Potatoes in the Mist

1. I met a King Charles Cavalier cocker spaniel named Lucy last night, with white-and-butterscotch coloring. 2. I have also become friends with 2 cats on 26th Street. 3. Their names are unpronounceable. 4. Fall is my favorite season. 5. I often fear that I would have a favorite child (if I have children). 6. Kale is one of my favorite vegetables. 7. My college roommate is coming to visit this weekend. 8. I'm planning to make vegan banana-blueberry pancakes for us on Saturday morning. 9. I like the penguins and polar bears at the zoo best. 10. And, of course, pandas -- when they're available. 11. One of my guilty pleasures is the Def Leppard song, "Photograph." 12. One of my standby dishes is penne, kale and white beans. 13. If I had to pick a favorite restaurant in Manhattan, it would be Angelica Kitchen .

Heirloom tomatoes. I got two pretty, golden heirloom tomatoes for dinner tonight, as part of a broccoli-feta-glass concoction. Many years ago, I made this recipe, broke the oregano bottle, and used the oregano from the broken bottle anyway. D said, "As I was sitting here, picking glass out of my dinner..." and the dish was thereafter known as broccoli, feta and glass. It's good, though...with glass or not. Anyway, my point is: heirloom tomatoes are very expensive, at least at Whole Paycheck. I looked resentfully at those little globes of sunshine. But I sliced them up a few minutes ago and nibbled on one of the cores, figuring I wouldn't use that part for dinner. Yum! (The supermarket had a little sign up recommending the orange ones - "low acid" - but the one remaining orange tomato had some kind of brown musty moldy structure in it. So I passed.) So, if you see an heirloom tomato and you're feeling adventurous, check it out. Baby strollers. I admit rig...

Stolen from Bdogg ...imitation is the sincerest form of flattery ;) – Post a list of 10 books/movies/TV shows that you’ve had a fannish love of at some time in your life. – Have your friends guess your favorite character from each one. – You can cross out the show/movie/book and put the character when someone guesses. A couple of these are near-freebies ;) 1. Say Anything ( Lisa guessed John Cusack correctly) 2. Grey's Anatomy ( Lisa guessed George correctly) 3. Seinfeld ( Suzy guessed George correctly) 4. Friends ( Roxanne got it - Rachel!) 5. Desperate Housewives ( Amy guessed it: Gabrielle!) 6. Harriet the Spy (the book, not the movie...Ole Golly was woefully miscast) - Lisa guessed Harriet correctly. 7. Bridget Jones's Diary (the movie, not the book) - Lisa guessed Mark Darcy correctly. 8. Clueless ( Roxanne got it - Alicia Silverstone's character, named Cher. Though I almost picked Paul Rudd, so Lisa was close.) 9. T he Accidental Tourist (the book, not the mo...

I met an exceptional dog today. It was a French bulldog. There was the usual French bulldog/Boston terrier confusion, with the owner explaining that he looked more like a Boston terrier than most. Anyway, he was overcome with excitement! He licked my face, jumped up and down, and sprawled luxuriously on the sidewalk so I could rub his belly. When I got up to leave, he looked at me sadly. I turned around a couple of times, and yes, he was still watching, sitting on the sidewalk forlornly. Finally, some other woman patted him. Everyone asks me why I don't have a dog, and it struck me that, in addition to the standard reasons (my building doesn't allow them; D is allergic), I like being able to pat a lot of dogs without guilt. In college, when my childhood dog was living in MA and I was in RI, I felt bad when I patted other dogs.

In a moment of irony, we weren't able to see The Oh in Ohio last night. It was ironic because they're showing it in my small hometown, plus Cambridge and Waltham...yet the closest place to NYC that has it is Hartford, Connecticut. In case you were wondering, The Oh in Ohio is the new Parker Posey movie. I was thinking a bit about group dynamics...how some groups work and others don't as much. I also wonder how much of this stuff is in my head.

1. I think I'm getting a better sense of perspective on my life. 2. We have a John Travolta shrine in the living room. 3. Once I taught a yoga class in the dark. 4. One of my favorite neighborhood dogs is named Misha. He is a Yorkshire terrier. 5. My husband has a bit of a duck fetish. 6. We have wind chimes out on our terrace; they're shaped like brightly colored fish. 7. I never liked eating fish, even before I was vegetarian. 8. I've never had "real" sushi, only the vegetarian kind. 9. In high school we went to Friendly's a lot. 10. When I was a child, the Ramona books were among my favorites. 11. We have a Curious George print on one wall. 12. My building has mostly retired people in it. 13. I wouldn't mind living in New Mexico sometime.

