Lasagne!
Gretchen promised that we could go get Peet's this morning when we went to deliver the autographed wastebasket to the Gnomie in need. The only thing between us and the store was a dead battery. Click click click click click click click. One of us left the overhead light on (not quite the dashboard light, which would have been closer to paradise). We came back to the loft and G called the towing service. Minutes later, Andre the Giant showed up with one of those fancy (ultra-portable) battery jumping kits. We were good to go. I circled the block a few times while they started and finished the paperwork. Almost got hit by a DWA; the dumbass blew right through the four-way stop.
We went to the Potrero shopping center; Gretchen dropped off the package and grabbed our caffeinated beverages while I drove around the parking lot for a few minutes. We decided to hop onto 280 and drive to Daly City. Both of us were hungry for lunch, and we needed to make sure that the battery would be fine after we shut off the engine. She said there were good places to eat down there; I thought about hitting the first Mexican restaurant I ever ate at in the Bay area, but when we got there, it was closed – permanently. Ah well, we could keep driving down the street – even though neither of us knew where we were going. The street was definitely laid out by a drunken sailor.
We wound up running into a mall at the end of the street, and since I hadn't been to one in over a year, we parked the car and gathered our garbage. I started the car again, just to make sure it would fire up again. Hazzah! We passed a Starbucks on our way inside, and that seemed as good a place as any to dump our Peet's trash. Ha ha! They were mad at us, but we didn't care. Gretchen flipped them off and I yelled something like “Frappuccinos suck!” When we got inside, I looked around in wonder. After all, I hadn't been in a mall in over a year. She got sucked into Bath and Body Works, but my eyes were on the prize: the video game store. Yeah, their prices sucked, but I was drawn to it, nonetheless. They had new Star Wars figures, but since we hardly have enough room in this loft for the stuff we already own, I skipped 'em.
Perhaps I could get an Xbox from products to test at home? That way, if we don't like it, we're not out any money. Remind me to ask on Monday, will ya? Okay, so anyway, we located the Lenscrafters at the other end of the centre; I needed new lens cloths. Gretchen paid by cheque, but it was rejected (because her driver's license was bent all to hell). Fifteen more minutes of my life sucked away because someone didn't want to use cash. Anyway, we were still hungry, so we drove back to where that one Mexican restaurant was – because there was an Outback steakhouse next to it. Which, too, was closed. Of course, we didn't know that until we had driven back there, parked, and saw the hours on the door. Dangit.
So, we decided to hit something down the street from our home. I got in trouble this morning for saying that Iowa was home. My wife corrected me politely, and informed me that this, here, was now our home. Yeah, well… it still sucks. Anyway, Gretchen had heard this place on Townsend served up a decent meal. We parked the car around the corner (on Brannan) and walked into what appeared to be a dive. Turned out to be one of the best lunches I've had to date. Unfortunately, I enjoyed Gretchen's lunch more than I did my own. She had some shrimp / snapper tapas, and I had grilled lamb. We'll be going back, I'm sure. It's kitty corner from the McDonald's across from the CalTrain station. You know the place?
I was to drop her off at home before I headed to the new Best Buy. I wanted to see what kind of price they had on Gordon (the only Barenaked Ladies album I don't own) and if they had any Lucent Wi-Fi PCMCIA cards. Thumbs down on both items. As I was leaving, I witnessed a crime. Two young boys ripped off and drove away with a radio station banner (which was there for promotional reasons). I didn't catch the license plate of the car, but on the way home, I kept thinking about how people stealing software and using cracks to circumvent registration was just as wrong – and how the act of piracy isn't often regarded as an offense. Taking something that isn't RIGHTFULLLY yours is wrong. Period. When I got home, I set up a blog for Cat (to be announced soon) and covered up this massive pimple next to my nose for the third time today.
Gretchen went out shopping with a childhood friend (who is visiting from New York this weekend) and her friend's friend from Dartmouth (who lives somewhere in North Beach). We're going over there later for a dinner party. Some twenty-five people have RSVPed, although (supposedly) few will know one another. I gotta find something to wear for Tuesday night's fancy dinner, too. I was instructed to wear a suit and tie. I have the ties, but I don't really have a suit (since I lost all that weight, I haven't had the “opportunity” to wear one). Gretchen says we can go out on Monday night. We'll have to. Oh yeah, speaking of dietary choices, guess what we're having for supper tonight? Lasagne. A low-carber's delight! Not. I can fill up on bread. No, I can't – those are carbs. Ah, there's always… no, those are carbs, too. Everything's a friggin' carb. Except salad. That's just blah. Blah, blah, blah.
18 Comments
Anonymous
March 2nd, 2002
at 6:56pm
Doesn't sound like you a fun night, seems like almost everything went wrong .. too bad.
Anonymous
March 2nd, 2002
at 7:19pm
It's impossible to think of decent meals that aren't carb-loaded. To get low-carb meals, it seems you have to shop for fresh stuff, remember what recipe they're for when you get around to making it (if they haven't gone bad), and then actually make it. Ugh.
Anonymous
March 2nd, 2002
at 7:20pm
YES YES YES a blog for cat… she is my favorite person..err girl on techtv… chris is still my fave :)
ry
Anonymous
March 2nd, 2002
at 10:14pm
[Please don't hold this against me]
I bought a bag of starsucks beans the other day. I had a buck off coupon…okay, it's not an excuse, but what's done is done. So, anyway, i brew up a cup of this stuff and let me tell you…it STINKS!! YUCK! I'd rather drink cat litter coffee.
