Later that same day ... we went for dinner to Cialuzzi's. Noting a police officer (in uniform) and his wife dining at the next table, when he got up to leave I gestured to get his attention and said, "Thank you for all you and your fellow officers do" and he said, "Thank you, darlin'!"
Richie had paid our tab and as I went out the door, I handed the owner my business card with the blog address and said, "Yesterday I wrote praising your excellent Caesar salad..." and he beamed, leaned forward, kissed my cheek and (after a hasty glance at the card) said, "Thank you Neena darlin'!" I smiled, didn't correct him and split. By the by, it's 9-ah as in Nine-ah clock.
No more messin' with karma for today. Bitch store is closed.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Bitch For a Day
I'm up two for the day! This morning at the gym I'd finished all but one machine in my routine. It's a device you sit on and push your legs back and forth, mainly to relax the back. A woman was sitting on it; another woman was talking to her and the two of them were just having a high old time, laughing and scratching. So I stalked over and stood at the end of the counter next to them. The standing visitor looks up, looks startled and said, "Oh! Are you waiting for this?" (No I heard the train stops here...) and the woman seated jumps and says, "Oh just one more rep and I'll be done" and starts pumping away. I smiled, turned and leafed through a newspaper on the counter. Seconds later, she jumped up, said "Thank you!" and hurried off.
This afternoon at Thurs. Writers, five of us were seated around the table, Joyce was reading her short story to us for critique and ... a woman at the computer went and got another woman and the two of them began loudly discussing what was wrong with it. (When there is someone who is quietly using a computer, we don't care.)
I got up, walked over and said, "Excuse me, we're having a meeting here?" Incomprehension on both faces. "This is the writers' workshop and we have this room until 3 p.m.?" (frown) "Oh, sorry! Sorry!" from both of them. And they ran away.
Sadly, I find this work quite uplifting and wish I could find more of it. Still, the day isn't over yet. We're going out to dinner.
This afternoon at Thurs. Writers, five of us were seated around the table, Joyce was reading her short story to us for critique and ... a woman at the computer went and got another woman and the two of them began loudly discussing what was wrong with it. (When there is someone who is quietly using a computer, we don't care.)
I got up, walked over and said, "Excuse me, we're having a meeting here?" Incomprehension on both faces. "This is the writers' workshop and we have this room until 3 p.m.?" (frown) "Oh, sorry! Sorry!" from both of them. And they ran away.
Sadly, I find this work quite uplifting and wish I could find more of it. Still, the day isn't over yet. We're going out to dinner.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Personal Favorites
A beef taco and a cheese enchilada? Rosa's, 322 PCH, Redondo This is a great place for a quick bite. The interior is beautifully painted to resemble a Mexican patio. The food is flavorful and served in small portions. A burrito as big as a watermelon makes me nervous. $ - Inexpensive.
Yellow Curry Shrimp - Phuket Thai, 190th and PCH. This sauce is a perfect blend of seasonings -- just enough warmth that I keep taking "one last bite" of rice so I can put sauce on it. $$ - Moderate
Pizza - Valentino's, 10th and Aviation, Manhattan Beach - It's a thin crust with chewy mozzarella and the tomato sauce is underwhelming. So often a pizza is awash in sauce and the cheese and other toppings are skimpy. $
Caesar Salad - Cialuzzi's, 601 N. PCH, Redondo - in the strip mall across from the main Post Office. I order it every time we're there -- there's something magical about the seasoning. I also like their Jersey (very thin crust) pizza with pepperoni and pineapple and those are what I order. The chef does at least eight specials per night, but having found what I like...
Heuvos Rancheros - Polly's on the Pier, 233 N. Harbor Dr., RB The menu warns that the sauce is hot, but it's a tempered hot. Polly's validates parking! $
Beef - any cut - Union Cattle Co., Manhattan and Pier, Hermosa You're going to get man-sized servings of tender beef and a variety of sides (massive servings, enough for four.) I hear that Thursday nights are half-price for drinks and hors d'oeuvres which is worth looking into. $$$ but you do get your money's worth.