So I was on my way to teach class this morning when I saw a man in a mesh shirt standing in front of McDonald's. His belly button was clearly visible. Belly Button Man: Can you give me some directions? Me: Where are you trying to get to? BBM: Can you show me the way to your heart? I laughed and walked away. He called after me, "Didja like that?" "It was funny," I admitted. I realized this would probably be a good blog topic. What are the best/worst/most inventive lines you've heard?

So I am back from Massachusetts. I always get a little sad when I leave a place...I was sad to leave NY, thinking how I like almond milk and being able to walk everywhere, and then I was sad to leave MA, thinking how it's cozy that all my family is there and the whole Boston area is so familiar to me. On Saturday, we spent the day at my sister's house. Both of my sisters, my brother, my mom and all of the kids were there. I walked my sister's dog, Biscuit, 3 times. She didn't want to let me go at the end of the gathering...she came out to the car and licked my hand. One of my nephews made me a birthday card featuring a cake with a very phallic candle on it. (This is in honor of Liz .) In a fun TMI moment, my sister revealed that she and her husband call it "The Captain." My other sister gave me a little painting of a rabbit, since I was born in the year of the rabbit. She has been to China twice for business, and she bought the painting there. Today we had lun...

This is the kind of story I would usually save for D, but he is out, so y'all in blogland will receive it. It's a little ridiculous. I know. Anyway, I tried fresh Medjool dates (all the way from Israel!) recently. Initially, I thought there wasn't that big a difference between fresh and dried dates. But then a craving for fresh dates kicked in. I figured, D and I can eat them on the train today. So I went to Fairway (the date mecca) to buy fresh dates and grapes. On the way back, I saw an exceptionally cute pigeon (black and white, with fluffy feathers). I decided to share a grape with it. So I plucked off a tasty-looking grape and put it on the sidewalk. It rolled toward the curb and fell into the street. The pigeon scurried away, looking at me as if I were crazy. (None of the passers-by took much notice; after all, this is New York.) Not to be discouraged, I retrieved the grape and planted it near the pigeon. The pigeon wandered around it, not closing in. "Here, pige...

1. Sometimes I wake up really early. 2. It's nice but I can't count on it. 3. I have 85 things to do today. 4. When I'm traveling, I enjoy it once I reach my destination, but the days beforehand tend to be busy. 5. I'm going to Boston with D this weekend to visit the fam and get together with a high school friend. 6. Sophomore year of college, I liked the idea of driving through Nebraska and looking at geometric cornfields. 7. I have no idea if they actually exist. 8. I pat multiple dogs per day. 9. Yesterday I patted Vince and Logan (shih tzu terrier mixes) and a basset hound. 10. I do get attached to things. 11. My current obsession is almond milk and donut peaches. 12. I tried fresh dates last night. They're not that different from dried. 13. I have three prom dresses from high school: one green, one blue, one purple.

Why must I always get a second wind at 1:30? I could take melatonin, but after dreams about Woody Allen, Floyd Landis, and moving to Nairobi (which looked a bit like a more exotic San Francisco, in my dream at least), I approach the stuff with extreme caution. TN and I had brunch and saw a movie on Sunday. I had pain perdu (literally, "lost" or "damned bread"; it was really just French toast, but very good) and she had a banana/Nutella crepe. The movie was Quinceanera , which was playing at an artsy theater that serves marble cake, carrot cake, slabs of brownies, and three varieties of homemade cookies. I never get any of them, but I like to ogle. The movie was kind of a disappointment to us both. After a lot of clever moments and fun snippets of dialogue, there was one of those "guess we have to end it" endings, with all the threads hanging loose and nothing resolved. We agreed it was an A movie till the end, which dragged it down to a B. Oh well. Worth s...

So D and I had dinner with M&M (married couple with the same initials). Guess what? She's pregnant! We also talked to a (secretly) pregnant woman yesterday. This is getting out of control. We went to Josie's, this organic place on the Upper West Side, and it was super fabulous. I had butternut squash soup with basil pesto (dairy-free), an avocado, tofu and chickpea salad, and then D and I shared a slice of their vegan apple pie. So did M&M. Afterward we saw Little Miss Sunshine. There were 2 dogs out front of the theater; this woman was trying to get them adopted. We donated some money and I patted one of the dogs. After the movie, the same dog was very tired. I felt bad for it lying on the concrete. If I were the woman, I would bring a blanket. The movie was very good, though I was saddened by the sight of the dog afterward. It had a lot more energy before the movie. D and I had a debate about the theme of the movie. I felt it was tied up with winning...the father'...

