...I am so inconsistent with this blogging thing. Anyways, last week in the middle of May it snowed like 7 inches in a few hours. In May. Snow. 7 inches. Ok see, in California in May I'm wearing shorts and wondering how many calories do I need to cut so that my wife beater fits, and I don't look the like wife with sagging boobs.
Here it seems that the weather just kind of goes on with no boundaries. The next two days after our "blizzard" were hot, like 80 degrees, so of course mounds of snow are melting and all the gutters are overflowing and you have your windows rolled down and sweating as you drive as these huge mountains of snow that had been plowed the day before and I'm like WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE! And then today, Thunderstorm. With Hail and Sleet. I swear if I see a funnel cloud I'm on the first bus/train/horse back to California. I'm looking outside because I'm convinced an 18 wheeler and a freight train had collided but the South Dakotans are telling me, um, that was Thunder. I'm like no, see Thunder is like a big boom (and they laugh because I guess one or more Californian had said boom in describing thunder). Thunder does not make the clock on your wall fall on to your desk or make your teeth hurt, that's a collision/explosion of some kind. So I'm staring outside and it's like 2pm but it's dark!! and I see little hail stones bouncing off my car hood and I'm just convinced that pretty soon those big huge hailstones are going to happen, you know like golf ball sized hail and they will totally annihilate my car. I can't afford to fix anything if my car dies, or, is murdered. I was told hail like that is rare and not to worry. I'm not worried, I just don't believe weather like this really exists. The sky is a mass of black and blue swirling clouds and lightning is blinding me and the thunder is making my fillings rattle and I'm convinced this is doomsday but I keep telling myself, it's sunny somewhere! It's sunny somewhere!!
Then the rain comes and it's like this tidal wave of water, not cute rain drops that you try and catch on your tongue but splashes of water that would surely take your jaw off if you were dumb enough to open your mouth. I look at my co-workers reading the paper or just chatting it up and I'm thinking, it'll be ok, no one is concerned and I look out the window and I see this trash can go blowing by and another thunder crack shakes the building and I finally go back into my office and start looking at live webcams of cities in California so I can be assured that this isn't the day that ends all days. Then it get's really quiet and I'm afraid to look out side because you know the whole eye of the storm thing and this is when the tornado will definitely strike. My office begins to become more illuminated (I never turn my light on and I'm basically in the dark as this point) and I turn to look out my windows and the clouds are fading away and the sun is coming out. In like 20 mins. it's 72 degrees with blue skies and sunshine. WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH THAT!! Were we not just ready to board an Ark a few minutes ago??
I look outside and see our neighbors dragging their trash can back up the road and the bunnies are out eating the grass from the parking lot across the way and it's like it never happened. Well except for the river of water running through our parking lot, it was like a dream.
That sh*t just ain't right. In California, when it rains it rains for days and when it's nice it's nice for days! The Weather there doesn't play with your mind and get you all scared then serene in the span of like an hour!! Oh no, I need more consistency!! Not to mention it f*cks with your wardrobe because how you gonna dress yourself if you don't know how the weather is going to be? I mean I can't be wearing shorts in the morning and then a parka in the afternoon, it just clashes! What? Am I supposed to like have an emergency bag of clothes with me at all times? That's too much commitment for me, I need to know that when I wear shorts, I'm wearing those damn shorts for the next three months no problem or questions asked, don't mess with my head and freak me out and then have the sunshine come out with squirrels and bunnies playing, naw, f*ck that. Mother nature here needs to recognize that we all ain't mountain people and some of us believe that the sun should actually be up and shining for the whole day for days on end, it's called summer dammit! That's how it should be!
:-)
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Eating buddies...
...my friend Nancy and I used to work together and eat together...a lot. I really miss the food out in California, so much diversity and exciting tastes. I went to a Mexican restaurant here in town and I was appalled at what they tried to pass off as chips and salsa! The chips were the round Tostitos brand and the salsa was tomato sauce, I think I saw a piece of green pepper in there. It reminded me of a place me and my Cuz went to in Livermore, oh man that was horrible. At this place in Rapid City the rice came out of a box and the beans weren't refried, they were just wet and mushy. It was horrible. Now in Cali, nothing like the taco trucks. They were perfect to go to on a Saturday or Sunday after a night in the clubs. Go and get four taco's and some hot sauce and you were set, or a chicken burrito with some lime and radish...OMG that was the shit!
