Friday Randomness
Another week of books and movies and old recipes. Another week of random thoughts that I collect throughout the week to dump on you. Ready? Here we go.
My Job is Hard
A big part of my job is editing and formatting documents that go out to clients, and refer to changes in payroll and payroll reporting. The thing that sucks is that sometimes I see a grammatical error, and when I check the source, the source has that same error, so I have to leave it. Maybe if I had more power I could argue that our doc should be correct, even if the source isn’t, but since the system we support follows the source, my doc would be out of sync with what the client sees on their computer screen. If I had a LOT more power, I could influence the programmers and make sure that what the clients sees is correct. And if I had a EVEN MORE power, I could correct the IRS source so it’s not an issue to begin with. Alas, I have no power, so this is good practice at letting go. Clearly not easy for me, as I griped about it to Ted and Maya separately, and now am griping about it to you.
Weird Science
Have you heard of Fetal Cell Michrochimerism? It’s not new knowledge, but I hadn’t heard of it. Apparently, in 50% – 75% of pregnancies, some of the baby’s cells pass the placenta, and then travel around in the mother’s tissue. What does it mean? If there are fetal cells in the mother’s thyroid, and she has thyroid disease, what is the correlation? Do the cells contribute to the disease? Help heal/prevent the disease? Or are they just there, innocent bystanders? Scientists do not yet know. I remember wondering, years ago, about what happens to the part of your umbilical cord that is inside of you after you are born. Does it dissolve? Is it still there, connecting your belly button to your blood stream? Not the same as fetal cells being inside the mother after the baby is born, but kind of a similar thought experiment I guess.
Seeing Double
In an unrelated (but feels related) story, have you seen the story about these two women who look similar enough that their facial ID on their phones is tricked? Ted told me about it on Sunday. They look enough alike that they did a 23 and me test, and they are not related. Crazy.
One Thing a Day
One thing I got rid of this week was an old workout DVD. Will anyone want it? I have no idea. I put it in a LFL. I’m not sure how many people have DVD players anymore. I liked this DVD OK way back when, but much prefer Caroline Girven on YouTube, she doesn’t yammer on the entire time like most workout videos.
Most of my clean out was paperwork…going through my files and finding things to shred, including the supporting documentation (receipts and such) for tax year 2000.
Look at this payment stub. Our interest rate was 8%, which was pretty standard for 1st time homeowners in a townhouse at the time. Of our $1,447.86 payment, only $137.89 went toward principal. Pretty common in the early years of a mortgage, but ouch.
Question: How many Salwar Kameez do I need? I wear them once a year, for Diwali. Really, the answer should be 1. Or maybe 2, since Maya doesn’t have one of her own and always borrows one of mine. So I have 4 too many. However, they are pretty and I am keeping 4 of them. The top two on the left, and the bottom two. The light green one and the pink one, I gave away on Buy Nothing, just in time for Diwali! I almost gave away the dark blue one in the front, but Maya said she would wear it. It’s way too big for her, but that’s one good thing about Salwars, they are pretty close to one size fits all. The pink on on the top right was a gift to my Great Aunt from her granddaughter who lives in Pakistan, and is very pretty but actually is a little tight, so I guess they’re not quite as one size fits all as one might think.
(Not My) Boozy Lunch
A friend of mine was just on a cruise through the Panama Canal, and on one of their sea days, he and his wife had boozy dessert for lunch. I was not sure whether to be envious or horrified. I’m lying, I was horrified. But happy for them, they enjoyed it enough they did it again another day.
Eating Well
Speaking of food, we had some amazing food this weekend. I did not take any pictures of the first two, so you will need to close your eyes and picture it. The picture above is something I thought I was going to have, but didn’t.
For our Friday night dinner, Ted took me to a wonderful French restaurant in our area. We shared oysters on the half shell and an heirloom tomato salad, then I had corn risotto with wonderful scallops, and he had perfectly cooked lamb chops. I had a glass of Sancerre, and Ted had a Manhattan with bourbon instead of rye.
