Five restaurant reviews and a near-death experience...

It's been a long week of dining out, folks. Not that I have all the money in the world to spend on dining out or that I hate cooking so much (both very untrue), but in the last week I've had dinner plans quite often.

Last Thursday my Eat It! dinner group went to Santorini. While I could have done without the spanikopita, the trio of dips was amazing. We had the Spicy Feta – Creamy feta with olive oil and hot peppers; Tirosalata – Fresh herbs, peppers and feta cheese; and my personal favorite, Melitzano – Salata – Roasted eggplant with garlic and oil. Not to mention the amount of wine I had. Woah.

Saturday night David and I went to Redstone, where we had the amazing smoked gouda fondue and two desserts. It was awesome. Enough said.

Tuesday night I met up with an old coworker from the U. We went to Amazing Thailand in Uptown. This place was awesome. First, let me tell you about the Tuesday Happy Hour from 4-11p. Definitely worth it. For dinner I had the Pineapple Fried Rice. Delishous. It does indeed come in the pineapple and is enough for at least four meals. And... when the little man wrapped my leftovers, he actually wrapped the entire pineapple half.

Wednesday night my dinner plans were canceled, but my day at the office was miserable so I went to Happy Hour with Amy, then to Tristan's for a drink, and then to Burger Jones for some greasy apps and a beer. While Tristan was really excited about going back here for the cheese curds, and from what I understand the burger Tristan and Jas shared was pretty good, I was not impressed. The fries were soggy and nowhere as amazing as the garlic parm fries David and I had in SanFran, the cheese curds were just... different... and the onion rings were THICK. Not that the apps were bad, I was just hoping for more. Saving grace: Rice Krispie Treat Milkshake, and of couse, the Bells Two Hearted Ale.

Tonight Allen and I went to Prima, where I had my favorite sandwich and salad, which does not need explination.

So my dining out has come to an end.. it's time to get back in the kitchen... or out at the grill! I'm a little appauled with the amount of food out I've eaten in the last week, but it was well worth it to see all my friends... and who doesn't like to dine out!


Now --- the near-death experience. (Ok, so it wasn't a near-death experience, but it was super funny and I could have been injured pretty badly!) Last night when Jas picked Tristan and myself up at Tristan's apartment, she was on the phone. Tristan got in the front and I opened the back passenger door to hop in the back. The seat was full, so I had to move some stuff to the other side. Well... Tristan closed her door, and Jas thought she heard two doors close, so started to drive off.... with me hanging out the car. Tristan and I screamed "JAS" and she said, "Woah. John, I have to go... I just about ran over Liz." That's right, my friends, Jas started to drive off with me only half in the car! Good thing the door was open and she was going forwards, not backwards. Had she been in reverse, I would have been a pancake on the ground.

Nice work, Jas. Next time, get off the phone and check to see all passengers are in the car before driving off!

Stop the noise!

There is a time and a place for outdoor repairs. I understand the need and sometime urgency to get an outdoor project finished, I really do. What I do not understand is why these workers seem to think it's acceptable to be outside schlepping and sawing and banging and hammering after 5:00p. For the second night in a row now, these folks have been outside my window in the little wooded area between my building and the golf course, building something or another. Looks a little like a retaining wall or something, but nonetheless, they are building. Now, I know they want to get it done, but they should be doing this work - the schlepping and sawing and banging and hammering -- during the day, while most of us tenants are at work. When the 5:00p bell rings, that should be it. Yes -- it stays light out pretty late in the spring/summer hours here in the Midwest, but COME ON! After a long day at work, no one wants to come home to schlepping and sawing and banging and hammering until 9:00 at night!

Pack up and go home, bitches!

Close the door...

At home, if I'm the only person in my apartment, I often will leave the bathroom door open when I visit the lavatory. However, if I am out in public, read: my office, I most definitely close and lock the stall door -- whether I am the only person in the entire building or not.

This afternoon, as I went into the office bathroom to brush my teeth, I could hear there was someone else in there. However, all three stall doors we ajar. The person in the stall realized I had entered the bathroom, made some noise, and closed and locked her stall. Then, once done with her business, while I was brushing my teeth, she opened the stall door. Normal procedure if finished... except she had not completely zipped and buttoned her pants!

Come on, lady! This is a public restroom!

Two more days...

The damn Apple Store doesn't even have the part they need to fix my computer in yet. They say maybe it came in today and it hasn't been logged yet. This means at least two more days before I get my computer back.

I might die...

I must be a curse...

It seems that since I started working for whatever organization you want to call the last almost four years of my career, I have a curse. It's unintentional, but those who sign up to work with me in the future should be forewarned:

It seems every product manager assigned to categories paired with my marketing expertise either get fired, laid off, or quit.

In the four years I've been working on this brand, I've been through more product managers than imaginable. Not counting all my appliance friends, with whom I no longer work, in the consumer electronics realm alone, I've officially, as of about an hour ago, been through seven product managers. Unreal.

So to all your product managers out there, think twice before signing on to work with me... apparently I must be a curse.

4 Days and $200 later

I took my baby to the doctor today. Yes, the mac when in to the Apple Store. The little Apple guy, no taller than myself, told me if I was careful with my precious computer, I could just tape the side together and be on my merry way. OR... I could leave it, spend a small fortune, and get the entire bottom replaced. Though I can't bear to leave my baby with the doctor, not to mention over the weekend, I will fork out the cash and have 'er fixed. There's no way I want to deal with a flaw in the chassis. Repair it, bitches! So, on Monday or Tuesday I will pick up my baby from the hospital with a completely new body.

Now... if I can only make it through the weekend...

Great Success...

I think Rabbi Allen's email to myself and Dave (the co-chair) expresses last night's Fundraiser best.

"Words alone cannot capture all of my feelings regarding last night's fundraiser. It was a tremendous evening and a wonderful event. You and your committee did an excellent job of motivating and mobilizing; encouraging and energizing; celebrating and "sellabrating". I am sure I speak for every rabbi when I say how touched I was with the dignity of the tributes and the truth behind each presentation. I know it was a difficult time to be promoting and working on a fundraiser--but we did great---beyond any dollars raised we had an evening which showed the shul at its best. Thank-you and please organize a gathering at a local establishment--and this first round is on me. Try and get some of your life back these next few weeks. BTW, the tribute book turned out to be a great piece of work. Thank-you and Yasjer kochechem--and please pass on my sincere appreciation to the entire committee. Rabbi Allen"

While it was SO much work, it was a great event (notwithstanding the handful of glitches throughout the night) and I am happy with the outcome.... and really happy it's over.