Best Vietnamese soup was at Da Nang's, I think they put heroin in the broth because you just had to go at least once a week for your fix. Nancy and I discovered that place, then it became really popular, same with the Mexcian restaurant across the street, we were the first customers in their first week of business. Excellent salsa and Enchilladas New Mexico was my fave dish, it had two eggs on top of the enchiladas (the enchiladas were spread out like pancakes) delicious. The bread at the Indian restaurant downtown was like butter melting in your mouth and the best cilantro and rice, or the Won Ton soup at Canton Gardens and good Kung Pau Chicken at Dave Wongs. When we were poor (not like poor means here) we would go to La Cabana, this pointy roof Mexican restaurant where you got a lot of food for like four bucks and the service was great. Best egg rolls were at Ho Suns in Manteca, did you know THEY MAKE THEIR OWN EGG ROLL WRAPS?? Nancy says they don't but I think that's just 'cause she doesn't know how and she's Chinese. Best Meatloaf has to be at this place in Folsom called the Folstom Stree Cafe, I used to meet my friend Aimee up there sometimes for lunch, cute place, nice portions great potatoes. Nancy and I ate at so many restaurants over the years I forget how many, I think our best discovery was Momma Ruth's...oooooooooohh shittt! Soul food, best fried chicken and mac and cheese ever! With a side of greens and hot sauce and you were in heaven. Granted we spent half the day there (their fryer was having problems and I'm not sure the electrical hook up they had was up to code...but), it was worth it. We even went to some hoity toity places like the 856 cafe, best french onion soup. We never went back though, Nancy kinda ghetto and I was a bit embarrassed around all those rich white folks *grin*. Or CoCo Ro's, you paid like $14 for a bowl of rice with some chicken in it but they gave you a shiny pretty rock to rest your chopsticks on :-) Nancy stole hers, hence the reason we didn't go to the nice places to often, she be getting me in trouble. Cancuns, Arroyo's, Casa Flores...all get honorable mention, well Arroyo's was more Nancy's choice than mine she liked the Taco salad, I never did try it. Tepa's was great also, good salsa and burrito's were wrapped really tight. Best super burrito ever? Has to be La Estrella in Manteca in the Big Boy shopping center...big messy burrito it was great! Also good Chile Verde, me and my cousin Martin went there one time and ordered it, I'd never had it there before but it was by far the best. The Duck Nook on Harding had the best navy bean soup and potato salad, sushi was good at Kikusui on Pershing. Angelina's had a great Italian buffet. You never really know what you miss until you're stuck in the middle of a lot of Arby's and Wendy's, Burger King's etc. I don't think we EVER ate at fast food for lunch, Jack in the Box was for breakfast, that's about it. Well there were times when we were really broke and I'd grab my back pack and she'd grab her old lady purse and we'd go through all of our change and hit the Wendy's .99cent menu! Me and my eating buddy! LOL we ate til the end...scraping pennies and what not.
It's important to have a person who isn't afraid to try new things when going on a culinary adventure. Nancy wasn't afraid of putting anything in her mouth (oh lawd!) and she could eat. A short Asian woman but I've seen her clear a plate of enchilladas and a side of chips and salsa like a Marine!! Then she start looking at my plate! Gotta eat fast round her! I miss those days, the friendship and the food and the excitement of trying something new. There really aren't any places like those here, a couple of Chinese restaurants and two really gross "Mexican" restaurants, but that's about it. I can't afford to eat out here anyways but even if I could, I'd probably still eat my Ramen and tuna creations. Besides, not as fun without my eating buddy.