Sunday the three of us went to a small plates place and shared an early dinner: cacio e pepe biscuit, a delicious cheese plate, roasted cauliflower and carrots, French fries with garlic and parsley, tuna tartare, crab cakes, and frito misto (calamari, shrimp, green beans, and shishito peppers). I had Sancerre, Ted had Chardonnay, and Maya had prosecco.
Monday I met a couple of friends from back in my hotel days for dinner. We were planning on going to an excellent Italian restaurant that we all enjoy, and I was going to have what I always have at this restaurant: a deceptively simple but amazingly delicious green salad (lettuce, pine nuts, lemon dressing, grana padano cheese – the picture above, from a prior visit in 2019) and a rich mushroom pasta in a beef reduction that is my favorite pasta ever.
When we arrived at the restaurant, however, they did not have our reservation. It’s a tiny restaurant, and they had no spare table for a party of three at 5:30 on a Monday. Turns out, my friend made our reservation for next Monday. Oops. So we walked around the neighborhood and considered our options – Thai, pizza, ramen, Afghani, Indian, Mexican, Chinese, sushi, burgers, Ethiopian – and decided on ramen, even though it was pretty warm outside.
I realized that I’m not sure I’ve ever had ramen (Japanese) before. I’ve had pho (Vietnamese) a couple of times, and hot pot (Chinese), but ramen is different. When I told Maya that the next day, she said, ‘You’ve never had Top Ramen?’ HA. Yes, I have had Top Ramen. I don’t think that counts. We went to an upscale place mysteriously named Ramen Shop. I had the Tonkotsu Ramen, which is pork chasu, sweet onion, pounded sesame, tobanjian, neji, and mizuna, and I added a shio egg. I do not know what most of those things are, but what it was was really delicious. Was I sad to not have my salad and pasta? Yes. Was I sorry that I ended up with a delicious bowl of ramen instead? Not at all.
They were all really good meals. Now it’s back to boring home cooking.
Greeting Cards I Did Not Buy
I took BART to the Monday dinner, and I got there a bit early. Between the BART station and the restaurant is a decent bookstore that has a small but clever card selection. I did not buy either of these, but I considered them. I should have bought this one for Suzanne, I think it speaks to her.
I don’t know any couples that I could buy this for, and I’m not sure I want to. But it made me laugh.
Bye Bezos – Sort of
I finally spent all of my Audible credits, so I cancelled my subscription, which felt great. I listen to most of my books via Libby, but I had these credits sitting there, and if I cancelled I feared that I would lose them. The sort of is because we have a Ring camera, and there is a subscription included there. I may ditch that as well (the subscription, not the camera.) Also, we currently have Prime because Maya signed up for it so we could watch The Summer I Turned Pretty. I’m not sure if she is going to cancel or not, that’s up to her.
Cool Bloggers Walking Club
I haven’t taken many pictures on my walks this week. I did take a picture of this little black kitty (left) on my way out the other day, and on my way back I saw that black kitty has a friend!
I’ve written about this memorial bench before. It was dedicated (and I assume installed) by a family that has lost 2 young men to tragic accidents. I like the flowers that they maintain, and wonder if they also put in the trees at the edges of the photo, or if those were put in by the governing authority?
This car, with shoes on the hood, has been sitting in our complex guest parking area for over a week. It does not have license plates, lending us to suspect that it may be stolen. We called the sheriff and they came out and put a warning sticker on it on Tuesday. Then on Thursday afternoon, I saw it was gone. Was it towed? Did the owners return? It’s an unsolved mystery.
Kitten Care
And lastly, a cute kitten photo for you. This is Pig Pen, a feisty kitten at the pet store where I volunteer. Happy news, he was adopted on Wednesday! He was a bit of a handful, so I’m glad he found a home and I hope the people love him to bits. Apparently the guy who adopted him had visited several times, so I think he knows what he’s getting.
32 Comments
Jenny
Hee hee, Pig Pen! I hope the guy who adopted him changes his name. Foxy has been VERY feisty lately- he doesn’t cuddle much these days. But that’s just him being a kitten- he’ll calm down as he gets older (and if he doesn’t that’s okay too- I’ve got Muffin, the ultimate cuddler.)
