(no subject)

Haven't posted in a while. I've had a bit of a deadline at work, it's the first full week after holidays, and I'm really getting into these Patrick O'Brian books.

I had this dream I moved to LA. Nothing against my LA friends (I love you all), but LA would be a nightmare to me.

Here is an article about the Zagat food critics: http://www.fortune.com/fortune/thisjustin/0,15704,565455,00.html?cnn=yes
If you read it, ignore absolutely every word about the Zagats. It's the little side anecdotes of the restaurant industry that are interesting :)

(no subject)

And all her friends tell her she's so pretty
But she'd be a whole lot prettier if she smiled once in a while
Cuz even her smile looks like a frown
She's seen her share of devils in this angel town
-- Shawn Mullins

I've been isolated. Work all week, in the little room off my bedroom, plus reading a few books, plus online Texas Hold 'em Poker (I'm up $75 this week), and I suddenly realized how I've seen far too much of three rooms of my house, plus the computer screen. I mean, my Mom was in town for the first couple days, and we went out to lunch and stuff...but she's my Mom.

So at 7, I took off to a bar on the beach. Just as I pulled out of my driveway, the nearly full moon rose, huge and orange over the mainland, and Venus was stunningly bright, sinking slowly into the Gulf. I took a seat outside, facing the beach and feeling the wind whip inshore. It's been cold the last couple days, but it was mid-60s (high teens), perfect jacket weather on the beach.

I had a martini and a cuban sandwich, watching Venus sink and the casino ships cruise out to the 3-mile limit, there to circle endlessly while taking chips. It was a good sandwich, but my upper jaw couldn't take the whole thing -- a side effect of my wisdom teeth being removed when I was 35; it takes far too long to regrow jaw tissue and I can't eat too much chewy food without a dull ache forming.

I fell off the smoking wagon for tonight, but I'm back on tomorrow morning.

Salty cool air, bright planets, lit ships, good food, crisp martini...moonlit horizon....

It was a lovely night.