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Friday, July 25, 2003

Donut Flavored Cough Drops.

I have a sore throat. So I'm following that old saying, feed a fever, starve a cold, shovel as much wet food as your hands can lift down a sore throat. Really I don't need a snack at this hour, but I also didn't need to shake the pulp-free orange juice container, and I did that anyway.

At least I tried to make it a healthier snack than usual. I balanced (no pun intended) a piece of bread on the glass and picked up an apricot and a sweet donut peach. (I kid you not, that's what they're called. A handsome graying man shopping at Trader Joes saw me eyeing the tiny little things suspiciously and told me, "They're really good." He smiled, and I told him that I appreciated the endorsement. He walked away in his jogging suit and I considered warning him that I'd hold him responsible and chase him down if they weren't good, but he was in track pants and had a running start.)

I resisted the urge to juggle, particularly since a) one of the items was a full glass of juice, and b) I do not know how to juggle. The peach was pretty good, actually, but I do have to warn you about setting one down next to your mouse. It's about the right shape, sure, but the buttons don't really click all that well.

I haven't even broken into the cough syrup yet. I think it's going to be a long day tomorrow. Er, today.

02:10 AM PST (link)

Wednesday, July 23, 2003

The Future Looks Rosé.

Oenomancy: The mystical art of figuring out if a bottle of wine will be tasty or not before buying it.¹ Sometimes you may augur certain signs, which will sway your decision. I can particularly attest to the hand-lettered signs at K&L Wines which say things like "Don't leave without one of these!" In a weakened state, having trudged a few blocks farther than I expected in the sun on my lunch hour to get there, I don't question. Bacchus has spoken.

I suppose signs are cheaper than replacing all those burning bushes.

Normally my purchase method is the time-tested Label Method: Is it an interesting label? Good color scheme? or did they use a tacky font and bad illustration? I buy a champagne that's pretty good, but I only recognise it because it has a beautiful Art Nouveau illustration on it—couldn't tell you the name of it at gunpoint. That's probably the reason why I keep going back to Bonny Doon wines. (Lately, I've discovered Framboise. Mmm. Raspberries.)

The other common variety of Oenomancy is the Tome Method. The waiter (or the sommelier) brings over a lengthy document and, after scanning the names for a few minutes, expects you to deduce which one is the best price-performer. Monday night the Boyfriend and I went to Julius Castle Restaurant to celebrate his birthday. Interesting place—a victorian castle on the hill just beneath Coit Tower. But the binder they brought for the wine looked like technical documentation for a Shuttle launch. We flipped through, looking for as much as a variety of wine that sounded familiar, and then picked the most interesting sounding wine that didn't require a credit check prior to decanting. We did pretty well, I thought. (For any of you winey people, it was a 1999 Ferrari-Carano Siena. It had sensuous cherry and raspberry tones and smooth tannins, or something.)

But I never remember what wine was good and what wine wasn't. I had some really fine Italian wine last September that was $20 and delicious, and that's about all I can recall. (I asked at the wine store, but from the blank looks I got, that wasn't enough to go on, I guess.) Maybe I should start a Wine Blog. Maybe I should invest in some wine software to help me keep track of things. Maybe I should invest in a pencil and a notepad.

¹I suppose technically the term would imply using the wine to see the future. That might be true, though in my case it's mostly just visions of passing out later that evening.

07:13 PM PST (link)

Sunday, July 20, 2003

Sleeping Soundly.

I realize now that this weekend has been the first chance I've had to sleep in for the past several weeks. I think I might have been able to get up late on the fifth; otherwise, I've been getting less than four hours a night. Too much to do and see, and I don't want to miss anything. But largely I'm glad that I've been able to catch a lot of good music.

Thursday night was the Monsters of Accordian at the Odeon Bar. A nice joint, but a few too many hipsters for my tastes; white girls with dreadlocks, guys in ironic hats and chunky black plastic glasses.

But I love the Monsters. Daniel Ari, the spoken word poet with self-deprecating humor and smart lyrics; Aaron Seeman (creator of the Punk Rock Orchestra,) covering everything from the Dead Kennedys to Chopin, with stops in between for "More than A Feeling" by Boston and "O Holy Night." And Jason Webley, the young madman pounding on the stage and playing accordion while standing above us on the bar. We raised our glasses of Death and Taxes Ale and sang along until we were hoarse.

Perhaps we had a bit much Death and Taxes. Friday was a very long day, and I was glad to sleep in on Saturday. If Sister Edith made any noise while getting ready that morning, I didn't know it.

Last night we saw The Fire Garden, which was neat, because it's, well lightning and fire. I was most impressed, though with Loop!Station, a cellist and vocalist who weave together some extraordinary sounds with a live sampler and effects pedals.

However, I'm mostly reminded of this sleep deprivation as the Boyfriend snores beside me while I write this, drinking a cup of coffee and contemplating seeing the Japonize Elephants tonight at the Bottom of the Hill. They're a fun group to see live. But looking at my calendar of the week ahead, knowing that sleep may be one of those things that I'll have to miss...

03:13 PM PST (link)