Spook 2

Another inexplicable influx of visitors on my site. 31 in a day?! That's 5 times my average! On a good day!

It's like "What did i say? What did i do?"

More like "Who's been linking me??!"

Ironic now that Taylor has stopped reading. After 5 times of threatening. That is not the right word. But does it matter now that he's not reading? : )

Miscommunication so rampant. Last time we spoke this analogy was spawned:

It's like a ball of yarn taunted by a fiesty cat for so long, it cannot be detangled.

One of my favorite Rice/Hannigan songs comes to mind: Don't Explain. Of course, that's a cover.

Haiku 2

Risen

Last night "Sister Moon"
by Sting played in my head in
a loop. Oh, brother.

Green

Entitled "New Styles for Back to School".

This is what they do in school?!? I must've done something wrong to have missed out back in the day!


Photo courtesy Abercrombie & Fitch

Trace

Nadie*, my new gf at work, is determined to have a baby by age 3o. She turned 24 in March.

She's passionate with her dream. I remember what that was like.

In my twenties i thought lots of things would happen by age 30. Milestones are bullshit. Just another number. But we all get to be in delusional bliss once. Life is fair that way.

"I hope i'll get to see it," I mused.

"Of course you will!" Cried Nadie. "It's only six years away!"

"If i live that long," i said.

Nadie laughed. Incomprehensible, i'm sure.

"How about you?" Asked an earnest Nadie.

I shrugged, "I'm probably too old... And it's probably not for me."

She did not compute.

"It's not for everyone, you know," i added.

Not, for instance, for someone living in poverty. And not merely in the monetary sense.

Wanting to leave a piece of oneself behind is such a case of narcissism. I'm so frigging awesome! I must not leave this world without some remnant of me continuing on!

When i go i want to be gone. Passing on these genes would be cruel and unusual punishment.


*not her real name

Two Weeks and Two Days

My mint plants today.

Starting in practically identical conditions, having receiving the same care, one is thriving and standing tall whilst the other wimpy and sickly with tiny holes in some leaves, some even brown on the edges.

What gives?

A picture of my brother and me indeed.

Alternation

Every morning i look in my fragrance drawer and have to pick among: tranquility, happiness, strength, love, and just being me.

No, i can never be all of those things at the same time.

Mabo Don

The Japanese version of Mapo Tofu over rice. Another first!

I should just stop saying that. Let's face it. I just haven't lived!

The label reads "Spicy Mabo Don" but that is redundent. Duh!

Ume Blanc

Made from ume, the Japanese plum. The sweetness is subtle, nothing like the dessert counterpart you may well know served at a handful of Japanese restaurants in addition to sake.

What do i say? Priceless to still have firsts at my age.

Funny because just yesterday i had fume blanc for the first time, which of course is an entirely different animal.

Is Dionysus trying to tell me something?

Steamy

Another steaming adventure:

Bought the veggie medley* @ TJ's meant for stir fry and added sliced jalapeños. Mixed soy, sugar, sesame oil and water, and poured over the hot veggies.

I could eat this everyday : )

A self-respecting Chinese chef would stir in corn starch to improve the consistency of the sauce. I didn't. : )


*Broccoli, bell peppers, snow peas, mushrooms, onion and carrots

Prosciutto-Wrapped Apricots

The reason i was looking up "prosciutto" the other night.

One word: gross!

I have to say the photographer did a marvelous job. I've also learned in my research that pear is usually the fruit of choice.

Same word: gross!


Photo courtesy Taste of Home Summer Appetizers

Lunch with Denisse Today 5

Another Taiwanese adventure:

Cold appetizer of shredded chicken and mung bean sheets (which i mistook for rice paper - what kind of Asian am i?!?) in sesame sauce

Cold side of spicy cucumber with garlic slivers

Stir-fried beef tendon

Fluid

An image highly impactful and an ad campaign highly effective.

Nice Photoshop job!!!


Photo courtesy Crystal Light

Broccolini

Another first! : D

Cooked to presto perfection in a medium Zip 'n Steam™ by Ziploc®. Genius! That's another first, too! I love steamed veggies but find it vexing to fish out the goodies from a boiling pot at the end. The struggle ends here!

Simply drizzled with oyster sauce. That's all it needs. Very Chinese, yes. I could eat this everyday.

