Pins and needles

When Loma Prieta (This would be the earthquake that occurred during the World Series in 1989 for those of you from outside of Northern California.) happened, I lived in San Diego. When the Rodney King verdict came down, I was living in Virginia. Of course a month after the Rodney King verdict, I returned to California -- specifically Los Angeles -- to work for the summer. And the damage I saw made me want to cry. How could my people destroy our communities to this extent? I mean I understood the root of their anger and frustration -- things that the mainstream had failed to recognize, to understand. And it was to the detriment of all of us. I looked at burned out of streets of Los Angeles and my heart broke.

Fast forward. Oscar Grant got onto a BART train in San Francisco in the early morning hours of New Year's Day in 2008 heading back to Oakland. Something went down on the train and he ended up on his belly on the platform of the Fruitvale station. And then the officer, Johannes Mehserle, decided that he was out of control and shot him in his back. The officer says that he was reaching for his taser. But after a month or so, I watched the video that had been posted to YouTube and had shown up on local news casts. It showed a man whose hands had been cuffed behind his back, lying on his stomach on the pavement. A BART police officer stood near his head and another by his feet. And that one by his feet? Johannes Mehserle. He pulled out what he says what he believed to be his taser and shot Oscar Grant in his back. And we never heard an apology from him until during his trial in these past few weeks.

I watched the video because I wanted to understand why people in my city were in the streets after what was supposed to be a peace rally busy breaking windows and burning cars. The last time I saw people in the streets like this was when the Raiders lost to New England in their quest to go to the Super Bowl. And I thought, "It's a football game. How ridiculous." Because my last memory of living in California and seeing that kind of anger was when Dan White's verdict came down. That one -- the birth of the Twinkie defense -- still baffles me. But I remember sitting at home while watching cars burn in San Francisco. And understanding the anger and violence while not condoning it.

And so the last I have heard is that the Mehserle case has been handed over to the jury. I have read about how the city as well as nearby communities and BART are preparing for the verdict. I am too. Coworkers asked what I would be doing this weekend. Staying in. I am afraid of what people who are stressed about the economy would do in light of a verdict with which they don't agree. I mean I've already seen what happens when we lose a football game. But then I've also seen through Loma Prieta of the good that exists in people. I will never forget the image of people who lived along the Cypress -- that no longer exists -- going in to rescue people long before the emergency teams showed up. Because that's what I like to believe. Our first instinct in these kind of situations is to take care of one another. And yes, I realize these are completely different kinds of situations but I want to believe in the good in others. In the meantime, I am ashamed to admit that I am happy that as of today, my complex is completely gated. No one gets in unless they have the code, a key, or have been buzzed in. Part of me thinks that this is so elitist but the other part of me feels like as a single woman a bit of relief.

Like Kermit

I have invited some friends to join me this weekend for some grilled foods in celebration of aging another year. Now usually I run out to the party supply store to buy color-coordinated napkins, paper plates and plastic utensils. But I got to thinking. That's just now very environmentally friendly.

That meant that I have been spending a good portion of my lunch hour throughout this week exploring other options. I found the plates at Target. They are plastic and dishwasher safe. Plus they are my favorite color. Four plates for $1.99. The flatware came from my stepmother's favorite place -- The 99 Cent Store. Six forks or six knives for 99 cents. I know. Ridiculous. Next is a search for cloth napkins. And maybe some glass plates. I love the plastic because I won't have to worry about little people but sometimes you want something a little fancier.

It's kind of strange. This year I feel like I'm in a really good place. It's like I care but I don't care if people acknowledge my birthday. I know it will be wonderful even if I were to spend it all completely on my own. And so for me, that's being in a good place.

Single ladies

Every now and then Emerald's husband packs the kids up to go see his parents. Such is the case currently. As a result, I received a call from Emerald on Wednesday asking if I wanted to check out a new restaurant, Miliki, in the Laurel District. (Note to self -- Must write a post in the future about the various neighborhoods in Oakland.)

What little you can find about Miliki tells you that they are West African. But then I spied one word in their description -- Lagos. This told me that we were in store for traditional Nigerian food. I love the food of East Africa -- like Ethiopia -- and want to marry the food of Northern Africa but my knowledge of West African food has been limited to what my cousin's husband has prepared for the family. (He's Nigerian.)

