I hope they got their Sunchips

I headed over to try the Greek place here in Foster City today. Walking through the parking lot, I saw three ducks hanging out in front of Phil’s Liquors. They were kind of milling around the way teenagers do when they want you to buy liquor for them. I considered taking a picture, but my belly was protesting and demanding gyros, so I walked on, reminding myself to snap them on my way back to the car.

Of course, they were gone by the time I walked by again, replaced by happy children with Push Pops. Another fantastic photographic opportunity missed.

I spend a lot of time nowadays purposely NOT thinking about my cat.

2008, the year without. May!

I suppose it was some sort of retribution. Or punishment. I fell off the wagon and ate three crispy chicken nuggets at a fundraising party yesterday, and I am suffering. My stomach is not happy, and the intestines are following suit. Or course, it’s a toss up: was it the forbidden fried food, or the three industrial-sized glasses of sangria*?

Either way, it helped point me in the right direction for the year without. May is the month with no alcoholic beverages. (I say beverages specifically, so that if I feel the need to make poached pears again, I’m scott free.)

I tried this last year, and found that I slept better, felt better, and could still have fun and drive home at the same time. I’m not a binge drinker, nor do I drink every night. I drink pretty regularly, but almost exclusively socially. I’m not worried about a potential problem. This just another thing I enjoy that I’m going to do without for awhile.

You’ll find me on June 1st with a big drink in the sun somewhere, to be sure.

*Sangria made with Gewürztraminer, strawberries and raspberries. Which was ridiculously good.

Obi: September 1998 – April 2008

Obi, originally uploaded by maceelaine.

After a long illness that flummoxed the vet, Obi passed away this morning. He waited until my mother was awake, and with a final sigh, took his last breath. My mother buried him in the back yard, near the blackberry bushes, one of his favorite spots in the yard.

Obi came into my life via my college boyfriend, Kurt. He was several hours late to come visit me, and I was quite upset. In fact, I was still bitching him out when he handed me something to carry into the apartment. I was halfway to my door when I realized I was holding a cat carrier, and there was a tiny face staring at me through the door. After college, Obi went to live with my mother (mean landlords!), but he’s always been my cat.

Obi was the best cat I’ve ever owned. He was extremely personable. He wanted to sit on your lap and watch TV with you. He wanted to play all the time, and for the first two years would even fetch. He knew when you were sad and would sit with you. He loved Eggo waffles. He had a schedule in the morning, as he knew when everyone got up and when the neighbors walked by. He loved EVERYONE.

I got to sit with him for awhile last Friday. He was overweight for most of his adult life, so to see him wasted away was devastating to me. He crawled into my lap, which was so hard for him, because he was so weak, and put his head on my arm. I cried for probably 15 minutes straight. So much, at least, than when I was leaving, I heard my grandmother say from the other room, “Why is the cat wet?”

Mom pointed out that he was saying goodbye, but I wasn’t yet ready to hear that. And now there is a cat-shaped hole in my heart. Future cats have a high bar to cross now, Obes. Rest in peace.

Poached Pear

Poached Pear, originally uploaded by maceelaine.

It’s official: poached pears are the best use of leftover cheap wine. I didn’t even measure anything. I threw the rest of a semi-old bottle of wine on the stove with a handful of sugar, a few cloves, and some orange zest. Simmer away until the dishes are half done, and then eat. Then try to do the rest of the dishes and probably fail.

I live somewhere!

Ever since I moved into the House of Puppy Dogs and Rainbows, there has been some debate as to where, exactly, I live. The listing was in the craigslist Twin Peaks/Diamond Heights region, but I’m a little downhill from that. Someone else told me it was Upper Market. Another suggested Ashbury Heights. Another said Castro. But we were all wrong, at least according to Yahoo.

I live in Corona Heights! (Scroll out a factor or two, and you can see Yahoo’s neighborhood designations.)

I find this interesting because (a) no one has even mentioned the possibility and (b) I know NOTHING about Corona Heights. Also, I kind of feel like I’m a little dangle in the neighborhood, like Yahoo wasn’t sure, so they just tacked us on. If I tell people I live there, will they know what I’m talking about, or should I just keep up my usual cry of “between Castro and Twin Peaks.”

Also, for you stalkery types, that map isn’t to my apartment, but rather a nearby cross street. Please don’t come to my house. I’ll sic my mouse on you.