Teriyaki Burgers - any of the three Hennessy's (Hermosa, Manhattan, Riviera Village) The beef is good, the teriyaki is subtle and with a ring or two of grilled pineapple and onion? Bliss! I just wish they automatically served fries with them and not potato chips.
Bloody Mary - Joe's Crab Shack, 230 Portofina Way, Redondo They use Demetrius mix and that makes all of the difference. You can order the heat dialed up or down "without the salad" which means "no garnish." $$
Dirty Gin Martini, Up - Chicago for Ribs, PCH, Riviera Village - across the street from Bristol Farms. Strictly for reporting purposes, I have had a lot of them (understatement) and this is simply the best. $$ Kudos to them, too, for their onion loaf. A half-loaf will feed four, so you've been warned.
All of the above are wheelchair or walker accessible except Hennessy's, Manhattan Beach; have never been there so don't know for sure.
Yellow Curry Shrimp - Phuket Thai, 190th and PCH. This sauce is a perfect blend of seasonings -- just enough warmth that I keep taking "one last bite" of rice so I can put sauce on it. $$ - Moderate
Pizza - Valentino's, 10th and Aviation, Manhattan Beach - It's a thin crust with chewy mozzarella and the tomato sauce is underwhelming. So often a pizza is awash in sauce and the cheese and other toppings are skimpy. $
Caesar Salad - Cialuzzi's, 601 N. PCH, Redondo - in the strip mall across from the main Post Office. I order it every time we're there -- there's something magical about the seasoning. I also like their Jersey (very thin crust) pizza with pepperoni and pineapple and those are what I order. The chef does at least eight specials per night, but having found what I like...
Heuvos Rancheros - Polly's on the Pier, 233 N. Harbor Dr., RB The menu warns that the sauce is hot, but it's a tempered hot. Polly's validates parking! $
Beef - any cut - Union Cattle Co., Manhattan and Pier, Hermosa You're going to get man-sized servings of tender beef and a variety of sides (massive servings, enough for four.) I hear that Thursday nights are half-price for drinks and hors d'oeuvres which is worth looking into. $$$ but you do get your money's worth.
Teriyaki Burgers - any of the three Hennessy's (Hermosa, Manhattan, Riviera Village) The beef is good, the teriyaki is subtle and with a ring or two of grilled pineapple and onion? Bliss! I just wish they automatically served fries with them and not potato chips.
Bloody Mary - Joe's Crab Shack, 230 Portofina Way, Redondo They use Demetrius mix and that makes all of the difference. You can order the heat dialed up or down "without the salad" which means "no garnish." $$
Dirty Gin Martini, Up - Chicago for Ribs, PCH, Riviera Village - across the street from Bristol Farms. Strictly for reporting purposes, I have had a lot of them (understatement) and this is simply the best. $$ Kudos to them, too, for their onion loaf. A half-loaf will feed four, so you've been warned.
All of the above are wheelchair or walker accessible except Hennessy's, Manhattan Beach; have never been there so don't know for sure.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Putting the Spin on Selling Culturally-Acceptable Sex
The Three Dodger fans reviewed the food at the Tilted Kilt last year so I had to change my line of attack. Tilted Kilt, 310 10th Avenue, San Diego 619-814-KILT. tiltedkilt.com
Kilt servers (female) wear top to bottom (which is barely covered) a plaid bra with a white midriff tie shirt with a sleeve, a very short kilt, the waist of which is well below the navel, knee-high white socks and black, high-heeled Mary Jane pumps. Scottish schoolgirl gone bad..
At Hooters, the female servers wear orange satin, skin-tight shorts and a white tank top or short or long-sleeved t-shirts with white athletic sock and sneakers. Hooters.com writes that bras and pantyhose are mandatory wear.
The first Kilt opened in 2003 at the Rio Hotel, Las Vegas, the brainchild of one Mark DiMartino.
The first Hooters opened on October 4, 1983 in Clearwater, Fl. Today the franchise owns 450 Hooters in 43 US locations plus whole countries! (see Hooters.com for the list.)