Unfortunately -- or fortunately -- the place was packed and we were asked to share a table. Our tablemates being Nigerian were able to help us navigate the menu.

The standard dinner consists of a soup/stew accompanied by a dough. Our tablemates told us that some of the stews were an acquired taste so I went with one of the ones they said was not so.


Egusi is a mixture of tomatoes, pepper, spices, melon and vegetables with meat. The meat in this case was a mixture of chicken and various beef products. I told them that they could leave the tripe out as I have never been a fan of the stuff. There was a taste that I could not distinguish that just seemed off to me. Perhaps it was a result of the melon as the menu stated that it could be optional.


Then there was the Iyan -- pounded yam also known as fufu. Emerald and I decided that it needed to be bland to combat the spiciness of the other food.

Now before you start believing that the food was unacceptable to the Western palate, let me share Emerald's menu choices.

She saw Moin Moin listed and was deeply fascinated. It is a mixture of steamed ground beans, tomato, onion and red pepper. It looked like the fufu -- except color - but had so much flavor.


She also ordered the Pepper Soup with goat meat. Upon tasting it, I thought that I was on my way to heaven. If and when I return, I will be ordering this dish.

And I'll try to do so in another month or so -- once they have gotten past tonight's grand opening. Because tonight the service was way below par. Since it was their grand opening, I'll cut them some slack.

Missing is a photo of the wonderful drummers who were there for entertainment. I thought too late of snapping a photo and so missed the opportunity.

But tonight reminded me that the Laurel District is only a five to ten minute drive away. It's like the perfect meld of Berkeley and Oakland. And I absolutely love it.


And as I parked my car, I also remembered my realtor's statement in convincing me to buy my condo -- You only have to plan to stay there for five years or so. Because yes, this house is for sale.Way out of my price range now but in four years? I might just have to check out the open house on Sunday. Because right now I'm all about building my dreams.

One year

Yesterday started out kind of crappy. On my drive into work, it suddenly hit me that yesterday marked one year since my aunt had her stroke. My cousin and I say that that's when she died but she stayed on life support for two days so tomorrow is technically the anniversary of her death. Yesterday was also the one year anniversary of the day I signed the closing papers for my condo.

I walked into work sure that it was going to be a crappy day. Then my boss called me into his office. My first thought was, "What have I fucked up now?" Not that I regularly fuck things up. Yes, I occasionally make mistakes -- that become huge fuck-ups in my head. Because no one is harder on me than myself. But my boss was calling me in to give me my review and to tell me about my bonus check. Yeah, we still get those around here. Not as lavish as in past years but a check nonetheless. And my boss told me that he wished it could have been more. And that while they don't say it every day, they appreciate my efforts.

So now I am starting to think that this is what each passing year will be -- a mixture of really crappy with really good. I am determined to try to remember the happy instead of the sad. That's what my aunt would want.

The obvious is getting my condo. Truth be told, this is not the end of the road as far as home for me though. I dream of moving in another five years or so. I still want a yard. And another bedroom. But buying the condo has taught me that things that I once thought to be impossible just might be possible.

I have a job at which for the first time in a really long time I am appreciated. I spent years at jobs at which I felt emotionally beat up on a daily basis. This has been a refreshing change. I don't know if I could have survived the past couple of years in other working environments. When I had those days in which I just couldn't get out of bed due to the depression and called in sick, I was told to take care of myself so that I could come back the person they had first gotten to know. I am eternally grateful for having understanding employers during the last couple of years of crazy. In the fall I will hit my three-year anniversary at this employer. I have never worked in any one place for more than three years but I know that I have no intention of leaving here any time soon. I guess this is another example of how I am kind of giving up my wandering, non-committing ways.

I like to think that I am finally learning how to truly take care of myself. I have spent the past year disengaging from dynamics that I just didn't feel were healthy for me. The hardest part is when others don't get it and try to get me to change my mind. "You only have one mother..." Yes, I do but that doesn't mean that she has to be an active part of my everyday life -- especially since she has repeatedly shown no respect for the boundaries that I have tried to set.

It's strange, to me at least. For the first time in years I feel truly happy. I guess that this is what has made the crappy moments bearable -- the knowing that I have come out the other side a better me.