Anonymous
March 2nd, 2002
at 10:15pm
[Please don't hold this against me]
I bought a bag of starsucks beans the other day. I had a buck off coupon…okay, it's not an excuse, but what's done is done. So, anyway, i brew up a cup of this stuff and let me tell you…it STINKS!! YUCK! I'd rather drink cat litter coffee.
Anonymous
March 2nd, 2002
at 11:08pm
Chris, You are a BNL Fan?? I knew that I liked something about you! I own every BNL album that I know of, including some special UK imports. Gordon is one of my favorite ones, the next fav I would have to say is Maroon. I highly recommend going to a concert, it is truly an awesome experience!
Anonymous
March 3rd, 2002
at 12:31am
I can only hope you were joking when you described your actions at Starbucks. It's disappointing to think two grown adults would behave like that in public. You may have been thinking Starbucks, but there are PEOPLE who work there and your behavior was unacceptable and downright rude. I happen to be one of those poor folks working at a “service” job. I deal with juvenile behavior all the time, then again my shop is located next to a middle school. If you don't like Starbucks, don't go there. If I happened to have misinterpeted what I read, I apologize. You hit a nerve.
Anonymous
March 3rd, 2002
at 4:06am
The Mens Warehouse is a good place to get your suit. They have folks there that know how to co-ordinate your clothes.
Anonymous
March 3rd, 2002
at 9:00am
Hey Jen. get a life. I think that a couple of people walking down can have a little fun. After all, all they did was throw out some trash. Its not there fault that the service people (HA) looked at them funny causing chris to yell starbucks sucks. Chris, you rule, that was funni and i think next time you should bring a camera!! lol's
Anonymous
March 3rd, 2002
at 9:07am
Okay, I have a tendency to sprinkle sarcasm throughout my writing. I did it in this entry, and Jen was the first to discover it. I'm the kind of guy who doesn't even like sending food back when it doesn't taste right. Flipping someone off (for me) is not an option, unless I know them REALLY well.
Anonymous
March 3rd, 2002
at 11:43am
Sorry to disappoint you but salads are also carbs, low-calorie ones. I guess that leaves us with water and air.
Anonymous
March 3rd, 2002
at 11:44am
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/nutrition/pube/foodguid/eguide2.html
Anonymous
March 3rd, 2002
at 11:45am
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/nutrition/pube/foodguid/eguide2.html
Anonymous
March 3rd, 2002
at 10:06pm
Is absolutely no one familiar with the concept of sarcasm?!
Please. Not to stereotype unfairly (because we know several who do not fit the mold), but Midwestern folk are known for their manners. And we are typical Midwesterners.
Chris was joking about the Starbucks thing. I repeat: JOKING.
(Except yes, we did use their trash can to deposit our empty cups.)
Anonymous
March 4th, 2002
at 6:42am
Nobody loves some good sarcasm more them me. However, as we know, we can't always assume that everyone will take it or understand it in the spirit that it's intended. Jen above apologized ahead of time if she incorrectly interpreted Chris' comments. No problem. Meanwhile, I'm a little more leery of Anthony, who may be encouraged to run around a mall yelling “you suck” at store employees. You folks have a big audience and like it or not, that increases your potential to influence folks. I enjoy your newsletters and your writing, but a little forethought as to what you write ain't always a bad thing. Thanks. (I'm much shorter when I step off my soapbox).
Anonymous
March 4th, 2002
at 7:43am
*sigh* I know… the unwarranted influence on others is not a happy thing, or a wanted thing. Here's the thing about the forethought that you mention, though, Ned: what I put in my blog is what I'd write in a paper journal/diary. Why should I have to censor that? Since this is such a recurring issue, it sounds like the best solution would be just to take away the comment capabilities on my blog… but would that mean that people are going to be sending me tons of e-mails instead of posting comments?
I am terribly sarcastic in my writing; I just can't help it. (I'm a product of my environment!!) Chris is too… I just think at this point that most readers would recognize that, wouldn't they?
I DO appreciate Jen's disclaimer about “misinterpreting what I read.” I even kind of had to laugh, reading that!! (Sorry Jen!) Just because it is so far on the opposite end of the spectrum of anything we'd ever do. (And I would never say that Frappucino's suck—I had one yesterday afternoon!! MMMmmm hazelnut. Not as good as Mocha though. Nothing will ever top that.)
So anyway, even with a blog that allows us to spill our guts and our thoughts every day, it obviously doesn't give people the complete picture of a person. Frankly, it was a relief for me to NOT be blogging this weekend, just because I've been getting so much crap lately—and on my own turf!! It's like someone coming into your house and punching you in the nose for not liking what you're watching on TV.
I guess the thing that keeps me from discontinuing the blog is that for all the people who blast me, there are many more who tell me they enjoy it and love to read it. (Now the webcams are a different story… )
Anonymous
March 4th, 2002
at 8:24am
I'm glad you're not discontinuing your blog at present. I do find it enjoyable and entertaining.
While you shouldn't have to censor your musings and thoughts, as with most things in this society that we deem “free” we do have to live with consequences. Not everybody enjoys or understands sarcasm (it's also their right as well) and hitting them over the head numerous times usually doesn't change that (just make you tired and them cranky). Point: Don't change what you do unless it's something you decide personally, however, you'll have to be prepared for any ensuing heat. Applies to many things in life. I know and you know and your friends know that you wouldn't act in such a manner in a mall (midwestern manners are the best. I'm in NJ by way of Nebraska). If you can take it and still thrive then you're definitely ahead of the curve.
Be of good cheer and drive em crazy
–N
Anonymous
March 4th, 2002
at 9:53am
Yay Midwesterners! Thanks for the understanding. Although I'm an Iowan, I suppose I can also give you a “Go Huskers” if that's appropriate for you. *wink*