System wide, Hooters employs 25,000 people, 15,000+ of which are Hooter Girls. Reported income breaks out as follows: 69% food, 28% alcohol and 3% merchandise. Customers are mostly men (68%) from the ages of 25 to 54. Only 10% of all customers bring in their kids.
Hooters states that women have as much right to use their feminine appeal as a supermodel or a Dallas Cowgirls cheerleader (there's a career to aspire to!) Hooters strongly supports womens' lib saying they have the right to choose their own careers. Hooters has successfully fought off discrimination suits -- men who want the same right to wear the abbreviated costumes. Hey, c'mon -- guys have the Chippendale's franchises! Which, come to think of it, is just a spin on the old time burlesque stars.
Sex sells. Whatcha gonna do? If an attractive person wants to make a living fairly cleanly (Hooters, Kilt and Chippendales all have strong anti-harrassment systems in place) by flaunting their bodies, isn't that their business? But: every good-looking person has a sell date. You won't find any 50 year olds still in the business. That would be my only caution to The Ladies -- "Put your tip money in an annuity and live fat ever after."
Kilt servers (female) wear top to bottom (which is barely covered) a plaid bra with a white midriff tie shirt with a sleeve, a very short kilt, the waist of which is well below the navel, knee-high white socks and black, high-heeled Mary Jane pumps. Scottish schoolgirl gone bad..
At Hooters, the female servers wear orange satin, skin-tight shorts and a white tank top or short or long-sleeved t-shirts with white athletic sock and sneakers. Hooters.com writes that bras and pantyhose are mandatory wear.
The first Kilt opened in 2003 at the Rio Hotel, Las Vegas, the brainchild of one Mark DiMartino.
The first Hooters opened on October 4, 1983 in Clearwater, Fl. Today the franchise owns 450 Hooters in 43 US locations plus whole countries! (see Hooters.com for the list.)
System wide, Hooters employs 25,000 people, 15,000+ of which are Hooter Girls. Reported income breaks out as follows: 69% food, 28% alcohol and 3% merchandise. Customers are mostly men (68%) from the ages of 25 to 54. Only 10% of all customers bring in their kids.
Hooters states that women have as much right to use their feminine appeal as a supermodel or a Dallas Cowgirls cheerleader (there's a career to aspire to!) Hooters strongly supports womens' lib saying they have the right to choose their own careers. Hooters has successfully fought off discrimination suits -- men who want the same right to wear the abbreviated costumes. Hey, c'mon -- guys have the Chippendale's franchises! Which, come to think of it, is just a spin on the old time burlesque stars.
Sex sells. Whatcha gonna do? If an attractive person wants to make a living fairly cleanly (Hooters, Kilt and Chippendales all have strong anti-harrassment systems in place) by flaunting their bodies, isn't that their business? But: every good-looking person has a sell date. You won't find any 50 year olds still in the business. That would be my only caution to The Ladies -- "Put your tip money in an annuity and live fat ever after."
Monday, August 3, 2009
Beaches, Baseball and Beers
Error! "D" called to say that the game was played in Petco Park, not QualComm Stadium. Our apologies (but truthfully, he didn't have to use some of the adjectives he chose in pointing this error out. Since this is presumably a family-friendly blog I will forgo repeating any of them.)
Yesterday, Mouton, "D", Richie and self make it to the train station with time to spare; it arrived
on time and we scurried upstairs to the observation deck and grabbed four seats together in a middle car (Mouton and I rode facing the caboose.) After some industrial-type scenery (car and boat junk yards) we began to run along the Pacific Ocean. At times we were so close to the water that it seemed like being on a boat! We passed beaches, full of people, camping tents, RVs.
Our train was going to be late (it had to wait for a northbound train to pass) so I called "Raffish" to tell him. If asked if the train stopped at Old Town before going on to the San Diego main station? When I said it did, he suggested I get off there so I did.