Making lists

It seems strange but in no time at all it will be the one year anniversary of my moving into my home. I guess it seems strange because there are still a few boxes scattered around -- much to Fluffycat's surprise -- and I have hung absolutely nothing on the walls. As the days have been lengthening, I am finding renewed energy to deal with the last of the boxes. The walls may take a bit longer since I have definite ideas of what I would like to hang. Thing is that not all of these pieces are currently in my possession. One day. Such a cyclical thing. Spring approaches and suddenly I want everything in place.

There hasn't been much going on around here foodwise because let's face it. Food for the goal of weight loss has overall been rather boring. When it isn't boring, it's repetitive -- which I guess can be boring in its own way. So I spend loads of time thinking of things other meals these days.

Like my tiny garden. The first batch of lemons on the dwarf Meyer were about a half inch in length. I kid you not. This next batch is more like two inches are so. Makes me wonder what the next ones that are starting off now will be like. Things are pretty full out on the deck these days but I still toy with getting another dwarf tree. Or perhaps roses. And I have found myself going over the list at Richter's to see if there is anything I may want to order what I will order for delivery in April. (The tree is from Four Winds.)

I have also been pulling out old reference books and notebooks with hopes to getting back into the full swing of things. Funny but as I become more settled, the more I feel the need to return to my spiritual beliefs and rituals. Which of course will lead to all kinds of craft projects as well.

Basically I guess I'm telling y'all that I'm still here. I'm just organizing and doing some minor regrouping so that by Spring I will definitely be on the path of creating more stuff.

Quick change artist

I am still doing well with the watching of calories -- too well actually. And so tonight I was inspired by two things. First there was my discussion with my friend, Sista Locks, last night. She pointed out that diet is an evil word; this is all about a change in lifestyle. And since this is something that needs to be sustainable, it means not denying one's self of certain foods. Secondly I chose today to leaf through the cooking magazines that had shown up over the last week. And then I plugged in the foods I planned to eat throughout the day along with the things that I would do to burn calories and found that my net calories were going to be somewhere around 800. Not really all that good. So I decided that I needed a treat -- Shrimp-Stuffed Peppers.

Now the peppers needed to be roasted and the recipe said to do so in a cast iron skillet. Ummm. Yeah. Don't own one of those. But I have my snazzy stove that I bought last year.

Before


After

Who needs a cast iron skillet?

And yeah, the peppers were tasty. Except next time I think I'll use more cheese. Cheese is like bacon. It just makes a multitude of things better. But now I must go. because I'm still short on calories for today. What next?

Braving the weather

Now I know that some of y'all in colder climates are saying to yourselves, "Weather? Those Californians are such wimps." Yes, we are. We like our temperate climate. But this is an El Nino year so I see lots of rain and cold in our immediate future. And lots of whining as a result. We are petulant privileged children. (Say that fast three times. I double dog dare you.)


But Friday evening was the start of Hanukkah. And me? I am down with any religious holiday that involves food. (Note to self -- Must research Hindu and Buddhist traditions for ones that involve food as well as I am only versed in the Christian, Jewish and Islamic ones.) So Friday I headed out into the awful rain to Berkeley. Saul's had a latke tent for the weekend. I cannot even begin to describe my love of latkes. OK. It is not as great as my love of blintzes but still.


This weekend was more about this inspiration though. When Maddie and Boy Toy were out here in August, we hit a couple of wineries and I joined their wine clubs. Imagine my surprise at the beginning of November when instead of my usual two bottles, I received this beauty. Yes, it is a magnum. And yes, in this photo it is completely empty. How? Well, I sent out an Evite and cooked up some food.


There was my usual goat cheese with fig and walnut tapenade to start the evening. The main was a salad, bread, moussaka and spinach lasagna (pictured). There were children running around laughing and playing. Adults were busy catching up on one another's lives. Jade said that she had watched Julie and Julia earlier in the day and it made her think of me. For me, it felt like home.


I awoke this morning a bit fuzzy around the edges. And then it hit me. They had eaten everything. There was no food left save the baklava even though they had put a pretty healthy dent in it as well. The remainder will be going to work with me tomorrow as I am sticking true to my weight loss goal. Because -- squeeee! -- I had lost another pound when I got on the scale this morning. I now weigh less than I did back in July. This is real and I can do it. And the fact that I'm doing it during the holiday season and at a time that I am vulnerable to using food as a crutch proves to me that I can do this anytime.