THAT BOOZY LUNCH. It’s something that would be so fun, and then I would feel terrible and have to sleep for the rest of the afternoon. I guess if you’re friends did it twice, they didn’t feel too awful afterwards.
That article about mitochiermism is fascinating! And… I got your postcard : )
J
That boozy lunch! Yes, I suspect I would feel really gross after. I had to send the picture to my cousin that I went on the cruise with, because I could totally see her ordering that.
I hope Pig Pen has a good happy life, and yes, he deserves a better name. He’s a bit of a slob though!
Margaret
Kitties are such a delightful challenge! My elderly Mari lived with my younger daughter for the first 3 years of her life and was a bundle of energy, so crazy! Now she’s much more sedate. My older daughter makes Ramen and I love it. It’s nothing like Top Ramen, which was my first assumption. I cringed at the it’s error. Ugh.
J
Your daughter seems like a really good cook, from all of the comments you leave.
Margaret
She’s an excellent cook. Both my daughters are better than I am.
nance
Good heavens, not the it’s for its error on a government document. Their capricious use/omission of the comma is bad enough.
I’m very interested to hear your review of James. So far, I’ve not read it because I’m such a literary purist and I do love Huckleberry Finn. It has, however, gotten such good reviews from so many people.
Little Pig Pen! Thank goodness he’s adopted and by someone who has gotten to know him. I also hope he gets a more dignified name. I firmly believe that animals need peopley names, not silly names like Poundcake or Wheezer.
Again, you order/eat the same foods I would order in a restaurant (except for tuna tartare). I notice that you are still devoted to sancerre.
There may have been a time–long, long past–that I’d have tried the boozy lunch sundae. Now just looking at it makes me a little nauseated. Ugh.
J
Nance, Ted has the physical copy of James, but I decided to buy the audio anyway. My physical book reading is so slow. Our county is doing a book group thing or whatever, where everyone reads the same book, and they have chosen James. The author is going to be here to talk about it in November I think. Will we go? I’m not sure, but it’s going to be live streamed, so if we don’t we can watch it.
Regarding the boozy ice cream, yeah, I totally would have tried that in my 20s or 30s. Now? Gross.
AC
You dine out often and well, which is a good thing for you.
Audible has lured me back, offering three months at half price. Then I shall unsubscribe again.
J
We generally eat out once a week (which is still often, I know) but that weekend was busy with it. All delicious!
Suzanne
Ahhhhh so many fun and fascinating things in this post! Yes, I love the card with the Didion quote. Exactly, Joan! That salad is gorgeous and I want to eat it immediately. Love the doppelgängers thing – such a fascinating phenomenon. And your salwar kameez are beautiful. I love that you both pared down and kept some that will see use!
J
Thanks Suzanne! Yes, paring down is great, especially knowing that these salwars will get a second life. Or actually, a first life, because I don’t think either one have ever been worn.
That salad is SO good. One day I’m going to have a blog friend come this way, and we’re going to go there for a meal. Which blogger? I don’t know. But I want it to happen! (Because I want that pasta and that salad)
DB Stewart
I found that bellybutton article fascinating; however, there was a spelling error in it! Ironic, eh?
J
Oh goodness, I guess I didn’t read it carefully enough to notice. Though spelling is not my strong suit, so perhaps it would have gotten past me anyway.
DB Stewart
No worries…not your responsibility…and nbd. Despite our best efforts, we writers all make these errors.
Allison McCaskill
I loved James. I stumbled on Percival Everett accidentally and read Trees first, and I can’t believe it took me so long to discover him.
Looking at the boozy lunch gave me an instant sympathetic headache/toothache.
I love the little black cat and even better with the addition of another little black cat.
I’ve never had good ramen. I’ve hardly had bad ramen. I am intrigued by the phrase ‘pounded sesame’.
I feel like this is a substandard comment even for a randomness post. Please don’t grade me .
J
LOL at ‘substandard comment’! It’s a lovely comment. I’m looking forward to listening to James.
If you get a chance to have good ramen, I say GO FOR IT (are you gluten intolerant? If so, ramen is not for you.)