Peace out ;-)
Best Vietnamese soup was at Da Nang's, I think they put heroin in the broth because you just had to go at least once a week for your fix. Nancy and I discovered that place, then it became really popular, same with the Mexcian restaurant across the street, we were the first customers in their first week of business. Excellent salsa and Enchilladas New Mexico was my fave dish, it had two eggs on top of the enchiladas (the enchiladas were spread out like pancakes) delicious. The bread at the Indian restaurant downtown was like butter melting in your mouth and the best cilantro and rice, or the Won Ton soup at Canton Gardens and good Kung Pau Chicken at Dave Wongs. When we were poor (not like poor means here) we would go to La Cabana, this pointy roof Mexican restaurant where you got a lot of food for like four bucks and the service was great. Best egg rolls were at Ho Suns in Manteca, did you know THEY MAKE THEIR OWN EGG ROLL WRAPS?? Nancy says they don't but I think that's just 'cause she doesn't know how and she's Chinese. Best Meatloaf has to be at this place in Folsom called the Folstom Stree Cafe, I used to meet my friend Aimee up there sometimes for lunch, cute place, nice portions great potatoes. Nancy and I ate at so many restaurants over the years I forget how many, I think our best discovery was Momma Ruth's...oooooooooohh shittt! Soul food, best fried chicken and mac and cheese ever! With a side of greens and hot sauce and you were in heaven. Granted we spent half the day there (their fryer was having problems and I'm not sure the electrical hook up they had was up to code...but), it was worth it. We even went to some hoity toity places like the 856 cafe, best french onion soup. We never went back though, Nancy kinda ghetto and I was a bit embarrassed around all those rich white folks *grin*. Or CoCo Ro's, you paid like $14 for a bowl of rice with some chicken in it but they gave you a shiny pretty rock to rest your chopsticks on :-) Nancy stole hers, hence the reason we didn't go to the nice places to often, she be getting me in trouble. Cancuns, Arroyo's, Casa Flores...all get honorable mention, well Arroyo's was more Nancy's choice than mine she liked the Taco salad, I never did try it. Tepa's was great also, good salsa and burrito's were wrapped really tight. Best super burrito ever? Has to be La Estrella in Manteca in the Big Boy shopping center...big messy burrito it was great! Also good Chile Verde, me and my cousin Martin went there one time and ordered it, I'd never had it there before but it was by far the best. The Duck Nook on Harding had the best navy bean soup and potato salad, sushi was good at Kikusui on Pershing. Angelina's had a great Italian buffet. You never really know what you miss until you're stuck in the middle of a lot of Arby's and Wendy's, Burger King's etc. I don't think we EVER ate at fast food for lunch, Jack in the Box was for breakfast, that's about it. Well there were times when we were really broke and I'd grab my back pack and she'd grab her old lady purse and we'd go through all of our change and hit the Wendy's .99cent menu! Me and my eating buddy! LOL we ate til the end...scraping pennies and what not.
It's important to have a person who isn't afraid to try new things when going on a culinary adventure. Nancy wasn't afraid of putting anything in her mouth (oh lawd!) and she could eat. A short Asian woman but I've seen her clear a plate of enchilladas and a side of chips and salsa like a Marine!! Then she start looking at my plate! Gotta eat fast round her! I miss those days, the friendship and the food and the excitement of trying something new. There really aren't any places like those here, a couple of Chinese restaurants and two really gross "Mexican" restaurants, but that's about it. I can't afford to eat out here anyways but even if I could, I'd probably still eat my Ramen and tuna creations. Besides, not as fun without my eating buddy.
Peace out ;-)
Monday, May 9, 2005
I don't like being poor...
...I mean really poor. Like I haven't had cash in my hand for like two weeks and it will be another two weeks before I do. *sigh* and then it will be like a whole $20.00 if that. Ok I admit, I had it good in California. Man the amount of money I blew on cigs, beer and eating out, I could live off of that for two months here!!
I have an ATM card that I got from my bank, it's sitting in my desk inactivated because really, there is no point. Not like in Cali when I was swiping my card everytime I turned around. I know I know, it's a different lifestyle here and it's for school (which of course is important) and the wages are different and yada yada...I just don't know if I can DO it for three years! Ok my ass is old, I'm not a young starving college student, nor do I want to be. I just want to finish my degree and move on, and yes I understand there are sacrifices, but meat? I mean come on...I went like three weeks before I was able to buy some groceries, of course I didn't pay the light bill but oh well, electricity can be overrated. I'm telling myself things are tight for now, but I just don't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I missed the Native American Film Festival like two blocks from my house, no money. I don't go out, haven't been to a movie or eaten out in months. Its sucks I'm bitching, I know people have it worse, I know that. I'm just another spoiled Californian I know, but that's just it. I'M NOT ANYMORE!!
Although I do admit my affection for Wal-Mart is only fanned by my strict budget and the fact that it's not quite the dollar store, although I do shop there. This is so green acres for the new millenium.
I have an ATM card that I got from my bank, it's sitting in my desk inactivated because really, there is no point. Not like in Cali when I was swiping my card everytime I turned around. I know I know, it's a different lifestyle here and it's for school (which of course is important) and the wages are different and yada yada...I just don't know if I can DO it for three years! Ok my ass is old, I'm not a young starving college student, nor do I want to be. I just want to finish my degree and move on, and yes I understand there are sacrifices, but meat? I mean come on...I went like three weeks before I was able to buy some groceries, of course I didn't pay the light bill but oh well, electricity can be overrated. I'm telling myself things are tight for now, but I just don't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I missed the Native American Film Festival like two blocks from my house, no money. I don't go out, haven't been to a movie or eaten out in months. Its sucks I'm bitching, I know people have it worse, I know that. I'm just another spoiled Californian I know, but that's just it. I'M NOT ANYMORE!!
Although I do admit my affection for Wal-Mart is only fanned by my strict budget and the fact that it's not quite the dollar store, although I do shop there. This is so green acres for the new millenium.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)