Today I also did a kind of hard thing. I went to meet my mother to go to the movies. I realized on the way there that I have not seen a movie in a theater in over two years. Scary. Five years ago I used to see at least 75 or so movies per year in a theater. With my DVD viewing, I easily watched 200 movies a year. I miss it. Maybe if and when I get my bonus check in January (Yes, my company is still giving those out.), I will rejoin the San Francisco Film Society. Because I do need to take my non-flabby self out to places and all.

I totally survived going to the movies with my mom. While she enjoyed Invictus, she did not like it as much as Blind Side. Me? I would have liked it more if she had not been reciting the poem throughout the movie but I knew it would happen. But how can you not love this?

"I am the master of my fate.
I am the captain of my soul."

It tied in beautifully with watching "Dollhouse" Friday night. Here's where I would put in the warning about plot spoilers and all but I suspect that at this point, I'm the only one watching. Echo met up with a previous engagement -- a guy who wanted her to be his dead wife. The guy had finally moved on in his life and was engaged but when he saw Echo, everything came back for him.

"I thought I was past this."

"You never get past it. It becomes a part of who you are."

So true. And me now? It's all about having a home that I can open up to others. And on days in which there is not a Save the Air warning, a fire in the fireplace. By the way, the screen came from my aunt's house. And so a little bit of her will always be with me. Because sometimes we need to see it. But I know that I carry a little bit of the four women I have lost in these last 15 months or so in me. I would not be who I am today if not for them. And I will never forget this. They taught me to cook, to set a pretty table, to be a gracious hostess, to find joy in being around other people's children. They also taught me that bad things happen but we are survivors and so we move on. It is how we react and not these things themselves that define who we are.


And Flufficat, Boris and Natasha would like to thank Teddy and Kiki for their Hanukkah gifts. As you can see, the blue fluffy thing was big hit. Of course after one hour, it no longer exists. Because my cats are all gangsta like that.

Luxury

That's what I consider having four days in a row in which I am free to do whatever I please. Now if I can just make it through to Christmas since that will be my next long weekend.

The focus of Thursday was sleep. Lots of sleep. I think with all my naps that I probably slept about a total of 12 hours. Now you may have forgotten but I'm used to getting four to six hours of sleep a night. 12 hours? Just plain crazy.

Friday was about getting out of the house -- on my terms. After I left the zoo, I heard from my mother. She asked, "You had to pay to get into the zoo?" Yeah. Whatever.

Saturday I knew that I would be heading out with Fluffycat. Strange thing is that I awoke in the morning with lots of energy. So much energy that I finally got around to sorting through the boxes of children's books that I have -- still. Hopefully for not longer. And I discovered stuff mixed in the boxes that went straight to the trash. Two boxes full of trash. It felt great.

So great that on Sunday, I decided to conquer more of the crap. Because yes, I moved in April and there are still boxes that I have not unpacked. Nor is there a single thing hanging on the wall. But I don't feel bad about it. Every month when I make the mortgage payment, I know that it is mine.

OK. So maybe the real reason for some of the organizing on Sunday was because I had also done three loads of laundry over the weekend and I thought it might be nice for the first time in months to actually put the stuff away. Because for months, I have been folding the stuff and leaving it in the basket. Until it's empty. Then I start the whole process again. So the laundry is put away and I can walk through my closet without having to worry about tripping over anything.


When I created this blog, I said there would be food and crafts. There's been plenty of food but really no crafts. This weekend I started three knitting projects. (Actually in the last couple of weeks I have completed the good portion of a fourth project as well.) So I present the above to you as proof that there is actually some crafting going on around here.

And the great thing about Sunday is that I told my mother that I could not come to take her to the mall. She needed to return something that she had bought on Saturday. And no, I did not take her to the mall on Saturday; one of her neighbors did. I said no because there were things that I had to take care of for myself, things that no one else was going to do -- like cleaning and knitting. I also figured why ruin a perfectly good weekend. And although she found another way to the mall, I am sure that this is all being recorded on the bad daughter list to be enumerated to me at a later date. Really don't give a flying fuck anymore.