Flowers Outside Denisse's

Fuzzy Slippers and Rose Petals

Lunch with Denisse Today 4

I heart pasta! A simple pleasure indeed!

Sandwiches: grilled portobello and turkey pesto respectively. Mmm mmm.

Hitchcock's Domicile

Late Night Ponderance

Is there one "t" in "prosciutto"? Or two?


I swear this blog used to be profound : )

Elemental

Finally used the new pump on my bike tonight. The fucka looks menacing, doesn't it?

It's only been two years of not riding. And i'm surprised the tires are flat?

After what felt like 15 minutes of hard pumping, i was reminded of futile BJ's when a man would NEVER cum.

Yeah, flaccid.

At least with the bike tire, deflation was, if existent, negligible.

Coveted

The spiral buds are quite captivating - such an appeal! I was profoundly drawn.

The bicolored one is like sorbet with fruity swirls!

All In a Day's Work 41

C does make me giggle inside

Buttah 2

Ethnically ambiguous.

She's my type.


Photo courtesy Body Central

Snippet 114

JD:
How ya doing?

V:
Impossible to be succinct with that one so i shall say, "Eh!"

Snippet 113

Denisse:
You're going through a hard time in your life right now. Transitions can be the worst.

V:
I don't so much think of it as a transition but déjà vu.

As Tweeted 2

"I don't know where my home is." - Nelly Furtado

I miss my brother.

Trite

You can never go home again.

Home is where the heart is.

Where is my heart?

Love Letter

Dear Loneliness,

Quit stalking me!!!!!

Snippet 112

Derek II:
So... V is single again!

V:
That's right. Watch out, world! No one is safe!

Brilliance 3

As bright as i will go...

Wood-Fire

Finally used the gift card i've been carrying around in my purse since Christmas!

My obsession with crab cakes continues...

Wood-fire grilled lobster does taste better!

And everything tastes betta with lobster juice and buttah!

As Tweeted

You know you're old when you look at a piece of clothing and you go,
"Where does my right arm go in this?"

"Amelia" Is "Vivian" to the Barista

Sometimes my lips are so sticky with gloss
everything i say sounds like it starts with a "v".

Vintage 13

"One hundred percent pure".

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

A Lonely Panda

Sweet Basil

Rowena

Lunch with Denisse Yesterday 4

Lime grilled chicken with leeky mashed potatoes

Désirée

The amethyst chandellier earrings that Stewart bought online for his girlfriend arrived today. Bonus? He knew they were amethyst.

"She likes purple," he said as he showed them to me. "I've never bought her jewelry before so we shall see."

"This is gonna be huge!" I cried. "Is this a special occasion or just a token of affection?"

He indicated the latter. Then he added, "Just for being her."

Aaawwwww...

Buttah

Devon Aoki is the current spokesperson for Tiffany and Co.

She is the epitome of interracial beauté. Reminds me of the remarkable book Hapa, foreword by Sean Lennon.

Didn't some comedian say Someday we'll all be different shades of caffè latte?

Would love to see that day.

Cocoa & Buttah

So differentially tonal
i should be multiracial

Homemade Lychee Mojito

Two pots of mint because i had a buy-one-get-one-free coupon @ Yamagami's.

Yamagami = Mountain Paper?

Finally some green life in my patio after four years of residence.

I'd better pace my concocting or the poor suckas will be picked barren in no time!

First attempt. Not nearly as dreamy as Philip's, but refreshing and tasty in its own right, i must say.

Master, Where Art Thou?

This doggie sports what my Mom calls the "firecracker sprout" because the spikes resemble the sparks when a firecracker is lit.

I wouldn't know. I have never lit a firecracker in my life.

I sure have sported the firecracker sprout when i was at my mother's mercy, though.

The canine wistfulness really touched me.

Leave it to someone who has abandonment issues, of course.

Convert

Last time i cared for frozen yogurt was two decades ago. The Asian hype this century totally turned me off.

The Pinkberry brandwagon is equally stupid. There's nothing cool about froyo, people!

But 90° weather hit and who knew, i melted. (Ha, ha.)

There is nothing logical about strawberry on green tea or kiwi on taro. Especially not for the OCD-afflicted. But somehow this combo worked.

Bonus: a complete stranger paid for my treat. Simply out of the goodness of his heart. Both the cashier and i were flabbergasted.

Random acts of kindness are still in fashion. Or so it seemed. That's cool.