Core Temperature

All I have to say right now is that my office is like a fricking oven. Sure, it was supposed to have a low of like 16 degrees today so I'm here in a cashmere turtleneck, with long sleeve shirt underneath and a pair of fully lined wool pants and I'm roasting. Usually it's freezing cold in here, like an ice box, like they're trying to keep cadavers from decomposing, but today? Today I feel like I'm going through menopause on the surface of the sun.

Mayoral Sighting

So, last night on our way to a last minute dinner at the Rock Center Cafe (yes, for a 7:30 dinner on Valentine's Day we made our reservation at 7:18pm).... we ran in to Mayor Bloomberg. Literally. We were walking on 50th right by the entrance to The Rainbow Room and I notice this nicely dressed woman in my path and a black SUV on the street awaiting her. We move to the left, Husband puts us right in between this woman and a large body guard and BOOM! Right there, right in front of us, staring right at us is Mike Bloomberg. He's rather short in person so I hadn't seen that he was standing there until we were right in front of him (his date hid him well). Based on the timing it would seem like he had taken his Valentine date to get the early bird special.

Guy and Madge, Spills in Torino

So, is Madonna really headed for divorce?

And, why is NBC not replaying any Olympic falls/crashes/false footings, etc.? Sure it is awful and mean, and surely you don't want anyone to get hurt, but come on there's at least a part of each winter olympic viewer that is watching it for the falls. It proves that even the Wheatie box people are imperfect like the rest of us!

Blizzard Baking

So, we've supposedly had a blizzard. "A Blizzard of Historic proportions", according to Brian Williams of NBC. After Cornell I can say I have certainly seen more blizzardly weather behavior, but all in all we do have a lot of snow and I certainly wasn't leaving the house today.

So, we started out the day right-- I made scones, thanks to a mix from the King Arthur Flour people. Not bad, if I may say so myself-- the mix provided the all previously too confusing bit of baking power, baking soda and flour-- those have proved difficult to master before, this time I just had to dump the mix, some salt and cold butter into the 'uisinart and then add in whisked milk and egg!

So, not feeling like I had done enough random blizzard baking, I am now in the midst of making "artisanal" bread, thanks again to the 'uise. My dough ball is rising as we speak. To accompany this I will be making Pasta Fagoli. Usually I do this with the assistance of a mix from Alessi, for some odd reason I happen to have all of the other ingredients needed for the soup-- chicken broth, cannelini beans, chopped tomatoes, chopped spinach, cream, ditalini/wagon wheels (Husband's pasta preference), spices, etc. but no soup mix. Now it's just a question of whether there is some mysterious spice in the Alessi package which I will be missing.... wish me luck and we'll save a piece of bread for you!

ps. I randomly purchased a tomatillo the other day, any recipe suggestions are welcome!

Even more "Things you wish you hadn't heard"

So, twice today I have had those moments where singular words in other people's conversations pierce through the din of ambient noise and make a bold impression in my head.

The first was this morning on the train when the threatening looking youth sitting in the row behind me using his two way pager had the other participant in the conversation shout something to the effect of so-and-so being out on probation.

The second incident occurred at dinner at a hip french fusion place where the man at the next table suddenly elevated the level of his voice right when he started describing his current digestive troubles.

More from the Files of "Things You Wish You Hadn't Heard"

"I'm getting my nose done and my eyes done. I'm so excited!"

Annals of Fashion

Clearly I have hit some sort of bump in the road to living a fashionable life as I found myself last evening ordering a dress from the Isaac Mizrahi collection at Target.com

See Spot Save.

Lincoln Tunnel

So, I'm attempting to make my way back to New Jersey through the Lincoln Tunnel.

(Going was eventful as ever, getting stuck going through the two-way traffic tube)... and I manage to find myself behind what can only be described as the Rice-a-Roni streetcar. Yes it was some sort of Grayline tourist trolley "Hop-on, Hop-off" and it too was on its way to New Jersey. This would have been fine except I was in the right hand lane and the guy driving the Trolley is one of those people who *has* to go through the tunnel (and I'm sure bridges fall into this category too) on the left side.

Do you know one of these people? (Yes, Mom, you know you're one of them). Fine, so you have to drive on one side or another-- no problem, but can't you figure that out before you get to the tunnel/bridge/whatever??? Can't you adjust your route to the tunnel so that you approach it in the appropriate lane?? These are the same people who will pay their toll in the extreme left lane only to then have to cut across 37 lanes in order to go through the tube "on the right side". Advance planning folks-- it can save a lot of time.

Then, on top of it, the San Francisco Treat can't merge. He's made his way all the way from wherever and is now approximately one car length from the tunnel entrance and is STOPPED. Right there, trolley blinker on and making no effort to merge.

Meanwhile I have some psychopath from Pennsylvania in an old Jag trying to push my car into the traffic cones which seperate the lanes. Possibly the only people who drive worse than tourist trolley drivers are people from Pennsylvania.