Why are you mocking me? Think you're the only one that can stand on two feet? Yea, you may be taller but I got muscles. Big ones. HUGE. Check me out buddy. *Push*Push*
I hate my teeth. Or well, I hate taking care of my teeth. If I took better care of them as a child, eating less candy and remembering to floss, perhaps I would think differently now. I had one of my incisors pulled last winter in preparation for a tooth implant. Long story but basically a root canal wouldn't have saved the tooth from falling out in a couple of years. Yes, gross. Basically It would cost me less in the long run to just replace the tooth now. Teeth implants are an expensive procedure that most insurance companies don't cover since it's considered cosmetic. Not really sure why since people get it done because they have no other choice and not because they need their teeth to look pretty. The grand total would be $2300 and that doesn't include the actual tooth, only the titanium implant and bone grafting. Apparently I'll be able to choose from cadaver bone, cow bone or my own bone (taken from the jawline).
Thankfully our new dental insurance, MetLife, has much better benefits than Guardian. HR listened to all the complaints around the office last year and switched us fast as they could. MetLife will cover 50% of the costs and I have the operation scheduled for July. In the meantime, I need to replace this temporary tooth that they gave me. The lab totally messed up and the shade of the tooth is about five times darker than my natural shade. That will be another $200 out of pocket now. Bleh. I really thought life would be much simpler after getting my braces off. But the saga continues..
I've only read one other book by Weiner, Good in Bed, which was good but quite predictable. Many of the short stories in this book revolve around the same themes of body image, family struggles and building relationships. Some stories are touching while others fall kind of flat. A bit of a letdown but then again it's only short stories and there's very little to commit to. The Author's Interview at the end notes that many of these stories were written when she was still struggling to get a book together. The characters definitely were not fully developed but many went on to inform her subsequent books. It's a fast read if anything. Pick it up if you plan to sit on the beach with nothing to do.
I'm headed to LA this Friday for my niece, Kathy's (see 1.) college graduation. She's graduating from Cal State Fullerton with a business degree. Damn, I'm getting old. And yes, my sister (see 2.) did start really early especially if you consider that my nephew graduated two years ago. It's a shame but I won't have extra time to see friends on this trip. I arrive in LAX around noon on Friday where I plan to pick up a car, head to Robertson Blvd. for some shopping, and then hop on the 405 South before rush hour starts. If I don't make it out of there by 3pm then I'll have to wait until after 7pm to drive to Irvine. I suppose I can meet with friends then but her graduation is early on Saturday, and I wanted to spend some quality time with her on Friday night.
Kathy is the favorite out of my sis' kids. She was the sweetest baby and always so cheerful. She used to follow me around the house, holding her baby blanket and giggling. Adorable. Though in my teen years, I didn't think the following me everywhere part was so cute anymore. But I guess that just meant she adored her auntie. These days there isn't much following but she's really good about sending photos and updates on her life. I'm so proud that's she's finishing college and able to start this next phase of her life.
Last month I celebrated a friend's birthday at Michael Mina. It's been on my list of 'must try places" for the last two years but has been slipping down the charts in favor of more affordable restaurants. The benefits of eating with a large group (there were 12 of us) are the number of dishes that you can try. But large sittings generally mean larger bills. My grand total was $260, which was thankfully less than my meal at French Laundry.
Located in the Westin St. Francis hotel across from Union Square, you can ride the hotel's glass elevator to the top floor and look over all of downtown. Or well, at least one side of downtown. The atmosphere at MM isn't as stuffy as French Laundry, in fact the noise level can get pretty high in the open areas. Men aren't required to wear jackets but you can always find a few suits that have come in after work. It's the type of place where men talk business, couples celebrate anniversaries, and girls get way too dolled up in organza skirts.
They serve a three course prix-fixe menu as well as a chef's selection tasting menu. The tasting menu is easier for those that hate making decisions. But when you're paying a hefty price for it, might as well do the work yourself. Within each course there are several selections, of which you can choose only one. Each selection has one core ingredient and is prepared in three different ways. There are also "classics" to choose from, which are dishes that the chef is known for but those are only prepared in one way.
Confused? So was I.
For my first course, I chose the the Hudson Valley foie gras served hot to cold with huckleberry gastique, pickled strawberries, poached rhubarb and pistachio crumble. It was amazing but there was so much of it. I ate half and gave the rest to Katie who proceeded to wipe down two other plates of extra foie gras.
The dishes came out so slowly that by the time course number two arrived, most of us were kind of full. Eep. This was disappointing since my trio of premium beef was so, so good and I couldn't really enjoy it. The first preparation was grass-fed rib-eye in a sauce au povre with creamed spinach, second was American Kobe short-rib with horseradish whipped potatoes, and the last was Misami Kobe sirloin in a bordelaise sauce with marinated mushrooms.
Dessert wasn't really memorable except for the caramel flan and green tea bon bons served with toothpicks. By the time the bill came, it was almost midnight and I was falling asleep at the table. No better way to end the meal I suppose.
Show us a picture of the pet you'd most like to have in your life.
I really love cats but if I were to have a dog, it would be this little guy. I'm not really sure what breed he is but he's such a cutie. I don't really have time to take care of pets except for maybe fish. But this guy was so well behaved, I could have easily taken him home with me. Except well, he belonged to some girl wearing Ugg boots and super tight jeans. We were at AIDS Walk San Francisco where Team Vox joined thousands of others to raise money for a worthy cause. That was also where I saw mayor Gavin Newsom flirting with one of the news reporters. But that's another story...
I purchased the book without reading any reviews or hearing any recommendations from friends. I picked it up mostly because of all the historical details of seventeenth century China. Her portrayal of China and its customs would intrigue anyone with an interest in ancient and modern China.
While the book is categorized as historical fiction, it borders more along the lines of fantasy and the super natural. Most Asian and Buddhist customs contain heavy elements of life after death, so it's not surprising that the book focuses on that. This may not be everyone's cup of tea but Lisa crafts a very good story from these ancient traditions. Some reviews note that the prose is too flowery but I found it very fitting to a historical period drama with lovesick maidens, an enamored poet and an epic opera. It's sweet, informative, and leaves you aching a bit in the heart.