Just got back from MF's birthday party. We had a great time. I got there late because I was teaching 2 classes beforehand. We ended up talking a long time with a couple we hadn't seen in a while. The wife is from the south and told us about chitterlings (pronounced chitlins), which are fried pig intestines. Yummy...not!! And the husband told us how eating pork is the closest thing to cannibalism...because our skin is similar and they're very smart, etc. I also got some more good news. As y'all know, I have 2 permanent classes, and now I'm getting a third! The good news: it's in a great slot, after work, at a nice studio. It's painted in soft peach and green tones and always feels very peaceful. It's also named after a fruit. AND I might get a fourth. The fourth one is not definite yet; the woman who is currently teaching it will let me know in 2 weeks. I'm covering it for her for the month of August. That's the private club. I saw a Rottweiler pu...

Last night, I finished reading The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood by Sy Montgomery. I really enjoyed it. I did cry at the end (why do animal tales always have sad endings? it's like an unwritten rule of animal writing) but I enjoyed getting to know Christopher. I wish I could have met him in real life. I also learned a lot of things: Pigs, sadly, are usually only allowed to live 6 months (unless they are breeders, in which case they live for 6 or 7 years). Christopher Hogwood, kept as a pet, lived to be 14. There is a place in India called the Sundarbans where tigers swim in the water and regularly eat people. However, the tigers are respected and not killed. There are "pink dolphins" in the Amazon (they have pinkish dorsal fins). Pigs can be vegetarian. Pigs like to have their bellies rubbed. New York's Wall Street was named after a wall built in 1652 to contain the city's roaming pigs. Pig skin is so similar to ...

So yesterday, out of boredom, I tried a new Pilates teacher. Well, technically I'd gone to one of her classes, a long time ago. She said, "I'm feeling brutal" and really worked us hard. I felt as if my abs were separated from my body and being flogged. It didn't necessarily feel bad, though. I guess it's true you need to switch it up. My regular Pilates teacher is out of town...I'm very used to her workouts now. (My Pilates plug: it's good if you have a bad back...it strengthens your abs, which gives your back more support, and also strengthens your back independently of that). Stepping down from my Pilates soapbox, I had dinner with D, A, and his new girlfriend, E. I feel I am getting to know E a bit better. When we got home I couldn't get to sleep. I was up till 4 and woke up at 9:20 to teach, so naturally I was a zombie. The good thing about being a zombie is that it makes it easier to teach a basics class. Usually I err on the side of being too...

I know it's supposed to be Thursday thirteen, but I felt like doing it today. 1. I have two piercings in each ear, but I let them all close up. 2. I have no other piercings. 3. I would like to be cremated, rather than buried. 4. I have 4 nephews and 1 niece. 5. My niece had her own language when she was very young: "mobila" for oatmeal, "ippie keem" for ice cream, and "gog" for dog. "Hoppy birdy" meant both "happy birthday" and "cake", as in "More hoppy birdy, please." 6. I liked Jonathan Tropper's Everything Changes, although I almost didn't read it (I didn't like one of his descriptions in the beginning). 7. I never took Spanish, though I kind of wish I did. 8. I took French for 5 years and one semester; Italian for two semesters. 9. I was in the high school band. 10. I've never been a baseball fan, but my whole family loves it. 11. I'm the youngest of four. 12. I had a pyromaniac lab partne...

A manatee was spotted in the Hudson River...details here .

I was working on my new novel and went from page 51 to 56...and it came easily. The 5 pages passed in a nice writerly haze. Out of nowhere, I remembered a conversation with my father when I was 8 or 9. I'd come across a Judy Blume quote - "Write from the heart" - and thought it was the best piece of writing advice ever...and then my dad said, "But then it runs all risk of becoming maudlin"...I think it's best to keep both things in mind. I felt I was writing from the heart without being maudlin :) I also looked up the word out of curiosity about its exact meaning, and learned that it derived from Mary Magdalen, who was often described as a "tearful penitent"... Then I saw Sarah on the street. She is an amazing gray miniature schnauzer, with beautiful brown eyes. She was very calm, "tuckered out" at the end of her walk, her owner said. She is one of my favorites. I remember when she was a puppy, just a ball of pure energy. Then I actually ...

