Signs Are Everywhere If You Look 3

Our cash drawer number is 666 today. I've been waiting for this day.



I had to, simply had to (more like compelled to), draw on my calendar to commemorate the occasion.

Why the Devil has chinky eyes and high cheekbones i'll never know...

Fossilized

Some miserable nights as of late i recall starry nights in a past life driving up and down La Brea, which, incidentally, means 'The Tar'

seems appropriate

And the present doesn't seem irrelevant.

And somehow from "Across the Universe":

Nothing's gonna change my world

makes sense.

The production came to fruition a year before i came in the world.

God bless ye merry gentlemen...

Burnt!

Farmer's tan corrected today @ Chevy's by the bay in Emeryville.

As told to Denisse, i haven't been very sleeveless this summer. 1) It hasn't been that warm. 2) I haven't felt very sexy.

The hue is near purplish; it's kinda wild.

I know, you can see down my shirt. Bite me. : ) And no i'm not wearing any pants. ; )

And what a fun rectification it was - sipping ritas, laughing and staring out at the water and over at the kites flying above the Berkeley Marina. They looked stagnant - simply residing in midair.

I remember the kite festival last year. Has the earth really revolved around the sun one full ellipse?!?

What I've Been Thinking For 3 Days

Words have failed me.

I have failed words.

Or both.

Snippet 60

Denisse:
Think u'll be getting to bed on time tonight?

V:
Oh yes... since Taylor is mad at me lol

Snippet 59

JD:
How was last week for you?

V:
Ehh...

JD:
I mean life goes on, right?

V:
That is such a stupid expression. Of course life goes on. Until you end it!

Picchetti

Faxed in sick on a tuesday and went winetasting. I'm naughty : )

Peafowl sashay on the premises, not a care in the world.

Wound up getting this Red Pavone. Pavone incidentally translates to "peacock" in Italian. Neeeat...

Advice 3

Last night i told Taylor, "'Negligee' is a funny word. It sounds like 'neglect'!"

Little did i know the word did stem from neglegere, Latin for "neglect".

Putting on nice sleepwear when you're not sleeping with anyone is like busting out your good china for having... cole slaw. From KFC. Alone.

Tamagogani 'Meisaku'

I bought these tiny roasted crabs:

Ingredients include maltose, citrus reticulata (fancy term for mandarin orange) peel, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #5 (the most popular yellow. Have you noticed?), to name a few.

No sesame.

Let's take a closer look:

Reeeeally? No sesame? Are you sure?

Literary 2

I take my mid-morning breaks outside when i can, justa feel the sun on my skin so i'll be glad to be alive, and to be reminded i'm more than this place.

Today, mug in hand, i stood in my favorite corner of the parking lot again, glancing at the vegetation out on the boulevard's central divider, taking in the beauty of color.

I wish i could name my flowers.

There were these four white ones in a linear fashion - the kind with lotsa elongated petals, swaying in the breeze. I swore they read:

冷無黑潑

which loosely (and poetically) translate to:

Cold without black splash

Black splash, of course, i interpret as ink.

How true!!!

I wish i had my camera on me to document the vision. My Palm wouldn't do a very good job zooming in on subjects that far.

But i may not see it in a photograph.

I have visions now. Tell me i'm not special!

Korean Sweet Pickled Daikon

Another first (with a bicultural title no less!):


This remind me of Bloomin' Onion at The Outback!


In lieu of a coffee filter or a cheesecloth: Bux napkins. Took forever... And it don't look too attractive either now i realize... I've said it before and i'll say it again: Next time i'll get it right! : )

Miso Soup with Wakame

Another first:

Miso is fermented soy beans mashed into a paste.

We have a lot of fermented things in our diet, don't we: Milk, grapes, potatoes...

Kudos to the first human who wasn't afraid of a little mold...

Cubism

Fallen

In essence, Denisse bought me this Aquis towel. [I used the gift card she gave me for my bday. Personally, i think she was a little disappointed, hoping for something more fancy : ) ]

But i'd only been eyeing this for over a decade! Refrained all this time. I have many towels. They'd feel slighted by this be-all-and-end-all! It'd be blasphemy stabbing the average Joe!

