections include newly arrived sakes that are yet to be introduced in the New York market carefully chosen from sake masters and distributors who have been taking an active part in the “Nihon-shu” industry in the U.S. market.

It would take a life time consume all the different varieties of sake available, but we believe these selections will open up new regions of the palette for tasters.
Sakagura will be decorated with lots of fresh real cherry blossoms in the whole restaurant. We will serve Sakagura Executive Chef, Mr. Yasuhiro Honma’s special seasonal dishes on this event. Welcome you to join us and let us “KANPAI” under the amazing sakura trees!


*Please note that there will be a DINNER (SEATED) STYLE SAKE TASTING PARTY.
(WE DO NOT TAKE STAND-UP TASTING RESERVATION)

Schedule: Monday, April 19th

1st Round : 6:15 pm – 8:30 pm
2nd Round: 9:00 pm – 11:15 pm

Gobsmackingly

Working on a book that's been translated to American English from Australian.

Some ridiculous phrases:

reefed it
gobsmackingly
to be suss on
fringe
retired holidaymakers
in his swag

What I've never really understood about this, especially when the narrator is not American, is why do we Americanize the British/Australian phrases/slang? Besides changing their obviously wrong spellings and grammar, why do bother? Any thoughts?

Get Psyched!

ALDEA WELCOMES CHEF SAM MASON ON SUNDAY, APRIL 18TH

Chef Sam Mason of the hit show "Dinner with the Band" on IFC will be taking over the kitchen of Aldea for a GREATEST HITS night! An hour of canapes by our own Chef George Mendes, followed by a 4 course meal by legendary chef Mason. Look for some of your old favorites from Tailor, as well as some new from hosting chef George Mendes. Seating is limited, so please, call the restaurant for reservations.

Doors open at 6 pm for an hour of canapes and cocktails, dinner service featuring wines from Portugal at 7 pm. We look forward to seeing you!

Aldea

31 west 17th ny ny 10011

212.675.7223 for reservations

www.aldearestaurant.com

2:46 PM Jonathan: so

like the second that email hit

their phones were like busy for 10 minutes straight

so I kept calling and got a reservation

7 minutes

2:54 PM me: cool

we're going?

2:55 PM good job!

Poetry Month

Spring

To what purpose, April, do you return again?
Beauty is not enough.
You can no longer quiet me with the redness
Of little leaves opening stickily
I know what I know.
The sun is hot on my neck as I observe
The spikes of the crocus.
The smell of the earth is good.
It is apparent that there is no death
But what does that signify?
Not only under the ground are the brains of men
Eaten by maggots.
Life in itself
Is nothing,
An empty cup, a flight of uncarpeted stairs.
It is not enough that yearly, down this hill,
April
Comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.

Edna St. Vincent Millay

Magic Stick

I got the magic stick
I know if I can hit once,
I can hit twice
I hit the baddest chicks
Shorty don't believe me,
then come with me tonight
And I'll show you maaagic
(What? What?)
Maaagic I got the magic stick

I'm working on two books (different formats, but the same story) with a character that has a magic stick. And it's literally called a "magic stick." So I can't get this 50 Cent song out of my head. Whenever I think about either title, it's this song.

I used to have the Lady Gaga Love Game song in my head, since that stick was a more recent development:

Let's have some fun,
This beat is sick
I wanna take a ride on your disco stick

I'm just waiting for a character that has a disco stick--or a magic disco stick mash-up.

*I think my magic stick is better than my disco stick. Disco itself is a little hokey anyway, but why does it look like a 5-year-old drew it? Annoying.

Twenty-seven

The other day, I entered a contest to try to win a book about Texas to give to my friend who will be moving there soon. I never win contests, but in the comments section I wrote that I wanted to give the book to my friend who I've known for almost twenty years. I've known him since 2nd grade, so I'd say that about makes sense. Does it make you dizzy to know that 20 years ago was the beginning of the 90s?

