A seething mass of turgid drama.

We absolutely would not have gone if not for the job, because the house is still a shambles from long Beltane. Nevertheless we did, and we had a reasonably good time chatting with mostly usual suspects. I'm looking forward to getting to know the now-former Prince/Princess better.

I mentioned a possible opening gag for this year's GSP production to Juan & Rose and was pleased that they both thought it had merit, although they said it needs work. I agree with that - this was just a joke that I thought was funny, so it's more concept than polished opener at this stage. Of course this morning my brain started fleshing out a possible approach that I also think is funny - we'll see if it lands with the cast when we start rehearsals. Assuming I remember then, but it will probably stick in my brain.

I entered a batch of Strong Green Sauce (16th c, Messisbugo) in the Silver Spoon, which was sauces. I've made it before (though never for a competition) and this was a particularly good batch. It was a close runner-up, although my documentation and presentation were better and I could probably have forced at least a tie if I had wanted to. I don't really have anything to prove though - I have three Silver Spoons already. And, well, a cooking Laurel. So I deferred to a newcomer whose dish really was very tasty. Speaking of, he is half of a couple we met at WCCS that are jumping in to All! The! Things! He cooks and bakes sourdough bread regularly, so I am thinking of approaching him with an offer to be a student for a year and a day... if he does and it works out, we can perhaps do a more formal apprenticeship. We'll see how that goes.

We went to Coronet Saturday. We probably wouldn't have if not for the job, which as I have mentioned before was one of my motivations for taking the job. We had a good time. The fighting seemed to go fine, my job was accomplished without any real stress or problems, and loads of good chattage. Hirsch got a deserved award for all the history and awards stuff he continues to do.

Afterwards we went out to the same Mexican restaurant we visited two weeks ago. My garlic shrimp wasn't as good as the chile relleno, but it was still decent. The drive home was a bit long due to highway construction and if it had been much longer I would have swapped driving; I was fighting exhaustion for the last leg of the trip, but it didn't seem worthwhile to change when we only had 10 miles to go.

I carefully packed my breakfast and lunch last night, as I usually do. This morning I pulled the bag out... and left it on the kitchen table. I realized this halfway down the street but I was running a bit behind, so I didn't feel like I had the time to turn around.

When I got to the bus stop, the bus was also running late. Not quite enough for me to hike up the hill and back, but enough that if I had turned around when I realized, I would have been fine.

Friday the wife and I went to North Beach. We had a decent dinner at one of the many Italian eateries. (This one didn't seem too touristy, at least.) It was vaguely amusing part-listening in to the couple next to us on their first date.

We went to a comedy club after. We were reasonably early, so it was a short line. Went through the portable metal detector; the wife followed me and it went off. At which point they wanded me. Um, what? I took it with good grace, because while it didn't make sense I wasn't trying to sneak anything in.

The first of my two-drink minimum wasn't very good. As might be expected for a comedy club bar.
The two openers were okay, nothing to write home about. The headliner was funny but not side-splitting.

All in all, it was a good date out.

Yesterday the wife and I went for a hike in Marin. We didn't get to the waterfall that the trail was supposed to lead to, but we had a great walk in the redwoods that always rejuvenates me. Plus some fantasizing about houses along a creek and surrounded by said redwoods. I would completely be in my happy place if we lived there.

Dinner out was at a Fronch-Californian-Japanese restaurant we've been to before. We keep going back because it punches above its price point in quality, and since we're usually seated at the long bar where they plate we get dinner and a show. Last night was a dinner with a Mendocino winemaker and the place was completely booked - which good for them. Dinner was excellent as usual, though the rich food did interfere with my sleep as I expected. And I'm going to eat lightly today...

Our compliance firm sent us an early holiday present -- a 40-pack of Rice Krispie treats. Points for corporate present, but zero them out for appropriateness. There are two of us who regularly go to the office. Even if I wanted to eat them, this is way too many.

The other guy offered the box to me. I told him to take them to his church.

Thursday the wife and I drove to the other side of the City for dinner and a movie. We went to our usual place when visiting this theater - a family-run Chinese restaurant. Sadly they aren't doing soup dumplings anymore but we still enjoyed some of our usuals: green onion pancake, green beans with chile, and dry-fried chicken wings (which are fabulous). The service is pretty slow but even with commute-hour traffic we had plenty of time.

We saw Spinal Tap II the day before it opened. I'm not quite sure how this indie theater gets to do that but I'm not complaining. The movie wasn't as good as the original, but it was never going to be. The Comicle put it well: it may not go to 11, only 8, but still rocks. We enjoyed it.

I have started brining 5 lbs pork loin to replenish our lonza stores, and am attempting a puff pastry sausage roll tonight for dinner. Mildly ambitious but that's okay for a weekend, and I'm using commercial puff pastry because I am not insane.

Monday we flew to LA for a quick vacation.
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And now back to catching up on work.

I had a business lunch yesterday. Since it is summer in San Francisco, the weather is cold - 50s and windy. I chose a restaurant named "(x)'s Chowder House" and was looking forward to a big bowl of Boston-style chowder. Possibly a sourdough bowl.

Unfortunately, the place has gone fast-casual. You order at the counter. They didn't offer large bowls; only a small paper cup with a sandwich. The tray shows up at your bar stool and you eat with the plastic utensils on the table. I didn't need linen tablecloths, but this was not what I was looking for.

The chowder was, in fact, quite good Boston-style (the only kind, in my opinion) and was properly hot. I yummed it down. My crab cake sandwich was fine. But I would have largely forgiven the ambiance had I been able to get just a large bowl of chowder.

So I am meeting the wife for lunch tomorrow on our own dime at Tadich, where I can at least order a bowl of chowder at the bar and mop it up with sourdough bread.

Short version: I am going "blah blah blah," not that I was blah about the event.
( blah say )

I am tired today. Not sore, but weary from being social and a bit wrung out from the whole thing. I would have liked to take today off but after last week's vacation, I can't justify that. So I should get back to work.