Done with people telling me that if I love them, I will do fill-in-the-blank. Done with the people telling me that I am responsible for someone else's happiness. Tired of being angry because some people just are not reliable. My bad on that one. They are who they are. As such, I'm done with asking them to be there. I am done with the people who only pick up the phone when they need something -- except for coworkers as long as it is work-related. And I really don't care if that doesn't leave a lot of people because I'll just start all over again. This time I'll do it better though.

And so that's what happens when I have the luxury of time for me.

Taking notes

If you know me well, then you know I love to process stuff. It's just how I work. I hear something, then do some research if necessary, and let it all marinate. Sometimes this is done in a matter of minutes. Other times it can take longer.

I have been reading Dr. Biggles and Chilebrown for quite some time. Problem was that at my apartment, I didn't have any outdoor space -- unless you wanted to count behind the building by the dumpster. Me? I just thought that was disgusting.

In my new home, I do have outdoor space though. (It was one of the must-have's I told my realtor. The list was (1) nice kitchen, (2) outdoor space, (3) hardwood floors, and (4) bathroom with decent tub.) And last week, I finally got a grill -- a real grill in my opinion. Couple that with the fact that my dad has been dumping all of his past bulk shopping on me including a package of baby back ribs and an idea started to form.

I decided that I would give the indirect method a try. When I mentioned this to Uncle Crickity Crack, he mentioned throwing in some wood. And suddenly I could see him sitting around with Biggles and Chilebrown. They'd be discussing grilling techniques while sipping on some nice cold Buds. While I did pick up some wood chips, I decided to wait until the next time to try them out. Baby steps.

Saturday I got the ribs out and applied the rub to the ribs. (And Miss Ginger, you will find the sauce recipe here as well.) Because I have always felt that it's all about the seasoning. Because well-seasoned, well-cooked meat doesn't need sauce.

The ribs just before coming off the grill so that I could start the next batch...


with sauce applied...


and ready to serve.

Now this was a lot of food, especially after I added side dishes. Because y'all know I have some Southern tendencies. So there were deviled eggs to start off with. And mac and cheese, baked beans, potato salad, grilled corn, grilled asparagus, and grilled artichokes. And if you needed something to dip the veggies in, I whipped up an aioli.

So yeah, I asked folks over to join me and was graced with the presence of Zombie Mom, the Commander, Sister Locks, and a woman I met though Zombie Mom, Filmmaker. Even after I insisted that they take plates home, there is still plenty left. Who wants dinner?

Sitting pretty

Earlier this week, Zoomie asked folks what they had on their tables. Easy question for me to answer -- a bowl and plate I retrieved from my aunt's house right before I moved. Some days it contains fruit or veggies. Today it holds nothing.


I could have posted this earlier in the week but the thing is that I got to thinking. Once I had selected the light fixture for my dining area, I had decided that my table and chairs would not do. I have spent months looking for a set that I loved. A few weeks ago I found this. I just couldn't get myself motivated to go to the store. But Wednesday I bit the bullet and this morning it all showed up.

And finally I could take the photo of what sits upon my table.

Old favorite

As I slowly phase back into cooking, I figure it's best to stick to tried and true recipes. Especially since I'm getting used to the new kitchen. Don't even ask me about the convection feature on the oven as I have yet to try it out.

So yes, last night after assembling the kitty litter lounges, I forced myself into the kitchen. To be quite honest, if the chicken had not been in the fridge marinating overnight, I probably would have skipped the cooking thing last night. But the chicken had to be cooked. And the consolation was that it actually only involves 15 minutes of cooking with 45 minutes of covered simmering. And the only chopping was the onion. (Silly me forgot to buy yellow onions this weekend so I used the lone red onion in the fridge instead.) Oh, and crushing the cashews. So not that much "hard labor" involved.

I always make this with the meat on the bones since bones add lots of flavor. Toward the end of the simmering, I slowly remove the meat from the bones. Because when I eat, I don't like to have to deal with the bones.

Another one of my weird things. I don't really like rice that much. Except brown rice. So that's what I made to go with the butter chicken. The sag paneer is leftover from Indian takeout I had for lunch earlier in the week.

Non-food related -- Today I ordered my new iPhone. Thanks, Fluffycat for the heads up. I guess this now makes me a member of "I am Apple's whore."

Everyone wins

During the moving process, I was frequently asked, "What new thing will the cats be receiving?" Ummm. Nothing? Except for the pleasure of continuing to live with me?


