spilling latte

The one day I decide to have something different and get a caramel latte is the same day I mysteriously am unable not to spill it multiple times. Was my body trying to tell me something? With thanks to Cajé Coffee for helping clean up.

inherited field guides

 

Sometimes when you inherit field guides from your late naturalist aunt, there is plant material found within the pages. Sometimes even feathers.

Joan Didion

I like Joan Didion and relate to her while at the same time insist on describing her as disturbed and neurotic. In some ways I'm surprised that hipsters embrace her the way they do. Although this collection of essays is in some ways dated - a product of the nineteen sixties - there is plenty I could relate to. Like mine, her life mainly takes place in California and New York - but in reverse. I liked the essays about her upbringing in Sacramento, Joan Baez in Monterey County, the effects of Santa Ana winds on the Southern California psyche, as well as others. The title comes from a W.B. Yeats poem.

Yukon Gold

Gotta love them Yukon Gold potatoes at Frontside Cafe. Do potatoes even grow that far north in the Yukon Territory? Actually they do, but Canadian growers developed the variety in Ontario and picked the name to associate the Klondike Gold Rush with the golden color of the potato's interior. So there you have it.

Plumeria

While seated on the patio at Rumfish Y Vino this plant reminded me of our Madagascar Palm. It also reminded me a bit of frangipani. Turns out they are all members of the Apocynaceae plant family. My phone identified the above as Plumeria, which is both a genus of that family and an alternative name for frangipani. The name also honors the French botanist Charles Plumier (1646-1704). All this can get a little confusing but the main thing is that these are beautiful tropical plants that will bring you enjoyment if you let them.

Trouble

Way, way back in the depths of my mind I remember that popping thing that rolls the die. It took a few days however for that memory to well up from the depths.

I know a good cheese when I see one

Noe's revisited

It just so happens that we sat in the same place I did on my very first visit - the time when the table famously vibrated - except that this time the table didn't seem to vibrate. The veggie omelet however remained as delicious as before.

the humorous oven mitt

 

Reframe theory

We put the theory to the test and it worked: Reframe Bistro works wonderfully as a coffee house, especially its peaceful patio.

Clover interlude

Impossible, not Beyond

A classic Finney's lunch combo.

Books, Bart's & Beyond

Lana's personal copy, now in the Bart's beyond.

feeling jovial

Mediterranean Eggs revisited

Highly Likely it's a winner pops.

happy hungry hummingbirds

organic avocados

It's a challenge to buy avocados for someone else when they have a clear idea of what they want but are a touch vague in their description of exactly what they want. I think it worked out.

GF Asiatique

We were due for a meal at Asiatique. We had the GF version of Singapore Noodles, supplemented with Summer Rolls. It was a satisfying lunch and my only problem was that it was a bit too tofu-forward - and that was my fault for not refraining from the raw tofu slabs in the rolls.

Lucky Sushi for dinner

This was the first time we went to Lucky Sushi for dinner. It may also have been the first time we tried the garlic edamame, which was surprisingly tasty.

Garam Masala

In a world where you can't even trust spices anymore... this one found at World Market looks like it might be 2% more free of toxic contaminants. 

apriums

Little Ficelle encore

Sometimes it's okay to replay a good drink, a good book, and a good coffee house... especially before school is back in session!

M.P. situation, continued

New flowers bloom, old ones fall off.

Noe's with Mrs.

Of course I had been here but it was a first for Mrs. We had a veggie omelet and along with the Johnny Cash motif she was favorably impressed. Very happy to have launched this culinary adventure.

Rasoi encore

My impression is that the walls, the furniture and possibly the management are continually in flux here. I believe the table was different but the server assured me that the management was the same. The food was good and mostly the same.

don't judge a crepe by its cover?

A crepe Mrs. had in Berkeley that looks delicious but according to her was not. It's not entirely clear where she had it or whose hand is in the background.

some books about New Jersey

Madagascar Palm situation

 

A blooming Madagascar Palm is like a fireworks display. The flowers just keep on coming. I have no idea when the show will end.

redcoat seed bug

Or as some say, Melanopleurus belfragei.

a midsummer night's Scrabble game

2026 edition. The tradition lives on. As does Shakespeare. Incredibly gratifying to have played "mucid" and "silex", not to mention "roo". "Mazer" is pretty amazing as well (that was a Mrs. word).

hard to find

Bright Spark

A new place to grab lunch while my car is being worked on. This grilled cheese, pickle and caesar salad were all pretty tasty. Located in a business park.