Pittsburgh salad
In addition to the chili, we got this for the game – cheesesteak innards over fries. Yikes!
Author: Laren
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Pittsburgh salad
Pittsburgh salad
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Good Thing I Stayed in Friday
Siberia SignageBecause Saturday started early with a gym date — spin and yoga with Kim — and then on to our "first Saturdays" brunch with the girls. We get together for brunch on the first Saturday of each month (this was our third month), drink bloody marys, catch up, talk about boys, laugh our heads off, then head out for more of the same. Yesterday we drank umpteen bottles of champagne at the Pink Pony after a delicious brunch at Essex and laughed so hard that a neighboring customer kept coming over to check in on us and see what was so funny.
After our 5 1/2 hour brunch, I had to take a nap before meeting Mark for his friend Rob’s birthday pub crawl. Although we didn’t arrive in time for a drink at the Holland Bar, we were able to spend quality time at Siberia (where I found this awesome sign), Rudy’s, and Smith’s. It made me look forward to John’s East Village Dive Bar Crawl, which I know is coming up sometime soon.
Today I slept late, cleaned house, did some laundry, and made a pot of black & white chili from American Favorites
for the super bowl. I think I’m heading up to Augie & Lauren’s to watch, and in addition to the chili will be bringing this great-looking jalepeno popcorn my brother gave me as part of a gourmet gift bag.
All in all, a great weekend.
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For the Record
Last night was a planned night in for me, and I actually stayed in, on the couch, watching old Six Feet Under DVD’s
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I’m Starting to Think It’s a Cult
So I went to my time management training the other day, and to my surprise and delight, a bulk of the program was devoted to the principles of David Allen’s Getting Things Done, which, as you may recall, I read before I started the new job. I have tried to implement some of the systems at work to some degree of success, but now that I know it has the firm’s seal of approval, I may even start to block off time in my calendar for weekly review! And the icing on the cake? CLE credit, baby.
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And in the Sad, But True Category
I signed up for a time management seminar scheduled for today and completely forgot to put it in my calendar.
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A Family That Eats Together
My brother, sister and I got together this weekend for a belated exchanging of Chanukah gifts. My sister and I had pulled together a gourmet gift bag of sorts for my brother — funky sauces, Valrhona chocolate, a sake set. He then turned around and gave me . . . a gourmet gift bag. My brother and I got my sister an espresso machine, and my sister got me two books, one of which being Ruth Reichl’s new one. Can you tell that the food-focus runs in the family?
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The Way to My Heart
As Valentine’s Day grows rapidly nearer, I’m constantly aware of it. At every grocery store and drugstore, there are aisles swathed in red and pink and heart-shaped treats strategically placed near the registers. As a single person, I’ve come to view V-day as a day to celebrate both my singledom itself as well as the people in my life who make it so fabulous.
But this year is different. This year, I think I am falling in love.
It’s still early yet, as we’ve only spent three precious night together, but each one has been magical, awakening my senses beyond my wildest dreams. My new lover was so kind — comfortable and inviting — even from the first time we were together, and upon first glance, I knew this was something special. In just a few short hours, I was exposed to so many new and exciting things, and each rendez-vous has expanded my horizons greatly. But love can be painful, and at the end of our nights together, it often hurt to leave a significant part of myself behind.
To be honest, I know we won’t be spending Valentine’s Day together as there will be too many others vying for attention that day, but I know in my heart that we will share other nights together. So until our next encounter, Babbo, I send you my love, and I’ll be dreaming of your rich and decadent goose liver ravioli and delicate pasta pyramids with passato di pomodoro until we meet again.
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Sometimes You Can Get What You Want
After a bout with food poisoning on Thursday night/Friday, I recovered enough to start off Saturday at a spin class with Hallie and Eliza. The instructor had picked some fantastic music, which can make all the difference in a spin class, including a final 7-minute hill to "You Can’t Always Get What You Want." Absolutely perfect.
Yesterday, after paying all my bills, I met up with Deb for a snack at the lovely Tarrallucci e Vino and then I accompanied her to Starbucks so she could get a drink. She ordered with such precision and accuracy — clearly this was a woman who, through trial and error, had learned how to get exactly what she wanted through Starbucks-speak: a tall, skim, no water, 180 chai latte. In translation, this is a medium chai latte made with skim milk, with no water (normally they use 1/2 water), heated to 180 degrees, rather than the typical 160. It was the best Starbucks ordering I have ever heard.
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Vodka, Caviar, and Cheesy Costumes, Take 2
Ah, the Old Russian New Year. The decadence, the debauchery, and don’t forget — the vodka. Plenty of it. Many thanks to Bryn for organizing, Seth for inviting me (and timing his visit so perfectly), and Max and Marianne for being such wonderful company (and a special shout-out to Marianne for being the first to ask me to dance!). You can find the pictures here. And if you want to relive the fun from two years ago, you can do that too.