The microfiber sucker does cut drying time in half! As told to Denisse: I used to enjoy drying my hair [narcissism!] Now it's a chore i just want over with.

Hair is dead cells! It's ridiculous to fuss over it. IMHO, everyone should be bald.

I would totally shave my head... But it is cold to be bald...

And i am cold enough as it is, in every sense : )

Earlier this month a pinky nail broke mid-shower. I peeled it off and it landed in my drain strainer amidst hair and gunk.

I thought, "How existential!"

An ex once played with the marvel that was my pinky nail. When it broke, i saved it for a while in my medicine cabinet, painfully aware that, when mine grew back, it wouldn't be the same nail he'd played with.

Dead cells and narcissism... That should be a song.

Quote 122

How you suffered for your sanity

For they could not love you

The world was never meant for
one as beautiful as you

- "Vincent", American Pie, Don McLean

Vignette 9

Elsie texted to ask me to check with Denisse if they could visit her at her new place.

"That is so funny!" I commented when forwarding the request to Denisse. "She should be texting you!"

Denisse concurred, "Does she have my cell?"

Yes, she does.

"Why'd she ask you?" Inquired Denisse.

I replied, "Cuz i'm the nexus and the queen of networking... everybody comes to me!"

Correction

I take it back.

I'll grab a fork.

Two Days Before Finding Yael Naïm

Canadian Riley saw on Facebook my intention to learn Français, and asked why.

"French is one language i have no concept on," i explained. "Cuz i have some in German, Italian, Spanish... Even Dutch!"

"You ain't much if you ain't Dutch," responded Riley with an evil grin. "You probably already know some French. What do you know?"

"No much," i said. "Oui... Je t'aime... Eau..."

Riley laughed. Then i added, "So basically i'm able to express affection to water."

Sage 6

Stigmata, 13 Days

Mysterious injuries = my middle name

What I Learned Yesterday 2

I did not know sausage could be albino...

All In a Day's Work 20

Origami on my desk

Vintage 10

Who could pass up a blushing bastard?!?

And You May Quote Me 28

The world's my oyster.

I haven't been craving oyster lately.

Jubilation 2

This Thursday Denisse officially becomes a Sunny resident.

Rob called today. We hadn't spoken in a while. He was on vacation for what felt like a long time. And things can be awkward at times.

But i think of Rob as someone who would never hurt me. And i was glad to be reminded someone cares today.

"Life has a way of giving you what you need," Taylor once said. (I'm paraphrasing, i'm sure.)

Yes, it does. I haven't been doing so well.

"But i thought you were happy your cousin is moving closer!" Said Rob.

"I am happy about that," i replied. "We're celebrating Friday night!"

"You gonna toast?" Asked Rob.

"Oh, i'm gonna toast," i replied. "I'm gonna toast... until i can't toast any more!"

To My Zit

Are you done bleeding?
Can I go?

Quote 121

I was the snow. And you scooped me.

- Ben Stone, The Family Stone

Quote 120

It's not who i am underneath, but what i do, that defines me.

- Batman Begins

Snippet 58

JD:
Can't you just be happy for me?

V:
I'll try. These days i'm so far from happy it's not even funny. Like i can't even see it with a telescope.

JD:
Is that from a movie?

V:
I don't know. But i'm sure it's clichéd.

Submerged

I was looking up baigai mukimi when i stumbled across Zebra top shell, an Australian gastropod mollusk. [Everyone should say the word "gastropod" at least once in their lifetime!] And this message:

I relate to the article!

Thump 2

Quote 119

I remember arms reached out too late.

- "You Are Goodbye", Holly Conlan

Quote 118

Face it... We are good in small doses.

- Taylor

Grilled 2

This was on the side panel of the paper bag that held my honey mustard snack wrap at lunch today:

The nerd that i am reads everything. "Most complete"?!?

Either you are complete or you're not. There's no superlative. Just not mathematically possible.

I feel like yelling:

English, muthafucka! Do you speak it?!!*


*A Pulp Fiction reference

Literary

Once again i am convinced i have lost the ability to write. For days the lack of joie de vivre has been overwhelming.