Well, the Will Ferrell movie was a bit of a disappointment. Not an awful one. It definitely had its moments. I just didn't love it the way I thought it would. I did like the cougar, though. Although I remember Will saying in the preview, "I can't modulate my heart rate! There's a cougar on my chest!" and he never said that in the actual movie. Hmmm...Anyway, it left me wondering if rednecks will be honored or insulted :) It was kind of a white-trash epic. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a spin in my Old Spice car, with a cougar riding shotgun... No, actually I'll just share my thoughts on Scoop . That was the surprise of the day. I thought it was light and funny, and Scarlett J was less annoying than usual. I think Woody Allen can bring out the best in certain actresses (i.e., Diane Keaton, whom I like better than Scarlett anyway) although D points out that he couldn't salvage Jennifer Lopez or Jennifer Aniston. I guess some tasks are t...

I was sifting through blogs after Pilates today and came upon this one . This woman puts up a photo of her pug, Merry, almost daily. In some of them, the dog looks less than excited, but others are very cute. Lunch was sun-dried tomato pesto with farfalle. The pesto came out pretty well. I remember reading in one of Didi Emmons' cookbooks that it's ok to alter recipes (except for baking) and it was a revelation...I always followed them so strictly. Now I've swung to the opposite extreme, in some instances. I can only assume that if you follow the directions exactly, it will be even better. From Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven: Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto 2 oz sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil) 1 c boiling water 1/2 c basil (packed) 1/3 c parsley (packed) 3 medium cloves garlic salt to taste red pepper flakes to taste 1. Pour the boiling water into a bowl, add the tomatoes, cover with a plate and let stand for 1 hour. 2. Mix the basil and parsley in a blender or food pro...

After all the drama, I realized I'm teaching 16 classes in August. Not bad. 1. I've never seen Three's Company. 2. I find Heidi Klum annoying. 3. I let my subscription to Us lapse and I don't miss it at all. 4. My favorite summer fruits are cherries, grapes and cantaloupe. 5. I like Anthropologie in theory, though I've never bought anything there. 6. I have never been to Tennessee. 7. I wish John Irving would write another book. His last one wasn't the best, but I still have faith :) 8. I'm currently reading Winkie by Clifford Chase, and the protagonist (a teddy bear) is so sympathetic that it's hard to watch bad things happen to him. 9. I'd like to go to Hawaii someday, though I have a hard time with long flights. 10. Sometimes I want to eat chicken. 11. Fourth grade was my favorite year in elementary school. 12. As far as Europe goes, I've been to France, Italy, Britain and Ireland. (And airports in Amsterdam and Zurich ;) 13. I find Jon Stewar...

So today I got an email from a girl I sub for pretty often; she was asking me to call her. She offered me a subbing gig for the month of August. It's at a private club and I like teaching there; small class and it pays quite well. So I said sure. R: And I might give it up in the month of September...and I'm going to try to give it to you. And you might as well become an employee of theirs now...they'll want you to fill out some paperwork and take a drug test. Is that ok? Me: Sure...oh, I take melatonin to sleep. Do you think that will show up? R: (laughing) No, that's natural. I'm sure that would be ok. Yay! Another fragment from yesterday that I just found too cringe-worthy to type. Most studios pay x amount of money regardless of how many people show up. Some studios pay x plus y based on how many people show up. I found out that the studio yesterday has its own little system. Yesterday, after class: C: How come I did not pay? (she doesn't use contractions, wh...

Well, I had my first permanent class, at the new center...and I'm a little discouraged. I'm trying not jump to conclusions, get all freaked out, etc...all the usual things I do. I'm trying to do Opposites Day like George on Seinfeld ;) Anyway, this was the permanent gig I got at a small but nice studio, and they created a new class for me - 10 AM. I got there and no one was there! I called the studio - which I was sitting in front of. No answer. I had the director's email but not her phone number; I have a cell phone but not a Blackberry, so I couldn't email her. So I waited. Then C came (D's colleague's wife), looking all bright and cheerful, and close on her heels was the front desk girl, whom I'd never met before. Right away she had a bee in her bonnet, bug up her ***, whatever. I was thinking, "Would it kill you to act remotely human?" but I ignored her rudeness and was just nice back. She acted like it was a huge imposition to have to com...