That was before I had to start sharing bathroom facilities with Boris and Natasha. One gets tired of looking at litter boxes. And Boris is always looking for new perches.

OK. It really started with an idea that Fluffycat planted in my head. While she was hanging out with me on moving day, she mentioned something about litter box things that look like furniture.


After a recent search on the website of one of my favorite stores, I found these babies. There's even a hook inside for the scoop. I like to think they're a great improvement. The cats haven't weighed in with their opinion yet but I'm sure they'll love them. And if they don't? They'd better get used to them because they're not leaving.

Caffeine-free life

Last week was all about the power of caffeine as my allergies kicked in. Now I don't have the "normal" allergy thing. No. When mine rear their ugly head, folks start thinking I have mono or some yet to be discovered strain of the flu. But I knew it was the allergies because I didn't have a fever and I was achy. I was just congested and coughing and really tired. Of course it could have been the long days at work as well. And the way it's looking, the long days at work will be continuing for at least another month. But hey. At least I still have a job. Unlike the receptionist who was laid off last Friday. And this week I'm trying to lay off the caffeine.

I have managed to do some things other than work though. Like Saturday. The furnace guy showed up in the morning to take care of some other stuff for me. All for the cost of $21. I guess a smile goes a long way. Or maybe it was hearing for hours on end about all the problems in his life. I can be a good listener if there is a discount involved. So he was hard at work and I started feeling a little guilty. Somehow, as a result, I managed to unpack almost all of the boxes that were inside my condo. Know what that means? I could finally move more boxes in from the garage. I'm hoping to start on those boxes tomorrow. But the box moving was later in the day.

After the furnace guy left, I headed into San Francisco. There was this huge furniture warehouse sale going on and I was hoping to snag a new dining set. No luck there but I found some great wool rugs for the bedroom.


Boris would like it if you could ignore his pear shape.

Like I said, I'm keeping things simple food-wise around here as shown by Sunday's dinner.


Lamb chop, peas and baked potato.

Oh, and I guess I should share one of those things that Zombie Mom already knows. Notice all that blank space on the plate? If you don't see blank space in the photo, then I'm probably eating off of my usual salad plate -- something I've been doing for too many years to count. If it's a full dinner plate? Then I definitely did not eat it all in one sitting. Depending on what it is, it would take me 2-3 meals, or grazing over a period of 4-5 hours, to complete an entire dinner plate full of food.

Monday night I had no peas left so I decided to start with a salad. And since I had some cooked shrimp, I decided why not a Louis. Tonight I made the Louis my whole meal -- larger portion -- because I had to eat the shrimp before they went bad.


And finally, I leave you with this.


I picked this up on Friday and tonight I wrote my first blog post from it. (I spent a few days installing software and copying files. Didn't want to use it until everything was in place.) I love my new toy. Mostly because I can recline on the sofa while being online. I have dreamed of this moment. And today I ordered a snazzy bag to carry it in. And I think I'm done with intentionally trying to help the economy for a bit. Unless there is a Kate Spade sample sale this month.

Finding my bearings

Well, I'm happy to say that I have a new furnace and so will have working heat for the winter. Which is due around August or so. (Sorry. Couldn't resist.) Boris is adjusting to the fact that he can no longer sit atop the upper cabinets in the kitchen. Natasha has discovered that she actually enjoys canned food other than Pet Promise chicken and rice. She should. The stuff they've been getting lately costs more. But I love shopping at Pet Food Express.

I miss Berkeley Bowl and Andronico's immensely. I know. They're not that far away but I just don't see the sense in driving that far for groceries unless I absolutely have to. Especially now that I know that I can get all my favorite cheeses at Farmer Joe's.

Last night there was no leftover fish for dinner as I ate it at lunchtime when I came home to let the guys in to install the new furnace. (Have I mentioned the fact that I love that I can now come home at lunchtime if I so desire?) So that left me with the question of, "What's for dinner?"

I've been keeping things pretty simple around here these days. Time spent in the kitchen making elaborate meals is now spent unpacking the endless stash of boxes. Plus perhaps I am saving up my energy for later this month. Bottom line about making dinner choices is simplicity and not having to travel too far. The fact that it's pretty busy at work also adds to the equation. Today I arrived at work around 7:30 this morning and didn't leave until 6:00 this evening.