First i stop cooking. If i don't write any more either, i am officially without a pulse.

Tonight i do an exercise i learned in creative writing class all those fortnights ago: i simply jot down ideas.

Once the tip of my pen touches paper, thoughts flow like ink. There's just a special connection that cannot be replicated by typing on a keyboard, the efficiency notwithstanding.

And it felt good to get it out. Notes are good for the very fact that they don't have to be good!

I need a new journal!

How I Feel At Times 4

Mixed Up

Next Saturday Denisse is picking up the keys to her new place. I'm going with her. Just for the experience. Oh and to celebrate afterwards with ritas of course.

She's gonna be merely 9 miles from me. Her zip code is gonna be 2 digits diminutive to mine. Surreal!

This past weekend i drove up to spend one last night in her soon-to-expire apartment and to bid farewell to her hood.

We had din-din @ Bua Luang in Albany [only one of the most sublime Thai places on earth!] followed by our casual bar thing @ 6 Degrees.

Denisse and i must have bad goodbye karma. We didn't get our usual bartend, so her [first] Van Gogh's Pomegranate Mojito was way watered down. And two minutes after i'd ordered my Dali's Buddha, i was informed by the blonde in a ponytail:

I'm sorry. We're all out of cucumber-infused gin.

As i would tell JD later:

What kind of a self-respecting joint runs out of cucumber-infused gin??!!

Of course, there was a LOL to follow the absurdity.

And the unfamiliar bartend was hot and i enjoyed watching her so all was forgiven : )

@ least i've got my Miller's Mule @ Straits to fall back on. Which is essentially mojito with lemongrass-infused soda.

I'm all about infusion. And ethnic only when it comes to eats & drinks, apparently.

Avid

Bargain books i bought at Barnes last night:

I picked out Zen first. Then Death caught my eye. Then i decided i must have Shots.

As told to Denisse:

That says a lot about my life right now.

Incidentally, Death cost the most. Shots ranked second. Last came in Zen.

No reflection on my values, i assure you.

Omega-3 Jones 5

Nobody has assorted sashimi for breakfast, i suspect. Not even the Japanese.

By Yours Truly 17

Spicy Tuna Sashimi

Australian Islet

Courtesy Arthur A. Johnson

Peregrination 6

After lunch, AC and i strolled in Shoreline Park, hand in hand, leaving his parents in the dust.

Just as we were approaching Lakeside Cafe, AC came to an abrupt halt, scrutinizing the concrete sidewalk under our feet.

I didn't see anything worth stopping for.

"Shadows!" AC announced joyously. "AC's and Goo Goo's!"

That must be the equivalent of sniffing the roses in one's path. Aww... My nephew is a romantic!

My Fortune 2

You know, somehow, i'm skeptical.

All In a Day's Work 19

Overheard today:

Derek II:
Nice shoes!

Keith:
I got them for a funeral a few years back...

Tall Order 2

I'm sure it is.

Ostentation 5

I don't recall how we got on the subject, but last week Riley informed me that he had a shitload of candles at home because his gf used to work at Illuminations (only my favorite candle store!) until fairly recently.

"You like the scented ones?" Asked Riley. "I'll bring you some!"

I thanked him but didn't take him seriously. Figured it was just one of those things that people say.

In fact i had forgotten all about the conversation when Riley brought me these today:

Pumpkin pie and Bordeaux. And, without consulting me, he proceeded to place them on the side table next to me, and lit the pumpkin pie.

I was speechless. Again, why people like me i will never know.

Vignette 8

Now that Elsie has become a full-time domestic goddess, it is a lot easier to see her on a school day.

After lunch with Elsie on Monday, i told her, "I may hit you up for lunch again this week."

"How come?" Asked Elsie.

I replied, "Cuz... Lonely."

Quote 117

Sometimes i feel so full of love
it just comes spilling out

- "Wonderful World", Undiscovered, James Morrison

And You May Quote Me 27

You know what the trouble with eating is?

I don't wanna chew.

Quest

This pops up after i'm done with a search on dogpile:

Umm, love? And i am not surprised. : )