(no subject)

It's been several solid days since I actually made a post about myself on my blog. Not sure what happened there; I think my life has simply been uninteresting while I recover from the endless week of endlessness.

Actually I've done a lot. On Saturday I went out to brunch with my theatre group at this place off the Paulina brown line stop, Wishbone Restaurant, and had an incredibly ambivalent experience with cornflake-coated french toast. It wasn't bad, it was just...strange. The sausage was exceptional, though.

The area around Paulina is pretty neat; there's a fun toy store next to Wishbone, a really fantastic bakery up the street, and apparently (this is hearsay, but I intend to prove or disprove it soon) the New England Sandwich Shop near the bakery makes the best lobster roll in the city. North of the train station is the Paulina Meat Market, which smells astoundingly good. I may need to start paying visits to get my meat there; I really miss having access to a great butcher's counter, like I had in St. Nowhere. Living directly behind an organic grocer is one of the few things I genuinely miss about grad school.

My work with the theatre group is getting me out of the house a lot, actually. Sunday I was at rehearsal, which went well; I got to talk to the playwright for the first time and get some questions answered. Monday night I had production meeting for the group, which went fast because like half our people are out of town. At the moment I'm researching southern spirituals for the scene designer and baptism traditions for one of the actors.

Work's ticking along quietly; Coworker Crush keeps forgetting the book she was going to loan me, so I've been stopping by her office daily in mid-morning to pester her and entertain my replacement at the front desk. Budget projections are well underway, and it's remarkable how much easier they are when everyone's healthy.

Three people I know had babies last week within the space of four days. SURREAL.

(I keep looking at my notes from yesterday's weekly planning meeting with my boss as I write this, as if those are going to help me remember wtf I did last week.)

Also, my friend I was fundraising for yesterday wanted to pass along her thanks for your donations -- she was able to pay off two utility bills and has almost made rent for February. It's good for me too; so many of my friends are out of work, and I feel so helpless at my inability to do any more than I'm already doing. So. Thanks from her and from me for that.

(no subject)

I wanted a Cheesesteak today.

The differences between a Cheesesteak and an Italian Beef are probably mostly semantic and involve the cut of meat and how it's trimmed; also depending on where you get it, an Italian Beef does or does not have cheese or onions, sometimes it has peppers, but ANYWAY, the point is that for me, the difference between a Cheesesteak and an Italian Beef are that Great Steak & Potato calls it a cheesesteak and is closer to work.

So I went to Great Steak and Potato for lunch, and got a cheesesteak and some fries. And I came back to work and ate it at my cubicle, while listening to the Gluttony episode of Caustic Soda Podcast.

Awkward Coworker: Oh! You're the one who has fries, I knew I smelled them.
Sam: Yeah, but they're not very good fries.
Awkward Coworker: Not very good?
Sam: Soggy. Very unsatisfrying.

IMMEDIATELY, from THREE DIRECTIONS (my boss's office, the person who sits behind me, and across the hall) I hear "OH NOOOOO". It was so sudden and so loud that Awkward Coworker was startled. Possibly one of my finest moments as a punster.

On the other hand, I just remembered I have a dentist's appointment later today. Possibly should not have eaten a cheesesteak beforehand.

The moral of the story is: Great Steak & Potato is not that great, and do not get their fries.

(no subject)

I went to the dentist! He filled my cavity! I cannot feel my face!

I forgot about novocaine. I have zero foods that are appropriate for someone who has just had dental work done. I'm trying to figure out if I should try to gnaw a slice of leftover pizza to death or just eat almond butter with a spoon. I like almond butter, but not enough to eat it with a spoon if I have other options.

Tomorrow I am taking a tour of a hot dog factory. It's serious business, I signed up for this tour last April. I have to sign a page-long confidentiality form and turn off my cellphone. I probably shouldn't even be telling you people the hot dog factory gives tours. ARE YOU SPIES FOR HEBREW NATIONAL? Wait, no, they don't need spies, they've got God on their side.

(If anyone on the Cafe actually does work for Hebrew National, who are my preferred brand of hot dog, I will die laughing.)