Every night on my way home I pass by Galvan's. Last night I decided to take the plunge. After perusing the cases, I decided on the NY strip steak -- one of my favorite cuts. It was the best steak ever. (Many thanks to Zoomie for inspiring me to buy a grill pan and to discover the joy of herbed goat cheese atop a steak.) Needless to say, Galvan's will now be a regular stop. Next on the list is to check out the farmers' market in downtown. If I can find parking because the parking situation during the market is worse than Berkeley Bowl on a Saturday afternoon.

Motivated

What does it take for y'all to get motivated? When it comes to career stuff, I have to get angry. Tears streaming down my face angry. Household chores? All I need to know is that folks will be heading over.

I have a little under three weeks until folks will descend upon my new place for my housewarming/birthday party. Think this would motivate me to do some more unpacking? Hell no. I still have at least two more weeks to deal with that crap. But tomorrow the HVAC guy is showing up to replace my furnace. (Thank you Obama for making this possible.) The furnace is reached via my bedroom closet. This would be the 8' by 10' walk-in that my mother proclaimed to be a room except that it can't be called one since it doesn't have a window. One can hide a lot of crap in that kind of space. But I thought that perhaps the guy should have a clear path and so I finally got motivated to deal with the closet.

Stashed in the closet was my luggage from my recent trip to NYC. It was mostly unpacked though. It was just those items that really belong elsewhere.


Months ago I picked up this piece of furniture from my aunt's house. The question has always been what to put into it. As I started the unpacking, it came to me. I have been a tea drinker since age 9 or so. As such over the years I have collected a number of teapots. And I realized that I just didn't have the cabinet space for all of my teapots. But they didn't actually make it into the cabinet until after my trip. When I picked up a new teapot at Pearl River. As you can see, there is still room for more.


And I was in need of nourishment after all that unpacking. I thought about dining on takeout but then I remembered that cod filet that needed to be cooked. In a beer batter. Always Newcastle Ale. And instead of fries I went with onion rings. It will be dinner tomorrow night as well. Because a single cod filet? Huge.

Multiplication

I have thought about writing about a lot of things this week. But everything I thought was the result of anger from several emotional triggers going off simultaneously. So I decided against it. Because when I'm angry? I can be cruel.

Instead I leave you with this.


Tuesday morning as I was heading out to work, I saw this. All I could think was, "They just cleaned the pool yesterday. Please don't get in."


Yesterday morning he had company.

I worry about what I'll see this morning.

Still here

Sort of. Let's see if I can remember the highlights.

I have to be officially out of my old apartment by the end of this week. The last week has been filled with getting the rest of my stuff out of there and cleaning. At least half of the remaining stuff went to the dumpster or curbside donations. I'm still at it.

In between I was doing some knitting. Unfortunately it is now on hold until the apartment is finished. A shame really. I probably need only one more evening to complete the project.

Last Friday I started the 30 Day Shred. (It's a workout DVD.) One of my friends asked me on Facebook why I was working out since I was already thin. The answer is because I am horribly out of shape. I confirmed that this evening. Decided to get all kinds of obsessive and bought a scale. A fancy one that tracks your weight and calculates your body fat percentage. That last number was really depressing -- and scary. So I'll be sticking to the 30 Day Shred.

Sunday I did not do the Shred though. After seeing that number, perhaps I should have. But I figured that after dancing for a few hours on Saturday night and then spending at least five hours packing and cleaning at the old place, I had had more than enough exercise.

And packing/cleaning on Sunday was loads of fun since I was sleep-deprived. I only got four hours of sleep Saturday night. OK. It was really Sunday morning. I received a wake-up call from my mother at 9 AM. She was mad because I hadn't called her yet to wish her a Happy Mother's Day. I was going to. When I woke up on my own. Probably a couple of hours later. Today I realized that she's a bit stir crazy in Mexico because there's been nothing to do for at least a couple of weeks. But do I really need to be sucked into her crazy?

Oh, and some of you have probably done the math. Four hours sleep. Awake at 9 AM. "Hmmmm. What the hell were you doing up until 5?" I told you I was dancing. At a party hosted by a firefighter I know. Firefighters throw some of the best parties. I left the party at 3. And then I was on the phone for over an hour with the guy I met at the party once I got home. He's not a firefighter; his brother is. And no, I do not have any photos of said party.