2nd Concert of 2008: Geographer

Geographer!, originally uploaded by maceelaine.

On April 9th, after a delicious meal at Esperpento, Jenn and I headed over to 12 Galaxies to see Geographer play. Jenn used to work with the lead singer, and knew that I’d be into their sound. And she was totally right. Their sound was tight and mellow, with just the right amount of build up and release. I’m having a hard time putting their music into words, but I can say for sure that a good number of my friends would like it.

I was doubly impressed with their fans – young hipsters who earnestly liked the music and danced with abandon. It’s really nice to see people care less about being cool and more into enjoying something great.

Geographer will be playing Annie’s in June – you’ll see me there!

News you will hear nowhere else

Via a private electronic correspondence from my beloved:

I knew today would be a nightmare – in case you haven’t noticed, that damn Olympic torch route starts literally across the street from my work, at 1:00, when I’m supposed to show up. So I left at 11:00, giving myself two hours for a 30 minute trip. It was fun, stupid fucking white people using the stupid fucking Tibetan flag as stupid fucking capes – capes! Like they’re Supersherpa from the planet Tibetron – packing the train. Of course there were serious delays, and one of the theories among the protesters was Muni “didn’t want them to go to the protest,” but the protest itself that was blocking the tracks. All subway trains were canceled and I had to take a bus. No problem – I had time.

I got to work a little before 1:00. There are thousands of people around, protesting China, Darfur, and strangely Vietnamese fishermen (no joke). Amid all the shouting, a strange but familiar, and very loud song started blasting from Current building. Everybody hushed and looked up. NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP, NEVER GONNA LET YOU DOWN NEVER GONNA RUN AROUND AND DESERT YOU. Someone at Current set up big ass speakers and Rickrolled the motherfuckers. The Darfur guy picked me, for some reason, to ask them to turn it off. I said no.

Finally, I saw the torch get lit. Big music, lots of shouting, a little jogging…and then she ran into a warehouse. That’s it. That was half an hour ago. She’s still in there

On fruits and veggies

It’s a well known fact that fruits and vegetables are good for you. We hear it all the time: on televsion, radio, magazines, newspapers, the internet. I do what I can, but when I wander into my fridge, a sea of browns and whites stretch before me. The vegetables are tucked away in the freezer, cut into managable pieces and frozen for length. I crave fresh produce, but get paralyzed in the grocery store. When will I use this? How will I use this? Are these even any good? And I leave with a handful of oranges.

Being the Apartment Therapy groupie that I am, I’ve also been hearing more and more about CSAs. And being the daughter of a woman in the food business, I know that the push is to eat seasonally and locally. So, a CSA is really ideal, right? A couple of friends were suspicious – were you completely overpaying?

I did some detective work. I copied the list of a local CSA, and then went and found the equivalent prices at the local Safeway. What I found kind of suprised me.

		Safeway
Asparagus	1 lb	2.99	$2.99
Mixed Greens	12 oz	4.99	$3.74
Chard	1 bunch	1.99	$1.99
Garlic	0.5 lb	0.5	$0.50
Spinach	0.5 lb	1.99	$1.99
Rosemary	1 bunch	1.99	$1.99
Danjou Pears	2 lbs	1.99	$3.98
Fennel Bulb	1 each	2.99	$2.99
Pink Lady Apples	2 lbs	2.99	$5.98
Carrots	1 bunch	0.79	$0.79
		TOTAL	$26.94

If you factor in that everything from Farm Fresh to You is organic and delivered, it’s barely more expensive than getting the produce at your local (kind of cheap) market. And I know, once it’s sitting there and begging to be eaten, I will eat it. I’m signing up right now!

Support my friend and/or the arts!

atmopshere #2, originally uploaded by aquarabbit.

My good friend and fantastic artist Dana (aka aquarabbit) is having a Tax Time Sale at her Etsy Shop. This is fantastic time to pick up some of her lovely work. I have two of her pieces and I adore them.

Stop reading here! Go there!

Great Moments in Mace History: How I met my last five boyfriends

1. Housewarming party, most handsome man there, thought he was older than me
2. Interwebs, excellent writer
3. Possibly my brother
4. Groupie of his band (also involves interwebs)
5. Wearing Smiths shirt next to dorm pool