He was on the platform and saw me descend, rushed over to shake Richie's hand and then the train moved off taking them (eventually) to QualComm Stadium where they would watch the Padres vs. Milwaukee Brewers game. As their beloved Dodgers play the Brewers tonight, this was felt to be a scouting expedition on their parts about the Brewers -- defense? Offense?
Leaving them to it, Raffish and I walked through Old Town to Rockin' Baja Lobster, sat down in the sunny patio off the bar and ordered a pair of Pacificos and an order of Tequila-Lime Shrimp sauteed in butter and olive oil with a sauce of cilantro, red pepper, lime and tequila which came with two slices of grilled garlic bread (the better to sop up the excellent sauce.) Rockin' Lobster has a help-yourself-salsa bar with a mountain of chips. Lunch was $32.61 before a 20% tip.
Waxing enthusiastic about the lingering, aged hippies, he drove us to Ocean Beach (usually fondly called "OB," Newport Avenue, the main drag and has lots of restos, bars, used clothing and antique shops lining it. We saw silver pony-tailed men and their ladies and a lot more 30-somethings, many with strollers and little kids.
The first place we went to was too packed to stay, so we crossed the street to Newport Pizza which boasts "No Crap From Our Taps" regarding their line of signature beers. Raffish pointed out that San Diego's dress code is pretty relaxed (men even wear flip flops with suits) gesturing to a trio of young men who had removed their shirts. In fairness, if one has spent that much money on tattoos, it only makes sense to display them when management permits. Newport Pizza, 5050 Newport Avenue, Ocean Beach 619-224-4540
Back to the car and onward to Blind Lady's Ale House, 3416 Adams Avenue, San Diego 619-255-2491. Feeling a bit peckish by then, we ordered and shared house-cured olives and a Pizza Margarite (tomato sauce, cheese and fresh basil) along with a pair of their amber ales that were so good that we ordered two more. He insisted on treating, so I don't know what the tab was.
My cell phone rang, Richie and the others were at the Tilted Kilt in downtown San Diego. We saddled up and joined them. After some convivial conversation, Raffish gave us a very much appreciated ride to the station, we boarded the train and left. We did manage to stay awake until the beach scenes had flashed past and then I think they all went to sleep -- I know I did...
All in all, a very good day -- they got to see their beloved baseball LIVE! and I got to see people and neighborhoods with a very comfortable old friend who has a descriptive flair and feeling for both. Tomorrow: Live at the Tilted Kilt.
Yesterday, Mouton, "D", Richie and self make it to the train station with time to spare; it arrived
on time and we scurried upstairs to the observation deck and grabbed four seats together in a middle car (Mouton and I rode facing the caboose.) After some industrial-type scenery (car and boat junk yards) we began to run along the Pacific Ocean. At times we were so close to the water that it seemed like being on a boat! We passed beaches, full of people, camping tents, RVs.
Our train was going to be late (it had to wait for a northbound train to pass) so I called "Raffish" to tell him. If asked if the train stopped at Old Town before going on to the San Diego main station? When I said it did, he suggested I get off there so I did.
He was on the platform and saw me descend, rushed over to shake Richie's hand and then the train moved off taking them (eventually) to QualComm Stadium where they would watch the Padres vs. Milwaukee Brewers game. As their beloved Dodgers play the Brewers tonight, this was felt to be a scouting expedition on their parts about the Brewers -- defense? Offense?
Leaving them to it, Raffish and I walked through Old Town to Rockin' Baja Lobster, sat down in the sunny patio off the bar and ordered a pair of Pacificos and an order of Tequila-Lime Shrimp sauteed in butter and olive oil with a sauce of cilantro, red pepper, lime and tequila which came with two slices of grilled garlic bread (the better to sop up the excellent sauce.) Rockin' Lobster has a help-yourself-salsa bar with a mountain of chips. Lunch was $32.61 before a 20% tip.
Waxing enthusiastic about the lingering, aged hippies, he drove us to Ocean Beach (usually fondly called "OB," Newport Avenue, the main drag and has lots of restos, bars, used clothing and antique shops lining it. We saw silver pony-tailed men and their ladies and a lot more 30-somethings, many with strollers and little kids.