Tierney
The 30 Day Shred! I remember that workout DVD. It was really, really good although I haven’t done it in years. Now I think there’s too much baggage with the weirdness from The Biggest Loser controversy and JM’s reinvention.
Your dining out sounds lovely. Its a real treat to read. 🙂 It’s/its in a IRS document…that would drive me mad.
J
We had some lovely meals, didn’t we?
StephLove
The fetal cells thing gets even crazier. Did you know sometimes a younger child can pick up fetal cells from not just the mother but also an older sibling in utero?
Did you like James? I liked it a lot and am now re-reading Huckleberry Finn to better appreciate it, though I probably should have done that the other way around.
If you go to the restaurant you intended on the date for which the reservation was accidentally made, you’ll still get the meal you wanted and the ramen meal will be a yummy bonus. I hope you’re free then and it turns out that way.
J
Oh, weird…maybe I have some of my older brother’s cells then! We have different fathers, so that would be interesting.
I haven’t listened to James yet, though I’m looking forward to it.
Oh, my friend cancelled the reservation right then, so no chance to go back the following week.
PocoBrat
I love your food pics, J… (even the boozy lunch!). It made me nostalgic for NY… There’s a new South Indian restuarant (Semma) that’s impossible to get into, that I’ve wanted to go to for over a year now… And what a nice weekly date with Ted.
That kitty does look a bit like a piglet, but definitely deserves a better name.
J
Most Indian restaurants around here are Northern Indian / Pakistani, so a good South Indian place would be intriguing for sure. I think we’ve only been to one, years ago, but it very casual and easy to get in. Delicious though! I hope your get to go sometime. Maybe you can get a reservation and go on one of your boss days.
ernie
Your meals out sound amazing – although I admit that I’m not sure what half of the ingredients were. Bummer about the mixed up reservation, but I’m glad that you landed somewhere with great food. The car is a mystery. Did the shoes stay there that whole time too? Weird. Black kitty has a friend. Cute. The little cat that was adopted – I think he knows what he’s getting into . . . that cracked me up. Congrats on ending your subrscription – I know that was something you were working on. I’m a physcial book type myself, so I don’t understand all the other options. I do sometimes use Hoopla when I know I’m gonna be driving in the car a ton. That’s so handy and I wish I’d been more ‘with it’ earlier, because listening to a book on a road trip is such a great use of time.
J
I had never heard of most of those ingredients either. I just had to assume it was going to be delicious, and it was.
The shoes did indeed stay there that entire time. Crazy, no one stole them.
I think time in a car, especially alone, is the perfect time to listen to a book.
Daria
Kitties!!!!! At first I thought the black one was a statue but then saw the second kitty.
And, of my gosh, those cards are amazing <3
J
Those cards were great, weren’t they?
Joyce
I have had success early on while searching Libby for audiobooks but lately there don’t seem to be any available right away. They always have a 2-3 weeks wait. Do you have any hints about utilizing this app better? Thank you
J
Welcome Joyce!
No hints, no. I just put them on hold and listen to something else while I wait. If you put a bunch on, you will usually find yourself with something to listen to. And they do have an ‘available now’ feature you could browse.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
A very good ramen is so delicious. I had one in Düsseldorf where apparently many Japanese live. So they have a neighborhood called little Tokyo.
Yeah for being able to cancel audible. I never liked that service.
I have heard about cells moving across the placenta but I never went deeper then aknowledging this.
I have read somewhere that face recognition is true but that about 7-10 people wordl wide can unlock your screen because faces are so similiar. It is somwhere in the small print when you set it up. I was really suprised but I guess it does make sense. Still creppy.
J
I’ll admit that I still think of that ramen sometimes…thinking I may want to go back when it’s a little colder around here.
Anne
Cell free DNA (including that from the placenta) is fascinating. They can also monitor cfDNA from tumor tissue to identify potential recurrence/metastasis earlier, which means outcomes may be improved. It’s one of those advances that has happened in my lifetime and it’s one that makes me go, WOW, every time.
J
SO INTERESTING!