My friends hate when I point out how old we're getting, so I won't expand on the topic anymore right now...Jane Austen will (from Sense and Sensibility):

"Perhaps," said Elinor, "thirty-five and seventeen had better not have any thing to do with matrimony together. But if there should by any chance happen to be a woman who is single at seven and twenty, I should not think Colonel Brandon's being thirty-five any objection to his marrying HER."

"A woman of seven and twenty," said Marianne, after pausing a moment, "can never hope to feel or inspire affection again, and if her home be uncomfortable, or her fortune small, I can suppose that she might bring herself to submit to the offices of a nurse, for the sake of the provision and security of a wife. In his marrying such a woman therefore there would be nothing unsuitable. It would be a compact of convenience, and the world would be satisfied. In my eyes it would be no marriage at all, but that would be nothing. To me it would seem only a commercial exchange, in which each wished to be benefited at the expense of the other."

"It would be impossible, I know," replied Elinor, "to convince you that a woman of seven and twenty could feel for a man of thirty-five anything near enough to love, to make him a desirable companion to her."

Easter Saturday 2010

After the best Good Friday dinner that I could recall, I set off to make rainbow cookies. Not that I had any desire to, but my mom suggested that I make them for when we celebrated Easter on Saturday. So around 9pm I went to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods and got some groceries.

Whole Foods sells canned almond paste for about $9. I think I could've gotten two nice-size boxes of rainbow cookies from Wegman's (if I knew where there was one in the area besides in Virginia) instead:



Other ingredients:



All mixed together:



I was too lazy to move the batter into a different bowl and clean the mixer's bowl to then use to beat the egg whites, so I carefully held up a metal mixing bowl to the whisk while the mixer worked its magic. Probably dangerous, but it was nearly midnight at this point.



White layer:



Pink and green layers:



Ultimate product: (I guess I could've made an effort to take a nicer photo, but look it's rainbow-y.)



I don't think I'll be making these again or using this recipe. I'd rather make pignoli nut cookies, and I know my family enjoys those even more...pignoli nut cookies or brownies for next year!

My aunt's Jell-O layers were a bigger hit--and much easier to make:



I egged and cornstarched these guys:



I didn't have a chance to eat them that night though, but I brought some home to eat tonight along with some homemade cream corn. The mayo sauce was served on the side (for mayo shrimp).

What I ate instead on Saturday Easter dinner was: lamb, roast beef, ham, baby bok choy, and garlic mashed potatoes...not to mention the appetizers: stuffed mushrooms, hard salami slices, carrots/celery and dip, and cheese/bacon bites.

Easter Sunday was another day of eating, but of a different nature.

Good Friday

Dessert at Matsugen was perfect.

My prix-fixe meal was perfect.

Jon's meal was perfect.

It was such a good Good Friday...except for that I didn't know that there was chicken in my soba, and it was Good Friday, so I really should've not been eating meat...but misunderstanding of the menu aside and putting my soul in jeopardy, it was a really, really good meal.

I want to go back and eat more soba and vanilla pudding tonight.

iPad

Morning commute:

The bus is more or less empty and of course he joins me. He has an iPad, and he is actually reading a book on it.

I think he is passively trying to show off. He just flipped it horizontally so instead of a one-page view it is a spread. The screen is bright, which is nice.

About ten minutes later he gets bored of it, and he's napping, but its still on his lap. The iPad looks a bit big, cumbersome. Like carrying around a portfolio. Not my cup of tea. I like that I can have my reading materials on my phone in my palm instead.

When we get off the bus, of course, since he hasn't packed it up, it takes him extra time to get up and file out--and I have no choice but to wait for him.

Happy Easter!

Chicken Potter

Chick MD

There Will Be Eggs

Waffle Cabin

The best thing at Killington:

Imagine a photo of a waffle here...and hot apple cider!

Jon Waffle:


Christina Waffle:


(And the waffle actually still needed some more vanilla and maybe a touch of salt.)