The first place we went to was too packed to stay, so we crossed the street to Newport Pizza which boasts "No Crap From Our Taps" regarding their line of signature beers. Raffish pointed out that San Diego's dress code is pretty relaxed (men even wear flip flops with suits) gesturing to a trio of young men who had removed their shirts. In fairness, if one has spent that much money on tattoos, it only makes sense to display them when management permits. Newport Pizza, 5050 Newport Avenue, Ocean Beach 619-224-4540
Back to the car and onward to Blind Lady's Ale House, 3416 Adams Avenue, San Diego 619-255-2491. Feeling a bit peckish by then, we ordered and shared house-cured olives and a Pizza Margarite (tomato sauce, cheese and fresh basil) along with a pair of their amber ales that were so good that we ordered two more. He insisted on treating, so I don't know what the tab was.
My cell phone rang, Richie and the others were at the Tilted Kilt in downtown San Diego. We saddled up and joined them. After some convivial conversation, Raffish gave us a very much appreciated ride to the station, we boarded the train and left. We did manage to stay awake until the beach scenes had flashed past and then I think they all went to sleep -- I know I did...
All in all, a very good day -- they got to see their beloved baseball LIVE! and I got to see people and neighborhoods with a very comfortable old friend who has a descriptive flair and feeling for both. Tomorrow: Live at the Tilted Kilt.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Road Trip
Sunday, 9 a.m. the train of Sure & Certain Death to San Diego. Remember.. middle cars... face the caboose... carry big purse with small axe in it for the window... drink heavily tonight...
Full report on Monday, I feel strong! If not particularly stoic.
Full report on Monday, I feel strong! If not particularly stoic.
The Vultures Slow Circling Has Begun
"The Kennedy Legacy - Jack, Bobby and Ted and a Family Dream Fulfilled" by Vincent Bzdek Palgrave Macmillan 254 pages (not including indexes) $26.95
The Acknowledgement (front of book) starts... Shortly after Kennedy collapsed from a seizure in May 2008, I hurred to several bookstores in search of something to read about Kennedy and his lifelong contributions to the Kennedy legacy. (italics by Ed)
Well! Quel horror! Nothing (!) had been written in the past 10 years about this star. And so, surprise! His editor suggested that he write a new book "that placed him in the center of the family narrative." I.e., massive spin on the acknowledged under-achiver of that family.
I would not have thought that there was any new ground to be ploughed about this family. About the only thing left is analization of why and how they succeeded which this book attempts to do.
I've always thought that the Kennedys were careless people -- careless about others' feelings, possessions and those of others -- Got drunk and wrecked the car? No worries! Here's a new one! Oh, someone got hurt? What's her name; I'll write a check. The kind of over-bearing arrogance that I find fascinating, frankly.
In their heyday (some 50 years running) the manner in which they extricated themselves from their own doings could madden me. But now that generation, save Ted, has all gone to their dubious rewards. RIP
The Acknowledgement (front of book) starts... Shortly after Kennedy collapsed from a seizure in May 2008, I hurred to several bookstores in search of something to read about Kennedy and his lifelong contributions to the Kennedy legacy. (italics by Ed)
Well! Quel horror! Nothing (!) had been written in the past 10 years about this star. And so, surprise! His editor suggested that he write a new book "that placed him in the center of the family narrative." I.e., massive spin on the acknowledged under-achiver of that family.
I would not have thought that there was any new ground to be ploughed about this family. About the only thing left is analization of why and how they succeeded which this book attempts to do.
I've always thought that the Kennedys were careless people -- careless about others' feelings, possessions and those of others -- Got drunk and wrecked the car? No worries! Here's a new one! Oh, someone got hurt? What's her name; I'll write a check. The kind of over-bearing arrogance that I find fascinating, frankly.
In their heyday (some 50 years running) the manner in which they extricated themselves from their own doings could madden me. But now that generation, save Ted, has all gone to their dubious rewards. RIP
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