And yeah, I still have that number stuck in my head. I'm thinking I might have to start using the DVD both before and after work instead of just first thing in the morning.

Old habits

Tonight I had to head into Berkeley after work. I had been planning to do some more cleaning. And then the building owner called me yesterday because he wanted to do a quick walk-through to see if there were any repairs necessary before he rented it out to the next tenant. Good news is that the only thing about which he had concern were a couple of stains on the carpet. I told him that I was going to attempt to get them out before vacating. And then he told me how much he plans to rent the apartment for -- $500 more than what I had been paying. Gotta love the rent control.

Not much cleaning actually happened. Mainly because there has not been a garbage pickup since I was there on Sunday. Silly me forgot that there won't be a pickup until tomorrow. And then I kept running into old neighbors who wanted to chat. I'll miss them all.

When I finally headed out, it was 7:30. And that meant that Poulet was still open. But they were sold out of roasted chickens. So I settled on the chicken breast stuffed with asparagus. And my fave college student was working the counter. We chatted about my move. And because they were closing soon, he let me have the two remaining chicken breasts at two for one. And there was carrot cake. I think I'm going to have to go back at least once a month for a visit.

Sanity in the midst of chaos

I'm still slogging along here. When did I get all this stuff? I guess if I opened cabinets and closets, I would see that I've made a pretty good dent in it all. You see my goal is to have moved the small stuff -- smaller than a TV -- to my new place myself before Saturday. Oh, and I'm not moving books. The movers can do that. But I do have to box them all. And I think that if I keep at my current pace, I should probably be able to make it happen. Even with the couple of speed bumps this weekend.

You see, my mother is still in town. That means that yesterday she insisted on a tour of the new place. I asked if she could help lining shelves. She declined. Then today I had to go to dinner at her house since she's leaving tomorrow morning. Fortunately I was able to excuse myself after an hour. Oh, and she had the nerve to ask over dinner didn't I have anyone helping me with this stuff. I thought that was hilarious.

But yeah, I'm working away right now so that in some ways the first few days in the new place won't be stressful. For me, this means that the kitchen stuff must all be unpacked in place. My clothes as well. Oh, and the linens. The only thing that might make things stressful is if the cable guy fails to show up on Saturday because that will mean that I will be without TV and internet. But that's not going to happen. If they know what's good for them.


I am happy to say that the correct refrigerator showed up yesterday. As well as the washer and dryer and my piano. It's starting to feel like home.


Oh, and I took the liberty of emptying out the fridge in my apartment this morning and taking the stuff to the new place. Because you can't really appreciate the beauty of this baby unless it's stocked. And I still owe y'all a photo of the freezer because it is truly a thing of beauty. Although I need to read the manual because the thing scared the bejezus out of me when I was stocking it. Apparently there is an alarm that goes off if the door stays open too long.

So yeah. That's my week ahead. But as I was unpacking the ice cream maker, I started dreaming of the flavors I'd be making soon. All while getting ready for that trip to New York.

Preview

Beth asked recently when I was going to let y'all see the new place. Well, here's a preview of the work in progress.


Last Saturday was a busy day of cleaning the fireplace...


potting plants...


and putting together my new computer desk and chair.


My handyman has been busy as well. The first thing he did was to install the new light fixture. This is so pretty that now I don't want to take my old furniture with me and have been shopping for new stuff. Luckily my mom has said that she'll pay for one or two chairs as my housewarming gift. I think I can get my dad to pay for the rest. (Stop calling me Veruca.)


His next major project was the counters. (Please ignore the ugly shade. It no longer exists.) Sorry but I don't do formica. And once the old counter came out, I had to get a new sink. And a new faucet. And a new garbage disposal.


I also decided that it was time to move up as far as TV is concerned. He was kind enough to mount everything for me. Oh, and the shelving unit? I was supposed to be buying it off of one of the guys from work. When he brought it in, he said that his wife told him to tell me it was my housewarming gift -- as long as I invite them to the party.



And look at this beauty. Doesn't it just scream, "Create wonderful things!" I had wanted to share the new fridge with y'all as well but they brought the wrong one last weekend and will redeliver this Saturday.

Hmmm. I may owe y'all some more photos after the weekend since my piano is also being delivered. And a week from Saturday I actually move in.